To the cross would I be found."

sunbeam or moonbeam falls on its | ing from May till July, with a quinpolished leaves, they are beautiful, and tuply divided bouquet, or umbel of white when rustling in the breeze, they possess highly-fragrant blossoms, the corolla an additional interest. The ivy has been having five divisions, and the berry three used in many a superstitious rite ; let the seeds. There is a dwarf species, (s. Christian make a better use of it. ebulus,) which is purely herbaceous, dy

ing down to the ground every year ; but “ Ivy! thou art ever green, Let me changeless then be seen: the root is perennial. It is not very While my Saviour loves me-ne'er common, but in Wiltshire, about CompLet my love grow old and sere. Ivy! clinging round the tree,

ton Basset, where the writer has met Gladly would I learn of thee;

with it, the farmers find it difficult to Clinging, as the year goes round, eradicate it from the ground.

In the fourth order, we find classed a The potato (Salanum tuberosum) very pretty mountain meadow plant, the belongs, as already mentioned, to this grass of Parnassus, (Parnassia palusorder, and has been of more advantage tris,) which, during the autumn months, to the human race than any other pro- renders whole tracts of the moist upland duction of America, from which it was pastures, where it grows, white with its introduced in the reign of queen Eliza- beautiful blossoms. In such situations, beth, by the celebrated sir Walter Ra- it is common in the three kingdoms; and leigh, who first planted it in his garden the writer has also seen it equally abundat Youghal, in the south of Ireland. ant in the valley of Chamouni, SwitzerThe original wild potato of America land, and other Alpine countries. The has a small worthless root; but this has petals are veined with pellucid lines, and been wonderfully improved by artificial within these are numerous yellow glands, cultivation. In this country, the potato supported on footstalks of a very singublooms from May through the summer, lar appearance, the use of which, in the according to the period of planting; the economy of the plant, is unknown. The flower being of various shades, of purple seed vessel has four valves and numerous or white, with large yellow anthers, in seeds. The leaves, from the root, are some degree united and opening by a heart shaped and taper pointed. double pore at the end. The berry which As an illustration of the fifth order, succeeds has two cells and numerous the cultivated flax (Linum usoristissiseeds.

mum) is not only very pretty, so as to One of the most common plants of the be ornamental in the flower garden, and second order, both wild and cultivated, by no means uncommonly sown as an is the carrot, (Daucus carota,) which annual in the gardens around London, may be met with on the borders of fields, but it is one of the most important plants, and in pastures and waste places, on al. next to cotton, for our manufactures. most every variety of soil, from granite It blows in June and July, with a fine to chalk. The flowering umbel is hol- blue flower, followed by a seed vessel low, like a cup, and hence it has been with ten valves and ten cells. The seeds popularly called bird's nest, a character are used for making linseed oil and linwhich may help to prevent the young seed meal. botanist from mistaking it for any other Flax appears to have been cultivated plant of the order, the umbelliferæ being from the earliest times, being mentioned so very similar in general appearance. in the Old Testament among the producThe flowers are separate, the outermost tions of Egypt, Exod. ix. 31. When it irregular and barren, the inner fertile, is ripe, it is pulled up by the roots by the central one generally neutral and often hand, and laid in water to soak, till it becoloured ; the calyx indistinct, the petals gins to rot. It is then taken out, spread inversely heart shaped, with an inflected in the air to dry, and to fit it for the point, irregular ; the filaments hairlike operations of breaking, scatching, and and spreading, and larger than the combing, or heckling. corolla. The flowers appear in June, Another common plant of this order is July, and the subsequent months. thrift, (Armeria maritima, formerly

As an example of the third order, the Statice Armerica,) a native plant, which common elder, (Sambucus nigra) term-grows profusely on some of our coasts, ed, provincially, bower tree, is one of above high-water mark, and also on the our best known shrubs or small trees, tops of the highest mountains in Engrising about fifteen feet high, and flower-| land, Wales, and Scotland. It blossoms

a

SIXTH CLASS.

HEXANDRIA.

from May till August with red, purple, The seeds are numerous. The plant scarlet, or white flowers, in a roundish varies extremely in size, according to the head. The calyx has two leaves, entire, / barrenness or luxuriance of the soil. It plaited, and membranous; the petals are blossoms early in summer, from April five; the leaves linear, flat, and blunt. It till May, after which it soon ripens its makes a good garden border, and will seeds, and then withers and dies. thrive and blossom even in the smoke of towns and cities, and is most easily multiplied, to any extent, by division of the

The plants which are arranged in the crowns and roots.

sixth class have six stamens, as the term As thrift is cheaper than box for a Hexandria implies. It is divided into garden border, the poor usually give the six orders, like the preceding class. J. preference to the former. Thus poverty Monogynia, with one pistil, as the lily becomes its patron: while the flower is and onion. 2. Digynia, with two pisfresh, it should teachus thank fulness, tils, as mountain sorrel. 3. Trigynia, and when it fades, it should remind us of with three pistils, as the dock. 4. Teour mortality. Lord, make me to tragynia, with four pistils, as water know mine end, and the measure of my plantain. 5. Hexagynia, with six pisdays, what it is; that I may know how tils. And, 6. Polygynia, with many frail I am,” Psa. xxxix. 4.

pistils. The sixth order may be illustrated by The natural order, Liliacee, or lilicea very curious and interesting plant, the

ous plants, all belong to the first order sundew, (Drosera,) of which there are

of this class, which contains some of our three native species : round-leaved sun- most choice flowers, including the tulip, dew, (D. rotundifolia,) long-leaved hyacinth, and jonquil; and there are sundew, (D. longifolia,) and English, few seasons of the year when some or great sundew, (D. Anglica ;) the first species of the order may not be procured two, common on most heaths and bogs; | for illustration in the garden, if not in the last, rather scarce. They have a

the field, from the earliest months, when quinquefied calyx, fine petals, which the snowdrops appear. rarely open, except when the sun shines upon them brightly. The seed vessel “ The first pale blossom of the unripen'd year,

As nature's breath, by some transforming power has one cell, with three or four valves,

Had changed an icicle into a flower." and many seeds. The plants are all small and inconspicuous, of a reddish They may be found till the later months brown colour, so like the soil, that the of autumn, when the spiderwort, the student requires to look minutely into Guernsey lily, and the oriental hyacinth the localities, in order to find them. come into bloom within doors. The leaves nearest the root are furnished The snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is with glandulous hairs on the upper sur- a native bulbous-rooted plant, half a foot face, and fringed round the edge; each high, flowering from January till April, hair having, at the extremity, a small according to the soil and situation ; and globule of pellucid liquor-like dew, con- in a wild state, in woods, and on banks, tinuing, even in the hottest part of the covering larges patches of ground to the day, and in the fullest exposure to the exclusion of every other plant, in the sun: hence the name of sundew, and the same way as the blue bell (Scilla nonold Latin one of Rosa solis.

scriptus) does, which grows in similar The only not uncommon native plant, situations. The flower bud, enclosed illustrative of the seventh order, is in a sort of thin leathery sheath, mousetail, (Myosurus minimus,) which (sputha ;) the calyx has three concave grows in the cornfields and gravelly pas- divisions; the corolla is cup shaped, with tures, and is often found in the vici- three small-notched divisions; the stignity of London. The stamens vary in ma is simple, and the leaves simple and number from four to twenty; but the of a glaucous green colour. The double tail-like form of the flower, or rather varieties are the most common in garseed spike, and the grass-like leaves, will dens, in which the stamens, from luxuriprevent the student from mistaking it ance of growth, are replaced by petals. for any other plant. The flowers are ex- Following the snowdrop, in the suctremely small

, the calyx having five cession of flowering, the daffodil, (Narleaves, with a spur at the base, and the cissus pseudo-narcissus,) belonging to corolla five petals with a tubular claw. I this order, flowers in March and April,

a

the blossoms being pale yellow; the calyx | flower. It was first known to blossom
with six equal divisions; the corolla in in England, in the year 1729, in the
form of a cup, funnel shaped, and hav- garden of Mr. Cowell, at Hoxton, near
ing a single saw-toothed leaf. The sta- London. Another plant flowered in 1737,
mens are placed within the cup. The at Eaton hall, in Cheshire, of which a
most common variety of this, also, cul- print was engraved; and from the in-
tivated in gardens, is that with double scription thereon, we learn that the stem
blossoms, which the student will, accord- bud appeared on June 15, and for some
ingly, not find to agree with the class weeks grew at the rate of five inches a
from the stamens, having been replaced day, the flower branches being perfected
with petals by over luxuriant cultivation. in twelve weeks, and then ceased to grow
There are several species of this genus for a month, while the buds were form-
with white flowers, often doubled and of ing. It produced one thousand and fifty
exquisite fragrance, common in gardens, blossoms. One, which blossomed, at
such as the poet's lily, (N. poeticus,) Leyden, in 1760, produced more than
which blows considerably later than the four thousand blossoms.
daffodil.

The popular notion that this plant
Succeeding the daffodil we have the, blossoms only once in a hundred years
tulip, (Tulipa gesneriana,) flowering is quite a vulgar error; for the time of
from May till June, the blossom being its flowering depends on the growth; and
in numberless varieties, produced by in warm countries it will blossom in a
crossing, and by diversity of cultivation. few years. The stem will grow from
The calyx or corolla, about which botan- | twenty to forty feet high.
ists are not all agreed, has six divisions, The mountain sorrel (Oxyria renifor-
is bell shaped, blunt, and smooth. mis) is the only British plant of this

It is said that a country fellow was order, and is not uncommon on the once sent on an errand to the house of a mountains of Cumberland, WestmoreDutch tulip fancier. The Dutchman land, and elsewhere. The writer of this prided himself on the costliness of his article found it on Skiddaw and on the flowers; and many of his tulip roots were Mam Tor, in Derbyshire. It is a very worth from twenty to thirty pounds a pretty plant, with kidney-shaped leaves, piece. As the countryman had walked and a greenish blossom, with two petals. a long way, some refreshment was given In the third order, we find the comhim, which, indeed, he seemed to want. mon dock, of which field sorrel (Rumex As he stood in the yard, eating a piece of acetosa) is a well known species, combread and cheese, he fixed his eyes on mon in meadows and pastures, sending what he supposed to be a number of up a pannicle of reddish-brown flowers onions, placed on a lone wall to dry. during the summer months. The calyx Thinking that an onion would make his has three leaves, the petals are three and bread and cheese relish the better, and convergent, the seeds are three sided. not imagining that he was doing any There is a smaller species, (R. acetoselharm, he laid hold of a couple of them, la,) common on bare heaths, turf walls, and proceeded, too hungry to be over and other barren places. The leaves of nice in his taste, he cut them in slices. both are agreeably acid, the acid having He had eaten one, and had almost finished the property of taking ink stains out of a second, when the Dutchman, who had linen. caught sight of him through the window, We have all of us, in our youthful rushed upon him like a tiger. Mynheer days, employed the dock to cure the pain was in a terrible passion, and no wonder; inflicted by the stinging nettle; and we for the simple-hearted countryman, in have gathered green sorrel, and enjoyed appeasing his hunger, had been de- the pleasant acid it contains. Too little molishing some of the choicest tulip do we call to mind the pleasures of childroots that Mynheer had in his posses- hood, and the mercies of riper years. sion. A singular foreign plant, the maguey,

" While God has given us rosy hours

Of health and peace, and fruit and flowers; (Agave Americana,) or American aloe,

While we in pleasant paths have trod, belongs to this order; but though this plant is by no means uncommon, being kept most usually in large boxes or pots

The fourth order contains the water to ornament lawns and terraces, the stu- plantain, (Alisma plantago,) which is to dent may not so readily meet with it in be met with in almost every pond of

a

What have we rendered back to God?"

in I must go

CHILDREN OF PRISONS.

water, sending up its broad leaves, and

ODD SORT OF PEOPLE. its tall branching spike of purplish white “Don't go in there, Frank; they are flowers during the summer months. The such odd sort of people,” said Arthur, as corolla has six divisions. There are Frank was dismounting to open the gate several other species, which have all a of Mr. Welford's cottage. similar appearance to those just de- in,” replied Frank; for uncle desired me scribed.

to call." “Then,” said Arthur, you The petiveria (P. alliacka) is a stone may depend upon it I shall not accomplant of this order, a native of Jamaica pany you. I will ride on and speak to and the other West India islands, where Ned Tankerville: you can call there for it grows in the low lands, in dry gravelly me; or I will meet you at the end of the soil, and shady situations. It has the lane.” So saying, Arthur put spurs to property of enduring much drought, his horse, and was out of sight in a miand remains green when other vegetation nute. I accompanied Frank in his call is burned up; a valuable property in a hot at Mr. Welford's, where we were reclimate. The cattle eat it greedily; but ceived with cordiality and politeness. The it gives to their milk the disagreeable commission which Frank had to exeodour of garlic.

cute, was to request the company of Mr. Of the other orders we have no com. and Mrs. Welford and family to dine at mon illustrations to offer that would be the Hall one day in the ensuing week : the useful to the student.

invitation was accepted, and the day fixed upon. While the deliberations on this matter were proceeding, I was—I hope not rudely, but certainly with some cu.

riosity excited by Arthur's remark-enWhen I was in Berlin, I went into gaged in scrutinizing the scene around the public prison, and visited every part me; and I saw nothing, either in the of the establishment. At last I was house or its inhabitants, which seemed introduced to a very large hall, which to me to exemplify it. The house and was full of children with their books and furniture were neat, comfortable, and teachers, and having the appearance of even elegant. The grounds, though not a Prussian school room. “What !” said very extensive, were laid out with exI, “is it possible that all these children quisite taste, and preserved in the nicest are imprisoned here for crime ?” “O order. The family appeared to be intelno," said my conductor, smiling at my ligent, active, and cheerful.

"Odd sort simplicity ; " but if a parent is impri- of people !” said I to myself: " I won. soned for crime, and on that account der what Arthur could mean ; I expected his children are left destitute of the to see a place as gloomy and unfurnished means of education, and are liable to as a hermit's cell, with inhabitants ungrow up in ignorance and crime, the couth or fantastic in appearance, and government places them here, and main- morose or ridiculous in manners ; but tains and educates them for useful em-1-Ah! well. I shall see more of them ployment.” This was a new idea to when they spend a day at my uncle's,

I know not that it has ever been and perhaps find out what Arthur suggested in the United States ; but means.” surely it is the duty of government, as The Welford family paid their visit. well as its highest interest, when a man Whoever might regret this, I did not, is paying the penalties of his crime in for we passed the day most agreeably ; a public prison, to see that his unof- and it was not till after the visitors had fending children are not left to suffer taken their departure, that I even recol. and inherit their father's vices. Surely lected Arthur's sneering remark about it would be better for the child, and their being “odd sort of people.” cheaper as well as better for the state. At the breakfast-table next morning, Let it not be supposed that a man will several topics of conversation which had go to prison for the sake of having his been started on the preceding evening children taken care of ; for those who go were resumed ; and while referring to to prison usually have little regard for the pleasure we had enjoyed, I said to their children. If they had, discipline Frank, that I thought if Arthur had staid like that of the Berlin prison would to spend the day with us, he must have soon sicken them of such a bargain.- changed his opinion of the Welford Professor Stowe.

family. It could only be for want of

me.

knowing them better, that he looked upon | Arthur Longley would almost be as difthem as odd sort of people.

ferent as if they were foreigners: they “I don't know that,” said my uncle; may possibly call the same animal a dog

our opinions of others are in a great de- or a cat; but as to any quality, action, or gree influenced by our own tastes and ha- habit, I can scarcely imagine them to bits. We are very apt to judge of things have an idea in common.

Arthur, you not so much by their intrinsic merits as know, considers himself well born, beby their accordance or dissonance with cause he happens to be related to one or our own preferences and practices. When two persons possessing a title, or the shathings are in their own nature perfectly dow of a title, and was never, that he is indifferent, customs which are new to us, aware of, connected with any person enand of which we do not understand the gaged in trade or commerce. Mr. Wel. reason, seem preposterous and absurd. ford, too, considers himself well born; By uneducated people, even to converse for he is the son of virtuous and intelin a foreign language is condemned as ligent parents in humble life, who early talking gibberish; and people of different instilled good principles, and set good nations acquainted with no language but examples before him, and who denied their own, are thus barbarians to each themselves to obtain for their sons an other."

education which they knew how to ap“ But that is very narrow-minded," preciate, nough they did not possess. said Frank.

This proved the foundation of their son's “ Yes,” replied my uncle, “ want of rising in life. He was placed in a manuinformation naturally cramps the mind; factory, and by his diligence, punctuality, but pride and prejudice do so in a still and skill, gained favour with his employgreater degree, and lead to much greater ers, and was advanced in the establishilliberality. A naturally noble mind, ment. Meanwhile his leisure hours were though placed in circumstances unfa- employed in applying the mathematical vourable to its developement, will admit knowledge he had acquired, to practical the possibility of there being truth and purposes connected with his employment. good sense in matters which it does not in time he matured several experiments, understand ; but a contracted mind will and they proved completely successful in condemn, as foolish and ridiculous, all simplifying the process and improving persons and practices not exactly con- the product of his labour. The value of formed to its own standard, especially if his discoveries was honourably acknowthe practices can by any means be con- ledged by his employers, and he was ad, strued into a tacit reproof of its own." mitted to a share in a most extensive and

My uncle's remarks brought to my re- lucrative concern, and to a family concollection an ingenious story I had just nexion with the senior partner. After a read in “ Evenings at Home.” It is prosperous commercial career of fifteen called “ Travellers' Wonders.” A cap- or twenty years, Welford said, what few tain being importuned by his children to prosperous tradesmen under fifty years tell about some of the strange countries of age can be induced to say, he had visited, relates to them a variety enough ; I will retire to educate and enof strange particulars which excite their joy my family, and leave the field of wonder and censure; but they afterwards commerce open to new competitors." He find that they had been listening to a de- purchased the estate, and erected the moscription of their own habits and prac-dest dwelling you saw last week, and tices, expressed in other words than those there settled with his family a few months with which they were familiar, and ago. His father resides with them, a placed in a somewhat different point of fine old man full of intelligence, benevoview from that to which they were ac- lence, and vivacity. He is at present customed; and I thought, that perhaps in visiting a daughter at some distance, or saying that the Welfords were odd sort would have made an agreeable addition of people, Arthur meant no more than to our party of yesterday. that they called things by different names, “ Our worthy neighbour, you peror perhaps acted differently from himself ceive, has made out his own patent to in some little matters to which he might nobility, by rendering important advanattach undue importance.

tages to the commercial interests of his "Nothing more likely," replied my country, and by uniformly maintaining uncle. “I can easily suppose that the a noble course of conduct: not least so in vocabulary of Mr. Welford and that of his fulfilment of “ the first command

" I have