TRAWBERRY TREE. Arbutus Unedo. Class 10, DECANDRIA. Order: MONOGYNIA. "We have few shrubs," says Miss Twamley, in her 'Romance of Nature,' "which contribute so much and so constantly to the adornment of our gardens and lawns as this. Its deep glossy evergreen leaves are alone beautiful; but when in Autumn these are gemmed with its clusters of delicate flowers, and the richly-hued ripening fruit, (which is a year in attaining maturity, and so appears with the succeeding blossoms,) I know few objects so beautiful as the Arbutus.

PERSEVERANCE.

See, like a Ladye in a festal garb,

How gaily deck'd she waits the Christmas time!
Her robe of living emerald, that waves

And, shining, rustles in the frost-bright air,

Is garlanded with bunches of small flowers,

Small bell-shaped flowers, each of an orient pearl
Most delicately modell'd, and just tinged

With faintest yellow, as if, lit within,

There hung a fairy torch in each lamp-flower.
Some have a pinky hue, soft as a shell

Painted by Amphitrite's hands; for they, less white
Than Lilies where they ope, blush e'en to know
That Summer hath a flower more pure than they.

TWAMLEY.

Revolt is recreant, when pursuit is brave;
Never to faint, doth purchase what we crave.

MACHEN.

That wins each god-like act, and plucks success
Even from the spear-proof crest of rugged danger.

HAVARD.

UNFLOWER. Helianthus Annuus. Class 19, SYNGENESIA. Order: TRIGYNIA. This species of sunflower is a native of Peru and Mexico, where it sometimes grows to the enormous height of twenty feet; and has flowers two feet in breadth. The Helianthus Indicus, or Dwarf Sunflower, is found in Egypt. The remaining species of this genus, 25 in number, are all indigenous to the Western Continent.

LOFTY AND PURE THOUGHTS.

Where rustic taste at leisure trimly weaves
The rose and straggling woodbine to the eaves,
And on the crowded spot that pales enclose
The white and scarlet daisy rears in rows,
Training the trailing peas in clusters neat,
Perfuming evening with a luscious sweet,
And sunflowers planting for their gilded show,
That scale the windows' lattice ere they blow,
And, sweet to habitants within the sheds,
Peep through the crystal panes their golden heads.

CLARE.

I know you all, and will awhile uphold

The unyoked humour of your idleness:
Yet herein will I imitate the sun;
Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To smother up his beauty from the world,
That, when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wonder'd at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapours, that did seem to strangle him.

SHAKSPEARE.

Faster than spring-time showers, comes thought on thought;
And not a thought, but thinks on dignity.

SHAKSPEARE.

WEET FLAG. Acorus Calamus. Class 6, HEXANDRIA. Order: MONOGYNIA. Linnæus considered the Sweet Flags the only native aromatic plant of northern countries. The root has a strong spicy smell, and when dried, is used in medicine with much sucThe Turks eat it as a sweetmeat,

cess.

and consider it preventive of contagion.

FITNESS.

It was the tall, sweet-scented Flag,
Lay pictured there so true,

I could have deem'd some Fairy hand
The faithful image drew.

The falchion-leaves, all long and sharp;
The stem, like a tall leaf too,
Except where, half-way up its side,
A cone-shaped flower-spike grew,

Like a Lady's finger, taper, long,
From end to end array'd

In close scale-armour, that was all
Of starry flowers made.

If you could fancy fairy folk

Would mimic work of ours,

You'd think their dainty fingers here

Had wrought mosaic flowers.

The tiny petals neatly form'd,
With geometric skill,

Are each one so exactly shaped,
Its proper place to fill.

And stamens, like fine golden dust,
Spangle the flowrets green;
Aught more compact or beautiful

Mine eyes have never seen!

TWAMLEY.