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PRESERVATION OF BULBOUS ROOTS.

nage the line; that served as his guide in keeping them straight. He was likewise intrusted to sow a fresh bed of these pleasant vegetables for the autumn stock, being desired at the same time to scatter the seed very thinly, and all over the ground equally. This being done, they planted out come cauliflowers which they bought at a neighboring nursery ground; and Adam was set about his favorite occupation of watering all these plants which had been removed, to prevent their withering.

"I think, Adam," said his father, "that we shall be able before dinner to sow a bed of turnips for the autumn use, and to weed the bed of parsnips and carrots : weeding, you know, is your chief delight; you would leave your bed or your dinner to go and weed a carrot bed; would'nt you?" "Ah!" said Adam, "I don't mind your teasing me; I weed much faster than I did.” "So you do," said his father, "and I am pleased that you did not complain again.”

After dinner they planted out some young cabbage and savoy plants: then weeded the onion and asparagus beds, and towards sunset watered again the young vegetables they had that day transplanted; also the strawberries. "To-morrow," said his father, "I will look to our vines, and see whether they do not need a little pruning; and now, since we have finished a good day's work, you may go and amuse yourself in any way you please, till bed time.

.

On the following morning, they occupied themselves in attending to their flower-beds, clearing away the weeds, and transplanting such annuals as they had sown in the month of March. The tulips having done blowing, and the weather being dry, they took up the roots, and laid them on a mat in the shade, and after

PIPING OF CARNATIONS.

93

a few days, when they were quite dry, cleaned them thoroughly from dirt, separating the off-sets, and put them away in paper bags till the latter end of the autumn, when they were to be planted out again. They did the same likewise to the ranunculus, anemone, and hyacinth roots, which had done blowing. Afterwards, they planted from the seed beds some wall-flowers, stock July flowers, sweet-williams, columbines, and others I do not now recollect. Adam was also shown how to obtain fresh carnation plants, by laying the shoots under the earth after slitting them half through with a penknife, and pegging them down with little hooked sticks; these, his father told him, would all take root, and become fresh plants by the next spring, when they should carefully cut them away, and transplant them about the beds. They likewise pursued the same plan with the double sweet-williams. The pinks they multiplied, by plucking out the first joints of the branches, and setting them in a light soil. This is called "piping." These they took care to water frequently. Adam's mamma and sisters took upon themselves to see that no flower was trailing upon the ground, but supported all that needed it with sticks. While they were hoeing up the weeds in the shrubbery, Adam, of his own accord, told his father, that he had been reckoning up the flowers that blow in this month, and he thought he could count them all. His father told him, if he could do so, he should have a holyday, and go to Woodlands, and cut himself a bow from the yew-tree in the church-yard. He began: "There are sunflowers, carnations, lupines, pinks, marigolds, golden-rods, larkspurs, hollyhocks, stocks, wall-flowers, snap-dragons:" then he stopped for a little while. "Well" said his father, "you will lose your wager,

if you can give me no larger list than that."—"Ah! papa, but you have no right to hurry me," said Adam. He then continued: "There are lady's-slippers, nasturtiums, lilacs, campanulas, orchis, convolvulus, turk's-caps, guelder-roses;" and here he could go no farther. 66 "Well," said his father," "you have lost your wager; though not shamefully; therefore, I dare say, we shall go to Woodlands, notwithstanding. You forgot your little favorite, the periwinkle; then there is the larkspur, rocket, apocynum, chrysanthemum, corn-flower, gladiolus, anemone; and, indeed, I do not remember any more garden flowers just now; though there are many which were blowing last month, and which still continue in flower. We forgot the waterlilies; both the yellow and white flower in this month, and they are very handsome too; the persicaria, also, and perhaps many more. In the fields, however, a long list, indeed, might be made out: and though I remember many, I dare say I shall not be able to tell you half. The deliciously-scented hawthorn (or, as you call it, 'May') we had for some days, if you remember, in this month; then there was the bramble, wildrose, elder-tree, acacia, barberry, pimpernel, wild thyme, of which, you remember, I told you the bees are so fond; and that they will fly so many miles to procure. The dwarf-mallow, the little bright-colored everlasting-tare, white-bryony, the different sorts of grasses that look like downy feathers. Darnel and poppy among the corn; which, with their pretty red coats, look like soldiers among the laboring men, and are of no more use than those spruce gentry. Then there is eye-bright, with its tasteful name; and the beautifully varied heath, field-scabious, butterfly-orchis, water-betony, cockle, deadly-nightshade, with its rich

royal purple and golden eye; that handsome yellow flower, called parkleaf St. John's-wort; the whitemullein; corn-marigold; the delicate-looking, but destructive bear-bind; feverfew; yellow and white archangel; clover, that has so dainty a honeyed scent. A gentle wind coming over a field of clover after a shower affords almost as exquisite a delight as that of a bean-field. Well, Adam, I cannot remember any more, and I think you have a very good list; but there are a great many that I must have overlooked, for we have not a nobler show of blossoms and flowers in any month, than in the beautiful month of JUNE."

CHAPTER VII.

JULY.

"Now the hot JULY hurries, half-array'd,
From tending his green work on sultry hill,
In bower and field, seeking the shrunken rill;
Or cave, or grot, or grove of pleasant shade,
But flings his length where huddled leaves have made
Cool covert for faint noon. Now not a bill
Of happiest bird breaks the grave silence, still,
With call to his song-fellows; and not a blade
O' the tall grass wags, so idle are the winds.
The bee with laden thighs yet dares not stir
For his far home; and the quick grasshopper,
Though amorous of the sun, yet haply finds
Deep shelter in green shades is better far

Than burning in the blaze of the malign dog-star."

"Lyric Leaves," by Cornelius Webbe.

ADAM," said his father, "I think it will not be many hours before we have a thunder-storm; the weather is so close, and what little air there is, comes to one's face as if it passed through a bakehouse.” Adam said he had been lying on his back under the mulberry tree without his coat and waistcoat, and with a wet towel on his face, but that it did not make him any cooler. His father said they would go down to the river and bathe. As they walked along, they remarked how very troublesome the flies vere, stinging their hands and faces angrily, and as if spitefully.