Part 2

How many a war-worn soldier would say with the German hero of Schiller’s tragedy:

“Oh gladly would I give the blood stained victor’s wreath For the first violet of the early spring, Plucked in those quiet fields where I have journeyed.” SCHILLER.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TITLE PAGE.

Our Artist has tastefully combined in the wreath that adorns her title page several of our native Spring Flowers. The simple blossoms of Claytonia Virginica, better known by its familiar name “SPRING BEAUTY,” may easily be recognized from the right hand figure in the group of the first plate in the book. For a description of it see page 16.

The tall slender flower on the left side on the title page is Potentilla Canadensis, (Var simplex). This slender trailing plant may be found in open grassy thickets, by road side wastes, at the foot of old stumps, and similar localities, with the common Cinquefoil or Silver Leaf. This last species is much the most attractive plant to the lover of wild flowers. It abounds in dry gravelly and sandy soil, courting the open sunshine, rooting among stones, over which it spreads its slender reddish stalk, enlivening the dry arid wastes with its silvery silken leaves and gay golden rose-shaped blossoms.

The Potentilla family belongs to the same Natural Order, ROSACEÆ, as the Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry and the Rose—a goodly fellowship of the useful and the beautiful among which our humble Cinquefoil has been allowed to find a place.

The little plant occupying the lower portion of the plate is Viola sagittata, “ARROW LEAVED VIOLET.” The anthers of the stamens are flesh coloured or pale orange; the slender pointed sepals of the calyx are of a bright light green, which form a lively contrast to the deep purple closely wrapped pointed buds that they enfold. The leaves are of a dull green, somewhat hairy, narrow, blunt at the apex, not heart-shaped as in many of the species but closed at the base and bordering the short channelled foot-stalk. Among our numerous species few are really more lovely than “the Arrow Leaved Violet.” Viola ovata and Viola villosa closely resemble the above, and probably are varieties of our pretty flower.

The violet, like the rose and lily, has ever been the poet’s flower. This is not one of our earliest violets; it blossoms later than the early white violet, V. rotundifolia or than the early Blue Violet, V. cucullata, or that delicate species V. striata, the lilac striped violet, which adorns the banks and hill sides on some of our plain lands, early in the month of May. Later in this month and in the beginning of June we find the azure blossoms of V. sagittata in warm sheltered valleys, often among groups of small pines and among grasses on sandy knolls and open thickets. The plant grows low, the leaves on very short foot-stalks closely pressed to the ground; the bright full blue flowers springing from the crown of the plant on long slender stems stand above the leaves.

The petals are blunt, of a full azure blue, white at the base and bearded. Among many allusions to this favourite flower, here are lines somewhat after the style of the older poets, addressed to early violets found on a wintry March day at Waltham Abbey.

TO EARLY VIOLETS.

Children of sweetest birth, Why do ye bend to earth Eyes in whose softened blue, Lies hid the diamond dew? Has not the early ray, Yet kissed those tears away That fell with closing day?

Say do ye fear to meet The hail and driving sleet, Which gloomy winter stern Flings from his snow-wreathed urn? Or do ye fear the breeze So sadly sighing thro’ the trees, Will chill your fragrant flowers, Ere April’s genial showers Have visited your bowers?

Why came ye till the cuckoo’s voice, Bade hill and vale rejoice; Till Philomel with tender tone, Waking the echoes lone, Bids woodland glades prolong Her sweetly tuneful song; Till sky-lark blithe and linnet grey, From fallow brown and meadow gay, Pour forth their jocund roundelay; Till ‘cowslip, wan’ and ‘daisies pied’ ’Broider the hillock’s side, And opening hawthorn buds are seen, Decking each hedge-row screen?

What, though the primrose drest In her pure paly vest Came rashly forth To brave the biting North, Did ye not see her fall Straight ’neath his snowy pall; And heard ye not the West wind sigh Her requiem as he hurried by?

Go hide ye then till groves are green And April’s clouded bow is seen; Till suns are warm, and skies are clear And every flower that does appear, Proclaims the birthday of the year.

Though Canada does not boast among her violets the sweet purple violet (Viola odorata) of Britain she has many elegant species remarkable for beauty of form and colour; among these “The Yellow Wool Violet,” the “Song Spurred Violet” and the “Milkwhite Wool Violet,” (V. Canadensis) may be named. These are all branching violets, some, as the yellow and the white, often attain, in rank shaded soil, to a foot in height and may be found throwing out a succession of flowers through the later summer months. They will bloom freely if transplanted to a shady spot in the garden.

3 ANEMONE NEMOROSA (Wood Anemone)

2 UVULARIA PERFOLIATA (Large flowered Bellwort)

1 HEPATICA ACUTILOBA (Sharp lobed Hepatica)

4 CLAYTONIA VIRGINICA (Spring Beauty)

* * * * *

NAT. ORD. RANUNCULACEÆ.

LIVER-LEAF. (SHARP LOBED HEPATICA.) Hepatica acutiloba.

“Lodged in sunny clefts, Where the cold breeze comes not, blooms alone The little Wind-flower, whose just opened eye Is blue, as the spring heaven it gazes at.” BRYANT.

THE American poet, Bryant, has many happy allusions to the Hepatica under the name of “WIND-FLOWER;” the more common name among our Canadian settlers is “SNOW-FLOWER,” it being the first blossom that appears directly after the melting off of the winter snows.

In the forest—in open grassy old woods, on banks and upturned roots of trees, this sweet flower gladdens the eye with its cheerful starry blossoms; every child knows it and fills its hands and bosom with its flowers, pink, blue, deep azure and pure white. What the daisy is to England, the Snow-flower or Liver-leaf is to Canada. It lingers long within the forest shade, coyly retreating within its sheltering glades from the open glare of the sun: though for a time it will not refuse to bloom within the garden borders, when transplanted early in spring, and doubtless if properly supplied with black mould from the woods and partially sheltered by shrubs it would continue to grow and flourish with us constantly.

We have two sorts, H. acutiloba, and H. triloba. A large variety has been found on Long Island in Rice Lake; the leaves of which are five lobed; the lobes much rounded, the leaf stalks stout, densely silky, the flowers large, of a deep purple blue. This handsome plant throve under careful cultivation and proved highly ornamental.

The small round closely folded buds of the Hepatica appear before the white silky leaves unfold themselves, though many of the old leaves of the former year remain persistent through the winter. The buds rise from the centre of a silken bed of soft sheaths and young leaves, as if nature kindly provided for the warmth and protection of these early flowers with parental care.