to 1597, as Gerard tells us it was then growing in his garden. Like the Snowdrop, the Black Hellebore should be planted in considerable quantities to give effect; it loves a pure air, and will not therefore flourish within the precincts of London.

The Winter Hellebore, Helleborus hyemalis, blossoms with a yellow flower in February, and is, therefore, a proper plant to give contrast to the snowdrop, either in wilderness walks or under trees in the shrubbery. It grows wild in mountainous situations in Lombardy, Italy, Austria, Silesia, and Switzerland. Our early writers call it Winter Wolf's-bane, Small Yellow Wolf's-bane, Yellow Aconite, and Winter Aconite. It should never be allowed a place in the kitchen-garden, since fatal accidents have arisen from mistaking this root for that of horseradish. No longer back than the 3d of January, 1822, an inquest was held at Frodsham, Cheshire, on the body of Mrs. Gorst, who died in consequence of eating this root, it having been brought to table for horseradish. Her brother-inlaw was near falling a sacrifice at the same time.

These early embellishers of the garden are propagated by parting the roots any time between the months of June and October.

In the neighbourhood of Paris it is common to cultivate Hellebore in pots, as an ornament for the house.

The Great Three-leaved, or Green Hellebore, Viridis, is a native of our woods, and produces a green flower in the month of April. The Bear'sfoot, or Stinking Hellebore, is indigenous to our chalky pastures. We have also introduced one species from North America, called Trifolius, or small three-leaved Hellebore.

With every desire to caution the ignorant against the use of these dangerous plants, we cannot avoid recommending the faculty to turn their serious attention to this medicinal herb, so celebrated by the Egyptian and Greek physicians of old as the most effectual remedy for the diseases of mania, apoplexy, epilepsy, dropsy, and gout. Mr. Waller tells us in his Domestic Herbal, that "he remembers, in the depôt for French prisoners of war at Norman-cross, in the year 1806, that a peculiar disease, called Nyctalopia, was very prevalent among them. The symptoms which distinguish this disease are, that the patient becomes by degrees perfectly blind from the moment of sunset till the re-appearance of the sun next morning. disease affected a great number of the prisoners, who were obliged to be led about by their comrades immediately after sunset, and all of them, at the same time, were labouring under symptoms of extreme dyspepsia. After a After a variety of treatment ineffectually applied, the powder of Black Helle

This

bore was given them as snuff. As they were most of them attached to the use of snuff, and had been for a long time deprived of it, they took the Hellebore with avidity, and generally recovered from their nyctalopia in the course of a very few days, and the dyspeptic symptoms were at the same time greatly relieved. There is no doubt (says the same author) that in many other affections of the head the same treatment would be found extremely efficacious, and is well worthy of trial in many chronic diseases of the eyes, particularly in the early stage of gutta serena."

Of this plant Juvenal sarcastically observes

Danda est ellebori multo pars maxima avaris.

Misers need a double dose of Hellebore.

HEPATICA, OR NOBLE LIVERWORT. Anemone Hepatica.

Natural Order Multisiliquæ. Ranunculacea, Juss. A Genus of the Polyandria Polygynia Class.

Here blushing Flora paints th' enamell'd ground,
Where frosts have whiten'd all the naked groves.

POPE.

THIS charming little plant, which the florist has brought from the woods and shady mountains of Italy, Germany, and Sweden, to embellish our vernal parterres, offers its blossoms, with those of the Snowdrop, to form our earliest garland. Although it is of humble growth, the Hepatica shines as one of the greatest beauties of the spring, and induces us to exclaim with Mason,

Stay, pitying Time! prolong their vernal bliss.

As no flower-garden ought to be without this hardy and early species of Anemone, and few possess it so plentifully as to shew it to full advantage, we shall strongly recommend the careful increase of this favourite flower of February and March. It loves a strong loamy soil and an eastern aspect, but will flourish in almost any earth and

situation where it can receive a pure air. The Hepatica should be planted in clumps of at least a dozen plants each, about six inches apart, and these should never be taken up or transplanted, except to form fresh clumps, as they frequently die after being removed, and never flower well until about the third year after they are planted. The double varieties are increased by parting the roots when in blossom, which is contrary to the general mode of planting flowers; March is therefore the best time for forming clumps of these plants, which, like their relatives, seem to delight in the wind.

And coy Anemone, that ne'er uncloses
Her lips until they're blown on by the wind.

H. SMITH'S Amarynthus. We have found these flowers to have the most agreeable effect when the different varieties have been kept in distinct clumps; the Single Blue Hepatica being divided by other early flowers from the red or white varieties; and as the Double Hepaticas blossom about a fortnight later, they should never be mixed with the single sorts, but in some situations they may form a mass, intermingled with the Yellow Hellebore and the White Snowdrop, giving the shrubbery the appearance of being

fringed in Nature's native taste, The hillocks dropt in Nature's careless haste.

VOL. I.

BURNS.

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