first of March and the end of April, when they should be placed in a hot-bed, and as near the glass as possible. When the plants are about five inches high, they should be transplanted into pots of the size forty-eight, one plant in the centre of each pot. As soon as the roots have filled the pots, move them into pots a size larger, and repeat this operation three or four times, till, at last, they are in pots of eight inches diameter or upwards, keeping the plants all the while in a hot-bed or pit, and near the glass.

When they are to be transplanted into the garden, they may occupy spots where the roots of Hyacinths, Tulips, or other carly-flowering bulbs have been taken up; but some fresh loam or wellrotted dung should be added, so as to force their growth and ensure large flowers. In watering these plants care should be taken not to sprinkle or wet the foliage; and it is recommended to save the seeds from the principal stem only, and not from the collateral branches.

FOX-GLOVE. Digitalis.

Natural Order Lurida. Personeæ, Juss. A Genus of the Didynamia Angiospermia Class.

Explore the Fox-Glove's freckled bell.

CHARLOTTE SMITH.

THIS beautiful but deleterious plant, which so highly ornaments the banks of our hedge-rows and the borders of our woods, has been admitted into the pleasure-grounds to embellish the shrubbery by its noble spikes of pendant flowers, which hang with such peculiar grace from the spiral branches that they may be compared to a tower of Chinese bells, balanced for the pleasure of the zephyrs. When these flowers advance from the calyx, they are securely closed at the end by the four clefts of the corolla, which meet so exactly as to prevent the admission of air until the parts of fructification have arrived at their maturity, at which period the lips of the flower burst open in a bell or trumpet shape, displaying the beautiful leopard spots of the interior of the flower. In this state the corolla remains for some days until the anthers have discharged their farina, when the mask drops off, that the sun

may more readily ripen the seed vessels; but, as fresh flowers continue to open in a regular succession upwards from the month of June to September, the beauty of the plant is continued for a longer period than that of most other towering flowers.

The variety of Fox-Glove with white flowers is perhaps one of the greatest enliveners to plantations of evergreen shrubs that can be placed amongst them; and when planted amongst the common laurel, the effect reminds us of a magnified border of Lilies of the Valley.

The white-blossomed variety of the Digitalis is not permanent, and we presume it was first obtained through the means of cultivation, or an accidental change of soil, which would be analogous to it, since we have observed that the seeds of this variety, which we sowed some years back, produced numerous plants, all of which blossomed with white flowers. From the seed that these plants scattered numerous young plants sprung up, all of which bore flowers of the common red purple colour; but the seeds that had been saved from the white-blos

somed plants, and sowed the following year, gave plants with white corollas. Thus it is clear that some seeds, by being kept out of the ground beyond the course allotted by Nature, lose a part of their natural properties, as we shall notice more fully under the head of the Carnation Poppy.

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The Great Yellow Fox-Glove, Digitalis Ambiis a native of the southern parts of Europe, especially of Germany, chiefly affecting mountainous situations. It is found in considerable quantities on the Alps of Switzerland. Although this is a hardy and ornamental species, which has been cultivated in our gardens since the time of Queen Elizabeth, yet it is but seldom seen at present even in the plantations of the curious.

The Small Yellow Fox-Glove, Digitalis Lutea, is indigenous to the shady situations of the stony mountainous places of France, Italy, and also of Transylvania. This species was cultivated in England by Parkinson in 1629.

The Canary Shrubby Fox-Glove, Digitalis Canariensis, with gold-coloured corollas, was cultivated in this country by the Duchess of Beaufort in 1698; and the Small-flowered Fox-Glove, Digitalis parviflora, was first introduced by Sir Joseph Banks in 1798, who obtained the seed from the botanic garden at Vienna, but from whence it was originally procured is not known to us. This species has the smallest flowers of any of the FoxGloves yet discovered, and it has an appearance resembling some of the American heaths when in flower. It is a tolerable hardy perennial plant, that will thrive in any sheltered part of the open garden.

The Madeira Fox-Glove, Sceptrum, is a beauti

ful plant, which frequently grows to the height of ten feet under the cultivation of the florist, in the neighbourhood of Ghent. This species was first discovered in the woods of Madeira by Masson, who introduced it to this country in 1777; but, as it requires the shelter of a green-house for the winter months, it continues rare in our flower-gardens. Our botanical gardens now possess thirteen distinct species of the Digitalis, besides varieties.

The Digitalis, which, at present, performs so essential a part in the Materia Medica, appears to have been entirely unknown to the ancient sons of Esculapius; and it is to the English students of medicine that Europe is indebted for the discovery of the powerful properties of this plant, so justly celebrated for relieving many dangerous complaints: for, although it has fallen short of entirely crushing the gigantic and terrible progress of consumptions, as at one time hopes were entertained that it would have done, yet it has been found a valuable remedy in that disease, as well as in dropsy, fevers, inflammatory affections of the chest, scrofula, &c. But the most remarkable effect which this medicine produces on the human frame, is the diminution of the frequency of the pulsations of the heart, and consequently of the arteries.

The Fox-Glove is decidedly poisonous, and therefore totally unfit for domestic use; and, like