JUNE TWENTY-NINTH.-ST. PETER'S DAY.

THE CARNATION.

In parts of Italy St. Peter's Day is called "The Day of Carnations." This flower was evidently a great favourite in olden days. Parkinson devotes a whole chapter to it. It has many old names: Julian, Jove's flower, Tuggies, Granpere, Gilli Flower, July Flower, Soppes-in-Wine. This last name comes from the custom of dipping_this flower in wine at feasts. Chaucer wrote in Edward III.'s reign :

"There springen herbes grete and smal,
The licoris and sete wale,

And many a clove gilofre,
To put in ale,

Whether it be moist or stale."

Culpepper describes them thus: "They are gallant, fine, temperate flowers, they are great strengtheners both of the brain and heart." In Parkinson I find the following: "I will here but give you the names of some carnations. The red and gray Huls. The old Carnation differing from them both. The Gran Pere, The Cambersive, The Savadge, The Christall, The Prince, The White Carnation or Delicate, The Ground Carnation, The Dover, The Daintie, and many other Gillo flowers too tedious to recite in this place." Gerard again gives different names, "Soppes in wine, Pagiants, Horse flesh, Blunket," and he goes on to say that "if any one require further satisfaction, let them at the time of the yeare repaire to the garden of Mistresse Tuggie in Westminster." Hence the name Tuggies given to this flower.

"The Great Clove Carnation Gillo-Floure hath a thick round wooddy root, from which riseth up many strong joynted stalks set with long green leaves by couples: on the top of the stalks do grow very fair floures of an excellent sweet smell, and pleasant Carnation colour, whereof he tooke his name.'

JUNE THIRTIETH.-"The Briar Bush or Hep-Tree is a plant so common and well knowne, that it were to small purpose to use many words in the description thereof; for even children with great delight eat the berries thereof when they be ripe, make chains and other pretty gewgawes of the fruit; cookes and gentlewomen make Tarts and such like dishes for pleasure thereof; and therefore this shall suffice for the description." Nothing is so lovely, to my mind, as a hedge covered with wild roses and honeysuckle.

"The Honisuckle that groweth wilde in every hedge, although it be very sweet, yet doe I not bring into my garden, but let it rest in his owne place, to serve their senses that travell by it, or have no garden."-PARKINSON.

"In Germany the rose briar is popularly supposed to be the tree upon whose branches the guilty Judas, overtaken by remorse, went out and hanged himself.' This is why in some parts the fruit of the plant is known as Judas berries. Some writers associate the rose briar with the unhappy tree with whose branches the Jews crowned the Saviour, and, according to a favourite German tradition, on every cruel thorn that pierced His brow as He hung upon the Cross, there sprang from the blood a rose."-Flower Favourites, by Lizzie Deas.

JULY FIRST.-" As for Flowers, we have still a great many, and the most part of them I have mention'd in the preceding Months."-The Compleat Gardner, 1649.

And a hundred years before, Bacon wrote: "In July, came Gilly-Flowers of all Varieties; Muske Roses; The Lime Tree in blossome; Early Pears, and Plummes in Fruit; Guinitings; Quadlins."

With me after all these years I have my roses, and instead of fruit we have birds in plenty. A big bed of blue larkspurs, and white snapdragon is very lovely, and in the wild garden the broom is still golden. All the sweet-briar bushes are covered with pink flower, and the lanes are sweet with honeysuckle, where the red-backed shrikes are busy feeding their young. Alas! the song-birds are silent, and only heard at intervals, and even the wealth of sweet-peas does not make up for the loss of the singing. What a message the flowers bring!