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bit of painted wood, marked with letters, showing the names of the several expected plants; such as mignionette, larkspurs, sweet peas, China asters, &c. Frank also attended to the dressing of the herb-beds, and saw William take slips from the large plants of sage, balm, thyme, and others, which he planted and watered, to make them take root. He also sowed a great deal of parsley-seed, for the benefit of the cook, who prepares few dishes without this useful herb: indeed, all those already mentioned are much used in the kitchen. But there are several plants which are called medicine-herbs, because they are chiefly used by the druggists in making medicines: such as the peppermint, the camomile, rue, hyssop, balm, &c.

One day William was employed at the side of some long beds butt:

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into a small basket, which he cut from the earth with a knife; and on Frank's coming up to enquire what he was doing, he told him that he had been cutting the heads of asparagus, which is an early vegetable, and a favourite with most people: he tied them in bunches, and sent them to the cook, and Mrs. Vernon allowed Frank to taste them at dinner. She also told him, that the shoots which are considered too small to cut for for the table, are left on the bed, where they grow very high and shrubby, and produce beautiful red berries in the autumn. polo iw au obivory Frank and his sister had one day at their dinner a tart, which they thought very good; but they did not know what it was made of, till their papa took them into the garden, and pointed out to them a bed of plants, with very large leaves,

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which he called rhubarb: he took up a leaf, and cut the thick stem from it, which he told them was used for tarts, and which was much esteemed, as being so much earlier than fruits of any kind. Mr. Vernon also showed them some plants of the same species, which furnish the well-known medicine called rhubarb; but the roots only of this kind are used. "There are few plants," said Mr. Vernon, "which are not of some use to man, either to afford food for himself or the animals he feeds upon. Many of them provide us with clothing: as, for instance, the flax and the cotton-shrub. vada A great variety of them enter into our medicines; whilst others furnish most of the dyes with which our clothes are made of so many different colours, to please the eve. Perfumes are airingstanty

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desired him to look in. Frank saw a fine plant of sea-cale, the stalks of which were white, owing to their being forced by the warmth from the manure, and by their being covered up from the influence of the sun and air. This vegetable is much esteemed, coming so early in the spring, when we have but little variety.

Frank next visited the cucumber and melon-beds, and was surprised to see the progress the plants had made in a short time. They had spread over the earth, and were full of pale yellow blossoms: a few small cucumbers were already formed; so much does artificial heat assist us, in raising the luxuries of the table. Frank helped William to transplant from the hot-beds, some of the mignionette plants, which he put into pots and boxes, and

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