This plant, the tubers of which for a long time were a luxury obtainable by the rich only, now yields the support of the poor, and furnishes the cheapest food known; the peasantry of Ireland almost subsist upon Potatoes, and the poor of most parts of Europe find it indispensable to their living.

16. Scrophulariaceæ (Digitalis purpurea) Foxglove.
(Veronica officinalis) Speedwell.

Speedwell.

Some of the members of this order were formerly considered useful inscrofulous complaints, especially the Scrophularia nodosa, a commonplant growing by the sides of ditches, and whose tuberculated rootswere considered to resemble scrofulous tumours, and therefore to bethe natural remedy for them. The Foxglove is used as a medicine and ishighly poisonous.

17. Lentibulariaceæ (Pinguicula vulgaris) Butterwort.

Butterwort.

This order includes the Butterworts, which are herbaceous indigenousplants, growing in ditches and wet places; they are divided into thePinguicula and the Urticularia. The example given is the most commonand characteristic of the order.

18. Plantaginaceæ (Plantago lanceolata) Plantain.

Plantain.

The common Plantain or Way-bred is found by roadsides, the leaves forma sort of star on the ground, from the centre of which a tall stalkarises, forming a "spike" of flowers. The seeds of plantain are muchin request by bird fanciers, cage-birds being fond of them. The leaveswere once in great repute as a styptic, or application for stoppingthe bleeding of wounds.

19. Plumbaginaceæ (Armeria maratima) Thrift.
(Ilex aquifolium) Holly.

Thrift. Holly.

The most characteristic of this order are the two examples given,especially the Holly, which is universally known and admired for thedecorative uses to which it is applied in our churches and houses atChristmas time.

Orders of Monochlamydeæ.

1. Sanguisorbeæ (Alchemilla vulgaris) Ladies' Mantle.

Ladies' Mantle.

Some species of this order, especially the Greater Burnet (Sanguisorbaofficinalis), were once much cultivated as food for cattle, but it isnow superseded by other plants, especially Sainfoin.

2. Chenopodiaceæ (Beta vulgaris) Beet.
(Spinacia oleracea) Spinach.

Beetroot.

The most important species of this order is the Beetroot, employed inFrance for the production of sugar. Its variety, Mangold-wurzel (Betaaltissima), is also extensively used as food for cattle.

3. Polygonaceæ (Polygonum Fagopyrum) Buckwheat.
(Rumex obtusifolius) Dock.

Buckwheat.

Buckwheat is used as food in America and other places, and the rootof the "Rheum palmatum" furnishes the Rhubarb of commerce. It isbrought from Turkey; but is grown in China, and thence passes throughthe hands of Russians to Turkey. Other species of Rhubarb, as "Rheumcompactum," are cultivated here for the sake of the leaf-stalk, whichhas an agreeable acid taste, and is much used for making tarts andpuddings.

4. Elæagnaceæ (Elæagnus angustifolia) Oleaster.

Oleaster.

Some foreign species of the Oleaster are extremely fragrant, andothers, especially those of India, produce a fruit of a pleasant tasteand is there eaten. The Sea Buckthorn (Hippophæ Rhamnoides) is theonly English species.

5. Thymelaceæ (Daphne pontica) Spurge Laurel.

Spurge-Laurel.

Some species of this order are cultivated in gardens and are veryfragrant, others partake of a poisonous quality; the Daphne mezerium,the bark of which is very acrid, is used in medicine, and forms one ofthe ingredients in the celebrated compound decoction of Sarsaparilla.

6. Corylaceæ (Castanea vesca) Sweet Chestnut.
(Quercus pedunculata) Oak.
(Corylus avellana) Hazel Nut.

Sweet Chestnut.

This order contains some of our finest trees; the Oak, that prince of trees, is of this order. It attains a great age and size, and there are some celebrated specimens existing which have stood many centuries. Oaks constitute the greater part of the forest trees, both on the Continent and in England; great numbers are cut in France for fire-wood, and in both countries for ship-building. The roof-timbers of our old churches and halls are nearly all oak. The bark of the oak is largely used for tanning leather. About 30,000 tons are imported into this country yearly for this purpose, besides the product of our own trees. The bark of the Cork-oak (Quercus suber) is used for making corks, some 2,000 tons of this are imported annually. Moreover, the Gall-nut used in tanning, and also to make black dye, is the product of an oak. The Chestnut is a fine tree, the nuts of which are commonly eaten by the peasantry of Spain and Italy as food; the tree grows to a great age and to an enormous size.

7. Euphorbiaceæ (Buxus sempervirens) Box.

Box.

Many species of this order are acrid and poisonous, and have been usedfor poisoning arrows. The Castor-oil plant (Ricinus palma-christi),and the plant that yields that most violent purgative, Croton-oil(Croton tiglium), are of this species; also the Box-tree, from whichthat useful wood, known as box-wood, is obtained.

8. Urticaceæ (Urtica urens) Stinging Nettle.
(Humulus lupulus) Hops.

Hop.

The Nettle in Australia grows to the size of a tree; the Hop alsobelongs to this order, and is largely cultivated in Kent and Sussexfor the use of brewers, as it communicates an agreeable bitter to beerwhich no other plant seems to be able to substitute.

9. Salicaceæ (Salix alba) White Willow.
(Populus nigra) Black Poplar.

White Willow.

The most characteristic of this order are the examples given; theWillows are well-known trees, growing by the margins of water and indamp places. The Poplar is one of our tallest trees, specimens beingknown 100 feet high; its peculiar tall form distinguishes it from allother trees.

10. Betulaceæ (Betula alba) Birch.
(Alnus glutinosa) Alder.

Birch. Alder.

The Birch and Alder are both well known trees in our plantations,the Alder is often confounded with the Elder. The bark of the Birchtree contains tannin; it is used to tan skins in Russia, and gives toRussian leather its peculiar qualities.

11. Ulmaceæ (Ulnus campestris) Elm.

Elm.

The Elm is one of our largest and noblest trees, growing to 80 or 90feet high, it has often a girth of 10 to 11 feet, and forms a veryfine tree with a broad crown; the wood is much used for making coffins.

12. Pinaceæ (Taxus baccata) Yew.
(Abies larix) Larch.
(Laurus nobilis) Bay.
(Pinus sylvestris) Scotch Fir.

This order contains the various Pines and Firs, together with the Yewand Bay trees, and is sometimes called the "Coniferæ," as they allbear cones. In their general aspect many of these somewhat resembleendogenous trees, growing perfectly straight in the stem, and givingoff branches in whorls at regular distances; some, as the NorfolkIsland Pine, form perfectly regular figures by the interlacementof their branches. The Firs have their thin narrow leaves startingoff singly from the branch, and always on the upper side, like theteeth of a comb, while the Pines have their leaves grouped together,starting off in fours or fives from the same spot. The Coniferafurnish the longest and straightest timber of all trees, they commonlygrow to 100 feet high, and in New Zealand and California to more than300. The Wellingtonia Gigantea is the tallest species known, andthe Araucaria Excelsa (Norfolk Island Pine), perhaps, the next. Thetrees of this order are amongst the most useful to man, supplying anumber of useful articles, such as turpentine, resin, &c., besidesthe most valuable timber. Pines, like the Palms, serve as a screenagainst the severity of the weather, but, while the palms keep offthe burning rays of the sun, the pines defend us from the cold of themountain blasts; they are indeed used as nurses, and as such, inour oak plantations, serve to screen the young saplings which areplanted among them from the effects of cold until strong enough tobear exposure; when the pines are cut down, and what before appearedto be a pine-wood, appears as a plantation of oaks. The pine-treesfurnish those straight stems largely used by builders under the nameof "scaffold poles." They also make the best wood for rending intolaths for building purposes, their straight and open grain allowing oftheir being easily split.