Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-06-09
tgatchman & journal,
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 0, 1869.
For the Journal.
FERN "SEED."

me Of the field Of wondrous richness which these
hills present ~ the lover Of nature and the lover
Of dollars For sat me down on a mossy hillock
and tried to realize how it had become possible
that with such wealth Of flowers and mosscs
and liehens brought to their very doors, every
woman nj least was not a b1tanist and how with
such mineral resources as I saw indicated around
me, man enterprise had i,ilcd 10 realize its OPP
portundcs. Mnlttudes Of leathered songsters,
dockcd in ynricd plumnge, fitted about and seem
cd to ask me 10 learn their ways and interest
myself concerning them And as ! was watch
| ing some of these, my eyes fell upon group Of
beautiful ferns, Of species that had rarely met
with bolorc love these mementoes of the past,
these children of that remote creation which pre-
cedcd man upon the earth, and which. luxuriat-
ing amid the dense hot atmosphere of the newly
formed world, was destined 70 be tmnslormed into
the eoal which has served to perfect the ciyili-
zation 0l this nineteenth century | love them
for their beauty, and for their noble ancestry
and respect them in these their latter days Of
rest and ornament, lOr their useluEc,s when
they were young upon the earth
reycilcl in That little group Of ferns. and
my thoughts travelled over the wild traditions
that once clung to their race and do still,
IN some places, where folklore u rch ana
people i've IN humble superstition ANA 1t
occurred ~ me that We are well-nigh at hidsum-
mer'
For there is a strange connection between Ferns
and Midsummer which Is IN this wise. Among
the populations of Eastern Europe, and too in
many parts of Asia, there are numbcrless stran ge
aneies connected with these pretty plants. have
found too, in the course OF my wanderings over
the world that even among the unlettered natives
Of Oceanca, saperstitions relating To them are to
be discovered though must leave TO those VINO
are better informed upon the matter than l. To
say whether any oi inc kind existed among 'he
early inhabitants OF tins country. II IS not I'M
possible, Tor believe that traditions oil ancient
date are seldom as local as some people are apt to
imagine But let that pass Ihe most import
ant OF these ianeies was, that under certain CIR
cumstanccs, the Sc seed OF the iern had miraen-
Ions powers-and lest any may desire 70 test ITS
value, VIII briefly nar0te the Instructions as
they rest upon my mind lor the time is at hna
The '' seed must be collected at midsummer
eve II was 'upposed--and sun - IN many
plaees-that 1t always ripcns upon that night be-
tween the hours OF twelve and one when 1t must
be collected IN plate care being takea that th'
plant IS neither shaken nor touched am dis
posed - doubt whether IN this part OF the eoun'
try any 90 seed could be iound as early as md
summer, but those who like mny easily answer tn'
doubt for themselves. IL certainly must bo CON
iesed that the witches ol old do not appear % have
made much provision ior the discovery OF Amerl-
ca, bat although the omission may justly be con
sidered 20 indicate an inexcusaoie haw IN theii
diyining powers, do not think can assent TO h
J held responsible for it. II the instructions can
& not be followed though, lear that the experiment
; will hardly be successful, but cannot pledge my
d self. 1t is right, however, that ! should war;
Z my readers that the difficulty Of collecting ths
! " seed at the time named, event 1t is ripe, mus
e be- great for the spirits of the woods protect II
9 with jealous care. Two hundred years ago a re
spectacle old gentleman left behind him manu-
script with some particulars upon this importan
subject, and among other things be said, -" Iher'
l. hath been much discourse about the gathering o
, fern seed on midsummer eve, and WAS told @
one who went to gather 1t, and the spirits whisk
by his ears like bullets, and sometimes struck hi
hat and parts Of his body in fine, though he ap
pretended he had gotten quantity OF 1t, an
secured it in paper, aud box beside, when
came home be found all empty Now this
important Midsummer eve this year will b
moonlight 50 that walks by night VIII have man.
B, attractions and it is just as well that they VIII
' stop out too late may know the consequence
]. For | cannot say that the wood imps viii no
lall thatr fIDurN tho hunt for fer
70 seed be quite a secondary consideration.
remember % have heard story which Is
; tradition among the Westphalian peasants, AM
by them implicitly believed. One oil them ma
lost foal, and he searched for 1t lar and wid
along the meadows and through the woods, till h
found himself many miles from home when I'll
!, sun went down. He called at a cottage where /
obtained refreshment, and rested till the moon ha
risen high in the heavens and enabled him
wind his way back, still searching Tor his hors'
N, 1t was midsummer eve. Daylight dawned how
Is ever before he got to his home, and when he ei
s, tered il his family were about, and engaged
It's their morning abors. believe it is recorded TIN
they were at breakfast lie throw himself into
chair but they saw him not. lie began to M
u rate his misiortunes and how hissearch had failed
' but at the sound of his voice his wife screamed
#. and probably would have tainted, only being
peasant she did not know how Ills ehildr'
Is. jumped from the table, took to their heels Al
have not been heard of since 1t may natural
be supposed that the poor man felt little disco
~ certed by this alarmed state OF his household
he stood up, walked about and tried TO console b
wife and call back his fugitive children bnt
- to no purpose. His voice was audible, but b
body was not visible His wife would not be co
a' soed and as to his children tn louder he shout
70 Tho f,ster tbev ran. At last in the desperation
leh 'HO a.. =
his soul, the thought crossed ms hlhu tial p
os, sibly in walking through the meadows he mig