Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-05-22
The Spring OodS

And now the time advances and the
scene Is slowly changed There Is no awk-
ward intermlsslon nO tedious delay. The
columbIne comes forward, and, as q chorus.
tell Us 1t Is Nay. We will know this pref
ty plant by Its close resemblance 10 The
! garden species, which heweyer, Is less
snowy. 1t wall be found among the roe >s
and we are often led to wonder how il
manages to live Ii is a very great iayor-
! Ite with the bees, VINO, after carefully pro-r
pcctng, secure at last the wished tor n1et4-
distilled by the long scarlet spurs, or may
be seen attached to the yellow protruaiuE
stamens, enjoya5ly sw.ugug III the sun
shine. In somewhat similar I9caItle- may
be found the pale coryd4lG which Is like
the dlllytra u the gardens, except that
the breeches' have leg wanting. Its
snowy blossoms and lon- green pads may
generally be found simultaneous and,
owing 10 the length of its Towering period
It is advantageously transplauted to one's
flower. pot or garden. A. with most wild
flowers, It Will, when kept within doors
undergo many strange coutortlOns In IFS
struggles for the air ami light.
Leaving the nigh rocky grounds we pass
on towards the woods, observing as we 20
the charming vases displayed by buckle
berry bushes, typical o. the grateful offer
ing Of fruit they viii hereafter yield Us
We notice here and there the cluster. 3f
chokeberry blossoms, and the light purple
cOrollo Of the wild geranium The last l.
as beautiful IN its way a any of the pc
l1rg0nillDlS cultivated under Its less assum-
ING name. 1t is, however. very thcult
to preserve the gathered flowers, until they
eau be examined the plant withers al
most at touch. We viii now most likely
fnd the stemIess lady's slipper, a member
Of the large and curious order OF orchids.
But why call it stemless We are asked
Are not the flowers borne on a long anu
decided STEM Yes. they are pendenl
from sort Of a stem. technically called a
scrape, but this is in fact but q fower-stalk,
supporting no leaves; these all springiug
up from near the root, and hence called
g radical leaves" 1t we have time to
subject our specimen to examination, we
Will lind its structure very peculiar. and
we will be surprised at the marvellous
methods which Nature employs to secure
cross fertilization
~
wick the same species, which with Us is
purple, and marked by darker veins Of the
same color, IS often of the purest white
Another species, whose flowers are yellow
and seven prettier, Is 10 be found IN our
nelghborhood, but it is not as common as
its congener. We may find, too, the grace
ful mtella, with a spike of small flowers
so mlnutely divided that they resemble in
their delicacy the icy stars which Jack
Frost hangs upon the withered stems in
autumn. Its cousin, the tiarella' Will not be |
far off, and is also very pretty. The gold |
thread well repays one for a search both /
by its starry flowers, and the yellow. wire |
like roots from which l. derives its name. /
around US, often nestled a.
the feet Of gray-barked trees, we will no |
tice little plant suggesting most natur-
ally the lily of the valley. 1t Is the false |
Solomon 's-seal (Smlaci7a tritolia). The /
with It's dropping, straw colored |
flowers, furnishes thought for song Of /
the bell as poetical and melodous as
that Of Schillar. In moist, shady wood
lands we cannot fail to observe two species
Of wild sarsaparilla (araliQ) The smaller
one, known as dwarf ginslng, is very deli
oate and graceful.
Let US touch our hat to the Jolly butter
cups, the yellow and bird foot violet. the
golden ragwort, and the star anemone.
Nor should we slight the charming flowers
Of the swamps, the arethus, the buck bean
and forget-me-not. In all the coming
season there will be no forms 50 unpretend-
ng yet so bewitching in their beauty The
bright yellow flowers of the golden ragwort
lure US Cd through peaty soil and
reachcrous moss, to where we find the
lodding trilium, the Carolina saxlfrage,
and the jack in the pulpit. We always
rejoice when we see the latter, and with a
nlschievous admiration of the preacher. we
ike to raise his painted canopy and
surprise him in the act of benediction. We
lave often found camp meeting of these
minute exhorters nor did we think their
sermons were entirely in vain. We
the text perfectly when We
-eached our home, and even of the orthodox
10 more can be required We have heard