The daily gazette., 1876-05-03
The Language of the Wood Flowers
Natures Talk TO MS from the Hillside
and Meadow.

anu NIeAuOW.
THE THOUGHTS THAT FLOWERS BRING
TO Cs--THE TIME FOR TIVE sING-
ING OF BIRDS HAS COME.
Those who drive out in their car
riages to take the air along the noun
tain roads and avenues in the valleys,
have very little idea of the real beau
ties hidden on the moIntain sides and
paths. They can indeed see that the
grass along the roadside is of brighter
green; that the trees are putting nn
their summer dresses. Here there is a
CLEAN of yellow, where the spice wood
is in full bloom; there dash of scar
let, where red maple displays its late
blossoms. AT no Stber season are the
woods so full of silent living beauty
But to see nature in ull the fresh,
young loneliness of spring one must
leave the fashionable drive and climb
the banks that rise from the roadways
until in the shade and solitude of The
woods. High in the tree tops the birds
are calling To each other or fitting to
and fro to put the finishing touches to
their nests, or singing proudly to the
quiet little mates that have already be-
gun the patient task of setting. The
squirrels ere wide awake by this time.
running nlmbly from tree 20 tree, chat
terlng to each other of their winter
dreams and their plans for summer en-
joyment. Below them on the ground
the wild spring flowers are out, and
for the last three weeks the trailing
arbutus has been blooming on the shell
tavo1 hi1leiIno Gllin,, ha n;r =. I,
its sweet perfume. Its glory is past,
but even yet few blossoms S are to be
found, larger and sweetcr than those
that are gone. There is always pc
culiarly tender feeling toward the
brave little plant, the earliest almost
of wild flowers, coming to us, as it
does, during the bleak days of spring.
an earnest of brighter things to come.
1t is a modest little plant, far more so
Than the violet, so famous for that vir
tue; it hides its clusters under the
leaves.
AS the arbutus fades the other wood
flowers begin to appear-saHguinaria
anemones and their near relations, he
paticas, blooming together under the
still almost bare trees. Very fitting is
he name anemone wild hower-as
frail are the pale pink and white bios
SONS and light feathery leaves that
bend to the slightest breeze; but the
black, hair like stems are SO tough that
often the whole plant is uprooted in
ones efforts to gather the flower. And
the old homely names, liverwert and
bloodroot, seem the most suitable fol
the dear little flowers that must bring
to the mind of almost every enc, somt
spring day long past. and as children
these same flowers were gathered il
the green wood. Ali through the
forest the dead leaves are pierced oi
lpushod aside by the fresh upspringing
life. From the dark underground art
rising velvety grey coils, which, grad
ually unfolding, will expand into tall
graceful ferns; bright green punches
on slender black stems will deyelol
into feathery maiden's hair; compact
grcyish green cones will soon be state.
ly Solomon's seals, whose waxy bells
will seemingly tlnkle by ever passing
Zephyr. The scarlet partridge berries,
which have been bright all winter un.
der the snow, are drying up now or
their evergreen vines to give place tc
the sweet scented white blossoms
cousins to the earlier arbutus. Along
the little springs and water courses the
grass is dazzling emerald, and in the
marshy spots the symplocarpus. fami
liarly known as skunk cabbage, spread:
its broad, green leaves, and pale spring
beauties hide the ground with a pink
covering. Near them are the wood
lilies, the aristocracy of the Forest
There are none OF our spring flowers
more refined and exquisite, both in
form and coloring, than these shor
lived plants, with their richly mottlef
leaves of green and brown, and PEN
dant bells of delicate straw color
They are noble ladies. appearing but
for lew days among their commonel
and longer lived neighb ors, gracing
for a brief season the moist, green
spots where they grow, pining and
withering away if taken from then
woodland home. Children call them
"Adam and Eve" from the fact that
the plant has at the root two bulbs
known by the names of our first pa
rents. If they are separated and throwI
/, into water, Adam will float, but Eve
having the greater sin will sink. The
popular name for them Is dOg tootl
violet, inappropriate enough, however
as they have none of the chal acteristic'
of the violet family. The true violet
or at least one species, the common
large blue violet, is blooming in thu
warm, sunny hooks, and out in thu
sunshine, along the borders of thu
wood are patches of gentle littl'
j"Ouaker Ladies'" the English eye
bright. Very neat and prim they lool
in their pale lavender, even the greer
: of their tiny leaves beng sober gray
, But let light Zephyr come fitting b.
whispering to the upturned faces, ant
all the little heads will tremble ant
bow tor Joy, and the whole compan,
will dance and nod gaily, long afle
the rowing Zephyr has gone away t.
seek the brighter garden flowers. TIL
fields are gay with blue bottles ant
; dandelions; daisies, buttercups ant
day workers will soon be out, and tn
, early yellow butterflies have not Ion
to wait for the first heads of CLOVER
Even on the gray rocks, tender gras
bladas ara proWinp. yellow oxalls AMI