Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-09-19
The Park In frall.

than they are this year. The continuance
Of rains IN July and TIE GOODNESS of that
month and of the first half of this kept the
leaves fresh and prevented them from as
cunning that look OF dryness and dusty
mealiness usually prevalent In late sum-
mer and early autumn, before the actual
fading into reds red browns end orange
yellows heralds the fall. More flowers can
be gathered in the two hours that rrecede
the cleaning than tyrO botanist could
identify in two Gays, for this is the be
ginning of the autumnsl burst of flowers.
the blaze Of the composite that ends the
summer. The greater number OF the con-
spicuous flJwers TO be gathered al this sea-
son belong to the composite order the
order in which condensation and concen'
tratlon have reached their acme-in which
each seeming flower represents an entire
spike, the stem sharpened into receDtac!e
upon which the flowers are stuck like pint
upon a plncLshios, and in which each
fioret has Its stamens united into tube
encIrcllng the plstil, and Its calyx usually
converted into feathery appendage to aid
in the dispersion of the one-seeded seed
vessels. Most of the composite are weeds,
peruicious weeds TO the farmer, useless a
fodder for beast and as food for man, YET
none the less the order contains some ol
tine brightest ana largest of our wild flowers
and some Of the gayest of our garden orna-
ments; nor can it be denied that various
members Weld oils and medlcaments FOL
which man finds use. There are many
kinds of golden rods, but all are unmis
taxable and all golden save one, which
puts on some white. Though each ''fower
is a head of flowers, each Is small, and they
are set thicklv along spikes that are cfter
one-sided, the flowers growing apparently
from one face of the stalk. Many are tall
and although flowers wither, seeds fy aDc
leaves fade-kecp their skeleton stems
garnIshed with receptacles, dry as bones
erect until spring calls out of the ground
the next years growth.
Taller by far than these solidaZos tht
conehower flaunts lis broad yellow headi
on the edge OF the woods, amid the trail
ing bIlars and the prickly smllax or greer
briar. You may know IT by the project
Ing conlcal ''dlsk, as the central part o.
a composite flower is called. This dish
coutains fiorets with tubular corollas, o
even length all around, and STIMULATES th'
stamens of sing.e flower, while the ''ray
fiorets around them have long, project
ing, strap-shaped portion which make
them look like The petals of such ti0we
as q rose OF bramble. In most compost e
including the nearly related suntiowers
the disk is fiat. but in the conefoge
\ - sc char
In our common species il Is yellow, but IL
others it is blackish-purple, evoking from
the children the name of niger head. Th'
yarrow famous among old women tor th'
making Of medicinal tea, and spread owe
the breadth of this country as well a
Europe, is low almost over; the grea
trumpet weed or ice Pye weed (Eupato
rum p,Ypureuna) looms large IN the val
leys, and IN boggy places lis medlcinally
celebrated relation 'bOneset" I (EtIpdtOriuD
perfOLidtum) pio,rudes its dull whit
heads IRON between its palrs OF ciaspin.
leaves. All these are conlpoSttde, as ar
the thistIes, the everlasting daisy (Grdph
aliuDil the troublesome rag worts, rougt
and rude, occupants where better thing
should oe; and, on the waste places by th'
IoadsiLes, the purple burdock, with 1T
broad, dock-like leaves and heads witt
hooked bTacts, that ca ch hold OF whstevel
passes, and the still more obnoxious
cocklebur. In these tive last-nsmed plsntI
the dispersion of the seeds is secured b,
the contrIvE nee OF hooks that up the httl,
leaves OF bracts which form the invo.ucre
BY their adhesion to animals that toucl
the plant they are carried to places far dis
tant from their starting point hawk
weed and irOn-weed, sneeze-weed anC
tansy, the tall yellow HetlGnthus u
sunfiOwer, and the three species OF Birtcus
the seeds of which are as affectlUnste [,
the puson of The pssser-by as are til
lnvolucres OF the burdOck. All of these dt
not exhaust the list OF the sixty or NOR
species OF composite flowers now TO b
found around Philadelphia. But the com
posi R have by no means a monopoly o
the color spots that dot the fields. Tn,
dangerous tube OF UDlteHJeT9, a trib,
OF foot plants aud Of poIsons, has but few
Representatives at this season; but one o
them, the escaped wild carrot, is only toC
abundant The Legumuof9, or pea ant
bean tribe, have had their Day. tn,
glorIes of the Judas tree and of the locust:
teiSg to carrier months, but the tick
ci2vers (PesserOdiuTG) are around US anC
up5n us. The ueslCe Of adherence, L
secure the dispersion Of seeds, is adopted
by MANY plants of widely Offering orders
and is carried out in various ways Ii
Bideus II IL the avn-llke tip Of each sepa
rate seed vessel; IN the burdOck 1t is tht
le, ,flets of the involucre, but IN the tick
clover the pod becomes marked off into
compartmeuts, each of which, when ripe
Will break off and adhere 10 the clothing
of him OF Der vino walks through wood;
or wales. There are several species OF
tick clover, some tall and branching above
into many flower stalks, while others push
up single dower-stem from bunch OF
root leaves: but all have the same adheren,
habit, and slmils- pnrplIsh, pea-lIke bios
SONS. Three Of the trlbe of evening prim-
roses are common too, end two are fair to
see. The narrOw-leaved wlllcw-herb, with
lis conspicuous flowers, Is but poor rep
reseniatIve of an order which contains
many beautiful flowers, but the yellow
GeaOtherG 6ieluals and the purple and
white Ga,rG 6lefnliS. ragged though
they lcok in the day, are consplcGously
open in the twilight. In this family the
ovaTy OF seed-vessel is placed below the
colored parts of the bowers, and is usually
angled and elongate, while the stamens
are generally eight In number. The but.
tercup or Ranunculus tribe, which gives
us in the Hepaiica one of the earliest flow
ers of sprng, still boasts OF one conspicu-
Gus plsnt, one the European asmesake and
relation OF which is the Virgins bower OF
the poets. Climbing ovtr the brambles
and bushes on the edge of the Soocs. the
wild clem6tis blooms INTO wreaths of whit5
blossoms, swoet-scenIed as roses, fitting
clown for the brows of those who are
young and fair. Among other attractive
flowers 10 be found in the park the mullelss
and the lobeliss must not be forg Jtten.
The scarlet lUbelIa and the blue-it IS hare
10 say which Is the more beautiful, since
the first has the advantage IN brightness OF
TINT ana the second in size. The great
woody mullen, sumeilmes called Aaron S
ROD, has now but stragglIrg flower or two
on its tail spikes OF npenIng ovar1es, but
the moiL-mulleIn and the y iyciini.is are
still with us. The strongly lemon-scented
CoiIinSOnjd, or borso-baim, the thyme