Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-29
OH SIRE Rrfss.
BIRDS AND FLOWERS.
Notes upon the Flora and Fauna OF
Vermont.
Written in Popular Style for General
Reading
NOTES ON TIE FLORA OF WEIR.
MONE-lA.


down from Iceland where lncy hau FOUNDED
colony and landed somewhere on the New
England coast they were SO greatly pleased
by the vines which they found growing in
thetcw country that they called it Ninelaud.
This was about tue year 1000 and the vines
were these of The WILD CRAZE. For how
many centuries before this these vines had
fiurishcd in New England can not be known,
but certainly they have done 80 ever since and
in many localities they form a very marked
feature in tie landscape. In Vermont there
are three, and possibly four, species of the
Wild Gfalc differing more or less in form of
loui aud iIuit aud in situation, but they have
so many Charac eristiCs IN common that 1t
will be more convenient to treat them all as
one. The Wild Grape must not be restrict
cd in its quarters, ii is bold, rapid grower
and very fundamentally crowds aside any
other past that may lie in lis
way Nhcn, however, 1t hls all the
room ii wants it rambcs about over
bush and tree or along the ground most uxu-
riaully. 1t will not stay content with shrubs
and other lower supports II anything more
lofty be near aud wien it has ilurg its rope
like stems from branch to branch Duoyantly
mounting from lower TO higher and from
tlltSp 10 Inc lllEntSl IL HauulS us waving,
broad-leavld branches in the breeze triumph
ant over al its associates. 1t is not very
generous vine 50 far as ills dealings with other
shrubs and trees 20, for by its thickly tiled
covering O! leaves it shuts away from them
light and uir and almost suifocates them.
Man, however, has little reason to complain
OF this, for beneath its canopy he finds many
shady bower in which he may take shelter
fiom glering sun or pouring rain. Ii Is gen
erous t0o IN lis flowers, pouring from them
the delicious, iruiy odOr which can almost
be tasted, luscious yet not overpowering, far
reaching and yet subtle, strong and decided
and yet IN o Tor Of which the sense does II II
soon tire To fully enjoy the Wild Grape
you must on some warm June day find, as
you may without great search, where by
the riverside 1t has formed one OF lis lcafy
grottOcs ia the refreshing c0olncs5 of which
you may find agreeable rcpo;c. Such a
spot invites you to resign yourself t.
delightful, half-conscious dreanlness. All
the priclicl duties OF life have been left Tor
the time, and you simply exist; you do not
care to think or feel very deeply, and yet
you are clad because OF the fright glmmor
and tie gentle gurglc of the passing current
you are suDihcd by the dronlng Of the bees
as they crowd about the fragrant blossoms
above you; you are balhed in the mellow air,
every breath OF which is laden with the soft
aroma which more than anything else has
thrown thc spell upon YOU. YOU may he
somewhat aware that You are leaving undone
work which waits to be done, Tut you do not
CAFE very mucb, nor do yoH note the passing
hour, yoI are very quietly, but very thorough
ly conteutci just 10 live, and let work,
audth1ught aud time look out for themselves.
AT las you break the cham and go back to
the realities of life feeling sure that after
all, the gentle, sensuous influence TO which
you have Yielded has given you rest, ani
that with fresh vgor you may grapple with
the stern duti,s before you. Better work
and more work would be done in the world
could Just such rests come oitener. They ave
not time lost but most eXcellently well
used. When the flowers are gone tie acme
OF the wild grape has passed for The fruit in
noaisc fulil,S the promise Of til" Il wars. l.
can d. that only when the wilt, dis)rdcrly
vanrant has been tanned and cultivated aud
refined. Then as many of, our ha'dy vari-
cites, the Concord, Isabella. Delaware aud
hosts of others, all of which have come from
one or two species Of the wild gcape, testify,
the expectation which the flower awakened
is amply fulfilled.
The LUPINE is distributed over large
part of North America reaching as lis range
does from ocean to ocean and from the Arc
tic circle to Florida. 1t is II plsnt which
well deserves our grateful consideration for,
far more than most plants, it does lis best to
mokc the waste places beautiful and the
barren hillsides gardens of flowers. do not
recall the pane Of any flower 50 rich and
elegant W ch thrivcs in such lnfeRile, sandy
soil docs Tue Lupinc. Whc:e els. Lad been
only the most dwarfed and mea-re growth
its superby shaded clusters are held aloft;
no hillside is too sandy. no pne barren toe
barren for this plant. Its royal colors arc
lavishiy Anfolded where there is lit
tie to keopil company but burning sand ant
serc vegetation. Its splendid flower
clusters are marshalled rank ahovt
rank with upraised banners everywhere ant
yet their abundance does not make them les
regal or stately. 1t seems to grow simpl,
because 1t delights in growth to be hand
some simpl, because it cannot help t,and to bI
wholly Indifferent TO the poverty and unat
tractiventss of its surroundings. 1t is one o
the uasolved mysteries how the Lupinc car
fndthat in The empty soil in which it grows
from which TO elaborate its rich, finely shade'
flowers and soft gracefully formed leaves
but it does year after year and lis fora
wands remain unfaded for weeks. Some
times it lays aside its purple robes and aF
pears dressed only in pure white. Not onl
do the various shades of bue.purple whic
may be found IN different flowers and eve
In the 81 yeral parts of the same flower Civ
beauty to The Lupinc, but the form and Al
rangement Of the petals themselves add yer
much 10 its Ill gance. The flowers are sue
as are characteristic of the Bean family
There Is the larger banner above, the tw
narrow wings" one on each side, and I'll
keel" forming the lower part of each flow
err which is made up OF two long curved pc
ais united so that they resemble the keel, c
rather the prov, of boat. la this Excel
are the ten stamens united more or less con
pctely around the pisil, whose long, mario
oyary becomes the pod. The leaves Of the plan
of this family are generally compound as v
see them in the Locust Pea and Bean. I'll
family contains many plants and trees, va
liable for the food they produce, or for the
timber, or other products. 1t IL one OF Il
largest groups in the vegetable kingdom al
embraces six or seven thousand speci
which are scattered all over the world.
Some of our wild flowers arc so perfect
their simple loveliness that no change can
imagined which would not mar their charm
but there are others which arc capable OF II
provemcnt, less because of lack OF beau
than because they are go constructed I'll
their attrac,iveness does not depend in a
way upon their simplicity, but rather upon
mpetencss of their development. 1
possibility of change in form or structure
very variable in different plants 1t must
ways be remembered that cultivation nc'
creates, but only improves. II adds nothi
to a flower which did not already form p
of it in its natural state, but only takes
vantage Of the laws Of development and VI
alton Which ey list and of theinherent tend
cies which the plant may exhibit. Proba
all known or possible species are produced
|, the action of these Observation-Disclosures
variation and survival of the fittt
Ttc action may be well understood
wo place side by side fine Tea Rose an
common Wild Rose. They seem quite uni
and vel The chief difference consists In
transfer nation of the numerous STAN