The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-01-23

ing dense thickets twenty feet high,
growing under the shade of the forest
trees, seemingly unaffected and pre-
ferring the darkness of such places
from whence its terminal corymbs of
bright, rose-colored or white blossoms
make sunshine in shady place.
These continuous brakes or groves
are called in that region ''laurel
swamps;" the branching stems cross
and twist together, forming Il thicket
almost impenetrable either to man or
beasts; though beautiful to the eye,
they are the terror of the hunter and
engineer who, attempting to cross
these labyrinths, find themselves en-
tangled in a net of iron, which retains
its prey like trap. The engineers
who laid out the railroad over the
mountains of Pennsylvania discovered
the skeletons of several men who had
been thus caught and had starved to
death. This growth is held in great
dislike by the settlers, from the diff
Guilty of clearing it, as its wood is very
firm and close-graned; and from the
trouble it gives them, and the poison
Gus qualities of its leaves and fruit,
the American laurel has received bad
name. Yet a foreign tourist would
think it almost worth voyage across
the Atlantic to see one of these groves
on the All"~henies in the month of
June, wheL ded with its wealth of
blossoms, though the sempervirent
character of its foliage renders it at ali
seasons an elegant object.
This plant is difficult of cultivation
and has not been introduced into our
gardens as generally as it deserves (;
it is, however, extensively cultivated
in the pleasure grounds of the English.
where no pains or expense are spared
to make it appear at home and bloom
as if in its native forest haunts.
The American laurel is not only in
digenous, but peculiar to our country,
and it has been suggested that we
adopt it as our national floral emblem,
taking rank with the time-honored
lilies of France, the rose of Burgundy
and England, and the thistle and
shamrock of Scotland and Ireland.
Generally known under the name of
American or mountain laurel, 1t is
also, in some sections, called ''calico
BUSH" from the different shades of lis
buds and flowers, and sometimes by
its Indian name, ''spoon-wood, " given
by the aborigines, who carved from
its wood their spoons. 1t has a solid
and fine grain and might be used to
advantage by wood-engravers instead
of lockwood, which it nearly resembles.
The dark-green, large, oblong leaves
of the laurel render it peculiarly rich
and beautiful for garlands; in the mid
die states, where its growth is so pro-
fuse and dense, it is universally used
as the most beautiful of all Christmas
greens for decorating churches.
Here, too, we have in abundance the
holly, that plant so peculiarly dedi-
Gated to this festival by our English
ancestors as to receive the character
istic name of christmas, for which
it may very properly stand as the en-
blem. Ours is not the same species,
to be sure; that growing in the British
Islands is the iter aQuifolian1, distin-
guished by its more compact growth,
brighter red berries and leaves of a
darker and glossier green. The Amer
lean holly (iler opaca), belonging to
the natural order aQmfolidceG, is com
mon in the middle states, and is found
in small quantities scattered about in
the more northern and eastern states.
1t is handsome shrub, growing often
to a height of thirty feet; its flowers
are small and whitish appearing in
June, and are succeeded by snowy red
berries, which remain during the win.
ter, forming beautiful contrast with
the green, shining, spiney leaves. The
latter characteristic of its foliage is
well described in Darwin's Botanic
Garden:
Four of the giant brood with Hex stand,
Each grasps thousand arrows In his hand,
A thousand steey points on every scale,
Form the bright terrors Of his bristy mail.
The holly is much used in all places.
where it abounds, for Christmas trim:
mings. The associations which clus-
ter around it will always render it a
favorite, sacred to this holy season.
English poetry, from the rude ballads
before the time of Chaucer down to
our own age, is full of illusions to this
plant, under its common name of holm
and Christmas as well us holly, which
latter name is said to be derived from
its appropriation to religious observ-
ances, holly, i. c. holy-tree; in Danish |
it is called Chrishom, in Swedish |
Christom.
The mistletoe, plant of the natural
order of iordnttdcc@, was an object of
the most superstitious reverence to
our Celtic and Saxon ancestors; from
its parasitic nature, having no attach
ment to earth, they considered it of
origin; the manner of the
growth of plants was not then under
stood and their untutorod minds be-
held miracle in its singular habits,
now SO easily explained.
The phdrcdendron fdreScens of the
Middle States is. however. different
species from the English pharendeh-
Iron album, but the variation is moro
apparent TO n botanist than to the or
iinary observer. The name is de-
lived from two Greek words, meaning
.hief and tree, because the plant steals
is food from the tree upon which it
generally preferring gums,
,lms and hickories.
1t grows very plentifully in Della
ware and Maryland, and is found more
paringly in New Jersey and Pennsyl-
I. = Il. =, |