Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-03-27
EARLY SPRING FLOWERS.
WRITTEN FOR THE TRIBUNE.

| ~~'A' 49, ~AA~S
i--:N ho has not, at least when a child
enjoyed the pleasure Of going out il
search Of wild flowers on the first 0
| May2 Often, / remember, on tha
date the spring w:as 50 backward tha
scarcely a blossom couId be found
| Winter had such firm hold upon th
earth he seemed reluctant to let g
his frosty grasp. No warm wind from
the great Pacific reached that regior
to send him flying northward will
scarce moments notice and for thi.
very reason, that winter stayed sc
long, every sign of spring was the
more welcome. The growing willow
catkins, pussy willows were pluck
ed before bursting, their leathery
coat removed by small and eager fng
ers and the silky down Of the ''pussies'
stroked and caressad in way that
would be much bettre appreciated by
their fourle-gged namesake. The
| first few flowers to be found seemed
strange and new each year. There
was the bright, yellow buttercup nest
ling closely in the prairie grass and
often accompanying it what we called
goslings, more properly termed wind,
or pasque flowers. These two, always
among the earliest to appear, were
more closely associated with the com
ing of spring than any others. Soon
the delicate wood anemone, the blood
root and various species Of violets
could be found, and spring and spring
flowers had come in earnest.
Of them all, the blood-root was an
especial favorite with its pure white
bud peeping out of the encircling leaf,
and appearing SO suddenly from the
damp earth, when all about were fall
len leaves and dead grasses. Then
too, the orange-red juice it was ready
to shed from every wound, lent addit-
ional interest to this trim flower of
the groves. Whence came the bril-
liant color? and wherefore? What
ever its significance, it proved a most
convenient substance for staining
each others hands and faces in care
less sport. We thought the flowers
one fault to be, that the odd, round
ish leaf would come up seperate from
the flower stalk, no matter how care
fully pulled by childish hands, there
by taking away much Of its attract
i've appearance when growing. In
deed, blossom without it's accom-
paning leaf or leaves is often robbed
of half its beauty.
In an early season, all Of these flow
ers and some few others, could be
found from about the middle of April
and onward, but it would be rare in
deed to find a single plant in bloom
on April l, OF in the last few days Of
March.
In this latitude in Montana,
farther north than the regi-
On alluded to above, it is not uncom-
mon to find several species Of plants
IN bloom by the beginning Of April.
we'll rnember taking a ride some |
years ago over the high prai,ies near
The Belt mountains, after al unusual |
" severe winter. 1t was the first OF
April and a day perfect, even above
Montana days. The sun shone bright
and warm, and just the lightest of
spr1ng-like breezes came from the
vest. Long banks of feecy clouds
ay spell-bound over the main chain
of the Rocky mountains, which
stretched for miles along the horizon
o the westward. Here and there
clouds and snow capped peaks mingl-
ID in a brilliant whiteness that but in
the intense blue OF the else
where spotless heavens Great beds
# snow, drifted deep by winter gales,
covered half the ground, but on the
warm hillsides and bare knolls, al
'eady blades of green grass could be
ound several inches high, and no less
han three species of flowers were no.
iced commonly in bloom. Once,
coming over slight rise, full chorus
# frogs burst suddenly on the ear.
They were in small pond formed of
netting snow, On approaching every
'oice was hushed, but our back was
oarcely turned before first one, and
hen another shrill voice piped up, and
oon the nomentary scare was forgot
en- in the attempt of each cold blood
d individual to drown out his neigh
'or's shrillness by his own.
Nearly all the early spring flowers
re distinctiyely prairie species, well
dapted to grow with slight moisture,
nd to withstand both cold and wind.
The majority are perennials, with
ough, fbrous roots which sometimes
end up two or three grouths Of foli-
ge and blossoms, only to be cut down
n ~ 4