The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-08-21
posIon-Ivy and PoIson.sum aoh

There need be no trouble In identify ng
the poison-ivy In any of Its forms. The
hairy trunk will often serve us, but there
are two other features which are Of much
more value. First let us remember that
its leaves are always grouped In three
whatever the outlines of their more or
less wavy margins. In some sections the
plant Is always called the "three-leaved
ivy" And this naturally leads me to a
consideration OF that other vine with
| similar habits which Is commonly known
| In the same localities as the ."fve-leaved
| ivy" This Is a leaf of the Ampelopsis
quinquefola (quinquefolia-fve leaves)
also called Virginia creeper and wood
bine. This Is one of our most beautiful
native climbers. 1t Is allied TO the grape.
vine, is perfectly harmless, and Is the one
plant that has to suffer from suspicion,
being often destroyed under the impress.
sion that 1t Is the "poison-ivy."
The writer knew of person who
possessed beautiful home on the Hud
son, and whose deficiency In knowing OF
this one little page of botany cost him q
severe loss. His children were suddenly
Frustrated with Ivy poisoning, and one OF
his "nlnth h ,ur" neighbors came in to
offer him some learned advice. Some.
thing In this style;
"Well, Squire. it's fetched'm at last.
I've been tellin' Betsy all along that the
pesky stuff would ketch ye AFTER q while.
Well, thar, goodness and truth Time
an time agin, when I've been goin' by the
gate an seen them air children playiu' In
the summer-house yender. it's made me
feel tarnel ticklish. an I've sed time an
agin, and tole Betsy so tew. that I'd bet
my best gobbler they'd be broke out be-
fore week, an now they've done 1t; an
II you take my advice, you II cut the pesky
weed down an burn II before the hull on
ye 10 ketched. You needn't look so sur
prised, Squire. What I'm tellin' ye Is for
yure own good. That air weed Is pizen-
shumake, an It'll nigh on to kill some
folks"
Such advice, coming from q practical
farmer In whom the esquire" had per.
feet confidence, was Immediately acted
upon. The vines which had EMPOWERED
the beautiful arbor for a generation were
sawed of at the ground. And to think
that peep into the botany might have
saved them.
-Four things need to be committed to
memory to Insure safety against our poi.
son sumachs;
First. The three-leaved Ivy is danger
Gus.
Second. The fve-leaved Is harmless.
Third. The poison sumachs hav,
white berries.
Fourth. No red-berried sumach is pol
sonous.
Both the poison-ivy and poison. sumacl
though unlike In appearance of foliage
have similar white berries growing II
small slender clusters from the axis O.
the leaves. In all other sumachs the Der
ries are red and In close punches at tn,
end of the branches, and far from beinl
dangerous, yield q frosty looking acit
which is most agreeable to the taste ant
healthy withal. With these simple pre-
cepts fixed In the mind, no one need feal
the dangers of the thickets. Nor neet
any one repeat the hazardous exploit Of
two young ladies' whom l know; one Of
whom, as committee on church decora
ton In country town, brought her arm,
full Of the scarlet autumn branches of the
venomous sumach; while the other once
sent the writer really beautiful group oil
carefully arranged rare grasses and moss
es generously decked with the white Der,
ries of the poison ivy. Both Of these
rash maidens, l believe, paid the severe
penalty OF their botanical innocence -
Hdrper's Young People.