The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-07-10
Poison-Ivy and Poison Sum aeh

There need be no trouble In identifying
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 threes
whatever the outlines OF their more or less
wavy margins. In some sections the plant
is always called to three. lesved ivy And
this naturally leads me to a consideration
OF that other vine with similar habits
which is commonly known in the same 10.
calities as the five lesved ivy, and leaf
Of which have here pictured under the
title OF 'an innocent victim This is 0 leaf
Of the Ampelopsis quiuquefolia teuinbue-
folia five leayes). also called Virginia
creeper and woodbine Look at the leaf,
and fix its form in your mind. This is
one OF our most beautiful native climbers.
II is allied to the grape vine. is perfectly
harmless. and is the one plant that has TO
suffer from suspicion, being often destroy
ed under the impression that il is the
'pnsion ivy.
The writer knew Of 10 person who pos
sessed a beautiful home upou the Hudson,
aud whose deficiency 10 knowing Of this
one little page Of botany cost him severe
loss. His children were suddenly pro
strated with ivy poisoning. and one of his
ninth hour neighbors came in to offer
him some learned advice Something in
ta;s style.
Well, Squire, its fetched 'em at last
I've been teliin' Betsy all along that the
pesky stuff would ketch ye arter while
Well, thar, goodness and truth Time an
'.le ag,n, when I've been goin' by the
gate an seen them air children playin in
the summer.house yender it's made me
feel 'tarnsl ticklish, an' I've sed time and
agin. an tole Betsy so tew. that I'd bet
my best gobbler they'd be broke ont afore
a week, an now they've done it; an il you
take my advice, you'll cut the pesky weed
down an burn it before the hull on ye is
ketched. You needu't look so surprised,
Sqire. What m tellin ye is fer yure own
good, That air weed is pizen shumake,
an it'll nigh on to kill some folks.
Such advice, coming from practical
farmer in whom the Squire" had perfect
confidence, was immediately acted upon
The vines which had endowed the beau
tiful arbor for a generation were sawed off
at the ground. And to think that peep
into the botany might have saved him.
Four things need TO be committed to
memory to insure safety against our poi
son sumschs
First The three leaved ivy is danger
Gus.
Second. The five leaved is harmless.
Third The poison sumacbs have white
berries.
Fourth, No red berried sumach Is poi.
sonous.
Both the poison ivy and poison sumach,
though unlike in appearance Of foliage,
have similar white berries growing in
small slender clusters from the ayils OF the
leaves. 10 sll other sumachs the berries
sre red and 10 close punches at the ends
of the branches, aud far from being dan
serous, yield frosty looking acid which
Is most agreeable TO the taste, and whole.
some withal, When these simple precepts
ixed in his mind, no one need fear the
hangers OF the tbickets Nor need any one
'epeat the hazardous exploit Of two young
aides whom know, one Of whom, as a
on church decoration in coun-
ny town, brought her arms full Of the
carlet au umn branches Of the venomous ,
umacb, While the other once seat the
writer really beautiful group Of CAREFUL
y arranged rare grasses and MOSES geu
,rousIy deckfd with the white berries OF |
he poison ivy Both Of these rash maid.
ms believe paid the severe penalty OF
heir botanical innocence. William Ham /
ton Gibson, ia Harper's Young Peo
,le. s