The Press., 1890-10-02
(For The Press.) THE WILD FLOWERS OF AUTUMN.

The wild flowers of this season, though most of them lack the delicate beauty and fragrance of the spring and early summer flowers, have no less charm for us on that account, for we prize them as the last flow CTS of the season, and cherish their fading beauties as late as possible.
 There is a short time in the summer when we do not have quite so many wild flowers, but in August and September if we go into the woods and fields we shall gnd many beautiful varieties. To see them in all their beauty and luxuriance choose some unfrequented bye-road for our next afternoon ride. Let us go past the mead ow, where the pale flowers of the boneset and the crimson clusters of the Indian hemp are together turning to dingy brown, and the rlumy flowers of the white and pink hardhack, and the delicate sprays of the clyvers are beginning to decay. The shiny white stars of the canker weed are sprinkled thickly through the late mown grass, and there are two kinds of small crimson-p pink flowers and beautiful little spiral clusters of snow-white ones growing among them in great profusion. I won der what they are. Perhaps some of you can tell me their names. The brook side, where the water is so low, is fairly ablaze with the scarlet lobelia or cardinal flower. Up the hill beyond, the squaw weed or "life everlasting" and the Indian posey have whitened the wayside. See that clump of ginseng, with its brilliant, orange colored flowers. I have heard it called butterfly weed, because of the singular at traction it seems to have for particular species of that insect. The root of this plant was formerly considered very valua- ble for it's medicinal virtues. As we come into the woods we see now and then be- lated blossom of digitalis, or foxglove, a curious and handsome yellow flower. This also is medicinal plant and very poison ous.
 l But what is this Gan it be the Agera- tum always thought that was a house. plant, and used to keep one for winter blooming, but here it is growing aOild, and beautiful, too, with such great clusters of snowy blossoms, and such quantities of of them. I must take up some of them for my flower garden at home.
 Long banks of asters of many varieties line both sides of the way in generous pro- fusion. There snowy white ones in i'm mense clusters, and beautiful large purple ones with brown centres, and pale mauve, some double, and fairly dazzling in their starry luxuriance.
 Here are few wild sum- flowers and OK eye daisies, and everywhere we see the golden rod. Not alone in the meadows and on the hill top, but in the woods and by the brook side, and in the fields, it fair | ly crowds itself on our notice, as though determined to be seen. This, though adopted, believe, as the national flower, is, to me, most contradictory and unsat- isfactory one. Seen at a distance, crowded in hedge-row, or monopolizing mead ow, it is most coutemptible looking yell low weed {; but fresh, full cluster, close at hand, seems to hold the very sunshine in it's heart, and so, as "a thing of beauty is joy forever" 1t is doubtless fitting emblem for glorious country like our.
 can not help thinking, however, that should like to have most of them trans planted to the city where all the school. children, (many of whom probably never saw one,) who cast vote for them, could have plenty to see and enjoy. am vii. ling to spare all have for that purpose. As we come again through the lowlands, towards home, we find the three varieties of gentian, close by the bank the singular flowers of the white and blue closed gen. tan are very plenty, there are few of the quinquifora, or five lowered variety, and some beautiful clusters of the fringed ones, though they are not very plenty yet. This flower is most beautifully described by Bryant in these lines
 Thou blossom, bright with Autumn dew, And colored with the heavens own blue,
 That openest when the quiet light
 Succeeds the keen and frosty night,
 Thou comest not when violets lean
 Der wandering brook and springs unseen, Or Columbines, in purple dressed,
 Nod OCT the ground birds hidden nest.
 Thou comest late and comest alone, When woods are bare and birds are flown,
 And frosts and shortening days portend
 The aged year is near his end.
 Then doth thy sweet and quiet eye
 Look through it's fringes to the sky,
 Blue-blue-as if the sky let fall A flower from it's cerulean wall.'
 Stafford, Conn. MRS. J. c. CRAWFORD.