Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-05-21
4 STROLL IN TIE woods.
New Castle County Flora and Fauna
What a Colored Herb Doctor Gathered
Monday.

New Castle County Flora and Fauna
What CoI0red Herb Doctor Gathered
Monday.
A visit to the Field club grounds Mon
day afternoon revealed the lawn in excel
lent order. There were only one or two
couples in the tennis courts but quite a
number of juniors were found actively
employed at cricket practice. The grounds
man with two helpers is preparing the
courts for the great tennis tournament
next June. A number of workmen APP
peared to be employed at the club building
upon some alteration or other or an addi-
ton of some kind at one end of the struc-
ture.
The beautiful woodlands and meadows
surrounding Elsmere are of themselves
well worth an afternoons visit. There
was no Market street train returning at 4
O'Clock so opportunity was taken to walk
across from the b. Il o. crossing through
the piece of woods intervening between
that point and the Onion Park grounds at
the Front and Union railway station.
The profuson and variety of wild flowers
found in every direction in the woods was
remarkable.
The wild geranium is in blossom in great
quantity, and there are plenty of violets
also. There are numbers of wild straw
berries in bloom, and the "Johnny-jump
up" which bears some resemblance to the
forget-me-not, is almost as numerous as
grass spears. That little yellow flower,
Johnnys alter ego, for the two flowers
seem always to grow togetherl dots the
grass almost as plentifnlly as its neighbor.
A large bunch of very fine honeysuckle
blossoms was gathered. These sweet wild
flowers will be in bloom in proftlson by
the end of the week. II is quite mortify-
ing on such ali occasion as this, sur
rounded by variety Of the commonest
HnFnra tn I1nnhIn
to give their proper names. 1t would look
as if the curriculum of common school
teaching might comprise such elements of
botany as would teach such information as
this. The reporter calls to mind in his
school days analyzing as many as lOu
plants in one season, but such exercises
did not bring with them the knowledge of
the names or the ability to recognize the
comparatively limited list of ordinary field
flowers. The writer remembers some of
the old Htand-by's, such as capsella bursa
PASTORS, shepherds Purse, and taraxa-
cum dens leonis, (the dandelion); but that
about completes the list with, perhaps, eS-
cepting the common daisy of the large
family of composite.
The same criticism may be applied in re-
ference to the more familiar trees, and also
To the wild birds Of New Castle county. II
was thought, for instance, as an exercise in
the iiora and fauna of this region to ask
the high school graduating class to give the
names of the wild birds and wild flowers
Of this county and at the same time some
collateral facts SO as to give evidence that
they might be identified in the fields and
woods. Who of our graduates can afford
a fairly correct list Of the song birds Of
Delaware The number, it is understood
is much larger than is generally credited
asinhabiting this part of tliecountry. And
who Of ouf scholars can distinguish any
reasonable number of them by voice.
| At Union park a number of bicyclers
were seen at practice on the truck getting
| themselves into shape for the Warren club
annual summer events.
StrOlling along towards the Fifth and
| Union terminus of the electric railway one
| of the cars was found starting out fol
| Riverview. AS the new fiye-cent schedule
has only just been inaugurated the re
| porter took the opportunity of riding tht
| full length Of the line to Riyeryiew. This
| was accomplished in exactly half-an-hour
| The distance is supposed to be little ovei
| 81 miles. The driver, Mr.. Weldin, said i
could easily be run in 20 minutes. II
| seemed so too, for the numerous stOppages
entailed a loss of 10 minutes at least.
Al Mverylew a strange old colorec
woman boarded the car. She was laden
with two heavy sacks filled with roots and
/ herbs. Mrs. DENLY, for that was her
/ Hullltt Is Il llGlb AbGlbT. III ItlilS W pDllte
inquiries She said she had been all day in
| the Shellpot woods and in the open gather
ing herbs. She opened one of the sacks
| and disclosed q strange mass Of stuff.
That's poke root, she said. Its gooG
for the rheumatic This is snake root
twill cure bad cold. Here's sassafra'
and burdock-good for the blood; and 81
is this (mandrake). "Yar's cherry bark
for innard strengthening and sarsaparilla
| GOOD fer mos anytliup.h
Mrs. DENLY turned ont to be practica
botanist. She was thoroughly acquainted
with the names and the uses of all thos,
| herbs