New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-31
MIDSCMMER'S CHARMS.
PRAISES FOR The SEASON BETWEEN BUD
DING SPRING AND FRUITFUL FALL.

must somehow endure between the fresh so"ns
| beauties Of spring and the mature periee''o" vi
autumn. In TRUTH midsummer Is not that KIM vi
season at all, but has a charm and character OIL
It's own that but few understand AS spring repre-
scnts the newness and vlgor OF youth ana autumn
represents the beauty and fruitage Of old age SO nu
summer stands for the strength and per1ecuoh VI
mature life There is nothing sophomore ABOUT h'".
summer there Is occasionally about spring ana
there are wrinkles It's fair face as there arc
on the alfsmlng halftearful face OF autumn mere
| is neither the crudeness Of youth nor the mnrhty
OF old age; but instead the histy strength whlch
comes With completed growth and the joyousness OF
| life in It's healthy maturity, when the sorro"b OF
Infancy forgotten and the pains OF dissolution
are yet In the ardistant future. How perfectly
delicious Is midsummer day at Its best, when It's
character and meaning are thus understood IL Is
hot may b. but II you In ordinarily good health
yon Will not mind that. The holiness OF midsummer
day Is not in itself unpleasant II you meet 1t IN the
right way. OF course II you compelled to rush
around In the city II Is your sad fate to nave 70
90 on an excursion, your condition Is Indeed a
| wretchcd one. OF II you I'll yourself up with liquor
in ORDER you sey, TO keep cool, the heat OF mid
summer will seem great indeed. But go to the
country and commune with Nature. Wander off to
some boSly dell, where you may hear the sweet nots
Of the w0Odhrush and the mischevOus mewing OF the
catbird while through some sunlit vista you may
see II field Of grain, may b., Of potatoes In bloom
y
OF your being bitten by mosquitoes because Inc
particular bosky dell we have In mind never has any
mosquitoes and anyhow these insects not peculiar
to midsummer while thus sitting in this beautiful
woodland temple, you breathe In the subtle smell
Of woods and resign your senses to the delicious
languor that l. In the air And you gradually
forget all about the great roaring, artificial world
from which you have escaped yOu begin to get some
faint Idea Of the wtching spell OF midsummer.
And then the song Of the locust Yes, song, for,
though II consists OF but srden note It somehow
or other suggests whole dapasol Of ioyous content
and happiness No true lover OF the country can ever
leave the locust OF consideration when calling up
his memories of midsummer. 1t brings up pictures
Of wavy fields Of grain and the scent OF clover, and
the gentle SOuging of the trees. as the midsummer
breeze whispers them, and the hazy blue hills In
the distance. and the rumble OF wagon On the road
nearby and the hum Of the bumblebee and the cackle
Of some too industrious hen. and the distant clater OF
a reaper. and the gushing song Of tho bobalink fou
rerl ebcr too the davswc Will not confess how many
DAYS and years have interviewed snce-when. as boy,
You catch the big flying locusts. either TO read
the mysterious hcroglyphles their wings or else to
II they really chewed tobacco as the BOYS all said
Certainly midsummer without the grasshopper would be
q poor affair.
But some one will object that the vegetation OF mid
summer Is nnln,eresting This hereSy deserves TO be
sernly rebuRd II IS true. II is not like spring, the
season Of bud and blossom. Nor Is 1t. like autumn,
except in few cases. the Of fruit. Jn II Is
mistake that only unobservant people could be guilty
Of 10 say that It's vegetation Il unworthy Of notice
60 10 tho right place this morning and look at the
tiger lilies In bloom Certainly In their bold and
defiant beauty they compare with anything that spring
shTT. Then consider the Japanese lTfS with lis
aggressive sword Ike foliage. sur,lly facing the
and with It's exquisite flowers. only eycelled by the
orchid the bluefuR. belonging TO the same family,
known and loved by every country bred boy. or tho
b.llvh mil VI
time iavoritos In the fowerb OF the farmers wife
The hoyhock alone would vindicnte midsummer from
the charge made against Il. As for the phlo1es. they
are Ot pure American ancestry and should be ptzed
for that reason even II they not handsome.
Olher noteworthy flowers the oatalpa with lis
great spires Of pink and white bloom the linden tree
tl perfume OF whose blossoms Is almost overpowerng
the chestnut whose loNg cutlns make such q striking
the lovely green Of It's leaves the wild nose
" the pasture field. and the tall egantlne OF the
hedgo- swe.t pea. with Its exquisite Fragrance.
ready to vanish at n touch the sweet williams the
yuccas. the sturdy MccOry the mulelns. making
ycllow Sleeps eyes you from every side OF their
tall : ak. and the common milkwecd Of the OadIde
whose perfume though msung by the poet Is fine
enough for the dnuglter Of a King. Time would hl
us ind cd tell OF all the beautiful flowers and Shrubs
that belong TO the season II midsummer hrkspuT
the oxeyed daisy. the nasurum. the coreopss. the
honey,ucklr the London Pride the ONwsgO tea the
cemalls and the Johnswort. Nor should forget
the variou kinds Of creeping plants. parasites though
fhey b. which Nhs season OF the covsr many
unstghily trunks and stnps With ts delicate racery
OF their Leaves. Then. too there Is the white blossom
~ the potato. reminding Us u the Kitchen garden,
which will we'll repay VISIT In midsummer. The
small fruits. such curraDts aud rispberres. need no
poet 10 sing their praises and every year their merits
are becoming more generally recognized Nor should
forget the pOtaOe. the cr)Ok-ecked squash,
or the delicious exc the celSs and orons
and garlic and parsley tina: do much TO give flavor
10 a that might otherwise 10 nipid. The
kitchen garden doesn't get much space on the daily
papers A reported warcoud In the Balkans Will
crowd out article about II any day. But II l..
nevertheless OF the crowuiug gones Of midSun,
m-r. and 1t would b. happy thing for everybody but
the nurketman II all housrAoldvrs In the country had
one.
And then there nrc the weeds. Don't turn up your
no .c nr weeds worthy Of notice, and.
times. OF admiration. some Of the and expensive
exotic, In your conservatory, dear sir. madam
only weed, In their own country" pcsky.' doubt
less the natives call them In their tongue. More
over. even the weeds Of the doOryard the
rvud,de are only common because they are common,
10 make use VI All HIbernIcsm. You. indeed, may
cu>se them, but botaniss discuss them and SEQ in
them beauties that many flower, In the botanical Four
Hundred do not possess. Ii may be admitted that
weeds Ia have desire To grow where they ought
not 10 grow. lIut that 1, because don't give them
any proper chance grow where they ought 10 grow
BESIDES, weed, blessing III Disguise. by stn-
uniting industry, and BY forcing {, stir up the
ground around TO the great advantage Of the
same.
However that may be- the weeds an Important
feature VI midsummer and Illustrate what Nature can
DO In the way Of raising crop without the help II
manual labor expensive farm implements The
pusleyr plants manufacture IA carpet for "A road
side almost In night The msty plgweedS may
ala. tl ltt
to cultivate the most friendly relations with YOU. ana
II you know enough 10 put them In "A pot when they
are young and tender they make green's not To be-
snee1ed at. The Roman NORWOOD springs up ~ "A