Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-04-20
VERMONT BOTANY.
Pleasant Experience OF n Lady In Study
Ing Our Native Plauts.

| specimens rs the result OF my year 8 work.
| may call it my years work, for have
only lately finished mounting some of the
specimens. / have only made beginning,
having done nothing with ferns, grasses and
mosses
My herbarium, with the exception Of
perhaps 10 specimens, has been collected in
| Stowe, Morristown and Waterbury. 1t in
cludes 20 specimens Of the rose family and
80 of the composite family. In the latter
are teven varieties of golden rod four or
five Of thoroughwort, or boneset, and five
OF asters. There are six varieties of orchids
and l failed to find specimens of other
three that grow here, the pink and the yell
| low valerian or moccasin flower and the
rattlesnake plantan.
| became so interested in watching for
specimens that | often forgot to admire the
scenery, which | never did before. More
than once gorgeous butterfly resting on a
distant plant deluded me for a minute into
thinking | had found a wonderful new bios
SON. l found plants which had never
seen before, among which were brookime
arrowhead, sundew and a little evening
primrose. | suppose they have always been
there, but had eyes that saw not.
Many specimens interesting in themselves
are doubly SO from associations. Sinicle
burberry, long spindle -shanked anemone
and others recall pleasant visit in Water
bury. a pitchsr-plant, pond lily and two
orchids-calopogon and pogona-from
"Joe's poudn in Morristown remind mo OF
thoughtful friends, as, also, do specimens of
swamp laurel ana ginseng from different
parts Of Stowe. Specimens of Virginia
stonecrop and blue vervain were found on
another Waterbury excursion. specimen
mistletoe came from kentucky, come heath
from Scotland and woodwax from Massa-
cnusstts.
1T is always n pleasuse to show my herb
arium to any one interest ed in such things,
and l would like to compare notes with
others who have made collections.
The botanical world coming as 1t does to
our very doorsteps indeed into most OF our
houses, offers an interesting and convenient
study for those Of Us whose school days
were left behind sooner than we wished.
1t supplies u most alluring object for those
walks, otherwise so dull that many need to
take in order to regain health. Children
are most enthusiastic in its study, and our
common school teachers should be qualified
TO teach it.
There are many interesting things that
oven a lover OF flowers does not notice un-
I'll the structure Of plants is studied. a
head Of clover Tor instance, is a collection
OF small pea-!lke blossoms. The banner,
wings aud keel OF the pea blossom are all in
each tiny blossom on a hoad OF clover
Again, in a single yerrow blossom, insida
the white petals are several tiny, cup-shaped
blossoms. Each apparently single blossom
is composite one. Whnt seem to be
petals on a low cornell blossom comro,e an
''involucre' that encloses the true bios
SONS.
The names of plants all mean somethin &
81. l.,
real or supposed antiiote for snake bites,
feverfev for fevers Hawkweed was once
thought to siren then the eyesght OF
hawks The shaI flower was SO named be
cause il blossoms about the time shad go UP
the rivers.
1t is interesting TO watch the accession
of flowers. Springbcauties, hepnticas and
vioets carpet the fields for a brief space
and are moro In carly
summer yellow flowers prevail. But
, tercups and ST. Jobnsworts bear
, the yellow mantle, assisted by prim-
roses, ox-eye daisies and wild sunAowers.
Then come the blue flowers that love the
water courses. pepper and spearmint, skull
, cap, monkey flowers and close blue gen-
tians. With midsummer comes the golden
rod ushering in the reign of the compost .s.
, Thoroughwort, astars green of tho meadow
them, however, the meadow sweet and
steeple bush make a brave show ny, and it
would not 10 easy to overlook the splendid
, purple-hngered orchis, and the waXy white
apprentices with its spiral rows of twisted
flowers. In autumn this witch hazel hangs
out its yellow blossoms, and in the woods
are the curious, leafess beechdrops. But at
last the composites carry Off the honors.
During the spring is the best time of the
year to begin the study OF botany. The
: requisite aids a botany book and mi
croscope. Woods american Botanist and
Florist or Gray's "School ind Field Book
of Botany" end 2j-cent microscope, will
be all that is necessary at first l nm told
that it Is easier to learn to analyze by
Woods work Newspapers, changed often
and weight, will answer for press if a
more scientific one is not at hand. Sheets
OF cardboard for mounting specimens can
be obtained at the FREE PRESS office, and
white court plaster at the drug stores.
The amateur botanist need not wait
until he is master of the book before
he begins to anayze. The spring beauty
will soon be here and il it can't be traced
3 from beginning to end, try ii backward and
learn something that way. You will learn
at least that it is cousin ito portulacea, and
also to purslane, the pursley that SO pestered
G. ID. Warner in one Summer in a Garden. "
1t will take sometime to do much botanic
ing, but so it does to piece up bedquilts,
crochet tides, to embroiler and paint. "We
do the things we want to" more than we
often think. But if one can do but little
the dooryard is full of specimens | have
over 40 that grew within five rods of the
house. Ii there is a swamp or woodland
or even neglected roadside within the
compass OF ones time and strength, it will
be a resource for ali summer, while ride OF
few miles will often discover specimens
not found at home
CARRIE f. BIGELow.
Stowe, April Is, 1898.