New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-01

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LADIES' TRESSEs GRASS OF PARNAssUS.
in blossom, they are now TO some extent IN
! Berkshire. And whenever | see dcpauperdte
mOuntain-ash forlorny decorating corner OF some
over-civilized countIy-placc languishing like
| handsome young barbarian in captivity, remem-
Der how that same road brought one TO the forest
which crowded the mountains topic a dimly
lighted path which led through messy fcrn-beds
till it reached a sudden opening, where two great
| hcmlocks made frame, and dark, distant noun
tain formed a background for the fcathery foil
age and scarlet clusters of supeIby vigorous
specimen of this beautiful tree.
II we leave the mountains and visit once more
| The salt meadows we notice a multitude OF erect
narrow lcaved stems. which toward their summit
are studded with soft, rosep purple howerheads
This is the blazing star one of the latest blooming
and most beautiful of the Composites. Just back
of the beach the gray sand hills are warm with
the lender branches aIsT little rose-colOred
flowers Of the sand lnowccI. patch of which
reminded Thoreau VI a peach orchard in bloom
The brght-hued, lenfess stems of the glasswort
define the borders Of the road Only a close eA-
| animation c0nyinces us Of tie existence of the
minute flowers Of this odd looking plant. they
are On sunIcn in it's thickencd upper joiYh - 10
be almost invisible. Now and then W. come
| acros, an evening primrose with blossoms 90 wide
| open, delicate and fragrant, and with leaf AMI
| stem lacking their usual lankncss, that we can
! hardly connect them with the great coarse plants
| whose brown, howerlesS spikes are crowding the
edge Of the highway. In this neighborhood the
brilliant flowers and flcshy leaves of the seaside
: sodcn-rCd are everywhere conspicuous, while
| further inland the so-caed blue-stcmmed species,
bearing It's clustered heads in the leaf-anRles along
the stem, begins to predomnatc. On the noun
tains and in Oh" dry thickets Of the lowlands W.
encounter occasionally one of the most attractive
| II the tribe-thc sweet coldcn-rod, with shining,
: dotted, narrow leaves which yield, when crushed,
a refreshing, anis,-likc oder. The different asters
are affording the lovelicst shades Of blue, purple
and lavender. Prominent for richness OF color
| and beauty Of detail are the large violet-hued,
dasy-like heads of the SNOWY aster a species
! which is found growing in sandy soil along the
coast In the woods, noddng from tall stems,
we notice the graceful, bell-liie fower-heads of
! the rattlcsnalle weed.
friend writes me that in parts Of Connecticut
the swamrs are still bright with the great blue
lobcia and that the yellow flowers of the bur
margold ale abundant IN the roadside bitches
This last-namcd plant holds us own through the
first frosts till well on in November lis Outlook
| ing sister, the common sticS-tight, whose ugly
| brownish 1owerhcads freIucn, in moist, waste
| places is equally tenacious OF lifc--and OF
| clothes-to which its barted sced-vesscls cling
| persstently that every walk across country means
that we have innocently extended its unwelcome
| sway. Indeed we can hardly spend morning
| out of doors at this season without having our
attention drawn constantly to the many ingenious
devices adopted by the dferent plants for the dis
| tribution of their seed. On ourselves and our
| dogs we find not only the troublesome barbs Of
the sticlI-tight but also the fiat hooked pods OF
the tlcStrcioils, tie brstly fruit of AYERS and
goose grass, and the prckly heads of the burlock.
In the thicket the birds are already stripping the
docwoods Of their red, blue and lcdd-colOred per
| rios either releasing the SEEDS upon the spot or
| carving them 10 some other and perhaps more
| hospitable neighborhocd While the coral beads Of
the beaptifu black alder, tho red purple sprays
OF the viburnums. the bright haws of the white
thorn, the scarlet pcnnants which stream from the
barbcrry bushes and the haf-hidden berries of the
| partridge-vinc tempt them 10 feast which will
prove ~ advantageous to host a. to guess. If the
seeds are not trapped out in q fashion which
render, then. attractive to animals their transpor-
tation generally j. provided in some other manner.
! Notice how the great pastuic thistle IL slowly
| swelling into "a svery cushion which few brisk
| winds will disntcsratc. Watch the pods of the
milkweed ctack open, revealing symmetrical packs
! the beloved fishes OF CHILDHOOD of golden
brown seeds, to each one Of which is tackled
silky sail which finally unfurs and
floats away with its burden. Go down TO the
brook and finger lightly the pod of the jewewee'l,
or touch -me-not You will become 80 fascinated
with the ingenious mechanism which causes the
! little seedveSsel to recoil from your touch with
an elastic spring which sends the seeds far into
the neighboring thicket, that you will hardly
leave till the last tiny adventurer has been
started on his life journey On the hillside grows
shrub with wavy-toOthed leaves and nut
| like fruit, which has been rpening all summer.
we know that this is the wtch.hazel, because lit
tie punches Of fragrant, narrowpetalled yellow
! flowers are bursting from the branches. All tho
| blossoms may not appear for some time yet, but
when the fruit has ripened and the leaves are
fallen they will surprise US like golden prophecy
OF spring Break off and carry home n fruiting
branch. Soon the capsules will snap elastically
apart discharging in every direction their black,
! bony contents the action OF theHparent plant
somewhat recalling that OF the mother bird who
pushes her Young from the edge of the nest that
| they may learn 10 shift for themselves Many
seeds are washed by water TO more or less remote
neighboihoods Some become attached with
! clods of earth 10 the feet Of birds and ure
borne to other regions, where they thrive or
perish, according To their power OF adapting
themselves 10 their new environment How FAR
this last class OF travellers may journey we re-
aize especially at this season, when nearly every
day shows fresh ilocl,s of birds which have
come under the influence of that strange power
| which moves them to stretch their wings toward
the SOUTH bringing them leyep the more timid