New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-23
Ill.
PLANTS REFLECTING THE TEMPER OF THE
SEASON.
HOSTS OF COMPOSITES IN THE FIELDS-MILK.
WEEDS OF MANY CoLoRs-RED AND ORANGE
IJIJFs-TuE wAXY INDIAN PIPE
RASPBERRY AND RUE.
ny MRS. WILLIAM STARR DANA.
Con,,,,obt 1893: By The Tribune Assoeintion

with the shrinking uncertain charm Of an Amer
lean snrno Those of the later year are distinctly
hardy braced to meet cold winds and npplng
nights While those Of mldsummer-'llosc which
are abroad now-have caught the hot look OF
flame or of the sun itself or-at times-the deep
blue of the sky. OF course there are exceptions
10 this rule. "A we will note later; but the least
observing must admit the intensity OF the coiors
which prevail now, colOrs which are not perhaps
more brilliant than the later ones, but which, IL
seems "a me. are far more suggestive OF summer.
IL NAV be argued that this is merely q matter
Of association: that if the goden-rods and asters
wore in the habit of Towering in July, and if
the lrlics and milkweeds ordinarily postponed
their appcarance till September. the former
would soon 70 us the ones which embodied most
vividlv the idea OF heat and sunlight, while the
latter would typfy, in perfectly satisfactory
fashion, the colder season.
am ready to acknowledge that we are VIC
timizcd sometimes by our constituencies 10 asso-
citation; recalling clearly as l do childish con-
yiction that one could recognize Sunday oy the
peculiarly golden look Of its sunlight, ana ny
the long, mysterious slant Of Its shadows IN inc
orcbord This dcusion-though even yet it
hardly seems that-sprang. suppose from tHc
fact that only Sunday was one onhged 10
refrain from n variety Of enchanting pursuits
which at other times proved so absorbing as 10
nrcclude any great sensitvencss TO the aspects oi
nature. and perhaps partly also from certain
serenity in the moral atmosphere which so hnNeu
itself with the visible surroundings as 10 arous"
tho belief that the lights and shadows Of this
ono day actually differed in character from 'hose
If rho other six. Still cannot but think that
not ONLY is the cOarscncss OF habit common 10 'he
later flowers suggestive OF a defensive attitude
/ lpaS
that their actual colors less Indicative OF the
heat OF summer.
Surely no autumn field sends upward multi
plc reflection of the sun itself as these meadows
| about Ms do One would suppose that the yellow
F5vs Of thc omniprcsent black-eycd Susan would
droon beneath the fierce which beat upon
thcm from above Instead, they seem 70 wei
come the touch Of kinsman and TO gain Vigor
| from the contact. one instantly r'coS""
these flowers ms members Of the great composite
family. tribe which is beginning TO TAX" almost
urdisnutcd nosscssion of many Of our fields; that
is in relation 20 the floral world, for the farmers
are wagins constant war upon it, Ihey are
cousins OF the dandcons and daisies, OF the
qoldcn.rod and asers. The family name indl-
Gates that each fower-head is composed OF
number OF small flowers which are clustered 10
closely n TO give the effect Of "A single blossom
! In the back-cycd Susan the brown "cn'r'' tue
" black eye itself, consists OF a quantity or
| tubnlar-Shapcd blossoms which are crowded upon
n somewhat conc-shapcd receptacle. hence the
! cormon name Of "c0ne-fowcr' In botanicai
n,rloncc. these are called "disl, flowers They
noss.ss both stamens and pistils, while the yellow
RAYS. which commonly ar" regarded M petals ar"
in reality flowers which are without either OF
those important organs; only assisting IN the
norpctuaton Of the species by arr'Stlng TIE AZ
tcntion of passing insects and thus securing an
| o>cbanrc of pollen among the perfect DISK
| flowers
I'm the common daisy a." arrangement Is diner
| emf Here tie white rays are even more uSei"'
than ornamental n they the female nowers
Of tho head eventually producing SEED whiie
tle yellow disk flowers Of the centre yl'I'
the pollen The dandclion is without any t"ou-
1ar blossoms. It's forcts bo'anically de-
scrbcd as strapshapcd," resembling III" ray
flowers Of the daisy and bla"k-cyed Susan In
,Lo common thistle. again. we find only tubular
flowers II the minute blossoms Of the Composite
family were not thus grouped, probably they would
bc too uconspcuous TO attract attention ana often
might fail to secure the pollen necessary to their
fertilization TO quote Mr. Grant Allen, Union
is strength for the daisy a. for III" State.
More people would learn to take an interest IN
plants if they suspected the plcaslrabe excite
mcnt which awaits the iiow"r-lovei upon .h'
most commonplace railway journey peculiar
thrill Of expectancy is caused by IN" rapi"N
changing environment which reveals. in swift
succession, flowers of the most varied procIlviti"s'
If we leave Ncw-York on certain road. at inter
walls for hour or more til" salt marshes spr'a"
! their dccp.hucd treasures before us Then we
turn into the interior. passing through iarn-iahN
! ,yhor. the rlonis which follow in the wake OF
St,.t,l an
these behind Darling into the deep forest we
catch elimpscs of the shyer woodland beauties
Now and then we span a foaming river on whose
Steep shores may detect, with the cagernesS
of sportsnan some long-sOught rarity. IL Is
always a fresh surprise and disappointment TO
me TO find that | can seldom reach on foot such
wild and promising spots IA the railway WINDOW
reveals Is it possible that the swiftly vanishing
scene has been Illuminated by I'll" inlaglha'ioh
which has been allowed tho frrer play from the
improbaLility Of any necessity for future read
iustmcnt? However that may be- find that my
look possesses but little charm for me till an
aching head warns me to refrain from too con-
slant vigil
Just now. from sucll coene of vantage. when
the uncloudcd sun beats upon their Surfaces |
certain pastures look ~ though ahre. Inc Rras~'
sway about great patches Of ntens" orang"-rrh
suggestive Of creeping flames. This starting
effect is aiven by the butterfly weed. the most |
gorgeous member of the millweed family. Almost
equally vivid though less liamrliIic Is the purple
milkwecd. n species which abounds also IN dry |
places with deep nk-purplc flowers when grow
in smaller, less spreading clusters than those oil
the butterfly weed. The swamp milkw"ci my |
bc found in nearly all wet meadows. IL Is ne
scribcd by Gray "ros"-purpl" bnt the HINT
specimens might almost claim 10 b" ranked amohs
the red flowers The dull pink balls OF the COM
mon mkwccd or silkwrcd arc masscd by every |
roadside now, and are too generally known 10
need description. Tie most drhcat" member OF
the familr i the four-leavcd milkwecd, with |