Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-04-25
DIR EARLIEST FLOWERS.
Interest in the Study of Plant Life
Now Increases.

walk in the woods and pastures to-
DAY reveals the same state OF busy prep
eration for the coming season that Is 10
be noticed all over our town. Down
street hand organ announces the fact OF
epring, while in the fields the first ROBINS
bear witness to the same fact. Several
butterflies are out. the large black ones
with borders of yellow on their wings.
l have never before noticed butterflies SO
early, and wonder what they feed on
Now, before the leaves are out, the
woods present very different appearance
from what they will later. One can see
long distances through the trees, ana lhe
gray of the bare branches with the blue
of the sky makes a very pleasant color
effect.
have been much interested in watch
ing the blossoms of shrubs and trees, ana
in noting how many OF them nave
imperfect flowers; the fertile or seed
bearing flower being small and ineon-
spicuous, while the sterile ones are COM
paratively large and snowy.
In the willows the two kinds are borne
on different plants, while the alders ana
bfrches have both on the same stem. The
alders are now gay with the yellow
tassels, from which the pollen flies with
every breath of wind, while their near
relatives, the birches, are nearly as we'll
advanced, though their tassels are not
quite as snowy.
A week ago l brought into the house
some birch twigs having the little cat
kins which have been exposed without
any protection during the winter, and
placed them in water so as to watch the
development OF the flowers at my leisure.
They quickly responded to the warmth
and light, and soon the tiny tassels were
shedding the yellow pollen; but for some
time l did not observe the tiny fertile
flower which looked like few threads OF
crimson silk, the ends hanging loose.
These tiny but beautiful flowers were
Just peeping from the scaly green buds,
and would never be seen without careful
examination. They can now be found
out OF doors, and are worth looking for.
Another tree, which is now in blossom,
is the poplar and very peculiar appear
ance it presents dressed in its blossoms,
which look more like fringe OF gray
chenille than anything else.
The witch hazel, whose virtues we all
appreciate when we buy the extract at the
druggists, is very abundant in our pas
lures, and is very interesting at this sea
son. Now, when all other plants are put
ting forth flower buds, the witch hazel is
ready to begin to ripen its seeds. II we
would see its blossoms we must look in
November, Then we shall find, in clus-
tiers OF three, pale yellow struggling
flowers, suggestive of frost work by their
form, and close to them the ripened nuts,
which, when dry, open and shoot the
seeds like tiny bullets in all directions.
One autumn, finding the witch hazel In
bloom, we brought some branches into
the house and arranged them over some
pictures in warm room. few days
later we kept hearing something rafting
in different parts OF the room, but could
not account for it till someone was NIL
with considerable force by the witcf
hazel seeds, which had been dried by the
warmt b of the room, and We're now being
given a rat her forcible start in the World
The red maple is almost in bloom; few
DAYS more will find it decked in all the
splendor of its coral red flowers, and the
eims too, though not as snowy, will soor
be found to be covered with blossoms, i
we can get near enough to see them.
The favorite among the early sprins
flowers we seldom think of as shrub
and yet it is cassed by the botanists as
trailing shrub and bears the scientific
name OF epigea repens. We know ane
love it as the trailing arbutus, or more
Familiarity as the maytiower. 1t may now
be found in abundance, and unpreten-
tious as it is, it probably lures more
people to the woods than any othe
hover. But while in search of this. don
overlook everyt hing else.
April 20. NJ. A CLARK