The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-04-13

6lO0R the 6W8Tua anu Vle6 MILL 1tuo OA1
tercup in helping to enrich it. Meadow
sweet and clover, oxeye and wild hyson
bluebell, fairy fingers, cowslip, and many
more whose names are known only te
the botanist, are sprinkled all over. Nc
other country, in prop rtion to it's elze
has SO many beautiful hedgerows. The
w1re fence divides the fieldsin America
and is fast superseding the natural fence
in England. Frances fields are separat-
from each other by footpaths or mathe
mat1cal lines. The same is more or less
true Of sllthe other countries in Europe,
excepting Holland and Belgium, whose
divisions are drains or waterways, things
less aesthetic than useful.
AS the mild climate of Ireland permits
of the cattle being wintered in the fields,
the dixie and the ditch with their hedge
adornment, affording them sufficient
shelter, the landscape becomes the gamer
by the result. Everywhere this picture
seque addition stretches over hill and
dale; now marking Of. two acres, again
ten, but rarely more than twenty. Nor
Is the farmer anything the loser by this
seeming sacrifice Of land for, besides the
shelter already referred to, the foliage Of
the. hawthorn hedge, IS titpit for the
fattening stock; Moreover the ditch
itself affords more picking than the spaoe
it's base occupies could have yielded.
And when, with the first warmth OF
spring, these hedgerows have burst into
bloom, or with the first nip OF winter
their leaves have turned to brown, russell
and ruby, and the early frost has given
the last ripening touches to their loads
Of crimson fruit, nothing more beautiful
can be imagined than the rich chromatic
effect of this varlegated framing to the
emerald flower decked fields. Small
need is there here for snow capped hills
or interminable forests to enchance the
scene; yet of these latter there is no
dearth, excepting on the stony wilds Of
=Connemara, or the bleaker shores beetled
by the northern seas. No view can be
had Of the country IN which woods are
not aconspicuous feature.
Those characteristics enumerated ex-
haust not all that are special to the Irish
landscape. Rarely in rowing over the
fields that no venomous reptile has ever
deflled, does one get entirely out OF sight
or hearing Of the limpid streamlet OF
pabbllng brook, which also open up new
divisions in Flora's dominion. The
banks Of every stream are covered with
bloeeoming water plants, amongst which
the white flower Of the brooklime and
watetcress predominate. There also IN
luxurious abundance are the white and
golden cups Of the water-lily, the star
like forget me not, and almostevery other
aquatic plant known to the botanist, ex-
|cepting those Of tropical climes. In and
out and around their lower stems, the
pike, the peroh, the roach, the tench, the
Dream, the eel and the minnow disport
themselves. in the whole Of Ireland
there ID hardly asingle stream, excepting
the tidal rivers, which superabound with
the finest salmon in the world, wherein
these may hot be found and whose pebbly
bottom cannot at ell times be distinctly
ssen; 90 clear and impid are the waters,
which. like the fields, know no other
venomo moue inhAbitant than the harmless
frog. 81
When the harveat time has piled up
the sweet smelling meadows in haycocke
the golden grain in stocks or stacks, and
when the potato ridges and turnip drills
I aye yielded np their rich store Of the
|staple food of thspeesan the peaceful
lover oyerspreading ell the scene, as the
|haryest moon wanes with. the imperoept.
[ible approach Of winter, can never be for.
gotten ~ any sonIo the Emerald Iale
Who had eyes q - and 3 mind 70. o..
preciate ind remember so much that
ui uust indelibly mi ITSELF on 1e IN. IN.
aeiination, 10 matter where, g how favor.
"a the olims his lo il il ansy sr<l.
Us oast.
Mt the least oft tho other rural pleas
ure in ireland isa Tie delicious s. r1ancl
ldf the 1lowlersB, not even one of which Z
Conttuued 81 Eikhth Paee.