The sun., 1896-10-18
FOOLED BY THE WEATHER,
CONNECTICUT SNAKtS IND pH.iNrs
our OF THFIR BEIRTAGS

| A Related Binok-nakr That Iliuh,d Au
| Over Flying BIcyeit-t-Sutmrg Ira .
| tntton That Has mistaken tue ~rn-n, e
| Mr.. Fosters WInt.r Squash Ia :. rrrr,
Nonw1CH, Oct l7.-phcnomcnully hlard AL
sunny fall weather. which has pTolurEc! ,..,
| summer into October, has hal "a uurjDu, ell
| upon vegetation In the Nutmeg state, pr3i
ing many and varied freaks OF nature ItW 4
| not until a day or two ago that Jack Frost brgai
| to embelish tho woodland foliage here A
| there with vivid nutumnal colors. The grass &
meadows and pastures still springs rrccnet
| fresh while In the kitchen gardens even ten, r
vines, in many instances are as yet uuwtNcrrI.
and tho sky has the soft, tender melting LOOK (
| Juno afternoons.
| In not few towns fruit growers in cnthpr' Z
| their apple crop have noted great ,iusirf. . f!
| pink and white apple blossoms IN nglci with 80
| fully ripened fruit and not rarely tic slow, y,
ana tho pink or crimson or silver-skinncd an. s
are interspersed on the same OOugn, "a
blossoms. too are as luxuriant aud frnErnrt ai
II the month were May. Notwiths,urG. q
| the late heavy whito frosts. roadside wild ..'.
ers are still in bloom. the frnged gcut,ti 20
| asters, the white petal OF a few Woodland ,ir. =,
| now and then late dandelion and violet, d l
even. here and there, in sheltered forest ro...,
| o clump of golden rod, lusty and r..l ?
| golden in hue as ever. Still another rcrI :
feature of the season In the floral king. -,
which has been noted and commented n "a,
Connecticut botanists and lovers OF tluwcrs, q,
tho wonderfully and hitherto uncquallci ria
and deep purple hue OF the purple astcrs. "A
some instances the color Is as doen that OF \
W Id meadow lily. Besides the apple tree, pam,
peach and pear trees aud ounce bushes htNs
dl-payed Unreasonable blossoms IN u h1-. :
of places, and in the hack country towu~. farm.
| ers say, stray blossoms Of both Wild and c1,'..
waited strawberries have been found iii the ht-;
two or three days
The most remarkable freak of the lingering
summer weather. however. Is u plump lus" u' H.
and abundant crop of October hucklrberr"a.
AZ rule the Nutmeg hucklcherry becomes
disaRreea6ly soft and insipid early in srpera:
IDENTIFY is a distinct one. distinctly els "a second
crop Of the season for It's berries large ar.,-
some. and bright hard. sweet. and fU!!-IH,,i-it
a. the July fruit. The best sample of 'nc rr..,
was noted by farmer OF GiIoad, in The w..
and hily region To the northwest OF this n....
who in half a day easily gathered peck o''ns
berries. which were in every way as mn. +.n..3.
and finely favored as the best fruit of 70" l...
picked In midsummer. The tilead man ~. d:
his berries to Hartford and readily sold then. n
the markets there at fancy pr.ces.
Moreover. the snakes. Al'o. Of all kinds oy-
IDENTIFY persuaded 10y the proracteG -uruu,r
warmth and glow. have changed the u.tn =
their accustomed fall campaign s0ueyat.
Bevuiled by the TRANQUIL. sunny. c"mtp.'a,i
layed withdrawing into their wiate- l4sr'"-..
and still linger in the sunltt hucE!-lrsry ,.,.
hill slopes. Not a few big fellows. ba.,- a..
snakes and racers. including, even "alf
Valley have been slain in the past week. As.
hunters frequently encounter ugly. Hig. nou..-
land black rnakes that are full OF t-hi and ..
sumo instance. from u to 8 feet long. These ,r..
pents run lixe the wind and easil ont. lruyelit,
slow-paced Northern foxhound, 50 tie -;art--
men Usually treat them As u kind Of gam 10 !
blow their heads off with a chsrve o. n"avv
shot One big CHAP was killed by hunter "A
Lebanon the other day that was +. feet Is lnch,I
In length. Still later Superintendent Br,w4
OF the Crystal Water onpany of DAu-l.pr
encountered one almost as large that s>-.n
In the sun. sprawlrd across forest road. Tla
superintendent who was tearing along on ma
wheel on level stretch. the serpent to
late TO avoid running IL down. 80. puittuG on
rode full tilt upon it. The forward wheel .no.
across the sleeping black like a streak OF usa.-
ming. and the snake awoke. and alert to -,
swift rs fork of tittul flame. into hoop. lu>iaS
sonnet hing happened. The big reptile, th.cS -
a mans forearm. Its scaled loops glist-n.nS
the yellow sunlight, was carried upward by he
riders back. There 1t stuck mum-nta-.l .ly. BIZ
instant. OF its own voltlon and -ror'. i had
scaled Browns back. and hung for 'nomeLs
on his shoulders, lis shining crest. w, h angry
above above the wheelman's head. Brown; laoHgn
unexpected onset, and shrinking from conta,5
with its sleek body. was s,ill plunstnE along a5
do. In his momentsry confusion, but run AVA
Th NTH himself and; possibly. from the regtl,e.
its exalted station. but kept right On uvr-
Browns head and down on Eis other shuultc-.
rabbit. clear Of rider and wheel to the roadside,
and disappeared with almost magical -wIttrrss
in copse OF roadside weeds and under bru-h.
Furthermore. in evidence of the unusual pr
iongEtlon OF summer this season. may be cited
the fact that many vegetable products. un-
hammered and unchlled in respect to their fres
growth by early frost> or frizid nights, have ~.
tanned n prodiRious size. For instance. Joet NJ.
Foster Of Norwich town has q squash vine "a
his garden that already is sixty feet in Iengta,
and is still growing thrittily. In the cour-l
OF its mehndernes IL tackled tree th'r'r
feet tall. Skinned up the trunk OF 1t. went on -
the Tor. ana !ald squash that Is as big a,
tOpmOst
Gurrulously remarked to neighoor thar new
had he found 1t necessary to ladder
pick winter squash b-tore. Oneday this We
n lot OF Mtdtletown section men. employed 'F
the Consolidated Railroad. in the ConneciicG.
Valley. found quail's nest in the grass alon--
side the track and only few feet from b..
about a mile south of that city. Th,ss
were about a dozen eggs IN the nest. To
female bird flew on the nest Tapping leavit,
when the men came up. but not soon enough -
arrest the laundering footsteps OF one OF iLn
hands. who accidentally stepped into the re-.
smashing an egg or two. After the men hal
passed on. the old bird returned to her Sit'.n..
II Is well known that quail> hatch ard rear s'y-
erRl proour. sometimes. in season. but no o.,
in this region ever found n Quails nest VITA