Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1897-08-06
FLOWERS OF THE FORESTS.
Beautiful BlOssoms Of the Common
Trees That Few Ever Notice.

R-au+,rnl nlossoms Of the Common
Trees That Few Ever Notice.
DO all the trees in the woods bios
som-the oaks and pine trees and the
rest?'
This was one of the many questions
curious little girl asked me. And then
thought how few, even among people
many years older than she, know as to
what is going on above them IN the
tree tops Beginning with the poplars
late in March and ending with the
chestnuts in early July, all the forest
trees have been blossoming when no
ewes took notice of them. They covered
themselves with long, dropping punches
of silky and downy flowers while yet
there were few leaves or none. These
are the catkins, rather absurd name If
it has any reference to cats.
Most children have seen the flowers
of the "pussy willows" and some have
picked the brown tails that swing from
the alders by the pond But few have
ever seen any others, for none OF the
rest grows so low and so near our
dwellings, But when you look upward
you can plainly see many others. The
poplar trees are among the very first
to show life. and by the first week in
April they are in full bloom. They be-
gan to throw off their winter scales Il
month before, and the catkins grew
round and puffy, so that the treetops
| looked thick. Then they were only bud
ding; but by getting every ray of the
March sun under their furry coats, by
the LIST of April they were really in
bloom. They had pushed out hundreds
of red stamen, grown thick and curled
over like a fat. stiff worm, and then
quickly stretched out into a beautiful
soft necklace of small flowers, feath-
cry, dropping thing, which filings out
big puffs of flower dust at every breath
of wind. They seem almost alive, they
move SO easily.
The alders grow in all low grounds
where water is near, by many child's
path to school. Their catl>ins grow in
clusters, are brown and full of yellow
pollen. The willow ''pussies," which are
so silvery and silky when they push off
the single scale that covered them. are
said to be the first blossoms of spring,
but it is not till after the popars and
alders that they blossom into yellow
catkins. They then stand out rather
stiff, and are cheerful. but not graceful.
There is still another tree which
starts brown catkins in the fall, with
out the least covering. neither silky
down nor stout scales: that is the birch.
Their catkins are strai ght and stiff,
pointing upward all winter. But in
spring, they grow round, fall over, and
swing off, throwing flower dust to the
breeze. The white birch. also called
lady birch, has catkins which 10 picture
can give an idea Of They are SO soft,
light, airy and bright. Six or more to-
gether tip the slender twigs and the
beautiful white bark and golden flow
crs swinging off, make the tree pref
tier than it will be after it gets its
leaves. But if you carry home any of
all these catl1ins to fill your vases you
fill your room with flower dust. 1t
covers your clothes before you reach
home-for all these trees are the wind
lovers; they shed their pollen in this
way on purpose to have it scattered by
the wind. Some of it will be carried to
seed-bearing birch or poplar tree near
by, and much of it will be lost. There
is such vast amount of pollen shed by
the wind lovers in early spring that the
sky is often haZy on account of it, and
when the pine trees blossom it finally
settles down on ponds in thick yell
low scum Other plants allow the bees
and insects to carry their pollen and
they are called insect lovers. Our wind
H. ,%r
come.
By and by the hickory trees begin to
flourish. and later still. about June, the
oaks. They have very slender green cat
kins hanging in lunches. like tassel.
out of (; tuft of young leaves. What is
more beautiful than the young oak
leaves? When they can just be seen
after the gray and downy bud wrappers
have opened out, they look like the tiny
pink paws of baby kittens, resting on
their mothers fur, and by the time the
flowers have pushed out they are all
shades of pink and pale green together.
Oak trees and hickory trees wrap up
their leaves and flowers in piles of WIN
ter bed clothes which we call bud scales,
for they are afraid of frost. But birches
and willows and poplars care nothing
for cold; they grow all the way up to
the polar seas, and that is why they
bloom so early here, where the winter
is so mild.
The black walnuts and butternuts
come on in their season with small
green catkins amidst the leaves. The
mulberry catkins, which are puffy lit
tie balls, behave in, strange way.
When the pollen is ripe the stamens
throw themselves out straight in an in
slant, and the pollen rises in a little
cloud like puff of smoke. 1t seems as
if the tree were catching fire.
Last of all. when summer is fairly
here and nearly all the lovely spring
blossoming is past, the chestnuts kind
ly show their flowers. They are long
slim white catkins standing upright.
They grow in punches on the outmost
twigs against the young leaves, and