The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-07-05
JULY WILD FLOWERS.

which characteriZes those of early spring. It is not necessary to hunt for them, as we would for trailing arbutus or hepaticas; they fairly blaze in the woods and by the margins of the ponds and streams, and even come out by thousands along the sides of the roads and hail us as we pass. And lucky it is for us that this is so. Our minds are no longer highly sensitive to every tiny blossom that appears above the ground. We are somewhat jaded; we have been surfeited with delicate beauty and re- quire something more brllliant-more striking to attract our attention. Then comes this gorgeous pageant of flowers, so wonderful in their form and coloring that they take our thoughts from the heat and the glare and the dust, and al- most make us forget that the birds are listless and silent.
 1 In our walks at this season, we often l almost instinctively choose a path | which leads us along river or the shores of lake, and here we shall find many of our most beautiful wild flow CTS. Riding lightly on the surface of the water, we shall see the fragrant white water-lilies, surrounded by their | broad, floating leaves, and near by per haps the less conspicuous yellow lilies. Each of the blossoms is almost sure to contain certain number of flies and beetles, attracted by the promise of sweets, and unwittingly they act as agents for plants. by carrying the gold en pollen from flower to flower.
 Standing with their feet in the wet mud along the shore. we shall find many other July flowers. Most beauti- full of these is the arrow head. with it's three-petaled blossoms of silver and gold, surrounded by a brave array of green arrow-shaped leaves. Growing with it, and lining the shore as far as the eye can reach we see the striking l flowers of the pickerel weed, blue with yellow spots, and just behind them the flaming cardinal flowers, which. as they are visited in turn by the humming bird, trmeble with the vibration of his wings. Above them all dart back and forth the gauzy dragon-fiies, which pause now and then in their occupa- ton of pursuing mosquitoes, to alight upon the stems of the water plants. These creatures are as markedly rigid while at rest as they are markedly er- ratio while in flight.
 Back from the river in the wheat fields we may find the corn-cokle, one of cthe handsomest foes of the farmer With the scarlet poppy this beautiful plant has come over from the grain fields of Europe, and its crimson-purple blossoms delight the eye of the artist almost as much as they vex the soul of the agriculturalist. The seeds are black and when ground up in the wheat spoil the snowy whitness of the flour As quaint old Gerarde remarks, What hurts it doeth among corns! the spoyle unto bread, as well in colour, taste and unwholesomeness, is better known than desired"
 If we chance to pass over piece of land which has lately been burnt over, it is not unlikely that we shall see that remarkable wild flower, the fire-weed or great yellow herb, whose stately, purple head will remind us of tall 1arkspur at & little distance. Few residents of the garden are as handsome as this, and bed of fire-weed would attract atten- tion in any company.
 We may still find that wonderful blue flower, the wild lupine, bloomin gin the sandy fields. and perhaps it is not too early to find light blue spike of the great lobelia, growing in the moist hor- der of some low-iying wood. Both of these are striking plants, and among the most beautiful of our wild flowers.
 Along the roadsides there are flowers in myriads. Prominent is the bouncing bet, flower at one time much cultivat- ed in gardens, but now so common that few recognize it's beauty. It came to us from Europe, where in the old days it's root was valued as medicine. The stems and flowers, when rubbed vigor- ously in water, produce soapy father, which accounts for it's other common name of soapwort Nearly as common is the hop clover, whose sulphur-yellow hop-like flowers would scarcely lead us to believe that it belonged to the same family as the red clover. so highly prized as fodder. It is the largest of three foreign yellow clovers which have established themselves in this country. Growing with the hop-clover, we often find two other members of the family the low clover, which resembles it in appearance and the rabbit-foot clover, a quaint little plant which bears long, soft grayish heads, which accounts for it's name
 That curious. scented flower Oswego Ted, may also be seen in July. This is; one of the few of our eastern hints (which have flowers both sweet-scented and conspicuous in color. Its cardinal red blossoms relieved by the dark-green foliage may be found in cool shwly places. The aromatic leaves still find favor as amedicine in certain places: they are administered in the form of a tea, which is supposed to be remedy for various maladies.
 1 The wild red lily, which is found in the shadoy woods: the sky-hued blue bell, which is found along the roadside; } the iimson weed, which as often as not fourishes on rubbish heap, and the l evening primrose, which opens it's per- fumed yellow blossoms at dusk, are all
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