The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-14
DITTANY DAY.


/ Here and there. in the glad and lovely
revel of summer bloom come enchanting
days which seem to hold high festival-all
their hours of dream set sacredly apart
in honor Of some fair and beautiful flower.
In the hushed woods, where these mystic
rites are observed, all other growing things
appear to recede into an inconspicuous
background; the sky seems clearer. the
sunny day more sunny, in the reigning pres
ence Of the newborn, exquisite, perfect
blossom for which the feast of homage is
made. Well and wisely might the lover of
the countryside keep faithful calendar of
such days. to rejoice in their fragrant re-
membrance when the gala time is past.
Even without this aid to memory a few
notably wonderful days linger in the mind:
wild geranium day." last May, when the
roadsides were a winding procession of
these dainty pink flowers, almost flying on
the inspiring spring breeze; and. in August,
wild bergamot day." when. at every turn.
in woods and thickets, were massed luxu-
riantly the rose-purple, odorous tufted
heads of this ancient rustic favorite.
Early in pensive September-"the years
most potent charm is bound into the span
of soft September days"-is celebrated
but engaging little herb, dittany of Crete,
mountain dittany." which grows in its
greatest perfection and abundance on
Mount Ida, of the Isle of Crete Surely, as
sweet marjoram, the more imposing cousin
| OF dittany, was called by the Greeks de
| light Of the mountains" dainty dittany,
whose purple clusters of bloom and pretty
little green bushes brighten dusty, rocky
4 SlODeS n,
serves the similar title of 10y of the hills"
Its aromatic LEAKAGE responds to the pass
| ing footsteps like spicy pennyroyal; and If,
tradition goes. there be flowers for every
| mood of the mind, let cheerful, lowly dit
| tany stand for hopefulness, fit symbol of
| the unconquered soul, victorious over ad-
verse fate and undaunted amid drear sur
| roundings.
With revival of belief in the subtle po-
tency of scents, dittany, though seldom
| mentioned in modern chronicles of old SIM
Piles, should come again to it's own. Like
balm. bergamot, pennyroyal and many
| other herbs Of virtue, dittany's lovely little
blossoms or fragrant leaves could no
doubt, work effective charm against "evil
spirits, vain imaginations and DEVILS" or
| cleanse the brain and expel all careful
thoughts and anxious melancholy" 1t be-
longs to the mint family, and is catalogued
among plants growing on waste SOIL" 1t
is also called "stone mint" from its sturdy
| independence of good nurture or rich earth
Down every barren hillside and UP every
| rocky slope now blossoms dittany. Green
and fresh are its pungent leaves and deli
cately lovely it's thickly clustering tiny
purple trumpets. Naught else in bloom de-
lights the flower seekers eye to-day as
does bright little dittany; it's wild mint's
prayer floats quaint on the air" and wan
ing summers blessing is upon 1t. 1t is
dainty bloom-here to-day and perhaps
wind-blown tomorrow; but its tiny leaf is
fit for fairy laurels. Were a shepherd. to
lead my focks afield in musing mind-in
this shadow-time of September''-my
choice for an autumn chaplet would be
fragrant dittany.
"Old Man Joe,' relic Of slave times
worked on this upland farm forty years
ago. and at nightfall would plod away to
his cabin under the hill, bearing big bum
dies of dittany. When questioned as to his
use Of the herb, he answered: ''We-alls
makes tea outer dittany. Yesm, dttany
makes heap better tea n store tea. Yes'm"
In the beautiful color scheme of this
gentle month, when morns are meeker
than they were and the meadow-lark sits
long on the messy rail, yellow is the domi-
nant note. Amber beads on purple thread
are fair September's only wear. Along the
open lanes goldenrod CLOVIS, against shorn
meadows which are golden-brown, and its
silver ghost glistens mistily beside it. The
yellow primrose still primrose
trew"-and the Michaelmas ''daize's" gold
en- eyes are opening. Beech leaves are yell
lowing slowly. and yellow leaves show
amid the green of the locusts and the pop
, lars. Over the far hills the afternoon haze
floats yellow instead of purple, and down
, the long, green valley and the ravines hang
listlessly soft opal clouds in a sweet, misty
blue sky. Mock oranges are turning yellow
in the hedge. and only the red sassafras
I leaves and the sumach plumes link golden
September with the bright glow of October
Before the hilltop lane curves down to-
ward the farm the heavy, ferny, deep-green
| leaves and rich orange buttons of old tansy
are seen massed in a tangled bank, where
they have strayed outside of the cottage
fence. Tansy tells many things; it was
used as a tonic drink in old days and as a
freckle lotion; in old New England its
spicy greenery mixed with rue and
rosemary TO lire collins. Tansy-omelettS
was known in the fourteenth century. II
was also eaten at Easter as a paschal me-
mortal; and tansy pancakes or fritters were
popular in England as late as 1888. At the
bend OF the road shines a bright clump OF
yellow and white butter and eggs" and. a.
Nature loves "reminiscences. a pale yellow
dandelion still CLEANS in the grass along
: the hedge. Homely catnip is still in bloom
8 in the lane to the woods. and there, too
are the slmost innnitesimal blossoms o.