Norwich bulletin., 1913-06-21

1 Woodstock Grange, and by request c. l.. RaWson wrote the following article for the occasion.
 Nature is so prodigal with her flor al gifts. and flowers are in such gen. eral use everywhere at all times, 1t would at first seem as if nothing new could be said on this subject Flow CTS fill the cradle, we are married un- der floral bell. our coffin Is covered with Fragrant offerings, and, as we lie at peace, every spring the sod above us is bright with buttercups and the snowy daisies. Could we imagine Easter day or May day without blossoms, or Decoration day with no wreaths of flowers? But just because flowers run into such infinite varieties, and their phases are so inexhaustible. I may hit upon something fresh to some of my hearers.
 Did it ever occur to you at Society function where blue. red. or pink, is the Sought-after color scheme, that mother nature, is the greatest color scheme artist. and that our best effects are feeble limitations of her lavish dis plays. have never been to Japan in cherry blossom time, but more than once been through the Hall peach or chardS in Georgia and South Carolina, and through their Northern rivals at Glastonbury, when there were miles up-
 
 of you no doubt. on your way to Washington in late July. have seen the pink clouds of marShmallow resting on the Jersey marshes. Under this smiling mask does Nature hide her seething clouds of deadly mosquitoes.
 l know small meadow almost with in cannon-shot of this hall where the changing color scheme is really won deTful. A solid mass of marsh-ma goldS in April is followed in May by a pink blanket of Painted Cup,-not dabs of tint but great half-acre splashes of color. This shifts in June to buttercups. veritable cloth of gold, followed at once by a reflection of heavens own hue from great beds of Iris, slowly fringed with ox-eyed, white, and yellow daisies, later picked out with royal cardinal, and as fin ishing master touch with the perfect cerulean or fringed gentian. It Is a garden, by the side of which our color schemes are but fade-aways. Four sorts of orchids are found in this meadow = purple e-fringed, maiden's tresses, pogonies. and calopogons- which we call "callies'' and "pogies" oftener. Reckoning the more modest flowers and all the tiny towering grasses on this one meadow, they must run into a century of different blossom ing plants.
 Another of Natures changing color schemes Is effectively shown to travel CTS up and down over Thames river between New London and Norwich. Shad- blows in early May first attract the attention like white nile-stones, followed in greater profusion by dog wood, and then in June the showy mountain laurel on both sides of the river charms all ages. relieved on the sand banks and railroad cuts by solid rods of June pinks. These pinks, com- mon in the Cowen part of the country, I do not find here-the nearest I have observed them is at Wauregan. The highest up the Thames River l ever found marshmallow was at the brack- ish outlet of Poquetannoc Cove. The Clintonia, quite common in the Eng fish Neighborhood, do not find as far south as Norwich.
 Still another novel color-scheme I saw near Avalon at Santa Catalina Island in the Pacific Ocean where we look through glaSS-bottomed boats down at tall marine growths of every shade of color, through which clear red fish were slowly moving like the most brilliant of waving flowers.
 I recall at Del Coronado, Coronado Beach, California, my ecstacy at first seeing a great Bourgainville in full flower, like a glorified purple wistaria. And my delight to see the rubber tree jungle below Palm Beach, Florida lit up with showy scarlet hibiscus. But right here nearer home. in Norwich, l know a white wistaria. so large that when bushels of the white raceineS were taken to cover a cemetery lot. the loss could not be noticed.
 We are improving steadily in our home decorations. In my childhood there was not crimson rambler or Japan snowball in Connecticut. Now
 T . sc without them. And now, thanks to the department stores with their spring sales of German rosebushes, every boy and girl knows the General Jack the Dorothy Perkins. the Marshall Mel Magma Charta, and the Paul Neron. But with the coming of new favorites, we are missing some of the old friends like the hollyhock. I knew a skillful florist who produced good effects in corners and borders by blossOming Of some of our homeliest garden-veg- etables like rhubarb. horse radish, cress, and artickokes. This same ec- centric florist raised peach trees, quince bushes, and Crab trees, just for tbas. blossoms. But really, is their any thing sweeter than Crabapple? show fer than a spray bouquet of peach bloom and can orange or magnolia, leaves and all. stand beside the deli- cate, refined shading on quince blos- soms.
 Many journeys big and litufe have I taken after rare and favorite wild flowers in their haunts. It is a com- mon mistake to suppose that arbutus grows only in New England: I have seen it in abundance at Camden, South Carolina, and between Southern Pines and Pinehurst, North Carolina. While after arbutus near CarneFS Hump, in the Green mountains I saw my first, last and only wild black bear; and while vainly seeking the red Cape Cod water lily, I met my first wild deer. From Mt. Misery Voluntown, one holiday, I brought to town 40 lbs. of brook trout and a bushel of arbutus. From the Tucker district Killingly. as late as May 2, 1 got two trout-creelS full of the real .pinky- pink arbntus, and two quarts of checkerberries. Never suck the petals of trailing arbutus, for it is a ground laurel. and all laurels are more or less poisonous. On my table blossoms, mighty pretty to look at but deadly in it's effect on stock. if eaten freely.
 For many years on June 1. I drove to a, pasture on Blue Hill, Bozrah, half a mile from any house. after double jonquils: and repeatedly, on June 10th to a small hidden meadow near Salem, after Calopogons, at one time pro- curing enough to give bunch to ev- cry bank of Norwich. "Callies" lack the fragrance of pogonias which come earlier. But for doubly distilled di- vine essence of all sweets, commend me, to the smaller yellow ladies slip per. I have driven to Wilmington Green and Gardner's Lake after vel low -fringed orchid with no luck, and then found it near home at Mohegan