The Washington herald., 1914-09-19
GOIden Rod.
By EMORY ). HAYNES.

The autumn flowers here early this year.
Golden rod is in vigorous bloom, its yellow sprays
more than usually developed It is essentially a
grass and this is grass year. The unobtrusive way
in which golden rod takes the corners of the moving
field and the disused fence lines charming 1t does
not like the saucy daisy invade the valuable hay field
Then too it is more secure along the rail fence for
the mowers will not touch it there And the setting
of an ancient weather-browned fence is a perfect
background.
The pasture outworn invites the golden rod The
pretty flower responds and marches on to conceal
the poverty Of the pasture, The farmer is not de-
ceived When golden rod rushes to the relief of poor
pasture lands he knows the sinister sign of it But
city people exclam to the glory of the fields.
The unobtrusive leaf and verdure of golden rod
half conceal it through the early summer. 1t seems
but weed The path along the upland is unadorned
through many weeks Walking there you observe
no beauty Then suddenly in early September, the
obscure bush bursts into beauty Almost overnight
it happens The stars of gold nod to you in the
morning breeze. Why, certainly. 1t is the time for
golden rod again, and look at it everywhere.
Hydrangeas China asters, cannas and many care
fully fostered garden flowers now appear Proud
places on the lawns given them They are the
pampered children of the gardener But the old bull
thistle which never had friendly hand to help it,
comes forth along the dusty roadside. The
thistle is as rich in color as any flower that grows.
The perfume is the sweetest breath of flowers. So
enchantingly delicious is the smell of the bull thistle
that honey bees from far come to extract its
nectar
Carefully clipping away its spines. which no
mean defense you may carry home the blossom and
suspend it till it is dry Then the slken envelope
may be gently turned down. making fairy puff ball
that will last all winter hung in your library
We are already able now TO make autumnal bou-
quets. There vines that even show the scar
let leaf 1t is not difficult to hunt up sprays of maple
leaf that have turned to translucent yellow. Then
the hydrangeas, plucked early, will prolong their
spoess white Some cornstalks have exceptionally
abundant rond and before frost the tint of green is
almost delicate For outdoor flower pots gorgeousness
is rot offensive. Indeed who would dare crticise
any flower, however resplendent as indicate? So
that, given capacous the lawn or on the
veranda one may put together bouquet of fall coors
that is strong in its beauty And is not strength an
attribute of beauty:
have left poison ivy vine undisturbed five years,
because in early autumn it clothes giant locust tree
with very cardinals robes The old tree has seen.
10 doubt, 100 years. And like age always it has
lost nearly all its locks All summer it stands sene
lifting up pasied against the sky with scarce
few branches OF its own. But look at it now II is
a blaze of bood-red color. round its trunk and away
off up to the farthest scraggy bough The ivy is a
spectacle that many come to see
As the daylight shortens all Towering things
strengthen their colors For light is necessity of
color. The dull skies of clouded autumn days also
lack light Hence the flowers increase and intensity
their hues. The dense green of NAPLES is less at
tractive The clover and alfalfa say Look on US.
Forget the trees" Wild carrot and buckwheat blanch
many field with unbroken carpets of white With
amazing concord Towering things exert themselves
lest we grow sad by the summers departure.
larry long, golden rod We greet each other once
more. You still living and so are we. Our feet
move slower perhaps, along the path than years ago
when she took in her youthful arms the sheaf of
golden rod that l cut for her. But, like YOU fond
golden rod of autumn she is beautiful now than
in her June