Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1920-05-26
PIONEER MOURNS LOSS
OF NATURES BEAUTIES.


In the century that has passed
since the pioneer set foot in the Mis-
| sissippi Valley no greater change has
taken place than that of its natural
indigenous plant life The flowers.
the weakest of the entire floral king
dom, were the first to feel the wither-
ing touch, the first to die and disap-
pear, and in many cases to become
entirely. extinct; and many others, if
they survived at all, were found only
in out-of-the-way places, that today
they are scarcely to be reckoned with
/ in any sense of the word.
This change has been brought
about by two principal causes, viz,
| first, by the pillow in the hands of the
agriculturist; second, by thatEof in
tensive pasturing all land not devoted
to tillage. These two factors so
changed the environment needful for
the growth and continuation of so
many species that they could not sur
vive. Those that have done so and
are in evidence at the present time,
are but the most hardy and are per-
sistent, Notwithstanding the condi-
lions that now prevail
Even yet, year by year, as time rolls
on, they grow fewer and fewer in
number, and are less able to with
stand the oncoming exotic plants and
noxious weeds that are supplanting
them so extensively on all sides. Hill
and valley, upland and lowland, for
est and prairie have hidden a last
farewell to the profusion of beauti-
full and sweet-scented flowers that
bloomed in their midst. No longer
is the air redolent with their per-
fume, or the landscape variegated
with their brilliant colors. All too true
is it that they are gone and will be
seen no more.
This is prosaic world, and nature
I is ever robbed to make it so. Utility
is ever supplanting the picturesque
Nature builds, man tears down. Art
can never substitute Nature and the
bare fields of these days in the
heights of their artificial dressing,
can in no wise match it's once natur-
al beauties.
1t is not the object of the writer
to catalogue or even attempt to cata-
logue the wild flowers that were so
abundant in the pioneer days, more
than to mention the most prominent
in numbers and beauty They were
everywhere, and so abundant and gor-
geous that no pen could paint clever
ly the scene. First in abundance and
fragrance was the wild rose, two main
varieties, the red and the white, both
now exceedingly scarce. Next two
varieties of lilies locally known as
timber" and prairie" and quite plen-
| t1ful in both localities, but today I'M
known. The next most beautiful and
delicate flower was the lady slipper,
two varieties and colors, but found
sparingly and only in the most I'M
! frequented places along streams. 1t
| is not probable that today a single
specimen could be found in this re-
/ giOn. Sweet Williams, two varieties
and two colors, red and variegated
i were numerous in both timber and
prairie regions They may still be
found in their season in the woods,
but the prairie variety is totally want
! ing. The earliest and most priced
! flower was the hepatica, peeping
/ through the snow even, sometimes, on
| the river bluffs in the early spring
time. They were very numerous and
all shades of color. They are now
quite rare. Bluebells and Dutchman's
breaches were spring flowers and nu-
/ merous in the billy woods. They
] still survive, but are limited in mum
bers, and localities, as we'll. Lark
spurs were numerous, and are still
with us. Indigo weed, wild resin, vi
Diets, several varieties, columbine.
Jack-inthe-pulpit, daisies, BUTTER
cups, sheep sorrell (oxalis), four vari-
etiesain all, and all quite numerous
blood root, gentian, two varieties, yet
common i'll certain localities. blue
/ flags in ponds and lakes, water lilies
/ in the same places, asters, numerous
varieties, and golden rod, the same
red root, very common on the prair-
les, and one of the very few species
to bear white flowers. The leaves of
this plant were much used in place
of Young Hyson" and Japan teas.
/ The root of the same was found by
! the early prairie breakers a great
nuisance, as it formed in dense. hard
masses, red like CEDAR wood. and SO
dense and hard as to frequently stop
the heavy break teams and immense
plows.
| If the timber and landscapes in
their full splendor of pink and purple,
blue and white summer garbs was a
beauteous scene, what might be said
of the wealth. of yellow bloom in au-
tumn? 1t was simply superb and last
/ ed until the heavy frosts killed all
vegetation, and even the gorgeous
red cloaked dying forest leaves little
BODIED the coming storm of the win
ter's ice and snow The latter scene
has lost, as we'll, much of its pristine
beauty, because of the sweeping away
of the forest on hills and plains. In
the wake of the disappeared and dis
appearing flowers come very numer-
Gus species of noxious plants and
weeds. These are mostly of the more
hardy species, and are suited to the
changed conditions now prevailing.
No reference has been made so far to
the Towering plants, herbs and vines,
valued not so much for their beauty
as for their utility in the line of med
icinal qualities. They were quite nu-
merous, and bore high repute among
the early settlers where doctors were
scarce and the druggist and pharma-
cist were unknown. Some of these