The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-06-08

The same summer, Mr.. Arthur Wat
son of Des Moines, Iowa, and Mr. II.
b. Watson of East Orange, y j., den-
titled over twenty varieties in one day.
and were sure they had not reached
the limit of Good Wills resources. Mr..
II. b. Watson had not become inter-
csted in ferns until recent years, but
is enthusiastic over them now In
expressing his delight at what he had
found on the trail he exclaimed: Il
taught at Good Will fourteen years.
| had no idea these things were here
in such variety, and they were not
"They were here, alright" rcpli-
ed promptly, but you did not see
them, because you were not interested
in them
He paused for moment, like one
who has been caught mapping and
then, laughingly said. "Of course they
were here. They must have been,
but | did not see them-my interests
were elsewhere.
All of which is another illustration
of the fact that the world about us
is swarming with interests for us If
we nave open HllHuS.
TIE BULL THISTLE
The thistle with narrow leaves and
small blossom one called Can
ada" Thistles, though have been told
that our Canadian friends object. is a
nuisance; it is understood that in
some states there a.a laws against its
being allowed to so to seed But, in
the open section of the Roosevelt Bird
Sanctuary at Good Will, there is an
occasional thistle of another variety.
which is a source Of pleasure rather
than annoyance; it does not appear
to spread or to increase in numbers;
it is called the Dull Thistle Its
tall stalk has Il digniied bearing; its
single blossom of layander or light
purple is thing of beauty needle
women make use of it to great advan
tage in artistic embroidery.
The associations Of the Bull Thistle
are not specially pleasing to me per
sonally. II sometimes happened that
it would he dusk before ! could go 10
the pasture to drive the cows home.
| usually went barcfooted, and here
and there i'll the pasture early in the
season, the prickly leaves of the Bull
Thistle would be close to the ground
before the main stalk had projected
upwards In the dusk. not being able
to see these fiat disks of short cruel
needles ! would step on one of them.
Profanity, in my fathers family was
strictly prohibited and l observed the
prohibition with my lips, but there are
times when fellow can think a lot
without saying anything. | do not
think profanity Is ever justiiiable; II
is unnecessary and evidence of lin
tied vocabulary; but if ever permits
sihle ] should say il would be, when
a bare-footed man steps on the broad,
prickly crown of Bull Thistle in the
dark
DAISIES
Of course the common daisy the
white weed introduced into this
country from England, long time
ago, by Governor Of Mas 'aohnsetts,
grows at Good WILL it grows in the
open fields everywhere. in Mane,t and
is regarded as nuisance; but it must
be conceded that the Governor was
right when he thought he saw real
beauty in the yellow disk with its cir
Gle of white petals.
The yellow daisy'.it is orange
rather than yellow and sometimes
called "Iilack-eyel Susan'-is of a
different habit Clusters of the bright
blossoms are found here and there in
the fields; it is not common enough to
cause the farmer any annoyance; ii
is too beautiful to be condemned or
eXtCrnnated.
Back in the seventies, when Oscar
Wilde. the young poet and dramatlst
came to this country from England
with his csthctic message he created a
great Juror over sunflOwers ami cat
tails. So ponular did these things be
come at Narragansett Pier, X. l., Tor
instance, whore he gave one or two
lectures, that a good sized un-ilower
was worth fifty cents and the Rhode
island swamps were ransacked for
cat-tails. until they sold at twenty
five cents apiece. 1t was form rather
than co.or that the young British ad-
yenturer was emphasizing, and il
seemed to me that the daisy the or
angc colOred would have served his
purpose far better, the form was the
same but the daisy had not the sun
flowers coarseness The rage for
sunflowers and cat-tails however, was
short. there has never been market
for the latter since, and the former is
Us coarse and as gross in its feeding
habits. as ever But cluster of cat
tails and Black-eyed- Susans is a com
bination of which much can be said
In case of a revival of the popularity
of the cat-tail for the decorative arts
there are not enough of them at Good
VIII for commercial purposes, but
they arc a part of Good Wills plant
life.
DUTCHMANS BREECHES
When | was a boy there was no
flower that SO excited my admiration
as a species of the Dicentra which
grew on the premises of a neighbor
who CHANGED to be a gardener and
scotsman, and for whom | occasion
ally worked. This Dicentra was call
ed the BLEEDING Heart 1t was the
only flower | ever cared to analyze
but ! was always. in its season, tax
nc hn in,