Evening star., 1928-04-01

which certain plants bloom.
In striking contrast to the modest
vloets are the azaleas, which cause
whole mountain slopes to seem on fire,
so brilliant is the flame of these fiery
azaleas. Rivaling them in brilliance
and charm are the laurel (kalrnia lati-
folia), called also mountain ivy, and
the rhododendron, of which there are
several varieties The rhododendron
maximum grows to tree-like proper
tions in many sections Of the Great
Smokes.
The State flower Of Tennessee, the
passion flower, grows in wild profusion
and its fruit is much priced by the
mountain children, who call it wild
apricot
Many medicinal herbs are found on
the mountain slopes and on the banks
Of streams and are known and used
by the mountain people. There is gin
seng, and tea made from its root is
good for fever. Spignot Is remedy
for felons. Mullen Is sweetened with
wild honey and used for coughs. The
resin from the balsam is also good for
coughs and soothing to cuts. Then
there is wild alum 10 draw with, and
slippery elm to soothe, and May apple,
yellow root and seven bark for all
sorts Of bodily ailments, and spicewood
from which mountain tea Is breWed.
%&
lew studies of the plant life Of the
Great Smokes have been made;
yet naturalists were the first to burst
| into print and praise Of this section,
beginning with Andre Michaux, con-
| tinuing through Asa Gray and John
| Muir to DR. William T. Treleese, Amer
| lean botanist Numerous writers have
| sung the praises Of the fiery azalea, the
! Towering dogwood, the redbud, the
| laurel and the rfododendron. Yet the
| praise Of two Of the loveliest shrubs to
| be found in the Smokes remain un-
/ sung.
After the dogwood has ceased To
bloom there is a tall bush, or low
/ spreading tree, covered with large white
I blossoms. At first glance 1t suggests
! the dogwood Closer inspection, how
ever. shows that the waxy blossoms are
/ larger than those Of the dogwood and
/ that they grow singly instead Of in
/ clusters. 1t is the Stuartia, and a.
least one botanist went into rhapsodieS
when he found 1t growing wild along
/ the roaring Fork trail, in June.
/ The anonymous or burning bush, a
member Of the staff tree family, Is one
! Of the loveliest of the Autumn shrubs
/ and is seen in the fulneSs Of its glory
| when all but the wild asters and
chrysanthemums have gone. 1t has
many local names-swamp willow.
/ strawberry BUSH catspaw, jewel box.
/ hearts-bustin -with-love. When the
! green pod, which resembles cats paw
/ turns red and bursts open to display
the brilliant orange-colored seeds, the
/ mountain maid will hear from her
mountain sweetheart its other name
kiss me and tell-you."
! From early Spring until late Autumn
| the mountains are aglow. One must
! go early to the mountains to see the
/ first blossoms. May in the mountains
/ is even lovelier than June, and April
/ has charm peculiar TO itself Blossoms
/ and blooms succeed blossoms and
( blooms Trees. shrubs, wild flowers and
/ vines bloom exuberantly from the time
/ the arbutus pushes its tiny fragrance
/ up through the snow in February until
( the closed blue gentian peeps timidly
/ from the fallen leaves in late Noven-
/ ber All the colors of the rainbow sue
I ceed one another in glorious triumphal
I procession or mingle IN a wild SYM
! phony Of riotous color.
%%
/ THE birds Of the Great Smokes offer
a study quite as fascinating as
/ that of the plant life. Bird lovers have
/ listed 264 species of birds. including
/ visitants. observed in the Smokes,
/ among them some that the books say
are never found in this section.
Among the more common birds seen
/ In Summer in the valleys and on the
mountain slopes are the quail or bob
white. the American goldfinch, the
/ chipping sparrow. field sparrow, cardi-
| nal. black and white warbler, yellow
warbler. Kentucky warbler. white-eyed
vireo, catbird. mourning dove, Carolina
wren, Maryland yellow-throat. indigo
bunting, bluebird Summer tanager,
! yellow breasted chat. wood thrush and
( southern robin. Other birds. more
rarely seen but which have been report
/ ed bv bird lovers. are the coot. starting,
/ Cairns warbler. hooded warbler. veery,
/ hermit thrush. pilliated woodpecker,
/ brown-headed nuthatch. golden eagle
| and the raven. more frequently heard
/ than seen.
/ Game is becoming scarce in the
/ Smokes. and to find 1t one must so
I back into the mountain faStnesseS.
( There are still black bears, wildcats,
! foxes and catamounts. The bigger game
( that lives on smaller animals has made
/ way with a large proportion OF the wild
/ turkeys squirrels. mountain boomers
/ "a small Squirren and the ruffed grouse.
/ called phcasants from PennSylvania
{ Southwark.
Fox hunting and bear hunting are
still popular sports. There are both
red and gray foxes, the red being the
/ one that is hunted. II is against the
! law to kill one.
/ He who hunts or camps on top OF
/ Smoky is unmoleSted by Chiggers or
/ gnatS and the mosquito is a rarity even
d. k4A klNf. n
/ Of the fact that swiftly running streams
/ offer no breeding place.
Rainbow and brook trout are 20 be
/ found in the streams that encircle thN
mountain peaks with watsry fingers.
/ The brook trout. wild and shy, Is NOV
ing farther back into the mountains.
little River. above Elkmont. is one OF
the best trout streams in the Smokes
Bass and pan fish are found in Pigeon
River One expert angler advises small
flies for late Summer and SAYS Little
River is not good dry-fiy stream. be-
cause Of so much fast water He uses
casting rod in Little Pigeon near
Gatllnhurc
A special fishing license is required
for the preserve
4 WORD might not be aniSs In re-
gard 10 the mountain people, OF
whom such conflicting things have
found their way TO screen and stage
and printed page In the mountain
counties there are today no foreign
born and no negroes.
A college professor once said. I'm The
Southern Appalachians we can meet
our contemporary ancestors" and 70
some extent this is Still true Back In
the coVeS, and uD the hullerS" one
may hear words and phrases used bv
Shakespeare Chaucer and the Eliza
eethanS, and ballads sung by our grcat-
rrn g4stNNf