Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-04
Hay Fever Time.

LAY FEVER is standard old vaude-
y = vile joke-to the people who
don't get 1t. My gentle plea for those
who do is actuated by no personal mo-
tives. /, too, am immune. But every
body ought to know the common hay
fever plants on sight (and they are
mostly September fiowering) and ex-
terminate them on all property that
belongs to him or her.
The worst offender, of course, Is rag
weed, both the low sort, with much
divided grey-grecn leaves, and the tall
sort that seeks, instead OF dry fields
and empty lots, the edges of the woods
and bitches. and has big handsome
leaves with three lones, like three
fingered mitten.
Another culprit is plantain; any OF
The grasses are suspect, but are less
importan at this season. All the
hay-fever plants are unkindly lowered
with quantities of light pollen which,
as airplane tests have shown, rise as
much as 500 feet on light breeze, and
take many hours about falling.
People who live in the heart OF city
seldom get hay fever. People who va
cation at the seaside or In deep noun
tain woods may escape 1t also. The
center of hay-fever misery is in the
suburbs, where there are vacant lots,
and around farmsy where there are
uncut.
there are uncut weeds.
New Orleans, which has a bad hay
fever record, as its pollen season be-
gins early and lasts late, tried cam
paign of determination Of weeds in and
around the city. The results were not
completely successful, because pollen
10, 20, 80 miles away blew In from
the farm lands.
The hay-fever plants of the District
of Columbia and their blooming dates
have been thoroughly worked out by a
few doctors in Washington. The source
of the trouble can, as a rule be quickly
located.
We think of aster and goldenrod to-
gether. Actually the asters bloom from
two weeks to a month earlier than the
goldenrod. With only few exceptions,
goldenrod in this part of the country
is just coming into bloom, and, If any
thing, it is just shade more bewilder-
ing than the asters, If you care about
knowing the different kinds apart.
There are only 20 species-Quite
enough, you will say; but to most of us
they are all just goldenrod, except
one species with whitish flowers, which
the Department of Agriculture officials
decided to call silver-rod. So far, this
is only book name for one of the most
enchanting sprites of flowers in all the
son. But hope the name will stick.
Unlike mcst artificial, common names,
it is entirely appropriate and eupho-
NOUS.
The goldenrod has been proposed for
the national flower. because 1t Is pre-
eminently American. But the sugges-
ton has never been popular. England's
rose, Frances iris, Japans chrysanthe-
mum, were officially adopted centuries
after they were popularity enshrined
/ do not speak disparagingly of the
goldenrod as some folks do. Several
species are enchanting, though they are
lacking in one of the most charming at
tributes of flowers-the quality of fra
GRANGE Except for one species thai
the pleasant but ordinary odor of pollen
All the goldenrods should be freed Of
the old charge that they spread hay
fever Nobody could get hay fever from
a plant whose pollen Is too heavy II
float on air; only by burying your face
IN goldenrod and snufing up the poller
could you contract hay fever. So vol
need have no fear for the health OF
your household, il you bring home
gol6enrod for the table centerpiece
and the Wild1ower Protection Societ!
says you may freely pick golden-rod.
Just as every hot spell brings toll o
deaths by drowning. so each year thu
autumn mushroom SEASON.. dIbeE IIlS iul
in the fungus world during the dead O
Summer. brings at least few deaths b,
mushroom poisoning.
l, for one, delight in mushroominI
through the woods. but it is better to "g'
for to admire. and for to see" than t.
90 to taste.
There is nothing more FASCINATING
than fairy ring" Of fran little mush
rooms on the lawn. But pick them and
like clf-gifts, they fade away; in al
hour they have turned to sort of ink
paste, and where was the good Of break
ing up that small miracle?
The great bracket fungi. like shelye
on trees, are tough and inedible; tn
Uranium shaped, sulphur-coloreG flung
common on logs, are singing TO tn
taste the enchanting coral fungi ar
edible but rather tasteless. And tn
deadly amanitas, with their scarlet top
their strange warts, their death-lfk
shrouds, their poisonous cups, ought,
would seem, to proclaim loudly enoug
that they are as poisonous as they ar
;.elrdlY beautiful.
Tho Death-Cup or DESTROYING Anse