190 THE PLANT WORLD 



things. What a jileasure it was to enter my little wood daily, botany 

 book in hand, and force an introduction to all these plants. Some of 

 them were very reluctant to reveal their names, but they all came round 

 in time, and we were ever after the best of friends, all the more so be- 

 cause no third party hastened the acquaintance. 



The red oak {Qiieo'cus rubra), the beech {Fagus ferriiginea), and the 

 noble American elm (Ulmiis Americana), were all there. No other spe- 

 cies of oak could I find in Shelburne during the six summers that I was 

 there. This led to an intimate aquaintance with the species, and I 

 always look upon it as the typical oak. Rock or sugar majjle {Acer 

 saccharum) and the red maple {Acer ruhrum) were abundant, as well as 

 the moose maple {Acer Pennsylvanicum). Throughout Maine and New 

 Hampshire the red maple is called white maple. The true white maple 

 {Acer saccharinum) is a very small tree or even a shrub in Shelburne. 

 I asked a native what he called it. He said that he didn't call it any- 

 thing, and yet he had a keen knowledge of every tree or shrub that had 

 any practical use. The shad-bush {Amelanchier Canadensis) flourished 

 also on the Knubble. It was very common all through Shelburne, and 

 fruited profusely. The round red berries when ripe are delicious, and 

 much sought after by boys and birds. I remember once when trouting 

 up one of the beautiful mountain brooks, that I found the fruit a cool 

 and refreshing lunch. 



Shrubs there were in i)lenty on my mound: Scarlet thorn {Cratae- 

 gus coccinea or one of its many segregated forms), so beautiful in the 

 autumn when laden Avith its scarlet fruit; dockmackie ( Viburnum aceri- 

 folium), with its maple-like leaves, whence its specific or Christian 

 name, for all plants have a surname or genus, and a Christian name or 

 species, and the withe-rod, its near relative ( Viburnum cassinoides). 

 The withe-rod has such tough, pliable stems that it is used to-day in 

 many places as a substitute for cord. Of the orchids, Habenaria Hook- 

 eri, a species of rein-orchis, w^as so abundant on the top of the Knub- 

 ble that I thought it must be the commonest species, and was much 

 surprised afterwards to learn that it was comparatively rare. 



One day I thought that it was time for me to attack the grasses, 

 and so with considerable difiiculty I first read up carefully the charac- 

 ters as given in Gray's Manual. I then ran over to the Knubble to find 

 a specimen: There were i^lenty near the house, but my first species 

 must come from my favorite spot. I found a rather odd-looking grass 

 growing very abundantly on the top in the cool shade. This, I said, 

 shall be the first to be wooed and won. I gathered some specimens 

 and began my task. An hour's work on the key brought me to the 

 genus Panicu'ia or panic-grass, a rather diflicult grass for the beginner. 

 I then found that I had as much or even more work beyond, for there 



