140 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



same branch and even in the same flower clusters. An 

 examination of the picture will show a number of these red 

 flowers which, owing to their color, do not come out as 

 clearly as the others. 



During the cold and wet summer, just passed, the 

 flowers have belied the name of four-o'clocks by remaining 

 open most of the day. They were rarely closed except in 

 full sunshine. 



\ 



MEETING SUMMER ACROSS THE PRAIRIE 



By O. a. Stevens 



'T^HE writer left Fargo, North Dakota, on June 17, 1924. 

 traveling entirely in daylight by train as nearly soutli- 

 ward as possible, passing through Willmar (Minnesota), 

 Sioux City (Iowa), Fremont, Lincoln and Beatrice (Ne- 

 braska), to Blue Rapids, Kansas. The month of May had 

 been unusually cold and the vegetation slow in developing. 

 Leaving Fargo the fields of spring grain were but a few 

 inches high, some well covered with the yellow flowers of 

 mustard (Brassica arvensis) which was just coming into 

 blossom. In others, especially in low places the white flowers 

 of Frenchweed {TJilaspi arvense) were abundant. 



On the prairie the Kentucky bluegrass w'hich is common 

 in the remaining strips of natural grass, was well headed, 

 probably about in full blossom. The tall flowering stems of 

 porcupine grass (Stipa spartea) were appearing, and gray 

 tones were added by the low leafy stems of Psoralea argo- 

 pJiyll and Artemisia gnaphalodes. Looking back from tlie 

 rear of the train, long patches of spiderwort (Tradescantia 

 bracteata) colored the side of the grade. Here or on the 



