THE PLANT WORLD. 73 



prairie are profuse in botanical wealth. Here it is mosses and lichens, 

 there the peculiar growths of the sea shore, with possibilities in conch- 

 ology. Every where arc birds and insects and the larger forms of 

 animal life. 



But civilization daily encroaches upon these remnants of pristine 

 formations, and in many localities nothing remains of nature's original 

 construction. 



In my own county (Madison) 1 have seen her driven from the 

 wayside and fence-row by the hoe of the thrifty farmer, till but few 

 spots remain in which she still holds summer revel. 



The o])literation of natural plant life radiates from the cities to a 

 greater extent every year. The neat farm-houses spring up within 

 short distances of each other, the fence-rows disappear, and orderly 

 cultivation takes the place of nature's wild luxuriance. What once 

 the zigzag fence partially protected, the wire exposes to the hoe and 

 plow. Instead of the wild hyacinth, clematis, cardinal flower or pink, 

 which decked the tangled fence-row, the carrot, white-top yarrow, or 

 other pest of the farmer is monopolizing the beauty forsaken way- 

 side. 



This spoliation is partly owing to the city loiterer, greedy for 

 beauty and nature's treasures, but more from the owner of the soil 

 who has little difficulty in eradicating every thing but those persistent 

 plant bcggers, which stand a living contradiction to the law of "survi- 

 val of the fittest. ' ' 



About two miles from town there is a strip of woodland, which 

 is being gradually cleared away until now there is left less than ten 

 acres. Itis rich in the production of wild vines, trees, flowers and 

 ferns. 



The wild grape, ampelopsis, tccoma, clematis and RJms Toxlco- 

 deudron, the smilax and bitter sweet trail from tree to tree. The 

 Dioscorea flourishes here. The red bud, dogwood, spicebush, sassa- 

 fras, elm, maple, oak, and other trees are here in })rofnsion, and to 

 name the wild flowers that congene at their roots would require pages 

 and pages of a botanical analysis. 



Many varieties of violets, the sanguinaria, meadow rue, hydro- 

 phyllum, wake robin, Solomons seal, Indian turnip, green dragon, 

 silene, phlox, dog's tooth violet, mertensia, greek valerian, lady's slip- 

 per, Actea\ anemones, tradescantia, euphorbia, sweet cicely, the bed- 

 straws'with their matting of shiny pixie wheels, but enough. The 



