TRANSACTIONS OF NORTHERN ILL. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 295 



The beautiful Partridge Pea appears beneath the river banks in large 

 masses, its blossoms looking like golden butterflies, and its leaves so 

 sensitive to the touch, that when the i)lant is carried a few minutes in the 

 hand they become tightly closed. The bumble-bees seem to have a lease 

 of these flowers, and hum about them in great numbers. The juicy-stemmed 

 Jewel-weeds, or Toiuh-nie-nots, love low sjjots, and in the late days of 

 summer, the humming-birds make them hourly visits. So intently are 

 they engaged in probing the nectar tubes that they hardly notice one's 

 presence, and I have seen their ruby throats and green backs flashing just 

 beneath my hand. 



In swampy places the Iris shows its sword-like leaves and blue blos- 

 soms. I have found a variety of the Blue Flag, with creamy-white, very 

 sweet-scented blossoms. If the water of the swamps have some depth, 

 and remains throughout the season, the Pickerel-weed, the Arrow-head, 

 the Water-Plantain, the Water-Crowfoot, the Yellow Water-Lily, and 

 that lovely little member of the Gentian family, the Buckbean, will 

 anchor fast, and make a flower garden. 



In the lowlands we find most of the hundred and one species of the 

 Composite family. Tall, golden Sunflowers sway hither and thither in 

 the late summer winds. I have seen, occasionally, plants of the species 

 Grosse-serratiis, which produced a remarkable number of rays, so that the 

 heads api)eared like double roses. The LcpacJiys pinnata grows in great 

 profusion ; its long, drooping rays make it cjuite ornamental. This 

 ])lant also shows a tendency to increase the number of its rays. In Sep- 

 tember the Goldenrods are out in full force; some of them are very hand- 

 some, and one has sweet-scented foliage. As these begin to fade, the 

 white, blue and purple stars of the Wild Asters appear in every nook and 

 corner. And lastly come the Gentians, mostly robed in brilliant blues, 

 and fearing not the nights of frost. If I were a fairy, I believe I would 

 choose a Fringed Gentian to live in rather than a rose or lily. But we 

 must not tarry longer in the open lowlands, though a multitude of bright 

 blossom faces are asking me to mention them. 



The botanist has a feast always spread in the true woodlands. Our 

 forest trees, and, indeed, nearly all of our trees, are early bloomers. The 

 Basswood, which I think is the last to ojien, blossoms in the early days of 

 July ; the Poplars are gray with tassels in April. During the last seven 

 years, in which I have kept a record of the time of the leafing and blos- 

 soming of many plants, the common Poplar has varied about twelve days 

 in the time of blossoming, being in bloom in 1871, on Ai)ril 2, and in 

 1872, on April 14. During the same time the Crab-Apple has varied at 

 least three weeks. The Red Maple is an early April bloomer, and many 

 of the Willows are golden about the same time. 



The leafing of the trees is a subject of interest to me erjual to that of 

 their blossoming. On the expanding leaves of many species appear the 

 same tints that distinguish them in autumn. The young leaves of the 

 White Oak are tinged with purple; those of the Scarlet and Red Oaks 

 with red. 



