TRAMPING FOR EARLY FLOWKRS. 2f)5 



stitution. This is confirmed by Mr. Curtis (above), who states that he 

 "could chop as much wood or girdle as many trees in one day as most 

 men could in two." 



A monument has been erected to ^Ir. Chapman in one oi' the ttne 

 public parks of Mansfield, Ohio, and his name has been engraved on the 

 monument in Ashland county, Ohio, erected in 1882 to commemorate the 

 Copus massacre, a sad tragedy performed by certain Indians just seven- 

 teen years previously. 



The life of this peculiar man came to an end through his special occu- 

 pation. Hearing that cattle had broken into one of his nurseries in 

 nothern Indiana, he hastened to the locality to put the fence in order, 

 without regarding the heavy rain-storm which prevailed. It proved too 

 much for him. He died at St. Joseph township, Allen county, Indiana, 

 and is buried two and one-half miles north of the city of Fort Wayne. — 

 J. R. Black in National Horticulturist. 



TRAMPING FOR EARLY FLOWERS. 



BY CHARLES E. BESSEY. 



As soon as the snow is gone and the warm weather has set in it 

 will be well to take a preliminary tramp over the higher prairies to catch 

 the earliest plants in bloom. You must have your eyes open, and es- 

 pecially sharpened for the little plants that venture to open their tiny 

 flowers in protected places. It is astonishing how soon some of the early 

 spring plants can push out their flowers. I remember many years ago that 

 one spring in central Iowa the snow^ had remained until late in April, 

 when it went off with a rush, and in less than forty-eight hours from 

 wintry weather I found the little blossoms of the Shepherd's Purse 

 smiling in the warm air of a protected nook. And so in Nebraska I have 

 often found the saucy face of the Dandelion peeping from some warm spot 

 on the University campus when there were still the remnants of snow- 

 banks not far away. So when you go searching for the early prairie 

 flowers do not overlook the semi-domesticated plants in our lawns and 

 door-yards, and begin looking for them very early in the season, or you 

 will miss the first ones that come into bloom. 



A. Very Eakly Prairie Flom^ers. 



I. Low, smooth plants, with very small whitish flowers, 



AVild Parsley (Cymopferus) 



II. Low, hairy plants, with very small whitish flowers, 



Lady's Tobacco (Antennaria) 

 (Children often chew the leaves into tough wads which they liken 

 to tobacco quids. Apparently these plants are quite harmless.) 



III. Low, smooth plants, with white, lily-like flowers an inch or so 



long Spring Lilies ( Erythronium ) 



(These very pretty flowers are really lilies, although often 



