Late August and Early September 



rigid leaves and small, crowded flower- 

 heads. 



The tall, stout stems and large violet 

 heads of the New England aster mark one 

 of the most striking of the purple species. 

 It floods with color the low meadows and 

 moist hollo w^s along the roadside, while 

 the wood - borders are lightened by the 

 pale blue rays of the heart-leaved variety. 



There are many other species without 

 English titles which can hardly be de- 

 scribed without the aid of technical 

 terms. Even the trained botanist finds 

 himself daunted at times in his efforts to 

 identify the various species, while the 

 beginner is sure to be sorely tried if he 

 set himself this task. Yet if he persevere 

 he will be rewarded, as every roadside 

 will supply an absorbing problem : for 

 there is a decided fascination in detecting 

 the individual traits of plants that to the 

 untrained eye have nothing to distin- 

 guish them from one another. The sig- 

 119 



