Vermont Shrubs and Woody Vines 



r.T 



familiar to many New England boys. The flowering catkins are 

 abundant in early spring but are less conspicuous than the green 

 burr-like fruit in midsummer. It is so common as to deserve 

 its rating as a weed in the dry sandy pastures and on sterile hills 

 at the lower altitudes of the Champlain and Connecticut valleys. 

 In the earlier days of home remedies, sweet-fern had its place in 

 the preparation of diet-drinks and herb medicines because of its 

 tonic and astringent properties, being used internally for colic 

 and externally as a liniment for bruises and rheumatic ailments. 



SWEET-GALE. Myrica Gale L. 



The sweet-gale is a little taller than the sweet-fern with 

 simple narrow leaves one to two inches long, dark green above 

 and pale below. It is frequent in Ver- 

 mont in cool swamps and bordering ponds 

 of the lower altitudes. It has no economic 

 value in America although in the earlier 

 days an infusion of the leaves or berries 

 was sometimes used as a remedy for the 

 itch and as a vermifuge. An infusion of 

 the leaves is also sometimes used in Eu- 

 rope as an insecticide and it is said that 

 the leaves if placed in drawers will keep 

 out moths. The Canadian Indians used 

 the young buds to dye their porcupine 

 quills and all parts of the plant may be 

 used in dyeing and tanning. In northern 

 are sometimes substituted for hops in 



Sweet Fekn. 

 Sweet Gale, X %. 



Europe the leaves 

 brewing. 



