THE KALMIA. 123 



cumulation of soil, and in openings surrounded by woods, 

 where the land is not a bog, but wet enough to abound 

 in ferns. In such places the Kalmia, with its bright 

 evergreen leaves, forms elegant masses of shrubbery, even 

 when it is not in flower. Indeed, its foliage is hardly 

 less conspicuous than its flowers. I believe the Kalmias 

 are not susceptible of modification by the arts of the 

 florist. Nature has endowed them with a perfection that 

 cannot be improved. 



THE LOW LAUEEL, OR LAMBKILL. 



The low Laurel, or small Kalmia, is plainly one of na- 

 ture's favorite productions ; for, the wilder and ruder the 

 situation, the more luxuriant is this plant and the more 

 beautiful are its flowers. These are of a deep rose-color, 

 arranged in crowded whorls around the extremities of the 

 branches, with the recent shoot containing a tuft of newly 

 formed leaves surmounting each cluster of flowers. This 

 plant, through not celebrated in horticultural literature or 

 song, is one of the most exquisite productions of nature. 

 Many other shrubs which are more showy are not to be 

 compared with this in the delicate structure of its flowers 

 and in the beauty of their arrangement and colors. Of 

 this species the most beautiful individuals are found on 

 the outer edge of their groups. 



There has been much speculation about the supposed 

 poisonous qualities of this plant and its allied species. 

 Nuttall thought its flowers the source of the deleterious 

 honey discovered in the nests of certain wild bees. There 

 is also a general belief that its leaves are poisonous to 

 cattle and flocks. But all positive evidence is wanting to 

 support any of these notions. The idea associated with 

 the name of this species is a vulgar error arising from 

 a corruption of the generic name, from which Lambkill 



