OF FALL 



blooming by the roadsides, and often, in the 

 fields beyond, the Veronia, or Iron-weed, 

 stands up as stiffly as a grenadier, holding its 

 corymbose cymes of rose-purple flowers well 

 above all other plants in the vicinity. In 

 places where a fire has burned the ground over 

 the Fire-weed will be found. This is a coarse, 

 erect annual, of rank smell when disturbed, 

 with insignificant leaves, and large paniculate- 

 corymbed heads of greenish-white flowers. 

 Where it comes from, no one knows. It may 

 not have been seen for years, but the year fol- 

 lowing a fire you will find it growing as thickly 

 as if sown by man. It will hold possession 

 until someone begins to cultivate the soil. 

 Then it disappears as suddenly as it came. 



WE have at the West and South a Helen- 

 ium autumnale, more generally known 

 as Sneezeweed. It belongs to the great Com- 

 positse family, and might well be classed with 

 the Helianthus. It has a row of yellow petals, 

 notched at the end, about a disk of brown. It 

 is a showy little plant in itself, but the chief 

 charm of it to children is its ability to set one 

 sneezing. They gather the flower-heads after 



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