SPRING! SPRING! SPRING! 3 



nowadays it is the shadbush : I have no sure settled 

 spring until I see the shadbush beginning to open 

 misty white in the edge of the woods. Then I can 

 trust the weather ; I can open my beehives ; I can 

 plough and plant my garden ; I can start into the 

 woods for a day with the birds and flowers; for 

 when the shadbush opens, the great gate to the 

 woods and fields swings open wide open to let 

 everybody in. 



But perhaps you do not know what the shadbush 

 is? That does not matter. You can easily enough 

 find that out. Some call it June-berry; others call it 

 service-berry; and the botany calls it A-me-lan' chi-er 

 ca-na-deri 'sis ! But that does not matter either. For 

 this is not a botany lesson. It is an account of how 

 springtime comes to me, and when and what are its 

 signs. And I would have you read it to think how 

 springtime comes to you, and when and what are 

 its signs. So, if the dandelion, and not the shadbush, 

 is your sign, then you must read " dandelion " here 

 every time I write " shadbush." 



There is an old saying, "He that would bring 

 home the wealth of the Indies must carry the wealth 

 of the Indies out " ; which is to say, those who 

 bring home the wealth of the Indies, must carry out 

 some kind of wealth in exchange. So you who would 

 enjoy or understand what my shadbush means to me 

 must have a shadbush of your own, or a dandelion, 

 or something that is a sign to you that spring is here. 



