144 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 



The river road follows the bank of the Cedar river for about six miles 

 from the bridge west of Osage up the river to Mitchell. It is one of the 

 prettiest bits of scenery in Iowa. The peacefully flowing river, with the 

 wonderful reflections of tree and cloud on one side while to the right rise 

 sheer bluffs of limestone, draped with the graceful bladder fern and its 

 twin sister, Cystopteris fragilis, wild grape, moonseed and clematis vines 

 with a touch of coral colored columbine, or pink and yellow honeysuckle, 

 in their season. If you search carefully in a shaded portion on top of 

 the bluff you may find the lady slipper, Cypripedium pubescens; while 

 clinging close to the water are the so-called lady slippers more properly 

 known as jewel weed, both I. pallida and I. biflora. 



The Winona track leading out of Osage to the southwest, once a pro- 

 posed railroad, is now only a trail, where hundreds of feet hurry away in 

 the springtime, when we hear that the pussy willows are out or the May 

 flowers in blossom. 



The Old Mill too is a misnomer now, for all that is left of it are the 

 old mill stones and the weed grown race. This lies about half way be- 

 tween Pierce's bridge and the Middle bridge. It is so dense and damp 

 down in there that one is sure to find some new treasure of bird, bug or 

 botany. 



The Ryan Farm lies on the prairie road that runs between Osage and 

 Mitchell and just off from the river road. It is one of my favorite haunts 

 not only because of the natural beauties I find there but because of the 

 hospitality of its owners. 



The Indian Head Bluff is on the east bank of the Cedar river about a 

 quarter of a mile down from the bridge west on Main street. Here we 

 find again the comibination of bluff, river bank and field pasture, that 

 brings isuch a varied flora. The base of the duff is an example of one 

 of the most puzzling non-conformities in Iowa, while the upper layers 

 of rock strongly resemble the features of an Indian, with a juniper or red 

 cedar tree for a scalp lock. 



Pelton's woods is a wood tract a quarter of a mile south of the fair 

 grounds, in Osage. They are never disturbed save as the writer and her 

 friends search for birds and plants. The shield ferns here grow to enor- 

 mous size, and here also is a large colony of the sensitive fern, while oc- 

 casionally in the heart' of these woods we have found the showy orchis. 



BIXBY PARK, CLAYTON COUNTY. 

 By L. H. Pammel, Botanist. 



Some men and women for the pure love of nature have whole-heartedly 

 set aside areas to be preserved so that not only the present, but future 

 generations can enjoy what has been giyen to us. Mr. W. J. Bixby, of 

 Edgewood, a former member of the house of representatives from Dela- 

 ware county, has purchased a tract of land in Clayton county so that 

 others might enjoy what he and Mrs. Bixby have long enjoyed. During 



