108 GOLDEN EOD, A TROUBLESOME WEED. 



Half-an-hour brought us to the Napan Eiver, a stream 

 which widens as it descends, and falls into Miramichi Bay. 

 On this river there is much good strong land, a stiff clay, 

 the first I had seen in the settlement, for the improve- 

 ment of which I was satisfied, notwithstanding the 

 drought — which even here had reduced the hay-crop to 

 one-third of its usual amount — that the system of tho- 

 rough drainage might, even in this climate, be unhesi- 

 tatingly recommended. This clay is specially infected 

 with two species of golden rod, [Solidago canadensis 

 and S. altissima^ which are troublesome weeds, and the 

 former especially difficult to extirpate. 



Neither of these species of golden rod is known as a 

 weed in Europe. The only European species is the 

 SoUdago virgo aurea^ which is also a native of America. 

 It is not known as yet how many species of golden rod are 

 to be found in New Brunswick ; but in the state of New 

 York no less than twenty-two species are known. It Is 

 very interesting to the botanist and physiologist to observe 

 such differences in the flora of countries so closely allied 

 as Great Britain and Northern America now are ; but, as 

 practical Indications of the qualities of soils, this new 

 flora Is a source of difficulty to the visitor or settler from 

 the Old Country, who is accustomed from early observa- 

 tion to connect in his mind the qualities of a soil with 

 the weeds which grow upon it. It Is a matter of regret 

 that botanical collectors do not describe more particularly 

 both the kind of soil on which plants usually occur — 

 which, when troublesome weeds, they infest — and the geo* 

 logical formations on which they are most frequently found. 

 A practical value would thus be given to botanical descrip- 

 tions, which hitherto they have seldom possessed. 



To the English traveller, who is less Interested about 

 the indications of the humbler vegetable tribes, the 

 numerous new species of familiar kinds of trees he meets 

 with In Northern America are more striking. Thus In 



