The Fascination of Flowers [ 3 1 7 



produce fantastic numbers of seeds makes them a nuisance in 

 little gardens, and a serious problem to farmers. 



Members of the composite family, which includes daisies and 

 goldenrod, are among the chief offenders; bindweed (a morning- 

 glory) , devil's paintbrush, and others swell the ranks. Because of 

 their attractive flowers, many types of weeds were intentionally 

 brought to America from Europe, where they had been kept in 

 check by the nature of their surroundings farms, forests, and 

 cities. In the great open spaces of America they ran wild, and 

 today they are more of a pest than a pleasure. 



Wildflowers to Look for in Springtime 



People in the tropics are fortunate in having flowering plants 

 throughout the year, but few northerners would exchange the 

 joy of hunting the first spring flowers for all the luxury of endless 

 blossoms. 



As you search for the elusive hepatica, trillium, and other 

 flowers that appear soon after the last snows have melted, you 

 may wonder how it is that these flowers are on hand in so short a 

 time after the end of cold weather. After all, daisies, irises, and 

 many others will not bloom until summer, and still others such 

 as asters and chrysanthemums wait almost until fall. 



Is it only the warm weather that brings forth flowers? If so, why 

 do plants have such varying timetables? Here is the answer: Tests 

 have shown that plants react differently to the amount of daylight 

 they receive. Some are stimulated to bloom by short days and 

 long nights. 



At first it sounds contradictory to say that hepaticas and other 

 early spring flowers are "short-day" blossoms they make their 

 appearance as days are growing longer! However, they have actu- 

 ally been formed the previous year. Formation takes place under- 

 ground; when the temperature becomes favorable, these flowers 

 rise up into the light and air. 



On a quest for early spring flowers, you are likely to observe 

 that many of them are white. Later in the season you will find more 

 color. There is a definite reason for this. Flowers formed under 



