THROUGHOUT THE YEAR n 



far more so than wild grapes. Only their well- 

 known relationship to the dreaded black berries 

 of the deadly nightshade kept us from sampling 

 them. 



The long weak stems of the Virginia creeper in 

 this brook-bed were more beautiful in their setting 

 of dull gray, softened by tones of yellow in the 

 grasses, than they had ever seemed on the porches 

 of civilization. We did not venture to 

 the island itself, because there 

 groped among the bitter- 

 sweet and woodbine the 

 dreaded poison ivy. Well 

 had we learned the sharp 

 lesson of "touch not, taste 

 not, handle not" from this 

 (SOLANUM) plant. Its gray berries no 



longer tempted us. If it is beautiful, and one 

 must honestly admit that it is at times, we 

 prefer to enjoy its beauty at a distance. 



We left the island and followed along an open 

 stretch where mint mingled with low growing 

 plants unknown to us in their autumn guises. 



"Let's come here every month for a year," said 

 the Doctor, " and find out what these things are, 

 and what they do." I heartily agreed. 



We reached another fence and slipped easily 

 under the wire, just where the stream would have 

 gone if there had been any stream. We crossed 

 the road and found ourselves against a fence of 

 wonderful design and workmanship. It had origi- 

 nally been of stumps. The practical man may talk 



BITTERSWEET BERRIES 



