NATURE LORE 



have faded, which has earned for it the name of 

 "old-man's-beard," is owing to the fact that its 

 seeds have long, feathered tails to aid in their dis- 

 semination. It is the only seed I know of that the 

 wind carries by the tail. For some obscure reason 

 it does not carry it very far, or at least does not 

 plant it very successfully, as the clematis is rare 

 with me. Instead of being sown broadcast over the 

 hills and along the fences, it appears sparsely, at 

 wide intervals. It is such a beautiful vine both in 

 flowering-time and seeding-time that one wishes it 

 were more common. 



The plants that travel by runners above or below- 

 ground are many; the plants that travel by walking 

 are few. I recall only the "walking fern," which 

 now seems to have walked away from my neighbor- 

 hood, and the black raspberry. Both are slow travel- 

 ers, but they do reach out and take steps. 



Some trees can fight a much more successful 

 battle against browsing animals than can others. 

 The apple and the red thorn are notable examples. 

 Trees like the linden, which the cattle freely crop, 

 are easy victims; they put up no kind of fight. They 

 sprout freely, but they make no headway; their new 

 shoots are swept off every summer, and there the 

 low stool of the tree remains. The beech does better 

 amid grazing cattle, but I doubt if it ever wins the 

 fight. But the apple and the thorn, though the 

 13 



