A BUNCH OF HERBS 197 



but it is now much farther west, and I know fields 

 along the Hudson overrun with it. Streams and 

 watercourses are the natural highway of the weeds. 

 Some years ago, and by some means or other, the 

 viper's bugloss, or blue- weed, which is said to be a 

 troublesome weed in Virginia, effected a lodgment 

 near the head of the Esopus Creek, a tributary of 

 the Hudson. From this point it has made its way 

 down the stream, overrunning its banks and invading 

 meadows and cultivated fields, and proving a serious 

 obstacle to the farmer. All the gravelly, sandy 

 margins and islands of the Esopus, sometimes acres 

 in extent, are in June and July blue with it, and 

 rye and oats and grass in the near fields find it a 

 serious competitor for possession of the soil. It 

 has gone down the Hudson, and is appearing in the 

 fields along its shores. The tides carry it up the 

 mouths of the streams where it takes root; the 

 winds, or the birds, or other agencies, in time give 

 it another lift, so that it is slowly but surely mak- 

 ing its way inland. The bugloss belongs to what 

 may be called beautiful weeds, despite its rough and 

 bristly stalk. Its flowers are deep violet-blue, the 

 stamens exserted, as the botanists say, that is, pro- 

 jected beyond the mouth of the corolla, with showy 

 red anthers. This bit of red, mingling with the 

 blue of the corolla, gives a very rich, warm purple 

 hue to the flower, that is especially pleasing at a 

 little distance. The best thing I know about this 

 weed besides its good looks is that it yields honey 

 or pollen to the bee. 



