EARLY SPRING AND SUMMER FLOWERS 



165 



gathering as possible, and mailed by parcel post direct 

 to No. 3356 Eighteenth Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. 

 Stiff cardboard boxes, or better still, cigar boxes, are the 

 best receptacles in which to send them. They can be 

 placed in several layers of well-dampened newspapers. 

 Collect only the best and most perfect specimens, and 

 send the entire plant if possible flowers, stems, leaves, 

 seed or fruit, roots, and all. Do not break the stems or 

 roots, but curl them carefully so the specimen can be 

 photographed, as was the Catharine Flower shown in 

 Figure 6, recently received from Mr. R. H. Young, of 

 Haines City, Florida. 



Mr. Young, having read what was said about Smilax 

 vines in the last November issue of American Forestry, 

 also kindly sent me fine specimens from his state of the 

 Laurel-leaved Smilax {Smilax laurifolia). This particular 

 "Green-briar" forms an exception to the rule, in that it 

 remains "evergreen" throughout the season. Its berries 

 are black, and its leaves vary considerably. We also have 

 the Lance-leaved Smilax (Smilax lanceolata), specimens of 

 which I have recently received from South Carolina ; in 

 this the leaves vary but little. We have in this country 

 a good many other species of Green Brier, or Cat Brier 

 as they are sometimes called, of the genus Smilax. 



In Figure 5 we have a very excellent example of the 

 beauty there really is in one of our most abundant and 

 most heartily hated weeds. Every country lad in the 

 United States, in the region where it grows, knows it well, 

 and so does many a city lad, too. How many boys have 

 been directed by their parents to rid the front grass-plot 

 of this weed by the aid of a table knife it would be hard 

 to say. But when we come to examine the plant, espe- 

 cially if we use a high-power microscope, our surprise is 

 very great when we discover what a really beautiful flower 

 this Common Plantain or Ribwort (Plantago major) has. 

 It is of cosmopolitan distribution, and has many species 

 related to it in its own genus of the Plantain family 

 {Plantaginacece) ; the very rare Litorella unijlora belongs 

 in the same group. 



FOREST ROAD UNDER FEDERAL AID ACT 



THE Secretary of Agriculture has authorized the loca- 

 tion survey of a section of the first project in road 

 construction submitted under the "National For- 

 est section " of the Federal Aid Road Act. This section is 

 the only one in the law which provides for actual con- 

 struction of roads by the Federal Government. Roads 

 built under authority of this part of the law are designed 

 primarily to promote economic development and to serve 

 public convenience in localities where much of the land is 

 in National Forests. The proposed road on which action 

 is taken is in the Apache National Forest, Greenlee 

 County, Arizona. The preliminary estimate of the cost 

 of construction of the 71 miles of road to be surveyed is 

 $342,500. Greenlee County proposes to hold a bond elec- 

 tion to raise the necessary funds to contribute fifty per 

 cent of this amount. An additional 29 miles of road in 

 Apache County will be necessary to complete the project, 



and, according to the preliminary estimate, will bring the 

 total cost to $420,000. 



Approval of the plans for the survey was based upon 

 the industrial resources which will be opened up and also 

 upon the offer of one-half cooperation by the county. 



Several other projects for which cooperation has been 

 offered are pending for roads in California, Montana, and 

 Idaho. Where two projects have equal claim for considera- 

 tion, the decision will, it is stated, be made in favor of the 

 one for which the best offer of cooperation is made. 



BOY SCOUTS BATTLE MOTHS 



FOR the first time in the history of the organization 

 a state has called upon the Boy Scouts for help to 

 battle a plague. 



The state is Ohio and the plague is the Tussock Moth, 

 a pest that was destroying the trees of Canton, President 

 McKinley's home town. In a two weeks' campaign the 

 Scouts collected 3,000,000 of the eggs and as a result 

 Troop No. 3, headed by E. R. Hoover, scout master, was 

 awarded a large parade banner for collecting the greatest 

 number of eggs. James Emsley made the best record 

 for an individual scout. 



The banner was awarded by Mayor Stolberg, who 

 commended the work not only in this campaign but of 

 the Scouts as an organization. So great was the interest 

 in the campaign that was waged day and night for the 

 two weeks that Prof. A. S. Barnes, of the Department of 

 Entomology of Harvard, requested a quart of the eggs 

 be sent to him for investigative purposes. 



"The Scouts have not stopped the work, however," 

 writes Scout Master Hoover, "but they are keeping right 

 on with the campaign. This precedent of working under 

 direction of state officials may be a help to other cities in 

 looking after the trees and plants. It simply shows that 

 the Scouts are on call and willing to help any munici- 

 pality in any worthy cause." 



The American Forestry Association at its annual 

 meeting passed a resolution endorsing the Boy Scouts' 

 work and urged them to get into the fight against'the. 

 spread of the white pine blister disease. 



MAPLES 



By Richard Butler Glaenzer 



There is beauty in tropical samans, 



Beauty and bountiful shade, 

 And the pride-of-India's plumes are fair 



And cool till tempest-frayed ; 

 There is splendor in poincianas 



When flaming with birdlike flowers, 

 And mangoes invite when rich with fruit 



Or blossomed to golden bowers ; 

 Yet give me our northern maples 



So sweet with sap in spring, 

 Even before their gay green gowns 



Tempt robin and thrush to sing : 

 And give me their heart-leaved branches 



As shields from the searching sun, 

 And their mourning dress of rainbow hue 



When summer's course is run! 



