44 AUTUMN NOTES IN IOWA 



spikes made part of our harvest ; we wondered at 

 the compact rows, and stripping off the grains, 

 handled them as a farmer might sample the qual- 

 ity of his new wheat. 



Down in the channel of the Shell Rock, near the 

 bridge of the principal street, sunflowers are the 

 most gaudy blossoms, but far more delicate, 

 though robust, are the rose-purple masses of false 

 dragonhead. This plant has a wide habitat, but 

 while not distinctive of this region it offers one of 

 the most brilliant flower effects to be found along- 

 some of our Iowa streams at this time of year. 



In small Iowa towns, if a stranger is directed to 

 ^^the park," he is likely to find it a rectangle oc- 

 cupying one block in the business section, sur- 

 rounded on from one to four sides by commercial 

 or public buildings. This type is found in scores 

 of communities, with minor variations in plan of 

 walks, in fountains and bandstand, and in the na- 

 ture and grouping of herbs, shrubbery, and trees. 

 In county-seats, the court-house sometimes fills a 

 portion of the space, and the grounds are known 

 as the ''court-liouse park," or ''the court-house 

 square." Here, the home of county government 

 is across the street from the park, which is never- 

 theless a typical parked city square. It is tra- 

 versed by diagonal paths meeting at tlie center, 

 which is adorned with a swan fountain, with flower 

 urns on the edge of the basin. The larger trees 



