OCTOBER 97 



ing-, flamed in the eastern skies during the latter 

 half of the month and into November. 



Alb la to Neiv Sharon, October 20, 1906. 

 At seven o'clock the low morning snn was shin- 

 ing beyond pastures and meadows. The strong 

 light defined sharply the beaded heads of the tall 

 wild sunflowers, the scattered clumps of milkweed 

 stalks, gave almost summery greenness to the 

 great mullein leaves, stained with rich mahogany 

 the weed masses in the swamp, and silvered the 

 milkweed pods with their exposed tangles of silk. 

 The dry herbs and shrubs are not without interest 

 at this time of year in lieu of blossoming plants. 

 The high sentinel mulleins, in great variety of 

 form, the traceries of aster and goldenrod stems, 

 the unlighted candelabra of the vervain, the min- 

 iature forests of the buckbushes, are carved into 

 sculpturesque relief by clear air and favoring sun. 

 Neither are autumn colors missing today. Al- 

 though the osage hedges are dark and the box- 

 elders nearly bare, the small willows along the 

 streams are partly yellowish green, partly in clear 

 lemon yellow, partly in bright green. For many 

 miles our route is flanked by low, rounded hills, 

 intersected by small ravines, and now the summits 

 and slopes are quite brilliant with the fine russet 

 and bronze tints of the scrub oak copses. These 

 oaks also still show some green or yellowish green. 



