The Chorus of the Forest 



had trampled down every plant; and the great 

 bunches of bloom they carried would not live to 

 reach the city, for mandrake is extremely delicate 

 when gathered. You could have trailed the party 

 from the woods by a milky way of petals already 

 fallen, and no doubt the mass of flowers was dis- 

 carded before ten miles had been traveled, so sen- 

 sitive are these blooms to touch. 



It has been my fortune to find mandrake 

 flourishing beneath or near oak trees so often 

 that I have wondered if there could be an affinity. 

 From the nature of the plant, I suppose not; but 

 this I know: foxglove loves to twine its roots 

 around those of oaks, and finer specimens flour- 

 ish near them than anywhere else. And I have 

 been told that more delicious truffles grow among 

 oak roots than chestnut. The oak is a wonderful 

 tree. It reaches unrecorded age, and is strong 

 and hardy. It becomes such a giant that it is king 

 of the forest, unsurpassed in the woods, and has 

 no peer in the fields. The mellow bass notes of 

 nature's tree music are played among its massive 

 branches. There are many varieties that are used 

 for furniture and wherever stout, unyielding tim- 

 bers are required in a house or for ship-building. 

 In commerce it is valuable for making furniture 

 and musical instruments, and for certain purposes 

 no other tree will take its place. 



Oak bark is very rough and deeply grooved 

 143 



