Songs of the Fields 



Many volumes could be filled with the history 

 of old snake-fences, their inhabitants, and environ- 

 ment. Some of our rarest birds home in the shrub- 

 filled corners or swing from branches above, and 

 flowers of unusual beauty are found growing in 

 them and all along the wayside. If you do not 

 believe the birds are social and love the company 

 of human beings, compare the number of oriole 

 nests you can find in deep forest or open wood 

 with those in fields, orchards, and along roads. In 

 my country I always learn after the leaves fall 

 that orioles in greater number than anywhere else 

 to be found have swung over the road above my 

 head in their pendant bags of hair and lint through- 

 out the summer. 



Of all the myriad flowers that distil sweets and 

 call many insects to join in the song of the road 

 none are more beautiful than blazing star. The Blaz- 

 stems, if not bent by pushing against something ing Star 

 unyielding, grow straight toward heaven to a 

 height of from two to three feet where the soil is 

 dry, and by swampy and damper roads attain to 

 four, and during the season of 1907 even five. 

 The leaves are slender and sparsely set, alternat- 

 ing, and the blooms are exquisite. It is difficult to 

 name their shade, because it fluctuates with the 

 amount of moisture, exposure to sun. and the 

 length of time the flower has been open, but it 

 runs from pale violet to deep magenta-purple. 

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