74 NATURE IN A CITY YARD 



use our lungs as we should, a change 

 in temperature or atmospheric condition 

 would not bother us. A few people think 

 it a solemn duty to acquire fevers, boils, 

 bad blood, and other incorrect habits in 

 the spring; and this class of the self-de- 

 luded afflict themselves with bitter herbs 

 and nauseous stews, which are known as 

 "spring medicine." As if there could be 

 a spring medicine ! The advertising quack 

 vends gallons of nostrums on the strength 

 of an inherited faith. There are no spring 

 disorders, any more than there are autumn 

 disorders, or a " line storm," or a devil, or 

 a will-o'-the-wisp. 



It is a subtle and wondrous change that 

 the trees make in the few first days of 

 leafage. Red is a common color for the 

 newest foliage, and in certain of the oaks 

 it is almost as strong a red as you find in 

 October. Does this serve any protective 

 purpose against insects or browsing ani- 

 mals? Hardly. It is that the sunlight has 

 not had time to kindle the chlorophyl. 



Rains are to be looked for now; and 

 after a long, hard one I notice that the 



