SUMMER 89 



without them since we occupied our pres- 

 ent quarters, and there are few things to 

 beat our golden-rod, daisies, violets, butter- 

 cups, and dandelions. We have a wild 

 corner where these and other plants thrive 

 among ferns and mosses, and it is the 

 prettiest and most reliable part of the yard. 



The golden-rod was sown by accident. 

 It was supposed to be something choice, 

 and we watched and watered and weeded 

 it. After it was a foot or so out of ground 

 the leaves began to look oddly familiar. It 

 was perhaps two feet tall before we recog- 

 nized it fairly as the roadside weed and 

 breeder of hay-fever, in other people; but 

 it was then so green and fair that we could 

 not bear to tear it up. We took up only 

 a root or so to set nearer to the house, and 

 in September we had two bouquets of yel- 

 low as pretty as one would wish to see. 

 Next year the plants had increased the 

 number of their shoots, ran to a height of 

 five feet, and bloomed copiously. Last 

 year they were six feet high, and their 

 flower-spikes were majestic. 



So with our " jimson-weed." It should 



