THE BEECH WOODS 



lowly bed. The Spring, so rich in 

 flowers and fresh with reviving life, 

 seemed not to be compared to this riot 

 of colour and perfume. Across the 

 creek, beneath the beeches, standing 

 along the sloping bank, the beech-drops 

 thrived in tall brown ranks. This 

 parasite plant draws its sustenance 

 from the roots of the beech tree and 

 develops two forms of flowers on its 

 tall stems. At the top of its forking 

 branches the tubular magenta flowers 

 with purple stripes appear, and lower 

 down the little flowers like buds sit 

 close upon the upright stems and never 

 open. Not far along the creek bank a 

 few surviving plants of ginseng show 

 their gaudy red berries. Its roots are 

 shaped like the human body, and much 

 medicinal value is attached to them by 

 the Orientals. 



Now followed the frosts which wilted 

 all the remaining greenness and helped 

 to shatter the leaves of the oak. No 

 monarchs of the forest signalized the 

 passing of the year with more glory 

 than did the red oaks scattered 

 throughout the Beech Woods. Their 

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