Yellow and Orange 



The literature of Europe is filled with allusions to it. Swift 

 wrote ; 



" They tell us something strange and odd 

 About a certain magic rod 

 That, bending down its top divines 

 Where'er the soil has hidden mines ; 

 Where there are none, it stands erect 

 Scorning to show the least respect." 



A good story is told on Linnaeus in Baring-Gould's " Curious 

 Myths of the Middle Ages" : " When the great botanist was on 

 one of his voyages, hearing his secretary highly extol the virtues 

 of his divining-wand, he was willing to convince him of its in- 

 sufficiency, and for that purpose concealed a purse of one hundred 

 ducats under a ranunculus, which grew by itself in a meadow, 

 and bid the secretary find it if he could. The wand discovered 

 nothing, and Linnaeus's mark was soon trampled down by the 

 company present, so that when he went to finish the experiment 

 by fetching the gold himself, he was utterly at a loss where to find 

 it. The man with the wand assisted him, and informed him that 

 it could not lie in the way they were going, but quite the con- 

 trary ; so they pursued the direction of the wand, and actually 

 dug out the gold. Linnaeus said that another such experiment 

 would be sufficient to make a proselyte of him." 



Many a well has been dug even in this land of liberty where 

 our witch-hazel indicated ; but here its kindly magic is directed 

 chiefly through the soothing extract distilled from its juices. 



Five-Finger; Common Cinquefoil 



(Potentilla Canadensis) Rose family 



Flowers Yellow, ^ to YZ in. across, growing singly on long pe- 

 duncles from the leaf axils. Five petals longer than the 5 

 acute calyx lobes with 5 linear bracts between them ; about 

 20 stamens ; pistils numerous, forming a head. Stem : Spread- 

 ing over ground by slender runners or ascending. Leaves : 

 5-fmgered, the digitate, saw-edged leaflets (rarely 3 or 4) 

 spreading from a common point, petioled ; some in a tuft at 

 base. 



Preferred Habitat Dry fields, roadsides, hills, banks. 



Flowering Season April August. 



Distribution Quebec to Georgia, and westward beyond the Mis- 

 sissippi. 



Every one crossing dry fields in the eastern United States and 

 Canada at least must have trod on a carpet of cinquefoil (cinque 

 =five,feuilles= leaves), and have noticed the bright little blossoms 

 among the pretty foliage, possibly mistaking the plant for its cousin, 



304 



