356 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



flower buds in autumn. They appear on the un- 

 der side of the slender stem, at the axils of the 

 leaves. The flower is white, shaped much like 

 that of the blueberry. Stems of this plant taken 

 in February, or March, and kept in water in a 

 warm and light room, for a week or two, will flower 

 nearly as well as in the open air, later in the sea- 

 son. We have had the flowers, thus produced, all 

 through the month of March. There is another 

 species, (Andromeda polifolia,) a smaller plant, 

 with narrow, bluish-green leaves, and bearing at 

 the tip of its stem a drooping cluster of white 

 flowers tipped with red ; very beautiful, and also 

 very rare. I have only seen it in one small 

 shaking bog at the south-west part of the town. 



The Convallaria, or small Solomon's seal, with 

 its cluster of snow-white flowers at the top of its 

 short stift* stem ; the Trientalis, exhibiting on its 

 slender stem, starting from a whorl of green leaves, 

 a flower of such pearly whiteness that it might 

 well be adopted as an emblem of purity. These 

 thrive best in cool and moist shady places. In 

 such situations they grow in great abundance, and 

 are very beautiful then. 



The Fringed Pohjgola, a fine purple flower 

 growing on a short stem, has a beautiful appearance 

 mingled with the young grass in May. It grows 

 by the road-side in the southwest part of the town, 

 and more abundantly in other places not so read- 

 ily found. Likes a rather moist soil. 



The Bhodora is not, perhaps, common enough 

 to have been seen by all, yet it is well diff'used in 

 this neighborhood. It is a bright purple flower, 

 appearing before the leaves, late in May, in most 

 places. This flower suggested a fine poem, to Mr. 

 Emerson, in wliich he thus apostropliises it. 



"Rhodova ! if the sages ask thee why 



This charm is wasted on the earth and sky, 



Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing, 



Then Beauty is its own excuse for being. 



Why thou wert here, rival of the rose ! 



I never thought to ask, I never knew ; 



But in my selfsame ignorance, suppose 



The self some Power that brought me here, brought you," 



The Cranesbill Geranium, a showy and deli- 

 cately beautiful flower, is one of the most common 

 ornaments of the moist and partially shaded bord- 

 ers of our swamp lands ; begins to blow about the 

 middle of May, and continues through June. — 

 Many flowers less beautiful than this are culti- 

 vated in our gardens. Perennial. 



The bulbous Arethusa, a rich purple flower, 

 growing single on a leafless stem in many of our 

 wet, mossy swamps, should have a Avord of praise, 

 though all who have seen it will agree that it 

 carries its own recommendation in its face. I was 

 upon the point of expressing regret that it had 

 not a green leaf of its own, but am not sure that 

 it does not now better harmonize with its mossy 

 surroundings. Last of May. 



The Lcdiwi, or Labrador tea, is a small ever- 

 green shrub, growing in cold bogs, and has a pretty 

 cluster of small white flowers. It belongs to the 

 far North, or to mountain regions, and has been 

 found in only one small swamp in Concord, and in 

 no other place within many miles. The leaves 

 have a rusty appearance, rolled back on the edges, 

 wooly on the under side, and possessing a strong 

 odor, resembling that emitted by an angry wasp. 



The Linncea is another rare flower, found here 

 in only two small patches. The plant is a slender 

 evergreen vine, creeping among the leaves in shady 



woods. Its small nodding flowers are veiy fi-a- 

 grant. It was a special favorite with Linnaeus, 

 and chosen by him, in preference to all more 

 showy and ambitious candidates, to bear his name. 



The Harebell, (Campanula rotundifolia,) named 

 and praised by all the poets, has not been found 

 growing wild in Concord, but is common in Essex 

 county and the eastern part of Middlesex. I have 

 a plant in my own private little garden, and am 

 much pleased with its past performance and pres- 

 ent promise. Last Summer it hung out its blue 

 bells about the end of June, and continued in 

 flower through September. 



The Mitclidla, also often called twin-flower, ia 

 another very pretty inhabitant of the shady woods, 

 common everywhere. It is a trailing vine, peculiar 

 in having two perfect flowers united at the base 

 on one germ, the two flowers producing only one 

 bright scarlet berry, which remains on the vine 

 through the winter, and even after the new flow- 

 ering in June. Also called checkerberry and 

 partridge berry. m. p. 



Concord, June 15, 1862. 



AMERICAN POMOIiOGICAIi SOCIETY. 



In conformity with a Resolution adopted at the 

 last meeting of this National Association, the un- 

 dersigned. President thereof, gives notice that its 

 Ninth Session Avill commence in the Hall of 

 THE Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 

 corner of Washington and West Streets, Boston, 

 Massachusetts, on Wednesday, Sept. 17th, 1862, 

 at 12 o'clock, noon, and will continue for several 

 days. AH Horticultural, Pomological, Agricultu- 

 ral, and other kindred institutions in the United 

 States and the British Provinces, are invited to 

 send Delegations as large as they may deem ex- 

 pedient, and all other persons interested in the 

 cultivation of Fruits are invited to be present, and 

 to take seats in the Convention. 



The present season promises to be the most 

 propitious for Fruit that has occurred for many 

 years, and it is anticipated that the coming ses- 

 sion, which takes place at the same time with the 

 Annual Exhibition of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society, may be made one of the most inter- 

 esting which has ever been held by the Society. 

 All the States and Territories are urgently invited 

 to be present, by Delegation, at this meeting, that 

 the amicable and social relations Avhich have here- 

 tofore existed between the members of the Socie- 

 ty may be fostered and perpetuated, and the re- 

 sult of its deliberations, so beneficial to the coun- 

 try at large, be generally and widely diff'used. 



Among the prominent subjects to be submitted 

 at this session will be the Report of the S])ecial 

 Committee appointed to revise the Society's Cata- 

 logue of Fruits, and thus to ascertain what varie- 

 ties are adapted to the different sections and dis- 

 tricts of our country. The various State and Lo- 

 cal Committees who have not already made their 

 Reports on the Revision are, therefore, solicited 

 to forward them, without further delay, to P. Bar- 

 ry, Esq., Rochester, N. Y., Chairman of said 

 Committee. And it is further requested, that all 

 other Reports, which are by the By-Laws made 

 returnable to the General Chairman of the Fruit 

 Committee, now deceased, may also be addressed 

 to Mr. Bakry, as aforesaid. 



Members and Delegates are requested to con- 



