BeliEFER ARTICLES 
THE WILD FLOWERS OF CUSHING’S ISLAND, MAINE. 
Tae popular summer resort known as Cushing’s island is a small 
_ Sand in Casco bay, a few miles from the city of Portland. Its great- 
Stlength isa mile and a quarter, and its shore line about five miles. 
in shape it is roughly triangular ; the base of the triangle, or the back 
if the island, is towards the open ocean, while the front looks towards 
the mainland and Portland city. 
Atocky ridge runs through the island close to its seaward side, 
mojecting as “ The Point” at one extremity, and forming White Head 
dlifs at the other. This ridge, covered with a stiff growth of spruce 
and fir trees, forms a very efficient protection to the rest of the island 
fom the storms and cold winds from the ocean. The large hotel known 
*s the Ottawa House is situated on one of the highest parts of this 
Tidge, and looks over the landward half of the island, which is low and 
‘ather level, with grassy meadows and sandy shores. 
: On account of this conformation of the ground, there is an unusual 
“sity of natural conditions. Hence, in spite of the small size of 
é ‘land, there is an astonishing variety of wild flowers to be found ; 
2 the writer was able to gather in the course of a short summers 
aig more than three hundred distinct species, and there are doubt- 
“gd others which escaped his attention. 
his : first Place to which a visitor to the hotel would naturally sus 
“tention is the woods which lie immediately behind it. As inti- 
before, these woods are formed almost entirely of spruce and fir 
it hig _ this fact alone will enable any botanist to ae 2% 
— Such woods are always cool and shady, even ont : # 
. day, with dark foliage overhead and the pleasant odor 
inthe air. Little underbrush is formed owing to the dense 
he wag the thick branches, but the ground is covered with a el 
Sig and fir needles. Everywhere are to be seen the de 
1g] | fronds of the wood-ferns, the dark leaves of the wintergree 
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