49 
by the end of the next day. After leaving Berlin, where chrys- 
nthemums and dahlias were almost the only flowers still in 
bloom and where the street-trees were mostly bare, the vegetation 
became gradually greener, with less autumnal coloration, and 
the evidences of frost became very s 
The beautiful Ardennes Valley, in neuen ee was almost un- 
touched by the approach of winter. All the way from the French 
the shor in the north. Owing to the abundant moisture present, many 
species a ee cover the ae and twigs of trees, as well as all exposed rocks 
timbers. 
frontier to Paris, peasants were busy gathering sugar beets, 
pulling or spading them up, cutting away the leaves, and loading 
them upon large carts drawn by from two to four horses in 
tandem. Others were plowing small strips of land wheat, 
using heavy plows drawn by large white oxen. Pea men 
were gathering pears and apples. The poplar trees ater 
everywhere along the roads and fence-rows for shade and fire- 
