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There are huckleberries and blueberries in great variety all 

 through the meadows and mountains. The high-bush blue- 

 berry {Vaccinium corymhosum) , which blooms in May, is the 

 most striking both in flower and fruit, but it is seldom a fair 

 specimen is found. That species seems to be dying off in this 

 region. One bush that was vigorous and beautiful in bloom three 

 years ago showed a dead branch by the time the fruit was ripe. 

 Next year half the bush was dead and this spring not a flower 

 was to be seen, just a few pale leaves on the topmost twigs of 

 one side. 



The flowering dogwood {Cornus florida) blooms the latter 

 part of May, and is as much sought after as is the pinxter flower. 

 It is one of the most shapely trees when it has plenty of room, 

 but in the woods we more often find a trunk with only one or two 

 branches, than a symmetrical tree. The trees in this region are 

 usually white bracted, but occasionally we find one with pink 

 "petals," as some of us persist in calling them, and sometimes 

 yellowish bracts are found, but I have not seen here the clear 

 lemon yellow bracts I saw in the North Carolina mountains. 

 The pink bracts are noticeably larger than the white, while the 

 yellowish ones are smaller, and the flowers of the pink trees are 

 paler than the type, while those of the yellow trees are usually 

 much darker. Last winter was severe in this region, and the 

 trees and shrubs showed its bitter effects in various ways. I 

 took particular notice of some young dogwood trees I found in an 

 out-of-the-way corner last year, for their branches then were 

 covered with flowers and the bracts were unusually large and 

 very white. This spring they bore very few flowers, and the 

 bracts were small, and streaked and blotched with gray and 

 brown. I also found a tree last year with deep rose-pink bracts— 

 I had never before seen so intense a color in the wild state — 

 and this spring it had only half a dozen clusters of flowers, and 

 the bracts were small and dirty-looking. In full bloom the 

 flowering dogwood is undeniably lovely, but in its autumn dress 

 it is magnificent, its leaves choosing rich crimson, maroon and 

 golden yellow, while its berries glow like rubies. The flowering 

 dogwood is the one tree I have found country people willing to 



