November 30, 1892.] 



Garden and Forest. 



567 



tory of land, that juts down from the upper plateau, between 

 forests that clothe its sides and lower extremity, and conceal 

 two little tributaries of Trough Creek, which unite near its 

 base. With one single exception, the nearest human habita- 

 tions are more than a mile distant, out of sight and sound, on 

 the outer side of the western ridge. 



Wray's Hill, which forms the eastern ridge, does not show 

 a sign of life, and, except toward the north-west, there is not 

 a house within a radius of five miles, though within that same 

 radius are nine abandoned farms and several small clearings. 

 Some of the farms are included in the leases held by two or 

 three families of still occupied farms, and they keep in repair 

 fences about the old orchards, gather the fruit, pasture cattle 

 in the old meadows, and when mountain fires occurare bound 

 to protect the company's property by "fighting fire," whether 

 upon their own or the abandoned farms. 



Tlie middle of September finds us, after a railway journey 

 up the always beautiful Juniata, landed in a most unpromising 

 little station in the heart of the coal country, but even the dust 

 and grime of the place cannot conceal the beauty of the hills 

 and mountains surrounding it. We soon find the old wagon, 

 gun-case and camera are stowed away, and we start off for 

 our two hours' drive, most of it a steady climb. 



For three miles up the narrow valley the road has lost its 

 original beauty, as the flood of 1889 changed the course of the 

 stream, and covered the valley with the waste from the dumps. 

 Most of the foliage is still as green as in midsummer, but as 

 our road ascends higher and higher, giving us views, now 

 down a deep ravine, then off to the hills, we recognize the 

 familiar landmarks, and finally, after a mile of road that would 

 have driven Macadam insane, we turn the shoulder of our 

 own mountain, and the panorama of what is always our first 

 and last great view is spread out before us. In the right fore- 

 ground is Round Knob, showing faint tints of gold and flame 

 along a line of Hickories and Maples at its base, and in the dis- 

 tance rises tier upon tier of the AUeghanies until the remot- 

 est line is merged into clouds. 



Plunging into the woods we continue our ascent on a fairly 

 good township road until we leave it for the series of boulders 

 and rocks that form the road to our destination, for few of 

 tlie mountain farms are found near the public road. A short 

 climb and we are out of the woods, on the level, and sur- 

 rounded by the most brilliant, surprising mass of color. The 

 Thorn Locusts and scrub Oaks, which here form a short stretch 

 of barrens, seem to support beds of color, young Sassafras- 

 trees, which are in coloring the counterpart of Parrot Tulips, 

 and are absolutely blazing in the brilliant sunlight. Then into 

 the woods and down a short distance, and as we emerge into 

 the sunlight the little farm is spread before us; the orchard 

 with old cider-press in its corner, Wray's Hill opposite us, the 

 little log-house just as it looked last year, the same Dahlias ap- 

 parently by the gate. The wagon stops, the same voices rise 

 to greet us, we step down and realize that we are once more 

 on Old Broad Top. ,,. , , , „ , 



HaiTisburg, Pa. Mtra Lloyd Dock. 



Late Autumn in The Pines. 



I HAVE just returned from a ramble in the Pines, and, not- 

 withstanding the excessive drought during late summer 

 and autumn, I found a greater number of plants in flower than 

 visual at this time of year. The Soapwort Gentian was never 

 more beautiful than now, and good specimens of Gentiana 

 angustifolia were also in the damp barrens, and little Bartonia 

 tenella was still in bloom. Some belated flowers of the Meadow 

 Beauty (Rhexia Virginica) were looking as if they had forgotten 

 that it was late in November. Rudbeckia laciniata was 

 here with long, drooping yellow rays, which looked charm- 

 ing with the blue Gentians. Blue and white Asters were not 

 rare. A. nemoralis was particularly good. Two or three spe- 

 cies of Golden-rod were also seen in damp places vieing with 

 the Asters in perfection of leaf and flower. The most hand- 

 some of these late-flowering Golden-rods are Solidago sem- 

 pervirens and S. elliptica ; both have smooth shining foliage 

 as beautiful as the flowers. 



Along the margin of a pond I found Coreopsis rosea still in 

 bloom, and Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes cernua) were hidden 

 among the grasses, bright and sweet as they were a month 

 before. The Bur-Marigold (Bidens chrysanthemoides) was 

 abundant in wet places, and it is one of our handsomest late 

 flowers. It has broad deep yellow rays, an inch or more in 

 length, wliich, together with its connate leaves and long-con- 

 tinued bloom, make it a very desirable plant. The Mist flower 

 (Conoclinium coelestinum) was also here with pretty clusters 

 of blue flowers. Coils of matted flowers of the Dodder were 

 still blooming, looking almost like ropes twisted close and 



tight around the plants, sapping and drawing the life from 

 their hosts. In the dry upland Pines I found Chrysopsis 

 Mariana in bloom, and the pretty blue flowers of Diplopappus 

 linariifolius were also here, and looked charming with the 

 yellow Chrysopsis. 



It is quite remarkable how well the foliage appears on most 

 all of the low-growing plants. Even in the dry barrens, where 

 the white sand looks as if there was no moisture in it, plants 

 seem as fresh and bright as if there had been copious rains. 

 The root-leaves of the Ratdesnake-weed (Hieracium venosum) 

 were vigorous, lying in flat rosettes on the ground, each leaf 

 handsomely marked with purple and lighter shades, and mak- 

 ing them very ornamental. One of the most interesting plants 

 in the dry sand was little Lechea minor ; it had grown in many 

 forms, but had mostly assumed the shape of miniature trees, 

 none over a foot in height, yet perfect mimics of their 

 large neighbors, under whose shelter they grew. Some 

 had round dense heads on slender stems ; others were forked 

 and branched to simulate the varied forms of forest-trees. 

 And the coloring of the tiny leaves was beautiful, too. Some 

 of the plants were still a vivid green, while others had taken 

 on the bronze and purple of autumn. The grayish looking 

 Hudsonia tomentosa was a near neighbor of Lechea and 

 was fresh and thrifty ; but we know the secret of the good 

 looks of these plants, for their roots reach down deep to the 

 level of constant moisture. 



Another interesting plant not at all affected by the long 

 drought is Chimaphila maculata. I found thick masses here 

 and there, covering two or three square yards with bright 

 variegated foliage, fresh and shining, and dry seed-pods held 

 above the leaves on erect stems to remind us how charming 

 they were in midsummer when covered with fragrant blos- 

 soms. This charming plant, if given the right conditions, can 

 be grown on the home-grounds quite easily. It loves the 

 shacle, and if one has not the time or inclination to prepare a 

 place for it, a few plants set beneath the dense shade of a low- 

 growing evergreen will flourish and give great pleasure. Two 

 of my near neighbors have both species of Chimaphila grow- 

 ing and flowering in perfection under evergreens where they 

 never set the plants. In all probability they were in the ground 

 when the trees were set, some twenty-eight or thirty years ago, 

 when the place was fresh from the forest. At all events, here 

 they are, with no care, as fine plants as I ever saw. But they 

 are entirely hidden from view, and we can only see them when 

 we part the thick branches of the trees. I am sure a mass 

 of these plants can be grown where they can be seen, and I 

 am preparing a place in an angle of the house where the sun 

 cannot reach them, and they are to be planted in the same 

 leaf-mold where they naturally grow. 



The grass-like leaves of Xerophyllum do not seem to be at 

 all affected by the drought, and the Pitcher-plants look as fresh 

 as usual even in quite dry places. But the trailing Arbutus 

 has suffered considerably, and the leaves of many plants are 

 dry and brown, with long stems entirely dead. Pyxidantliera 

 is also shriveled and dead in many places. 



The foliage is still clinging to many of the deciduous shrubs 

 as well as to some of the trees. The Vacciniums are gorgeous 

 in color, and so is Leucothoe racemosa and Andromeda ligus- 

 trina. This brilliant color, mingled with the deep green, shin- 

 ing foliage of the Laurel and Holly, makes lovely and effective 

 passages in the Pines. The large leaves of Magnolia glauca are 

 still green, and so are the leaves of the Alder (Alnusserrulata). 

 The young Pines (Pinus rigida) are looking better than they 

 have for several years past. Something has happened to their 

 insect enemies, so that the trees that were not killed have made 

 a rapid growth the past season. 



The little bushy scrub Oaks (Ouercus prinoides) are holding 

 their foliage, while the acorns have mostly fallen. These 

 acorns are small and round, all nearly of the same size, 

 and when strung on stout linen-thread can be woven in many 

 fanciful designs. At the base of the acorn-cup I often find 

 clusters of little abortive acorns, which I have never seen in 

 any other species. 



The fruit of many plants is now at its best, and very hand- 

 some. Baccharis is one mass of plumy white pappus, and its 

 leaves are still green. The Hollies suffered less than usual 

 from the ravages of the rose-bug this season. The marauders 

 left some of the flowers, too, so that we find berries here and 

 there on the trees. The bright red berries of the Black Alder 

 (Ilex verticillafa) are abundant, and the grayish fruits of the 

 Bayberry are clustered thickly along tlie stems among the 

 shining and fragrant leaves. The Bitter-sweet (Celastrus scan- 

 dens) has opened its orange-colored pods, displaying its pretty 

 scarlet seeds. Several species of Smilax are full of clustered 

 fruit that will remain all winter long, and the Poison Sumach 



