THE TRAILING ARBUTUS, 



{Epigaea repens.) 



Many years ago, before the May- 

 flower had cast anchor in Plymouth 

 Bay or Columbus had landed at San 

 Salvador, an aged Indian sat shivering 

 in his wigwam. Vainly had he sought 

 for fuel and in his extremity he called 

 upon the Great Spirit, that he might 

 not perish with the cold. Crouch- 

 ing over the dying embers of his fire 

 he stoically awaited the end, when 

 suddenly there appeared before him a 

 beautiful maiden wreathed with wild 

 flowers and carrying in her hands, 

 buds of the willow. Ferns and grasses 

 draped her form and her moccasins 

 were fashioned from pure white lilies. 

 When she breathed the landscape sud- 

 denly blossomed with the thousand 

 hues of nature and the warm rains fell 

 in obedience to her will. 



Under the influence of this spirit of 

 the springtime the aged red man 

 slumbered and, as his head sank upon 

 his breast, the sunshine came out in all 

 its splendor and a blue bird alighted 

 upon the top of the wigwam. Slowly 

 the maiden passed her hand above the 

 old Indian and gradually he shrank 

 away until nothing remained but a 

 cluster of green leaves. Then taking 

 from her bosom a cluster of rosy blos- 

 soms, she concealed them among the 

 leaves, bestowing upon them her own 

 sweetness and fragrance and telling 

 them that as the harbingers of spring, 

 all who would inhale their fragrance, 

 must bow the knee in honor of the 

 vernal goddess. The maiden then 

 passed away through the woods and 

 over the prairies and wherever her foot- 

 steps lingered, there grows today the 

 sweet-breathed mayflower. 



Whether or not this fanciful story 

 relates the real origin of the Trailing 

 Arbutus, Ground Laurel or Mayflower, 

 as it is variously called in different sec- 

 tions of the country, the fact remains 



that it follows closely in the footsteps 

 of spring, often pushing up its dainty 

 blossoms th'rough the leaves and snow. 

 It is always known as the Mayflower 

 throughout New England and the old 

 story of its being Flora's first offering 

 to the ocean-tossed pilgrims as they 

 landed at Plymouth, in appreciation of 

 which they named it the Mayflower in 

 memory of their vessel, has endeared 

 the beautiful plant to every New Eng- 

 land heart and has caused it to be 

 placed in Cupid's keeping, along with 

 the Scotch blue bell, the German corn 

 flower and the Swiss edelweiss. 



The Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea 

 repens) belongs to the Heath family or 

 Ericaceae and constitutes the only spe- 

 cies of the genus. Like the partridge 

 berry which is often associated with it 

 in pine woods and sandy soils, it is still 

 in a state of transition, although it has 

 been developing for centuries. As a 

 rule, plants have the stamens and 

 pistils in the same blossom or part in 

 one and part in another. The May- 

 flower, however, does not carry out this 

 arrangement. Either the anthers or 

 the stigmas are abortive or partially 

 so, or in other words, the perfect stig- 

 mas are usually associated with abor- 

 tive anthers and vice versa. In this 

 manner, nature has wisely provided for 

 cross fertilization which is accomplished 

 largely by insects, as the structure of 

 the plant is not adapted to wind fer- 

 tilization. The chosen agents for this 

 process are honey bees, and a few early 

 moths and butterflies, to which the 

 nectar is served by this beautiful Hebe 

 of the spring and who carry the pollen 

 from one flower to another. 



A wise provision of nature has been 

 pointed out whereby ants are kept away 

 from the nectar which they would de- 

 vour without accomplishing the pur- 

 poses for which it was created. Every 



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