FIELD AND FOREST. 



I 7 1 



At Iron Mountain, which is some two 

 miles of this side of Pilot Knob, the 

 train halted and remained an hour to give 

 members an opportunity to examine the 

 mining region, which is truly wonderful. 

 Notwithstanding the ninety-eight degrees 

 of Fahrenheit, I sallied forth and made 

 the circuit of the hill in which the prin- 

 cipal mines are located. The vegetation 

 was decidedly meagre, the red turfless 

 ground lay for the greater part entirely 

 bare, but concealed here and there with 

 clumps of Phytolacca decandra Diodia 

 teres, Plantago Patagonica, var. aristata, 

 and a few other low weeds made up the 

 only herbage. 



I penetrated a short distance into a copse 

 near by and was surprised to note the 

 oreat extent to which the vegetation was 

 familiar. But for the presence of Galium 

 lanceolatum, Gerardia quercifolia, and 

 one or two other plants, I might have sup- 

 posed myself in some grove of second 

 growth oak in Maryland or Virginia. 



We were carried past our chief point 

 of attraction, Pilot Knob, and taken to 

 a place two miles further on called Ar- 

 cadia. This was for the purpose of feast- 

 ing us upon all the good things of the land, 

 which was done out of doors under a 

 great canvas on a series of long rustic 

 tables which literally groaned under the 

 load of viands which our generous hosts 

 had prepared for us. This over, we re- 

 turned to Pilot Knob, and most of the 

 party climbed to its summit to view the 

 surrounding country. While there we 

 had the pleasure of seeing the sun set, the 

 pleasure consisting chiefly in the reflection 

 that it could scorch us no more that day. 



Two plants of interest were found on 

 the Knob, viz : Vaccineum arboretim, 

 (in fruit,) and Euphorbia heterophylla, 

 of which only a single specimen was col- 



lected near the summit. Helianthus hir- 

 sutus was also obtained at the base of Pilot 

 Knob. 



Owing to the barrenness of the whole 

 iron region the number of interesting 

 plants found there was quite small, and 

 but for the opportunities which we en- 

 joyed of getting off the train at several 

 points along the route where stoppages 

 were necessary for water, wood, &c, our 

 collections would have scarce deserved 

 this notice. But the vegetation along 

 the railroad was much more abundant 

 and interesting, and I was able to add to 

 the species named a number of others 

 that I was glad to obtain. Among those 

 thus collected were : 



Solidago radula, Panicum autumnale, 

 Pycanthemum pilosum, Verbena stricta, 

 Erigerou divaricatum, Dysodia chrysan- 

 themoides, Crotonopsis linearis, Hyperi- 

 cum Drummondii, Coreopsis aristosa, 

 (awnless.) A species of Desmodium al- 

 lied to D. canescens was also collected, 

 but no satisfactory name has yet been 

 found for it. 



On the following day, while paying a 

 visit to the city water-works, I added Da- 

 lea alopecuroides and Potentilla paradoxa 

 to my Western trophies. 



Our visit to the famous " Shaws' Gar- 

 den " on the 26th will make a lasting im- 

 pression. It would have been " glory 

 enough " to have been able to stroll 

 through and behold this truly wonderful, 

 and to the botanist, intensely interesting 

 park, but to be escorted through it by the 

 venerable botanist, Dr. George Engel- 

 mann, and by him shown to the thous- 

 ands of special curiosities, many of which 

 he had himself introduced there, of which 

 we were allowed to take specimens ad' 

 libitum, was indeed a treat, and one we 

 shall long lemember. 



