132 SUMMER IN A BOG. 



matis, rhus toxicodendron, smilax, and bitter- 

 sweet trail from tree to tree. The dioscorea 

 villosa flourishes here. The red-bud, dogWood, 

 spice-bush, sassafras, elm, maple, oak and other 

 trees are here in profusion, and to name the 

 wild flowers that congene at their roots would 

 require pages and pages of a botanical analy- 

 sis. Many varieties of violets, the sanguinaria, 

 meadow-rue, hydrophyllum, wake robin, Solo- 

 mon's seal, Indian turnip, green dragon, silene, 

 phlox, erythronium, mertensia, Greek valerian, 

 lady's slipper, acteae, anemones, syndesmon, 

 tradescantia, euphorbia, sweet cicely, several 

 varieties of galium, with their matting of shiny 

 pixie wheels ; the Compositae, Umbillif erae, La- 

 biajtae — ^in short, a treasure spot to the botanist.* 



A similar tract of land about a mile east of 

 town was in one recent season transformed into 

 a cornfield. 



Doubtless each village or town has such 

 spots of natural beauty which are swallowed up 

 by encroaching civilization. 



The work of destruction goes constantly on. 

 Many plants once common, like the ginseng, 

 spikenard, cimicifuga, have been appropriated 

 by the "herb doctor," and no attempt is made 

 to re-supply them. 



Do we not owe a duty to posterity in making 

 an attempt to save a tract like this for future 



*Now a cultivated field. 



