YELLOW AND ORANGE WILD FLOWERS 
Frivolous damsels of the sixteenth century soaked 
Tansy leaves in buttermilk for nine days, and used 
the liquid for improving their complexions. Bunches 
of Tansy are hung about the house, and its presence 
is said to be very effectual in keeping flies out of the 
rooms. ‘Thoreau says that it was used in connection 
with funerals. The round, smooth, upright stalk is 
leafy, and branches at the top. It grows from one and 
a half to three feet high, from a perennial root. The 
strongly scented, curling, dark green leaves are very 
deeply cleft into numerous narrow, lance-shaped sec- 
tions, which are sharply cut and toothed. They are 
bitter and aromatic. The flower head resembles 
the yellow button or disc of a Daisy after the white 
ray flowers have been removed. The numerous 
tiny, yellow, tubular florets are tightly packed into a 
small, flat head, which is slightly hollowed in the 
centre. The heads are set into shallow, greenish 
cups, on short stems, many of which are closely 
grouped into several large, dense, terminal, flat- 
topped clusters. Their odour is noticeable for a 
considerable distance. Tansy came to us from 
Europe and grows along road-sides from July to 
September, where it has escaped from gardens. It 
is found from North Carolina and Missouri to Canada. 
COLTSFOOT. COUGHWORT 
Tussilago Farfara. Thistle Family. 
This is the same Coltsfoot that our grandmothers 
used to gather and dry and hang in the garret dlong 
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