THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 287 



flowerings linger as long as possible, (our 

 mothers pickled them but we make friends of 

 them). "Only fools burn leaves," we gather 

 them in heaps, for they are the grass crop of 

 humus, containing nitrogen and potash for next 

 gardening. These warm and genial days, 

 veritable Indian Summer, seems as if the year 

 had thought better of it all and was turning it- 

 self backward; nay, it is only extraly fibering 

 for the long keen and biting frosts. 



The Golden-rod, as a flower, has the right of 

 way in all North America. It is our "national 

 flower." There is no flower so universal. It 

 grows freely from Central America to the Arc- 

 tic regions, from the seashores to the summits 

 of the mountains. It begins blossoming the 

 last of July — September and October are its 

 favorite months. There are over one hun- 

 dred varieties and ninety-five of them are in- 

 digenous to our soil; about fifty are discover- 

 able in our county. How they throng the road- 

 sides and ornament the hillsides and cover the 

 pastures. The new botanical books give this 

 wonderful flower fine illustrations and descrip- 

 tions. It greatly improves under cultivation 

 and bears richer sprays and is an ornament 

 to any garden. Many of them are plants of 

 great delicacy and it is not altogether easy for 



