THE AUGUST FIELDS. IOI 
from the parasites already mentioned by being parasitic 
above ground rather than below. In the early part of 
the summer its seed germinates in the ground, sending 
up a slender, twining stem. As soon as this reaches the 
surrounding herbage it attaches itself by suckers to the 
surface of the supporting plant. These suckers pene- 
trate the outer part of the bark and absorb nourishment 
therefrom, while the root and the lower part of the stem 
wither away, leaving no connection with the ground, 
and causing the dodder to cling for dear life to the plant 
it has embraced. At first it is a very lowly plant; 
“ But ’tis a common proof, 
That lowliness is young ambition’s ladder, 
Whereto the climber-upward turns his face ; 
But when he once attains the upmost round, 
He then unto the ladder turns his back, 
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees 
By which he did ascend.” 
We can pause for only a moment to admire the 
purple violet-scented clusters of the ground-nut (Apzos 
tuberosa, Moench. ), and the nodding racemes of the hog 
peanut (Amphicarpea monoica, Nutt.), but we must 
gather a handful of this charming white grass-of-Par- 
nassus (Parnassia Caroliniana, Michx.), and of this 
curious-shaped turtle-head (Chelone glabra, L.). We 
must have some of these bronzy-blue gentians ( Gendtiana 
