HEATH FAMILY 



centre of the flower. The anthers are all hiding their 

 youthful heads ; in fact, every one of them is tucked 

 into a pocket which fits it perfectly. The filaments 

 are strained to a bow, and so delicately is the mechan- 

 ism adjusted that a jar will release the anthers. Now 

 comes the wandering bee, " voluble, velvety, vehe- 

 ment," and enters the flower. The soft body covers 

 the stigma, the weight and the motion set the filaments 

 free and the bee departs " a dusty fellow " — whose legs 

 are "powdered with gold." In fact the bee carries 

 off the greater part of the pollen of that flower and 

 deposits some of it upon the stigma of the next flower 

 visited ; and so the process goes on through all the 

 summer day. 



The Laurel flourishes in gardens if only there be 

 no lime there. The plant may be brought from the 

 mountain side and if the roots are uninjured and the 

 stems pruned back a little it will grow. It prefers leaf 

 mould, but will grow in any good soil. 



Laurel wood is very hard and solid, and in great de- 

 mand for various purposes, one of which is indicated 

 by the common name Spoon-wood. 



Kalmia angustifolia, the Sheep Laurel or Lambkill, 

 is found growing in company with Kalmia latifolia. 

 It is a smaller bush, with narrower leaves and smaller 

 blossoms. The blossom is of the kalmia type, with the 

 saucer-shaped corolla, and the anthers caught in tiny 

 pockets. Possibly it prefers moister soil than Kalmia 

 latifolia, and is found in more open places. The 

 flower clusters are lateral and a stem in full bloom 

 looks like a flowery cylinder. 



All the laurels are credited with poisoning young 



370 



