APRIL AND MAY. 



29 



but, strange as it may seem, the plant has become 

 useful in a far better way : it is quite efficacious in 

 driving away neuralgic rheumatism, and doctors pre- 

 scribe an extract of the root for that purpose. 



^ Although the wintergreen flowers as 



Wintergreen, or ° ° 



Checkerberry. late as July, its dark green, roundish 



GauUheria leaves and bright scarlet berries are 



procimibens. .... . . . . 



familiar objects m the woods m spring 



when tliere is little that is green scattered over the 

 woodland floor to hide 

 the pretty shiny plant 

 from view. The ber- 

 ries grow so plenti- 

 ful in southeastern 

 Massachusetts that 

 they are picked and 

 brought to Boston, 

 where they may be 

 found for sale in 

 many of the fruit 

 stores. The berries 

 remain on the ever- 



T , n . Wintergreen, or Checkerberry. 



green plants all win- 

 ter ; in spring they are found in plenty on the 

 foothills of the White Mountains. The flower is 

 tiny and waxlike, and tastes as strongly aromatic as 

 the berry does. 



