Sonofs of the Fields 



'■b 



Long farm. This season, when a stud}' of them 

 "was wanted in their prime, the cameras were loaded, 

 and the trip made in all confidence — not a lily ^\as 

 to be found, nor the ghost of a lily. Even more, 

 the embankment next the woods was cut away at 

 least a foot in depth, and leveled. Then began a 

 search all over my country for a large bed of them, 

 A\ith no results. A week had not helped matters, 

 M-hen my critic came from a drive and announced 

 that beside the railroad, half way to Bryant, was 

 a superb growth of lilies that, slie thought, was 

 just what I wanted. Slie brought one for a sam- 

 ple, and she Avas not mistaken. 



So great was the fear that flower hunters miglit 

 gatlier them or railroad employees mow the land 

 that the trijj was made in the rain. A glance 

 showed what had happened. The railroad com- 

 pany had cut down the embankment beside the 

 Long farm and filled in a low place near the Lim- 

 berlost crossing with tlie earth. In so doing they 

 had transplanted my lilies, and greatly to the ad- 

 vantage of the flowers; for here they were in a 

 moist location, and were shaded all the long, hot 

 afternoons. Asa result these lilies prove that they 

 grew in closer clusters, taller, and Avith blooms 

 very nearly tAvice the size of the aA^erage Avild lily. 

 After the studies Avere secvn-ed and the flowers 

 Avere needed no longer, they peeped at me from 

 several fence corners aroimd the Limberlost, Can- 



20.5 



