151
Glendale, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts.
1898
July 2, 3, 4
  Glendale is a small, primitive village just across the
river from fashionable, highly ornate Stockbridge. It has been almost
wholly neglected as yet by the city people who have overrun so much
of Berkshire Country and many of its farms and harm houses are neglected
or deserted. The country is hilly, well-wooded, [delete]and[/delete] well-watered
and very picturesque. The woods are unusually beautiful and the
flora is the richest and most varied that I have ever found
in any part of New England. This is probably due to the soil
which everywhere is a strong, clayey loam overlying limestone
which crops out in many places in chalky-white ledges.
Few if any of the trees and shrubs found near Boston were
missing here and [in] addition the Butternut, Shell-bark Hickory, 
Tulip Tree, Mountain Laurel and Leatherwood (Dirca palustris) grew almost
everywhere throughout the woods openings. Nowhere else have I seen such
a profusion of fine Hemlocks and Bass-woods. Of the
smaller plants not common or wanting near Boston I noticed the
Orange Hawkweed, Fringed Polygala, and a fine, tall Sun flower
(Helianthemum [blank space]). 
  Birds appeared to be very numerous. The most interesting
that I noted were a Black-throated Blue Warbler in full
song July 3rd on a hillside covered with Kalmia latifolia,
three Blackburnian Warblers singing in mixed white pine &
hemlock woods, an Orchard Oriole singing near the house, an
immature Bald Eagle flying high over the valley.
  Wood Thrushes were more numerous than Hermits. I 
heard late singing together with a Veery not far off.
Indigo Birds very common, Towhees not more so than at
Concord; Bobolinks common in mowing fields. Two
House Wrens were singing in the village & a third near
an outlying farm house.