SEED COLLECTORS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 



583 



very showy or striking in its aspect. It is not a tall spe- 

 cies, 18 inches being, perhaps, its average height. The 

 stem occasionally branches, but the usual form is a soli- 

 tary stalk standing stiffly upright, bearing a few scattered 

 grayish green leaves, and termi- A 

 nated by a thick spike of bloom, w 

 suggesting a club rather than a rod- 

 To the uninitiated eye it bears little W 

 likeness to the golden-rods, but it ^ 

 is a true member of the genus, be- ^ 

 ing in full, Solidago bicolor. jj^ 



A handsome species, not so com- 

 mon as some others, is Solidago 

 speciosa, which flowers in Septem- 

 ber. This plant grows tall and 

 stout, with a dark, polished stalk 

 and dark green, thick and glossy 

 leaves. Its ample panicle of bloom 

 is borne erect, much resembling a 

 " pampas plume " in outline. It is 

 thus distinguished at a glance from 

 5. arguta, S. Canadensis, and 

 other species that bear their flowers _ "^lidago bicolor. 

 in curved racemes or drooping pan- " 



icles On closer examination it will be seen that each of 

 the heads has five yellow rays (sometimes one or two 

 more) which are large and conspicuous for the genus — 

 considerably larger than the more numerous rays of 

 other species. These rays lend to S. speciosa that pe- 

 culiarly brilliant golden hue which, combined with its 

 dark, shining foliage, gives the plant a striking individu- 

 ality, and makes it perhaps the most attractive member 

 of the genus. It is not rampant or weedy in its habit of 

 growth, and would not be likely to make itself a nuisance 

 if introduced in cultivated grounds, for which purpose it 

 appears more suitable than some native plants that have 

 been recently disseminated. This and S. cc^sia are the 

 only golden-rods that can be recommended for cultivation. 



S. odora, the sweet golden-rod, might find some favor 

 for the fragrance of its leaves, which have the odor 

 of anise ; but the flowers are not especially pretty, and 

 the plant is of weak habit, often falling over on the 

 ground. It grows along the borders of thickets, in dry 

 soil, and seems to be rather rare. 



Other species more or less widely distributed, and some 

 of them too well known as troublesome weeds, are S. 

 Canadensis, a coarse-growing plant with masses of deep 

 yellow flowers, borne in graceful, one-sided racemes ; 5. 

 lanceolata, its tall stem thickly set with narrow leaves 

 and small heads of greenish yellow flowers in dense, 

 flat-topped corymbs ; 5. tenui- 

 folia, which resembles the last, 

 but has leaves more crowded 

 and more narrowly linear, and 

 heads of flowers in smaller clus- 

 ters ; S. sempcrvirens, a stout 

 species growing in salt marshes 

 and among the rocks along the 

 seashore, known by its thick, 

 fleshy leaves and showy flowers ; 

 S. scrotina and its so-called 

 gigantic variety, which have no 

 particular marks of difference 

 to an unpracticed observer ; and 

 others that cannot be conven- 

 iently described without the use 

 of technical terms, and could 

 hardly be identified without 

 some knowledge of botany to 

 guide. S. Canadensis and .V. 

 lanceolata are illustrated on 

 page 584. The genus presents 

 a difficult study to the inexper- 

 ienced botanist, the species being numerous and often 

 variable ; but it is a study that will well reward patient 

 people. Frances Wilson. 



Solidago speciosa 



SEED COLLECTORS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 



DISCOVERY OF VALUABLE BURIED CONES 



jLACK "pine squirrels" of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains exhibit a wonderful degree of intel- 

 ligence in their manner of collecting pine 

 and spruce-seeds for winter fare. As 

 soon as the cones on these trees are fully 

 ripe the scales open , and the seeds, being 

 provided with gauzy wings, are scattered 

 far and wide. The cones of different 

 kinds of trees ripen at different times, and, to secure the 

 seeds, must be gathered before they are fully ripe, cover- 

 ing a period of only a few days, or weeks at most. 



The squirrels seem to know all about this, and as soon 

 as the time comes for the conifer harvest all hands turn 

 out and work from daylight till dark bringing it in. The 

 place selected for storage is always under a tree with 

 branches near the ground, and the same place of deposit 



is used continuously for many years. At first, small holes 

 are dug in the loose soil, and in each one from three to a 

 dozen green cones are crowded together, points down- 

 ward, thus keeping the seeds moist and preserving them 

 in good condition. 



In wdnter, even when the ground is covered with four 

 feet or more of snow, the squirrels know just where to 

 dig for their food. Securing a cone, they ascend the tree 

 to the first limbs, where they proceed to tear it to pieces 

 and devour the rich, oily seeds it contains. The remains 

 of these cones, falling back on the place of deposit, in 

 time form a bed of debris a foot or more in depth, and 

 from 5 to 25 feet in diameter. 



Several years ago, while exploring a wild region of 

 country near the source of Bear Creek, Colorado, in pas- 

 sing a sharp point of rocks, where the caiion suddenly 



