262 



A FE W OR THY A A TIVES. 



seem to see not ; having ears, they hear to little or 

 no purpose. 



No study is more attractive, nor more easily pur- 

 sued than that of out-door botany — "out-door" 

 here being used to distinguish its actual application 

 to plant life from the mere in-door study of the 

 text-book. If gardening is good for the physical 

 needs of frail men and women, the intelligent ac- 

 quaintanceship with vegetable structure, history and 

 growth is good for distracted mental conditions. 

 No high education is necessary upon which to be- 

 gin it. Everyone is equipped to glean rich rewards 

 from the simple pages of nature's book. Any 

 child old enough to gather his hands full of golden 

 dandelions is ready for a primary lesson. 



A "Home Culture Society," composed of the 

 ladies of a country neighborhood, in the early stages 

 of its existence, chose botany as the special study 

 for one season, with results so salient as to lead me 

 to recommend it to others. A part of the members 

 had taken botany in their school days, but the ma- 

 jority of them could not have told what a cotyledon 

 means, much less had ever given a thought to the 

 differing traits of plants bearing netted and parallel- 

 veined leaves, or to the peculiar provisions of plants 

 within themselves for self-protection and propaga- 

 tion. A new world, fresh, wholesome and vigorous, 

 opened to their minds, overtaxed with the vexing 

 endlessness of routine duties ; and to their eyes fair 

 objects took on unaccustomed interest. 



"I never shall forget," says one member, "one 



stormy April day, in particular, when our club met. 

 We came together fortnightly to compare notes, 

 read papers prepared on topics, and give verbal 

 outlines and reports on the work assigned in our 

 text-book, which was Gray's School and Field Book 

 of Botany. Our lesson was on buds, and the col- 

 lection of bare twigs and wet branches we women 

 brought together that day would have borne con- 

 vincing testimony to the most astute opposer that 

 we were both earnest and enthusiastic in something 

 out of the line of topics commonly ascribed to con- 

 gregating females. We confined our gossiping to a 

 harmless verbal and actual dissection of the bud 

 family. We discussed if they were terminal, axil- 

 lary, accessory or adventitious, etc., much to our 

 profit and nobody's hurt." 



As the season advanced, telling its old, old story 

 of the birth and growth of plant life, a freshening 

 impetus came to the club through the successive 

 uufoldings of germ to bud, bud to blossom, blossom 

 to fruit ; a quickened interest came to the eyes of 

 those women for the things of voiceless life about 

 them, a brighter glow grew on cheeks more exposed 

 to out-door life, and a warmer sympathy each felt 

 for the other members, while a new catechism of 

 questions was put into the mouths of the younger 

 members of the families represented by these home 

 students. Never again can it be said of them : 



" In vain, through every changeful year, 

 Did nature lead him (her) as before." 



Michigati. Jenny Buell. 



A FEW WORTHY NATIVES. 



Eryt/n-oiiiiim a/lnduiit, var. coloratuni. — This little 

 beauty is of recent introduction from Texas. It is 

 a great bloomer and seems to be perfectly hardy here 

 in New England. It is similar in growth to E. albi- 

 diaii, but the petals are pinkish white, while in albi- 

 dum they are tinted with blue. It is much earlier 

 than any of the eastern or California species with 

 which I am acquainted. At present, March 15th, 

 the flowers are showing above the frost and snow. 



Anemone patens, var. Nutialliana. — This is the 

 American pasque flower, and is found in the west- 

 ern prairies in early spring. It closely resembles a 

 minature clematis no more than six inches high ; but 

 the flowers are quite large, dull purple to nearly 

 white, and when fully expanded, from 2 to 3 inches 

 in diameter. It takes readily to cultivation in well 

 drained soil in the open border, and seems to be 

 perfectly hardy in New England. The leaves are 

 rather large and deeply lobed. 



Aqiiilcgias. — Two species from the Rocky moun- 

 tains are very fine. Aqiiilegia carulea has large white 

 or blue-tinted flowers, and must have a warm well 

 drained soil to produce the best blossoms, and be 

 well protected in winter. A. chrysantha has largei 

 golden-yellow flowers, with long spurs. It does not 

 seem to be so particular about soil or situation as 

 A. cceridea, and increases in size and strength. 



All New Englanders who like the fields or woods 

 or mountains are acquainted with the wild colum- 

 bine {Aqiiilegia Canadensis). It flowers from April to 

 July, and is met with in our rambles in the moist 

 meadows, the upland pastures and along the moun- 

 tain cliffs. It seems to adopt itself to any situation 

 in which it may be caught and find a bit of leaf- 

 mould and moisture for nourishment. It may not 

 be the most beautiful or showy flower, but for us 

 it has a hidden charm. 



Hampden Co., Mass. E. Gillett. 



