68 
THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
we have so many other nuts that are better. The same is true of 
our hazels or filberts, but these are attractive from the fantastic 
beauty of their frilled caskets. We have two kinds, one of which 
has the involucre prolonged into a beak. 
Two accounts of nutting days always come back to our mem- 
ory. The one is in ]\Iiss Warner's 'Oueechy" and the other in 
Beecher's ''Star-papers." Both are imbued with the true wood 
spirit. 
Providence, R. I. 
PASTURE FRIENDS. 
By Charles D. Trumbull. 
Most of us have ineradicably imprinted on our minds, a book 
of memory pictures, gathered from numerous trampings in the 
fields and hills. Some are simple sketches, the sinuous, meander- 
ing brook, forcing itself around an obstructing hill ; some grand, 
spreading panaromas ; others inimitable patches of color, the ]\Iay 
meadow, with buttercups yellow or a splash of flaming meadow- 
beauty in August. On rainy days we turn the leaves of this book 
and dream over the gray boulders on the hills, or the cedar trees 
that stands so prominently forth in winter from their sad colored 
surroundings. On this particular day our gaze lingers on the 
poor close-cropped pastures, furrowed and broken where the an- 
cient cornfield once flourished, but now the encampment of an 
army of hardback (Spiraea) . W q review each individual friend, 
from the gnarly twigg}' wild apple to this same omnipresent 
friend hardback. 
Xo pasture is without this vagabond flower, every pasture, rich 
or poor, must entertain some of those graceful spires of pink. 
Around the swampy hollow they muster in a dense compact line, 
and aided by the scraggly button-bush (CepJialajifhiis occiden- 
talis) , they conceal the spot and shield the browsing cattle from 
the quaggy slough. \\\\h compassion for the snow-birds, they 
retain their bunches of seed and from the snow bound pastures 
they thrust forth a goodly meal. In mid-summer the weather 
colored relic of other summer days sway in the breeze like a for- 
saken last year's bird's nest. 
All who have ever read Henry Thoreau's account of the per- 
