274 
RURAL HOURS. 
for the season ; the young plants are killed, and the earth looks 
black and gloomy. Upon the whole, however, it is surprising that 
no more harm is done. On the occasion of the fire refeired to 
in these Avoods, we found the traces of the flames to disappear 
much sooner than we had supposed possible. The next season 
the smaller plants Avere all replaced by others ; many of the 
younger trees seemed to revive, and a stranger passing over the 
ground to-day Avould scarcely believe that fire had been feeding 
on those Avoods for a fortnight only a few seasons back. A group 
of tall, blasted hemlocks, on the verge of the wood, is the most 
striking monument of the event. The evergreens generally suffer 
more than other trees, and for some cause or other the fire con- 
tinued busy at that point for seA'cral days. We repeatedly passed 
along the higliAvay at the time, with the flames at work on either 
side. Of course, there Avas no danger, but it looked oddly to be 
driving quietly along through the fire. The crackling of the 
flames Avas heard in the village, and the smell of smoke Avas oc- 
casionally quite unpleasant. 
A timely rain generall}'^ puts a stop to the mischief ; but par- 
ties of men are also sent out into the Avoods to “ fio-ht the fire.” 
O 
They tread out the flames among the dry leaves by trampling 
them doAvn, and they rake aAvay the combustible materials, to 
confine the enemy to its old grounds, when it soon exhausts itself. 
The flames spread more frequently along the earth, than from tree 
to tree. 
Thursday, 3 1 st . — The water-lilies are still in blossom ; opening 
quite early in the season, they continue to flower until the frost 
cuts them off. We found numbers of them in Black-bird Bay 
this evening. 
