THEC?nD?R 
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Volume XIV July- August, 1912 Number 4" 
I’.IRDS THE COTTOXWOOl) GRO\’ES 
By FLORENCE AIERRIAM HAILEY 
WITH TWO PHOTOS 
W HEN following the old Santa Fe Trail between Santa Fc and the Pecos 
Alonntains, we pitched our tents for a few days’ work near (llorieta in 
a grove of the narrow-leafed elm-like cottonwoods whose slender 
trunks branch above the tops of the nut pines and junipers of the region, and 
whose arching willowy branches hang low over a brilliant dower garden ; a grove 
of such rare attractiveness, surrounded as it is by grave conifers, that it is com- 
monly known as The Park, although the Spanish name Glorieta — bower or 
arbour — seems more appro])riate. Imagine the feelings of the old botanical ex])lor- 
ers when, after following the Santa Fe Trail over five hundred miles of plains, 
they arrived at this garden spot! To the ordinary traveler the groves of narrow- 
leafed cottonwoods, encountered occasionally on the edge of the yellow pine belt, 
are among the most beautiful spots in the west, where it is often hard to make 
comparisons in beauty. The delicacy of the foliage gives exquisite effects in the 
morning sunlight, and almost the effect of beech woods in the moonlight. In this 
Glorieta of the Santa h'e Trail the wild flower garden under the trees was bright 
with luxuriant painted cups, lupins, delicate pentstemons in red, purple, aud white, 
and a deep pink ])hlox that was really a brilliant flower. 
The beautiful grove, at the time of our visit.s — July, 1903 — was full of birds. 
The loud buzzing of the Rroad-tailed Hummingbird told of its presence among 
the flowers, and overhead among the branches the .songs of We.stern House Wrens 
and Swaimson and I’lumbeoiis vireos persisted when all else was quiet. At dusk 
the calling of poor-wills and the booming of nighthawks was heard. During the 
day there were the voices of birds from the open country below and those from 
the edge of the mountain fore.st above — the hcnk, hciik, of the Rocky ^Mountain 
Nuthatch and the cheery call of the ^Mountain Chickadee being mingled with the 
tu-zchit, tii-z^'liit, of the Gray Titmouse, the lisping of goldfinches, the 
