770 
THE Rl_JR-A.lv NEW >VORKER 
The Wild Flower Collector 
By IDA M. JACKSON 
-. . , — — Part I. - 
L UCK has come to the country girl. 
The thing that the world wants is 
right at her door. Perhaps it is the 
bunch of blue vervain that flourishes in 
the wood-lot, or the clump of elder bush¬ 
es over by the duck pond. There are 
scores of desirable plants that ai’e not in 
the dealer’s catalogue. Indeed, there are 
but few plants of any kind that do not 
have marked decorative value sometime 
during their life. It is astonishing to 
find out how many lovely things grow in 
out-of-the-way places. Learn to see 
things. A trained collector will find 
something of value wherever he goes. 
There are dozens of beautiful wild flow¬ 
ers worthy of cultivation, and all of 
them show improvement in the hands of 
even an ordinary gardener. There is a 
neat little fortune for the person who 
will plant and cultivate the bird’s-foot 
violet. Take for example the Colorado 
nurseryman who is making the flora of 
his State so popular. lie saw surpass¬ 
ing grace and beauty in the Rocky 
Mountain columbine. He collected plants 
and saved seeds till now he supplies the 
world with that beautiful flower. He it 
was who saw, as in a vision, the possi¬ 
bilities of the Mariposa lily, and to-day 
every one of those lilies that finds it way 
into the channels of trade passes through 
his hands. Another worthy flower is the 
wood Anemone. It ought to be called 
"Poet’s Anemone.” Its drooping invo¬ 
lucre, its sweet little flushed buds, which 
finally open snow white, all combine to 
make it a desirable plant for any situ¬ 
ation. 
Woodland Beauty. — The Sabbatia 
angularis, with its perfectly delightful 
star-shaped pink flowers in an ample 
panicle, comes at a time when blooms 
are scarce. Seeds of this plant could be 
gathered and sown in the Autumn or 
early Spring, and in a few years a fine 
bed of plants would be the result. Sab¬ 
batia angularis is a near relative of the 
beautiful blue-fringed gentian. Among 
the creeping plants none is finer than 
"trailing walioo.” It is at its best when 
grown on the bank of a stream, and 
nothing could be prettier than its shining 
green leaves and pink berries reflected in 
the water. Mitchella repens or partridge 
berry is another pretty creeper. Its red 
berries remain all Winter. The dainti¬ 
est of all the “carpet” plants is Linnrna 
borealis. It loves the mossy woods and 
cold bogs of the North, but can be grown 
in more southern localities. The flowers 
are small and sweet scented. This is not 
a fad of the hour, as an ever-increasing 
demand for wild flowers from numerous 
sources will testify. A few progressive 
nurserymen and florists do a large busi¬ 
ness in wild flowers as a "side line,” one 
firm distributing to the trade as many as 
one hundred thousand plants of a single 
species in one season. 
Needs and Suggestions. —Fortunate¬ 
ly many country girls have had a high- 
school course in botany, and are prepared 
to begin the work at once. In all orders 
sent out botanical names are used, and 
if an unfamiliar plant is called for the 
text-book can generally be relied on for 
descriptions. Learn to visualize descrip¬ 
tions. Dealers have their lists, which 
can be had for the asking. Such plants 
can be selected as can be done to ad¬ 
vantage, and the dealer advised. Right 
here let it be said that the thing a col¬ 
lector must do is to get the plants that 
are fairly abundant in his locality and 
let the "other fellows” get those that 
are plentiful with them. Always leave 
plenty and to spare for next year’s seed¬ 
ing. Accordingly as a species is more or 
less plentiful the dealer expects you to 
gauge your prices. For instance, a col¬ 
lector at one station might get out Phlox 
divaricata (incox-rectly called wild sweet 
William) for three dollars per thousand 
and make good wages, while another col¬ 
lector at a different station would have 
to ask six dollars per thousand because 
of scarcity. 
Cost and Prices. —The dealer always 
sends an inquiry and asks your best 
price before placing the order. Almost 
every locality is rich in some one or more 
species, and these you can get out. at 
20 or 30 cents per hundred and make as 
good wages as a dressmaker or school 
teacher. I have offered to get cranesbill, 
Greek valerian, Smilacina racemosa 
(false spikenard), and several other 
items for two dollars per thousand be¬ 
cause they are so abundant .that I could 
well afford to do it. These offers are all 
booked, and some day the hoped-for 
order will appear. At this writing I 
have an inquiry for 500 Asclepias tube- 
rosa, the beautiful orange-colored milk¬ 
weed ; also my best price per hundred. 
Now, I have only 50 of these plants lo¬ 
cated, but I don’t wish to turn down a 
prospective order, so I write, explaining 
the situation and ask for a few days to 
investigate. Perhaps my price of two 
dollars per hundred will see a little high 
to the dealer, but if none of his other 
collectors can supply him any cheaper 
then I get the order. 
Springtime Greens. 
T this time of year we are laying 
aside the heavy clothing of Winter, 
opening our windows and doors to the 
warm breezes of Spring, and as we also 
turn away from the heavy foods of Win¬ 
ter nature demands a decided change of 
diet. Now is the time when we want 
the delicate green foods of Spring; salads, 
asparagus, and greens of all sorts. This 
is a good time to form new food habits 
and better ones for the better health and 
the greater efficiency of each member of 
the household. At a recent address be¬ 
fore the new canning and garden clubs of 
Cortland Co., N. Y., Prof. O. H. Benson, 
U. S. Department of Agriculture special¬ 
ist in charge of canning and garden club 
work, spoke very convincingly of the great 
need of the American people for better 
food habits. As a nation he said we are 
accused of three things; of being a na¬ 
tion of spenders, a nation of weak stom¬ 
achs, and a nation of patent medicine 
users. Much of this he attributed to 
the fact that we are a nation of meat 
eaters. He did not advocate vegetarianism, 
but he did wish the people to learn to 
put meat in its proper place in the diet, 
using it more as a condiment, or a sea- 
soner of food, not putting it on our ta¬ 
bles as a dish by itself oftener than once 
a day. Along the line of his work he had 
interviewed many prominent physicians, 
who declared that S5% of their patients 
are sick because they aren’t properly fed. 
Their diet includes too much protein, too 
little cellulose or bulk foods, such as the 
outer layer of grains, and the fruits and 
vegetables, and too little of the valuable 
vegetable acids and mineral salts of 
fruit, vegetables and greens. He had cor¬ 
responded with various druggists in dif¬ 
ferent States of the Union, and at his 
request they had kept accurate records 
of daily sales. The lowest record of any 
drugstore of any State reported over 
00% of the sales to be of patent medicine 
laxatives, while some reported it as high 
as 90%. All of this harmful habit-form¬ 
ing drug habit is necessitated because 
people will not eat enough fruit, greens 
and vegetables. They prefer to take 
their salts out of a bottle, instead of in a 
palatable, attractive form. The food 
they are in the habit of eating is too 
concentrated, and far too rich and high¬ 
ly seasoned. Consequently a large per¬ 
centage of the people are ailing, and in¬ 
efficient. There are few jobs where ef¬ 
ficiency does not count. And every one 
in the heart, longs for perfect, abounding 
health. But people will spend large sums 
of money and do everything under the 
sun but reform their habits of living and 
eating. 
Perhaps the earliest to those in reach 
of the markets, is lettuce. At five cents 
a bunch lettuce is as cheap as any food 
of equal value to be bought. A home¬ 
made cold frame will soon raise enough 
for the family table long before that 
sown in the open gardens is ready for 
use, and in it may be started early let¬ 
tuce, beet, tomato and onion plants for 
transplanting into the garden for an ex¬ 
tra early supply of those. 
The dandelion is springing up every¬ 
where and in its youngest earliest days it 
is best to use it raw in salads. Afgood one 
for everyday use for a time is made of 
at least one chopped hard-boiled egg for 
each member of the family. Add an equal 
bulk of the tender young dandelions also 
chopped and a little chopped raw onion, 
May 30,. 
if liked. Over this turn a dressing made 
of two tablespoons of olive oil to one 
of vinegar or lemon juice, one-half tea¬ 
spoon of mustard, one teaspoon of salt, 
one-quarter teaspoon of pepper and one 
teaspoon of maple syrup or of sugar. It 
is well to make a large bottle of this 
dressing in the proportions given, mix¬ 
ing it thoroughly by vigorously shaking 
the bottle. This dressing in itself is an 
appetizer and laxative, and very easily 
prepared. 
To vary this salad, use different greens 
such as young horseradish leaves, mus¬ 
tard, sorrel, lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, 
tart apples and crisp raw cabbage finely 
shaved, which is a never-failing and valu¬ 
able laxative and iron tonic. Instead of 
eggs other fillers may be used in the 
preparation of greatly valued salad, such 
as cold boiled potatoes, boiled cabbage, 
carrots, beets, and other vegetables, cold 
boiled greens, beans, canned snap beans, 
peas, tomatoes, sweet peppers, boiled rice, 
macaroni and spaghetti, noodles, crack¬ 
er and bread crumbs and occasionally 
cold meats. Other dressings as the well- 
known mayonnaise, sour cream dressings, 
and plain boiled dressings may be used. 
Thus the combinations are endless. And 
all are attractive and very palatable. 
And while the greens are in their 
prime let us learn to can them, if we 
never have done so before. Pint glass 
cans are best for most family use, 
Swiss chard perhaps the best greens 
known. Besides this there are beet 
greens with the small beets on, mustard, 
spinach, kale, redroot, dandelions and 
milkweed. All are good and easily can¬ 
ned. The method is much the same for 
all kinds. The following is that rec- 
omcnded to the canning clubs that are 
under supervision of the government 
specialists, and may be considered as 
thoroughly reliable. First, clean and 
wash well. For convenience it is best to 
place them in a wire basket and im¬ 
merse them in boiling water for from five 
to 15 minutes, depending on the tender¬ 
ness, bitterness, or acidity of the va¬ 
rious kinds. Dandelions, for instance, 
should be boiled for ijrom 10 to 15 min¬ 
utes, on account of their excess of bit¬ 
terness. Then lift the basket and plunge 
it into cold water. This checks the flow 
of the juices that have started, and 
coagulates them. This blanching process 
serves four purposes. It reduces the 
bulk, eliminates the acids, checks flow of 
juices preserving the color bodies, and 
reduces the time of the cooking after it 
it placed in the cans. If some sort of 
seasoning is desired a slice of bacon may 
be placed, in each can. Then the can 
should be filled, adding hot water to level 
it to the top; add one teaspoon of salt 
to the quart or one-half teaspoon to the 
pint can, place the top in position, using 
only new rubbers of good quality. Par¬ 
tially tighten the top and place in a 
covered wash boiler, or 16-quart tin sap 
bucket, either of which should have a 
perforated board or slat bottom on which 
to stand the cans. Fill with warm 
water two-thirds the height of the can. 
Throw over the top a cheese cloth or 
heavier cloth, and over this fit the top 
on as tightly as possible. Put a brick 
on each end of the boiler cover, or on 
the close fitting pan or basin chosen to 
use as a cover for the bucket, and boil 
for two hours. Then remove, tighten the 
tops at once, and invert. All cans and 
rubbers should have been sterilized in 
boiling water before filling and care 
should be taken not to touch the inside 
of cans or tops with hands after. In 
Winter, or later in the season these 
canned greens will prove a blessing to 
the daily i enus. They may be used in 
soups, cream sauces, jellied and molded 
for salads with all sorts of dressings, 
garnishes and accompaniments. A well- 
liked but little known combination, is 
tomatoes with greens. Add a can of to¬ 
matoes, juice and all, to a well drained, 
seasoned and chopped bowl of greens. 
The tomato will mingle agreeably with 
the greens and its acidity gives the greens 
the needed tar f ness or flavor. Bacon 
fat or butter, or plain boiled salt pork 
makes a good seasoning for all greens. 
MRS. E. G. FLINT. 
“At any rate, I can truthfully say my 
business is never at a standstill.” “What 
is your business?” “Moving pictures.”— 
Judge. 
THE BLOODROOT, SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS. 
