diff options
Diffstat (limited to '13347-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 13347-0.txt | 1539 |
1 files changed, 1539 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/13347-0.txt b/13347-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..17c3574 --- /dev/null +++ b/13347-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1539 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 13347 *** + +[Illustration: VIOLETS.] + +[Illustration: ALMOND AND APPLE BLOSSOM.] + + + + + + +THE COUNTRY-LIFE-READERS + +BY ARTHUR O. COOKE + +FLOWERS OF THE FARM + + + + +CONTENTS + + I. Introduction + II. In the Coppice + III. Flowers on the Walls + IV. Three Handsome Weeds + V. Clover + VI. In "Ashmead" + VII. In the Hay-field +VIII. In the Hay-field (_continued_) + IX. In the Corn-field + X. In the Corn-field (_continued_) + XI. On the Chase + XII. In the Lanes + + + + +CHAPTER I + +INTRODUCTION + + +I think that some of you have been with me at Willow Farm before to-day. +When we were there we went into the farmer's fields in early spring, and +saw the men and horses at work with ploughs and harrows. A little later +on we saw some of the crops sown, such as barley and turnips. In summer +we were in the hay-and corn-fields, and later still we saw the ricks +being made. + +To-day we are at Willow Farm again, and I want to show you some of the +flowers that grow there. I do not mean those which Mrs. Hammond, the +farmer's wife, grows in her garden, pretty as they are. We will look +rather at the wild flowers in the fields, the hedges, and by the +road-side in the lane. No one sows their seed nor takes care of them in +any way; yet they grow and blossom year after year, and nearly all of +them are beautiful. + +Before we begin to look at them we must make sure that we quite +understand just what a flower is. Even those of you who live in large +towns and have perhaps never been in the country, see flowers of some +sort, I feel sure; you see them in shop windows and they are also often +sold in the streets. You have seen wallflowers and daffodils in the +spring, roses in the summer, violets in winter, as well as other kinds. +You do not need to be told that these are flowers. + +What about the grass on lawns, and in such places as Battersea Park and +Hyde Park in London? "Oh," you say, "that is not a flower at all--that +is just grass." Yes, it is grass, but the grass has a flower as well as +a rose bush or a violet-plant. It is only because the grass is kept cut +short that you do not see its flower on a lawn. If grass is not cut, or +eaten by animals, it grows tall in spring; then in May or June you would +see the flowers on tall straight stems which stand among the blades of +grass. Many of these grass flowers are very beautiful and we will look +presently at some of them in one of the farmer's fields. + +Perhaps some of you have gardens or grass plots at your own homes. If +you see some dandelions in the lawn, or groundsel among the flowers or +vegetables in the garden beds, you say, "Those weeds must be pulled up." +You call the Dandelion and the Groundsel weeds, but they have flowers +all the same; the Dandelion is perhaps one of the most lovely yellow +flowers that we have. + +They are weeds certainly in your lawn or garden beds, for they ought not +to be there. Weeds are plants in the wrong place. By and by, in the +farmer's fields, we shall see many pretty flowers which he calls weeds. +We speak of the Nettle as a weed, and do not usually admire it; yet the +Nettle has a flower, as we shall see. + +Then what do you think of a tree having a flower? That is perhaps a new +idea to you. Yet if you look at a Horse-chestnut tree in June you will +see at once the large spikes of beautiful white flowers with which it is +covered. Apple trees have a beautiful pink, or pink and white flower, +and the Almond tree bears a lovely pink flower. All other trees have +flowers too, but they are often small. The flowers of the Oak and the +Beech are small, but, though you may not notice them, they are on the +tree each spring. + +Almost all plants, including large trees, have flowers--they are +flowering plants. Just a few plants have no flower; ferns have none, nor +have the mosses and lichens which grow on walls and rocks and on the +stems of trees. Fungi, too, such as the mushroom, have no flowers. +Nearly all other plants have flowers. It is by the flower or blossom +that a plant is reproduced. After the flower has faded comes the fruit +and seed; the seed falls into the ground or is sown, and from it springs +another plant. Without the flower there would be no seed. + +You see that there are rather more flowers than you had thought. Still, +while we are strolling in the fields and lanes at Willow Farm, we shall +look most at what are generally called flowers; we shall look at +comparatively small plants in which the flower or blossom is easily +noticed because it is large, or bright-coloured, or sweet-scented. But +while we are admiring a Daisy or a Dandelion in the spring, we must not +forget that the great Oak-tree above it also has a flower of its own--we +must remember that the Oak-tree also is a flowering plant. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +IN THE COPPICE + + +Outside the front door of Willow Farm is a broad curving gravel drive, +at the far end of which a white gate opens into the lane. On one side of +this drive is a narrow strip of ground planted with flowers and shrubs, +and close to the front door there is a patch of grass on which stands a +large old mulberry tree. + +On the other side of the drive is a lawn. Beyond that are more flowers +and then the vegetable garden; further on still is a little wood or +coppice of nut bushes. On this March morning we shall find some wild +flowers in this little wood. + +Between the vegetable garden and the wood is a low grassy bank. It is +bright to-day with yellow primroses. The Primrose always blossoms early +here, for the bank is sunny and is sheltered from cold winds. + +[Illustration: PRIMROSE.] + +I daresay most of you have seen a Primrose before to-day. Each pale +yellow blossom is made up of five petals, which are joined together +forming a tube or corolla. The petals are notched or indented on the +outer edge. At the centre of the blossom, where the petals meet, each +petal is marked with a spot of darker yellow. Each flower grows alone on +a long slender stem. At the top of the stem is a kind of green tube out +of which the yellow blossom appears. The Primrose blossoms have a scent; +not strong, but very sweet and pleasant. + +The leaves are called "radical" or "root" leaves. They are so called +because each leaf _appears_ to grow direct from the root. But the leaves +really grow from a short stem at the top of the root--a stem so short +that it does not appear above the ground at all. + +Among the bushes of the coppice itself we will notice the flowers which +first catch our eye--the pretty blossoms of the Wood Anemone. The whole +coppice is starred with the beautiful white flowers. We pick one and see +that it has six--six what? "Six petals," you say. No, these are not +petals, for the Anemone has none. They are sepals. The sepals of a plant +generally enclose the blossom before it is opened, and they are usually +green. In the Anemone the petals are absent; the sepals take their place +and are white instead of green. Their under side is often not pure +white, but is streaked with pale pink. + +Several blossoms which we pick have six of these sepals. That is the +usual number, but sometimes there are only five, and sometimes more than +six. + +The blossoms of the Anemone grow on longer and stronger stalks than +those of the Primrose, and on each stalk are three leaves. These leaves +grow round the stalk in a ring. Each leaf is "tri-partite"--in three +parts or divisions; the edges of these divided leaves are deeply +serrated. Besides the three leaves on each flower-stalk similar leaves +grow from underground stems which creep along not far below the surface +of the soil. Such creeping underground stems are usually called +"rhizomes." + +At the further side of the coppice, where a hedge separates it from the +little meadow called Home Close, are Sweet Violets. We catch their +fragrant scent before we see them, for the tiny flowers are half hidden +among broad green leaves. Each blossom has five petals of a dark purple +colour; there are white Sweet Violets too, but none are growing in our +little wood to-day. + +At the base of the blossom--the part where it joins the stem--one of the +petals has a little spur which points back towards the stem. The blossom +is therefore said to be spurred; we may presently see other plants with +spurred flowers. + +There is another violet which grows wild in England--the Dog Violet. It +is larger than our Sweet Violets here, but it has no scent. + +[Illustration: ANEMONE.] + +While we have been examining the flowers on the ground, the nut bushes +above our heads are waiting to remind us of what we said just now--that +trees also have flowers. The flowers of the nut bush or hazel are easily +seen, for they appear before the leaves are open. What we see to-day are +often called catkins, but the name which country children give them is +lambs'-tails. It is a very good name, too, for they are more like the +tail of some tiny lamb than anything else. + +These catkins are yellowish-white in colour, and soft and almost woolly +to the touch. They hang in clusters from the hazel twigs, and in the +strong March wind which blows to-day, they shake and flutter like the +tails of lambs at play. Some of them leave a dusty powder on our fingers +when we handle them; that is the pollen of the flower. + +It is not where these yellow "catkins" are dancing on the twigs to-day +that the hazel nuts will appear in autumn. The nuts will grow on twigs +where there are very small red flowers--something like tiny +paint-brushes. These are the female flowers; they will be fertilized by +the yellow pollen of the catkins, and will produce the nuts. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +FLOWERS ON THE WALLS + + +Behind the narrow strip of ground with flowers and shrubs on the other +side of the drive there is a low stone wall. A piece of the lawn on +which the mulberry tree stands has been cut away, and a flight of steps +leads down to a little gate into the foldyard. + +This wall between the garden and the foldyard is very old and rough--not +like the smooth brick walls you see in towns. The stones are of +different shapes and sizes, the mortar has fallen out of it in many +places, and here and there are holes and crevices. Yet it is a very +beautiful old wall, for many things grow on it; mosses and grasses, and +other flowers too, are there. + +On this May morning we not only see, but also smell, one of the flowers +which grow upon the wall--it is the beautiful sweet-scented Wallflower. +It grows here and there along the top of the wall, and a few plants of +it are even springing from the sides. Some of the plants are quite large +and their stems are tough. These have grown here for a long time. The +Wallflower is a perennial plant; unless it is killed or torn up by the +roots it will live and grow for many years. Others are quite young and +only a few inches high. These have grown from seeds dropped last autumn +by the older plants. + +You very likely wonder how the Wallflower or any other plant can grow +upon the wall, for there is no earth to be seen--nothing but stones and +crumbling mortar. But if we pull up one of the smaller plants we shall +find earth clinging to its roots. Dry dusty earth has been blown upon +the wall by wind, and has lodged in chinks and holes. Dust and soil, +too, were mixed with the mortar when the wall was built; and dead leaves +falling on it and decaying have produced a little more--for decayed +leaves make earth or "soil." Wallflowers and other plants which grow on +walls and rocks find very little soil sufficient for their needs. + +Most of the blossoms of the wallflowers upon this wall are of a golden +yellow colour and are very sweet. Some of the blossoms are, however, a +darker yellow than others, and here and there are petals which are quite +brown. + +If we look at the garden behind us we shall see that Mrs. Hammond has +several beds of Wallflower this year; it is a flower of which she is +very fond. There are wallflowers of two different colours in her beds. +One kind has bright golden blossoms, rather deeper in colour than any of +those upon the wall; the other has flowers that are a rich dark brown. + +[Illustration: WALLFLOWER.] + +These plants are sturdier and more bushy than those upon the wall, and +there are more flowers on each plant. The flowers are finer, too, and +have a stronger scent. If Mrs. Hammond had wished she could have sown +seed to produce many different shades of brown and yellow Wallflowers. +She might also have had a purple Wallflower, and even a Wallflower of so +pale a yellow as to be almost white. + +If you and I were clever gardeners and had plenty of time and patience, +we could get purple or nearly white wallflowers from these +yellow-flowered plants upon the wall. It would perhaps take us many +years, but we should succeed at last. This is how we should set about +it. + +Suppose that we wished to have a Wallflower nearly white. We should look +carefully along the wall in spring, when the blossoms are out, until we +found the very palest yellow blossom we could see. We should mark that +plant, and when the flower was over and the seed was ripe, we should +collect the seed. Among the plants grown from this seed we should choose +again the plant that had the palest flowers, and should save the seed +from _that_. We might have to go on doing this for twenty years or more, +but in time we should have a Wallflower so pale as to be almost white. + +_Quite_ white we should never get our Wallflower, for no _pure_ white +flower can be obtained from a yellow one. However pale our Wallflower +might be there would still always be just a tinge of yellow or cream +colour in it. + +If, on the other hand, we wanted a purple or a very dark brown +Wallflower, we should save seed from those blossoms which were nearest +to the colour we wanted--dark brown or with a tinge of purple in them. +We should sow seed from the darkest blossoms again and again, and at +last we should get what we wished to have. + +[Illustration: RED VALERIAN.] + +[Illustration: STINGING NETTLE.] + +[Illustration: WHITE DEAD NETTLE.] + +Besides choosing seed from the lightest or darkest blossoms, we should +tend our plants very carefully and well, giving them plenty of good rich +soil. This would make them grow bushy and with many flowers, as we see +them in Mrs. Hammond's garden beds. + +Many of our garden flowers have been produced in this way, by selecting +and improving wild flowers. Of course all flowers grow wild _somewhere_; +some in England, but many more in foreign countries, where the air is +warmer and the soil richer and better. The Pansy is a little English +wild flower with yellow, blue, and red petals. From this little flower +gardeners have produced large and beautiful pansies of many different +colours and shades of colours--white, yellow, blue, and brown. This has +been done by careful selection, just as we spoke of doing with the +wallflowers. + +But if the large single-coloured pansies of which I have told you, or +Mrs. Hammond's dark brown wallflowers, were allowed to seed +themselves--that is, were allowed to drop and sow their own seed year +after year--do you know what would happen? They would gradually revert +or turn back to their original form and colour. The flowers would become +mixed in colour and less fine in size; at last they would be simple wild +flowers again. + +[Illustration: PANSY.] + +Now it is June, and the blossoms of the Wallflower have faded and +fallen. The old wall is, however, growing gay with another plant--the +Red Valerian. We must be careful to remember that it is the Red +Valerian, for there are other valerians. There is the Great Valerian +which does not grow on walls or rocks, but in damp and shady places; its +flowers are pale pink. + +The blossoms of the Red Valerian on the wall are bright crimson, and +they grow in rows on small stems which spring from a stout stalk a foot +or two in height. Each blossom of five petals forms a little tube or +corolla. The base or foot of each little tube appears as a point on the +under side of the flower stem; the Red Valerian, like the Violet, is a +spurred flower. + +The leaves are long and pointed, and they grow in pairs, on opposite +sides of the stalk. Sometimes the edges of the leaves are quite smooth; +sometimes they are serrated, or toothed, like the edge of a saw. If we +pulled a plant of Red Valerian from the wall we should find the roots +very long and branching; they need to be so, for the plant often grows +on rocks and other places where it is exposed to wind. If the roots had +not a firm hold the tall stems laden with blossoms might be blown down. + +The Red Valerian flowers all through the summer. Its clusters of crimson +flowers are as great an ornament to the old wall as were the wallflowers +in May. + +Now let us go down the steps into the foldyard; there is a wall on +either side of us as we descend. The wall which faces the north is +nearly always in shadow, and there are ferns growing but of it between +the stones. One of these is a beautiful Hartstongue fern, with large and +shining leaves. We said just now, however, that ferns have no flowers, +so we will turn to something that grows on the wall opposite. + +This is the ivy-leaved Toadflax. It grows on walls and rocks, as the Red +Valerian does, but it is a very different plant in appearance. The stems +of the Red Valerian are tall and upright; those of the Toadflax are +slender and drooping. There is a large mass of it on the side of the +wall, and we find that the root is at the highest point of the whole +mass. The stems with the flowers and leaves hang down below the root; it +is a trailing plant. + +There are, however, other roots clinging to the wall here and there +below the main root. The plant, like several others, is able to throw +out fresh roots from the joints of its stems, and these give it a firmer +hold. + +The flowers are small, and their colour is a pale lilac-blue with a +bright yellow spot in the centre. These flowers too are spurred. The +leaves are smooth and thick--what is called fleshy. They are divided +into five lobes or divisions, and are not unlike an ivy-leaf in shape. +When we turn a leaf or two over we see that the under side of some is +dark purple. + +[Illustration: IVY-LEAVED TOADFLAX.] + +This little plant is usually said to prefer a damp situation, and to +blossom from May till October. This wall beside the steps is certainly +rather damp, for the moisture from the garden above soaks down to it. In +my own garden, however, the ivy-leaved Toadflax grows on some very dry +old walls, and I have found it in flower in the middle of December. + +Neither the Toadflax nor the Red Valerian are really natives of England. +They were brought to our country many hundreds of years ago. They have +spread so much that they have now become wildflowers. In the same way +many others of our wild flowers were once unknown in England. + +Now that we have come down the steps into the foldyard we see that it +lies a good deal below the house and garden. Built round the foldyard +are the stables for the cart-horses, the cowhouses, and the great barn. +Behind the stables is the rickyard. That, like the garden, is above the +foldyard; from it there are only two or three steps to the door of the +loft or "tallet" above the stables. It is there that we will go now. + +The wall of the tallet is of stone and is very old; the roof is tiled. +There is a little hole cut in the bottom of the door, and you will see +one like it in the door of the granary. It is made so that old Tib and +the other cats can go in and catch mice. Growing between the stones of +the wall just by the tallet door is the plant I want to show you now. + +It is the Stonecrop. Some of the stems grow upright, while others are +trailing. At the top of each upright stem is a cluster of bright yellow +flowers. Some of these are fully open, and we see that each blossom has +five pointed petals. The trailing stems have no flowers at all, they are +barren; but the leaves on the barren stems are much more numerous and +closer together than those on the upright flowering stems. + +[Illustration: COMMON STONECROP.] + +These leaves are very curious. They are not flat like the leaves of the +Red Valerian, the Toadflax, and most other flowers; they are very thick +and fleshy--something like a short round pointed stick. They grow close +against the stalk, not in pairs, but alternately, first a leaf on one +side of the stalk, then a leaf on the other. They are erect too; that +is, they point in the same direction as the stalk. + +On the barren stems the leaves grow so closely that they quite cover the +stalk. They have a hot sharp taste, and the plant is sometimes called +"Wall-Pepper." The roots are very thin and can spread easily through +narrow chinks of the wall. + +We will see one more plant of the walls before we look for flowers +elsewhere. Our next plant is not very common at Willow Farm; still I +know where to look for it. Built against one side of the big barn in the +foldyard is a little lean-to shed. Often there are calves in it; but +just now we are more interested in something that is on the roof. + +Standing close to the wall of the shed is a cattle crib--a kind of big +square box or trough on legs, in which hay or chaff is put for the +cattle. The shed is not very high, and by standing on the crib we can +scramble on to the roof. Here is the plant we want to see. + +It is the Houseleek, of which a clump is growing between the tiles. +Almost flat on the tiles is a dense mass of large green fleshy leaves. +These leaves are evergreen, they do not die and fall off in winter. From +this cluster of leaves rise straight thick stems nearly a foot high. The +stems are thickly covered with erect leaves which grow smaller towards +the top of the stem. + +At the top of the stem is a cluster of very handsome rosy-red flowers. +Each blossom is star-shaped when fully open, and generally has twelve +petals. + +[Illustration: HOUSE LEEK.] + +If we could see the roots we should find them very thread-like or +fibrous, like those of other flowers we have been looking at to-day. I +do not think I can very well show you the roots, however; we should have +to pull up a plant, and that would not please Ben, the cowman, at all. +There is a belief in country places that it is bad luck to disturb the +Houseleek--that someone in the house on which it grows is sure to die +soon afterwards. Certainly the plant is not growing on a house +here--only on the calves' cot. Still, if any misfortune should happen to +the calves we might be blamed by Ben. Besides, it would be a pity to +disturb so handsome a plant, would it not? + +We have spent some time in looking at these flowers on the walls and +roof because we think them very wonderful. We see how little soil they +can have in which to grow, and how, in dry weather, they can have very +little moisture either. Yet the leaves of several of them are thick and +fleshy, and the flowers of some are large and beautiful. What could be +more handsome than the blossoms of the Wallflower, the Red Valerian, and +the Houseleek? + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THREE HANDSOME WEEDS + + +At the end of the drive, near the front door, another white gate leads +to the "nag" stables, where Mr. Hammond keeps the two horses which he +rides and drives. Billy, the old brown pony, has a little stable of his +own close by, and further on are the granary and the poultry yard. + +Perhaps you have heard the saying, "Ill weeds grow apace." It is +certainly a true one, for most of the plants which we call weeds grow +quickly and well wherever they are allowed to remain. We shall not have +far to look for the three weeds which I want to show you this morning. +The first of them is the Stinging Nettle. It grows round the wood-pile +in the middle of the poultry-yard, and there are great clumps of it +beside the hedge which divides the poultry-yard from the kitchen garden. + +It is really a very handsome plant, though you may not have thought so +before. Look how tall and straight the stems are, and how evenly and +regularly the dark green pointed leaves grow from it. They grow in +pairs, on opposite sides of the stem, and are serrated. There is +something rather unusual about the stem of the Nettle which we will +notice at once. I have brought out a pair of thick leather gloves, so +that we can pick a stem without being stung. + +You know what shape the trunks of trees are. Round? Yes; round or nearly +so. So are the stems of most plants; the stems of the Red Valerian are +round. The stem of the Nettle, however, is square, or if not perfectly +square, it has four distinct sides. Perhaps you had never noticed this +before, for the Nettle is certainly not a plant with which one cares to +have very much to do. + +Both the stems and leaves are covered with tiny hairs. These hairs are +really small hollow tubes ending in a sharp point. When the Nettle +stings you it first pricks the skin with these sharp points, and then a +drop of poison falls from the tube into the wound the point has made. + +If you happen to get stung by a nettle do _not_ bathe your hand with +cold water; that will only make the pain worse. While you are waiting +for the pain to pass off remember that in India there are nettles whose +sting causes great pain which lasts for several days. You might be much +worse off, you see! + +The small greenish-yellow flowers of the Stinging Nettle grow in long +feathery clusters on stalks which spring from the main stem close to a +pair of leaves. + +The young leaves of the Nettle are said to be very nice boiled as +vegetables; I cannot say that I have ever eaten them myself. Years ago +country people used to take a great deal of nettle tea as medicine in +spring. Nowadays they seem to prefer patent medicines from the chemist's +shop. A dye is made from the roots of the Nettle, and another dye from +the stem and leaves. The young leaves or tops, when chopped up, are good +for poultry, especially for turkeys. So nettles are useful, you see--not +merely stinging weeds. The Nettle, too, is a relation of the hemp plant +from which we get our string and ropes. + +[Illustration: TRAVELLER'S JOY.] + +You may sometimes see or hear of the White, Red, and Yellow Dead Nettle, +but these are not really nettles at all. Their leaves are somewhat +similar, but they are quite different plants. + +Hanging over this great patch of nettles by the hedge there is another +weed, the Traveller's Joy, or Old Man's Beard. Its stem has climbed not +only up the hedge, but high into a hawthorn bush which stands there. It +has many small white feathery flowers with a pleasant scent. On each +leaf stem there are usually five leaflets, one at the end of the stem +and two pairs lower down. These leaf stems are long and tough, and it is +chiefly by them that the plant can climb as it does; they twine round +any branch or twig they touch, and give the Traveller's Joy a firm +support. I have seen trees in woods covered with this plant to a height +of twenty feet from the ground. + +In the autumn and early winter you would admire the Traveller's Joy as +much as you do now. The flowers will certainly be gone, but each seed +which takes the place of a blossom will have a little plume of silky +white threads attached to it--a sort of feathery tail. These serve as +wings by which the seeds are often carried long distances by the wind. +The seeds of some other plants which we shall see have something of the +same kind. + +There is another climbing plant in the hedge, the Large Bindweed or +Convolvulus. To look at it, however, we will go round into the garden +where there is more of it than Mrs. Hammond cares to see. It is +certainly a beautiful plant, with its large three-sided pointed leaves, +and its great pure white bell-shaped flowers--something like the mouth +of a trumpet. + +In the farmhouse garden, however, it is certainly a weed--a plant in the +wrong place. We see that at once. Close to the hedge are some gooseberry +and currant bushes, and into these the Bindweed has climbed. The +Bindweed's stems are twined round the stems and branches of the bushes +till they are almost hidden by it, and are bent down by the weight. + +[Illustration: LARGE BINDWEED.] + +The Bindweed climbs, as we see, by twisting its stem round the tree to +which it clings; but though it is a climbing plant its stems can grow +for a foot or more from the ground without support. Some of the shoots +of the Bindweed are two or three feet away from the stems of the fruit +bushes, but they have grown unsupported till they could reach an +overhanging bough and cling to that. + +Every now and then, Dan, who looks after the garden when he has time, +cuts oft all the Bindweed close to the ground, and pulls some of it up +by the roots; but fresh shoots soon appear again. It is of little use to +dig up the ground near the bushes, for the Bindweed is twisted all among +their roots. + +You think the Bindweed and the Traveller's Joy beautiful flowers, and +so they are. At the same time these plants are far more troublesome and +dangerous weeds than the Stinging Nettle. Nearly all plants that cling +to other plants do harm; they prevent the stems and boughs to which they +cling from swelling freely. See how tightly the Bindweed stems are +twisted round the boughs of this currant bush. Ivy, Bindweed, and other +clinging plants often kill or seriously injure valuable trees in this +way. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +CLOVER + + +I said all I could to make you admire the Nettle, and to see what a +handsome and even useful plant it is. I am afraid, however, that you do +not care much for it; I do not see that any of you have gathered a +handful to take home. When we go in to dinner presently, if Mrs. Hammond +were to say, "Will you have green peas or nettle-tops?" I believe you +would all say, "Peas, if you please!" So we had better look for a flower +that you may like better. We will go to Ashmead, where the cows are +grazing, and will find some Clover. + +Mr. Hammond grows Clover in some of his fields every year. Those of you +who have been at Willow Farm before, and have walked about the farmer's +fields, know this, for we saw the bailiff sowing Clover broadcast. +Besides the fields of Clover, however, there is always plenty of it +growing among the meadow grass. We find some directly we go through the +gate into Ashmead. It is a plant with a bright purplish-red blossom. +Let us sit down and examine it carefully. + +The blossom is a little knob, or ball of colour, almost round. It is +made up of a great many little purple stalks, standing upright and very +close together. Pull a few of these stalks from the blossom and put +their lower ends between your lips. They are quite sweet like sugar. +Nearly all flowers contain honey, or rather _nectar_ of which the bees +make honey. Some flowers have much nectar, some less, and some have none +at all; the Clover contains a great deal. + +Now look at the leaves; each has three leaflets. If you can find a leaf +with four of these leaflets, the country children will think you very +fortunate, for a four-leaved Clover is said to bring good luck, just +as a four-leaved Shamrock does in Ireland. A four-leaved Clover is, +however, rather rare; I hope you may find one, but I am rather afraid +you will not. + +Here is another Clover, not quite so handsome as the Red Clover at +which we have just been looking; the flowers are white, and are rather +smaller. This is White or Dutch Clover. It is a perennial plant, and one +which spreads over a great deal of ground if it is allowed to do so. +We saw, you remember, that the ivy-leaved Toadflax on the wall by the +foldyard steps sent out fresh roots from its stems as it grew. The White +Clover does the same. The stems creep along the ground, send out fresh +roots, and in this way the plant spreads quickly. + +Keeping a few stems of both these clovers in our hands we will go a +little further up the lane. There, in a field, we shall see something +that even country people cannot see every day. The Clover which farmers +usually sow is either the Red Clover or the White, or else another kind +called Alsike. This year Mr. Hammond has sown a field with a fourth +kind--Crimson Clover. + +Did you ever see a more beautiful sight? The whole field is a blaze of +rich crimson colour. I shall never forget the day I first saw a field +of Crimson Clover. I was so delighted that I asked the farmer--not Mr. +Hammond, but another friend--if he would have a field of it for me to +admire every year! He said he would tell me by and by. At the end of the +year he said he did not find it such a useful food for his animals as +the Red and White Clovers, and he should not sow it again--at least not +very soon. You see pretty things are not always the most useful. + +Let us see what differences we can find between the three clovers we +have gathered. We look first at the blossoms. That of the Red Clover is, +as we have said, like a little round ball, or knob. The flower of the +White Clover is of much the same shape, but is less fine. The flower of +the Crimson Clover is altogether different in shape. It has indeed many +small crimson stems, but these do not form a round ball. They are +arranged in the form of a little circular cone or pyramid which is large +at the bottom and pointed at the top. + +[Illustration: CLOVER LEAVES. 1. White; 2. Crimson; 3. Red.] + +There are other differences. Immediately below the flower of the Red +Clover is a pair of leaves; the blossom is said to be "sessile" or +seated on these leaves. Other leaves, and also other blossoms, grow +on the same stem. Now look at the White Clover. The blossom grows on +a stalk without any leaves or other blossoms on it--only the single +blossom at the top of the stalk. The blossom of the Crimson Clover has +leaves below it. + +To-day we easily distinguish one clover from the others by the flowers. +Supposing, however, that we looked at them some day before the flowers +were out; what then? Are there any differences in the leaves? All three +have leaves formed of three leaflets--they are trefoils--but the leaves +are otherwise different. + +Those of the Red Clover grow on stems branching from the flower stem, +and sometimes on the flower stem itself. Both leaves and stems are +hairy, and on the leaves there is generally a white mark, something the +shape of a horseshoe. + +The leaves of the White Clover grow, like the flower, at the top of the +stem--a single leaf on each stem. The under sides of the leaves are +smooth and glossy. The leaves of the Crimson Clover grow on the flower +stems like those of the Red Clover; but the leaflets are broader and +rounder than the Red Clover leaflets. The Crimson Clover is an annual, +while the others are perennials. + +All these clovers are good food for the farmer's animals or stock. The +Red Clover is, perhaps, the most useful. Bees, however, prefer the White +Clover, for they can more easily get at its nectar. + +Sheep are exceedingly fond of Clover, but Mr. Hammond is always careful +not to turn them into a field of Clover when they are very hungry, +or to let them stray in by accident. If they got in they would eat it +ravenously, and many would very likely die. Too hearty a meal of Clover +has the same effect on them as a great quantity of new bread would have +on you or me. + +We have spent so much time this morning looking at the clovers that we +have only a minute or two to stand at the gate of a field of beans. The +blossoms are pretty--white with dark spots--and they are very fragrant. +A field of beans in flower gives us one of the most delightful of all +country scents. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +IN "ASHMEAD" + + +There are many other flowers besides the Clover in Ashmead to-day, and +this afternoon we will look at some that grow among the grass. One of +these you may perhaps call a weed, yet it is one of the most beautiful +wild flowers in England. I mean the golden Dandelion. + +On a lawn or in a garden bed it would certainly be a weed, and a very +troublesome one. Here among the grass we need only think of it as a very +lovely flower. See what a rich golden yellow the little florets of the +blossom are. Plants like the Dandelion, in which the blossom is composed +of a number of florets, are called "composite" plants. + +If we examine the plant closely we shall find that each stalk which +bears a blossom, and each long deeply indented leaf, grows, like the +flower-stem and leaf of the Primrose, from a very short underground +stem. It is from the indented leaves that the Dandelion gets its name. +The leaves have something the appearance of the teeth of a lion. Now +the French name for lion's tooth is _dent de lion_, and we English have +corrupted this into _dandelion._ + +Each flower-stem is round and, when we pull one, we see that it is a +hollow tube. We bite a piece of the stalk as we did with the Clover +blossom. What a difference! The Clover was quite sweet, but the +Dandelion is very bitter. You may not like the taste perhaps, but the +white milky-looking juice is quite wholesome. Dandelion tea and +Dandelion beer are often made by country people, and the leaves give a +pleasant flavour to a salad. + +Shall we pull up a plant and examine the root? I am afraid we cannot, +unless you care to go back to the house for a fork or a trowel. The +Dandelion has a very long strong root--tap-root--which goes deep into +the ground; and there is no tall main stem of which we can take +hold--the leaves and flower stalks only break off in our hands. + +Here is a stalk from which the flower has fallen, leaving only the seed. +Of what does it remind you? Of the Traveller's Joy in autumn? Yes; the +Dandelion has what is called a "pappus" attached to its seed, rather +similar to the feathery tail of the Traveller's Joy. This makes the +Dandelion a troublesome weed; the seeds are easily carried by the wind +and, if a patch of dandelions is allowed to go to seed, it will produce +fresh plants quite far away. Before the seeds are scattered each head is +like a round white fluffy ball. + +Here are daisies, with their dainty white florets often tinged with +pink. In the centre of each blossom is a yellow spot. Every night the +white florets fold up over the yellow centre, and do not open until the +morning. This fact explains to us the Daisy's name; it is the Day's Eye +which opens at dawn and shuts at night. + +The Daisy is a little flower which everyone knows and loves, yet in the +wrong place it is a weed. It is a perennial and it spreads very fast. Of +course both perennials and annuals spread by means of their seed, but +perennials also spread in other ways as well. We will see how the Daisy +does this. + +There; with my pocket knife I have easily dug up a plant. The root is +small and compact, not long like that of the Dandelion. But, when I try +to lift the Daisy plant from the grass, I find that it is still held +down by a stout tough thread branching from the root. This thread is +connected with another Daisy plant; from that one there is another +thread connected with a third plant. When we have at last got our plant +clear away from the ground, three more are hanging to it by these +threads. + +That is how the Daisy spreads; it throws out these thread-like shoots +from the root, and from these grow another root and plant. I knew only +too well what we should find; there are far too many daisies in my lawn +at home, and I found out long ago the way in which they spread so fast. +If daisies are allowed to increase in this way they form large clumps +which smother and kill the grass. We notice that each flower-stem and +each leaf of the Daisy springs from a very short underground stem, as +those of the Dandelion do. + +Daisies and dandelions are plentiful in Ashmead, and so are the yellow +buttercups. There are, however, not quite so many buttercups as you +might think at first. The real name of what we call the Buttercup is the +Bulbous Crowfoot, and there is also a Meadow Crowfoot in the field. A +third crowfoot is the Corn Crowfoot. To-day we will notice one or two +differences between the two plants we see here. + +[Illustration: BULBOUS CROWFOOT.] + +The blossoms of both plants have five smooth shining yellow petals. +We see, however, that those of the Bulbous Crowfoot or Buttercup form +a real cup, while the petals of the Meadow Crowfoot spread out almost +flat. The Meadow Crowfoot grows two or three feet high; the Buttercup +is a shorter plant. + +The flowers are pretty, but that, I am afraid, is all that we can +say for either of these plants. They are both of them bitter and +unwholesome, and horses and cattle avoid eating them. Some people even +say that to carry a bunch of the stems will make the hands sore; so I +think that we will only look at and admire the flowers where they grow. + +The Cowslip is a very different plant indeed and we will not call it a +weed. Even Mr. Hammond is not sorry to see it here; for he is fond of a +glass of the sweet cowslip wine which Mrs. Hammond will make if we busy +ourselves and take home some large basketfuls of the drooping blossoms. +Before we set to work, however, let us examine the plant. + +Looking at a stalk of Cowslip blossoms we see something peculiar about +it at once--something unlike the other flowers we have seen. Six or +seven drooping blossoms grow from the stalk we have picked, and they +all grow from the very top of the stalk. The point at the top of the +stalk from which the blossoms grow is called the "umbel." + +Each blossom has five yellow petals joined together to form a corolla. +In the centre of the blossom, where these petals meet, each is marked +with a spot of deep orange-red colour. The yellow petals are +comparatively small, and peep out of a long pale green sheath called +the "calyx." + +Surely we have seen a flower like this before--the Primrose in the +little coppice. Yes; the Primrose had five pale yellow petals, rather +larger than those of the Cowslip, and joined together to form a corolla; +they grew out of a long green calyx. Also each petal had a spot of +darker yellow in the centre of the blossom. The leaves of both the +Primrose and the Cowslip are much wrinkled, and they grow from a short +underground stem. + +But, you say, each Primrose blossom grew alone on the top of a long +stem. Yes, but if we had dug up a Primrose plant, we should have found +that several flower stems grew from the same point--the top of a very +short stem which hardly appeared above the ground. They grew from an +umbel, and the Primrose is closely related to the Cowslip. The +difference is that the blossoms of the Primrose grow on _long_ stems +from a _short_-stemmed umbel. Those of the Cowslip grow on _short_ stems +from a _long_-stemmed umbel. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +IN THE HAY-FIELD + + +Here we are in the hay-field at the end of June. It is not really the +hay-field yet, but it will be so as soon as the grass is cut for hay. +This will be done in a few days, so we must lose no time if we wish to +look at some of the flowers before they are cut down. + +We must not stroll all over this field as we did in Ashmead, for the +long grass should not be trampled down, or it will be difficult for the +machine to cut. Quite near the gate, however, are plenty of flowers, and +we shall find others if we step carefully along the side of the hedge. + +We will look first at those flowers which are most important to the +farmer, the flowers of the grass. We saw, you remember, that the grass +has flowers just as the Rose and the Wallflower have. If you had thought +that the flowers of all grass would be alike, you see now that you were +quite mistaken; there are many different grass flowers here. + +[Illustration: SECTION OF GRASS STEM.] + +Not only are the flowers different, but so are the stems, and also the +leaves or blades. Mr. Hammond could come into the field in early spring +or autumn, when the grass is not in flower, and could tell you to which +kind of grass any blade belonged. To-day we shall easily distinguish the +different kinds of grasses by their flowers, though we will also notice +differences in their stems and leaves. + +Let us pick a stem or culm of grass. We see that the greater part of it +is hollow; but at intervals there are joints, and here the stem is +solid. From each joint grows a leaf-sheath which is wrapped round the +stem for a little distance above the joint. Out of each sheath grows a +leaf. All grass leaves are long and narrow compared with those of most +other plants, but some grass leaves are longer and narrower than others. + +Now for a flower. The stem which we have picked is the stem of perennial +Rye Grass. The blossom, we see, consists of several small spikelets; +there are eighteen on our stem. They grow alternately on two opposite +sides of the stem, first one on one side, then one on the other. They +have no stalk of their own; they are sessile or seated on the stem. As +the spikelets are flat and grow on two sides of the stem only, each stem +looks as if it had been pressed in a book, as perhaps you have sometimes +pressed flowers. + +The leaves are dark green, glossy and shining. On the under side of each +leaf there is a prominent rib which extends the whole length. This rib +is one of the signs by which Mr. Hammond can tell a blade of Rye Grass +at once without seeing the flower. + +This is one of the farmer's most useful grasses. It forms a close thick +carpet or sward, and, the more it is trodden on by animals grazing, the +better it seems to thrive. + +Here is another excellent grass, with a flower quite different in +appearance from the last. It is called Timothy Grass. It was first +cultivated in America by a man named Timothy Hanson, and it is now +always known by his Christian name. Mr. Hammond knows this, and now you +know it too; but a good many farmers who have plenty of Timothy Grass in +their fields do not know the reason of its name. + +[Illustration: COWSLIP.] + +[Illustration: HONEYSUCKLE AND WILD ROSE.] + +[Illustration: GRASSES. 1. Cocksfoot; 2. Sweet vernal; 3. Meadow +foxtail; 4. Common Timothy; 5. Tufted hair; 6. Common rye grass.] + +The spikelets of Timothy are very small and grow in dense clusters at +the end of the stem, so that the blossom forms a kind of tail. Indeed +Timothy is sometimes called Meadow Catstail, a name which gives a very +good idea of its appearance. This cluster or tail of spikelets is green +and also rather rough to the touch. Notice these two points about it; we +shall see the reason presently. The green leaves have a greyish tint and +are broader than many grass leaves. When cut and made into hay, the +leaves are rather stiff and hard. + +Timothy grows in good thick clumps, but does not make a very spreading +sward. Moist weather suits it best, though it can stand a dry summer +fairly well. It is a late grass. Other grasses in the field are in full +flower to-day, but there are only a few ears of Timothy to be seen; its +flowering-time is July. In one way it is a valuable grass for hay; it is +heavy, and hay is always sold by weight. On the other hand Timothy hay +is rather hard. + +Now here is a grass something like Timothy, yet different in several +ways. It is Meadow Foxtail. The ear formed by the cluster of spikelets +is of the same shape as an ear of Timothy, like a round tail slightly +pointed. But the ear of Timothy was green, while this is a beautiful +silvery grey. Timothy was rough; the ear of Meadow Foxtail is very soft +and silky to the touch. The silkiness and the silvery grey colour are +given to the ear by a soft hair called the "awn" which grows from each +spikelet. The leaves are broad and juicy, and there are many of them. + +Meadow Foxtail, unlike Timothy, is an early grass; you may find it +in flower in April. An early grass is always valuable to the farmer, +who wants herbage for his sheep and cattle after the long winter. +The Foxtail, moreover, is a spreading grass. Some of its stems are +prostrate; they do not stand upright but creep along the ground. From +these prostrate stems fresh roots grow and produce fresh plants. Thus +Meadow Foxtail makes a good sward. + +Another useful grass is Cocksfoot. Each culm has four or five thick +clusters of spikelets growing on small stalks of their own. The clusters +grow from the culm in a way which reminds us of the claw of a fowl; that +is the reason of the name. Cocksfoot is a tall and quick growing plant, +and both the stem and flower feel rough and hard. The blue-green leaves +are very juicy. The root goes deep into the soil, so that this grass +resists drought well. + +We must notice the Sweet Vernal Grass, though there is not much of it in +the field; for this grass, when it is dry, gives out much of the sweet +scent we smell in or near a hay-field. If we chew a stalk, we notice the +scent ourselves, and animals like the pleasant flavour which it gives to +hay. Though it is an early grass it also lasts till late in the autumn. +The spikelets make a cluster or tail at the end of the stalk, but they +do not grow so closely together as those of the Timothy and Meadow +Foxtail. + +Look at this Tufted Hair Grass. It is very pretty, perhaps one of the +prettiest grasses we have seen; but the farmer looks upon it as a weed. +It has a large and spreading head of flower; the spikelets grow on +stems, and become gradually smaller towards the top of the stalk. The +flower is purple, with a shining silvery light upon it. It grows in +thick clumps or tussocks, and cattle do not care about the leaves. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +IN THE HAY-FIELD (_continued_) + + +There are many other grasses in the field; some of them are useful, +while others the farmer would call weeds. We must now look at other +flowers, and, as the grass is so tall, it will be better to choose tall +flowers which can easily be seen. We soon spy a Thistle among the grass +near the gate. + +There are several kinds of Thistle in England--the Milk Thistle, the +Nodding Thistle, and some others. This is the common Field Thistle. It +is far too common to please Mr. Hammond or any other careful farmer. It +is true that it is only an annual; but, like the Dandelion, it has a +pappus attached to its seed. However hard Mr. Hammond tries to get rid +of thistles from his fields, fresh seeds are constantly blown into them +from thistles on the road-side banks, or in the fields of farmers not so +careful as himself. It is very disheartening to a good farmer to have +careless neighbours. When Mr. Hammond hears that a new tenant is coming +to a neighbouring farm, he always hopes that he will be a "clean" +farmer--that he will try to keep his fields free from weeds. + +The stiff stem of the Thistle is often three or four feet tall, and +divides into smaller branches which bear a flower at the end. These +flowers are a little like those of the Red Clover; each blossom has many +small upright florets, purplish-red in colour. The leaves are not very +tempting to touch, but they are very interesting. They are divided into +several lobes or divisions, and each lobe ends in a sharp point. They +have no leaf stem to connect them with the stalk of the plant. What is +curious about them is that they do not grow from a small point on the +stalk. They are "decurrent," or running along the stalk; a broad strip +at the base of each leaf is attached to the stalk. + +Docks too are far too numerous among the grass. They are very +troublesome weeds; they are perennials, and they also scatter a great +deal of seed. They have large clusters of small flowers without any true +petals. The leaves are very large and pointed, growing on long leaf +stems. The stems of the Dock are tough, and they blunt the mowers' +scythes and the knives of the mowing-machine. + +Some people have a good word even for the Dock. They say that a Dock +leaf wrapped round the part stung by a nettle will lessen the pain; +others advise us to rub the part with Dock _seed._ I do not think myself +that either remedy has much effect; but the leaves of the Sorrel, which +is a relative of the Dock, _will_ lessen the pain of nettle stings. Mrs. +Hammond always uses Dock leaves to wrap round the pats of butter which +she sends to market. + +Above us, in the hedge, are two of the sweetest flowers of the farm. The +pink Dog Rose is one. The petals of each blossom are five in +number--what a number of five-petalled flowers we have seen! The leaves +have five, or sometimes seven, serrated leaflets, one of which is always +at the end of the leaf stem. These leaflets are not always perfectly +straight; sometimes the pointed end turns a good deal to one side. + +Of course we want to gather some of the flowers--who does not want to +gather Roses? We want some fully opened blossoms and many of the dainty +buds. But the straggling stems of the Rose soon teach us the truth of +the proverb: "No Rose without a Thorn." The stems are thickly covered +with thorns; these are not only sharp, but hooked as well, and we do not +get our bunch of roses without a scratch or two. + +The other beauty of the hedge is the Honey-suckle--a lovely flower which +may also be a dangerous weed. The tight grasp of its strong twining stem +will soon seriously injure any young tree to which it clings. Here it is +doing little harm, and we need only think of the clusters of fragrant +flowers. Each cluster grows at the end of a stalk. Some are pale pink, +others golden yellow, while some are almost white. After the blossom +comes the bright red berry which contains the seed. The leaves grow in +pairs. Those low down on the stem have leaf stalks, but the upper ones +are sessile on the stem. + +Taking care not to trample the grass, we have strolled down the +hedge-side till we have reached the other end of the field, where there +is a ditch. At once there is a fragrant scent in the air--a scent like +that of almonds. It is the Meadow Sweet which grows on the banks of +streams or damp ditches. + +[Illustration: MEADOW SWEET.] + +It is a beautiful plant, as well as a fragrant one. At the top of the +tall stems are large clusters of small five-petalled flowers, +creamy-white. The stem itself is handsome; it is often three or four +feet high, smooth, stout, and of a reddish colour. The large leaves grow +alternately on the stem; they are made up of several pairs of leaflets +with a single leaflet at the end. The upper surface of the leaves is +dark green, but the under side is generally covered with a soft white +down. + +The scent of Meadow Sweet is very pleasant in the field to-day, but I +think we should find it rather too strong if we took a bunch into the +house. Yet Queen Elizabeth is said to have loved Meadow Sweet strewn on +the floors of her apartments. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +IN THE CORN-FIELD + + +One morning early in July, while we are having breakfast at Willow Farm, +we ask Mr. Hammond if he thinks we shall find any flowers in his +wheat-field. The farmer laughs and says he hopes we shall not, but he is +very much afraid that we shall. As we are here on purpose to look for +flowers we are glad to find them anywhere. Mr. Hammond thinks more about +his crops than about flowers, and does not care to see a single blossom +in his corn, however pretty it may be. + +We are soon at the field, and there is no mistake about the flowers +being there too. Close to the gate, where the wheat is not quite so +thick as elsewhere, there is a splendid patch of scarlet poppies. This +is perhaps the very brightest wild flower that we have. + +Some plants, as we have seen, are annuals, others are perennials. An +annual only lives for one year. The plant springs up from the seed, +grows through the summer, and in the autumn or the winter dies. A +perennial lives for many years. The flowers fade and fall as those of +annuals do; even the leaves and stems may droop and die. The roots and +lower part of the stem do not die; they live in the ground through the +winter, and in the following year fresh stems appear. The White Clover +which we found in Ashmead is a perennial, the Crimson Clover is an +annual. + +If you sowed a patch of your garden with Poppy seed you would have the +flowers growing there year after year. You might therefore say, "Surely +the Poppy is a perennial. I only sowed the seed one year, yet the +poppies appear again and again." That is because the plants sowed their +own seed. The flowers faded; then the seed-cases shed their seed upon +the ground. Next spring the seeds produced fresh plants. Most annual +wild flowers sow their own seed in this way, but we must not mistake +them for perennials because year after year they grow in the same place. + +In your patch of garden you can easily prevent the poppies from growing +more than one year if you wish to do so. All that is necessary is to +pick off every flower before it fades. Then no seed will fall and you +will be rid of the poppies. + +Mr. Hammond might do the same, you think, if he wishes to rid his field +of poppies. But you see there are many poppies growing among the wheat +all through the field. To get at each plant and cut off all the flowers +would trample down the wheat and do more harm than good. All that the +farmer can do is to have as many weeds as possible hoed up while the +wheat is young and short. Even then many more come up later in the +spring. + +The seeds of the Poppy have no pappus like those of the Thistle and some +other plants; they are not blown far away by the wind, but fall close to +the plant. There are, however, an immense number of very tiny seeds in +each seed-case, as we see by opening the round cup-like case on a stem +from which the flower has fallen. This great number of seeds adds to the +difficulty of getting rid of poppies. + +We, I am afraid, are hardly sorry that the poppies are among the corn +to-day. The glorious scarlet blossoms give a rich fiery tint to the +whole field. + +On a Poppy plant close to the gate there are several blossoms. Some +of them are fully open, some of them are still only buds. You see a +difference between the open flowers and the buds at once. The open +flowers stand upright on the stalk; the buds hang down. + +Here is a bud just opening. The green case, called the calyx, which +contains the scarlet petals, is already partly open; it is splitting in +half, and the flower will soon be out. Then the calyx will fall off. + +Here is a blossom from which the calyx has just dropped. The four large +scarlet petals, two of which are slightly larger than the other two, +have lain inside all crumpled up--not neatly folded as is the case with +most flowers. Yet in a very short time after the calyx has dropped off, +the sap will flow into the petals and will smooth them out. They will be +as glossy, smooth, and shining as the other blossoms fully open on the +plant. + +The brilliant Poppy is more beautiful than useful--to the farmer and the +bees at any rate. Most flowers contain nectar, but the Poppy has none at +all. If the bees come to it, it is for the dusty yellow pollen to make +into wax. + +The seed pods of some flowers open when ripe, and the seeds fall out. +In others the pod or case does not open but rots away. The Poppy has a +different way of scattering its seed. There is a ring of tiny holes in +the seed case, and through these holes the seed is shaken out. The +leaves are long, but vary a good deal in size and shape. The stems are +covered with stiff and bristly hairs. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +IN THE CORN-FIELD (_continued_) + + +Besides the poppies there is Charlock in the field; not much, Mr. +Hammond will be glad to know, for he has been trying for many years to +get rid of this plant altogether. Pretty as the yellow blossoms of the +Charlock are, it is one of the most troublesome weeds which the farmer +has to fight. It is only an annual certainly, and each seed-pod holds no +more than six or seven seeds. The seeds, however, are oily, and this +oiliness preserves them. If they are ploughed deep into the ground, they +may live there for several years, and will produce a plant when turned +up again by the plough or the scuffle. + +Mr. Hammond tells me that some years ago this field was full of +Charlock, and in the early summer there would be more Charlock than +wheat to be seen. This is how he got rid of it. Every year he ploughed +the field and got it ready for the crop as early as possible. Then the +Charlock sprang up before the crop of corn or turnips was sown; thus it +could be rooted out. Still, as we see to-day, there is a little left, +though it is growing less each year. + +Charlock is wild mustard. There is more seed than blossom here to-day, +for the flowering time for Charlock is in June. If we chew some seed +from a pod, we shall find it hot and biting to the tongue. In some parts +of England many farmers grow mustard as one of their crops. + +Near Willow Farm some farmers grow mustard as a catch-crop. They sow it +in autumn, as soon as another crop has been taken off the field. In the +spring it is eaten by sheep, or else it is ploughed in. A catch-crop +ploughed in like this enriches the land. Moreover a number of weeds are +buried with the catch-crop before they have time to blossom and to shed +their seed. + +The yellow blossom of the Charlock is pretty, and the Poppy is the +finest scarlet wild flower we have. There is a third flower among the +wheat to-day, the beautiful blue Corn Flower or Corn Bluebottle. It is +no more welcome to the farmer than the Poppy and the Charlock are. It is +a perennial, and therefore difficult to get rid of. Moreover when we +pull up a stem we find it quite hard work, it is so tough. These tough +stems blunt the sickles of the reapers and the knives of the reaping +machine. + +[Illustration left: CREEPING FIELD THISTLE.] + +[Illustration right: FIELD SCABIOUS.] + +[Illustration left: EVERGREEN ALKANET.] + +[Illustration center: CORNFLOWER.] + +[Illustration right: SMALLER BINDWEED.] + +[Illustration: CHARLOCK.] + +To us it is only a very beautiful flower. The florets in the centre of +each blossom are dark purple, but the outer ones are of a brighter blue. +The leaves are long and narrow; those near the bottom of the stem are +rather broader than those higher up. The stems themselves are not round, +but angular. We can feel corners or angles as we hold one in our hand. +They are also covered with a kind of down. + +There is another flower which we shall see better if we come to the +stubble field after the wheat is cut; but some of it is near the gate +to-day. This is the Smaller Bindweed. We see that it is a relation of +the Large Bindweed in the garden hedge. It has leaves and flowers of the +same shape, but the flowers are smaller, and are pink and white. Those +of the Large Bindweed are rarely anything but pure white. + +This is another troublesome weed here. It does not climb, as the Large +Bindweed does, but creeps along the ground, twining round everything it +meets. In the potato field it is often even more troublesome than here. +Corn is _cut_, but potatoes are _dug_ out of the ground. The Small +Bindweed forms such a thick carpet over the field, and twines round the +potato stems so closely, that it is often very difficult to dig up the +potatoes. + +Here is another little flower which I am glad to show you now, the +Scarlet Pimpernel. This and the Poppy are the only _scarlet_ wild +flowers we have. There are many _pink_, and also many _purple_ flowers, +but only these two are really _scarlet_. + +The Pimpernel differs from the Poppy in almost everything except its +colour. The Poppy has a tall stout stem and its blossoms are very +large. The Pimpernel trails on the ground and has tiny flowers. The +blossoms of the Poppy have four petals, those of the Pimpernel have +five. These are a beautiful scarlet, but not _quite_ so bright a scarlet +as those of the Poppy. + +The leaves grow in pairs, and the small bare stalks which carry a flower +at their ends spring from the stem beside the leaves. The leaves are +sessile on the stem. Turning a leaf over we find that on its under side +are black or dark purple spots. + +[Illustration: PIMPERNEL.] + +The blossoms of the Pimpernel close up when rain is near, and it is +often called the Poor Man's Weatherglass. Sometimes, but very rarely, a +plant is found which has pink, or even pure white blossoms. There is +also a blue Pimpernel. Another Pimpernel is the Bog Pimpernel; but we +shall not find it in this dry field of corn, as you may guess by the +name. + +One more flower we will look at, and then it will be time to leave our +corn-field and to search elsewhere. Growing on the hedgebank at the side +of the field is a pretty lilac-blue flower on a long bare stalk. It is +the Field Scabious. + +The blossoms are in shape like a round ball very much flattened--like a +round pincushion. There are no large petals here, as with the Poppy, but +a great number of small florets. Those on the outer edge of the blossom +are larger than those inside. Each floret is a tiny tube or pipe. + +The leaves are on separate stalks from those which bear the flowers, and +they grow in pairs. They are divided into several pairs of lobes, with a +single lobe at the end of each leaf. Some leaves grow from that part of +the stem which is underground, and these are larger than the others, and +are sometimes of a different shape. Both the leaves and the stem are +hairy. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +ON THE CHASE + + +We have now seen a good many Flowers of the Farm; we have found them in +the coppice, on the garden wall, and in the fields. To-day we will go a +little further off, three miles away. + +You say, "Surely that is a long way off for the farmer to have a field." +It is not exactly a field. The Chase is a great open common or moor, +which belongs to the village or parish where Willow Farm is. Nearly all +the people of the village have certain rights of pasturage on it; they +may let their horses and cattle and sheep graze there. Every now and +then Mr. Hammond sends some of his sheep to the Chase to feed there for +a few weeks. It is very high dry ground, and that is good for sheep. + +The road runs through the middle of the great common without any hedge +or fence on either side. There are horses and sheep and cattle here on +this May morning; donkeys too. All the sheep are marked, and we soon see +some which belong to Willow Farm; they are stamped on the back in large +letters "W.H." for William Hammond. A farmer easily knows his own horses +and cows; sheep are less easy to recognise, and are usually marked. + +[Illustration: GORSE.] + +One of the flowers of the Chase we see at once. In whatever direction we +look across the common there is a perfect blaze of gold--the blossoms of +the prickly Gorse or Furze. Spring is the time to see its mass of golden +yellow blossoms best; but I do not think there is a week, or even a day, +in the whole year when some of the flowers are not out. Did you ever +hear the saying, "Kissing is out of season when the Gorse is out of +bloom." That is never! + +The Gorse flowers are beautiful and their scent is sweet. As to +gathering them, however, there is a terrible difficulty. The flowers +grow among long sharp spikes which cover the stems closely; you would +almost as soon gather nettles! There are very few real leaves, and they +are small and not easily seen; but the thorns are beautiful to look at, +if not to touch--they are such a rich dark green. + +Nor is Gorse a useless plant. If the prickly stems are bruised or mashed +a little they form a fodder which animals like. Indeed, a pony near us +seems to enjoy them as they are; he is tearing off and eating piece +after piece from a Gorse bush. His mouth must be less tender than ours! + +Later in the summer we visit the Chase again to find some flowers that +were not out in May. On our way we pass a potato field in blossom--a +very pretty sight. These blossoms are a palish purple, but sometimes the +potato flowers are white. + +The Hairbell is a flower which we shall now find on the Chase--a great +contrast to the stout and thorny bush of Gorse. The Hairbell's stem is +almost as slender as a thread, although it stands upright. Each blossom +is a dainty little blue bell of five petals. White blossoms are +sometimes found, but not often. + +There are leaves as well as flowers on the stem. Growing from the lower +part of the stem, close to the ground, we may perhaps find some broader, +rounder leaves; perhaps not, however, for these lower leaves soon wither +and die away. + +[Illustration: HAIRBELL.] + +The Hairbell loves to grow where there is fresh pure air. Here on the +Chase we are high up; it has been a long steep climb from Willow Farm, +and we are more than five hundred feet above sea level. Far below us, a +few miles away, we see a broad river on which steamers and sailing-ships +are passing up and down. Away to the west is the sea, from which a +breeze is nearly always blowing across the Chase. No wonder that the +little Hairbell loves the spot. + +We have found a yellow flower and a blue one on the Chase, and now we +have not far to look for something red. Here is a clump of Heath or +Ling, and not far off a patch of Heather too. We must be careful to +distinguish Heath from Heather; let us look at the Heath first. + +On the Heath, as on the Hairbell, we find bell-shaped flowers; but the +blossoms of the Heath are very small, and grow from a tough woody stem. +They are a reddish-purple. On little side branches growing from the +stems are the very tiny leaves. The whole plant is low, bushy, and +spreading. + +[Illustration: HEATH AND HEATHER.] + +The flowers of the Heather are rather larger, deep crimson in colour, +and grow in clusters. On the flower stems grow very small narrow leaves; +there are generally three of them together and they do not grow so +thickly as the leaves of Heath. Among these leaves are some that are +made up of several leaflets. + +Gorse, Heather, and Heath are spreading plants, and, if they were +allowed to grow unchecked, they would soon smother and destroy the +turf. Every few years therefore the Chase is burnt. In winter or spring +both Gorse and Heath burn easily, the fire spreading fast from one patch +to another. The smoke of the burning Chase may then be seen from many +miles away. + +When the fire has burnt out, the Chase looks very black and dismal. But +the roots and underground stems of both the Heather and the Gorse are +still alive. Fresh shoots will grow, and soon the Gorse will be golden +in the spring, the Heather purple in the summer, as they were before. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +IN THE LANES + + +This is the last day that we can spend in looking for wild flowers at +Willow Farm. Perhaps some of you already knew something about flowers +before this visit. If so, you may have been disappointed that we have +not seen some favourite flower of your own. You may think we have +passed over many flowers which deserved to be noticed. + +For that matter I think _every_ wild flower deserves to be noticed; but +we certainly should not have time for all. I showed you several plants +growing on the walls and roof, because it was interesting to see that +quite beautiful flowers, such as the Wallflower and the Houseleek, could +grow with very little soil. We looked rather closely at the Clovers and +at the Grasses in the hay-field, because these plants are important to +the farmer; they are part of his crops. Then, too, we noticed several +weeds which do him harm. + +To-day I am going to take a kind of holiday. I shall show you three +flowers, not because they have much to do with the farmer, but because +they are great favourites of my own. + +None of these are very common at Willow Farm, although I know where to +find each one. We will go first down the little stony lane which leads +from near the foldyard gate to the cottages where the shepherd and the +bailiff live. Here we shall find the Alkanet. It is a perennial, and it +blossoms here year after year. I only know one other place in the +village where it grows. Like some other flowers we have seen, it is not +really a native of England. + +It has a very beautiful blue blossom, a little like the blossom of the +Forget-me-not which perhaps you know, but the flower of the Alkanet is +of a deeper, richer blue. Here again, as with so many other flowers we +have seen, the blossom is formed of the five lobes of a corolla. In the +centre of each blue blossom is a small white spot. + +The blossoms grow in little clusters on a short stalk, and on this stalk +there is always one pair of small leaves. The leaves on the main stems +of the plant are larger; the lower leaves have stalks, but those on the +upper part of the stem are sessile. The leaves are hairy, and so are the +stems, which often grow two or three feet high. + +We saw that the Poppy and the Pimpernel were the only two true _scarlet_ +wild flowers of our fields. In the same way there is only one other +English wild flower which has such a _deep blue_ blossom as the Alkanet. +That is the Borage; and the Borage, like the Alkanet, is not really a +native of England. For a fine golden yellow flower I do not know +anything which can beat the Dandelion. If we have not seen _every_ wild +flower which grows at Willow Farm, we have at any rate seen three which +have the deepest and richest colours. + +Now for my next favourite. This time we go to the shady lane leading +from Willow Farm to the church; that is the only place near here where +I have found the Lesser Periwinkle. There is also a Larger Periwinkle, +very similar to my favourite here, except in size. + +[Illustration: LESSER PERIWINKLE.] + +To find the Periwinkle in full flower we should have to come in spring, +but, though it is July now, we shall still find a blossom here and +there, I hope. Even in winter we might do so too. + +The Lesser Periwinkle has a blue flower, but the blue is a pale lilac +blue. Here again the petals are really the five spreading lobes of the +corolla. There is something curious about these lobes. They are of a +peculiar irregular shape that is not easy to describe; they are not +exactly pointed, and they are not regular in shape. You could cut the +petal of a Buttercup into two equal parts; it would be almost impossible +to do this with the lobes of the Periwinkle blossom. + +The leaves are dark green, glossy and pointed, and they grow in pairs. +Often, however, we find two pairs of leaves growing so closely together +that they seem to grow in fours. The leaves are evergreen; they do not +fade and die in autumn. + +Some of the Periwinkle stems are erect and are about six inches high; +others are creeping. It is only the erect stems which bear flowers; the +creeping ones are barren. They do useful work, however, for they form +fresh roots, as we have seen the stalks of some other plants do. In this +way the whole bank beside the lane has become covered with the pretty +plant. + +The Periwinkle is a comparatively small plant. The last flower--the +Foxglove--that we shall see at Willow Farm is quite different. It is a +very tall plant. It is generally described as growing from three to five +feet high, but I have seen a stem of eight or nine feet. We shall find +it growing on the hedgebank in Little Orchard, and it also often grows +in woods. + +Some plants, as we know, are annuals, others are perennials. The +Foxglove is neither; it is a biennial--that is a two years' plant. If +you sow Foxglove seed you will have no flowers the first year, only a +root and a great bunch of leaves. In the second year tall stems which +bear the flowers will appear. In the autumn after it has flowered the +Foxglove generally dies, though sometimes it may live for another year, +or even two. Foxgloves, of course, will reproduce themselves by seed, as +annuals and perennials do. + +[Illustration: FOXGLOVE.] + +The Foxglove is something different from anything that we have seen as +yet. The flowers grow on short flower stalks and hang down from the +tall stems, a great many on each stem. Here there are no petals, but +what we see and admire so much is the bell-shaped corolla, purple-red in +colour. This purple bell is spotted with white inside. Bell-shaped is +perhaps not a very good description; the flower is more like a large +thimble or the finger of a glove. + +"A glove for a fox--that is the meaning of the name," you perhaps say. +No, it has nothing to do with a fox. Many years ago nearly everyone +believed in Fairies, and the Fairies were often called the Good Folk or +Good People. It is they, and not the fox, who were supposed to use the +purple blossoms as a glove. If you say "Folk's Glove" quickly, you will +see how easily it comes to sound Foxglove. So our last thought among the +flowers is of the Fairies, in whose existence hardly anyone believes +to-day. + + + + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Wildflowers of the Farm, by Arthur Owens Cooke + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 13347 *** |