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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Stre film6s d des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Stre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir Cb I'angle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 22X /■■' ^)e^ »./^^ I ittitnitoba Course of Jlgnculture. FIBST SEIilES. OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. WEING A 1JE8CRIPTI0X OV ^OMOL^ W.;ED.S AXI. HoW TO DeSTUOV TlFF^f • The TiiEEs and Wim> Fruits, along with ' ' Aruoii Dav Exercises and Poems. Authorized hy the Advisory Board of Mauitoba. 0. BLACKETT ROBINSON, TORONTO. ^"sPS-^^sr»^-?i~- CONTEJS'TS. Ice of the SOKINSON, Page. Plant Life ik Manitoba ^ FloVVKUS and fSARDENS g The Flower of the Heart 9 How TO Collect and Preserve Plants 10 How to Tell the Flowers 13 Thirty Notable Plants j^ Early Anemone ^o The Ffoiver'n Secret 2o Little Anemone o, Dwarf Buttercup .... 22 Wild Columbine 04 Common Blue Violet oa Roses and Rue .^q Poison Ivy " ■' ^ Seneca Snake Eoot q^^ Everlasting Pea * " " go Prairie Turnip ., . Two Little Rosea «7 WildEose '......." '" 37 The Phlox and Rose 40 Three-Flowered Avens ,. Silver Weed Great Willow Herb ' . . 44 Evening Primrose " ac- Water Parsnip Wild Sarsaparilla * 40 Smooth Honeysuckle ' rjr\ Wild Sunflower / " ' " .„ IV CONTENTS. The Mountain and the Suvfl. iiritiower < '"lie Flower ■55 The Astern . . 55 Little Dandelion ' ' • • ^^ 'Golden Rod .. " 57 ^ony of the Golden Bad ' ' ' ' " " '"^ Bell Flower .. 59 Wiiifer,;^roon " ' ' " • • • • ^" J3ir.rs-Ey,. Pri,„,.„se ^'- l'": i'oor Man'. Weather Glass ' . ' ^ ' ' ' ' ' ■ ' ^^^ J.'nijo-,.,i ,;,.jj^j,^jj 06 ^^':^""i'- Address to the Gentian . "••••■••■• <57 Bindweed ... ')8 ■^foming Glory . . • • ■ ■ . . . . (JO Three Flowered Nightshade '" Beard Toiioue . . ' ■ • • • 70 Wild Dero-amut . . .."'.."' ' ' *"- Ladies' Slipper . . ' ' • • • ~''^ Orange "^Vild (juion Perennials . Red Lilv .. ''"^ 79 81 82 T/.K ( ARMEX HU.L CoxVKvnoX The Gathering The Presidenfs Address Hon. Mr. Simpson Speaks.. ••••••••• 88 ^:''SZ^'^f' ''. "'-^^'^^ ^'^-^^- and o;.sses " ' ^ rail out. the Kx])erimentalist . . 1 he J^vening Meeting. . '" " "'^ A Report on Six other Noxious Weeds '"II 87 ^ong of the Manitoba Farmer Shakes/,eare Praises Country Life Auiiou luv— Its Imp. 92 96 97 98 OUTAXCK TO MaxiTOHA Hkl .SCHEDin.Ks LiSTo. TH„n-vXorA.u.o !>,:;,,. ; Tukh; r.,MMox" vxu ''' Botanical Na.mks ax.> T.mks ok F,..,uk,un-o 153 LIST OF ELEVEX XOXIOLS WeeOs OF MaXITOMV 160 LIST OF Fouuteex Wii.o F.uiTs of M,syvuu^ ' ■ 161 LIST OF sixteen Fouest trees of M ANrron.v . . . . i62 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. PLANT LIFE IX MANITOBA. I. Manitoba aelights in l,er pnurics. In midsummer it ^ leasant to stand, on a bright, warm dav, i„Tl!e m,ddlc Of a great plain, wi.l, its stretol.os ofwatw «;rass, and see tlie fringo of trees on the far l.ori^on The great arcl. of Heaven above the spectator gives a ense „ vastness. The level prairie suggests The sea. The poet Bryant speaking of the prairies wrote : . " I-O) they stretch In airy undulations, fur away, As if the ocean in liis gontlost swoll Stoo,! still, with all his n.unded l.illows fixed And motionless forever." ' he"irof' bnZ,''"'" ?"" ""'■ '" ""■"• "'"' f^-"""'. n prairio tlie skulls and b,.,ios of it. tenants are to be seen. Tens of thousand *V^. 8 of these OUR CAXAO/. "o^v extinct anfniais ■i-y ^A'.~l/A'/Es. tlie ricli g-i h lOl'SO! summer nuin i^scs of tlio J «"''^"<'fl ci. honmii'ni J '^^''•^"8- Jmndml "''•iiri(!.s. I to th fro: o^-<'r the ],l, e i"<'straims of tl nils s, 1 ;iii( "" ifxit'i- the sii '^' ^^'''^J'S ivnvecl tl '^'iiig- from ormerJy herds of inter niul «(-'cu.stom( ,1 ■earned in ^y jwnies, u,i Aff: <'t* sliimi)ei-i winter, the enrtj, is set free from t'l meJt stivanis h( '•^^^ in Avii,,,.,. "«' under tJ iiid tl te rich gi-a SS ir()\-(> '<-' coat of ^'•^'Ut'ivill y about fl U]'on it. «noAv for (Jie S away 11 11 del. tl ^ ^cy bond of til "' ^varni s tJie sun's rav '"■' ^'^ f'''nv, and tl si^J'ing-in Manitol that the ""uiediat Th '.'i is 10 "' ^'"'1 of 3larch ^ "'/I'tli, the snow the chaiiij'e i- Pcissag-e ironi w "' "'""-^ f'-at it has J Jn A|:ril and M, J'f^^-iveallnatiiiv be uu, the ice of •""J' >-ortens unde. marvel Ions. Tj,^. '<'en said UiOSt '"'"^" "^ summer is aJ 'A' "i<; streiio-tl 7T oniiiG '^"in to snvli and tl f™^> and if a branch TJio ] ^ ''UdH of the t '^- s;ij) Soon 1 fi' ^ the V '^ farMi. ,\|j •*''^' ^'f «I>nny- as siie ffiu- fortjj. oil Yo of t] .^•";;Jnl.hvnof,.,n,i k'ts ] ''' ""i.v iiou- 1), iu '^^ C'OtiK M\i\ tj '«;— K..,;;-,::';:,:,^;'""" "With tJa. ] U' 1)01111(1 yi( Illy: footsf,.; t, »• hi'iVJit I've. '"'no fortJi to 1 J, '""' Hi(. Mivad The /I 'owers that 'I' -"^'lllsliiji,.^ I ai'pear first ' "'•'<'^. 111.' i\y '"' fll(>j(,v 'I. 11 III OIlH iiy Hot .stay, %, "11 tJ! prnir le. ;eh weed is seen ^'T'"^ "'» "■""Wosonr P'«''"'«nt,ifheis metlie " '"•■'>' '« 'ho,.„„,,„H !" '-"d. xt is the" :':'■'"" f- "- .-0,* ■» June and J„|y j.^ "^ "«^ P"''™' of tl,e j-oar ,vhe o^oPevervday. ^^^' " ""-^"."e in „„ ^,0.^,1 Tlioush the season i« u Clearness of sk,,, „„, y, ^^ -;. yet the ..emarkaWe « '"ncli sunshine as anv I ''" "''>•■■' Sivo, us north of 41)- w „,„ * '-^ ""^"'rn piv.vh.ee H • PLANT LIFE IN MANITOBA. g owes its golden grain. As soon as summer is well advanced the farmer sallies forth to cut his h-iv which up to the present time hjis been fully supplied by the uncultivated prairie itself The prairie grasses are most abundant and nutritious. By the end of August, in most of the years, our wheat harvest has come, and then the busiest time of the year crowds upon us. With labor-saving machinerv the crops are gathered, and by the end of September are well in hand. The nights, which during the whole summer are cool in Manitoba, now in October begin to be frosty. September and October are the two most pleasant months of the year in the great west By the first of November our plant life has matured and November winds bring back the period of rest to nature. The winter is almost as useful to tlie a-ri- culturist as the summer. Nature then reposes ''the soil IS prepared for supporting the crop of the follow- ing year, and the prolific yi(>Id of Manitoba seems to be but the opening wide of the hand that has been so nrmly closed during her steady winter. OUR canadia:^ y/. '^"^AIRIES. \" Ff-OWERS AXD GAKDEXS. Wo are anxious that all th^ i, ' «""oba should bceo,„e to d of »?''«""' ^'"''^ '" Woom u,,.„, t|,e " a «f t,e flowers which •■""1 '>«*hes ah4 „e ;,! '"""' ^'"■"•■'- "f the tree, ""'e'»oktodosc^, o ;'::;r- ^^'^ ■"'"■' t» Sather then, u,m w "l c| ' e , '' *^''°^''' ^•"" '°™ '■""-tions of tl„.n> as ' e td ?"'""""^' ''"^ "'"'«' ■icouainted with thoii- fo,,,. t > "■"■"• """ '«^'=<""e ""' '-■-'»« this , e ^ " Id ! '"■"'''"''"'• tl.0 -lowers from other iL f ''.^-.'"'"''"•ff to bring ■■•'«■' onr houses. Eve , " ''"''" ""™ l"»"ted ";-.,. 8,,rde„. 1,0,, ::^ j i:":,J"-W '-ve its at their ho.nes, if there -iro „ ? ^''*'"" ^^'i-'Oe'is Anyone wl^ vi p ""^ "' *""'" »"-""".v. '•.■a«ift.l flower .^arde.f: ' ";" '' ^"'""'^ «i'l. the »".all eottas-es of the p ml I ,'"'" ''" ''■""' of the -'"■«-«.. la the v": ;;,':: 7'"' ->«<.. ont ^ JH ai t (.t the ^n-nny cidos. PLOWERS AND GARDENS. i Where coal dust and soot fill the air, ninny of the very poor have flowers, in a cracked pot or broken jug-, growing- on their windoAv sills. In Manitoba, with our rich black soil a g-arden may easily be made at every home. It need not be very lar^e. Ask your parents for permission to have a small plot as your own and then wlum spring- comes get spade and r.-.ke, and on the brig-l.t Saturday, when there is no school, start to di,^ the soil, and ^et It raked free of weeds, and stones, and chips ami everything which disfi^nires it. Then plant in this not too deep, seeds of one kind in a bed at numlnr spaces, and those of other kinds in other beds^nid place httle marked sticks with the name of each kind of seed, where it has been i)lantcd seeds ? Now this difficulty can easily be met. Near he city of Brandon there is a fine farm kept up by the Dominion Government. It is called the Exneri- mental P^arm. Here 'ill i-hirK. r 111. iK ic an knids of crops, g-rasses, and flowers which may be thong-l.t suitable for Manitoba are grown. The superintend<'nt of this farm is greatly interested in flowers and verv anxious to see Manitoba advance. Q ^^'^J?""''^''"'' '^^>'^ '^'''' ^^« ^^''"ll «^n: I ■ I I I'! / I 8 OC/A' CANADIAN PRAIRIES. do. But besides all this, there ought to be a o-arrten :,t,,::: ■^^p' -/-• -"- ',• the 'zzz soh«l,-„s at every school. One of the diffleulties first o be ,„et m this respect is that many school „ n lIa,„toba are not fenced. It is to be hope tha the Department of Fxl,.cation .-ill re,„ire tru^ cs ■ grounds. When th,s is done the t.'ustees should see .t as we shall afterwards point out, tl,at tleVo, espceually on the north and west sides of the sel o i grounds, >s thoroughly prepared in order tiL e" n>ay be p anted as a p™tection ft,a„ the winds , f.-on o the school, or on some part of the g .un In Kngland and Germany much attention is paid t ts .uuter and the school gardens are very ,,'ea ! tlful. Such gardens give the pupils a taste for flowe,-s and here the children may lea.-n howt make the gardens which we h..tve spoken of as so d rable at their hon.cs. Already in Manitoba some teachers have had gardens at their schools. How much more like a place where ,-onng people are to bo well and carefully educated, is a se «! h,mso w,th ,ts grounds thus laid out and made nea and attractive, than what is son.eti.nes seen .an ""I^ainted school house; no fence; the grounds covered with knots of w,kk1 ; the playground und an unfinished wp.\] . i,„d .,ii ],.^i-;-,^ .^ -^ ' -'- , ind Ml luoking as if no one II through fitful so to ! a g-s soft and what the botanists call bibulon h' ",' paperw1,iei, win s„ak„pth,.n„,ist„reas blo.th g pe does. Blotting paper if not too soft will do voty well and the white varn.ties are best. Without ZZ^' tHe parts of the Hower, the plants are to be S undr strong pressure between drye,. m.ade u^ of f.on. five to ten thicknesses of bibulous paper. Thte paper shouhl be changed every day or two untn .•;e out again, and eight or ten plants can ("us be ;l™.l together and in a few days will be .,„ite «'„! Fine and delie.te specimens ought to be dried in tpape;. and gre,,t care should „„ taken in handUng" then The p„,,er ,n in.mediato toneh with the flower should not be cha„g,,I, but after the fli.t d,,v' dr Z :r:r °" ^""' '" "'° -^^-^^ ""^ ■>« -S' The dried specimens when ready should fae ( HOW TO COLLECT AND Pt^ESERVE /'Z ANTS. 1 1 mounted on a luilf sheet c.f lK,i-d. strong, white paper will a ticket oil the lower corner as foHows : Common Name •Scientific Name Locality Date of Collection Colloctor Specimens, tlius preserved and arranf,^.,! in their natural orders, may best be kept in draux-rs. Some- times when tliis is not possible a stron^^ portfolio may be used. ^ In order that the herbarium may be of value care should be taken from the very beginning, of the col- lection up to the time of naming and labelling it A speeimen should consist of two shoots, each made up of the whole plant, if possible: one, of the leaves and flowers, and the other, in the latter stage of the plant s history containing the fruit. This may often bo accomplished by collecting at the same time two f pecimens of the plant, one in its earlier and the other in Its riper stage. In the case of herbaceous plants a portion of the root should be retained. For obtaining such specimens a little trowel or broad knife is very useful. ^ The specimens for the scholar's herbarium should be gathered on a dry day, and carried either in a tin box, made specially for the puri>ose, and fast- ened with a strap over the shoulder, or in a strong 12 I OUK CANADIAN J'N AIRIER. I'^'^-tf-I'o containing, /ifteen or twonfv shoof . . l>Hpcr, anrl two or three s],oof« / , ' ' ""^ '"'"^ I* the scholar slionld wM, tn „:,, *o SCO,,, „f ,,„,,,,„,;: r',;;t: ;^"''-'-> •'f iiitcrestin^r addition fn hi i "•''^'' '^ "''«t «'»ui-.,,„.„.,. separate purools in ,l,->- r.n ' "' "■'■'l'l"-il in and n,a,4. Sud, cods f 'i """• '''"■^'""^ "-"«' •■u;uo ^cco,„c d::;: r :;,::, :;;;:;," <='-''oxc.sa,.c «'"'ili.-u- with t|,o )l„,.f f r- ■ '"' ''''"** '*«'"'« I"-"P.M-cs fo,. t,l ',"'■'" """ '''-"-o- As h,. withCow„cr: "'■"""*'' ''""^ "« <=« «.y •^o let us welconae poac ' , ' "'' ""'^' I£01F TO TELL JUL I'LoiVER^i, 5 of lil-iii '«• ]>aj)er "tfolio is action of (-'(1 ill named xes are e loiljrT- to take alJ tlio 'ecoiiie As Jic til WIN' 13 HOW TO 'VVXA, TIII<] FLOW]-: RS. It was stated in our first lesson tl.at the plants of le prairie arc very diiferent from those of the Ustern provinces of Canada. These provinces be- k^^ to the wooded re^Won of America, and many plants find shelter in the forest, whicli canno live upon the open prairie. As Manitoba l>econ,es niore wooded this may change, for Professor Besse^■ of Nebraska says that if wc phn.t trees upon' the prairies almost all the wild flowers of the east will follow us to the west. Our flora being- so different from that of the east we can get very few cuts or en,n-avin.gs to help us m naming or describing our flowers. We hope I'owever, that the Departments of P]ducation anci Agriculture will provide every school in the province notable wild flowers and of the eleven most noxi.us weeds. With these wc may have some help n becoming fiimiliar with our plants. ' But this is not enough. We aim at having a surer way o finding out all about our flowers. We'im at teaching some simple botany, and at being able to ha.e each pupil of the Third Reader Classes able to take a flower and examine it practically for himself or herself, and name and describe it by the plan we Siiau pome out. - 14 """ C^^-^D/.IA, PA'MMES. "■o■«"•• |-*-'iu this i..,,uc.,. oa,"„',,"f ";;""" -« -" to '■•"•h.*f this bo, Ji '';';; '? '"« <"••'-• Besides provided With ., „ te J '" "'''^^ «''»""J "» ''''"--o,.dc.n,j:;;L' ;:„?»'"■'' ■■™>lo fastened l«l'er s,K,ke„ „• i„ ;l„ ,"'"'7»''0"tsofd,-.vi,„. '«.-'clKT wil, ,„™ the ,„:„'? f ''""'"• The ao cl,„,„ioal box for it ■ '"*' .^-"'"'^ ''•''""ff"'." to « ~py of Spottonl HH th!"' I'"""''''^''''™ any othora have nn.n.ifv „ ^'"■'"'>'- ''"'""W fou.nlvcrvcouvo,,,',.,^^'"*' ^'"^ "'^^ ^"I be "^m;^c;:::';:i;:.:'rr«"""--■". •^-*fm the p,,,etieal stu I T '""'"'"''*• ''"I '''oc.im..eut.„we..:;:Lor;Lt.;ir''''r''' ^vill be car- uiid. The -ulture for • tlie year, be Weil to its earlier Besides should be fastened 'x'y can Jfdryin,-; '1. Tile "g'ins- to ^ to liave Blioiild will bo 5 Work ? n ill the lich the ) school ■ie, and d then as the ; eveiy limsolf T and Work. pupil, wiJi count Itind no IV TO TELL THE FLOUEKS. 15 and all the facts needed. Every pupil should do the work personally, usin^ the needle to cut open the Hower, and having- the g-lass if needed _ The teacher will make upon the board the follow- >"«• empty schedule and thorou^H.ly explain its pur- Stoiii -| Lcavos < lUiANS - No. COUKSKW ^nuKsiox 1 Kk.makks Calyx. j >Soj)als C'ort)lla, Potals 1 Staiiious Pistil, Carpels .. As the flower is studied and the schedule Hlled upon the board after the manner of the examj.les given in the appeudix, each point is discusse.l by the teacher and class, and each scholar «-iven the opportunity of Pointn.g out some feature of the flower. Each scholar will take down in his notebook the points added to the schedule as they are marked on the hlackboard. When all the ])lanks are filled then the steps should b'» rovi"o« . tJastU y,.n arc accu-at., pcrsoverin.. an 1 s, HH ' "10 liaiiio of ilic Or,!,.,. „.iii i . skiliill, flower 1,,.,„,„,, !,;"'" ™7"«<' to «'l.ich the v„„ Ti- ■ V ,'"'"'*■" "s 'Ilis l)ook Will fiko -::>::;^r::j:;:;;;;::;,;::,;r,:;nT''''-- .™.w..:::,:;;;,:;:>:7-^«oweo.. W, can ,vc„„„„,.„,| ,,„!» as a m,«t i,„„,.c.»ti„(f exer- s:.r=, -Ere— " l>y tl,o va-ula,. Ivst,., ,.,■ o. ie "n'h'T witliout the lu'liior tl„. t " '"' "'''8 work »„eoo ja! ":,,r:t;::,;" [;•-"" ^"';™--. ffo«. K.,innin,. of a .Scl,«l,u-. ZZ^^ """" " 'J'lIIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 17 Tiriirry xotahle plants. Nature I,.-,, arran^^c.l tlu, plant, and trees in beau- tiiul contusion. Wo do not lind them placed in the rc^ntlar form of a botanical table, but their natural ''•nuonyin cop.e, and valley, and plain attracts even he eye of childhood. IJeds of anemones .-.ppear on ll.c ndfe^cs, violets nestle away in the ^rass and shady >'"oks ; the wild sunilower (with ^ohlen lace) stands 0.1 the dry prairie, and the beauteous ladies' slipper seeks out the moist retreats ; the prairie onion with ts pmk blossom is a constant companion of the travel- ler, and the wild pea entwines the horse's k-s as he clambers from the river up the side of the valley l>c ..range lily decks the plain in Julv and the blue n..ged gentian in September. And so in rich pro- lusion has the wise Creator mingled the trees and .shrubs and flowers in the landscape and given them to man for his profit and onfovmcnt So n.nnerous are the kinds of plants that they x'w.lder us as we try to become familiar with them. But we have sought to choose thirty of the most lH>Mut.fuI, and most notable, along with eleven of the l|l.-ints found most hurtful to agriculture, in order tl.at we may be able to name them, and become aciuamted with their sp(.<'ial points and uses In choosing the thirty plants the plan followed bv tlie author was to eonsnlt witli Hevcral of hi. friends who are fond of llowers and have spent yeura in thek m 18 illlli OC/A' CANADIAN PJ^AIKIES. "'■'>>y years ii rcsi,I,.,,t Tr ' ' """"'"• was for tarn as well; a„ot|,j;,. ..„„„„ ,,,,7^/ ""'"""• 'I™"' vince, e„e„un„ed i„ eMwL" c . T:,!" "';.'''r ;-a .r;.-eV\;r;:,;:;-:r7-r'''^ l^came fond of wandering- , I,™," Z^"''"' '"" -v,»u,,s and „rair„.s in lo^.^t t::"!^;'"'' four chose their lists „f fh„ ,|,i,.,v i ., ^''""^ "f llic i,rairk.s ■„„) , *^ '""" '^"""■'' ""'"crs ••".tl.or-s ow, ^;t 1,:"^: " "■™' «- !•'-«> ".e "liich we have ftk™ 7" "^i'""''"'"' ""= 'i-^' of thirty '"■"--'1 the. Will bcas,^; '"'/'■■""">'-• ''•" if fe "■"l: ean I,c select'' 1 ** ^ '^^""'" "^ "">• """y o.-ccin,cn (br .m.^ '""' " ^''^'■''^ 'I'" "ow..rs in the",,, , ::;:-° ;'-7- '<> «".! tl.o "'■ Nature has th?,. « t ' ^l '"'" '"" ""•••"' ■^'"""■' orders and s,.cci,.s n„f „ ^ '"'''"'"''" ""■'" "' -"'>e»eri„cd ;„w.ri;""" '"""" """ ^"«""d 'ike the face ,f „ *" , ,• ," ^"■';"''' "'" '-™'»« """»'" ■'"'Uty and a joy forever." THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 19 THE EARLY ANEMONE. First amon- tlio flowers of spring- upon tlie prairie peeps np our pretty purple Anemone. It is called the " Windflower " by some because it is said to open only when the wind blows ; while others sav it bears this name on account of its thriving in exposed or Avndy places. It certainly does seek the highest and bleakest spots on our prairie ridges. The Itali-in name, "Pulsatilla," g-iven to the flower means "SliMken by the wind." Tlie early Anemone, sometimes called the " Pasquc " or Easter Flower, well covered over as it is .Aith a thick coatinn. of short silky hairs, seems ready to resist the cuttino. north Avind. A poet has said, " Be.-iido a fading bunk (if snow A l(tv("l3' Anemones blew, Unfolding to tho sun's bright glow- Its loaves of Heaven's aorenest hue. ' Fis spring, I cried, i)al(^ winter's fled, Tho earliest wreath of flowers is blown. The blossoms withered long and de.-id Will so..n i)roelaiin their tyrant flown." The Anemone has a beautiful, palish imrj.le blossom enclosed by six leaves, and underneath tliis on the st(mi is a circle or whorl of hairy leaflets arran«-ed as If in a second cup to uphold the tender fl.,w(M- These leaves when bruised have a very l>un;,.ent suK^ll, and from this the Anemone is called "H-trts l»oni pi int." From its power to pnnluce this refresh- ing: odor it is known as the " Headache " plant. The SIX flower leaves or sepals of tho Anemone form a cu}., which does not look unlike the flower oi' the 20 Oril, CANADrAN PRAIJUES, Crocus, one of tlio prcttv Tri^ r.. ^^ . mistake to call t„o'« c M-^rj'^' '"' " '^ "'"'«" as some poopfe ..,.o,„ ' ',';:";!,"' "C--." If you press aside tlio sp.,..]J , xtamcTis clustering tn.>-oH,cr v , '.'""'"■''■>'■"""• Club-like top „,. knob o" ; „ "* "'""'= '"'^ ■•' f"ll Of yell ,w h St J i " """"■'■• """ ""•« - flower. Inside L " ""■"" "' f""'"^^" '"<• flower is yonnff and f "'' "'"■" ""' ^vhite st,.„ s „ se i ' " '"""''"'' "*■«'■«"" or of the blo«s n The ^"'■™''' '" ""' "■'■>■ '■'■""- tl.ey are numerous '"" ""'"•"' '"'' "■•"■|«"» ""'• '-" ;:,:''i:::;^rri: :':,:— ^"'-' -• -rioo^tr--::-^-^^^^^ -me call tl,e plant .MVairi:;;;;;.;::''/''''" ''"^ '■-' '■"-. is poison. T,n!e :;;,;:"':'•.'''■"•-•- '-f Poots always attach the ide-, of • 'e ' ^''" Anemone. oxjiectation " to the ■'■'"•■ ►■l.mvEn's HKCIiET. O'lT tho ii-ostcrn j.raiiio Intl,„(i,.|,l,„fj,.„,-„_ I >'r".ighfl„. „,„.„,„,,, f,„„,j^ An.! t 111' ')Ufl ''■a I'Ifiiii, THIRTY NOrABLE PLANTS. 21 Como the lovely flowers Ever swoot anil bi-ight. Kindly sent to give us Innocent delight. Such a hap])y secret Will its loaves unfold. If you listen closely When a ilowor you hold. — Fannv (;iiai)\vi(;k. We love our Anemones, for these opening- flowers speak to ns of tlie comin.ir summer, and as tlie' sweet poet Whiitier said, " tln> Mind flowers sway Against the throhhing heaH, ,,|' May." Botanical ^\uv.:—Am>mom'i.afi'nH, Var, Nut- ialiana. Natural 0\i\wM'.~nanum'uUwew. LITTLK AXKMOXE. Little Anemone ^•'•1 frail and so fair, Wooiiiing s(i lii'ave. In the cold sjiring air. Sweet littl i> iiiess(>nger. Coming to tell Sumiiit All will he well. r IS eoiMing, Out of the darkness, Spi'inging to life, St>l travf ;t ud SI o Tinv 'Midst this great world of strife. ill' 22 OUA' CANADIAN PK A TRIES. f^tandingsofirm, TlKMigli swayed by tho breeze, Seeming to say By its pure petalod loaves Out of the darkness Shall rouio forth li"-ht. Ood in His wisdom, Has made day and niglit. Out of the darkness, This ])ale thing is born ; Out of th(> shadows Breakoth life's morn. Little Anemone; '-'rent is thy part; By lliy silence and faith, Thou may'st lessons impart. HKNHIKrrA S. PiKE. THE DWARF JJUTTKRCUP. Wl,en the warm days of May a„d eaHy J„„o 1 hi, full st,-e„s:,.l,, i|,e .. dwarf Butter™,," „". r .. nl«u..,eaved e.v.wfoot, as it is called, a, L," It C1..C. no ,.,w mo,.o .ha„ eight inches hi^a 1 J otunes ,s not .no.-e than half of that. It 1 V! p mm 'f'T,,!:""'" r",'"*-'" p'-''-. 'hough „,a ; Pi.mts of tlio same family l„v„ n.e „.„ter Co,ni„s up so early, while still a cold wind from he north „.ay hlow u,«„ it, t„„ .. j,,,„,,. b„ "ercu^ vn,d. Ar,,un,l the root of the ,,la„t elnstor tie ''•-■OS winch give it the nan.e rho„,„„id,eavcd tit THIKTYNOTABr.MPr.AHTS. 23 lndT"t""'""', "'™'"" ""^ '='"■""- "■■« deftly Stem you find ti.em quite differcn i,i f„r,u. Tl.ov tl.0 foot of tl,o crow, g-ivo tl,o plant the mmo Crow- When we eome to examine the flowoi- oloselv it is scon to have five scivU-lcaves in the ealyx an w. I.m those are five rather large yellow pern s The yellow petal, make up the corolla of the lint crcnn and no donbt the nan.o Bnt.orcnp eon.e,, iron tifo iich niillc of the C0W8, as tiiey conic in with their swo, en n,„lcr» front the rich spring pastures. stamens, for ,t hclongs to the same family. . When the plant ripens, it again, like t.,; Anenione, custei. Kach of these se.,Is, called achcnes has a imie curved beak. The shape of the se,., ,o I.e™i,ar that so„>o see in it the form of a fro.. It is tin' is": nir-V" "'*""^'^ <=""«• " '^^-menlns; , y .^lat the Uonnu, writer Pliny called the flower hi- s name because many of the santo family grew n. the shallow water where the frogs abound. ' The dwarf Dntteroup is a brave little Howe,- for ■t creeps up ,ar into the liocky mountains and doe not ,e^^,r the snowfields on tin, monn.ain hcigl" Tl ^ ey r:; :, "","\"" '^ ''"■*^° -■""■''>•• "«'■•« '-•" 1. 1 eyer o( the sh,n,y wo,Kis than of the open prairie 24 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. bitter Though the dwarf buttercup is harmless yet rlT^r:. ? '^"^"^' ^^^'^ ^^ Helleboreand AconU are very poisonous. BoTAxicAL Name :-/?a«t.,..«Z^,. r^om W.u.. Natural Order :—Ra?iunculace(e. THE WILD COLUMFilNE. draw the attention of anyone wandering in the woods along our streams. The flower is more than an inch long, and the plants from a foot to two feet 'Hgh Each stem terminates with a showy flower which hangs blossom downward ' Belonging, as it does, to the C. wfoot family, whch ^ have been studying, its leaves are cu 's lo7? n "^'^^^ '" '^"P°""^' ^"^ --h leafle nee its' fi 'L'"^ ''' ^^'^"'^"^ "^*^-« -* once Its Ave reddish sepals, and its deep red VMS each of which has a long pollen spur, called the nectary or honey-bearer. The throat of each pe a -tube is a bright yellow. Each of the tubular petals has the appearance of the corolla of a honey- it '' K '! ^'''' "'""'^ *'^^^ «*^^^r t^'« honey- Buckle, but this should not be done as that flower belongs to a diff-ercnt order. The name Columbine is from the Latin word meaning a dove or a pigeon. Why it is so called s haid to say. Some think the spur of the flower IS like a p,^eon'« claw. The poet Darwin, who THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS, 25 wrote the "Botanic Garden," made out in the five nectaries as they are seen on the top of the lianffinx. flower something, like a "Nest of youn^ doves^ fluttering: and elevating their necks as tlie parent approaches with food for them." Perhaps a better explanation is that given by another writer, wI,o sees the dove thus: "Take the central petal of the left hand flower shown in a picture of the plant. The anthers might ^present a spreading, feathery tail ; the petal, the ])ack ; the two sepals a pair of wings ; and the long nectary, terminating in a point, the neck and small head." It is certain hat the school children in Britain pall apart the blue Columbine, which grows in gardens there, to see the dove thus shown. Anodier name given the flower, is the Aquilegia. Ihis IS also from the Latin word, meaning the eagle and probably referring to the claws. Others think that the name Aquilegia means tlie water-carrier having reference, no doubt, to the bottle-shaped nectary or corolla spur. In the Columbine, as in the other flowers of the Crowfoot family, the stamens are many, and within these 18 a crowd of carpels. When the flower dies eiect. The ripened fruit is a five-divided pistil, with a long, slender tail from each seed Tliough so beautiful, the Columbine has not been a favorite. One old writer speaks of it as a ''thank- less flower," and this name may have been given on allotted to It m the garden. Another writer says it 26 OUR CANADIAN rRAIRIES. is the emblem of those who nre forsaken. 8hake- pcnro speaks of it in his play of Hamlet, where the distracted Ophelia in saying-, .: " ^^^^^'^ ^^"n«l ^or you, and columbine," seems to ,se the flower as a symbol of in^^ratitude. The flower is well known in all the provinces Ti e fn: r^ ^^ ^^^ ^°^^>^ ^'-"*--- mrts of ^'^^^-^-^^- Columl>ine. In some paits of the west the red color of the flower fades away, and the whole corolla, both inside and outside becomes yellow, or even turns to a cream color t; clear wlnte. If Manitoba scholars will carefully transplant our Colun.bine from the woods to til gardens at thci,- homes, it will g-row very well Botanical ^xn^'.-AqmUgla Canadensis. Natural Order .-lianunculacece. THE COMMON KLUE VIOLET. No flower is bettor known than the little bine Violet. It nestles in many a retired plot of green grass, •■ with all tlie loveliest children of the shade " In every slmdod eorner, in woodland or on prairie from the Atlantic Ocean to the Paciflc, the blue C'; is found-an emblem of simplicity and modesty. st.r° f r? "''"'" "°"'""*^ °" ^ ''•'""er scape or talk, winch nses from a elnster of heart-slled leaves at the very root of the plant. The root itSf .B fleshy and thick, is slightly acrid in taste, and gives off no runnei-s as some vioh-ts do. The flve sepals have small eai-s like enlargements at the base THIK TY NO TABLE J '/.JJVYS. 27 The five petals of the irre^nilar cor„lla are of unequal size, and the lower one is one-spurred at the base. The petals are usually blue, hut often vary, beini? pui-plo, sometimes dotted with white, thou.^lua traee of blue IS almost certain to be found on some part of the corolla. Though so irregular iu form the violet IS a good example of symmetry, for besides its sepals and petals being in fives, it has five stamens also The stamens are broad and have inturned anthei-s and are united very closely over the pistil. The spur of the violet affords a very interesting studv. From two of the stamens, you will s(>e on splitting down the spur of the corolla, there i,roeeeds a g.-een heel- ]ike projection filling up the spur. There has been much debate as to the use of this strange growth, but we are still in the dark about it. The pistil has a club-shapc.i style and the stigma is turned to one side when the flower ripens. The fruit is a pod contain- lug only one cell. This pod which is filled with seeds, can be seen on close observation to be threc- valved. The Violet, being found in every locality, has been a favorite, and may be called the -poet's flower. Our great Shakespeare tells us the " Violet is for faitlifulncss," and it is no wonder that the Arabian prophet Mahome. for this reason thought it the ])(;st of llo' -rs The Napoleon f^imily in all its misfortunes has kept the Violet as its sign and token of devotion to a falling cause. '° The scientific name given the Violet, Viola cucul- lata, refers to the same fact noted by the children in 28 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. Great Britain who cill fho a "cuckoo's si.oes" Lht i . ' ^^ '^''^ ^^^ totnofootoft,";Cr'^^^' '"" """ ^'^^-^^^-- From the modest little Violet let us Ic-im th , of constancv M-m.r r>f , " *'^^ ^^s«^>n ..///,y^^^. TliG Jeaves of the Poison Tw t so,u„ „f the a,,p„,u,u,co „ ■ the o'i „ *^,'™'' the plant beinjf „,.||„, ,,,. ,„„ ^ "2' ■' "' '««l» to Another ,,l;u,t ,vhit,.,l t.. I, ' '"'*'" 0'»l<- ■''""' '''■'^fr.\ s.VAKK l,-u„T. Six very ilillui'unt j.laiits iii-o (■•,ir,..r i , of Snako ]J„„t. In ,„„,t c.«i ti, '■ "'" '"""''■ on account „f tl,o iilmt ,"" ,"""'" ""''""' *"i™n ■■oot-stccK, rnnn I :,:'•;:: '^ "'!^'' >-lo,.,..„„n,l St,:;:;;:; tL:';:f:-: "»' ''--"- l>l^"it in ,„v«|,„.unr ,„iii/i "'" <'«wt „f the Taocon„:„nan:e^j;;:;;i:r;::,:;tr'''- the same, tlio word Avn.-n • ,, -^ ^^' '"^-'Uis /^'■•'/i- »'-;;' :;;:an:;c'hf !;:,;;'■"'• •''•'"'• and several »tem» spring ,Vu,„ ,' ' '■'"""'' '"I*. i "fe ^'"111 uie aaiiio knotty root- THIRTY NOTAIU.E PLANTS, 31 Stock. Tfreso ^row six inches or more al.ove the ground. The leaves are alternate on the stem, and are lance-shaped with rou^^-h mar«-ins. The flower of Snake Ko„t is very irrcg-iihir The sepals of the calyx which do not soon wither, thou^^h five m number differ much in ap,,earance, the up^er and the two lower bein.^ small and greenish, while tlic two on the side which are called " wiuL^s " are rounded, oval, lar.^e, and are colored like the petals. Ihe petals are striking in appearance. Thev are jo.nod together and united to the stamen-tube, the >ni.ldle one bemg keel-shaped. The stamens are six or eight in number, and are combined into a split sheath. The plant has one pistil. The Snake Koot J?rows upon dry spots on the prairie, has a bitter taste, and is somewhat an.matic. It is largelv used m ined.c.m, being u useful agent for clearing he throat and lungs. A syrup is made from the r(X>t and sold as the Exfact of Seneca. (iroat quantities of the plant are gathered from different parts of Manitoba, and its collection is b,.comin.>- - X)0 lbs. were exported from Winnipeg, and the aned root is S(,ld at from twenty to thirty cents a poumi It is sent to Eastern Canada, the United States, to (rermany, and many Europ.-an countries. The plant is largely foun.l in fhe drier parts of the KedKiver Valley, Lake Manitoba District, and far up the Saskatchewan. The Imlians and natives of ho country aro those chielly engaged in coll<>cting f u T? f May comes they arc on the lookout for it, and before the end of that mouth bring in to 32 OUA> CANADIAN PKAIRIES. the merchants tlicir first Jots Ti, ^^Y out of tlie o.,ound in a \ ^''^^'''^ '^^ «P«do cU, i. ,p 4, ^xpeni;'" /^'^ ^ ^^"^^^ i-oc»t and dry it in the sun w, ^ •"" "^^"^ *J^« '^-"^e- it is consider!:^ dr ^ ^ ''V^ '' ^"^^^ "lost valuable, and collectors 1' w' ^"' '^' ^« "merchants against gather n'tlt, '"'^ ^^ *'^^ bulbous root. The t X ! '^'^'' ""^^^^ ^^"^ -|.>iyofthepian.s^rtXu::r^^^ NaT0«AL OR.EK :_p,,,^,,,^^^^ THE EVERLASTING TEA. On our shcIt(M'ed river bnnt. matted storas of the Evcritstin J ^ •■"■" ""^ covered with ,, d.nvm, ^ ""' """l ••"■" """n -"od, at t„o ba«e Ti, '; ,;'-.:''!;";™' '« "-y -o «"1 of this compound e.,f, '""'"^^ from the tl'o Howe,- to bo one of 1 ''" *" •■" """o '» 'oil '00.1, a:. sl,o,.t ; tl,a ',! OH T '"° "' '"« veiT inx-«ular and as v„„ look ?i , ^''- " '« '-*i"e it .0 b„ a butteZ f p, :f ;'.'' -V"" <=«" THIKTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 33 Darned the five petals which make" up the corolla in a veiy pretty manner. The large leaf standing up so erect they called "the standard," the two leaves of the same shape and size, one on each side, they knew as the " wings," and noticing that the other two leaves were joined togetlier in a round sack running out to cii)()int, this became to them "the keel," although it is more like the prow of a boat. Perhaps nothing about the Pea blossom is more beautiful than the grouping of the ten long stamens which are found enclosed within the keel of the cor- olla of the flower. Nine of the stamens grow out of a flattened narrow leaf and look like a strong brother- hood united together against all comers, but one solitary like a sentry standing before them makes up the number. The pistil of this plant is also most interesting. It has a flattened style, wliich is (,uite hairy on the side facing towards the solitary stamen " When the pistil ripens it forms the well-known pea- pod. Try to get a ripened pod of this flower or what will do just as well, a pod from a sweet pea stalk in a flower garden, or from a field in which green peas are being gathered for dinner. Break open the pod, and you will seo that it contains only one cell, being like the two halves of a leaf folded together, along the midrib. The row of seeds fast(.ied like little flattened eggs are called ovules from the Latin word for ^^^. It is fn.ni the ovules or secvls that tlio new pea plant will spring up the tol lowing year. ThG p,.,. ig very useful for feeding cattle on our prairies. The herd when grazing an. glad when 34 OUA' CANADIAN J'lUlAVES. tlicy can become cnUiiifrlod ■•„ n. tiuckct. AV|,e,-e tlio noo ''^^ ^^''^^'« the elin.bi„,. pea,. Tl' " "^ "' "^''^ ^^'^'^^^^ «f twines upon any su^ ', ,",f^"^^^«' "^^-^ «owor, the less usefu]. If l ' l' / '''''"' ^^^^ ^'« "^^e ^'•■•'^ ^-^ i« Hot the I an w r;'n '^'^^ ^"" ^^'^" ««« v^^'n^^'l. Let us admire the ''"^''' ^''' ^''^ '•VnK>s with. lusteriu. bunches growin. vr., —JMth!j}'u>< veno6as. v^KDiui —Leguminosixi, '-"... 1-0., to tie .'!,;;'::"*''7; '"" '"" ''--'^ in »lmust every wav V™, " n " ™''J' '''■"■^•'■"'" fa from six to flfto „ /' '° f ^<='-'^'><""ff I'ea. It The plant fa eovol,"" ' .' ' '' •'""" <-™^'- stem straight f,-„,„ .,'",•; ^ ''T""" "'' "^ » «'"«' "'^kes it celohrated "^ ' '""'' "' ""^ ■""'" '^"O, from ";:::r%— :'';''■" ''~-'<'™''^^"-"^^^^^ ^'o.u like the hvom,^ ;:„;■'■'"'■'', ™' ''•'"" "- "" '"'•""• ^'"^ ""'« Wue iiewez-s, each THIRTY NOTAB Lit PLANTS. 35 cabout half an inch lons", fire all closely arran^-ed along- the top of the stalk and form what is called a raceme, or long- flower cluster. Now let us examine one of the blossoms. The petals are united into a cup or calyx, but have live lance-shaped teeth ; the corolla with its five petals is as real a butterfly-shaped blossom as that of the Pea. Notice ag-ain the shape of each petal, draw a picture of each in your note book, and mark them with their names. The stamens as in the Pea are ton in number, but arc in one brotherhood and have one-half of the anthers on the top „f the stamens smaller than the other half. Tin. fruit of the Prairie Turnip is, however, not so beautiful a pod as that of the Pea, but is thick, and shrivels up with its one seed ui)on the plant. The most striking- thing- about this plant is its root, which is about the size of a hen's eg-- and is well buried in the gfround. The name g:iven it by the botanists, " esculenta, " is Latin and means eatable. The Indians and M-adorsdi- up this root, peel oft" the toug-h skin which covers it, and And the starchy su})stance sweet and very satisfying-. When the root has been dried, it is easily powdered into a light flour, which may ])e used in the same way as wheat or barley flour. The French traders who first came to the North- West were fond of it and called it in their tong-ue the "wliite apple," «'g-round apple," and the "prairie apple." As this useful root was used much by the Indians, before the whites came to the North-West, it is also known by th.e nanipg of the tvvo great Indian races as the " Dakota Turnip " and "Cree Turnip." ! 1 36 fi :,. I iii ^^^ CAJVADfAN PJ,^,j,j^S '"? «'"ry. i„ t|„ „.„ ; ^; >;' -^oen ,„ t„c f„„o„. Oiimed Pritchard wli,«/jl , '"'"""''^■' '^ "'«lf>- Manitoba, was ioLt , m of wh"""'"" ^'"' "™ '" -ands. Boeo™,-„, ZlTZ^^S"' ^"^ "°«- and losing ),is wiv L . comi)anions S™Hs river, and ;IaJT ""^ ^'P^^'""« and Hero is 'wh'thr ""'■"■"'' "•""" "»■•>"• ■""•dshi,.: "I L-sdav? "f"' "™''^" '"•^J-«"f tl'c Canadians c » thf T " " ' '^"" *'^''^<' ''""'^ 'lope of dis-ffins them m, , " "'°'^' ' '""1 "" foot in tl,o^,.o„nd and t ' '''°' ''""^ ^' '■=■■'« a TI.0 root is from tttt ^™""' "^"'"■"^'^ "'"•"■ andone-and-a-iLftcre r,;r^^^^^^^^^ unpleasant to the palate." p^h .'f?""""""" sharp stiek, the trader succeeded ?■ "'*'" ''' plant, and savs further "litvf, '''^*^"'«^ "P "'o rotnrned to my encamnm„„! f """"' " '"" ■'■■'«'■ I roast«i thorn for ™~ 7"" "^^ "■"'■■a-do.en. refreshed ,ext morn W "' t ', ""^'^ ^-''^^''-V "■•^' «avod PHtcS^Worlr,'" ''"'""' ''"""> was at last helped bv a bond of " ''"" ''""<'' "e after bein^ ,„.!t fortv da^s w ,sT""V"'"'""' '"""• at the mouth of the S™,-'™ """"'«'" '» 'he Fort ^>;n.-yt,,ou,.t ;;!::;: „^!;:*j-^^ THIRTY NO- ^iBLE PLANTS. 37 TWO LITTLE ROSES. One merry Summer day- Two roses were at play ; All at once they took a notion They would like to run away ! Queer little roses ; Funny little roses ; To want to run away ! They stfjle along my fence ; They clambered up my wall ; They climbed into mj' window To make a morning call ; Queer little roses ; Funny little roses ; To make a morninp; call ! —Julia P. Ballard. THE WILD ROSE. Most beautiful and most beloved of all the flowers of garden and field is the Rose. Like its companion the Lily it has ever been the poet's flower. The purity symbolized by the Lily and the affection betokened by the Rose have always been the quali- ties in humanity most valued by the world. These two flowers, so unlike each other, seem to blend in beautiful harmony. A writer has said : From rose and lily we acciuire our best ideas of what exogem and endogem really are ; the twofold realm of floral nature universally acknowlcdg-cs them the respective que . . . The names of tlic two arc of oriental and very ancient birth." 'I^i; 'I 38 '''''^' cAmniAJv PAujj,^^^ fte color ofitsir Tot .,™™'''° ""^^ ■••« '» ■»on typo tl,„4h he ^vWoT'""" ''"'»-•"■ known. According totr',? ""^y<="»^- «■» well ".^l eolc- of the W Id i^ 1 T'"" "'"^ ""= «"»'- tivation has of modifvh,f « '*'"""' ^'"■'='' ""I- "umberand color '/'S ^^r' "'"'"'■^"'^- '" ">« e:.C'sJ:,ltr''^^™»"''''°-™n'r„rthe ^'"'■"''■"^""'"Mi^rful bower, vaw^L-iirof^'h^^rdt:;,:''''''' r *« -"-. ;-™.y of roses i„ o^^^ 'j?f '«'J ■" -^ ^r^cat ianty of the flower as i," ^° ''™'" "•« --egu. and the contrast betw„r "" "" """'^ ^'-». Bwcct and sontle flowo o 1/',^ ""'" "'"' ">« I'« Ave or six petals ino reat! " ' ''"™"°" "> "• garden Rose, ••'ttrac 0^"^; LT;;""™^'^ ''• '"o ""d '^"-i'y fe tliat „,ost d,.|io.htM t '""'■''■•"" '^«''='«'« of roses cluster of yellow ' """■ """ "f '-oses. A ^''7edoC;:n::;;;r:!:r;i:e%— '''-"^ ■■""I the ripened ovarv or rose „i , "' ""' ''"■»"''■ skin Which belong-s to the Z "' "' ''"'S'" '•«! »e. Onrprairitwi °Rri;;,.^--"oovory. ~ '- '..0 «csi,y eoati,; 0; ;,:: ;r rrjt THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 39 the numerous seeds, a store of fo(xl for l)ir(ls, anci especially for the prairie chickens. The important place tf^ken by the Rose in the affairs of men is worthy of notice. The red and white Roses were the badg-es of the two parties, Lancastrians and Yorkists, in the great civ^il war which devastated Enjyland for generations. Shake- speare makes Plantaganet say : " Let him that is a true-born gentleman From off the briar pluck a white rose with mo." and Somerset replies : "Let him who is no coward, nor no Hattorer Pluck a red rose from off this thorn with me." How beautiful the turn given to the sweetness of the rose in Romeo and Juliet : " "What's in a name ? That which we call a rt)so By any other name would smell as sweet." and, again, when fading nature is spoken of else- where by Shakespeare : " The seasons alt(^r. Hoary-bladed frosts Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose." Seek out the spots where the roses grow. There nature has placed the most fertile soil. There other wild flowers and useful herbs will be found springing up. Note carefully the character of the roses, for the botanists tell us that in Manitoba the Rose has not been woll studied, aiid wc may help to place them in their proper varieties, /\ OUA' CANADIAN PRAIRIES. Wliilo some may difFcr from us. we Pi-aine Koso as follows : Botanical Name :-i?om7>/...,/,,. Natural OitDEK .-Itomcem. flcscribe our I'lIK I'liLox AND K,,sK. Aud give a. ...nuT of its own, An, uindU..ir.,,,aan.u..iJ...,:; Iii.un.,,somogr.H.uan.lt.u,l.rs].,ot; Jut soon tho svm.tost liou-ers bore, That ever bush in ganlezi wore, An.l every M-eok thereafter grow ^^"tU the Phlox had blossomo/t^o -Koses as lovely and as shy ^Hall-hiddon from the passer-by _^;|. "'said tho bash, that autiunn eve, ^Vhen you az-o gone how I shall oTi.ve- ru s„m„,er days for n.e you've nfade, ' iH.mburmngsunaploasantshade, An. in the winter-ti,„e tho,.ght I, •StiH care and shelter Mill be ni..h • ilovo you more than lean tell" ' J ow can I bear to say farewell V', ^^I^arEose," the stately Phlox replied, JVo must not part whate'er betide- Nuch gratitude as yours, that brings An uirenng of the sweetest things, Boforoom.'s own fair Idossoms grow I no or could find again I know ; ' U.ng closer dear an.l you shall be -Borne to my new abode Mith mo."' ' lio.so obeyed, and hidden quite, i our THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 41 Ilaply escaped tho ganlouor's sight ; And when again 'twas fragrant .rtine, And all tho song-hirds wore in tuno, Pooping from out tho Phlox's green, Its lovely crimson blooms were seen. — Mauuaukt Evtixue, THE TIIREE-FLOWERED AVEXS. This ilowor api)ears upon the prairie in May and continues tiirou^di June. It was well known to the Romans who called it "Geum," a name; referring'- to the good taste of its roots, which are said to smell like cloves. Its beautiful stems are less than a foot hi^h, and they are clothed with a rich ft)lia<»-e. A writer has said: "The finely cut leaf is sag'f,^estive of the much admired fern, and indeed in this respect it is superior to many of that family, but it wants the delicacy of texture which, as much as ele^^ance of form, gives the fern so niucli beauty." The chief beauty of "(Jeum," huwever, consists in the rosy red liower stem which rises up in the midst of green leaves. This is tiiree-branched, as its name implies. At the Ijottom of tlie three-forking stem are long and slender deep red bracts. Each of the flowers has a bell-sliaped calyx, whose teeth show that it is made up of live sepals ; and five little bracts peer up between the live teoth. Belong- ing as this flower does to the Rose family, it has like most of that family five regular petals. In the Avcns these are pale pink or white, but they are so modest 42 OUH CANADIAN PKAIKtES. that you must open the calyx to see them r -a «.ofa™„y.„„,,,i;^J„--J^-ea,sol„ When tlio petals and stamens ftir «»• ,i • head Of the Avens is very p Lv A, ^m "'™"'' Anemone the seeds whi,.h ^' " ""' "'* I'ave lon^ plumo e M Th "'7 """ ^"'""•"'"' cy niake a pretty ornament. These Honors .„■« said to arrow vorv wnii \^ , '"^^viis aic Natural Ordkh :-/?06'«ceaj." THE SILVER WEED. 1. _. '" lunnm^r stems be?ir pi.im.,,. i l-vc xneso arc groou on tho upper ^idcrb; THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 43 silvery-white beneath. Hence the name Silver Weed. The compound leaf has pairs of opposite Icatiets, and a leaf at the end of the stalk. It is from the five leaflets of a species closely related to this that the French name "Cinque-foil" is taken. Another name, " five-finger," is often used by us in speaking- of the plant. The name (Poten- tilla) found below is from a Latin adjective jiotem, meaning- powerful, given because this plant was much used in medicine by the ancients. They thought " it good against all sorts of agues and fevers, that it cooled and attempered the blood," and that it had many other virtues. We do not now regard it of any such value. Rising up from the axil of the leaf is a long stalk, or, as it is called, peduncle, bearing the yellow flower on its summit. As in the other flowers of the Rose family the sepals are five, ])at in this case they have five small leaves or bracts alternate with them, making the calyx look as if it were ten-cleft. The blossom has ilva roundish yellow petals. The stamens are very numerous. When the fiowor rii)ens, the fruit consists of achenes or little nuts, which are collected in a sort of head. The styles of the pistils are fine and thread-like, and the seeds look as if they were covered by a growth of thin hair. S(mio botanists wish to group this plant with a number of other siKicimcns, under a name meaning those that have seed bearing a h vid of hair. The Potontillas are very numerous. Some varie- ties become troublesome weeds, Imt the cincjue-foila of 44 OUR CANADIAN PRAIK/ES. Manitoba, of wliidi thoro 'xvo nv.n plants. '''' "''"^>'' ''^'^^ J'Hrmless Botanical Namk .-Pofpntni^ Natuhal Okdeh :-/eo.v«e.,«. THE GREAT MTrj.ow HERB. As the sumnior wcirc r^» <^i /^ »'•"' its tall a„ I Tf . k ,,:"■ "" '''•^■•" ^^"'™ H«-b, »'»«•>• pink ,.„«.,L :„ , ; ;^^. ;;-•'«'' "%h, it, -"unvliat damp g,.„„„ 7. '"'■':'r'''^ •■""' «" "■i""i-c the tires Invvi *'''l'™'»ll,v 'U,n,„la,u, •™.<- witi„„.t .t:L. a a r;;::,:; . ;"- »t "■•« n..n.eofAVi„,„,„,,,„,,^„ ;^- '■;i..vet„c below. ™' """ '''"'^■» "'" «<-■«'"" "^'".0 f..,.,,,! As wo look at the regular flower, of the Win p'.-.-w„itte,.io,,,j;:;;~;^;/-^^^^^^^^^ THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 46 the flowers, which are arranged along* the stem to form what is called a raceme, is taken the calyx is seen at a g-Ianco to have four teeth, thus shewing four sepals ; and the pretty pink petals are also four in nuni'jer. A close look at the anthers wliich sur- mount the eight stamens will show them to he quite small. Very prominent in the corolla of the flower is the long style with its four-cleft stigma. Wlu^u the antliers begin to give oft' their poUeii, the style is curved backward and downward, and with stigma closed prevents fertilization. Shoi'tly afti'r, however, the style straightens and rises to its full height. At the same time the stigma opens its four little lobes :. ' receives pollen from some other flower borne by Aiugs of some wandering bee. When tlic seed rii»ens it consists of a pod with a tuft of long silky hairs at the end. The name EpUohium, given r!(!low. seems to refer to this, for it means "upon tlie little p(Hl." The Willow Herb is one of the most stately and beautiful of our flowers, and la of gi'cat service in covering tlie black, unsightly spots left by the forest and prairie lires. Were ic not I'or tliis the settler would often despair as he thouglit of his former cheerful home across the sea or in some (^astern province ; but when he sees such beauty springing out of desolation, he is encouraged to labor, knowing that the great Creator is tiu^ author a,n- plant wifh . 7 , ' "'""^cwhat rough- sun, its flowers irpf-.i a ^'''^^ mid-day ^ it«i^iant \ellow blossoms in fnii M seeminglv reiofcin,*- fn fi .• ,, ^"""^' '"^"^l tins flowor c-rows fvn.r. ^''^ ^'^^'» of topped with flowers in :"'''^7''P^'^ ^^'^ves and and l,HS four ,>!,", "■■ '""" '" "'" <="'."t. indm,, become pi ;"■■"" ".'"'"^ '■>"« ^'"■■V Boon, it» ««•,.„ f,,,l neefal ! ', T "'»-""■'•"««». "nd sta lis aii.l carrir 11,7 ,, '""'™^ "' ''» ""« Kvciiiiii Srose 1'" " r""" "'" «"«''='■ '■'' into four 1... J. I:.- .'" '"" "'" »"*?'"» IB .liviiled ~ "' '^ '" '''» o""^'- mcmbera of tlii, order.' 1,33^- THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 47 Those Who live on our ^reat plains may well delig-ht in this ])eautirul flower, with its strange, night-blooming- habit. The group to which this plant belongs is almost confined to North America. It was, however, known to tlic Greeks and Romans,' and the name given below has been differently explained. Some say it comes from a Greek word which refers to the root of the plant having a smell like wine ; others say that the juice of the plant was mixed with wine to make jK-ople feel jovial. We do not need either the wine itself or this mingled juice to make us feel glad. Good health, and steady habits, and a wcll-furnishod and contented mind can give us more lasting pleasure than any such exciting aids. Botanical Nam K:—r/;wo(^/,^./.^ /^/t'wwAv. Natural Okdek •.—Oiiagmcew. THE WATKli I'ARSXIP. Those who have ventured ii to the swampy or wet places in Manitoba may have noticed a i)lant that calls to mind the ripening carrot or caraway of our gardens. It attracts us by its tall stem, which is from two to six feet in height. This is the Water Parsnip. As we grasp its tall stem it is found to be hollow. Its leav<"s are alternate, are twice or thrice com- l»()und and the leaflets ai-e coarsely toothed. The petioles or stalks „r M,„ l,..,v.'s ^M'^^ bn.ad and sheath- ing at their bases. It is, however, the llower cluster '!: 48 OUA' CANADT,m p^^i„,p^^ on tho top of t|,„ st,,,„ „r ., , -"■■o" - .uo»t »tn-,. ''"■•»Mip ,„,, v,.,y s,„,,| ,„ ' '^ "'™''''''' «f tlH! Water "•""^■^ i""ff. T,„,.so",rtt :,"< "''" '"" "■■ ""■'". '"•"'<=1' ™« In tl,o.,a„,et ""'"■ ""<' "«V ;V^"""" -' ""■< un.,„' , ,V""'7'"""''""^"""«» "f" 'l.-»-..,. „lu»t,.,. »o„„.t , ,7,''''"'."-^-- '""■» '-.n- ••"■« i'«u.tif,a wi , ' ? '"' "'■ """'"'^ ""fc5^ «o'-"M.-. ..f live wl„> „;,,;■■'' ;'■"" «>•« ««■'!■, a '"•"<"■ »'""vs ,,, , ,^"' "■'" "™ «t,„no,„, ,„,3 '"■"""■""'"■ As ,:l,„',e,.,K r? *""="""' 'l»i'e ■"'■I'.i'-.-.to, ,„„1 ,,„ , „,_,'"• '"■'="""^ i-ipe, tlicy '«'Wl.c„o,l axis. '^'""-'^ '^'•"''' •"" "'P of the •■"' 1"-'><''I in ,,,,k„. ,v|,i,., ." 'f"'"'' ""•H.-ivor , ''''■'■ '-"H, to ,v,;i,;'';t ;;:,';''" ,r'---'-<^. •'■■« »o„„, „»,.,■„, n,on,l„T. I„; ■"■■'""''' '"■'"'«« -'•.V .l..,,,«,,ou» „,„.. ;;„ . f' ••' '■-• Of ;';■"- '''-- ""•» o,,,o , ■;,„;:;::•■' ;-""-'.^- -■ "- *.-.•..•. ■'•■»*.^//^e.«.. THE SMOOTH HONEYSUCKLE. ta'-l. and tree to treo "'V^'""'"""' '""™'n bush to ana most brilliant i„ e;,„l"">' ,"'"'° '"« """allest T"i3 '«-.-d is not ftuH-^r '■'',? ""■nmingBird. belongs to thn cwT I i ''° "'•"'■^'' l«'es. I,nt Continent of America. M it darts THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 51 about with buzzing- sound in the summer sun it is sure to And tlie Honcysuclcle. The Honeysuckle has such lon^^ tubular Howers, that it seems as if nature had g^iven it to the Humming- Bird as a special prize, for its long and slender bill is almost the only one that can reach to the bott' m of the Honeysuckle. Our Honeysuckle is a beautiful, twining plant from three to five feet high, finding its sui)port on sojne of the stronger trees or shrubs that skirt our rivers. It is very smooth, and is covered over with a bloom such as that wliich rubs off upon your hand from a cabbage leaf. Hence the botanists call it glaucous. Th(! leaves are mostly oval and the edges are entire. They have no stalks and often fold around the stems. The topmost leaf opens out in a flat and rounded sliai)e. The flowers are grouped together in whorhid clusters. As we examine the calyx we find that its teeth are very short and unimportant, but the corolla is the glory of the Honeysuckle. In our plant the corolla is a pale yellow tube, rough and hairy Avithin. It gapes wide open, and has a lower lip (luite narrow, which has opposite it the uppc^- four-lobed lip which is broad. Within the tube of tlie corolla stand the five stamens. When thcst; liave cast their pollen and the seed has ripened, they, along with the colored corolla, witlua- away, and leave the red berry with cal>'x-tceth gathering firmly around it. How wonderful is the provision of nature for the delicate objects which it pnxluces ! The Ix-auty of the Ilont-ysiuckle, wlfcli lis twining Stem, has always appealed to the imagiiiati )n of the 52 '"*<^''^-^^/-'^«U««^. "-".*r:.::i,,t."i,*™'""'-™. „„„ ^' "'"'''"«• '""'"■■o fa thus d,vuv„: A«ara». «.„ , J„, -; ;j;' -W« .hoi.. ,.i„„ "' '"^ «'fl-timc writer say.s : ■'It '''preaduth forth JiJc ^-enfro,„ tho eu»t, , of ' Lf f '" '""" '*™ J"ic(= f.l...y cutai,,. *"' "'" ^'*" Of the swcet Botanical NAiir.'. r • A Oaiuuliaii Ixtt-miw^ ,7 -''-ry.,,una;;;;:t'r^^^ J^ake of the Woods to the ■"'' '^'^''*'" ^""^"^ *^« to the xvocKy Mountains, and THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 53 northward to the forest line." Growing on the open l)lains and pusliinj? its way into the whi^at fields, the Wild Sunflower, as it lifts its yellow petals towards the heavens, seems a i)ale relk'Ction of the brilliant orb, the sun, that shines so brig'htly both in the sum- mer and winter in the ]\Ianitol)a sky. In few countries in the world is there so g-reat a proportion of sunshine as in North- Western Canada, and the Sunflower might be chosen as our emblem. No less than twenty-two species of Sunflower are found in North America, including the common gar- den Sunflower, and eleven of tliem occur in Canada. It has always appealed to the imagination of the peoples of America — savage and civilized. It was admired by the Mexicans and was emi)loyed in their sculpture. A writer has said: "Like the lotus of tlie East, it is equally a sacred and artistic emblem, flguring in the symbolism of ]\Iexico and Peru, where the Spaniards found it rearing its aspiring stalk in the flelds, and serving in the temples as a sign and a decoration, the sun-god's officiating liand- maidens wearing upon their breasts representations of the sacred flower in beaten gold." Our Wild Sunflower grows with its rough and hairy stem from three to ten feet high, and so has been called by botanists the "gigantic Sunflower." Its stem has along it lance-shaped leaves, and these ,are green on both sides, an unusual thing. The flowers of the Sunflower are wluit arc called com- posite. Scholars must be careful to notice that the cup supporting the compound flowers is not a calyx but a gathering of l)racts or scales. 54 OL/A^ CANADIAN PRAIRIES. the flower jiivw..,oi, . , , '"^""'^o 'iJi .iround --.::.:^:r;^rr;;; ;^,•L'':r;rf•"- tiieio arc perched uix)!! tlio ton c.^ h, ' P'^'nty of tubular flo vers Tl^ T'^''"'' ilowcrs TJiev n,. "" '''''' ^''^"'■^1 disk vi.^^. J':l ;^:;;r;:::;;r'r"' '"■•; ™«" "- »«■-» u„.,„ , „a. t,vo Cany ^ZZ:;^ "' 'He. .i,a. ,„„ j..u»a.;j;::;j :,::;;;::^^, ::;;,''- ;;; 0.U- ^a,-„ens, „as po,u.,-,ik. t , a.^ ^';;:" ' «.cl,ok. ,s a si,cck.s of SunH.nvor an 1 if "■at the „a„K, Jerusale.n giv.,, i '/" V ''°'" tlic Italia,, wo,.d "»V„w„ '. .? """■'■l'""" of Of mocU.,.„ a -t ; ,^ tiuf r ''^ '^ """' ^^"~'^ aesthetic. ' ""^ "'«"sclvcs on being 13oTANic,vL Name:— //e7M,,,7,„„„; , Natcul Order :-eo«^;«„v„. Thirty notable plants. 65 TFIR M()[JNTAIX AXn TFTE SUNFLOWER. I know a Mount tlu^ gracious sun percoivos First, whon lio visits, last, too, wl,..n lio loavo^ Tho world ; and, vainly favored, it repays Tlio daylf.ng glory of his steadfast gazo \^y no cdiango of its largo cahn front of snow. And underneath tho mount, a flower I know, Tfe cannot have iJercolvod, that changes ever' At his approa^ h, and, ii, tho lost endeavor To live his lif. , 1; .s j.artoi, ono hy to th(. flower. The corollas on the disk are all j.erfect, that is, have both stamens and justils and when the fertilized pistil rij.ens there mav be seen on the withcicd hcvui the mature achenes or seed, and these !(ve flat and four-sided. Lik(^ the wild Sunflower the Cone flow(>r has no pappus or down, but the toj, or chaff of each seed has a sharn hairy tip which is i\\\\U\ mai'ked Our prairie Cone flowc-r which may i)o somewhat THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS, 57 troublcsoino to our farmers in tlie future, lias already been carried to the eastern ])roviiices and states and is said to be giving some anxiety as a weed to the overworked farmers of the East. Botanical Name •.—RmUm'l-ia hirfa. Natural Oiuwai :—Composit(u. mBBk'" TflE ASTEKS. Tlic wind-flowor and tlii' violet, Tlicy pcrislu'd long ago. T]u\ wild rose and or(!his diod Amid t-ho summer glow ; JJut on the liills tlio ( inlden Rod, And tho Aster in tin; wood And the Yellow Siinfiowei- by +lie Brook In fiutmun lienut}- stood. LITTLE DANDELION. Gay little damlelion lights up the meads, Swings on her slender foot,, telleth her beads, Listrt to the robin's noto poured from above ; Wiso little dandelion asks not for love. Colli lies tli(> daisy lianks (dotheil but in green Where in tho days agone, bright hues were seen. Wild iiinks arc slumbering, violets delay, Truo littlo dandelion, groetoth the May, Bravo littlo rtamhdion ; fast falls tin' snr)w. Bending the dafTodil's haughty hend low. Tnder that fleecy tent, eandess of cold, iiravo littlo daudi lion counlcth her gold. — IIklen B. Bohtwiok. 68 OUR CAI7ADIA.V PRAIRIES. THE GOLDEN KOD. Every Province of the Dominion of Canadn, and ..1.0 It ,s saul, every State of tl,e An.erican Union as tl,e tall, yellowtopped Golden K.rf as a familia,^ lower. Its rieh «„,ver stands on a stalk growi g G^den Ro.1 .,th their varied appearanee, perplex nd confaso the youthful botanist. There are said to 1« no less than eighty si,ecics of this plant in North A.m|r,ca, and sixty-one of these arc fonnd in Ca„,tdn, T e one we have selected belonffins to the s,,ecies sc.-ot„,a, meaning, "late ripe." has a straight 'st, winch ,s often smooth or ^laueous. The leaves are lanecolate, and very sharply serrate. T e , ea, Tl,e tubular llowers arc perfeet. I„ the Golden k!!| thuc ,sa pappus or down, and in ,l,e species wc are nrbriXr™^'''^ "'■''""-■"••-' ^■■•■'""'.alr. m,ike whole, an,l «as ffiven nn,i,.r the ,.,sion This is ti,e thinl flower fron, the Co,„|K,sit«. that we have deseril,e,l. .\s this order forn.s L lar«" Po.-..o„ or our prairie horl„,,;e we may „uotc' h ^^^.s„,,,,K.brillia„twHter,Mr. Grant Allen, con. "If wo look into the Daisv /,,,„i ,.,:„ „,..,:._ ,_ almost all of the Co„,p«,t,; ^^o^^o Z. ZZZ THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 69 comprises a whole mass of little yellow bells, each of wliieli consists of corolla, stamens and pistil. The insect wliich alif>-hts on the head can take his fill in a leisurely way, witiumt moving- from his standin^r place; and meanwhile he is proving a good ally of the plant by fertilizing- one after another of its num- erous ovaries. Each tiny bell by itself would prove too inconspicuous to att' ict much attention from the passing bee ; but union is strength for the Daisy as well as the State, and the little composites have found their co-operative system answer well ; that late as was their api)earance on the earth they are generally considered to be the most numerous familv, both in species and i'Hlivicluals, (.f all flowering plants." Another writer has said: "Our roadsides every autumn are lined by tall Golden Kods, whose brow'n velvety clusters are composed of masses of tin v seeds whose downy scales are set for their aerial flight." BoTAXiCAL ^\^w.:—Mkla(jo wrofim. Natural Oudeu :—Co)njjo.sifni. S()N(i OK TIIK fiOI.DKN Kol). ' lh>w in till) wnrl.l (li,| I liii|,|„.u ),, 1,1, „„u All by niysclf, uloiio By tho siiln (if a , lusty, c-ouutiy roiul, With only a lougli old stouo. For coiiijiiuiy ■> ■' AikI thv gnl^lcn-nxl, As H\n\ (Ji-oopcd luT v<'!!<>vv licad (lavo a mournful sigji. ■ ■ \Vli„ euros for mo, Or knows I'm alivo ? " sho said. 60 Ifllii i i! OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. " A snow-white daisy I'.l like, to l.e 3lHlflii.liutlu,cooI,o.m,uso,r; Or a pmk spin,.a, or s^^•oet wild ros.- iiut I ni on! II a Golden Bod. VVJiutherllivoor die; T^mv.^ of hoautiful flow,^rs. wlxo wants '^ucli a conmi(jn tliin"- as I y " But all or a sudden she c™nu.r plaint, 1'ora.dnld'svoic.ocTiodinglee, Hero s dear little lovely (.-olden Itod; DkI you bloom on purpose lor n,ey "i>oIIoveyou, Golden Kod.-' Nhe raised the flow.r to her rosv lips And merrily kissed its faee 'Ah noNv: see," said the Golden Kod; How this is the very phieo " That, vas meant lor,,...; and Tm Had • lust hrre by tbe road alone, A\ith nobody here for ,.,„„pany liuta dear old mossy .stoni'." 'toouied THK HELL ^Lon-EH THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 61 Scotland and wc may pay the same honor to our Canadian species. The patriotic Scotchman sings : ■The Eoso summer's emblem is P^nglancl'H chosen tree, And France decks her shield with the stately Fleui'-dc-lis, But brighter, fairer far than those, tliero blooms a Howe- for me, 'Tis the Blue Bell, the Blue Bell on Scotland's grassy lea." Still higher in poetic flight another writes : TiCt the proud Imlian boast of his jessamine bowers, Ilis i)astures of jjerfume and rosi'-colorcd dells, While humbly I sing of those wild little flowers, The Blue BeUs of Scotland, the Scottish Blue Bells. Sublime are your hills when the young day is blooming, And green are yourgroves with their green crystal wt-lls' And bright are your broadswords, like morning dews gleaming On Blue Bells of Scotland, the Scottisli Blue Bells. Awake ye light fairies that trij) o'er the li,-ather, Yo mermaids arise from your coiallino cells, Come forth with your chorus all dianting tog(>tl!er The Blue Bells of Scotland, the Scottish Blue Bells." The Campanula or Bell flower is 'slender, branch- ing, and I'rom six incfies to a foot in height. IMie root leaves arc heart-shai)ed, and wither early, while the stem leaves are many, and are long and narrow. The bright blue corollas nodding from their hnir- likc stems are the beauty of the pljuit. The sepals arc in fives, the corolla tliough a tul)e is flve-lobed, and the stamens are also live in number. There is one pistil with three stigmas. Some ditt'erences of opinion have prevailed as to 52 OUK C.LV. IDL LV PRAIR/ES. Willi t species our North- West 7il„<. ^x u approaches. Thouo,, our wl , "'"*' """'^-^ l^.-ived yet the rouiu, '' "'"''^ '"^"^'■ T1.0 nniue Hare Hell is aL ;':,;nf 7" '--- 1^ without doubt one of tl. V "''" ^''^^^'^•- ^t Pndrio iloM'ers. '""'' ^^^^^"^^^"^^ ^^ our iJ In northern clinutes Till: WrXTEj^GIJEEN. no *'i*'autiiul coating- of we delig-ht to imrposesiire served to tlie I'c'tainiii*;- life, and "«• si)i-iiii.r. Q^.^,^^^ banner by the sleep of nini nature durin,. winter, but the huml>ie W Lo ''emuids him of tlie o-rowinL>- h".!, , ^^'''^'''^^'^^'^ Po-.. ..*•.,.„ _ . ^ "^^^"8^ "'^^^^^ and verdun.-Pinri trees of the com iJiiL,'- season. The AVinterg-f-een beh^ng-s to tlie whicli niiotl ^«H larg:e and important order. K'r plant called by some the Winterer verdure-clad Heath family, con tail ing: wji,h its red bei-i Box be '«'«, is besfknon' '«en, Avhicl n as Tea berry and iJoxberry. To (he s-n.„. ^. -i , . ^^'"'^'^v 'i"d Heather'whieh ".^'^l '""'^:^^'-^ ^'- Scottish which, with its pretty piuk belJ tlio liearts of Scottish world, and the Labrador exiles ill c S| a]»])eals to ^'t^i'y part of tl ibrabeverage, as well Indi in pipe ibuMd g-rowiii- al tea Used in arctic as the strange corpse le I'cg-ions P'ant or is aiung the lie. iiyQj.^ 'M THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 63 The IleathH arc a iamily cliielly (,f tlie north tem- perate zone. In the Winter^Tecn, ^n-owin^'- ui* from an under- g-rouiid ru.uihig- root stock appenr.s a cluster of g-reen leaves, thhi and dull, elliptical in shape, and lon^'-er than the stalk l)earing- them. These leaves in their attractive cluster resemble somewhat those of the common pear tree which the Komans knew l,y tlieir word " Pyrus," a name from which that g-iven at the close of this descrij)ti(m is derived. These broad leaves were supposed in England to be useful for the liealing- of l)ruises and sores, and so were api)lied as plasters. Being used for bruises of the shin or fore- part of the leg this plant has often been known as Shin leaf. Springingr out of the cluster of sheltering Icnves rises an upright scaly scape, which is surmounted by a mauy-rtowered raceme of pretty white nodding flowers. These suggest the appearance of the Lilies of the Valley as we flrst look at them. Examining: a single flower, we see that the small calyx is five-parted and unwithering, and within this are the five petals, which are rounded, rather spreading- and greenish-white in color. The flower is quite reg-ular, and the symmetry is maintained by there being ten stamens, and even by the long style having on its toj) a five-lobed stigma. The seeds of the ripened ovary are very small, resembling saw- dust. In July, rather towards the end of the month, will be a good time to be on the lookout for the Vvinter- green with its pretty raceme of nodding flowers. 64 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. BoTANiCAi. Name -.^Pyrola dlipHca, Natural Okdek -.—Ericacew. 'M. ! . ' ( THE IJIKD's-EYE PlfLMHOsE. they're;: "'";'""■" '"• ""■•'^ '"™"'» <"'-.. ti,a„ the I,„„,osc ,» know,, to us. Pli„y states tl,at it wis u,K,e.. t„„ eat-e of the suporio,- ,.„,„ and hen o"L ffreat fa,no. Its regular forn. and simple beauty render ,t att,-aetive. It is often known in Engl ", d.inK called cowslip wine is sometimes made true 'p,.r'"' ''"""''"" '■' *^'™° '■™'' "■« «'«* ">at the true P, „,,«e comes up very early in the spring and »o .s well d..sc,.i,.ert by the Latin wo.-d for «rst. T ' term i>r,n,nia rcft.i^s to the same thing Our lYai,-io Pi.inuila is a low-hing plant, and ^nds up a tuft of veiny leaves fron, the .-oot. Tl'Ie leaves arc sin.ple, and in our plant have a white m,.,. „,ess at least when young. The speeiflo name m the schedule means n.caly and refe,-s to this Ka es are scapes or single stems from three to e,gl,t „,cl,es high. Each of these scapes has severd owers upon its hranching sten.let, ,L, forms X .8 ealled an umbel. Con,n,g now to the tiower the ealyx IS tuhe-sha,,cd, angled and has five teeth. The bcaut.mi salver-shaped corolla is the attractive f^o^ t-e w ich has d,.aw„ to the flower so much .t^™' tion. In our speces the iive lobes are of a pale lilac color, and have a yellow eye. The resemLancc of THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 65 this yellow cciitru to the eye of a bird is embodied in the common name of the ilower. The corolla of the flower may be easily separ- ated from the stem. A surprise is now in store for us, as we slit it down with a needle. Five little mealy stamens are found nestling- within the tube. When the corolla is pulled off there is left on the stem the sing-Ie pistil Avith one style. Cutting with a sharp knife across this pistil Avhich is knoAvn as the ovary, and looking at it with the sPiiall magnifying- glass, the cup is found to be full of seeds. When the ovary ripens it forms a capsule, or dry seed vessel, which si)lits up into five valves to allow the seed to escape, and to Ije carried elsewhere to produce new plants. The family to which the Trimula belongs has sev- ei'al well-known plants, many l)earing a resemblance in the corolla to our species. One of these is called the Loose Strife, and Linnaeus, the great father of Botany says this floAver was so-called after a king- of Sicily whose name meant the peacemaker. The Loose Strife was sometimes placed upon the yokes of oxen, as it was sujjposed to make them gentle and submissive. We have on the prairies, growing quite abundantly, one of the plants called Loose Strife with its small yellow flower. Though yellow seems the original color of the Primrose and its relations, yet tlu'y are found of many different colors now. An- other member of this family is Pimpernel or "Poor Man's Weather Glass." There is also a very small species of the primrose which blooms early in Mani- toba. 66 ^^•c-M:7/;/.;.Vy^,//,^^. J / . and iigain, Sliakes]>cHre ohm i-ufers tn ,u n • "Hiis char iof,<.r. .,,,-. . J^nniro.o, and one ^^^;^''-^>-onU also, spea.i„, ., p,,,,^ ,^^^^ ^^^^^ A^^cl It Mras nothing more." "A,'.,f""''!'',"*'"«'°l'"»l-™.l "-^^t:::----- n., Aix.l 'tis lik. to bo fine J ^vdl go to tho Pair And unto tJio maid ^ A warning: =ho said IW'H a gather. ,, ^ O^er tho bright b,„„ ,,„ '._ ^ Sotan;,athomefora.t;mi;:i^^:^^ THlkTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 67 one THE FRINGED GENTIAN. Late in tlie autumn ajjpcars upon the prairie one of our most striking*- and remarkable flowers. This is the blue frinf,'-e(l (iciitian. It is no wonder the poets have looked upon it Avith a loving- eye. Children readily find out for themselves upon the prairie this autumn flower, g-rowing- one or two feet \\\%\\ with its stem si^iringly covered with Innce- sliaped leaves. It is to the terminal blue flower that it owes its popularity. Tlu; flower is very symnn^tri- cal havingr its circles occurring in fours. The calyx lol)es though four ai-e somewhat unequal, but the funnel-shaped corolla has the deep blue color. Studying the corolla we find its fujinel-shaped tube dividing in four spreading lobes. These are finely fringed and give the name to the flower. Slitting down the corolla the four stamens are seen, and within this one ].istil with two stigmas. The lance-shaped ovary when it ripens contains a pod with a very la number of minute seeds. It is generally noticed as a peculiarity of flowers that they occur in the same localities year after year, so that each boy and girl may come to know the spots in which they may find their favorite plants. This is impossible with the Gentian as it is very v/n-i- able and sehlom occurs in tiie same place tw<. years in suce(>,ssion. Probably this occurs from the seed being so small and being easily carried from place to place by the winds of early winter. Tiie Gentian iamily has very decided characters both in appearance and properties. Its juice is a 68 OC^A' CANADIAN PJ^AIKIES. bitter tonic, and tlio familv lin« .u o'd Kin.. Gontius;f K^ ;^^^^ ^-^-'^ ^'>'k1 its powers that J.is „• i ^''''' '"^ ''^'^^^^^^ ^n JUS name has clung- fast to it \M ^^n*#;Rn oextian. Ind?i""r' '"■'^^''*^ ^"^^^ ''^"*"'"n clow And colore, ,,i,,t].o heaven's own iC' That oponost when the quiet li..l,t .Succeeds the keen and frosty n?8ht. Thou comest not when violets loan Nod o'er the ground bird's hidden nost. ^-^ doth thy sweet and quiet oyo Look through its fringos to .ho sk3 '^^"'^'^^^^o"! Its cerulean wall. Thou waitest late, and come'st alono When woods are bare and birds nvo f, ^^osts and Shortening da^'rr^'" '10 aged year is near his end. I ^vould that thus, when I shall soe JJope blossoming within luy heart • May look to heaven as I depart ' — Brvant. '^^ ^•i\i£t \MJ ' W« 'gT W M H I ■ ^ .. ■ ■.^ Thirty NOTABLE plants. 69 liever in T. ~ THE UINDWEED. What is a weed ? This is a question not easily- answered. A phint used in one country as ornamen- tal is found to Ije a pest in anotlier, and is hence called a weed. As we have seen, our beautiful Willow Herb is known to some as the Are weed. Onc^ writer has defined wecids as follows: — "Whatever plants g-row among- corn or grass, in hedgerows or else- where, and which ai'e of no use to man, injurious to crops, unsightly or out of place, are denominated tceedfi." Probably, if this definition be taken, the trailing Bindweed, as its name implies, may l)e con- sidered out of place, but its pretty pink-white fiowers attract us by their beauty. Sometimes tlie thickets along the streams in Manitoba become a scene of l)eauty, decorated with the bells of the Bindweed. As the botanical name Convolvulus implies, the stem as it winds its way around plants and logs and brush heaps is contorted and twisted in the most remarkable manner, giving rise to the true description : " Flowering stems ex- tensively prostrate." The whole plant is more or less shielded by a soft hairy covering. As we examine the flower we see that it has a calyx of five sepals, and that these overlap and en- fold each other. The corolla is the object of interest to us. It is a ''cgular tube some two inches long, and is between funnel form and bell-shaped. Its color vai'ies from almost white to rose color. The flower is so like that of the morning glory, a relation 70 OVR CANADlA^r PRAIIilES. t":'"""' """ -"""^ >-P'° -'■ 0- plant by swl?.""r?"' T''-^' ■■" ""■■ ™"'>^'-««l '«Ionsr. tho sweet potato, whieii jfrows in n,,, <5„..,i cities T„e.o po^toe..,;:',;,: '^^^ ^ f I'e'Lr: Convolvnlus, ,u,.I it i, to thorn thn, «, , "^ °^ f- i" ..is p>„. Of „e t:; wi, 'r:r'*;;'-', -" wl.on ..luir ,Jol,n K,lst,„r ,„,,, f ., ,"' r'™"-' -• «o,n„,,,..o ,,,,,,,, \,,;,,,,;^^^,-o^^^^^^^^^ HoTA«o.u. Namk .-6V,«„„/,„/„,, ,•,.;,«, Natural 0„„k„ .-6'o«m/,:„/w„r. Morix'jNn ni,ony. '^'™Pi»K ti»-"..Sli M„. ,...,. „„.„|.,, ' ^ ";':'";"•■!•;>•■» H,,„.,o„,, .,*,,,;.■,„ , ^oMun Moruin- fJlory. "< luns. fii Mio lonoly l)as(>in(.nf; Ji'-'kiutf in tlu,s„u tin. l,.],y-s ,;,,,,,, sfan.N. 'ri.o.i.H. ;, ,no,l,.s., (low.,. i,„, »^<>MtM m j,,^ j.^, ir THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 71 toa very distinguished family. To tlic Niglitsliado or Solanum family Lclong tliat great boon to man- kind, tlie comnu)U potato, tlie tomato tliat lias become so important an ar.icle of diet, and tlie sonicwliat less well-known eg<,'--i)lant. Were these all, the Nightshade family Avould attain lame simply Ibr its benelits to man. But to the same family belongs tobacco, which has been so great a bane to the human family, the thorn apphi (not our white thorn fruit), which has poisonous seeds, and the henbane, or Night- shade which destroys life. Indeed, the IVuits of most of this family are narcotic, that is, in small doses l>roduco sh^ep, ])ut in large (piantities stupor or even death. The family, however, belongs much m(»re to the Avarmer climates than to our northern zone. Our humble Nightshade is a low si>readimr slightly hairy plant, with oblong leaves which are divided by rounded indentations. As its name im- plies, it has each of the iieduncles, which spring up, branching into three Mowers. As we examine the llower we ar(i struck with its resemblance to the ilower or blossoms of the common potato. The calyx is live jiarted, and within it is the wheel-shaped, gamopetaloiis corolla. The white corolla, with its yellow centre sjieaks to us at once of the Solanum family. The stamens partake of the yellow coloring at the centre, and live in number protrude from the rotati; corolla. There is Imt one pistil, but it ]»ro'I) TONGUE. Kivall iiiK- the ^Vill.nv Ilcrl) with it.s tall si blossoms is the dull i.iirpl... fh.wer of lOWV Tolu :ue Tl iiairs. It i (Mirju-airie Heard le plant is IVoin (Hic to two feet lii<,>-li, and covered with soft on the top is clammy or viseid, and s a same root year after ve JK'rennial, that is, it sprin^'-s from the sir. It l)ranclies out from the hase, is simple ahov and has opposite leaves— tlu u]>p<-r without stalk and clasping.- the stem. The flowers are very showy, and take the form of a slender open r\ns[vr. As an individual fl looked at the calyx is seen to l)e five-parted. Tin ower is corolla is ^-amopetahms, but is sli«-htly dilated or o| It is the 1)1 ten. '^^som of th(! l^eard Toufrim t|,.,t ^iwa it its uniiiue ap]>earance. Sonief what is called a freak of nat lines wc sec in ])lants the orchis family in, my of the blossoms lire. For exanij.le, in assiiHH; curl- ier 111 ousform^, such as these of butterflies and (.tl sects. This very family to wliieh I'.eanl Tongue b lon^-sc(mtaiiis the snuiMlra-ron with which tlie child- ren jilay, and in which tl and icy see the ;;apinfjr mouth protruding ton^nie. like that of some reptile. lis stran^'-c effect. The avin^ two The iieard Tonj^nie f»-ives tl corolla, tlumirh tubular, is two-lipped. 1 lobes on the hihiim' )i 'i^!S'.-«^"te-!i'i^ 76 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. ■m I ■ III S "™' ""' ■''"""=• ""** '"■'^ many-nerved and whwi "t°tI„-r'T.'" *' '"•^^^' '""' *o sepals ^ta,,cd. It ,s, however, the corolla of the Ladies' Shiipor that s so distinotivn Tf „„ • . ^""=» i«.f.ii« rv /• ., "'""'"^''^o- It consists of three IX W, ,0 of them is large and conspicuous I fa called the I II. and hv ■! t„.i t ■ »'>-"""»• it is otlier two Tl,r ! , " ''■I'»''"<=•'« ^'-d, and also moisLnd Tlu! orchids have great fi^itraptiVm f^r i, ^ . -"•..ntiful. One Z^XTTT'^ZfJ^ liotfuiie Garden ' says :— ' i" w» " With Mushes bright, as morn fair «nsbii ^kmom.-^ *fa^ this no douh^ refers to the erfm*,>„ y^^fe^ Botanical NAME:_r^.,,>,//«^ .>«W..^ THIRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 77 THE ORANGE-RED LILY. Many of the plants of the eastern provinces are not found upon tlie prairies. But the beautiful Oranye Lily which ^rows al)undantly in Ontario, and is found all along- the north shore of Lake Superior, and on the banks of the rivgrs doAvn to Hudson Bay, is a striking flower upon the plains west of Winni- peg, and even in the valleys up to the very heart of the liocky ]\Ionntains. By its height of two or three feet, and its bright color, th(! Orange Lily catehes the eye of the smallest child, Avhile it claims the attention of the wisest man : — " Consider the lilies of tho fiolrl, how tli.'y grow ; Tli(>y toil not, ncitlior do tlicy spin ; And y(^t I say unto you tliat Suloinon in nil his glory, Was nofc arrayed liko one of those. " Like the other members of the Lily family, this flower springs from a scaly bulb, which gives it a flnu hold in the ground, and enables it to support its long and stui'dy stem. The simph^ straight stem as it ascends is at short intervals covered with numer- ous narrow leaves, which we call sessile, as they have no stalks. These leaves at the upper j)()int arc gath- ered into a whorl, or cluster, of four or five, and from this s])rini>-s up the st.alk that bears the red lily. The sepals, each narrowing d(.wn at the base into a claw, enclose the blossom, making the open bell- sii-r— --x -.Ltt.-e Oi .1, i.-ii-^'c Hiiu shi.wy nowei-. The dark spots on the sepals guide the bee to the plant where, 78 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. ii' peno rat,ng: to thou- bases, it seeks out the nectaries, o little furrows of honey, which arc found there How wonderful, this provision nnule for the busy b^' a.Mt visits flower after flower, ^ gather honey L its One of the most striking features of the prairie Lilv mKldle of the flower, surmounted by their anthei-s As he wind blows the Lily to and fi-o, ,ho an 1 c s «c tc I "' "'' "'■""'• '""' "« -"-1 vcatile be use hey are s„s,,e,„Ied by the middle on the tops fie hhu,ie„ts or stalks, ai-e seen to rock up ancl down. Tl ley are c,.ver.,l over with the dark anther dust or pollen, which leaves a yellow mark on you linger it you touch tlumi. Surrounded by this talt brotherhood of stamens the l""cly mstd of the Orange Lily rises. It is i„ he ™';:,';"Tr' '": """"'■- "^ '""'"• "-' "■■ ^^-^ »- Tth^ o, *V'-^''"-;^"'' "■ J'O" ■>'«« elosely the knob on the op of the style, which is known as the stigma you will li„,l it to have three lobes. This pistil o' ceives the poMcn dust upon the stigma, u^ hen the seed is formed. In some parts of Manitoba the Orange Lily is found mneh h,.hter in color, its sepals bei^ pale yoHow .and l.mn^ no dark spots upon them. This is th^ same flower, but from its lighter hue it is spoken of as an .'alb, no." The sepals in this case are a little ..arrower than in the full-blown Orange-red Lily. lioTANicAL Namk :~Ulmm PhiladelpUcum, Natuual Order:— Liliacem. THTRTY NOTABLE PLANTS. 79 THE WILD ONION. Wf Here and there on the dry prairie the observing- traveller sees springing- up a pink or rose color cluster of flowei-s on a single scape, from six inches to a foot in height. The traveller takes hold of it, finds it cannot easily be pulled up by the roots, and on raising the blossom to his nose distinctly recognizes the smell of onions, lie is surprised to find that the delicate flower with its linear-flattened leaves is really the Wild Onion. Now determined to examine it carefully, the in- vestigator, with some sharp instrument, digs up the plant, and sees that it has a distinct bulb, and belongs to the Lily family. The stalk is naked, and the flower upon it nods. The nodding blossom is what is known as an umbel, and contains a number of separ- ate flowers. One examining closely a single flower finds it to consist of six entirely colored sepals. Inside this perianth are the stamens, six in number, and awl- sluiped. The style is on a short ovary, and bears a simple stigma. When the fruit ripe, s, it is a capsule or pod, of three valves, containing minute black seeds like those of the onion. The botanical name given at the close is the old Latin word for garlic, a well known member of the onion family, and the specific name refers to the not- able blo.sHom which appears ujm.m it. Closely related to our Wild Onion are the chives which were used 80 OUK CANADIAN PKAIRTES. for the borders in kitclien g-arden.. The cultivated onion IS of importance as a food, and Bermuda is famous for its onions. Botanical Name -.-AUmm Cernuum. Natural Order i—Li/mcew. PEREXXIALS. Precious the hardy green that frost survives ; Pleasant it is, when January's snow Molts, for a space, and brooks resume their flow, Tf) pass tlie garden paths where Primrose thrives ;' Where scarlet Cohimbine its honey hiv(>s Safe 'neath the sod, shielding with leafage low, Its future flowers ; where all the Violet's glow ' Liv's in its leaves, eluding winter's gyves, Svv r-eioi and fairer than fair summer's brood, lancy sees here Heartsease and Violet, And fringed Pink in bursting calyx set. And brave red Bergamot and quaint Monkshood, Oold-powdered Snapdragon, Carnation fin<.. And balmy bloom oi Honeysuckle vino. titute was to meet in the village. Carmen Hill was not a large place, but it Avas pros- perous. It was situated on a branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and was the centre of an excellent agricultural district. Its churches and schools were well built, and its people were known as orderly, intelligent and enterprising. The little town was a model of cleanliness. Its houses were chiefly painted white; they were neatly fenced, and most of them had well kept gardens about them. The streets were well laid out, and thriving rows of Manitoba maples were to be' seen upon the waysides. Carmen Hill and the surrounding country had been settled by an Industrious colony of Ontario farmers, who had obtained a promise that no lands should be sold to speculators. Accordingly every half section in the two townships was well settled upon, except the eight sections belonging to the Public Schools and the 1 1 udson's Ray Company. The village schoolmaster, who was fond of humor, was in the habit of saying that tliis was "Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain." ,%. v«> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V. // A 1.0 I.I 1 IS. M. 1.25 i.4 2.5 ||2£ 1.6 y] <^ /^ /a "c-l :^ > ^.N^ /A Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STMET WEB$T|II,NY 14590 (716) 173-4303 V ■1^ o ^9) V <^\^\ *4^ t the province to tlie convention. The farmers were met by a committee of the people of the settle- ment, and conducted to the Agricultural Hall, M^here with true Manito])a hospitality, the visitors were to be entertained to dinner. Tl-.e sift-ht of the day was, however, that of the mrmers driving- in from the surrounding country I hey drove from the comfortable homesteads dotting the townships, and the whole open space of two acres around the hall was soon covered here and there with wa-^onsand lniffa-i,..s, and the hordes token out stocKl knee deep in the yelhnv sunflowers and July lilies of the prairie. Not less than fiftv home- steads were rej^resented, and the stalwart farmers' sons, dress..d well in holiday ^^arb, were soon busy talking: over the prospects of the season, and especi- ally what steps could 1x3 taken to make farming- pay well. *^ * ^ The train from Winnip(>^. had broug-ht a number of pei-sons who were to take a leadin^^ part in the convention. President R(.nior was there to represent thoC(.ntral Farmers' rnstitut(> lion. Air. Simpson for the r.ov,M-nm«.nt, Mr. Stafford of the Experimental Farm, and Professor I^^loral of Winnipeg?. Then a number of the leading- stock raisers and cattle luved- ers of the province, besi.les a specially larg^e numl>er of those who take an inton-st in dairying had come. T,ie thrifty farmers wivo8 and their liandsome I THE CARMEN HILL CONVENTION. 83 (lauj^htei-s soon l.ud dinner ready, and all were sup- plica with a hearty meal. The ^nvater ].ai-t of what was on the tables had been grown on the farm, and ii stranger looking on would have said at once, "This is a land of plenty." As the Professor looked at the company he re- marked to President Senior :— " Where can be seen a more interesting gathering than this ? Here there is intelligence and worth, and along with them simpli- city of life. Here no questions of rank are raised. All are independent. Living upon their own farms, lords of the soil, they are free electoi-s, choose their own representatives in parliament, their municipal councillors and school trustees. They have every right and privilege. There are no freer, happier people on earth than our Caiuidian farmers." TUK FIHST HESSKW. At two o'clock, according to notice, President Senior took the chair, and the people, lilling the hall to the very door, were called to order. President Senior, who was a farmer, a, man of in- telligence and experience, arose and said :-- Farmers of Mniiitoha : As Prosidcnt „f tlio ('(.ntral Tnstit,nt<> T wolcmic y„» to our Convention t«-,lay. Tl.<- fnnnn's lif.. is on.. .,f anxirty un.l work, and it is well u, uwrt as wo ,1o t.)-,lay, in tl.o inhTval iK'twcon haying an.l haivst, t<. .lis<.uxs tnatU.rs of hnport- anco. Farming needs intelligrnee. Our fati.ers thought that se.ieutifio training cool.l 1k^ of no vahio in fanning. Wo have seen a iH-ttvr «,iv. iJritisli Ajrriculturu han UiMvrht us in tho doiH*rtnicats of fanning proper, of ,hiirying and°8tock- 84 OUR CANADIAN PKAIKIES. \ '< Ijlf raising, that our pro-lm-ts may 1m> iitiprcviMl, <.ur soil irn- pu ved, our lalK.r lighU'uc.l, and our profits increased hy kn. .vinjj more of our calling. Tho day for ignorant, unin- telligent farming has gone 1)y. Tlui cliiof sul.ject of our Convention, as fixed by tho commits too of arrangements, is that of ' ' Noxious Weeds. " Our prov- ince is yet sparsely settled. Few of the j.lunts hurtful to Agri- culture grow naturally in Manitoba. But, us farmers coiuo from tlio eastern ].rovinces and from our moth.-r land across tho sea, now plants como with them. 8t to discuss tho dangers of such woods and consider ways of destroying tlu'in. Hon. Mr. Simpson, on hcing: called ui)on, gave a most interesting^ address. He stated tliat it be- come a matter of greatest moment to Alan... a to adopt means for extirpating the weeds, as otherwise they tlireateu in the older settled districts to make agriculture impossible. He gave the following state- ment from a pamphlet he had prepared for distribu- tion among the farmers :— lAKSH KYr.vnj;!) itv wiokd (iuowrn. 1. Woods draw from the soil much of the phuit fooil which would otherwise be used by ih^ grow ing crops. '^.. When they grow rank they choko tho crops. a. More |.ower and time an^ needed to cultivate woody than cKan land. i. A woody cToj> is harder tu Qut, THE CARMEN HILL CONVENTION. 85 T). More timo is npcdcd to bind it. ;S (»F \.\VV. AND DK.STKUCriON. Weeds may be divi.led into three classes : 1. Annuals, which grow from the seed an.l j.roduco seed each y-ar. Th.-se can only be .h-stroye.! by g.-tting the seed to sprout and killing tb.' new plant before it has time to seed. 2. Biennials, which grow from setnl ami j,rodueo seed the second year. Means of extermination the same as for annuals. H. P(>rennials, whicdi s|)read both })y seeds an.l roots. See.ls must first be got to spn.ut, and afterwards the loaves whi.'h take in the fo.,,l be k..pt cut close down to the ground Th.^ plant cannot th.^n g.'t food from the air and the roots must die. A<»KN(;iKH OK lMt<)PA(JATION. 1. Foul S(>ed. 2. (Cleanings of st.)ck and grain ears. 8. Threshing nuichines an.l bin.lers, j.lows an.l- other implements carrying the roots of perennials. •1. Cattle carrying see.ls on their feet an.l in their droppings 5. Wagou wheels an.l horses' feet in driving over fields osiHicially in wet weather. ' (5. Feeling foul grain wh.,lo or iiri perfectly crushed. 7. Spreading manun^ wlii.h has not been heat*id. 8. All.Hving seeds to mature on manure i.iles. 9. Birds. 10. Wind. 11. Water, etc. =g^- 86 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. W \ I'KIOVMNTIVKS. 1. Never sow foul seed evi>u if eleau seed costs doul.lo the price. Count tlie after cost, 2. (Ueauiugs of cars sliould be collected and destroyed. ;•{. No matter on whoso farm a tliresliiug macliiue has been working, see that it is tliorouglily swept down from t.)|, tke the sam.* [uvcautiou. IN 1)KST1U)VIN(} WIOKOS IIAVIO MOUIOliATl.; KXPKCTATIONS. Owing to the facts : ^ 1. That the means at \\m commanij of most fanners are liniitAvl. 2. Tliat our seasons are sliort. 8. That as the seeds are in juany eases mixed through the whole cultivatx'd soil, wo must not expect to succeed too easily. Ev.-n with the very best care and skill the work of destruction will takt^ a long tinu". Ik'sidcs, sonic careless, selfish souls will allow w.vd s...>ds t., mature, and such ])er- Hons cannot l»e reachihl cither by kind advictj or by threats. THE CAA'A/EN HILL CONVENTION. 87 don't DRSPAIK. At tho samo ti„u, wo woul.l say ,l.,n't dospair. It is a work that nnist 1,. ,l,m.., and success ,n„ro <.r loss nmst follow. GKNKKAL I'UINCIPMOS or KXTEHMINATION. 1. Socuro sprouting oi all seeds lying on the surface hoforo plowing ,low„. Therelure in the fall cultivate shallow with disc, spade, or cut-away liarrow, or three-moul.led gang plow, harrow well and leave till seeds have sprout..! 2. Do not allow plants to form seed before ],lowing under because many .f them (such as Fren,-h weed. Mustard and Muckwheat) will mature seed und.^r ground. H. Ju th.> case of Pen.nnials never allow a leaf to show above ground. Every ti.ue this o.curs it is so much labor lost. I. Observe thoroughness. In the case of summer-fallow or hoed crops n.n'.T allow one plant to ,.r„du.'e se,.,l. A gr(>at many alter keeping th.>ir summer-fall.nv or hoed crops ch-an till harvest are tempted in the busy season to neglect them • they allow a few plants to n.ature see.l and thus l„so the fnuts of their whole su.nmer's lalx.r. This may not at first sight appear; but suppose that a given piece of land has Hl.O weed plants planted on it and all but one is destroyed, but that ,me escap.'s an.i pn.duces HOO seeds, at tho Ix-innin- of next season the account will stand thus H0(»-'2<)!)^ ] ^j.^m,^ m\ and tho cultivator is just when, ho was twelve months before, ex.'ept perhaps that the weeds are (d..ser together. The honorahlc ^'entleinaii liaviiifr tnkoii his seat, tho President culled upon lYofessor Kloral to discuss the vai'ious noxious W(ieds. Professor P^Ioral on rising stated th;it in his mornhift- address lie would tak(! up five of thc! noxious weeds at present found In Manitob.M ; tb..v(. of them he Would call Crucifers, and lh«; other two were grasses. He si>()ko as follows :— 88 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. Mr. President and (ientfemen : First of our tronblosomo woods is Wild Mustard, It is an annual, that is, it soods and dios down in one year. It grows from ono to four foot high ; tho stoma aro somowhat hairy, and its loaves are lyro-shapod. Tho flowers aro yellow, and grow in terminal racemes. J^ach flower has four withering sepals, and the yellow corolla of four petals has tho ai)pear- ance of a cross, and so is called cruciferous. Tho stamens, six in number, aro four long and two short. It is tho fruit of the Mustard family which is so notable. Tho single pistil of the Mustard rijiens into a pod which has a thin partition, and the pod splits open to let out the seed. Of tho same family, and worse even than the Mustard, in the Red River valley, is tho French Weed. This was im- l)orted originally from Fi-aiu-e to Quebec, and was brought to tho i)rairios in tho old fur-trading days. It has boon called th(^ "stinking weed" fi'om its ba undivided, stem-leaves arrow- shaped and clasping, and it lias small white or pui-plish flowers. These flowers follow the cruciferous model given above. TIh^ ])od. lialf an inch in diameter, is orb-shaped, flattened and deei)ly notched at the top. A lato arrival in Manitoba, wh*ch ]iromises to be hurtful, is the Shtipherd's Pursc>, also a crucifer. It is a low plant with small Avhite flowers, and liki- the ^Mustard and French Wet>d in its proi)erties. It is leadiiy known by its little pod— the Shepherd's Purse — like an inverted heart in shape, with its valves boat-shaped. In recent years it has 6een distrib- uted to different jjarts of the province. Botanical Namks. Brnssica shiiiiiiKtnon. Tliltisjiiarrfiist'. C'apHeUa bursa pagtoris. Common Namks. M'ild Mustard. Shepherd's Purse. Natttral Order, Cruci/erai, THE CAKAfEX III [J. CONVENTION. 89 Of the hurtful grasses \v(> may s])i'ak shortly. TIio first of these is Coucli (Jruss. It is known as Quick or (Quitch Grass. It is a near r(>lativo of wheat, and is a nutritions grass, l.ut it is trouhlesonu! hy its s])rea(ling so rapidly. It is ]ier- ennial, grows from seed, but also very largely from the underground stems. In the central ])Rrt of Manitoba it gro-v3 very readily, and some regard it as a native of the I rovince. Our soil seems to favor the spread of plants Mith ([uiek growing underground root-st.,eks. In some parts of the western region it is called Blue Joint or Blue Stem. The other member of the grass family which is troublesome is Wild Oats. It is an annual, and is very like the culti- vated oat in apiHiarance, onljr the flow(>r cluster is more straggling, and the loaves are yellower. It is said that the seed will grow after being bui-ied in the ground for a century. Botanical Namks. Common Nami:r. Afiro/ii/noii (/laiionti. C'nurh (Irftsn. AveiHt fntwt. }\'U,i o„ff,. NaTIUAI, OlUtKR. G rdminea;. now 'VO DKSTIfOV THF.M. At this sta^e tlic I'rofessor t'cnscd spoakin^, and on the c'lU of tlio J'rcsidcnt, ^[r. Stntlord, of tlio Kxperi- mental Farm, said : — Mr. President and Farmers of Manitoba " You have heard of five of our nu)st troublesome weeds. The question for us is, " How may we g(.t rid of tliem ?" If we realize tho danger to agriculture in these innocent look- ing ])lants wo shall make it matter of earnest thought. It is ignorance alone that prevents farmers declaring war against these enemies. We shall consider together the three crucifors— tho Wild Mustard, French Weed, and Shepherd's Purse. How to destroy these three troublesoine weeds of the Mus- tard family is the first question. The Wild Mustard, French OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. Weed and Shepherd's Purse all need the same treatment. They all spread by the seed, and not hy the root. The plan to destroy them is to encourage the seeds, which are scattered in great numbers from the pods every year, to grow, and when the plants are very small, and can be easily destroyed, to use every effort to oviM-como tliem. Some plants may bo killed by S(j\ving the ground witli a heavy grain crop, which shades and smothers the weeds. But as these three are all rapid growers this plan will not kill them. When the field troubled .with these weeds is not too large, a root crop, kept perfectly clean by hoeing and cultivating, will destroy them, and this plan will at the same time get a good crop of roots from the land. When the fields where the weeds are bad are to be treated, summer-fullowing is the only j>lan that will succeed, and one season is generally not enough to kill all the weeds. Let us see how the summer-fallowing is to be done. The land should first be disk-harrowed as early in spring as pos- sible. This will start the weed seeds on the surface. Then the field should bo ploughed shallow, and harrowed every week or ten days, so tliat all the weed seeds turned up may sprout. When all are finely started then the field should be ploughed deeply, so as to bnry all the sprouting weeds. The new soil so turned up is th(>n to be worked thoroughly with cultivator and harrow until the fall frosts set in and stop the growth. It is hard work to kill weeds. In the next year, if the weeds have been pretty well killed, a crop of barley or some late grown grain may bo tried. If it is found that the weeds are st^U abundant, then a hoed crop, or a second summer-fallowing, must follow. Wild Oats may bo treated in the same way as these three plants, or a crop of barley may be sown for fodder, and cut when the head of the barley is partly fornu'd. If this is done the Wild Oat plants will be cut before thesy have had time to grow to seed. This plan followed for a number of years will kill Wild Oats. Couch r;rnss, spreading as it does both from seed and roofc- stocks, re»iuiies a special plan. The summer-fallow should THE CARMEN HILL CONVENTION. 91 and l.o cross-ploughed, an.l well w„rk..,l with spring-tooth har- rows or cultivators, so as to bi'iug tho grass roots to tho sur- face when tho sun will soon dry them out. Sn.all patches of this weed can often he killed by ploughing thinly with a breaking plough, and backsetting as for new land _ Another plan found to work wel 1 in a year of rank growth, IS to plough tho land early in June, and sow the sanio to l-arlcy. The Couch firassis sometimes by this means com- pletely smothered." After Mr. Stafford had taken liis seat a lively dis- cussion ensued. Many ^rave their experience of suc- cessful destruction of these weeds. Naturally some unwise su^ro-estions were made, but the audience was pohte enou.i,^h not to lauj^h at these proposals. It was g-encrnlly a«;reed that Jfr. Staff'ord's plans would succeed. The meeting, after a very successful ses- sion, adjourned at Ave to meet in the evening- at eight o'clock. TIIIO EVEXIN'G MKETING. The long interval of tinv hours gave many of the ftinners of Carmen lliU e.tlement time to drive home to attend to necessary duties on the farm. The attendance of neighboring farmers was somewhat smaller, but the hall was again well filled. The meeting was pleasant, the evening, like most of the summer nights in Manitoba, cool and agreeable. During the interval the committee appointed had met and, under the chairmanship of Professor Floral, and with the assistance of Mr. Stafford, prepared' a report on the remaining noxious weeds. 92 OUR CANAD/AM J'KA/Klt. t The- sccrc'tar.N- of thu coinmittcc! road ;ih follows : To the Farmers' Jnaliliitt : Your coiiHiiittoo finds tliat six otlicr iicxiniis wo.'ds, m ad- dition to tJioHo di'scrilK..! by rroli.ssnr Finical, uc.mI attention in Manitoba. Thoso aro:-l. IU„ck Bindw 1; 2. Canada Tliistlc; B. Connnon Ttimb](.w,.cd ; J. W(. stern Tuniblo- weod ; 5. Coninion Purslane ; (i. Eussian Tliistlu. 1. Black BiNDWEED.-Liko most of our noxious woods tho Bindweed has been imported to Manitoba. It is an an- nual, whieli spreads in all directions over tlio ground, wind- ing about any object that may como in its way. When it grows wi'll it forms a mat, smothering all oilier plants. Tho twisting stem is roughish, an lung petioles. 'J'he thick spikes are all crownod with a stiff panicle. Stamens and sepals are five in number. This pUuit, like its rehitivo just described, is imported. It belongs originally to tropical America. The name Pigweed is familiarly given t« this as well as to another species. In destroying this weed the same plan is foUowed as in the case of the Common Tumbleweed. {Amarantm retroflexa,. ) 5. COMMOX PUKSLANK. -Coming to us as a p.-st from Europe and tlio Eastern Provinces is the Comnu)n Purslane with its pale yellow flowers. It is i.rostrate and veiy smooth. Its leaves are roundel, wedge-shai.ed . The flowers are sessile and open d up sliould bo raked off the gar.leu an.l burnt. ( I'ortu/ara olenura. ) (i. RlxsiAN TiiisTLK.-Much alarm has ris,.n during tho past few years on ..ur west«'rn prairies on account (.f this plant. It seems to have como to America from Russia probably in seed brought l)y tho Menn.niites. It has proved a great annoyance- in Nebraska and Dakota, but has noty.>t done much damage in Manitoba. It Kdongs to tho (ioosefoot family, so that the name '• thistle" is misleading lu its early stages it lias a soft, velvety leaf, but tliis when iipeaca b' comoa hard and covered with sharp spurs. Tlieso THE CARMEN HILL CONIENTION. 95 mixed with the wlioat are very troublesome. It grows fnmi two to five fe,.t in lieight, and forms a bush of tlie san.o dia.ncter A\lu«u npoue,! in the autumn it breaks off the steui and, becoming a tumbknveed, is carried by tlie wind for miles across the prairie. The Manitoba government has taken ac ive measures to meet this pest, and it is hoped that these will bo successful. _ The Russian Thistle lias only very recently been heanl of m Manitoba. We have yet t« learn the way to destroy it should It become troublesome in this country. From the experience of Dakota, where this plant is much n.ore comn.on than with us, It seems that hoe.l or cul' " .,ted crops kept clean, orfall,,wi.operly worked, will destro, .t. At the same time It IS said that 8ummer-fallowing,,lune as it generally is pro- duces some of the largest ' tun.blers.' and only spreads the seed n.ore widely over the adjoining lan.l. Any Thistle plants missed by tlie ],lough or cultivator should be hoed up, for it IS these separate ,,lants that prudu.-e the large round tumble- weeds, {hahola kali—Var.tmunH.) The report l.avin- been mh.i.tcd, nn.l some routine l)Usmoss transacted, tlie Convention ndjourned. At tlie close of the evening meeting, which had l^cen of great jirofit to all who had attended, the visi- tors Avere ta,ken by the hearty jx-opje of Carmen Hill «iid accommodated for the night. On the following morning there was a l.usin(>ss session of the Conveir. tion. lU' the time of the arrival of the west train for Winnipeg, the Convention was over, and the well rewarded party reached the city in goul time. -a JT --..-. ..J 96 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. ■m THE SONO OF THE MANITOBA FARMEK I have found a lionie— a liuiiio at last Where the sky is blue and clear, And I want no forest its shadows to cast On the land I love so dear. F(ir the elioiee I nuike is the rolling jilain, Where tlie Avind sweeps fresh and free, And the youthful bloom of my now domain Still crimsons my cheek as you see. The wild rose Idossoms ]>enoath my eavos, Where the swallow builds her nest, And the prairie ilowers ])eep atweeu the sheaves- Which tlie reajier clasps to his breast. The A\ ater-fowl lingers among my lakes Whero else can sho hai)pier be? And when she at last a farewell takes, 'Tis to return in the sjuing to me. Do you want a home for those who sigh Whero the busy shuttle plays; For a breath of air and a clearer sky And for brighter and better days? Do yoii want a homo for tlie men you reared To lienor the sweating brow, By wliom country and queen arc always revered Wlietlier guiding tin; stato or tlie plough ? Tlien send thom to mo— to my liome in the West My prairies have waited long For xno jiUjughsharo to cleave thoir grassy breast And tlio reaper's merry song. "With bouutAJous fields of waving giain And a sky tliat is lilue and elcar ril reward the labor of hand and brain In the liome 1 love so dear. —Hon. a. W. E088. TJJE CARMEN HILL CONVENTION. 97 />«/,v, SHAKESPEARE I'HAISES COUNTRY LIFE. As YoH Like It.— Act II. ScoiK! l.—Tlio Fiiri'st of Anicii. Enter Duke aii.l ..tlier fxilcl |„r,ls in tl,u .ircss of Eorostcrs. -•• Xiiw, iiijr c!()-niato8 aufi nrothcrs in cxilt!, lliiMi not oM custom nia,Io tliis lif„ uion' swo...fc Thau that of i)aintf(l j.ompy arc not tlicst* woods ^loro h-vAi from ])oril than tlio envious court? Horo fool wo T)ut tho ponalty of Adam— TIio seasons' ditroronco : as tho icy fang An.l churlisli fhi.ling of tho winter's whul, ■\rhicli Avlien it l)ite.s an.l blows upon my hody, Kvon till 1 shrink with cold, I smilo and say," ' This is no flattery ; tlu.so are counsellors That foidingly ])orsuado mo what I am. Hwoot aro tho uses of adversity • \Vhi( h like tho toad, u-ly and venomous, Wears y,.t a ].reeious jew(d in its head ; And thus our lile, exempt from jml.lie haunt, Finds tnn-ues in trees, hooks in the running l.rooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything. I would not ehango it." "^"^^^^^^^ ilir OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. AKBOU DAY— ITS LMPOKTAXCE TO MANITOBA. The words Arbor Day oug-ht to fall like sweet music upon the ears of all who are lovci-s of nature. Arbor Day conies with the budding trees and spring-- Mig flowers of ]\ray, the month of song. The tree as it flourishes, and spreads its branches, or gives its leafy shade, is the symbol of the upright and kind- hearted man. Its growth is the pledge of increasing strength and usefulness. No object in nature is more beautiful than a thriving tree. It is the tvpe of the most lieavenly organization known among men, as under its leaves the birds nestle in safety. A day set apart for the service of the growing tree claims our highest regard. And if the tree should be an object of great con- sideration to num everywhere, much more ought it to be so in Manito})a. Through a varietv of causes large portions of ]\ranitoba, are trei^iess. The j)rairie with its unrivalled richness is tluuv, l,ut tiie eye desires to see it relieved l>y trees; and the flocks and iH'rds long, in the sultry days of July, for the shade of which the Roman poet Horace spoke, und(>:' what he calls "the wide spreading beech tree." The beauti- ful and the useful combine when we sing the song of the forest tree. Tiie people of Manitoba ought to devote their best energies to tree-planting at the i.resent time. Tn Bomc seasons the prairies suffer from dryness. Trees ARBOR DAY. 99 will increase the rainfall and the dews, and make nature fresh and green. The growth of trees will free us from the heat and drought of " Africa barren sand Whore naught can grow, because it rainoth not, And \vli(>re no rain can fall to bless the land, Because nought gi-ows there." Water in the streams becomes very shallow in the summ. r ; trees will assist in k(>ei.ing the water courses supplied. The northern bhists in winter, and the huniing winds of the south in summer, blow with sweeping power over the open plains; the growth of trees will check the breeze and give shelter to plant and beast and man. Some parts of Manitoba sutfer from summer frosts. The extensive planting of trees will prove a remedy! Some persons may dispute this, but there seems gofnl ground for stating it. "The Department of I'Ardeche iu France, which has been denuded in the last thirty years, has suffered from spring frosts formerly un- known. Tlie same thing is seen in Alsace since the forests of the Vosges were cut down." And science shews clearly tliat the trees ke(>p the heat in the gnmnd under them, and so equalize tlie temperature. The tree is a peaccMnaker between warm mother earth and the clear cold sky. The re(iuircments of country and citv are e.iually supplied by the growth of trees. Fuel, lumber and material for railways, tel(>graphs, and the like are sannliod by the thonghtnij tree planter. TIh; welfare and prosperity of the farmer is essential to the well- OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. being of Manitoba. Every new means of producing- wealtli slumld l,o used. Here is one. An American writer has said of a western state, which it is declared was one of tlie most treeless states of the American Union, but is to-day through tree-planting- one of the best wooded: "As a source of profit the raising- of trees in Nebraska ranks next to the raising- of stock. A quarter section planted with maph^ mmnmoth aspen and the like would in ten years yield a satisfactory return for the investment." How well the quaint old Eng-lish poet, Spenser, shews the value of the trees : Much can they praiso the trees so straight and liigh, Tlie sailuig piuo, the cedar proud and tall, TJio vino i)rop ohii, tlic })o])lar nc'vcr dry, The builder oak, solo king of forests all, The aspens good for staves, the cypress' funoral. The laurel, meed of mighty conciuorors And itoets sago, the fir that wcopeth still, The willow worn of forlorn paramours, Tlio yew obedient to the bender's will, The birch for shafts, the he.lge thorn 'for the mill. The myrrh sweet bleeding in tlio bitter w.Mind. Tli(. Avarliko beech, the ash for nothing ill. Th.* fruitful olive, an,v|-. OUR CANADIAN PR A TRIES. plant, then early in the morning' the bright-eyed boys and girls of ]\[anitoba ought to bo on their way to school. A thousand schools should all be alive that day, each scholar anxious to ])lant a tree. The school should h;tvc ready from the poems and selections of this l:>()ok or from other sources a pro- gramme of rccitntions and readings, and the larger boys might have a good debate prepared on some question like the following : Is there any life more indei)cndent than that of the farmer? Is country life happier than city life? Is agriculture more important to Canada than mining or commerce ? Is rural life the best for nurturing a healthy race? Is country life more conducive to morality than town life? Is mixed farming best for I\lanitoba? Is Canada a fa voralile land for the agriculturist? Are fiirmers deeply interested in a good educational sys- tem ? Do Manitoba towns and cities depend on suc- cessful agriculture for their i)rosi)erity ? The morning exercises over, the noon time may be pleasantly spent. In some places the teacher and scholars and tlieir friends meet in the school house at mid-day fo]* an Arbor Day social gathering. It is good to be social and friendly, and how pleasant a thing it is when all the people of the School District, without regard to creed or nationality, meet together for Arbor Day dinner. Hard work is needed in Manitoba to subdue the soil, but we need quite as nmch the holiday and social gathering to help us to know our friends and neighbors. Manitoba is so much a land of strangers — of people from every country— that we ou§:ht to cultivate each other's ARBOR DAY. 105 acquaintance, and everyone may see s(-lily und often, to keep the g-round clean and mellow. Experience has shown that this should be done for from four to seven times each year for four years, after which time the trees shade out the weeds, and save further work. The trees should not be trimmed until after they sliade each other and the ground sufficiently to smother the weeds. We look forward to the time when the Avisdom and industry of our people will make ]\hinitoba a land of forest trees. Let us bend every energy to accomplish this, that we may join in a hearty forest song ' A song for the beautiful trees A song for tlio forest ground— Tlie garden of Cod's own land, The pride of ills centuries." iii AN ARBOR DAY EXERCISE. (Eight hoys and eight Manitoba trees.) Scholar A.— P'athers, mothers and fellow-papils r We are gathered together to celebrate our Arbor Day. It has been said, "It is counted an honor to raise a splendid pile of stone or marble, to paint a subn picture, to compose a brilliant ode. Perhaps the mu .vi ir.'Tltiplies trees of glorious sort achieves iu iiiij u. y qmtQ as ^:.od an end. He makes the im ARBOR DAY, 107 world richer than he fou.ul it, a ft-o(„i that any man may bo proud to accumplisli. I wt.uld ratlier be able to i-eflect in my old ag-e that I had been the originator of a hundred ord« and cedars tliat, in days to come, shall help to make my country glad and beautiful, than have it recorded of me that my will had been proved at a million, and leave no memorial besides." 1 speak the praises of the oak, noted for its strength : A glorious troo is the old gray oak : He has stood lor a thousand years Has stood and frowned On tlu) trees around, Like a king among his i)Gers • As around their king they stand, so now, ^ Wlien the flowers their j^ale leaves fold The tall trees round him stand, arrayed In their robes of ])uri)le ami gold. Ho has stood like a tower Thrtnigh sun and shower. And dared the winds to battle ; Ho has heard tho hail. As from pLates of mail, Fr(jm his own limbs sliaken, rattle ; He has tossed them about, and shorn tlie tr)ps (When tho storm has roused liis might) Of tho forest trees, as a strong man doth The heads of his foes in fi^ht. Unite with me my eight companions in rcpeatin " A song to the oak, tlie brave old oak, Who hath ruled in the greenwood long : Here's health and renown to his broad, green crown And his fiftv ar ' ;ns so -^tron"". There's foar iu his frown when tlio sun goes down, m 108 OC/A' CANADIAN' PRAIRIES. m \ \-K ^ And tho firo in west fades out ; And ho showoth his mjo;],! ,,ji ji ^ild midnight, When tho storms tliroiiyli his branches shout.' (Qiicrrttif viacrocarjia. ) Sciroj.AH B.— Jfy tree is the birch. We have two bii-ches in Manitoba. One is the Canoe birch of which Long-fellow tells in Jliawatha, " <>ivo mo of your bark, O biivli troo ! Of your yoilow biuk, O birch troo ! Growing by tho rusliing i-ivor, Tall and stately in tho valley." The Manitoba birch, called the low birch, is a small tree, very luunble, not being: more than eight feet high, yet not to be despised. 1 am vei-y g-lad to say that one of the uses of the birch has in our day almost entirely passed away. Its twigs were used by the village school masters to jmnisli unruly boys. We live in happier days. Our teachers appeal to our g-otMl sense, and wc try to obey because it is rig-ht to do so. Too much whipping only nuikes boys woi-so, and they come to think little of doing wi-ong, wlierc the birch is used. How well Shakespeart; says : "Having bound up tho tluvatoning twigs of birch, Only to stick it in tiio c-Iiibhon's sight For tornu', not to use ; in tiiuo tlio rod Becoiuoa nioro mock'd than fear'd."' We rejoice at the departure of the birch from our scliools. (Betida papijrifera and liefu/a pumila.) Scholar C— 1 sing tlie praises of the Hazel tree. It is not tall or strong, but it is useful. We gather ita brown nuts on the way to scliool, and wo sec tlie ARBOR DAY, 109 lavo two bii'ch of 3asmjill gilt feet cl to say ^ almost by tlio rs. Wc to our rif^lit to 3 WOl'SO, ', whore •eh, 'oiii our imila.) !oI tree. f,''atluir seu thu squirrels snatcliinjr aM%'iy a few to put in their hoard for later use. Sliakespeare spcjiks of n heautil'iil girl : " Kate, like the hazol twig la straight anr ; and us liroun in line As liazul nuts, ami swootcr tliau tlic kcrnt'ls."' Fellow scholars, I do not know whether you l)elieve in fairies or not, but ne.-irly all the poets have written iibout them, and the queen of the fairies did not de- spise the hazel nut as her carriage. Oh thou I sou ilwwn Mab has been wifli you \ Sill' COllK'S " In slia|M' no bigger than an agate st.tnc! On the I'oielinger of an ahlei'iniin, Drawn witli a team of litth' ah.inies Atlivvart men's ikiscs as they lie asleep. Her cliiu-idtis an empty hazel nut, Made l.y thi) joiner siniirrul or old gnih Time out of mind tho fairies' coach makers." (Cori/his Aincriraiia. ) S(;ii(ii,Aii ])._Unite with me in celebrating the American Mountain Ash. Its red Ix-rrics make it an object t)f beauty and we are glad to have so pretty a shrub in Manitoba. The European Mountain Ash is called the i^ow.-iii tree. I am glad to give you to-day the well-known song: ()h! Rowan tree, Oh ! Rowan tn-e. thon'lt aye ho.loartomo, Kntwii....l thou art with many ties of liome and infaiiey. Tliy leavcm worn ayo tho iirst of Spriug, thy lluwors" tho Suniiiier's prido; 1 ! _ .sonnj tree lu ait rhr. country side. Oh ! Huwau tr(>e. no OUR CANADIAN PRAlRrES fs l\ idu^. How fair wort th.)u ia su„„nor ti.no, with all thy clustor AVlllto, How mi and gay thy Aut.irnn dress, with horries red and nnght ! nVli^ f^irstern w.ro many names, wliichnow no morel see, Hut they re engraven on my heart-forgot they ne'er can be. Oh ! Rowan tree. We sat l.,.neath thy spreading slia^; mother ! oh ! 1 s.e h.r still, she s.uiled our sports to'sLe, With httle .feanie on her lap, ami .lamie at her knee ! Oil ! liowan tree. ******* Now all are gone! we m..,.tm,more hen.'ath th.> Rowan tree • Hut hallowed thoughts around thee twine of home and mfaney, //J A . Oil! Rowan tree. {PyruH Arnvricana.) Scholar R— No tree is inoi-e conmion in .-ill parts of Muuitobii than what is called the .Vsli-lealed Maple Sir John Franklin on his famous journey tliroug-h our ^n-eat north country saw it everywhere and named it It 18 not a lar-e tree, and many from the eastern prov- inces tell us that it is not the true maple. However Its sweet sap is boiled down into a pleasant svrup! Om- K-reatcHt Canadian botanist savs, "This is the 'suyar maple' of Miinitoba and the North-West and IS .lestin.-d to be the shade tree of all the prairie cities." All hail t« tlit^ hroad-loavod Maj.le ! With her fair and chang.'ful dress— A typo of our youthful country la its pfido and loveiineus : AI^nOR DAY. Wh(!th(u- in Spring or Summer, Or in tho droary Fall, 'Mid Nature's forest children, She's fairest of them all. Down sunny slopes and valleys Her graceful f(H-m is seen , Her wide, umbrageous branches 1'ho sunburnt reaper sciim-u ; '.Mid tli(( dark-browed firs and eedurs Her livelier colors sliin(>, Lik(( the dawn of the bi'ight^^r futuns ( )u tho settler's hut of ])ine. She crowns tho i)loasant hill-top, Wliisp(>rs on breezy downs. Ami casts refresliiug sliuilows O'er the sti'eets of w\v busy towns • She gladdens tho aching eye-bali, Shelters tho weary bead, Ane[). And tlio forest bouglis art^ swaying Iiik(* the green wavc-< of the deej. ; In her fair and budding beauty, A fitting emblem she Of this our land of promise, Of hope, of U!H>rty. Ill (Negiitulo aceroidea ) 112 OUR CANADIAN PKAIRIES. ScMroi.AU F.— I ask you to remember tlie beautiful tree, our Green Ash. Like most of our JMauitoba trees it is not larg-e. " The ash hor jnirplo drops forgivingly, And sadly, breaking not the general hush ; The maple swamps glow like a sunset sea, ' Each leaf a ri{.i)le with its sei)arate flash ; All round the woods' edge creeps the skirting hlaze, Of bushes low, as, when on cloudy days, En* the rain falls the cautious farmer burns his brush " (Fraxmuti Viridin.) Scholar G— Perhaps the best shade tree for Man- itoba is the White Elm. It is a firmer tree than the Ash-Ie.-.fed Maj.le. Its leaves are so numerous and fitted to ft:ive us sliml,., in the sultry summer days ' that It has been ealled "a Ibrest on a sin^-le tree." Oliver AVendell Holmes with true appreciation said: "If it is something to make two blades of grass grow where only one was growing, it is much more to Juive been the occasion of planting an oak wlu.-ii shall defy twenty scores of winters, or an elm which shall can..py with it. green cl..ud of foliage half as many generations of mortal "'nnortaht.es. I have written many v,.rs,.s, but the Lest poem 1 havo produced are th.> trees [ jdanted on the hillside which ovc.rlouks the broad meadows, and scalloped and roun.led at their edges by l.„.p, .,( the sinuoUB Housatonic." L/iiiun Ameruana, ScHoLAK II.— I sin^r the (Jrape Vine. It has been thou«:ht that Manitoha is too f;ir n,,rth for the ^n-..wih of the more deliento fruits, ihit hvw. the ^t.-mk. ^nws wild, as if Nature wished to ^-ivc! us hope of bein«-ablc with shel(,.r and skill to produce the vnlu- ttblo fruit of the grape. In years to come our ARBOR DAY. 113 experimental farms and intelli^vcnfc gardeners will no doubt try to cultivate from our wild grape a stock of useful prairie grape vines. The grape vine has been a constant embUmi of the poets. Its growth li;,,s always been emblematic of peace : "In her days every man sliall eat in safety, Under his own vin<'. Avliat ho phuits, and sing ' ^^ The merry songs of peace to all his noighhorr/' ( Vilis cordifoHa. ) Long may peace remain as the possession of our beloved Canada ! Our Arbor Day selections are ended. The exercises may be fitly closed by singing "(hd Save the (^ueen." WE AIU'^ SEVEN MAxNITOMA GIRLS. (Seven thrifty girls describe the Prairie Wild Fruits.) First Pupil._Wc are seven Manitoba girls. Seven is the perfect number, and although we do not claim perfection yet we intend to do our best to tell you of our prairie wild fruits. Each of us has two to tell you of The wild fruits are our special possession. We believe that all girls should be brought up to house-keeping and especially to know how to pr,>pare goml and wholesome food. Manit -ba is not noted for Its fruit. We hope to have cultivated apples, pears and plums and cherries, bye and bve, l)ut at present we have chiefly our small fruits. I !> ,ve to describo to you two of these— the Wild Sti'.'iwberry and Wild wmm mmm •''"■"•"""^^^'■'^it' -nr-iiitiiiiiiiffitif fi m. 114 0[/A' CANADIAN PKAIIUES. Riispbeny. Botanists toll us both of these belong- to the Rose family. The wild strawberry is known to everybody. It gfrows everywhere in our province, and is seen spreading" by its vig-orous runners. Its fruit is chiefly made up of tlie ripened receptacle, and on the outside of this the little seeds appear. "When its white blossoms have faded, and its pretty red berries lian^ in drooping- flower clusters it is a joy to see it in the long- grass in June and July. It is largely soug-ht for in Manitoba, and when prepared is stored up for A\'inter use. (Fragaria Vh'ijiniana.) My other fruit is the Red Raspberry. This grows in thickets, especially where the woods have been burnt away. Its woody, prickly stems grow upright, and its light red fruit attracts the berry pickers. We are glad to get up a party to go away to the "berry patch " to combine work with pleasure. The fruit of the raspberry is a hemisphere of little drupes adher- ing together Each drupelet contains the juicy pulp, and in the centre of this the seed. When the hemi- sphere is plucked off tlie stalk the enlarged white re- ceptacle is left behind. Probably tlie raspl)erry i« tlio best of all the small fruits. I am glad it is so common in Manitoba. (Ruhus strhjomti.) Second Pupil.— I have to tell of two of our most beautiful fruits, the Wild Cherry and Wild Plum, l)oth of the Rose faniiiy. The cherry tree is a tall shrub with grayish bark, having leaves somewhat oval with serrate edges. There are several varieties of the cherry found in the diflerent districts of Manitoba,, but the botanists have not quite determined tliem ^A'BOA' DA Y. 115 yet, AH of us however know the cherry. Shakes- peare makes a pretty picture wlien lie says : "When ho was l)y, the birds with ploasnro look, That yomo would sin^^, some otliers in iheii' 1)ins Would bring him mul1)errie.s and lipo red cherries, Ho fed them with liis sight ; they him with berries'." (Prunufi Virginiana.) More common and more useful is our Wild Plum. It ^rows on a thorny tree from seven to twenty feet high. Its leaves are very veiny and smooth when mature. The fruit varies in color, beinji,' yellow, orang-c or red. It is very pleasant to the taste, ])ul' often has a bitter skin. The bitterness can lie taken away by scalding the plums before they are j)re- served for use. The wild plum is perhaps the best wild fruit in I\ranitol)a, and it is being cultivated with some success into a much In-tter fruit. The plum ha.s not been a favorite of the poets, but it is much appreciated for common use. Prunes, which are sold in our shops, are the dried ])roduct of plums from abroad. (Prunus Americana.) Third Pupil.— To me have been given two fruits more noted for their beauty than for use. They also belong to the rich Kose family. They are the Saska- toon-berry and the scarlet fruit of the White Thorn. The saskatoon is the commonest prairie fruit. Where straw'borries, raspben-ies, cherries and plums all fail, this hardy fruit will thrive. It has several varieties, some of them growing as a tive to nearly thirty feet in licight, but our common saskatoon is a shrub from two to ten feet higli, with leaves somewhat broad. 116 OUR CANADIAN rRAIKlES. The fruit is purplish ftnd is sweet and edible. In the absence of other fruit it is largely used, but it cannot compete with the huckleberries, which are brouglit in tons from the swampy region of the Lake of the Woods, and sold upon the prairies. This shrub is also known as the Shad-bush, and the fruit as the June-berry and Service-berry. {Amelanchier Can- adensis.) The Thorn Apple is very beautiful upon the trees, but is not of much value as a fruit. The tree is thorny, and in spring has pretty white blossoms. The fruit is coral red. Branches of the ripened fruit are sometimes broken oft' and used for ornament in our houses. The tree is found in coulees and stream valleys throughout the prairies nearly to the Kocky Mountains. {Cratoigtis coccinea.) Fourth Pupil.— My task is a much more humble one than that of those who have just gone before me. I have to tell you of the DAvarf Cherry or Sand Cherry, and the Ground Plum. These are not so well known or so imi)ortant as those already mentioned. The sand cherry belongs to the Rose family with which we are acquainted. It is smooth, and trailing, and is from six inches to six feet high. Hence, it is called tiie dwarf cherry. The leaves are lance-shaped, and narrow down towards the base. They are pale under- neath. The fruit is somcAvhat oval, and dark red or nearly black wlicn rii)e, without bloom. The stone is about the size of a large pea. The fruit is rather sour, but trials arc being made Avith this tree at the Experimental Farm, Brandon, and there they are AJiBOK DJV. 117 hopeful tliat this fruit, on being improved, will yet 1)0 most valual)lo. It is hy imi)roving- and develop- ing- our own wild plants that wo arc most likely to obtain hardy and prolific fruit-bearers. {Prunus immila.) The other fruit to be mentioned is the Ground Plum. It belongs to the Pea family. Its leaflets are narrow and oblong, and the flowers are in a short raceme. The blossom is violet-purple, and the fruit is a plum- shaped pod. Wiien the pods, which are nearly solid, have reached the size of hazel nuts, they prove a valuable addition to the list of early vegetables. Cooked like green peas tlu^y make a pleasing dish, intermediate in taste between early peas and asi)ara- gus. The pods become hard and corky when dry. {Ad mgahis cari/ocarpus. ) Fifth Pupil.— No one could be more fortunate than I, wlien I can present to you the Black Cm-rant and the Wild Gooseberry. These both belong to the well-known Saxifrage family. They grow very freely in our prairie thickets. The thornless and prickless branches of the black currant bear heart- shaped leaves. The racemes are drooping a nd downy. The black smooth fruit is much sought for l)y the settlers. This fruit, on being cultivated in the gar- dens, will lose much of its rankness, and prove of great value as a small fruit. {RiheH flondum.) Fierce in appearance, covered as it is with prickles, but sw(>et and agreeable to the ta,ste, the wild goose- berry is much u^ed, when i>artially ripi-, for cooking. Gooseberry is a corruption of gorseberry a name If J18 Ol/A' CANADIAN PKAIRIES. M 1 ■ I 1^1 given in England to Coarse prickly herbage, and our wild gooseberry well deserves tlie name. In the absence of bettor fruit the gooseberry ij much sought for, though Shakespeare makes one of his characters speak of things in his age "as not worth a goose- berry." (Rihes cynoshati.) Sixth Pupil.— I have two fruits to describe, not so well known as those preceding, Imt likely to be- come important in ]\ranitoba and the Territories. These are the Buffalo l)erry and the Silver berry. They belong to the Oleaster family. They both grow on shrubs or small trees. The Buffalo berry tree is from live to eighteen feet high, and is some- what thorny. Its leaves are w^edge-shaped 'nd are silvery on both sides. The berry is small and scai-let red. It is of a pleasant acid taste, and when cooked is very much vahied where it is known. It is thought this may yet become a most important small fruit on the prairies, and it is l)eing cultivated and improved for that purpose. (Shepherdia argentea.) The Silver berry is not likely to be so well known. The shrub on which it grows is from six to twelve feet high. The flowers are silvery without, pale yellow within and fragrant. The fruit is about the size of a large currant. It is dr\' and mealy and can be eaten. (Elceagnm argentea.) Seventh Pupil.— Tavo Avild fruits remain. These are the High Bush Cranlxu-ry and the Wolf berry. They belong to the Honeysuckle family. The High Bush Cranberry is called in Manitoba the Pembina ARBOR DAY. ■ jjg beny from the Indian name for tho same, "Nopi- raeiian." It is a sniootli upri^Hit slinib froili four to twelve feet hi^^h, and is very abundant in Manitoba copses. Its leaves are ribbed and tliree-Iobed. Its fruit which grrows in a beautiful cyme is lig-ht red and contains a flat oval stone. The fruit is acid, and, while the stone is troublesome, this bei v is yet very serviceable and ag-recable. It is larji^ely used in the ■country. Tho g-udder rose or snow- ball tree is a cultivated form of this tree. ( Viburnum o]}ulus.) More for ornament than use we mention the Wolf berry, which grows abundantly on our prairies. It i.'^alow branch ingp shrub with leaves downy under- neath a nd flowers in dense spikes. Tho fruit is white but little valued, (^i/mphoricat'pu.'i occidental h. i ANOTHKR EXEUniSE FOR ARHOR DAY. (Ei{jM hoys write. Short Essays on the Amnitifers and Conifers of Manitoba.) ScFiOLAR A.— To-day W(i celebrate our useful forest trees. One of these is the Common Poplai-. It con- stitutes tho "bluffs" scattered over our prairies. You may have noticed, that before a storm its leaves seem turned with the white sides outward, and tremble in the bi-ecze. The botanists call it the " Trembling Poplar" ; and some know the tree l)y the name "Aspen," which means the same thing. This tree bears in the spi'ing- a longr silky catkin which appears on the trees before the leaves. This catkin or 120 OUR CANADIAM PRAIRIES. anient g-ivos the ncame Amentiferous. The greenish- white bark of the Pophar is very smooth. Our Poplar is a quick growing tree and is much used for fuel throughout tlie counti-y. Its catkins, however, fall off and disfigure the lawns, and it sprouts too freely from the roots for it to be called a good shade tree. With all its faults we love our Poplar. (Populus trenmlokles.) Scholar B. — In all the river valleys throughout the prairie region from the Red River westward to the Rocky IMountains grows a tall and spreading tree commonly called the Cottonwood. ]\racoun tells us that at Big Stick Lak(^ north of the Cypress hills there was a grov(; of tliese trees of very large size. These had escaped the prairie fires, being* surrounded by sand and were over fifty feet high. The Cotton- wood has on one tree only catkins or tassels that bear flowers with stamens, wiiile on another are those only with pistillate catkins. The cotton from the seeds is blown everywhere and proves a great trouble to the tidy settler's wife. It covers everything in the house. This catkin is only found, however, on the tassels which bear pistils. If you wish to be free from the flying cotton only plant those trees which bear the red tassels. Both green and red catkins grow on the trees in Spring before the leaves come out. (Pop- uliis monilifera.) Scholar C. — I have another of the catkin-bearing trees to describe. This is the Balsam Poplar. It grows to a great si;^e, and is wide-spread upon the prairies. It is often seen one hundred and fifty feet ,/A7."()A' /)./r. 121 hig-h and seven feet thick. On the i>riickcnzie River many of those great trees fall at flood time into the i-iver, and are carried down to tiie Arctic Oconn, where on the islands and sea-shore they are used as fuel. Even in the g-reat Yukon Valley in Alaska this tree grows almndantly. A variety of this tree is cultivated as the Balm of (rilcad. The Indian name Tacamahac is also g-iven to it. Most of its names rcifer to the fact that its larg-e buds are varnislicd over with a plentiful frag-rant resin. {Po}mlui^ bal- sa mif era.) Scholar D. — Ts it not strang-e that no less than four of the lew trees we have on the jirairies helong- to the AVillow order ? The Aspen, Cottonwood, and Halsam Pojjlar all do so, and now I am to write a few words about the Iloary WiHoav. I am sorry that the Willow has always been looked upon as the emblem of desertion. Shakespeai'e sometinu^s so used it. You remember how poor Ophelia in the g-reat drama of " ITamlet " Avas drowned : " Thoro is a willow grows askant tho brook, That shows its hoar loavos in the glassy stream, There, with fantastic garlands did sho como Thoro on tlio ])ondont Ixmglis, Ium- coronot weeds Olamhoring to hang — an envious sliver broke : Wlien down hor woody troijliios and herself Fell in tlio weeping brook.'" And of the Jews in captivity the memory is pre- served : "By the rivers of Babylon then; W(! sat down: y<>a we wept when we remembered Zion : we hang-ed our harps upon the willows." l^ OUR CANADIAN PRAIR/EJ^. IHf Manitoba has a wide extent of wet land covered witli the PToary Willow. Willow bark has a bitter principle, which irritates the eyes in the smoke from the burning branches, and the native people of Mani- toba use Willow bark in tanning: skins of the deer and other animals. (Salir Candida.) Scholar E.— The tree I wish to speak of is the Basswood. This g-rows in some parts of our I'rovince. It docs not l>ear anicnts, but its wood resembles that of the Cottonwood tree. It g-rows to a g-reat heij,Hit, and in the s})ring: is very attractive with cre/im- colored clusters of llowcrs, honey-l)earing- and i'nig-- rant. Its li«-lit wood g-ivcs the name White wood, while Basswotxl comes from its having- sweet, mucil- agfinous fibres or l)ast just beneath the bai-k. In Eng-land a species of tliis tree is called the Lime tree, perhaps from the sticky juicc^ as Wordsworth says : ' " Liko tho linio That fnolisli birds aro caught with.'" Tliis tree with its j-ich blossom is a favorites (.f tho ])ees. Of the g-ocnl man in Vir^dl who so loved his g-arden, it was told : " iroro phmting amcing tho shrnhg, white lilies, vervain and oflculont popj.ies, ho oqualie.! fn his contented niin.l tho ^^•ealth of kings. Tho first M-as ho to pluck tho rose of spring and tho first to gather the fruits of antun.n. Lindens had h(^ and Limes in great ahundan... ; he tJierefore was tlie first t4) ahound with ].rolific hees and to stor.. in the frothy honey from tho woU-i.ressed comhs." (rUm Arnvrimna.) SCITOLAII F. It Ib mv first of OHO of the Con if jM'iviir-^f: to Hprnk ers. This is ft name g-iven ARBOR DAY. 123 to all those trees which liave seed cones. These are fertilized by the downy yellow pollen dust which all who have heen in a Pine forest in si)ring know so well. I cannot speak of the Pine which is found so abundantly alon^- the lakes and on the Ottawa. It is a source of wealth to Canada, but it does not g-row in Jlanitoba. We have;, however, on the sand hills and in the dry woods tlu; Wiiite Spruce. It may be told from Black Spruce, which grows west of Lake Winni- peg, by its narrow drooping cones never under an inch in length, and the scales pale straw color or brown at maturity. I presume it was the juice and gum of this tree which Jaciiues Carticr, the early exi)lorcr of Canada, found to work as if l)y magic in curing his men of scurvy during tiieir winter stay in Canada three centuries and a half ago. The Spruce is likely to become an ornamental tree in our Prov- ince, and its evergreen l)ranch('s are a joy to us in their contrast with winter's winding sheet of snow. (Picea alba.) ^ Scholar G.— My story is of the stately Tamarack. Great forests of it grow in Eastern ]\Ianitol)a, and with the Black Spruce it occupies nc.irly all the swampy ground north of our pr-iirie lakes to the 1)ase of the Kocky Mountains. This tn-e belongs to the Larches, and is sometimes known by the Indian name Hackmatack. The cones of the Tamarack are like those of the Spruce. The leaves are needle-shaped, soft and liauging. There are fertile catkins of a crlraHun or red cnU;r lui some of tlie trees. 'I'amarack forms a largo part of the fuel of Wiim ipeg. The fact s««»ia*>c,i.i(ii.jiifca.iiS~^^^2JJJ 124 OUR CANADIAN PKAIKJES. I that the Wood of tlii's ti 'oc is li.'ird and vcrv resinous makes it a ^--ocrI fuel. It is also used for railway ties and for many like puriHJses. It is not lu )wever, so 1 is now brouirht durable as the AVhite Cedar, whiel from the country lying- lifty or sixty miles eaJ of Ked Kiver. The Larch is a stately tree, and has a drooj.ing and ^^raceful appearance. {Larix Amer- icana.) SciK^LAR 11. —Last of the ei^r],t l come with the Creeping- Juniper. Our leading Canadian botanist says: "In the cast it is usually found along rivers and lakes, crec-ping- down the l)anKo or hing- flat on the sand or rocks : on the other hand, on the prairie, it often covers wide areas of level, sandy g-round, to the almost total exclusion of other veg-<'tation." It has small catkins along the side of the prostrate stem and its leaves are of two kinds, viz., awl-shaped and scale-shaj.ed. The scale-shaped leaves have a little gland upon the back full of resin. The fruit is a bluish-black berry with white bloom, and this gives the ever-green creeping l)ranch, with its strong odor, some imi.()rtanee to the lover of nature. This is the last of our Manitoba wild trees and shrubs. A great Amei-ican tliinker said : "Without doubt, better trees there might be than even the most nobk' and beautimi m)w. I suppose G(k1 has in his tlumghts mucli better ones tlian ho lias ever planted on this globe. They mv reserved for the Glorious Land Heneath them we may walk." {Jmiqiem.s Sabina vnr. procumhens.) ARBOA' DAY. 12") MV PRAIRIE HOME. Come back, O friend, to your prairie homo. To the plains that are wide like the sea ; To the brown foot-hills Avlu-ro the cattle roam, Where the wind, the wind blows free ! The wind l)lows free and the cattle graze, And the eagle soars on high ; While the land lit^s asleep in the smoky haze, And faint comes the ground-bird's cry The ground-bird's cry and the plover's call, And the whistle of hawk I hear; While the blaekl)ird iloek, like a sable pall, On the sedgy bank ajjpear. On the sedgy bank o*" the rulHed i)ool. Where tlie s{)ortful wind careers; You may joy in the plash of its waters cool, And drown in their depths your fears. Y(ju may drown the fears that oi)j)ress you sore, And the cares ao wearily i-ife ; And blessed peace shall be yours once more. As in si)ring-time years of life. Come then from tho city's din and roar. From breathing its lieavy air ; From dim-eyed search of that wondrous lore. That the strifes of m»>n i)ri>pare. You can 'scape from the strife of tongues away, And be hert( alone \\\\h Ood; While all about you the stars of day, Hhiue bright in the i)rttirie-sod. — W. p. MoKenzir. lUG OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. HOJ^ES OF MANITOBA. S(.ftly till- shadows of i.niiri.'-luii(l whrat, l^'ipplo and riot lulowu to \wx IW't; Miinmirs uU luituro witJi joyous a'cclaiin, Fragrance of sununcr and shimnicr of ilainu llcclk'ss sliu hears whilo the centuries slij, Chalico of i)ui)]iy is hiid on her lip. Hark ! From the oast conies a ravisliin^j note • Sweeter was never in niglitin-ale's tliroat : Silence of centuries tJirills to the song, Singing their coming awaited so hjng ; Low, yet it swells to tho heaven's fai" Ilome, Child-lips have calllMl tho wild meadow-land Homo Deep, as she listens, a dewy suriirise, Dawns in the languor that daikens her (^yes : Swift the red blood through her veins, in its flow, Iviudles to raj)ture her bosom aglow • \'nicea are calling where silence Inis 'been, " Look to tliy future, thou mother of nu'n ! " Onward and onwar.1 ! Her fertile cx])anse Shakes us the tide of her children advance, Onward and onward ! Her blossoming floor Yields lier an opium potion no more ; '^ ()nward ! and soon on her Avelcomiug soil. Cities shall i.al])itate, myriads toil. — I-ivm.Y McManu.', MAV. May, the month of song and stA)ry Singing biids and fain-st flowers ; May, tho month of nature's glory Sunshine bright and geutlo" showers. A/iBOR DAY. Listen to tho robins siniriutr Mid tho brauchos of tlio trees, Listen to tho })luebirds' carol And tho drowsy hum of bees. All tho land is filled with sunshine, Every heart is liglit and gay ; Nature smiles upon her children, For it is the month of May. May. tho month of song and story. Kinging birds and fairest flowers ; May, tho month of nature's glory, Sunshine bright and gentle showers. 127 ifl me -W. (J. I'AHK. m.\ INVITATION T(J THE WOODS. Oh, cujiie away to tlie gravti old woods, Kre the skit-s ai'e tinged with light ; Ero tho sl'imlKiring leaves of the gloomy trees. Have thrown off tho mists of night. Ero tho birds are up, Or tlio lloweret's cup. Is drained of its fresh'ning dew, Or tho bubbling rill Kissing the liill Breaks on the distant view ; Oh, such is the liour To leel tho j)ower Of tho (juiet, grave old woods ! Then, while sluggards dream Of some dismal thcmo, Let ud stroll, With prayerful soul, Through tho depths of the grave old woikIs. u V n 128 QUA' CANADIAN PRAIRIES. Oh, coitie away to the bright old woods, As thn sun ascends the skies ; Wliile the hirdlings sing tlieir iiioi'ning hymn, And each h;ai" in the grove replies. Wlien tlio golden-zoned bee, Flies froKi flower to tree, Seeking sweets for its honeyed cell, And the voice of praise, Sounds its varied lays. From the depth of each quiet dell ; v)h, such is the horn- To feel the power Of tlu! magic, bright old woods ! Then, while sluggards dream Of some triiiing theme. Let us stroll. With studious soul. Through the depths of the bright old woods. — CHAKI.ES S.VNGSTBR. THE HEAKT OF THE TKEE. What does ho ])lant who plants a tree? He i)lants a fr'end of sun and sky ; He plants the flag of breezes free, The shaft of btuiuty towering high ; Ho plants a home to heaven anigh For song and mother-croon of bird In hushed and happy twiligljt heard— The tri'blo of heaven's har»u)ny — These things ho plants wlio planta a tree. What does ho i)lant who plants a tree ? Ht^ plants cool rain and tender shade; And seed and bud of days to be, And yearn fhr.t. fndo and *^^^A•t again ; Ho ])lants the glory of the plain ; AKBOK DAY. 129 Ho i)kiuts tho forest's lioritua:!' ; Tho harvest of a coming age ; The joy that uuhorn eyes shall see— These things lie plants who plants a tree. What does ho jilant -who ])lauts a tree '? Ho plants, in sap and leaf and Avood, In love of home and loyalty, And far-cast thought t)f civic good — His blessing on tho neighhorliood, "Who, in tho hollow of his hand, -^ Holds all the growths of all our land ; A nation's growth from sea to sea, Stirs in his heart who plants a tree. — The (Jenfiirt/. WOODMAN, 8PAUE THAT THEK. Woodman, i^pare that tree ! Touch n From the clouds of time Unto heavens sublime. Canst thou ])roi>hesy, thou littU; tree. Wha,t the glory of thy boughs shall be ? Ho who plants a tree Plants a joy ; Plants a comfort tliat will never cloy. Every day a fresh reality. Beautiful and strong, To whose yheltor tjnong Creatures blithe with song. )imiSc Al^BOR DAY. isi If thou eouldst but, knoAv thou happj^ tree, Of the bliss that shall inhabit thoc. He who plants a tree He plants peace. Under its green curtains jargons cease, Leaf and zephyr murmur sootliingly ; Shadows soft with s1po]i Down tired eyelids cro(>p. Balm of slumber deep. Never hast thou dreamed, thou blessed tree, Of the benediction thou shalt 1)e. , Ho A\-ho plants a tree He i)Uints youtli ; "Vigor won ibr centuries in sooth ; Life of time that hints eternity ! Bouglis their strength uprear, New slioots every year On old growths appear. Thou shalt teach the ages, sturdy tree, Youth of soul is immortality. He who ]dants a tree Ho jdants love ; Tents of cf)olness si)reading out above Wayfarer, he may not live to see. Oifts that grow are best ; Hands that bless are blest ; Plant, life does the rest. Heaven and earth help him who ])lants a tree, And his work its own reward shall })e. —Lucy Lahcom. 132 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. PLANTING FOR THE FUTURE. In youth's glad morning lionr, All life a holiday doth sooin ; Wo glanro adown time's vista long Beholding but the sunny gleam. The ha])py hearts that meet to-day, I.i a loving band aro drawn more m-ar By the loving end that crowns our work, Planting trees for a future year. O tender trees ! ye may thrive and gi-ow, And spread your branches to tlie sun, When the youthful band assembled here. Has reaiJed life's harvest, every one. When the shining eye shall lose its fire, When the rosy cheek shall fade pway, Thou'lt drink of the dew and bask in the light, Forgetful of this Arbor Day. The bounding heart, the active limb, The merry laugh and sparkling jest. Be mingled with the things of earth. And sink to solitude and rest. But o'er this ground with branching arms. These trees shall cast tlu ir leafy shade, And other hearts as light and gay, Shall reap the shelter we have made. So let our ])lanting ever be, Something in store for a future year, When homeward with our harvest bound. We'll meet the master without fear. — H. B. WitiGirr. AUBOR /hi v. 133 EIT. THE GIFT OP THE FOREST. First Pupil : " Give mo of your Lark, O l)irch tree ! Of your yellow bark, O birch tree ! Growing by the rushing river. Tall and stately in the valley ! I a light canoo will build me. Build a swift Cheemaun for sailing, That shalt float upon tlio river. Like a yellow leaf in autumn. Like a yellow water lily ! " Second Pupil : And the tree Avith all its branches Rustled in the breeze of morning, Saying with a sigh of patience, " Take my cloak, O Hiawatha ! " Third Pupil : "Give me of tli\' boughs, O cedar! Of your strong and jjliant branches, My canoe to make moi'e steady, Make more strong and firm beneath me ! Through the summit of the cedar Went a sound, a cry of horror, Went a mnrmur of resistance, Rut it whispered, bending downward, ' Take my boughs, O Hiawatha ! ' Down he hewed the boughs of cedar, Shaped them straightway to a framework, Take two bows lie formed and shapc'd them, Like two bended bows together." Fourth Pupil : " Give me of your roots, O Tamarack ! Of your fibrous roots, () larch tree ! 134 OUR CANADIAN PRAfR/ES. My canoo to bind togothor That tho water may not enter, That the river may not wet mo ! " Fiflh Pupil : And the larch, with all its fibres, Shivered in tlie air of morninjr. Touched his forehead v.'ith liis tassels Said, with one long sigh nf soi-row, " Take them all, O Hiawatha ! " >SV.t//( Pupil : " Oivo mc of your balm, O fir tree ! Of your balsarn and your resin. So to close the seams together That the water may not enter, That the river may not wet me." Seventli PupU : And the fir tree, tall and sombre. Sobbed through all its robes of darkn(«s, Rattled like a shore of pebbles. Answered wailing, ansAv.-red weei)ing, " Take my balm, O Hiawatha ! " AIL Thus the bireli canoe was builded In the valley, by the river, In the bosom of the forest ; And the forest life was in it, All its mystery and magii'. All the lightness of the birch tree, All the toughness of the cedar. All the larch's supple sinews ; And it floated on the river, Lik(^ a yellow leaf in autumn, Like a yellow water lily, —Longfellow. AKBOK DAY. 135 GREAT VOICES ON ARBOR DAY. iV. Firnl Pupil : " The groves were (iod's first temples, Ere nicau le,arn(!(i To hew the shaft, and hay the architrave And s])read the roof ahove tlieiii — ei'e he framed, The lofty vault, to gather and roll hack The round of antheiris, in the dai-kling wood, ^ Amidst the cool and silence, he knelt down And offered to the Mightiest solemn thanks And supplications." — Bkvant. Second Pupil : " I shall speak of trees, as we see them, love them, adore them in the fields where they arc alive, holding their green sun-shades over our head alking to us with their hundred thousand whispering tongues, h)oking down on us with that sweet meekness which helongs to huge hut limited organisms — which one sees most in the patient posture, the out- stretched arms, and the heavy, drooping rohes of these vast beings, endowed with life, hut not with soul — which outgrow us and outlive us, hut stand helpless. j)oor things — while nature dresses and undresses them." — HOLMES. Third Pupil : "(Jive fools their gold and knaves their power ; Lot fortune's hubbies I'iso and fall ; Who sows a field, or trains a fio\v(>r, Or plants a tree, is more than all. For he who blesses most is blest ; And God and man shall own his worth. Who toils to leave as his bequest An added beauty to the earth." — Whittuer. 136 OUK CANADIAN PRAIRIES. Fourth Pupil : _ " There is aoiiiothing nobly siiriplo and pure in a taste for the cultivation of forest trocis. It arjyuos, \ think, a sweet and generous nature to have this strong relish for the beau- ties of vegatation, and this friendsliip for the hardy and glorious sons of the forest. Tliere is a grandeur of thouglit eouneeted Avith tliis ])art of rural ceonoiuy Tie who ]»lants an oak looks forward to future ages, and plants for posterity. Nothing can ho less selfish than this."— luvlNO. Fifth Pupil : "What conqueror in any jiart of 'Life's broad field of battle' cuuld desire a more beautiful, a more noble, or a more patriotic monument than a tree planted by the hands of ])uro and joyous children, as a menujrial of his achieve- ments. " — L<).SS1N(}. Sixth Pupil : "Oh Rosalind, these trees shall be my books, And in their barks my thouglits Til charact^'r, Tliat every eye Mhich in this forest looks, .Shall see tliy virtue witnesses everywhere." — SllAKIOSPKAKE Seventh Pupil : "Tliere is something unspeakably cheerful in a spot of ground covered with trees, that smiles amidst all the rigors of winter, and gives us a view of the most gay season in the midst of that which is the most dead and melancholy." — Al»l)ls<)N. Eiijhth Pupil : "As the leaves of trees are saifl to absorb all noxious qualities of the air, and to breathe lorth a purer atmosphere, so it seems to nui as if they drew from us all soi'di, and they nuikt^ us strong, Such wonderful balms to them b(>lonir : So, living or dying, I'll take my ease Under the trees, under the trees." — STODDAUU. i 188 OUR CANADIAN VKAIRIES. THE CLASS TREE. Tune — Owl Save ffw Queen. Grow thou and flourish well Ever the story tell Of this glad day ; Long may thy branches raiso To heaven our grateful jiruise Waft them on sunlight rays To God away. < Dee]) in the earth to-day, Safely thy roots we lay True of our love ; Grow thou and flourish long ; Ever our gi-ateful song Shall its glad notes jirolong To God above. Let music swell tlie breeze, Ami ring from all the trees, Ou this glad day ; BlortH thou each student band O'er all our hnpiiy land ; Teach them Thy love's comnumd Great God, we pray. — AuiMtK Day Manual. hi the luerry mouth of Afay Comoa our glud.sonie Arbor J)ay, And with chetrful V(»ici3 we raise Hoarty uotea of grateful praino. ARBOR DAY. All the buds and boc^s aro singing ; All tho lily hells ai'e ringing ; All thfi hrookfl run full of laughter, And tho winds como whispering after, What is this they sing and say ? It is May ! 139 Hail beauteous May ! that dost inspire Mirth and j'outh and warm desire ; Woods and groves aro of thy dressing, Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing. llobins in tho treo-tops Illossoms in tho grass ; Hreen things a-growing P^vory whoro you pass. Sudden little breezes ; Showers of silver dew ; lilac k bough and bent twig Budding out anew ! Pino tree and willow tree, Fring('(l elm ami larch Don't yo>i tliink tliat May time's Pleasanter than March ? 140 OUR CANADIAN PRAIKIK .A n\' In hotniiiziiiK a flow«T the pupil will (rare It down I Onlop ill tlio roliowiiiK K»«.v. aiHl tiioii Isirn to tlir Onh-r ns t'oHiMl hy IIM« liMltv ill Spolton'N Kotnny, Part II., to iE<>t tlic K«'nuM anil Mp<>4*i4>M. KEY TO Tino FAMILIES OR ORDERS OF PLANTS. SKRIKS I, PHANKROCJAMS. I'lants producing true flowers and seeds. CLASS I. DICOTYLEDONS OR EXOGRNS. Distinguished ordinarily by having net-veined leaves, and the parts of the Howers in fours or fives, very rarely in sixes. Wood growing in rings, and surrounded by a true bark. Cotyledons of the embryo mostly two. SUB-CLASS L ANdlOSPERMS. Seeils enclosed in an ovary. DIVISION I. I'OLYPETALOUS EXOdENS. Two .listinct sets of Floral Envelopes. I'arts of the corolla separate from each other. k. NtanionH more tlinn (wire an many ait lhi> prtalN. * Stamens hypouynom {imerted on tht receptacle.) t Piatil apocarpom (ciirjteU separate from each other.) RANrvrnLAPE*- — Her>^« f •at- — »- m - s j i5Hr.~, trt:avca gcaciiiily dccompound or much dissected KE Y. • 1 Ul Anonace.1-;. -Small trees Leaves entire. Petals 6, in 2 sjta. Magnoltaoe.«. — Trees. Leaves truncate. Fruit resc mhling a cone. Order II., to ul the Wood ons of irolla \ or Menispkhmace^. — Woody twiners. Flowers diox-ioiis. Leaves peltate near the edge. Brasenia, in Nymi'H.kace.k — A(|natic. Leaves oval, peltate*, the petiole attached to the centre. Malvaoe.*:, — Stamens moiiadelphous. '^Jalyx persistent. Ovar- ies in a ring. Podophyllum, in liEKBKurnAnK.E. — (!alyx fugacious. Leaves large, peltate deeply lobetl. Fruit a large fleshy lierry, ] celled. t t Pi>^til Sf/ncarpom. (SUijmnn, sfi/les, plncrnltE, or cells, more th(tn oiiK.) Actsea, in RANnN(MTr,A^ -seeded berry. Leaves coniponiid, NYMrii.EACE^;. — A([uatics. Leaves iloating, largt;, deeply cor- date. SARnA(!ENiAOE.«. — Bog-pJauts. Leaves pitcher-shaped. Papaveraoe*.— Juice red or yellow. Sepals 2, caducous. CAvrARiK.M'K,*;. — Corolla cruciform, but pod l-ccllcd. Leaves of 3 leaflets. Hyi'KRTCac ,E. —Leaves traiisparcnt-dottod. Stamens usually in 3, but sometimes in f), clusters. CiSTACK^;.— Sepals 5, very unequal, or only 3. Ovary l-celled, with 3 parietal placenttB. MalvaoE/K. — Stamens nu>iuidelphous, connooted witli the bot- tom of the petals. Calyx persijLcnt. Ovaries in a ring. TiLiack^t;.-^ Trees. Fitnvcra ynliovvish, in siiiall haiigiug oyines, tho peduncle with a leaf-like bract attached. I m 142 OUR CANADIAN PKAIRIES. * * Stamens pervjynoua (msei'ted on the calyx.) Portulaca, in PoRTFLACACE^.— Low herbs, with fleshy leaves. Sepals 2, ad- hering to the ovary beneath. Pod opening by a lid. Rosace.*:.— Leaves alternate, with stipules. Frnit apocar- pous, or a drupe, or a pome. * * * Stamens epigynous {attached to the ovary. ) Nymphaea, in Nymt'II.«ack^:— Aquatic. Leaves floating. Flowers white, large, with numerous petals gradually passing into stamens. K. MtameiiH not more than twiee an ninny n.<4 the potals. * Stamens just as many as the petals, and one stamen in front of each petal. Bkrhkriimck,*..— Plant dull-purple. Leaves decompound. An- thers opening by uplifting valves. PoRTULAOACE.*:.— Sepals 2. Styles 3-cleft. Leaves 2, fleshy. ViTACE.K— Shrubs, climbing by tendrils. Calyx minute. RiiAMNACE/i':. — Shrubs, not climbing. Lysimachia, in Primitlaok.*;, is occasionally polypetalous. Flowers yellow, in axiklury spikes ; the petals sprinkled with purplish dots. * * Stamens either just as many as the petals and alternate with them, or not of exactly the same number. f Corolla irregular, FtiMARiACE.K.— Corolla flattened and closed. Stamens 6. VioLACE.K -Corolla 1 -spurred. Stamens 6. Pod with 3 rows of seedd on the walls. BALSAMiNACKi*:.— Corolla 1 -spurred, the spur with a tail. Stamens 6. Pod bursting eloatically. KEY. 14,1 PoLYOALACE.i:.— Lower petal keel-shaped, usually fringed at tlie top. Anthers 6 or 8, 1 celled, opening at the top. Pod 2-(!elled. Legitm^nos.*-.— Corolla papilionaceous. Filaments often united. Ovary simple, with one parietal placenta. Leaves com- pound. f t Goi'olla regular or nearly so. 1. Calyx 8upoi'iot' {i.e., adherent to the ovary, wholly or partially.) (a) Stamens perigynom [inserted on the. calyx. ) Crataegus, in RosAOE.E. — Shrubs. Stamens occasionally from 5 to 10 only. Leaves alternate, with stipules. Fruit drupe-like, contain- ing 1-5 bony nutlets. SAXiFRAUACE.f;.— Leaves opposite or alternate, without ntipules. Styles or stigmas 2 ; in one instance 4. Ovary 1 -celled, with 2 or 3 parietal plaoentae. Hamamelace^.— Shrubs. Stamens 8; styles 'i ; Flowers yel- low in autumn. HALOHAr.Evf;.— Aquatics. Stamens 4 to 8. Styles or sessile stigmas 4. Onaorace^.— Flowers symmetrical. Stamens 2, 4 or 8. Stig- mas 2 or 4, or capitate. Lythrace-*;.— Calyx apparently adherent to, but really free from, the ovary. Stamens 10, in two sets. Leaves mostly whorled. (b) Stamens ephjynous {on (he. ovary, or on a disk which covers the ovai'y.) Euonymus, in Cet^astrack^.— Shrub, with 4-aided branchlets, not climbing. Leaves simple. Pods crimson when ripe. Calyx not minute. UmbellifkR/E, — Flowms clnefiyjn cuinpxjund umbels. Calyx very minute. Stamens 5. Styles 2. Fruit dry, 2-seeded. fit I 'f 144 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. m m Araliace^.— Umbels not compound, but sometimes panicled. Stamens 5. Styles usually more than 2. Fruit berry-like. CoRNACE^,. —Flowers in cymes or heads. Stamens 4. Style 1. 2. Calyx inferior {i.e., free I'rom tlie ovary.) (a) Stamens hypogynouR (on the receptacle. ) Crucifer^.— Petals 4. Stamens 6, tetradynamous. Pod 2- celled. CisTAc^E^.- -Petals 3. Sepals 5, very unequal ; or only 3. Pod partly 3-celled. Droserace.«.— Leaves radical, beset with reddish glandular hairs. Flowers in a 1 -sided raceme. Elodes, in Hypericace^:.— Leaves with transparent dots. Stamens 9, in 3 clusters. Caryoi'HYLlace^^.— Styles 2-5. Ovules in the centre or bottom of the cell. Stem usually swollen at the joints. Leaves opposite. Linace^e.— Stamens 5, united below. Pod 10-ceIled, lO-seeded. (iERANiAOE^;.— Stamens f). Carpels 5— thoyand the lower parts of the 5 styles attached to a long beak, and curling upwards in fruit. OxALiDACK^.— Stamens 10. Pod 5-celled. Styles 5, distinct. Leaflets 3, obcordate, drooping at night-fall. Erkjace-i-:.- Anthers opening by pores at the top, or across the top. Leaves mostly evergreen, sometimes brown beneatli ; but in one instance tiie whole plant is white. (b) Stamens perhjynous (plainly attached to the calyx.) SAXiFRA(iACK;K.— Leaves opposite or alternate, -without stip- ules. Styles or stigmas 2 ; in one instance 4. Carpels fewer than the petals. Ce.\ssulace.c.— Flowers sy-Tnetrical. Pod Sanglcd and 5- horned. KEY. 145 Lythrace^j. —Stamens 10, in 2 sets. Calyx enclosing, but really free from the ovary. Leaves mostly whorled. (c) Stamens attached to a fleshy disk in i: e bottom of the calyx tube. Anacardiace^.— Trees, or shrubs, not prickly. Leaves com- pound. Stigmas 3. Fruit a 1 -seeded drupelet. Cklastrace.^. —Twining shrub. Leaves simple. Pods orange when ripe. Sapindace^.— Shrubs, or trees. Fruit, two-winged, and leaves palmately-veined. Or, Fruit an inflated 3-celIed pod, and leaves of 3 leaflets. Styles 2 or 3. (d) Stamens attached to the petals at their very base. Claytonia, in PoBTCLACACE^.— Sepals 2. Leaves fleshy. Style 3-cIeft. Aquifoliace.^.- Shrubs, with small axillary flowers, having the parts in fours or sixes. Fruit a red berry-like drupe. Stigma sessile. Calyx minute. DIVISION II. GAMOPETALOUS EXOGENS. Corolla with the petals united together, in however slight a degree. A. Calyx superior (adherent to the ovary.) * Stam£ns united by their anthers. Composite. —Flowers in heads, surrounded by an involucre. LoBELiACE^.— Flowers not in heads. C.rolla split down one side. * * Stamens not united together in any way. t Stamens inserted on the corolla. DiPSACE^.— Flowers in heads surrounded by an involucia. Plant prickly. Valerianace.«.— Flowers white, in clusteredcymes. Stamens fewer than the lobos of the corolla. ii 146 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. RUBIACE^. -Leaves, when opposite, with stipules; when whorled, without stipules. Flowers, if in heads, without an involucre. Caprikoliace.*.— Leaves opposite, without stipules ; but, in one genus, with appendages resemhling stipules, 1 1 Stamens not inserted on the corolla. Campanulace.«. -Herbs with milky juice. Stamens as many as the lobes of the corolla. Ericace.%:. -Chiefly shrubby plants. Stamens twice as many as the lobes of the corolla. B. Calyx Inferior (froe from lli« ovnry.) * Stamens more than the lobes of the corolla. Leguminos.*:. -Ovary l-celled, with 1 parietal placenta. Sta- mens mostly diadelphous. Adlumia, in Fumariace^.— Plant climbing. Corolla 2-spurred. Malvacke. —Filaments monadc phous. Carpels in a ring. Ericaoe^. -Chiefly shrubby plants, with simple entire leaves. Stamens twice as many as the lobes of the corolla. Polyoalaoe^. -Anthers 6 or 8, l-celled, opening at the top. Pod 2-celled. Flowers irregular ; lower petal kee'-shaped, and usually fringed at the top. OxALiDACEvE.— Stamens 10, 5 of them longer. Styles 5, dis. tinct. Leaflets 3, obcordate, drooping at nightfall. Slame7i6 just as many as the lobes of the corolla, one in front of each lobe. PRiMUi^iCE^,— Stamens on the corolla. Ovary l-celled, with a free central placenta rising from the base. * * * Stamens jmt as many as the lobes of the coi-ollu, imtrltd on its tube alternately with its lobes. KEY. 147 t Ovaries 2, separate. Apocynack,*;. — Plants with milky juice. Anthers converging round the atigmas, but not adherent to them. Filaments distinct. AsOLEPiADACE^.— Plants with milky juice. Anthers adhering to the stigmas. Filaments monadelphous. Flowers in umbels. 1 1 Ovary 4-lobed around the base of the style. Mentha, in -' Lauiat.*;.— Stamens 4 Leaves opposite, aromatic. BoKKAGiNACEA-.— Stamens 5. Leaves alternate. 1 1 1 Ovary 1-celled ; the seeds on the toads. Hydkopiiyllace^].— Stamens 5, exserted. Style 2-cleft. Leaves lobed and cut-toothed. Gentianace.'k.— Leaves entire and opposite ; or (in Menyanthes) of .3 leaflets. 1 1 1 1 Ovary ivith 2 or more cells. Aquifoliaoe.*:.— Shrubs. Corolla almost polypeptalous. Calyx minute. Fruit a red berry-like drupe. Parts of the flower chiefly in fours or sixes. Plantaoinace.?!;.— Stamens 4. Pod 2-celled. Flowers in a close spike. Verbascum, in ScROPHULAHiAOE.E.— Corolla nearly regular. Flowers in a long terminal spike. Stamens 5 ; the filaments or some of them woolly. PoLEMONiACE^].— Style 3-cleft. Corolla salver-shaped, with a long tube. Pod 3-celled, few seeded ; see. Is small. CONVOLVULACE.5:.— Style 2-cleft. Pod 2-celled, generally 4- seeded ; seeds large. Chiefly twining or trailing plants. SoLANACE.E. — Style single ; pod or berry 2-celled, many- eeeded. ]48 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. 14, ,V, * * * * Stamens fewer than the lobes of the corolla ; the corolla mostly irregular or S-lipped, Labiatve.— Ovary 4-lobed around the base of the style. Sta- mens 4 and didynamous, or occasionally only 2 with anthers. Stem square. Verhknace^.— Ovary 4-celled, but not lobed ; the style rising from the apex. Or, Ovary 1 -celled and 1 -seeded. Stamens didynamous. Lentibulace^.— Aquatics. Stamens 2, Ovary l-cellec1 with a free central placeiita. Okobancuace^.— Parasitic herbs, without green foliage. Ovary 1 -celled, with many seeds on the walls. Stamens didynamous. SCROPHULARIACE.*;.— Ovary 2-celled, with many seeds. Stamens didynamous, or only 2. DIVISION III. APETALOUS EXOGENS. Corolla (and sometimes calyx also) wanting. A. Flowers not lu I'litklus. * Calyx stiperior (i.e., adherent to the ovary.) Saxifraoace.*;.— Small, smooth herbs, with inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers. Stamens twice as many as the calyx-lobes, on a conspicuous disk. Haloragea'.— Aquatic. Leaves finely dissected. Stamens 4 or 8. Ovary 4-lobed. Onagiuce^.— Herbs, in ditches. Stamens 4. Ovary 4-celled, 4-sided. Aristolooiiiace.*;.— Calyx 3-lobed, dull purple inside Ovary 6-celled. Santalacea;.— Low plants with greenish-white flowers in ter- minal clusters. Calyx-tube prolonged, and forming a neck to the 1-celled nut-like fruit, EliiEAGNACE^.— Shrubs with scurfy leaves. Flowers dia^cious. Calv' -l-narfpil iti fVio fn..t;l,. fl^..-^..." ^-i ii Ji ^ ^ •ua.j -. - J. , .„ !.....!, !.->.t! i r, iipjjtticuwy UUIICIUUb liQ the ovary, and becoming fleshy iu fruit, KEY. 149 * * Calyx inferior (plainly free from the ovary.) t Ovaries more than one and separate from each other. RANUNCULACEyE. —Calyx present, colored and petal-like. Ach- enes containing several seeds, or only one. RuTAOE^:. — Prickly shrubs, with compound transparent dotted leaves, and dioecious flowers 1 1 Ovary only one, ' nt unth mere than one cell. CRASSUI.ACK.*:.— Herbs, in v,ot places. Pod 5-celled and 5- horned. Phytolaooaoe,*;.— Herbs. Ovar lU-celled and 10-seeded. EupuoRBiACE.'E.— Herbs. Ovary 3-celled, 3-lobed, protruded on a long pedicel. Juice milky. Sapindace.*;.— Trees, Ovary 2-celled, and 2-lobed. Fruit two 1 -seeded samaras joined together. Flowers polygamous. Rhamnaoe.*:.— Shrubs. Ovary 3-celled and 3-seeded ; forming a berry. Urtk'ace.e.— Trees. Leaves simple. Ovary 2-celled, but fruit a 1 -seeded Samara winged all round. Stigmas 2. 1 1 1 Ovary only one, l-celled and 1 -seeded. PoLY(iONACE.E.— Herbs. Stipules sheathing the stem at the nodes. Urtioage.*;.— Herbs. Stigma one. Flowers mon.Mcious or ditecious, in spikes or racemes. No chaff-like bracts among the flowers. Or, stigmas 2 ; leaves paimately-compouud. Amarantace.e.— Herbs. Flowers greenish or reddish in spikes, tvilh chaff-like bracts interspersed. Stigmas 2. Chenopodiace.i-:.— Herbs. Flowers greenish, in spikes. A"o chaff-like bracts. Stigmas 2. Oleace^. — Trees. Leaves 2^i»naCely-com2)ound. Fruit a 1- seeded samara. Urticace.*:.— Trees. Leaves simple. Fruit a 1 -seeded samara winged all round. Laurace.T':.— Trees. Flowers did-cious. Sepals 6, petal-like. Stamens 9, opening by uplifting valves. II 150 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. 1. i I OK TiiYMKLKAOK^:.— Shrubs with leather-like bark, and jointed branchlets. Flowers perfect, preceding the leaves. Style thread-like. K. FlnworH Jn <'»lkiiiH. * Sterile or slamin ate flowers only in catkins. JucLANUAOK.*;. — Trees with pinnate leaves. Fruit a nut witli a husk. CuPUUFKR.*;. — Trees with simple leaves. Fruit oue or more nuts surrounded by an involcure which forms a scaly cup or bur. * * Both sterile and fertile flowers in calkins, or catkin-like heads. iSalicaok-I-;. — Shrubs or low trees. Ovary 1-celled, many-seeded ; seeds tu*^ted with down at one end. pLATANACEi*;.— Large trees. Stiptdes sJieathiny the branchlets. Tlie flowers in heads. Myrioack,*;. — Shrub with resinous-dotted, usually fragrant, leaves. Fertile flowers one under eacii scale. Nutlets usually coated with waxy grains. Betulace.*:. — Trees or shrubs, Fertile flowers 2 or 3 under each scale of the catkin. Stigmas 2, long and slender. SUB-CLASS 11. (;VMNOSPERMS. Ovules and seeds naked, on the thin face of an open scale ; or, in Taxus, without any scale, but surrounded by a ring-hku disk which becomes red and berry-like in fruit. CdNlKERit;. — Trees or shrubs, with resinous juice, and mostly awl-shaped or needle-slia ed leaves. Fruit a cone, or occa- sionally berry-like. CLASS IL EN DOG ENS OR MONOCOTYLEDONS. Distinguishe.t ordinarily by having straight-veined leaves (though occasionally net veined ones), and the parts of the (low- ers in threes, i -er in fives. Wood never forming rings, but in- tk^rsperscd in separate buiulIoB thiougliout t!>« stem. Cotvledun only one. KEY, 161 DIVISION I. SFADICEOUS ENDOGENS. Flowers collected on a spadix, with or without a «nathe or sheathing bract. Leaves sometimes net-veined. AKAc;K.K.-Herbs (either flag-like marsh plants or terrestrial), with pungent juice, and simple or compound leave these sometimes net-veined. Spadix usually (hut not always) accompanied by a spathe. Flowers either without a peri- anth of any kind, oi: with 4-6 sepals. TyruAOK,*. -Aquatic or marsh plants, with linear straight- veined leaves erect or floating, and momeci,, , flowers, heads of flowers cylindrical or globular, no spathe and no floral envelopes. Lemnaoil*:.— Small aquatics, freely floating about. Naiai)A(JE^. -Immersed an-iil (o the ovary.> * Flowers duecious or jwhiummmx, regular. Hvi.n.HiiARi.»AOK^;. -Aquatics. Pistillate flowers only above water ; perianth of 6 pieces. l)ios.oHi.;A(;K..K.-Twiners, from knotted rootstocks. Leaves heart-shaped, net-veined. Pod with .'{ large wings. • * Flowers perfect. <)H.im.A«> fntiii thr oviiryj AUHMACK.*;. - I'istil apocarpous ; carpels in u ring or head, loaves with tlistinct petiole and blade. Smi?,aoe.^. -Climbing plants, with alternate ribbed and not- veined potioled loaves. Flowers diucious. 152 OUR CANADIAN PKAIKIES, ■ if- m\ Triglochin, in Alismack.k. — Rush-like marsh licrbs. Flowers in a spike or raceme. Carpels when ripe splitting away from a persistent axis. LiLiACE.*;. — Perianth of similar tlivisions or lobes, mostly 6, but in one case 4. One stamen in front of each division, the stamens similar. Trillium, in LiLiAfE.t;. — Perianth of 3 green sepals and three colored petals. PoNTEOEHiAt'E.K.— Stamens 6, .3 h)iig and 3 short. Perianth (blue) tubular, of G lobes. Aquatics. JuN'CAOE.*;. — Periantli glumaoeous, of similar pieces. EbI(h\vulonack>:.— In sallow water. Flowers in a small woolly head, at tiie summit of a 7-aMgled scapf. Leaves in a tuft at the base. DIVISION HI. (JLUMACKOUS KNDO^*f^edi'lcs bearing flowers to same level. Receptacle The produced end of the stem. Phomhoid .Somewhat lozeuf* -sliaped. lio.ie hip The rod fruit of the rose-bu.sh, Hotatii Wlieel-8hai)ed. n. JU '« EXPLANATION OF TERMS. 155 Salver-shaped . . . With tube expanding into flat limb. '^<^«/'« A peduncle rising from the ground. Schedule A table containing the points of a ilower. Sepal The leaf of a calyx. Series A division or cl-issification. Sessile Without footstalk. Sheath A tubular envelope. Siimated Wavy. Species A permanent group of existing plants. Split -sheathed . . . Envelojie open down the sMo. *^j?^*"' A hollow tubular extension, usually honey-bearing. Stamens The third circle of a flower. Standard The large leaf of a pea blossom. '^'''*" '''I'e main, ascending axis of a i)lant. Sterile Uni)roductive. ^tiP^li't Circle of loaves around a stem. ^^^^U One of the side petals of a iK}a blossom. ]a6 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIES. FOUR MODEL SCIIEDTILES. ANRMON1-; Patk ns Vau. NUTIAIJANA. ^'Faster Tlowir.) Htem : Herbaceous ; hairv Leavks : Not-veined, j.arted, hairy. CU(iA\.S. •'OHKSION. Calyx I . _ j Sejmls I •■*-' ' 'i-'l^arate Corolla Stamens j Many! Separate Pistil Carpels Many I Separate Adhesion. Inferior Hypogynous Sii])erior Ri'MARKS. Blue. Witherijiji,-. True seeds, Achenes. PlUMii.A Fauixosa. (Hird's-eye Primrose.) Stem : Scape fi oiu root bears flowers in umbels. Leaves: Eadical, deep-veined, net-veined, cordate, incised. ' Oroans. No. Cohesion. Adhesion. Rkmakks. Calyx Sepals 5 (tamosepalous Inferior Hypogynous Five-sided. Corolla Petals 5 (irnio])etalous Salver sliap- ed, Yellow- centre. Stamens 5 Fipipetalous HJy'pogynouH Opj)osite. Ovary, or celled, mo- ' soout , ^ .. '. cent- : jjiji. ■ enta, Pistil Carpels i 1 Superior » I FOUR MODEL SCHEDULES. 157 Heliantiius GiGANTRUS. (Wild Sunflower.) Stkm : Eough or hairy, 3 to 10 feot high, branched above. Leaves: Lance-shaped, pointed, rough, set close to the stem ojiposite. OiiGANS. No. I Cohesion. CUyx Corolla jStamens jPistil Stamens Pistils (ram()]ietal()us Epipetalous Ai)!IKSIO.\. 2 United Remauks. Receptacle chatfy. Anthers un- ited. Ril)en into .ichenes. Lilii;m Piin.ADElj'iiiciM. (Orange Lily.) Stem : Rising from a coated or scaly bulb. . Leaves : Parallel-veined, linear, lanceolate. OUGANS, d - Cohesion. Adhesion. Remarks. Calyx Sepals Separate Inferior -^— — With nar- row claw, orange- red. Corolla J'etals (1 Stamens (i ■ 1 Separate 'f3'i"'f5yiious ()pl)osite, anthei-s ver- satile. Pistil i/'arpcls 1 A Stigma, three- lobed, united Sujicrior Ovary, three-celled. 158 OUR CANADIAN PRAIRIRS. r-l(NcC't<>C'X>l>OOOiOr-(iMa3-»f>C!iX>t>. TirrKTY NOTABLE PLANTS OF MANITOBA. 159 160 01 • '• c . :.V. • , ,7V PliAIKIES. Li_ l|4 h ID <0 a 41 i 01 s {/J g OJ s ^, ^ ^ e s eg Hi if: WILD FKUITS 01< MANITOBA. 161 O o tf. O i s g s «" 2 ft g^ W e » s S 7^ 'P s S ^ S S s «: Ph S TJ '•Q ng t?^^^ W a o P3 u o H *^ FT H O c3 ■^ O - O o 'a pq U (V f. pq tip's -^ O pq 1^ pq r;5 W ^ }2i =jf :r; ;£ [<. X Jj O i-H oi CI3 ■^ T-( T-( T-l rH r-l M' I 162 OC/A' CANADIAN PRAIRIES. S s