“Good and Bad Weeds”
“Of course you know that all the flowers cultivated in your gardens have come from wild flowers.
“Through years of care, the wild flowers have improved so that it would be almost impossible to trace each of the plants in your gardens to the wild flowers from which it was started.
“There are many hundreds of wild flowers, but none more beautiful than those growing in America. There are many different kinds which were growing here when America was discovered, but the seeds of many more were carried over from Europe in grain for the colonists.
“Some of the wild things are most helpful to human beings; such as mint, and dock, and dear old dandelions, and other ‘weeds’ which may be eaten. From ‘weeds’ also come some of the most wonderful of[J]medicines. Perhaps you have tested the medicinal effects of mustard, catnip, and boneset.”
“I tried catnip on our Jubey,” said Mary Frances. “It did her lots of good.”
“I’ve had mustard plasters, and mustard baths, and boneset tea when I’ve been ill with chills,” Eleanor added.
“Just so! just so!” nodded Jack-in-the-Pulpit; “so you see, many ‘weeds’ are not useless plants, but are very valuable. The Indians knew that.”
“My, I hadn’t any idea weeds were valuable,” said Eleanor.
“I always knew about mint and catnip,” Mary Frances replied, “but I didn’t know other weeds were of so much help.”
“Of course there are many weeds which seem of no value at all. They steal the food of valuable plants and choke them out.” Jack went on. “For instance, there’s corn cockle, the seeds of which are poisonous. It loves to grow among the corn and wheat, and troubles the farmers terribly.”
“I think the flowers are quite pretty,” Mary Frances ventured to say.
“Oh, you know them when you see them?” asked Jack. “That’s good, because we can go on with our story faster if you know some of the wild flowers. You would like to gather some out of our fairy garden, wouldn’t you? Well, you may take some of all that are in bloom at this time of year, after we finish telling you what we so much want you to learn about our dear flowers.”
“Now, it is Bet’s turn,” he went on, turning toward the dainty little fairy, who began to bounce happily up and down on the branch of the tree.
The girls were delighted with her dancing. At length she stopped and began to talk in her musical voice.
“I am going to talk a little about the flowers,” she said, “and shall mention only the ones known by most people, because we have such a short time for your lesson. I shall just mention them, and if you do not know them, please interrupt me, and Jack and I will take you through the garden to show them to you. Do you know the—
| Daisy (Other names: Ox-Eyed Daisy, White Weed) | — | This charming gold and white, wheel-shapedflower, which is a troublesome weed to thefarmer, blooms everywhere afield from May toNovember, from Canada to the southern States, andto the Mississippi River. It is perhaps the bestknown wild flower in the Eastern United States. | |
| Great Mullein (Other names: Velvet Dock, Aaron’s Rod, Flannel Leaf) | — | Almost everywhere this tall rod, bearing yellowflowers, which resemble huge buttercups, may beseen from June to November. Its velvety leaves,which grow in rosettes on the ground, are soft tothe touch, but if sheep or cows try to eat them,the down upon them becomes splinters in thetongues of the animals. That is one reason itgrows so widely—the down saves the leaves fromharm. This same down is sometimes used by hummingbirds to line their tiny nests, which are nolarger than a large thimble, yet hold twohumming-bird babies. The seeds of the great Mullein are eaten bygoldfinches, or they would scatter yet moreabundantly. The great Mullein is a native of Europe. |
“My winter coat is made of velvet dock,” said Bouncing Bet.
“Mine is made of flannel leaf,” Jack added.
“Yet they are both made of the leaves of the great mullein,” laughed Mary Frances.
“Good.” laughed Bouncing Bet. “Jack, we didn’t catch her.”
“Now comes a wild flower with a charming name,” she went on. “It is the—
| Butterfly Weed (Other names: Pleurisy-root, Orange-root) | — | This bright orange milk-weed is found bloomingnearly everywhere in the United States exceptthe far West, from June to September. It isgreatly loved by butterflies because in itssmall deep blossoms they find sweet nectar,which even the long tongues of bumble-beescannot reach. The pollen lies deep, too, andadheres to the long legs of the butterfly. The stem has very little milky juice, and theseed pods are not so interesting as those of theCommon Milk-weed. | |
| Common Milk-weed | — | This plant grows in the northern, eastern andmiddle western part of the United States and ismost interesting because of the white milkyjuice in the stems, and because of the fluffythe seed pods. When I tell you about Seed Babiesdown in with Wings, I’ll tell you more aboutthis milk-weed down. |
Just as Bet finished speaking about the milk-weed, there sounded a silvery clock.
One! Two! Three! it chimed.
“Oh,” exclaimed Jack. “Oh, can it be possible that it is three o’clock! Bet, you must stop talking and give me a chance!”
“Oh, dear,” sighed Eleanor. “Oh, must she stop talking? I am so anxious to learn more about the wild flowers.”
“Do you know all I’ve told about, when you see them?” asked Bouncing Bet.
“No,” replied Eleanor. “Do you, Mary Frances?”
“Not all,” Mary Frances shook her head.
“Come then,” cried Jack and Bet, jumping from the tree. “Come,” and they led them among the flowers, and pointed out to them besides the ones mentioned: Wake Robins, Trailing Arbutus, Lupines, Forget-Me-Nots, Columbines, Heather, Laurel, California Poppies, and hundreds of other wild flowers which were in bloom in the outside meadows and fields and woods.
“I’m so sorry we haven’t time to tell you the story of each one,” said Jack. “Some time next year, please come again and we’ll tell you.”
“We could come to-morrow, couldn’t we, Mary Frances?” Eleanor ventured, but Jack answered:
“No, not to-morrow. Only once a year can flower fairies talk with human beings. It must be to-day. So now, just as quickly as possible, I am going to tell you something about how plants are related to each other, but please be more comfortable. Do take a seat in the grape-vine swing.”
Then the girls noticed a hammock nearby, formed by the interlacing of growing grape vines.
It was wonderfully comfortable, and they leaned back contentedly as Jack took his place in a little green lily-shaped flower growing close by, and Bouncing Bet pranced around on the lawn near him.
“Jack’s in his pulpit now,” she said. “Hear him speak.”
[CHAPTER XL]
Bouncing Bet and Her Friends
“YOUNG ladies,” began Jack-in-the-Pulpit, “Bouncing Bet and I have arranged a little play for you. It’s to be this way: after finishing a few introductory remarks, I will call the names of various flower families. Bet has been around to see certain members of each family, and although they are very busy, they have promised to come when she calls—that is, the fairy of each flower or plant that she calls will come to this grassy slope which is to be the stage for our play.”
“How perfectly lovely!” cried the girls.
“But they will have little time to talk,” warned Jack. “So,” he went on, “let me tell you a few facts about—