2
Before you lies what was formerly pasture-land. Fields exist when they are mowed or grazed. As a field is left untended, goldenrod, milkweed, morning glories and raspberry bushes appear and compete for sunlight. This is the first stage of a succession of various plants and animals passing from an old farm field into what will someday be a forest. Two common field birds found here are the meadowlark and the bobolink.
(meadowlark)
3
On the dead goldenrod stalks are round and oval-shaped outgrowths known as galls. A gall is an abnormal growth of a plant resulting from an insect or bacterial irritation. The round, one-inch galls are caused by the Eurosta Fly. The long, oval growths contain eggs and larvae from the goldenrod gall moth. Eggs were laid within the stem causing an irritation which stimulated plant cell production. A cozy home formed for the larvae. Before they developed into the flies, they ate their way out—look for the small holes in the old galls.
cross-section of Gall
4
The farm equipment here was used on the farm of C.C. Burton. The plow and rake were both horsedrawn. The plow broke the soil for planting, and the rake gathered hay for stacking. These implements are reminders of our heritage.