24 July 1854 – 30 July 1854

A decided rain-storm to-day and yester- day, such as we have not had certainly since May. Are we likely ever to have two days’ rain in June and the first half of July? There is considerable wind too. P. M. — To Bare Hill, Lincoln, via railroad. High blackberries, a day or two. The middle um- bellet of the bristly aralia in some places, also a day or more. Solidago bicolor, to-morrow. I still see the cracks in the ground in old pastures, made last winter. The turtle dove dashes away with a slight note from midst of open pastures. Diplopappus umbellatus just beyond Baker Swamp, on right hand of road, probably about ten days; say July 15. I see some oak sprouts from the stump, six feet high. Some are now just started again after a pause, with small red leaves as in the spring. Clematis, apparently a day or two. Hedyotis longifolia on Bare Hill still. Decodon, not yet, but will apparently open in two or three days. The rain has saved the berries. They are plump and large. The long chestnut flowers have fallen and strew the road. Arabs Canadensis, sickle-pod, still in flower and with pods not quite two inches long. Penny- royal, a day or two. Hear a wood thrush. Desmo- dium nudiflorum, a week at least. Have I not noticed it before? I now start some packs of partridges, old and young, going off together without mewing. Saw in woods a toad, dead-leaf color with black spots.

Wednesday. Polygonum hydropiperoides first obvious. Mikania, a day or two. Lilies open about 6 a. M. Methinks I have heard toads within a week. A white mildew on ground in woods this morning. P. M. — To lime-kiln via rudbeckia. Ate an early apple from one of my own trees. Ama- ranthus, apparently three or four days. ‘The under sides of its lower leaves are of a rich pale lake-color. This appears to have nothing to do with their maturity, since very young and fresh ones are so. I see these in Hosmer’s onion garden, where he is weeding, and am most attracted by the weeds. One reason why the lately shorn fields shine so and reflect so much light is that a lighter-colored and ten- der grass, which has been shaded by the crop taken off, is now exposed, and also a light and fresh grass is springing up there. Yet I think it is not wholly on this account, but in a great measure owing to a clearer air after rains which have succeeded to misty weather. I am going over the hill through Ed. Hosmer’s orchard, when I observe this light reflected from the shorn fields, contrasting affectingly with the dark smooth Assabet, reflecting the now dark shadows of the woods. The fields reflect light quite to the edge of the stream. The peculiarity of the stream is in a certain languid or stagnant smoothness of the water, and of the bordering woods in a dog-day density of shade reflected darkly in the water. Alternate cornel berries, a day or two. To-day I see in various parts of the town the yel- low butterflies in fleets in the road, on bare damp sand (not dung), twenty or more collected within a diam- eter of five or six inches in many places. They are a greenish golden, sitting still near together, and ap- parently headed one way if the wind blows. At first, perhaps, you do not notice them, but, as you pass along, you disturb them, and the air is suddenly all alive with them fluttering over the road, and, when you are past, they soon settle down in a new place. How pretty these little greenish-golden spangles! Some are a very pale greenish yellow. ‘The farmer is not aware how much beauty flutters about his wagon. I do not know what attracts them thus to sit near together, like a fleet in a haven; why they collect in groups. I see many small red ones elsewhere on the sericocarpus, etc., etc. Rudbeckia, apparently three or four days at least; only the middle flower yet for most part. Rusty cotton- grass how long. Green grapes have for some days been ready to stew. Diplopappus linariifolius. Aster dumosus. Almost every bush now offers a wholesome and palatable diet to the wayfarer, — large and dense clusters of Vaccinium vacillans, largest in most moist ground, sprinkled with the red ones not ripe; great high blueberries, some nearly as big as cranberries, of an agree- able acid; huckleberries of various kinds, some shining black, some dull-black, some blue; and low blackberries of two or more varieties. The broods of birds just matured find thus plenty to eat. Gymnadenia [sic], maybe five or six days in swamp southeast of lime- kiln; one without any spurs. It is a windy day and hence worse [?]| in respect to birds, like yesterday, yet almost constantly I hear borne on the wind from far, mingling with the sound of the wind, the z-ing of the locust, scarcely like a distinct sound. Vernonia, begun — in centre a day.

Friday. Clethra. Methinks the season culminated about the middle of this month, — that the year was of indefinite promise before, but that, after the first intense heats, we postponed the fulfill- ment of many of our hopes for this year, and, having as it were attained the ridge of the summer, commenced to descend the long slope toward winter, the afternoon and down-hill of the year. Last evening it was much cooler, and I heard a decided fall sound of crickets. Partridges begin to go off in packs. Lark still sings, and robin. Small sparrows still heard. Kingbird lively. Veery and wood thrush (? ) not very lately, nor oven- bird. Red-eye and chewink common. Night-warbler’ and evergreen-forest note not lately. Cherry-bird common. Turtle dove seen.

P. M. — Berrying to Brooks Clark’s. Rich-weed, how long? Amaranthus hypochondriacus, apparently some days, with its interesting spotted leaf, lake beneath, and purple spike; amid the potatoes.

Sunday. To lygodium. Cuscuta, not long. Desmodium Canadense is to be found at Clamshell Hill oaks. I have found the new rudbeckia in five distinct and distant parts of the town this year, — beyond almshouse, Arethusa Meadow, Sam. Wheeler meadow, Abel Hosmer meadow, and J. Hosmer meadow. Also in last place, beyond ditch, the rusty cotton-grass is now common. Circuta bulbifera, apparently a week or more. Is that goose-grass near yellow thistles? Opened one of the snapping turtle’s eggs at Dugan Desert, laid June 7th. ‘There is a little mud turtle squirming in it, apparently perfect in outline, shell and all, but all soft and of one consistency, —a bluish white, with a mass of yellowish yolk (? ) attached. Perhaps it will be [a] month more before it is hatched. There are some of what I will call the clustered low blackberries on the sand just beyond the Dugan Desert. There are commonly a few larger grains in dense clusters on very short peduncles and flat on the sand, clammy with a cool subacid taste. Small rough sunflower, apparently two days. I have seen a few new fungi within a week. The tobacco-pipes are still pushing up white amid the dry leaves, sometimes lifting a canopy of leaves with them four or five inches. Bartonia, apparently some days. Bunch-berries. Mountain sumach, apparently two or three days. Nabalus albus, apparently three or four days. Mulgedium, apparently four or five days. Barn swallows still.