22 September 1856 – 28 September 1856

A rainy day. Tried some pennyroyal tea, but found it too medicinal for my taste. Yet I collect these herbs, biding the time when their use shall be discovered.

Rainy day.

P. M.— To Saw Mill Brook. Not a sign of an artichoke flower yet below Moore’s! May they not be earlier elsewhere ? At brook, cohush and arum berries still fresh, and Viburnum acerifolium berries. Apparently Asplenium Thelypterovdes, a large fern, its under side covered with linear fruit. Methinks it stands thus with goldenrods and asters now : — Early S. stricta, done some time. Swamp “ “ probably past prime. My S. gigantea (?), probably done. S. nemoralis, about done. S. altessima, much past prime. S. odora, not seen but probably done. S. puberula, say in good condition, or in prime. S. bicolor and var. concolor, in prime. S. lanceolata, say done, S. latifolza, in prime. S. cesia, in prime. S. speciosa (none the 15th). Early meadow aster, say done long time. Diplopappus cornifolius, not seen of late. . umbellatus, still abundant. patens, some still fresh but not common. macrophyllus, not observed of late. acuminatus, not observed at all in C. Radula, probably about done, not seen of late. dumosus, considerably past prime. . Linaritjolius, in prime, abundant. undulatus, in prime, abundant. corymbosus, still fresh though probably past prime. levis, probably still in prime. Tradescanti, in prime. puniceus, still in prime (??). . longijolius, in prime. . multiflorus, in prime."

The river has risen again considerably (this I believe the fourth time), owing to the late copious rains. This before the farmers have succeeded in their late attempt to get their meadow-hay after all. It had not got down before this last rain but to within some eighteen inches, at least, of the usual level in September. .P. M. — To Harrington road. A golden-crowned thrush runs off, a few feet at a time, on hillside on Harrington road, as if she had a nest still! The haws of the common [thorn] are now very good eating and handsome. Some of the Crategus Crus-Galli on the old fence line between Tarbell and T. Wheeler beyond brook are smaller, stale, and not good at all. The urtica just beyond Widow Hosmer’s barn appears the same with that I called U. gracilis (?) in Brattleboro.

The bluebird family revisit their box and warble as in spring. P. M. — To Clamshell by boat. Solidago speciosa not quite out!! Viburnum nudum berries are soon gone. I noticed none to speak of in Hubbard’s Swamp, September 15th. Start up a snipe in the meadow. Bathed at Hubbard’s Bath, but found the water very cold. Bathing about over. It is a very fine afternoon to be on the water, some- what Indian-summer-like. I do not know what con- stitutes the peculiarity and charm of this weather; the broad water so smooth, notwithstanding the slight wind, as if, owing to some oiliness, the wind slid over without ruffling it. There is a slight coolness in the air, yet the sun is occasionally very warm. I am tempted to say that the air is singularly clear, yet I see it is quite hazy. Perhaps it is that transparency it is said to possess when full of moisture and before or after rain. ‘Through this I see the colors of trees and shrubs beginning to put on their October dress, and the creak of the mole cricket sounds late along the shore. The Aster multiflorus may easily be confounded with the A. Tradescanti. Like it, it whitens the roadside in some places. It has purplish disks, but a less straggling top than the Tradescanti.

P. M.—To old mill-site behind Pon- kawtasset.