VOLLX
INDIANAPOLIS, OCT. 7, 1905.
NOt40
Handle With Care.
So long as thn present fad for nature
study holds its interest, it is well to re-
nmember that all is not gold that glitters, and that among the luxuriant under-
growths of our favorite pathway may lurk
plant enemies that it is not safe to ignore. Principally these take the form
of invidious ivy and subtle sumac, whicli
we must give due recognition lest we suffer the consequence.
Alter a long, warm walk, it is very refreshing to drop down on some moss-cov-
eied log overhung with luxuriant vines
that will afford us welcome shelter from
the hot sun, but when, as a result of such
a performance, in tne course of a few
days, our hands aud faces become
masses of inflamed flesh, and our eyelids
arc so swollen that they will not admit
the light of day, we begin to wish that our
knowledge of plant life was a bit more extensive, and that we had, in the days of
cur youth, "read up" on the nature ami
appearance of our poisonous neighbor-
Qiid so learned to discriminate between
the just and unjust.
It has been said that the poison ivy
i3 more "touchy" in the spring and early
summer, when it is full of fresh young
blood, however this may be, I have seen
severe cases of poisoning late iu the summer and fall, and even the dry winter
I ranches can get in some very effective
work upon occasion, hence it is not safe
to assume that any season is immune.
Notwithstanding tbe fact that the poison ivy is a common growth and many
persons suffer from its contact, it is an
enemy that one can easily avoid, for it
openly Haunts its distinguishing "hall
marks" b.v which we carr identify it. It
has been mistanen by careless observers
for the luxuriant Virginia creeper or
woodbine so common in all sections, an
error for which neither the woodbine nor
ivy is responsible, for they are quite unlike in their appearance, though foud of
a similar habitat, both loving to climb to
the top of any tall tree that will permit
the familiarity. The woodbine, however,
hangs on by means of numerous greenish
tendrils, while the ivy clings tightly aud
secures a firmer hold by throwing out
aerial rootlets which burrow deep into the
rough bark.
The most noticeable difference lies in
tlie arrangement of the leaflets; on the
woodbine, the leaf consists of five divisions or leaflets, while the poison ivy has
but three; hence it is safer to avoid contact with any three-fingered vine that is
clinging confidingly about the trunk of
a friendly tree, or lazily* over-running an
old fence. The leaflets of the ivy are
smooth and shining, light green, toothless
and usually ovate pointed, without lobes,
or, at least, only slightly notched, while
the wood-bine is dull colored and its leaflets are deeply toothed.
Later in the year, the gray-white berries distinguish the poison growth from
other climbing plants which bear purple,
crimson, or blue fruits. It has been said
that one may eat both leaves and fruit
ivy and live to tell the tale; but it is an
experiment best left to the pileated woodpeckers of powerful beak, who are remarkably fond of these berries and gob-
Lie them down as though they found
in them some savory flavor to their taste.
Those who ought to know, affirm that it
has been demonstrated that the plant's
poisonous secretions act only through
contact, but many persons insist that they
are affected by merely looking at the vine
in passing.
One of the most effective antidotes for
ivy poisoning is to bathethe aillicted parts
with a lotion made of oire part tincture
of grindelia and four parts water, used
freely and frequently. If not applied soon
enough to stop the irritation, a thorough
aud persistent use will prevent its spreading.
A somewhat less common plant foe, is
the poison sumac, Rhus veneta,, which is
even more dangerous than the ivy, as its
"bite" is more severe and lasting. This
reprehensible    member of    an    otherwise
ductive to lovers of decorative foliage,
who an- eager to 'briughonic Ihe leaf-laden
branches, but one experience usually discourages all desire for further intimacy.
The myrtle warbles congregate in Hocks to
feast off the livid sumac fruit and rest in
safety on its baneful branches Perhaps tbe
l'lant realizes lhat only by the aid of some
winged guest can the small seeds he transported to new countries, antl so regulates
its venom according to its guests.
Alberta  field.
The  Poison   Ivy.
liarmless  and  a  well  behaved  family,  is
frequently    to      be    found    growing    in
! swampy or low ground, so one is not quite
j as liable to come in contact with is poisonous branches as though it grew in- more fa-
i vorable situations.    It    is    a    handsome
| shrub, and  attracts the artistic eye,  but
| beware of its  deceptive  charms  for they
j ctnccal a multitude of sins—from the hu-
i man standpoint.    To detect the true from
the false, it should be noted that the common sumac has from 9 to 31 toothed leaflets,    whicli are green above and grayish
on  the  under  side,     while  the  poisonous
has from T to 33 leaflets, green on lxith
sides,    and like those of the ivy are without teeth.        The leaf scar of tbe harmless variety is heart-shaped,    and on the
poison takes the form of a spade, but this
mark can be discovered only by stripping
cff the leaves,    a dangerous performance
at all times.
The fruit of the poison sumac is greenish white and springs from the axils of
the leaves, while the harmless shrub bears
clusters of crimson berries on the terminals of the twigs. These are very conspicuous on account of their vivid coloring.
The autumnal foliage of lxith poison
plants is markedly brilliant, taking on all
tne golden tints of a rich sunset as though
eager to celebrate the closing days of ah
eventful season, and a life from a plant's
possible standpoint. But this conspicuous gilding renders them particularly se-
IsKTL'EIt FUOM KANSAS.
fsdltora  Indiana  Farmer:
Perhaps a few words from sunny Kansas may be of interest to your many renders. And sunny it literally is in this
goodly laml ef wheat ami corn and alfalfa
and prairie grasses. Not but what tliere
has l-t'cii plenty of rain for there has all
summer, and the showers have been copious and timely, so that now a bumper
corn crop is assured. In fact Kansas is
in the heyday of prosperity. For several
years she had good wheat crops and whero
any fanner puts out wheat ranging all
the way from 50 to 200 acres it spells
"plenty." I stood one day in July here
and saw 13 Richmond made separators un-
ls>:ided from one train. By the way the
first "frashire skcen" I ever saw was built
by an enterprising Indiana firm,
bfck in the late "50s." Perhaps the
unending stream of travel passing my win-
do was I wrote, if rightly analyzed would
throw as much light on Kansas conditions,
as I could give in anv other way. ' I
say unending, for such it literally is in
daylight, in this thriving town of 10,00<-
p< ople in sSouthcasttrn Kansas.
This travel in its lo<-t analysis bears close
relation to the wheat crop, and consists
of fanner-* in wagons or carriages, citizens of WinnVM on business or pleasure
Vnt, threshing outfits, automobiles, people on hon-ebzack, prairie schooners, pedestrians and occasionally a bicycle.
Almost every one lere has a buggy, or"
carriage", a large peivent which vehicles
are bicycle spoked ami rubber tired and
drawn b.\ horses that look aud. act as
though   they  needed   exercise. In  this
town of Windfield arc runny fine equip-
i-ges drawn by spans that would command
long   prices   in   the   East. Kvery   fair
evening (ansl they're nearly all fair), may
be seen troops of Kve's fair daughters
astride their riding horses out for an
aiciicr. Quite   a   number   use   automo
bile-', and one wiih  a seating Capacity of
fiom   l'J   to  L'O  carries  you   about  for   a
:-."e fare.        Quite often a threshing out-
lit,    separator,    grub-house.    10 by 8    on
metal  wheel", coal  wagon  and sometimes
the water tank drawn by a monster traction   engine   goes   b.v. Hardly   a   day
but  a   "prairie  schooner,"   sometimes    a
half dozen of I hem, gees by, usually headed  west,  sometimes  going out to  help  in
harvest,   bnt  ofteucr  to  buy  cheap   lands
upon which  to grow  heat, a  single crop.
of wliich  will often  pay for tlie land in
the   counties   west  of   here. And   this
leminds   me   that  thousands  of   acres  of
land, that was abandoned a few years ago
in  Western Kansas, is now bringing from
four to ten dollars an  aere, and the men
who  are  buying  it  are  getting rich  raising   wheat.    Au   enterpising   fellow,   with
a few hundred dollars, buys a "quarter,"
puts  it  all  in  wheat,  sells  the  crop  and
immediately buys another "quarter," upon
which to raise more wheat, etc.
sVnd b.v the ivay, when every "hay seed"
around here, where land is too high, to
successfully covet your neighbor's, has n
credit to his bank account of from $500
to $5,000, it makes good times; for your
nverage Kansan is a liberal spender, and
I. is search for the best, of what he thinks
he needs, makes glad the hearts of the
tradesmen. Just now Mr. Farmer is
busy holding down a suiky plow pulled
1 y either three, four or five horses, owing
to whether it is a single or a gang plow,
and how careful he is of his teams. Many
of these plows are new and a part of the
procession, before mentioned as passing
my window. This is a paradise for
implement men, harness and buggy dealers and saddlers. The bankers here,
with deposits of $1,500,000, wear smiles
that won't come off, as they think of the
profits on the money of Doe, who has
houses an.l barns, nud the needs of Itoe,
who has tliese not. Itight here I wish
to say that I have visited -every State
north of Mnscn's and Dixon's line, with
eyes and ears open, and that at no time
nor place have I ever been sorry that I
owned a deed to an Indiana farm, but I
do "kinder" like the happy carefree lives
of  these  wheat   farmers. Said  one  to
me, we work like the d—1 three months
if the year, sowing and threshing, and
spend the otlier nine having a good time."
Of course we conservative Indiana
farmers would hardly dare to put all our
eggs in one basket. A few years ago
these folks were deep down in the "slough
of despond." but now they're on- the "topmost crest of the waves."
Winfichi. Kas., .Vug. 05.
Is.   A.   Stockwell.
WHIsAT WITH GltASS.
Joseph Kirsch, of Dearborn county,
sowed a ID-acre field to wheat and grass
last   fall. Tbe   wheat   from   the  field
averaged 35 bushels an aere. The grass
made a remarkable growth after the
wheat was cut, and he has just finished
cutting forty tons of fine hay from the
field.