Music Welcome to Snewscast, a podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us at snoozecast.com and if you enjoy our show, please share us with a friend. This episode is brought to you by Dandelions and Daisies. Tonight we'll read about more wild flowers on the farm, including poppies in the hayfield from Flowers of the Farm written by Arthur O. Cook and published in 1900. In the last episode, which aired last week, some plants found in the full yard of the farms were discussed. A fold was a pen or enclosure for cattle or sheep. And the inference is that it must have been a temporary structure made by

My fascinating hurdles, bars, or fleeks, de-fixed steaks.

Let's get cozy.

Close your eyes.

Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now, take a few deep breaths. Chapter 6 In Ashmeade There are many other flowers besides the clover in Ashmeade today. And this afternoon, we will look at some that grow among the grass. One of these you may perhaps call a weed. Yet it is one of the most beautiful wild flowers in England. I mean the golden dandelion. On a lawn or in a garden bed, it would certainly be a weed and a very troublesome one. Here among the grass we need only think of it as a very lovely flower. See what a rich golden yellow, the little florets of the blossom more? Plants like the dandelion, in which the blossom is composed of a number of florets, are called composite plants. If we examine the plant closely, we shall find that each stalk which bears a blossom and each long, deeply indented leaf grows, like the flower stem and leaf of the primrose from a very short underground stem. It is from the indented leaves that the dandelion gets its name. The leaves have something the appearance of the teeth of a lion. Now the French name for lion's tooth is denteleon, and we English have corrupted this into dandelion. Each flower stem is round and when we pull one we see that it has a hollow tube. We bite a piece of the stock as we did with the clover blossom. What a difference. The clover was quite sweet, but the dandelion is very bitter. You may not like the taste perhaps, but the white, milky looking juice is quite awesome. Dandelion tea and dandelion beer are often made by country people, and the leaves give a pleasant flavor to a salad. Shall we pull up a plant and examine the root? I am afraid we cannot, unless you care to go back to the house for a fork or a trowel. The dandelion has a very long, strong root, taproot which goes deep into the ground, and there is no dull, main stem of which we can take hold. The leaves and flower stalks only break off in our hands. Here is a stalk from which the flower has fallen, leaving only the seed of what does it remind you of the traveler's joy and autumn? Yes, the dandelion has what is called a papis attached to its seed, rather similar to the feathery tail of the traveler's joy. This makes the dandelion a troublesome weed. The seeds are easily carried by the wind, and if a patch of dandelions is allowed to go to seed, it will produce fresh plants quite far away. Before the seeds are scattered, each head is like a round, white, fluffy ball. Here are daisies. With their dainty might florets often tinged with pink, in the center of each blossom as a yellow spot, every night the white florets fold up over the yellow center and do not open until the morning. This fact explains to us the daisy's name. It is the daisy's eye which opens at dawn and shots at night. The daisy is a little flower which everyone knows and loves. Yet in the wrong place it is a weed. it is a perennial, and it spreads very fast. Of course, both perennials and annuals spread by means of their seed, but perennials also spread in other ways as well. We will see how the days he does this. There, with my pocket knife, I have easily dug up a plant. The root is small and compact, not like that of the dandelion. But when I try to live the daisy plant from the grass, I find that it is still held down by a stout, tough thread branching from the root. This thread is connected with another daisy plant. From that one, there is another thread connected with a third plant. When we have at least got our plant clear away from the ground, three more are hanging to it by these threads. That is how the daisy spreads. It throws out these threat-like shoots from the root, and from these grow another root and plant. I knew only too well what we should find. There are far too many daisies in my lawn at home, and I found out long ago the way in which these spreads so fast. If daisies are allowed to increase in this way, they form large clumps which shmother and kill the grass. We notice that each flower stem and each leaf of the daisy springs from a very short underground stem as those of the dandelion do. all thisis, crows, foot daisies, and dandelions are plentiful in ash-made, and so are the yellow buttercups. There are, however, not quite so many buttercups as you might think at first. The real name of what we call the buttercup is the bulbous crow foot, and there is also a meadow crow foot in the field. A third crow foot is the corn crow foot. Today we will notice one or two differences between the two plants we see here. The blossoms of both plants have five smooth, shining yellow petals. We see however that those of the bulbous crow foot or buttercup form a real cup, while the petals of the metal crow foot spread out almost flat. The metal crow foot grows two or three feet high. The buttercup is a shorter plant. The flowers are pretty, but that I am afraid is all that we can say for either of these plants. They are both of them bitter and unhulsome, and horses and cattle avoid eating them. Some people even say that to carry a bunch of the stems will make the hands sore. So I think that we will only look at and admire the flowers where they grow. The cow slip is a very different plant indeed and we will not call it a weed. even Mr. Hammond is not sorry to see it here. For he is fond of a glass of the sweet cow slip wine, which Mrs. Hammond will make if we busy ourselves and take home some large basket-fulls of the drooping blossoms. Before we set to work, however, let us examine the plant. Looking at a stock of cow-slip blossoms we see something peculiar about it at once, something unlike the other flowers we have seen. Six or seven drooping blossoms grow from the stock we have picked, and they all grow from the very top of the stock. The point at the top of the stock from which the blossoms grow is called the umbil. Each blossom as five yellow petals joined together to form a corolla. In the center of the blossom where these petals meet each is marked with a spot of deep orange red color. The yellow petals are comparatively small and peep out of a long pale green sheath, called the calyx. Surely we have seen a flower like this before. The primrose in a little compass. Yes, the primrose had five pale yellow petals, rather larger than those of the cow slip, and joined together to form a corolla. They grew out of a long green calyx, also each petal had a spot of darker yellow in the center of the blossom. leaves of both the primrose and the cow slip are much wrinkled, and they grow from a shorter underground stem. But you say, each primrose blossom grew alone on the top of a long stem? Yes, but if we had dug up a primrose plant, we should have found that several flower stems grew from the same point. The top of a very short stem, which had hardly appeared above the ground, they grew from an umble, and the primrose is closely related to the cow's slip. The difference is that the blossoms of the

primrose grow on long stems from a short stemmed umble. Those of the cow slip grow on short stems from a long stemmed umble. Chapter 7 in the hayfield.

Here we are in the hayfield at the end of June. It is not really the hayfield yet, but it will be so as soon as the grass is cut for hay. This will be done in a few days, so we must lose no time if we wish to look at some of the flowers before they are cut down. We must not stroll all over this field as we did in ash-meade, for the long grass should not be trampled down, or it will be difficult for the machine to cut.

Quite near the gate, however, are plenty of flowers, and we shall find others if we step carefully along the side of the hedge. We will look first at those flowers which are most important to the farmer, the flowers of the grass. We saw, you remember, that the grass has flowers just as the rose and the wall flower have. If you had thought that the flowers of all grass would be alike, you've seen now that you were quite mistaken. There are many different grass flowers here. Not only are the flowers different, but so are the stems and also the leaves or blades. Mr. Hammond could come into the field in early spring or autumn when the grass is not in flower and could tell you to which kind of grass any blade belonged. Today, we shall easily distinguish the different kinds of grasses by their flowers, though we will also notice differences in their stems and leaves. Let us pick a stem or comb of grass. We see that the great part of it is hollow, but at intervals there are joints, and here the stem is solid. From each joint grows a leaf sheath, which is wrapped around the stem for a little distance above the joint. Out of each sheath grows a leaf.

All grass leaves are long and narrow, compared with those of most other plants. But some grass leaves are longer and narrower than others. Now for a flower. The stem which we have picked is the stem of perennial rye grass. The blossom we see consists of several small spiklets. There are eighteen on our stem. They grow alternately on two opposite sides of the stem, first one on one side, then one on the other. They have no stock of their own. They are subtle or seated on the stem. As the spikelets are flat and grow on two sides of the stem only, each stem looks as if it had been pressed in a book, as perhaps you have sometimes pressed flowers. The leaves are dark green, glossy and shining. On the underside of each leaf there is a prominent rib which extends the whole length. This rib is one of the signs by which Mr. Hammond can tell a blade of rye grass had once without seeing the flower. This is one of the farmer's most useful grasses. forms a close, they carpet or sword, and the more it is trotted on by animals grazing, the better it seems to thrive. Here is another excellent grass, with the flower quite different in appearance from the last. It is cold, Timothy grass. It was first cultivated in America by a man named Timothy Hanson, and it is now always known by his Christian name, Mr. Hammond. And you know it too, but a good many farmers who have plenty of Timothy grass in their fields do not know the reason of its name. The spikelets of Timothy are very small and grow in dense clusters at the end of the stem, so that the blossom forms a kind of tail. Indeed, Timothy is sometimes called Medocats' tale, a name which gives a very good idea of its appearance. This cluster or tale of Spikelet's is green and also rather rough to the touch. Notice these two points about it. We shall see the reason presently. The green leaves have a grayish tint and are broader than many grass leaves.

When cut and made into hay, the leaves are rather stiff and hard.

Grasses

Timothy grows in good thick clumps, but does not make a very spreading sword. Moist weather suits it best, though it can stand a dry summer fairly well. It is a late grass. Other grasses in the field are in full flower today, but there are only a few years of Timothy to be seen. Its flowering time is July. In one way, it is valuable grass for hay. It is heavy, and hay is always sold by weight. On the other hand, Timothy Hay is rather hard. Now here is a grass something like Timothy, yet different in several ways. It is metal fogs tail. The ear formed by the cluster of spikelets is of the same shape as an ear of Timothy, like a round tail slightly pointed. But the ear of Timothy was green. While this is a beautiful silvery gray, Timothy was rough. The ear of metal fox tail is very soft and silky to the touch. The silkyness and the silvery grey color are given to the ear by a soft hair called the on which grows from each spike lid. The leaves are broad and juicy, and there are many of them. Middle-fawks tail, unlike Timothy, is an early grass. You may find it in flower and April. An early grass is always valuable to the farmer, who wants her a bitch for his sheep and cattle after the long winter. The fox tail, moreover, is a spreading grass. Some of its stems are prostrate. They do not stand upright, but creep along the ground. From these prostrate stems, fresh roots grow and and produce fresh plants. Thus, metal fox tail makes a good sword. We must notice the sweet, vernal grass, though there is not much of it in the field, for this grass, when it is dry, gives out much of the sweet scent we smell in or near a hayfield. If we chew a stalk, we notice the scent ourselves, and animals like the pleasant flavor which it gives to hay. Though it is an early grass, it also lasts till late in the autumn. The spikelets make a cluster or tail at the end of this stock, but they do not grow so closely together as those of the Timothy and Metal Foxtail. Look at the tough-to-air grass. It is very pretty. Perhaps one of the prettiest grasses we have seen. But the farmer looks upon it as a weed. It has a large and spreading head or flower.

The spikelets grow on stems and become gradually smaller towards the top of the stock.

The flower is purple, with a shining, silvery light upon it.

It grows in thick clumps or tussocks, and cattle do not care about the leaves. There are many other grasses in the field. Some of them are useful, while others the farmer would call weeds. We must now look at other flowers, and as the grass is so tall, it will be better to choose tall flowers which can easily be seen. We soon spy a thistle among the grass near the gate. There are several kinds of thistle in England, the milk thistle, the nodding thistle, and some others. This is the common field thistle. It is far too common to please Mr. Hammond or any other careful farmer. It is true that it is only an annual, but like the dandelion, it has a pampus attached to its seed. However hard Mr. Hammond tries to get rid of thistles from his fields. Fresh seeds are constantly blown into them from thistles on the roadside banks, or in the fields of farmers, not so careful as himself. It is very disheartening to a good farmer to have careless neighbors. When Mr. Hammond hears that a new tenant is coming to a neighboring farm, he always hopes that he will be a clean farmer, that he will try to keep his fields free from weeds. The stiff stem of the thistle is often three or four feet tall and divides into smaller branches which bear a flower at the end. These flowers are little like those of the red clover. Blossom has many small upright flurettes, purplish red in color. The leaves are not very tempting to touch, but they are very interesting. They are divided into several lobes or divisions, and each lobe ends in a sharp point. They have no leaf stem to connect them with the stock of the plant. What is curious about them is that they do not grow from a small point on the stock. They are recurrent or running along the stock. A broad strip at the base of each leaf is attached to the stock. Dogs too are far too numerous among the grass. They are very troublesome weeds. They are perennials, and they also scatter a great deal of seed. They have large clusters of small flowers without any true petals. leave leaves are very large and pointed, growing

on long leaf stems. The stems of the dock are tough, and they blunt the mowers, skies, and the knives of the mowing machine.

Some people have a good word even for the dog. They say that a dog leaf wrapped around the part stung by an eddle will lessen the pain. Others advise us to rub the part with dog seed. I do not think myself that either remedy has much effect, but the leaves of the sorrel, which is a relative of the dog, will lessen the pain of nettle stings. Mrs. Hammond always uses dog leaves to wrap round the pads of butter, which she sends to market. Above us, in the hedge, are two of the sweetest flowers on the farm. The pink dog roses one. The petals of each blossom are five in number. What a number of five petal flowers we have seen. The leaves have five, or sometimes seven, serrated leaflets, one of which is always at the end of the leaf stem.

These leaflets are not always perfectly strained.

Sometimes the pointed end turns a good deal to one side. you you you you