InOctoberIwenta-grapingtotherivermeadows,andloadedmyselfwithclustersmorepreciousfortheirbeautyandfragrancethanforfood.TheretooIadmired,thoughIdidnotgather,thecranberries,smallwaxengems,pendantsofthemeadowgrass,pearlyandred,whichthefarmerpluckswithanuglyrake,leavingthesmoothmeadowinasnarl,heedlesslymeasuringthembythebushelandthedollaronly,andsellsthespoilsofthemeadstoBostonandNewYorkdestinedtobejammed,tosatisfythetastesofloversofNaturethere.Sobutchersrakethetonguesofbisonoutoftheprairiegrass,regardlessofthetornanddroopingplant.Thebarberry’sbrilliantfruitwaslikewisefoodformyeyesmerelybutIcollectedasmallstoreofwildapplesforcoddling,whichtheproprietorandtravellershadoverlooked.WhenchestnutswereripeIlaiduphalfabushelforwinter.ItwasveryexcitingatthatseasontoroamthethenboundlesschestnutwoodsofLincoln,—theynowsleeptheirlongsleepundertherailroad,—withabagonmyshoulder,andasticktoopenburrswithinmyhand,forIdidnotalwayswaitforthefrost,amidtherustlingofleavesandtheloudreproofsofthered-squirrelsandthejays,whosehalf-consumednutsIsometimesstole,fortheburrswhichtheyhadselectedweresuretocontainsoundones.OccasionallyIclimbedandshookthetrees.Theygrewalsobehindmyhouse,andonelargetree,whichalmostovershadowedit,was,wheninflower,abouquetwhichscentedthewholeneighborhood,butthesquirrelsandthejaysgotmostofitsfruitthelastcominginflocksearlyinthemorningandpickingthenutsoutoftheburrsbeforetheyfell.Irelinquishedthesetreestothemandvisitedthemoredistantwoodscomposedwhollyofchestnut.Thesenuts,asfarastheywent,wereagoodsubstituteforbread.Manyothersubstitutesmight,perhaps,befound.Diggingonedayforfish-worms,Idiscoveredtheground-nut(Apiostuberosa)onitsstring,thepotatooftheaborigines,asortoffabulousfruit,whichIhadbeguntodoubtifIhadeverdugandeateninchildhood,asIhadtold,andhadnotdreamedit.Ihadoftensinceseenitscrimpledredvelvetyblossomsupportedbythestemsofotherplantswithoutknowingittobethesame.Cultivationhaswellnighexterminatedit.Ithasasweetishtaste,muchlikethatofafrostbittenpotato,andIfounditbetterboiledthanroasted.ThistuberseemedlikeafaintpromiseofNaturetorearherownchildrenandfeedthemsimplyhereatsomefutureperiod.Inthesedaysoffattedcattleandwavinggrain-fieldsthishumbleroot,whichwasoncethetotemofanIndiantribe,isquiteforgotten,orknownonlybyitsfloweringvinebutletwildNaturereignhereoncemore,andthetenderandluxuriousEnglishgrainswillprobablydisappearbeforeamyriadoffoes,andwithoutthecareofmanthecrowmaycarrybackeventhelastseedofcorntothegreatcornfieldoftheIndian’sGodinthesouth-west,whenceheissaidtohavebroughtitbut