NATURE NOTES FROM ACADIA

THE SEASON

The first signs of autumn come in mid-August when dashes of color glorify the red maples, fireweed and thistle begin to display their silvery plumes, and masses of goldenrods line the highways. It is then that the squirrels begin cutting green pine cones, beech nuts, and the paired seeds or keys of the moosewood.

Drouth - Rarely does Maine experience a drouth as severe as the drouth of July-August. Leaves colored early, the blueberry crop was the poorest in years, extensive stands of bracken and other ferns dried up, mushrooms were absent from our woodlands, tree frogs were silent, and streams and ponds became unusually low. The welcome rains of August 28, 29, and 30 fell on parched fields and woodlands and brought much relief.

Two Shrubs - In mid-July the Red-berried Elder (Sambucus racemosa) and in mid-August the Mountain Holly (Nemopanthus mucronata) become the most attractive of the native shrubs of Acadia National Park. The former beautifies the highways with its dense berry-clusters while the latter is at its best on the mountain summits.

- A. S.