From the papers of Robert Sparks Walker (1878-1960)

SLIDE LECTURE #7

(Abbreviated version, slides made available through the courtesy of the Chattanooga Audubon Society)

These wild flower pictures were made by the late Bernard L. Soehle, official photographer of the Chattanooga Audubon Society, who spent six years in this work. It seems strange that only a very few people in the world, no matter how many years they live, at the end of their lives, know very few of the hundreds of wild flowers they have been meeting from year to year. Besides entertaining an audience, the Chattanooga Audubon Society which sponsors these illustrated wild flower lectures, hopes that they will enable people to learn the names of at least some of the flowers they are sure to meet after they leave this room today. Flowers are so much more easy to study and get acquainted with than are the birds, and yet the love and appreciation of birds and flowers go hand in hand. It has been observed that the person who knows and appreciates wild flowers seems to be happier than the person who knows nothing about the different species. The Society's wildlife sanctuary has 123 acres in its limits, threaded with 25 nature trails, to which all flower and bird lovers are welcomed twelve months in the year.

While wild flowers maybe found growing there almost every month in the year, most of them may be seen from the first of March until the middle of July.

With this brief introduction, we shall now start with the first kodaslide:

The first wild flower that appears in this illustrated lecture is the familiar roadside and barnyard plant known as Bitterweed, or Sneezeweed. It contains such a strong bitter property, cattle that feed on it have their meat spoiled if killed for table use. Milk cows will sometimes eat it but it gives the milk and butter such a bitter flavor it is unfit for use. If honeybees gather its nectar the honey is so bitter it is unfit for human consumption. Most country people call it "Yellow Dog-fennel," but Dog-fennel has white petals. It is a native of the South, and many years ago it was dried, than powdered and used in medicine for producing sneezing.

Dodder or Love-vine is a true parasite, that is, it steals all its food from its closest neighboring plants.

Bellwort is one of the early spring flowers, and if the bee-sexton ever rings it, only the bees and other insects have ears keen enough to hear its peals.

Prickly Pear is a common cactus whose flowers are protected with their own array of daggers.

  May Apple has long been famous, but its stems, foliage and roots are poisonous. Its apple when ripe is fragrant and wholesome.

This is the seedpod of Green Dragon, a first cousin of Jack-in-the-Pulpit. His seeds are much like Jack's but his foliage is differently shaped.

Black-eyes Susan smiles at all creatures who pass her haunts in the open woodlands and meadows.

The Carolina Lily loves the outdoor world, and she is so handsome, people will walk many miles to find her at home

This is the seed of Woodbine and one of its leaves. It is among the handsomest of the Honeysuckle family.

Blazing Star is at home on the dry hillsides, and it was known to the American Indians as the Button Snakeroot.

This shows two seedpods of one of the popular Milkweeds, which will open when the seed-children inside are matured and ready to take to the air in their own planes.

This is another species of Anglepod, and each one has its own peculiar design.

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Last Updated: December 3, 2002