Ferndale Union High School - Tomahawk Yearbook (Ferndale, CA)

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Upon our hillsides and in the valley, bright patches of gold denote that they are the blossoms of the State flower. lt revels in the sunshine, and not until the morning is well advanced does it begin to unfurl its tightly rolled petals. Different authorities have stated that this poppy reaches its highest state of perfection in the Eel River Valley, where the large golden blossoms are beau tiful and magnificent. Following closely in the wake of the spring flowers come the early summer plants and vines. Creeping and climbing along the roads, over fences and old stumps, we find the Wild Morning- Glory. Its blossoms are of a beautiful pink color ranging to a light cream. The flowers open in the morning and close at eventide. The Canterbury Bell is one of the most charming flowers found here. It is a familiar sight to see it growing along the dusty roadside, where it opens its fragile bells to greet the passers-by. The stems are very brittle and the blossoms fall early-the lower ones usually having passed away before the upper ones have attained their beautiful shade of purple. Most of us are familiar with the Yellow VVater Lily and have seen its pretty leaves floating upon the surface of a pond, starred with its large golden flowers. A lake fllled with these floating blossoms may be seen by travelers en route from Ferndale to Singley's Station. One of the most deservedly admired of all our shrubs is the lovely Azalea, which generally bor- ders the foothills and is found abundantly on the highway leading from Table Bluff to Eureka. The flower has a pinkish or salmon colored tint, and is often concealed from view by the large mass of green foliage which grows on the bush. Another shrub which covers our mountain sides and which during its period of blossoming makes a beautiful background for our little city, is the California Lilac. The flowers are of a feathery, plume like appearance and blue in color. The Wild Rose is one of the few Howers that bloom so cheerfully through the long summer days along the public highway as well as in more secluded places. ln autumn it often seems in- spired to a special luxuriance of blooming, and it lingers to greet the Astors to mingle its pink flow- ers with their delicate lilac color. A At almost any time of the year the blossoms of the yellow Sand Verbena may be found upon the ocean beach, leading down the coast from Centerville. It bears dense clusters of yellow flowers and the stems are very gummy. I 1 Flourishing upon the sides of the hills in our vicinity we find both the purple a11d white Lu- pine. These flowers thrive equally as well upon our river bars, and many bunches of them re- lieve the otherwise barren rocks and sand. Dandelions grow to perfection, both in size and color in our fields and pastures, Many grounds are made most attractive by being covered so profusely with these blossoms. Towards the end of our summer, after the most. of the other flowers have come and gone, na- ture brings out her last children as welcome visitants to fill the places of our vanished earlier friends. I The iirst of the Autumnal flowers to make its appearance is the Astor, which blossoms all during the fall. It has a delicate pale violet or lilac tint and is much admired by all lovers of flowers.. ' Last, but not least, comes the Golden Rod to stay, perhaps longer than any other flower. It has slender, willow shaped stems and flower clusters of yellow. It was this beautiful flower of gold that vied with the Eschscholtzia for supremacy when the state flower for California was being chosen. It grows profusely along the roadsides leading from Grizzly Bluff to Eel River and is much sought after for decorative purposes. C. A. M., '10.

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Wild Flowers in the Vicinity of Ferndale Few people appreciate the Wealth of wild, fiowers growing round and about Ferndale. There is scarcely any time of the year, if a person is inclined and is interested in flowers, but that buds and blossoms of some species may be culled from our fields and mountain sides. ' One of the first flowers that makes its appearance in the spring is the Trillium, a member of the lily family, and no church or Easter decoration is complete without a bunch of these daintily colored blossoms. Little companies of these plants maybe seen upon low flats, under the trees, where the soil is rich. The flowers have a strong heavy fragrance, and are exceedingly variable in color, .ranging from pure white to deep wine. Closely 'following the Trillium, come the white Daisies, which dot the fields and pastures. They are generally pure white, with an occasional rose color, and thrive best in a sandy soil. I have seen them flourishing even in old river beds, where you could scarcely distinguish them from the white stones. The Wood or Yellow Violet also blooms in the'spring. This modest little violet is found com- monly in the woods, where it often carpets the ground with its leaves. Another violet comes at this time which has a violet or purple colored blossom. These flowers generally grow in moist places, and vary in the length of their stems, When the first clear, beautiful note of the lark the buttercup is here. The fields are generally nature. The blossoms are of a rich yellow and live. The Genies Iris, on account of the bright and rainbow-winged messenger of the gods. lt has a according to the season and locality of the growth. is heard, the skies blue and grass green, we know full of them, bringing a gladness to the face of the plants prefer the marshy places in which to varied hues of its iiowers, was named for the beautiful purple or lilac-colored lily, which seems to have a certain marked individuality. It thrives well upon the lower slopes of our well drained hillsides. Again it is often found in the rich soil of the moist woodlands about Francis and Wil- liams' creeks. Baby Blue Eyes, Sunflowers, Shooting-Stars, Indian Pinks, Wild Onions, Wild Sweet Peas, Batchelor Buttons and Bleeding Hearts all abound on the hills south of the public school grounds. The delicate blossom of the Baby Blue Eye vary greatly in size and the color of blue. General- ly it is a bright blue and is called by some California Bluebell. The Sunflower has a large blos- som of rich yellow, with a brown center. The others are so familiar to us all that they need no description here. One of the oddest and most beautiful flowers The Wild Ginger comes to us during the months of April and May. lt grows of our many shaded streams, where it seems to A dull colored bud begins to appear and when at length expanded, the blossom looking for its prey. The leaves of this plant, when crushed, have a fragrance caniphor. This species grows abundantly along Scarlet flowers are so rare, and nature is so of the Indian Paint Brush are especially welcome. along the borders as they gurgle by. resembles a spider similar to that of enjoy the gossip of the brooks Price and Howe creeks. chary of that beautiful hue The dense tufts make brilliant dashes of color that the blossoms which are very noticeable amid the greens of spring time. that grow in our vicinity is the Mission Bell. It is unrivaled in elegance, for every line is a study in grace. The plants maketheir appearance in early spring, and later produce an abundance of blossoms. The flowers are mottled, and vary in shades from dull green to purple. There modest colors blend so nicely into the scene about that it is diflicult to see them. The bright canary colored blossoms of the common Monkey Flower are a familiar sight, fringing the streams and peering over the banks as if to see their own loveliness reflected there. The flowers are of a handsome yellow, having a pair of ridges running down their open throats, and may also be known by its musk scented light green herbage. ' False Solomon's Seal is one of the prettiest plants found in our woods during the spring sea- SOI1, It HHS H graceful, dI'00Di11g tG1'1d9HCY, Which shows the handsome spreading leaves to full ad- vantage, and its few delicate little white blossoms are a Htting termination to the sprays. Near and about our town, even before the frost is entirely over, the leaves of the Skunk Cabbage IDHY be S6611 DHShiI1g their Wal' UU thI'0l1gh the Standing water in marshy localities. They attain great size and are of a rich wax-velvet green. When the plants are in bloom, they are very hand- some and the stalk continues to grow until its yellow blossoms become brown. 'During the same season comes the California Poppy, whose charms are difficult to exaggerate.

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The Origin of the Five Fingered Fern There once lived a skillful Indian hunter, who had won the name of Wolfclaw in a iierce strug- gle with a pack of hungry wolves. In the iight he received a terrible scratch which made a deep, white scar. He soon became the richest Indian in the village by selling the costly furs which he procured by hunting and trapping, to the neighboring tribes. When he had hoarded away a great amountof wealth, he left his tribe and was gone many moons. A But he returned one day as a Medicine man and worked his magic so wonderfully that all the Indians in his tribe became afraid of him. After a few years a famine came upon this tribe and even extended to the neighboring tribes, but it was the severest for Wolfclaw's people. The rain did not fall for many, many days. The grass died, and the Indians could raise no corn. Even the animals on which they depended for food grew very scarce. The neighboring tribes still had food but they would not sell it unless they re- ceived many skins or a great deal of gold. Wolfclaw, the Medicine man, demanded that food be given him and the people were afraid to refuse, so that he lived in plenty while the rest of the tribe were starving. The streams were rapidly drying up. The Indians implored Wolfclaw to perform ceremonies so that the Good Spirit would send them rain, but he refused to do this unless they gave him gold. They knew that he had a hoard of gold buried in the forest and at last rebelled against him. They called on the Good Spirit to punish him for his cruelty and earnestly begged for rain. In the night they heard a patter, patter on the ground and in the morning it was raining very hard. Far up in the mountains a tiny stream began to flow. It grew larger and larger until it rushed by VVolfclaw's village in a raging torrent. A large tree on the edge of the forest was torn up by the roots and for a moment the terrified Indians saw the gleam of gold. Then it was buried in the water. Wolfclaw ran to the stream and reached for his precious treasure, but he could not get it again. He sat on the bank and gazed steadfastly into the water for several days, never changing his position. At last, when the Indians looked toward the stream, one morning, he was not there. Some ran to the place where he had been and cried out, Here is Wolfclaw's fin- gers reaching for the goldif' When the other Indians came they saw a delicate fern growing on the bank, which drooped its flve fingers toward the water. M. SMITH, 'l0. 4x A S. c I ' 1 M54 4