|
THE BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF G. W. CLINTON |
|
THE BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF G. W.
CLINTON – August 1864 |
|
[1864.] Aug. 1. Went fishing with George, nil, except
a Potamogeton & the Ceratophyllum, besides a mess of perch. In the
evening it commenced raining. Thank God!
[1864.] Aug. 2. 7 A.M. It rained all night,
& still it rains. Thank God! The Potamogeton collected yesterday is,
probably, the compressus. P.M.
Sandytown, Juncus megacephalus, &c. The Chenopodium botrys not
extirpated, plentiful yet. [1864.] Aug. 3. For wife's sake, walked out to
opposite Smith's or Whittmore's Tavern in Res'n [=Reservation]. Then up to
Sulphur Spring House, then back & across the creek, & home on Seneca
St. On that street, stopped at a Mr.
Thompson's & begged of his wife 2 specimens of Carthamus
tinctorius. During the (rainy) walk, picked up some familiar things,
including Glyceria pallida?! Lactuca sativa, Sonchus asper. [Carthamus
tinctorius is the Saffron, also Safflower. "Of much commercial value.
Seeds source of two kinds of oil, Poli Oil which is derived by cold
expression and Roghum Oil obtained by the dry, hot process. Poli Oil is much
used as luminant, as food and in the manuf. of Macassar Hair Oil. Also used
as water proofing in the manuf. of oil cloths, tent cloth and tarpaulins.
Roghum Oil is used in the manuf. of Afridi Waxcloth .... (Uphof 1968). It has
never existed in New York State outside of gardens.] [1864.] Aug. 4. Fast Day. P.M. Walked with Day, on Squaw Island.
Nothing new, unless it be the Myriophyllum in the ditch crossing the Island.
The smaller‑headed Juncus now about flowering, resembling the one Mr. Bebb
thinks is articulatus, seems to have but 3 stamens. [1864.] Aug.
5. Went with wife &c., to
Sheenwater. In rowing wife on Canada
side, just below Black Creek,
noticed here &
there, a Potamogeton with
cordate floating leaves, but
did not examine it. Just before we started, the Rev. Mr. Holzer, of Rochester, called. Seems a
nice gentleman. [Sheenwater,
according to the miscellaneous index is on Grand Island. The present site of
this location is on the western side of Grand Island at the west end of Love
Road just east of its junction with River Road.] [1864.] Aug. 6. Rowed round Strawberry Island
& through the Bay. On the west side, below & above Little Bay, in the
wet edge of the Island, & sometimes 2 or 3 inches under the water, small
matted running stems or rootstalks rooting ‑ seemingly no leaves, made me
think of Ranunculus reptans, can't imagine what it is [= R. reptans written
in]. In Big Bay
Myriophyllum heterophyllum, apparently bearing utricles ‑ (spawn of some
kind). On west
side found Polygonum amphibium v. natans. Collected Potamogetons. [1864.] Aug. 7. Day tells me he has found
Mimulus alatus in the Scajaquada, in the rear of French Paul's place. [1864.] Aug. 8. Rowed to Rattlesnake Channel,
examined the marshes on the River
before coming to it, but found Scirpus Torreyi only near the mouth or
entrance. Collected 3 specimens when I might to have taken 20. Rowed thence
to head of Grand Island, & collected a little Hypericum pyramidatum (just
going out), Pycnanthemum lanceolatum, and Rhysostegia virginiana, then to
Beaver Creek. Walked to Falconwood & back, & then home. [Note the
references to riverside marshes along the Niagara River.] [1864.] Aug. 9. Took 11*10' train to Dunkirk,
& walked down the Erie R.R. 1 mile, or so, to get my (instect sting?)
viviparous Juncus, noticed last year, & got it. [1864.] Aug.
10. A.M. Went with George [Clinton] to the
Scajaquada, & rowed up it to get some lobsters for him, got them.
The creek full of Schollera,
Eel grass, &c. In the Vallisneria, can't see the 3 linear petals in the
fertile flowers. P.M. Rowed, with my wife & George, to
Sheenwater [Grand Island] & slept there.
[Lobsters
are perhaps craw‑ or crayfish.] [1864.] Aug. 11. Rowed my wife into Black Creek,
Canada, and found there Potamogeton hybridus, also, not in flower, Brasenia
peltata abundant. Returned home in the afternoon, by oar. [1864.] Aug.
12. Floated down to Sheenwater
with George [Clinton]. Caught 5 black bass (he 3 of them) would have
caught more, but for the loss of one
of the lines (it not having been tied to
the reel) and poor tackle. George returned in the River Queen, & I slept at
Sheenwater. [1864.] Aug. 13. Early, rowed over to Mr.
Gander's, opposite Sheenwater [Grand Island], found Dill (Anethum graveolens) in his garden, & took
specimen. Rode with him up the river, a short way, to the first road running
back into the country, & followed it almost 3 miles to a narrow swamp,
which Mr. G. says extends from Black
Creek to Chippewa Creek. It was
wooded when we examined it, principally with Spruce & white pine, some spruce. Found in
it Saracenia purpurea & Cypripedium acaule in seed, Calla
palustris, Andromeda polifolia, Cassandra
calyculata, Sedum latifolium, Chiogenes hispidula,
Drosera rotundifolia, a
tall, coarse Juncus, a
Carex (Dewey's trisperma) Nemopanthes canadense, in fruit,
Gaylussacia nervosa, one of
the Cranberries, without flower
or fruit. Also Eriophorum Virginicum, with the wool sometimes rusty, sometimes white. Returned
& dined with Mr. Gander, & then rowed up to the Dam, & so home.
Woodwardia Virginica very abundant in the swamp. Collected there also a tall,
brittle Juncus. Mr. Gander
gives his Canary birds the spikes of Plantago major, they are fond of its
seeds. He says
that cattle will get at the (standing) water in a boat, if they can, & he supposes that the water is
saline, more likely, sulphurous or
bilge‑water like. Thereupon he tied
my boat to his dock‑(let),
rather than leave it close in shore. [No
reference to a Sheenwater in two old gazetteers, it is on Grand Island according to Clinton's
miscellaneous index. In index under
Gander, Mr. Canada "1/4‑1/2 mile
below Black Creek, on the river." Apparently this swamp was divested of
its tree cover not long after it was visited. Clinton's use of the term
'Spruce' may be misleading as the only native spruce in the Niagara Frontier
region is Black Spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP, a dominant tree in the
boreal forests of northern Canada), although a bog with Black Spruce in it
here would be very interesting. A Black Spruce relictual bog exists as far
south as Alleghany County and a tree of this species was reported as
occurring in Niagara Glen (Foster's Flats) at Niagara Falls, Ontario by
George H. Hamilton (1943). Note the
Cedar Swamp of Aug. 15, just below, is also in Canada.] [1864.] Aug. 14. P.M. Walked, with Day, to the
first wood on the left after passing Smoke's Creek, on Buffalo and State Line
Railroad. Saw there one plant of Viola rotundifolia. [1864.] Aug. 15. George and I took a boat, &
rowed into the little creek opposite Falconwood, left the boat there, took
the first road above the creek & walked back into the country about one
mile, & then struck off to the right to the cedar swamp. Found it very
thickly timbered with tall white cedar. Too late to find much, but did find
Mitella nuda, Smilacina trifolia, Chiogenes hispidula, a Carex, like
trisperma, but wanting the long bract, & too far gone in seed. Also a
Platanthera in seed. Near the
edge of the cedar swamp, found a girl culling the culms of the Glyceria
fluitans, taking the lower joints, stripped. I asked what for: She said
"to make straw bonnet." [This
swamp was in Canada, not Grand Island, as is indicated in Clinton's
Miscellaneous Index under "Cedar Swamp. Canada". It is not
associated with Black Creek Swamp, Canada, of Aug. 13 just above. Another
reference to this Swamp (1865, Aug. 6) indicates that the 'little creek
opposite Falconwood' seems to be Miller's Creek.] [1864.] Aug. 16. Rowed Day round Strawberry
Island & into the bays thereof. He found one flower of the creeping plant
mentioned Aug. 6. it is a Ranunculus, must be R. reptans. [1864.] Aug. 19. Took 10 20 P.M. train to Utica,
arrived there next morning about 5*, put up at Bagg's, remained there until
afternoon, of Friday the 19th, in attendance, on [as?] a delegate, upon the
Diocesan Convention. Had no opportunity to botanize. Then took the cars to
Syracuse, and put up at the Syracuse House. [1864.] Aug. 20. Saturday. Botanized all I
could, it raining part of the day, until I took the 2*5' train for home, when
I arrived at about 7 P.M. Collected Ranunculus cymbalaria, Triglochin
maritimum, Salicornia herbacea, Scirpus maritimus, Cyperus phymatodes
(tuberiferous), Atriplex hastata (?are then 2 species, one with naught but
entire leaves?) Chenopodium glaucum (not in condition) and, perhaps, a
Chenopod not collected before ([written later:]=Blitum maritimum, perhaps.
Think I collected it this day first.) [Salicornia
herbacea L., Glasswort, Samphire "Salt marshes of the coast, and at
Salina, New York, and other interior salt springs. Aug. (Eu.)." p. 366,
Gray's Manual 1862.] [1864.] Aug. 22. 2*15' P.M. ran down to Goat
Island, to collect Hypericum Kalmianum, & found it, as I anticipated, in
seed. On the American side of the Island, by the river, & above the
Bridges found, all out of season, Carex eburnea. [1864.] Aug. 23. P.M. walked on the Plains. Took
specimen of Maclura aurantiaca from a hedge. Has never been noticed in
flower, in this vicinity. The
Ipomoea pandurata behind Mochel's has spread considerably last year, &
think it may have seeded last year late in the autumn. Flower buds on it,
here & there, apparently not far from opening. What I call Physalis
viscosa has Yellow anthers & blue filaments.
Got 3 or 4 indifferent specimens of Medicago sativa from the Poor House
orchard. The very small & narrow‑leaved Polygonum aviculare (?) of the
fields, long in the joints, & diffusely branching, has reddish flower,
fruit smoothish & shining & somewhat protruded from the calyx. [1864.] Aug. 24. Off Big Bay on Strawberry, near
& outside of the upper 2 stakes, in the bed of weeds, collected
Potamogeton perfoliatus seu [or] praelongus, also a Myriophyllum? with
pectinate verticillate leaves, & as yet, wholly submerged. On the
easterly side of [Frog?] Island, a few inches under water, fruit of a Chara? [1864.] Aug.
26. With George &
Spen dropped down the
River, in a small boat, in west side of Grand Island,
floating for bass, wind so
bad, could do nothing, landed Spen at Sheenwater & kept on. Floated, on Canadian side, to foot of Navy
Island. George caught one bass, the
only one caught during the expedition, rowed up the easterly side, then crossed to Grand Island, looked
into Burnt Ship bay, then rowed round
Buckhorn & up Grand Island from 1/2 to 1 mile, to Marshall Fales's, & stopped at his father's. Jones's
(formerly Kent's) then, on Grand Island, Thomson's [Munson's? (tenant of
Hoyt?) then Marshall Fales. Mr.
Fales (the Father), then
Frederick Fales. They have, I think they said, an orchard of 800 peach
trees, & this year, not a peach to a tree. We got safely housed between 6 & 7
P.M. & then a magnificent storm
with thunder & lightning burst upon us & it rained & blew all night. [Spen was
Spencer, who, with George Jr., were Clinton's sons. See July 21 and 22 for an
earlier expedition. This is perhaps a geneology of ownership of this
plantation on Grand Island with 800 peach trees.] [1864.] Aug. 27. Breakfasted very early &
started, fished opposite & below Fales's, nil. Entered the passage to
Burnt Ship bay, through the marsh lying between Buckhorn & Grand Island
in the American side, got along, without much difficulty, perhaps 1/2 a mile,
though troubled occasionally with floating logs, then came to a narrow pass
so jammed with them that we could not get through, but went close to Grand
Island, & cleared a way there so that by driving the boat over some logs
for from 4‑8 roads , we got to Burnt Ship. Before passing to that difficult
place, found, floating, Azolla caroliniana. Riccia fluitans, see below. Lemna
polyrhiza & another (?) many rooted Lemna. Riccia natans. Rowed over to
Navy, noticed, on the
bank, near the head,
Aster ericoides abundant. Tried, in vain, to fish, wind pretty much
down the River. Rowed over to Grand Island,
& tried to coast up,
but the wind
too strong, crossed to
Canada, & found a lee, & by
dint of rowing & towing, got up opposite Sheenwater, & then crossed,
& were towed up by the River Queen, & got home between 6 & 7
P.M. [Burnt
Ship embayment faced Canada. The inlet on the American side is the outlet of
Wood's Creek.] [1864.] Aug. 28. On looking at plates &c. of
Marchantiaceae, by Sullivant, in a former edition of Gray, am satisfied that
the Lemna looking plant is Riccia natans, & that the Riccia? ? is Riccia fluitans. Memorandum Add these & Marchantia
polymorpha to the Preliminary List. Must get a microscope if I can, &
take up the Marchantiaceae, Algae, Mosses, &c. [Note this
passage is an indication of Clinton's initial interest in the cryptogams and erhaps
the start of his interest in Charles Peck. By next year (1865) Peck would be
identifying specimens of mosses and liverworts sent to him by Clinton.
Sullivant is William Sterling Sullivant.] [1864.] Aug. 29. With Day, took 9 A.M. train
to Lewiston, & walked from Lewiston, by the River Road to Dr. A. G.
Skinners at Youngstown. On the way, on the river bank, found 1 pear tree
& one Gleditsia. Took a leaf of a Betula with darkish bark. By the road
side, inside of the fence, found Solidago canadensis, approaching v. procera.
Dr. Skinner received me very kindly, & introduced me to his brother in
law, Alphonso Wood (Author of the Botanical Class Book) Mr. Wood, their
daughter & his own wife & daughter. In the afternoon, the Dr. W. ,
Mr. W. & me, visited Fort Niagara. Collected there a Cyperus. There
Lactuca sativa had escaped. The Dr. has a little wooded dell by his house in
which is much botany. The Gaura biennis, Lactuca elongata with lobed, &
with wholly entire leaves grow there side by side. Also a Cuscuta which Mr.
Wood calls the C. arvensis. It is Cuscuta inflexa, Engel. (See Sept. 7 inst. [=instant?], & his letter of
Sept. 3). I took specimen of all but the Gaura on starting for home. A
Lophanthus grows abundantly hereabout, & is, I suspect, the nepetoides.
Collected also a pig‑nut, Carya amara. [1864:Sept.
7. Received letter from Dr. Engelmann, dated 3d, stating that the Cuscuta
from Youngstown (Aug. 29 supra) is his C.
inflexa, formerly called by him coryli, & called by him, in Gray's
manual, C. umbrosa, Bayrich. In Gray's Manual, 1862 P. 206 there are two
varieties of Solidago Canadensis: var. procera and var. scabra.] [1864.] Aug. 30. We four went back into the
country, no wonderful discovery. After dinner, we bade them all good bye. The
Doctor & his amiable wife had entertained us very kindly. Walked to Lewiston, took, at about 6 P.M.
a way freight train to Suspension Bridge, where we just connected with a
train to Lockport, & there took the 8 P.M. to Buffalo, and got home
between 9 & 10. The true white‑flowered Datura stramonium was beautifully
in flower in Youngstown, & I regret that we did not take specimens. About
Buffalo I have observed only the var. tatula, a distinct species probably. [1864.] Aug. 31. John A. Paine, Jr. made his
appearance, & left, for Utica at 10*30' P.M. Day & I walked with him,
in the afternoon, as far as the cattle station on the Lake Shore Road, &
there, through the wood on Elk St. & home. Day found, at the Cattle
Station, 2 plants of Sida spinosa. Also found there one or two of Solanum
caroliniense, & several of Physalis philadelphica angulata. Could not
find any Bidens tripinnata. In the wood, Muhlenbergia and Bromus ciliatus v.
purgans. [Sida
spinosa L. in the Malvaceae. There is a Physalis philadelphica Lam. and a P.
angulata L.]. |
|
Scientific names may be looked up in the online checklist of Western New York plants. Find genus names beginning with A - C D - K L - P Q - Z. |