A Glorious Day: Hugh Bell's Nova Scotia Plant Collecting Diaries

Hugh Bell

A Glorious Day: Hugh Bell's Nova Scotia Plant Collecting Diaries by Published by Dalhousie University Libraries is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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1

Hugh Bell’s Professional Life and Publications
When the diaries of these plant collecting trips began, Hugh Bell was a professor of botany and head of the biology department at Dalhousie University. He was 43 years old. At this point he’d been a professor at Dalhousie for close to 10 years. Prior to joining the faculty at Dalhousie, he acquired his PhD (from the University of Toronto in 1922) and served as an infantry Captain with the Royal Canadian Regiment during World War I.[1] The notebooks presented here, are a record of his collecting trips from 1932-1934 and from 1943-1956. He died in October 1957 at the age of 68, just over a year after writing his last plant collecting entry.

During the period from 1932 to 1934, most of Bell’s collecting trips were to McNabs Island and the coastal areas around Halifax, where he was interested primarily in marine algae. His publications during this time reflect that focus. In 1932, he published Observations of the seasonal changes in the marine algae in the vicinity of Halifax, with particular reference to winter conditions[2] and in 1933 he published The marine algae of the maritime provinces of Canada.[3] Both of these articles were co-authored by Constance MacFarlane who was then a graduate student at Dalhousie and later became one of the few women scientists working in Nova Scotia in the mid 1900’s. MacFarlane left Nova Scotia to pursue post-graduate work, returning in 1949 to take a position with the Nova Scotia Research Foundation and to teach at Acadia University.[4] Upon her return, she continued to accompany Bell on various collecting outings and at one point, they both worked for the Nova Scotia Research Foundation.

There is a nine year gap in the notebooks held by the Dalhousie University Archives from 1934-1943. During this period Bell seems to have shifted his focus from the study of marine algae to land based plants, though he does continue to collect marine algae. During the period when there are no notebooks, Bell was publishing research related to apple trees. He published apple related research in the Canadian Journal of Research, Section C in 1937, 1939, 1940 and 1941. When the notebooks pick up again in 1943, there is a nine year gap in any publishing activity from Bell.

From 1943 to 1950, Bell continues his field collecting but is less focused on the coastal zone. He spends a lot of time visiting bogs and wetlands in the Halifax area, particularly on the western side of the Northwest Arm and in Hants County. In these locations he collects a variety of land based and freshwater aquatic plants.

In 1950 Bell starts to publish more research, but this time his publications are related to blueberry plants. This starts with his 1950 article Determinate growth in the blueberry.[5] He publishes five more articles on blueberry plant biology from 1953-1957. In the coming decade, Nova Scotia becomes a leader in blueberry production in Canada and blueberries develop into a global business for the province. Bell’s early research was likely a major part of the original evolution of this industry in Nova Scotia and Canada. By the mid 1950’s the vast majority of his collecting trips relate to blueberry plants.

A Story Told in the Notebooks
The unexpected charm of these notebooks comes from the personal details and small tidbits of current events that are often included in the otherwise scientific observations. For those interested in botany, there is unquestionable value in the details of precisely what plants Hugh Bell collected, when he collected them and from where. The secondary value in the notebooks comes from the contextual details included in many entries. These details tell us about life in Nova Scotia during the period, as well as a little bit more about Hugh Bell’s life and personality.

For example, on May 8, 1945 we learn that Canadian Navy Rear Admiral Leonard Murray was driving the streets of Halifax with a loud speaker imploring residents to stay in their homes during the now infamous V.E. Day Riots.[6] These riots are a well documented event in the history of Halifax but it’s none the less interesting to read a first person account of someone who was in the city at the time, who was not really impacted by the riots.

Other entries reveal a little more about larger plans that Hugh Bell might have had professionally. In the June 12-14, 1950 entry Bell describes a trip to Yarmouth where he met with lawyer Irving C. Pink about “big shots in the blueberry industry”. Pink was a Dalhousie graduate and future Order of Canada recipient who clearly had business contacts in the area. The meeting suggests that Bell might have had an interest in blueberry production that extended beyond the botanical aspects. Further along in the diaries, on June 19, 1951, Bell describes another trip. This trip was to St. Francis Xavier University where he had a long talk after dinner with Moses Coady. Coady was influential member of the early co-operative movement in the Maritimes and one of the founders of the Antigonish Movement. It’s possible that Bell was interested in the roles that cooperatives could play in blueberry production in the region or the importance of adult education for blueberry producers. Regardless of the real intent behind both of these trips, the entries in the notebooks provide us with some clues about a broader interest in the societal context of his scientific work.

There are not a lot of first person accounts of life in Nova Scotia from this period. Bell will often record the names of people providing accommodations or lunch at a particular destination. He’ll also include details about clothing worn, individuals encountered or businesses visited. Added to this are sometimes details about the weather and road conditions and even the cost of goods and services. For readers with an interest in natural history and for those more generally interested in life in Halifax from 1932-1956, the notebooks provide a fascinating glimpse of the period.

Editorial Notes
The transcriptions of Bell’s notebooks are our best attempt at converting hand written notes to computer text for presentation online. The Dalhousie University Archives manages the original source material in print (Reference Code MS-2-749) and as scanned page images available at https://findingaids.library.dal.ca/hugh-philip-bell-fonds.

A light editorial touch has been taken with the version of the notebooks presented here. The notebooks are an informal recording of real world events. As such, spelling in the originals was not always correct. Minor spelling corrections were made throughout. Words that are important in a sentence, but could not be determined due to difficulty reading the handwriting, are provided as a best guess in square brackets. Otherwise, the corrections are made without note. McAlpine’s Directory was used as source for correct spelling of surnames present in Nova Scotia in the early 1900s. The directory is available on the Nova Scotia Provincial Archives website at https://archives.novascotia.ca/directory/. In some cases, nonessential words are added to make a sentence flow more clearly.

To add value to the digital edition of the notebooks, geographic coordinates are included as a quick reference to locate areas where Bell was collecting named plants. Not every entry included plant collection, so geographic coordinates are not provided for those entries. Also, modern place names are used to facilitate current location of plant observations. Deprecated historic place names were verified using the The 1924 Highway Map of the Province of Nova Scotia.[7] Modern place names are geolocated using the Canadian Geographical Names Database.[8] If the modern place name could not be determined, the name used by Bell was kept and no coordinates are given.

Anyone interested in a completely faithful rendition of the notebooks should consult the original scanned page images noted above. The transcribed edition presented here is intended to serve as a searchable and readable version accessible to current readers.

Geoff Brown
Digital Scholarship Librarian
Dalhousie University Libraries

Details of Bell's military service and a copy of his obituary are available on an archived version of the Regimental Rogue website https://web.archive.org/web/20200810222658/http://www.regimentalrogue.com/rcr_great_war_officers/rcr_offr_bell_hp.html↵

Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science. Vol.18(3): 134-176. ↵

Canadian Journal of Research. Vol.9(3): 265-279, 280-293 ↵

The Nova Scotian Institute of Science inducted Dr. Constance MacFarlane into the NS Scientific Hall of Fame in 2010. ↵

Canadian Journal of Research. Vol.28c(6): 637-644. ↵

The Dalhousie University Archives has a collection of photographs with scenes from the riots at https://findingaids.library.dal.ca/photographs-of-v-e-day-riots-in-halifax-nova-scotia↵

Map of the Province of Nova Scotia: Showing All County Boundaries, Public Highways, Trails, Railways, Cities, Towns, Villages, Lakes, Streams and Harbours. Halifax, NS, Office of the Provincial Highway Board, 1924. ↵

Downloaded from the Government of Canada website https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography/download-geographical-names-data/9245 on January 13, 2022 ↵

Chapter 1 - 1932

September 15, 1932 (McNabs Island)
Thursday. Went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993] with Dr. Huntsman, Dr. Gran, Dr. Gran’s son (MacKenzie), Kearney, and Vladykov. Met at the King’s Wharf and went to the Eastern Passage in the Biology Boat. Had lunch on board and then went to the Eastern Passage Laboratories where we went over the laboratories and collected the workers there. After staying sometime at these laboratories, we all were taken over in the boat to Range Pier and walked across the island to Connie’s Pool. There was practically nothing growing in this pool except eelgrass. Huntsman examined a lot of this. The stones of the pool had a lot of black spots over them that might be the tiding over conditions of some of the forms that appear on these rocks a little later.

At the northwestern extremity of the lagoon there was quite a growth of Enteromorpha on the lower rocks left bare by the tide.

The whole party walked as far as the main exit of the lagoon, quite a number of them getting their feet wet. There were only two pairs of tall rubber boots for the party. The algae at the main outlet were in the typical September conditions. Chordaria was still present in considerable quantities but was old. The filamentous reds were covered with diatoms. No Scytosiphon, no Ilea, no Chorda. Dulse was present at the lowest level. At this main outlet all, except Huntsman and I, turned back. We continued around the end of the island. Huntsman got quite enthusiastic regarding the possibilities of collecting in and around the lagoon. In the lagoon I found some Bryopsis. At the South east corner of the lagoon we met two fishermen from Devils Island. Huntsman spent quite a time talking to them. We walked back along the shore, went back in the boat first to Eastern Passage Station then to King’s Wharf.

Dr. Gran gave me a lot of information regarding life histories of the Algae.

October 14, 1932 (Halifax Harbour at Point Pleasant Park)
Friday. Borrowed the Hupmobile. D.W. and I went collecting at the breakwater.

There was nothing out of the ordinary here. There was a lot of Monostroma below the low water mark. Halosaccion, plentiful and wiry. Very much branched and some of the branches small, but no sign of inflation. I was unable to tell whether or not there was any new growth. The plants all looked old and sort of moth-eaten but this may have been mostly the dirt in the harbour. Chorda, all gone. Chordaria one or two plants remaining in spots. Rhodochorton plentiful but laden with diatoms, Polysiphonias etc. There was not much growth of filamentous reds. Some could be seen deep down but, we did not collect any.

Porphyra present in places but not especially plentiful.

Fucus normal.

Alaria not present.

From the breakwater we walked to Point Pleasant [coordinates 44.618832, -63.564588]. The tide was fairly low and I was able to wade out on the first (Laminaria) reef. I was hunting for Ahnfeltia but did not find any. Laminaria, chiefly Agardhii, apparently all ages. Chondrus was present in great abundance and some of it was fruiting.

On the second reef the tide was low enough for me to wade across to the second line of rocks and I carried D.W. over there too.

Dumontia – Absolutely no trace could be found.

Ilea – On the furthest out rocks and in the deepest pools there were small plants about three inches long and half an inch wide.

Scytosiphon – With the Ilea there were a few plants four or five inches long.

Filamentous Reds – On the furthest out rocks and in the deepest pools there were a few small tufts of filamentous Reds. Apparently just starting.

From the Point we drove around to the Dingle and collected “Murum.”

October 22, 1932 (McNabs Island)
Saturday. Dorothy Webster and I went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993]. Breakfast at my house, Marjorie up. Shared taxi to King’s Wharf. Weather dull and cool but no rain. Late in the afternoon the sun came out.

On MacNab’s Island the ground was pretty wet from the numerous rains and getting down past the search lights the mud was knee deep.

First, we went to Connie’s Pool. There was nothing growing here except eelgrass. There was one piece of Monostroma about half an inch long, but otherwise the algae growth was non-existent. I have never seen the rocks in this pool so completely devoid of algae. We were not content with the usual inspection of this pool but returned to it after we had been at its outlets, and went into the water, examining rocks, etc. Even then there was no evidence of any growth.

Noticing something cool I found that the seat of my trousers were torn.

After first inspection of Connie’s Pool we put on our top coats and left our kits, etc. in the shelter of the trees as we went along the barrier reef.

Lagoon
There was a rich growth of Enteromorpha linza at the northwest corner of the lagoon. Otherwise, there was nothing growing along the edges. To be sure of this I waded along at many places. The rocks were completely bare, except for the flat and globular growths of Bluegreens.

Minor Outlets
Nothing growing. The rocks were covered with little globular colonies of Rivularia. There was also a flat expansion, that I could not recognize. We took samples of this into the laboratory and it turned out to be a bluegreen too, probably another of the Rivulariaceae.

Main Outlet

Ilea – There was some to be found but not very much, just an occasional and scanty growth. Some was 3/8 inch wide and 6 inches long, but most was about 3 inches long.

Scytosiphon – Scarce like the Ilea and most of it not more than 4 or 5 inches long. But some was as long as 8 inches and contorted.

Polysiphonias – There were a number of small red tufts of young plants. We took these into the laboratory for identification. They turned out to be.

Enteromorpha linza – a few small plants along with the Ilea.

Monostroma – None observed.

Branched Filamentous green – (one tuft) probably a Cladophora.

Spongomorpha arcta – A few small old tufts, but very rare.

Laminaria agardhii – A number of small old plants with decayed broken edges.

Chordaria – A few clumps of old string like plants.

Chondrus – As usual.

Dumontia – We hunted everywhere but could find not slightest trace of any Domontia. We even examined and scraped the rocks for holdfasts.

In general, the growth was very scanty. The tide was low at 7:10 and we were collecting at 10. At this time the tide was starting to run in at every outlet and this interrupted our collecting.

When we got back to our kits in the trees there was a man there with a gun. He said he had taken a shot at a loon, but missed. The firewood was very wet but we got a fire going. Dorothy said she was not sleepy, and then went to sleep for two hours. We caught the mid-day duty boat back. Shared a taxi to the laboratory, and examined the material on the rocks. The band was gathering in the Munro Room when we got there. It was going out to the football match.

November 5, 1932 (McNabs Island)
Saturday. D.W. and I went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993]. This was the morning after the dance at Shirreff Hall. Breakfast at my house. Marjorie got it ready. D.W. arrived at 6:30. Shared taxi to Duty Boat. At the Ferry Wharf I left message for Moore regarding Biology Club trip the next day. On arrival at MacNabs we went right to Connie’s Pool. Walking was not so muddy as the last day.

Connie’s Pool
Nothing at all growing in the pool except eelgrass. Put boots on in the usual place. The day was dull but warm. The level of the lagoon was lower than I had ever seen it before. The main outlet was only half its usual width and at first, I did not recognize it. Water was running out of only one other outlet, and only a little trickle at that.

Minor Outlets
All except one completely dry.

Main Outlet
The rocks were completely exposed everywhere except for about thirty feet at south end of outlet where the water was about 10 inches deep. The growth had greatly increased since last visit.

Dumontia – The main object of the trip was observation of this species. A few small but flourishing plants were found at both the main outlet and the largest minor outlet. This is the first observation for this season. The plants were 1 to 2 inches long and a deep purple colour. The fronds were much contorted. Collections were made, but much hunting was necessary to locate these specimens.

Ilea- More plentiful than on October 22nd but still not abundant.

Scytosiphon- Quite plentiful in spots, forming dense clumps and often averaging 8 inches long.

Chordaria – Old fronds still present.

Laminaria agardhii- A large number of fronds about a foot long.

Alaria esculenta – None

Sargassum [?] – One large old specimen heavily infected with epiphytes.

Chondrus- A rich growth everywhere and no sign of any monostroma growing on it. The growth appeared to be exceptionally luxuriant.

Hormiscia – Fairly dense on a few rocks. Collected some for the class.

Bangia – A little present with the Hormiscia.

Porphyra- Some young stages observed.

Enteromorpha linza – More plentiful than last time. Collected some for class.

Monostroma – None observed.

Spongomorpha arcata – Observed but not common. Collected some for class.

Polysiphonia – This was the conspicuous feature in the change of flora. There were small bright red Polly’s everywhere. It was most striking to see these little plants starting up all over the bottom and from the crevice of every rock.

Chaetomorpha- Some bleached floating tangled mosses.

Before having lunch, I hunted for the path back through the woods but did not find it. Lunch on grass place where deer reside. Mighty tired. D.W. slept soundly and would not wake up. Said she wished the boat did not go till 5.

On the way past the fort, we noticed that they were building a garage over one of the big guns.

Walked back in a little over ½ an hour. Washed Dumontia on arrival at Garrison Pier. Shared taxi to lab.

Changed liquid on Dumontia again.

The reason for the very low level of the lagoon was apparently the low level of the high tides for the previous four or five days, for the low tide level was not below the usual. Apparently, the lagoon had not been filled up for some days.

November 6, 1932 (McNabs Island)
Sunday. Biology Club went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993]. It was a marvelous day. The following went:

Miss MacKeen
Jean MacKay
Isabel Cox
Dorothy Webster
Lorna MacLeod
Marjorie Ball
Peggy Bell

Wilmer Fraser
Calder Fraser
Don Ross
___ Davison
Earl Hiltz
Basil Coady
Graham Simms
Bob Aikins
___ Kearney
Jimmie Bill
HPB

The charge for the boat was $10. Miss MacKeen was on time but Kearney had gone home to change his trousers and kept us all waiting. Left at 11 a.m. and arrived at Range Pier at 11:37. Walked to usual spot, where we decided to have lunch on the beach the day was so warm. D.W, Isabel Cox, Don Ross and I got the water hauling while the others went to Thrumcap. We got the water from the well and hauled it before letting anyone touch it. They then provided the following for lunch: vegetable soup, hot dogs, buns and coffee. They had brought frying pans and the big aluminum pot.

Lorna MacLeod went to sleep as soon as we arrived. Started back at 3:30, boat 4 p.m. Took taxi to lab. Miss MacKeen, D.W., Wilmer Fraser, Jimmie & myself. While at Thrumcap, we made a few observations. There was not much washed-up large Laminaria agardhii, but some Laminaria digitata and some old Alaria.

Temperature of water in surf 9 ½ degrees Celsius; temperature of water in lagoon 11 degrees Celsius. We hid a bucket beside the bottles.

November 13, 1932 (McNabs Island)
Sunday. D.W. and I went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993]. Breakfast at my house. As Hazel and Winthrop were staying with us, I asked Hazel to drive us down but she could not get her car started. Left my house at about 9:10 and left the wharf at about 9:30. D.W. spent some time hunting for a place where she could get some biscuits. On the way down we saw the duty boat coming back, and learnt for the first time that it runs on Sunday. We arranged for the boat to come back at 4:30.

We walked through the woods to the range but from there on, we went around the beach.

At the end of the island, I made a collection from the well. The growth there turned out to be Tribonema. There was very little wash on the beach although there had been a big storm, but the surf was still very high. There was a strong wind.

Main Outlet
The water was deep, and the current running fast. This with the wind made observation difficult. However, the chief object of the trip was to see if the Dumontia had increased with great rapidity. It was possible to see that there was no great increase in the amount of Dumontia. Two collections were made and the plants were about the same size as the week before. Thus there had been no sudden and rapid increase up to this time. Other conditions were not changed sufficiently to be worthy of note.

Old Chordaria was still present. Dumontia was collected in the minor outlets as well as the main outlet. No sign of any growth in either the lagoon or Connie’s Pool. Before lunch I made a collection from the deer’s drinking pool. This turned out to be a rich culture of Zygnema and later developed some Peridinia.

We had lunch at the deer’s abode and caught the boat at 4:25. The boatman charged me $6, that is $3 per trip. On arrival at Halifax, we took the street car to the laboratory and took care of the material.

On the island we noticed that the garage over the gun was completed, also we tried various of the paths from the fort end but they were all grown in. On the way back in the boat we changed the water on the Dumontia twice. When I got back to my house the Douglas’s and the Winthrop B’s were having tea.

November 17, 1932 (Wolfville)
Thursday. Dorothy Webster, Margaret Butler, Miss Johnson and myself went to Acadia [University] in the Frontenac. We left shortly after lunch and went up in 1 hour and 57 minutes. Weather slightly rainy. At Wolfville, I borrowed a book. M.R.B. had a long talk with Bains. I gave a talk before the seminar. Perry Bains and Roscoe entertained us for supper. I got a piece of metal in the trunk of the car and had the outer casing patched. Started for home in the dark and rain. Took nearly three hours to get back. Struck fog. Everything O.K.

November 26, 1932 (McNabs Island)
Saturday. D.W. and I went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993]. Breakfast at my house. Went down to duty boat in Frontenac and left it on the King’s Wharf. Both Janet and Jimmie came down while we were at breakfast. Fine day to start with but it got cloudy on the way down in the boat. There was a very high wind from the south west. The sun rose with a glorious sunrise as we were driving down to the wharf. On arrival at MacNab’s, we walked directly to the collecting grounds.

Connie’s Pool
Nothing growing, even eelgrass appeared to be less.

Put on boots in the usual place and ate Dorothy’s peanut butter sandwiches. While we were putting on our boots we observed enormous flocks of seagulls on the rocks near the main outlet. By the time we were walking along the reef it had started to rain. The tide was only about half out, thus there was a swift deep current at every outlet. But we had brought a glass dish and by means of this we were able to observe the growth very well. There is no need to give the ordinary forms in detail, all members of the autumn crop had increased in size and abundance.

Rhodymenia palmata – A number of young plants of this species were observed. They were about four inches long.

Dumontia filiformis – Collections were made, but the plants were neither abundant or large. They were observed in both the main and minor outlets. In the main outlet they were observed on the lagoon side at the south end. The plants averaged about 2 inches long, but there were some as long as 4 inches. By the time we reached the main outlet it was raining hard.

Illustration of Dumontia filiformis from: British sea-weeds : drawn from Professor Harvey’s “Phycologia Britannica” … by Gatty, [Margaret] Alfred, Mrs., 1809-1873; Harvey, William H. (William Henry), 1811-1866. Phycologia britannica. Public domain. Accessed on December 8, 2022 <https://archive.org/embed/britishseaweedsd21872gatt>.

A number of water temperatures were taken:

Main outlet – 6.1 degrees Celsius

Ocean near main outlet – 7.1 degrees Celsius

Minor outlet – 6.4 degrees Celsius

Very quiet shallow place near shore in lagoon between outlets – 6.9 degrees Celsius

Temperature of air – 9 degrees Celsius

Lagoon
There was no growth around the edge of lagoon.

By the time we got back to the park it was not raining so hard. I hid the glass dish with the bottles and collected a jar full of water algae and moss from the well where the deer drink. At first we thought of trying to get inside one of the military huts to get out of the rain, but we found a good sheltered spot under the trees and had our lunch there. The rain continued as showers. There were a large number of strips of Laminaria longicruris washed up on the shore. Waited for boat in waiting room and talked to two soldiers and a civilian who were there. Saw Jean Webster and her officer friend on arrival at the King’s Wharf.

Frontenac O.K. Took material to laboratory. K. Hebb, Grace Murray and friend were working in the lab when we arrived. Drove Dorothy to hall, went home to a hot bath and sleep. Hot bath felt mighty good.

December 10, 1932 (McNabs Island)
Saturday. D.W. and I went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993]. Breakfast at my house. Arranged the night before for a boat to call for us at the Range Pier at 4:30 ($3). Shared taxi to duty boat. Going down in the boat the captain, named Faulkner, came into the cabin and spoke to us for quite a while regarding sea plants and animals brought up attached to cables. He had worked on a cable ship. The duty boat called at Ives Point first then at Garrison Pier.

On the way down the island, we investigated the hut possibilities. We got into the enclosures around the gun emplacement huts and Dorothy found that the window on the east side was open and a ladder led up to this window in one hut. Then we found the old hut between the ranges and investigated the possibilities of its verandah. We went down to the end of the island through the woods.

There was a thin covering of snow that had just fallen. This covered up the algae on the beach and also made the rocks very slippery.

The bucket that I had partially hidden when down with the biology club had gone. On arrival at Little Thrumcap we changed our boots in the shelter at the south end and also ate Dorothy’s sandwiches.

Before reaching the main outlet, I investigated the little bay in the lagoon that is between Little Thrumcap and the main outlet. It is an outlet at high water. There we found a large bed of well developed Dumontia. We made quite a large collection. Taking all varieties of plants in the laboratory just in sea water. (In addition to those preserved in chromo-acetic).

Main Outlet

Dumontia – A few plants were observed but not many.

Laminaria Agardhii – The fronds were three or four feet long in certain cases, frilled and often broken.

Ilea and Scytosiphon – Many large and dense clumps.

Dumontia and Hormiscia – Plentiful (?)

Chordaria – Still very few. Some old fronds remaining.

Filamentous Reds – Growing large.

Other forms like Chrondrus, Fucus, etc. as usual.

Minor Outlets
Dumontia observed in two or three places, apparently more plentiful than in the main outlet.

Lagoon
Still no sign of growth around the edge. The Entoromorpha linza at the NW corner was fruiting abundantly.

Connie’s Pool
Nothing growing except at the north end were the water runs out. There we found one little clump of a young green, either Enteromorpha or Monostroma.

As there was snow on the ground, we decided to have lunch under the trees where it was fairly dry. I had taken the inside of my old bedroll so we could sit down. I left Dorothy and lunch, and went back for water from the well from which the deer drink. (Peridium culture also, zygnema). The well was frozen over but with only thin ice.

Caught boat at Range Pier at 4:15. Took material to laboratory via street car.

During the next few days we examined the Dumontia very carefully. It contained every kind of plant, small, large, branched, unbranched, etc. but we could find no trace of any reproductive [structure] of any kind.

December 16, 1932 (Halifax Harbour at Point Pleasant Park)
Friday. D.W. and I collected on breakwater and at Point Pleasant [coordinates 44.618832, -63.564588]. I wanted to get fresh plants for the examination in Botany 12. This took place the next day. It was bitterly cold. We walked both ways, going first to the breakwater.

Nothing special observed on the breakwater. The side branches of the Halsaccion appeared to be longer, broader and more numerous.

At Point Pleasant

Fucus platycarpus – We found only one plant with a conceptacle attached but it was getting dusk.

Dumontia filiformus – Before it got dusk Dorothy spotted one small plant of Dumontia. It was a little tuft with fronds about ¾ of an inch long.

We walked back through the park and had some hot tea when we got to the lab.

Chapter 2 - 1933

January 9, 1933 (McNabs Island)
Tuesday. Dorothy Webster and I went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993].

Called up Leim from the Forrest Building and arranged to be taken down in the Fisheries station boat. Left the King’s Wharf at 11 AM. Claud Darrah was handling the boat by himself. There was a strong northerly wind blowing and quite a sea running. We anchored off the Garrison Pier and Claud took us to the wharf in a dory. We had some difficulty in landing on account of the waves. Arranged to have him call back for us at the Range Pier.

Went direct to the collecting and changed our boats at the usual place.

NW End of Lagoon
There was a patch of fair sized Dumontia in the shallow water at the NW end of Lagoon. The Enteromorpha at this spot was very little changed.

Main Outlet
Collected what I thought was Bangia for the class. But it was something else. I should look for this next year.

Chordaria – Some old plants still present at Northern edge.

Dumontia – Slightly more plentiful than on December 10th, but not yet growing in abundance.

Laminaria agardhii – Plentiful, long and frayed.

Filamentous Reds – Large and plentiful.

Ilea and Scytosiphon – Plentiful.

There was no great observable change in mast forms.

Spot between Main Outlet and Little Thrumcap
The Dumontia was much more plentiful at this spot. So we made the collection there, also we brought in some still attached to rocks and tried to grow in the laboratory.

Later on examining all this Dumontia in the laboratory we were unable to detect any fruiting bodies.

Lagoon
All along the edge occasional clumps of small Dumontia plants could be found.

There was no ice anywhere. Collecting was difficult on account of the high wind. Once when bending over I almost got blown into the water. Collecting appeared to be especially cold for the hands.

Lunch where the deer sleep. Started for the boat at 3:30 PM. Caught boat at Range Pier at 4:15 PM. Claud had another man with him, who took us off in a dory, but still we had some difficulty on account of the wind.

At the King’s Wharf we saw Shorty Dwyer drive off in his car just as we landed. I went in and thanked Leim. Took the street car to the lab. In the lab we put the Dumontia on the stones in the window and the rest of the Dumontia and what I had mistaken for Bangia in a dish.

February 7, 1933 (McNabs Island)
Tuesday. Dorothy Webster and I went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993]. Took Moore’s boat to Ives. The road beyond the Garrison Pier was almost obliterated. At the place where we usually change over boots, the log on which we used to sit (and under which we had the bottles hidden) was completely washed away and the bottles were smashed. I found the remains of the dish away up the woods. The place where Enteromorpha grows at the NW corner of the Lagoon was covered with ice.

2nd Outlet

Dumontia – Long and plentiful in the outlet, we collected it here on the way back.

Desmarestia viridis – Plentiful.

Monostroma – Starting everywhere.

Illustration of Desmarestia viridis From: Icones of Japanese algae by Okamura, Kintaro (1867-1935). Public domain. Accessed on December 15, 2022 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmarestia_viridis#/media/File:Iconesofjapanese02okam_0140.jpg>.

Main Outlet

Dumontia – Fairly plentiful.

Scytosiphon – Long and large.

Ilea – Plentiful and starting to go to pieces.

Desmarestia viridis – Present.

Polysiphonia – Long and healthy.

Spongomorpha – In great quantities.

Hormiscia – Present.

Bangia (what I mistook for Bangia) – Present and turning brown.

Laminaria agardhii – Plentiful and long.

Fucus evanescens – Fruiting everywhere.

Ascophyllum – Large, receptacles almost ripe.

Rhodymenia – In surf with abundant young growth form the fronds.

Lagoon

Desmarestia viridis – Plentiful.

Scytosiphon — Plentiful but not as rich as in 2nd Outlet.

Ilea – Plentiful but not as rich as in 2nd Outlet.

Dumontia – Plentiful but not as rich as in 2nd Outlet.

Dumontia was not collected near little Thrumcap because it was not as large or as long as in the 2nd Outlet. Looked at Connie’s Pool on way back but could see nothing on account of the ice and because of the mud stirred up when ice was broken.

There was a fair amount of wash on the shore, this included:

Chondrus

Olaria

Agarum

Laminaria agardhii, etc.

Collected 4 bottles of water from well where the deer drink. Lunch on beach and built a good-sized fire. A boat entered the lagoon by the Main Outlet while we were eating our lunch. We caught Moore’s boat at Range Pier at exactly 4:30 PM. On the way home Moore picked up a passenger from one of the Government boats and as a result took fifty cents off his price to me.

Photograph of Agarum cribosum specimen collected by Hugh Bell near Thrumcap, Halifax Harbour on August 6, 1930 in a similar location to the Agarum observed on February 7, 1933. From the National Herbarium of Canada collection. Accessed on January 5, 2023 <https://www.nature-cana.ca/databases/specimen_main.php?Nav=Main&GoToRecord=3>

March 7, 1933 (McNabs Island)
Tuesday. D.W. and myself went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993]. Breakfast at my house. Shared a taxi to boat. On the way to boat we saw a Dalhousie girl running down South Street. Florence Hewitt was on the duty boat going down to her school on McNabs Island. Duty boat called at Ives first, we got off at the Garrison Pier. There was quite a lot of snow on the ground.

Outlets

Dumontia – Very plentiful everywhere.

Desmarestia viridis – Plentiful.

Bangia – Appearing everywhere. This was quite different from what I took for Bangia before. The material that I mistook for Bangia had turned brown and was decaying, and I could not find any healthy strands from which to identify the former growth.

Ilea and Scytosiphon – Large and plentiful, no change except being larger.

Monostroma – In a very interesting small balloon stage covered the rocks everywhere.

Dulse – In a form that was apparently new growth. Was quite plentiful in the main outlet. It was most plentiful near the breakers but there was quite a lot of it higher up in the shallow water.

Chorda filum – A few young plants present. These were dark brown in colour and covered with a dense coating of hairs. These were spotted first by D.W.

Around the edge of the lagoon the Dumontia was plentiful. The bed of Enteromorpha at the NW corner of the lagoon was still present.

Before lunch I hid another glass dish under the spruce tree near where the deer drink. Lunch on the shore. After lunch a man landed in a boat to collect wood. I gave him a hand. It took 40 minutes to walk to the boat, the walking was very hard.

In the laboratory I neglected to put the main collections (chiefly Dumontia) in killing fluid. The next day they had all gone bad.

Chapter 3 - 1934

March 18, 1934 (McNabs Island)
Sunday. Went with group of students to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993]. Those who went were:

Donelda Douglas
Isabel MacKay
Isabel Page
Madeline Page
Aileen Meagher
Harold Wright
Blair LePage
Jimmie Bell
H.P. Bell

Met Wright at Laboratory at 9:20 and collected dishes etc. which Wright put in my pack sack. Wright carried this to the ferry. Jimmie went with Wright. I took a tram car. Left wharf in Moore’s boat at 10:20. Wright beat Moore down to eight dollars for trip. Landed at Naval Pier. Walked along the shore to range, across to lagoon, over to south end of island. A strong wind was blowing so nobody went out to Thrumcap. Had some trouble locating a good place for lunch. Finally built a fire on top of a cliff. Day was dull and a fog obscured the view. Fire not very big. Jimmie got wet and cold. Wright took him for a walk. Later he felt better when he built a snow fort and had a battle with Donelda and Isabel MacKay. Started back about 2:40 to catch boat at 3:30. Walked around the shore on eastside of island. The woods were full of snow and ice everywhere. My knee hurt me quite a bit. Jimmie got very thirsty. I could not find the well. Some went to the forts for water and brought back a cup full.  Jimmie drank it all. Boat called for us a little late. For both trips he used boat with small bow cabin. Fairly rough crossing harbour. LePage took pack sack to college. Jimmie and I went home via street car.

May 23, 1934 (Halifax Harbour at Point Pleasant Park)
Wednesday. Myself and Vera Facey[1] collected on the breakwater. A dull day with occasional showers but not cold. Drove down to squadron in Frontenac, and took large flasks for sea water, I took top boots. VF did not.

Collected Fucus vesiculosus for Güssow also Dulse and Enteromorpha compress. Brought back samples of various seaweeds for VF to learn names. The Chorda filum was quite plentiful and was still covered with the brown assimilative filaments. Dulse was very scarce and small. The Laminaria agardhii that usually formed such a dense growth especially at the end of the breakwater was non-existent. The Halosaccion was present but not so plentiful as sometimes. The complete absence of the Laminarias gave a very unusual appearance to the growth.

May 24, 1934 (East Chester)
Thursday. While down visiting Father for the holiday, I collected some Fucus vesiculous and Ascophyllum nodosum. They were each fruiting, and apparently just about ripe. That’s more advanced than the plants of these species collected the day before on the breakwater at Halifax.

Photograph of Fucus vesiculosus specimen collected by Hugh Bell in East Chester on May 24, 1934. From the National Herbarium of Canada collection. Accessed on January 5, 2023 <https://www.nature-cana.ca/databases/specimen_main.php?Nav=ViewRelatedRecords&IdSpec=37531&IdAcc=6057&lang=en>

June 5, 1934 (McNabs Island)
Tuesday. Went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993] with V. Facey. The duty boat left early and did not come back to the Garrison Pier till late. It was nearly 6 before I got back to the lab. The most striking thing noticed during the collecting was that the Chondrus in the Main Outlet was practically all gone. The rocks that were formerly covered with a dense mat, were perfectly bare. The purpose of the trip was to get material for dry mounts to be sent to Ottawa. We got these. See No.’s A.305 – A.307.

Illustration of Chrondrus crispus from: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen. Public domain, Accessed on December 8, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chondrus_crispus_-_K%C3%B6hler%E2%80%93s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-034.jpg>

September 17, 1934 (McNabs Island)
Monday. Went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993] to get Chondrus for Miss Butler. Miss Butler went, and also Madeline and Isabel Page. The duty boat left at 8:15 and returned about 3:45 at Garrison Pier. Artillery officers were on board on both trips.

The eelgrass in Connie’s Pool was growing in quite large patches.

The Chondrus in the Main Outlet has started to grow, but the fronds were very short. It was difficult to get enough material.

The bathing was good in both the lagoon and in the surf. The water was warm in both places. I went in. I did not take my rubber boots but wore my bathing suit.

Vera Facey graduated from Dalhousie in 1936 and went on to become a botanist and professor at the University of North Dakota in 1947 where she remained until her retirement in 1979 as an emeritus professor. A small collection of her papers is held at the University of North Dakota Special Collections (Vera Facey Papers. OGLMC 1425, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, https://apps.library.und.edu/archon/?p=collections/controlcard&id=187). ↵

Chapter 4 - 1943

May 19, 1943 (Glen Haven, St. Margaret’s Bay)[1]
Wednesday. Dr. Bell, Mrs. Bell, Professor Bennet and I went on first trip to Professor Bennet’s cottage at Glen Haven, St. Margaret’s Bay [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005]. We took down 2 microscopes and collected Fucus vesiculosus from the shore, using the microscopes to separate the males and females. We had tea in the cottage and bought eggs on the way home.

May 21, 1943 (Dingle)
Friday. We took the ferry to the Dingle and walked through the woods to the Frog Pond. We called at Major Balders but didn’t get any tea.

June 5, 1943 (Mount Uniacke)
Saturday. We got a lift to Mount Uniacke [coordinates 44.892004, -63.829272] where we explored a bog 1 ½ miles past the village. We climbed a larch tree to collect the pistillate cones, but I dropped half of them out of the tin can. We found and made mounts of Andromeda glaucophylla and Kalmia polifolia, and returned by the 4:11 bus.

June 9, 1943 (Jollimore)
Wednesday. We went with Eville across the Northwest Arm and picked up Professor Walmsley returning from a hike. We went to Colpitt Lake and on through the woods to William’s Lake. We collected some of last year’s Staghorn Sumach from the hill at Jollimore settlement [coordinates 44.628499, -63.607916].

June 15, 1943 (Windsor)
Tuesday. Edgehill school closing. We stopped at Mt. Uniacke for more larch cones, and arrived in the middle of the speeches. It was cold and we watched the gym display wrapped in rugs. We brought back some Cornus stolonifera and stopped at the wrong place for yellow orchids for Janet. We collected some slime from the Meander, but it died.

June 23, 1943 (Bedford)
Wednesday. We took the bus to Bedford with Janet to collect some Christmas ferns and I lost my master key in the woods.

July 2, 1943 (Cow Bay)
Friday. We took the ferry and bus to Eastern Passage, and walked by the shore to Cow Bay [coordinates 44.60909, -63.433305], collecting some Hormiscia off the rocks on the shore. We walked unheeded past sentries and found beach pea in bloom, Mertensia maritima just starting to flower and Ligusticum scoticum in bud. We had lunch on the beach and returned by the proper road.

July 7, 1943 (Lawrencetown)
Wednesday. Dr. Bell took Janet, the Bisset family and Eve to Lawrencetown. We got water from the 2nd Mrs. Oland and went to the small beach. We hunted in vain for wild geraniums, and after lunch some of us went down to the long beach where we picked pitcher plants. We also found Ligusticum scoticum and another large Umbelliferae possibly Heracleum lanatum (Frenchman) of which we want to make a mount someday. We swam the current to look for Ahnfeltia, but found it on our return where we had been picnicking. We found 2 geranium flowers before leaving and took some parts of a horse skeleton back to Dr. Hayes.

Illustration of Ligusticum scoticum From: Bilder ur Nordens Flora by Carl Axel Magnus Lindman, 1856-1928. Public domain. Accessed on December 8, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:253_Ligusticum_scoticum.jpg>.

July 15, 1943 (Williams Lake)
Thursday. We took the canoe and Janet to Williams Lake [coordinates 44.620131, -63.595524], portaging it from the Saraguay. We couldn’t find any bladderworts, but we found Sedum stoloniferum, a pink sedum at the lake edge by the broken wharves. We had lunch on an island from which Janet and I went swimming.

July 16, 1943 (Oakfield)
Friday. We took the 8 a.m. bus to Oakfield [coordinates 44.900848, -63.576605], and were relieved to find Col. And Mrs. Laurie[2] leaving for Halifax on our arrival. We collected beech nuts, still green, near the ruins of the house, and then walked out to Indian Point through wonderful virgin woods. We found silver maples, yellow birches, white ash trees, ironwood trees, numerous Lycopodia and ferns, 2 Pyrolas, and many signs of luxurious vegetation. Janet went swimming and we had milk at the house on the way back.

July 21, 1943 (Dartmouth)
Wednesday. We took Janet walking round the first 2 Dartmouth lakes, picking up specimens of Spyrogyra and other algae from the streams, ponds and locks. We got lost for an hour at the head of the lake, but we finally found the path. We came out by the prefabricated houses and went by a new radio station.

July 22, 1943 (Kearney Lake)
Thursday. We went by car to Kearney Lake [coordinates 44.686954, -63.684984] in rather damp weather. We found Oxalis montana in bloom but no trace of the yew which used to grow on the bank. We were hunting for Spleenwort in a stream near the path but missed it completely because the lumberman had altered the scenery. After going much too far, we returned and leaving the beaten path we plunged upstream in search of the lake. Finally, we took to the woods, lit a fire, and had lunch in the drizzle. On returning we had one last search and found beautiful specimens just where they should have been, and so we returned to Halifax triumphant.

August 3, 1943 (McNabs Island)
Tuesday. We took the 8 a.m. duty boat to McNabs Island, got off at the Naval Range wharf and walked through batteries of guns, through the military range to Big Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993]. We hunted for Lamanaria stipes and, to Dr. Bell’s dismay, found the barrier beach between Big and Little Thrumcap washed away. So we returned to the island and lit a fire on the beach. We picked Alnus crispus berries at the military range and Ligusticum scoticum seeds on the beach. We found sea lavender half killed by tar and patches of Sandwort, Arenaria peploides [Honckenya peploids] in seed. We returned through the naval range and went across the harbour to York Redoubt on the way home.

August 12, 1943 (Kline Heights)
Thursday. We took Eville up through the Dingle to Kline heights in search of ferns and didn’t think much of the settlement there.

August 19, 1943 (Preston)
Thursday. We went by car to Preston [coordinates 44.715695, -63.434226] to Hugh Bell’s property, and took Eville. We visited the poison ivy plantation and collected a lot of flowers. We walked through swampy undergrowth to Lake Eagle where we made a collection of a Liverwort. We returned by the river and were glad to find the car intact at the school.

September 15, 1943 (Kentville)
Wednesday. We took Janet back to school and went on to the Experimental Farm at Kentville. We took J. Fred Hockey the slides, and looked at the labs and the greenhouses and then drove through the plantations. We had tea at Mrs. Bligh’s and stopped at Edgehill on our return to see Janet, and also Patience and Eve. It rained from 1 onwards.

September 17, 1943 (Chester)
Friday. We took the 6:55 train to Chester [coordinates 44.541408, -64.242544] and were met by Mrs. Winthrop Bell who took us to her house. We took the car and collected peat at a bog and returned for lunch where we met the child prodigies, Dora and Fabian. We visited the carpenter and returned in the afternoon train.

September 22, 1943 (Mt. Uniacke)
Wednesday. We went to Mt. Uniacke [coordinates 44.892004, -63.829272] by the 8 a.m. bus to explore Hugh Bell’s property there. We walked to the lake and were pleased to find a good hardwood plantation there. We lit a large fire and found lots of huckleberries. We got a little wet fording a stream and watched a sawmill at work while waiting for the bus home.

September 29, 1943 (Oakfield)
Wednesday. We went on our last trip to Oakfield [coordinates 44.900848, -63.576605] for the beech nuts and acorns, but the squirrels had been there first and what nuts there were, had no insides.  Finally, with the help of a stepladder we found one small half dead tree with a good crop and collected enough for a few years. We then walked to Indian Point and had our lunch, and afterwards walked through the fields to the sheep and came out by the old road. We went to the Laurie’s for tea and talked and were entertained on the way home by two drunks in the bus.

October 17, 1943 (Dartmouth)[3]
Sunday. I went collecting green filamentous algae for Botany 2. Laura B. and Jimmie came with me. We took the car and crossed to Dartmouth in the ferry, collecting at the “brook where we saw the horse” (just before Port Wallace) [coordinates 44.698815, -63.54767] and at Portobello. When at Portobello it started to rain and blow. I tried to get some gas from Oickle, but as it was Sunday, he would not sell me any.

After finishing collecting, we circled through Bedford and started for Windsor. At first Laura did not know where we were going. Quite a storm had sprung up. We had lunch beside a pond full of logs, bordered with piles of slabs. The wind blew the slabs all over the place and we had to move to save the car windows. Later, on our way to Windsor, we were almost hit by a falling branch.

At Edgehill, Laura found Janet, Patience and Eve, while I was talking to Miss Murray. These three came with us when we went collecting from the ponds in the college woods. Jimmie stayed in the car. It was pelting rain and all collectors got soaking wet. After returning the soaking inmates to Edgehill, we started for home. Jimmie would have liked to have gone on to Wolfville, but we did not have enough gas. We got home before dark. I examined the material the same evening. It was good.

December 30, 1943 (Long Lake)
Thursday. Laura and I started for the Frog Pond, William’s, Lake etc., but Boutilier’s ferry was not running (10 a.m.) so we took the tram to the head of the Arm, went up the road past Klein Heights, and through the woods to Long Lake [coordinates 44.621634, -63.638843]. It was a gorgeous day, neither too warm or too cold. After walking the length of the lake, the sentry at the dam objected to us being on the ice but he let us off without making much fuss.

We approached the road to the Rocking Stone from the Spryfield end, and got through the gate without paying five cents. Built a fire and had lunch on the rocks beyond the Rocking Stone. “Auntie Helen” had provided Laura with a Mince Pie. This was heated in spots and was good. From there we went to the inner Herring Cove Road, the Old Spryfield road, McIntosh Run (where I got my feet wet), York Redoubt and the Shore Herring Cove Road.

Before reaching McIntosh run, we discussed the “concept of species” on which Laura was preparing a paper for Zoology A and before reaching York Redoubt we passed quite a stand of young Jack Pines. I had not realized before that the stand was so extensive. At York Redoubt we collected some branches which turned out to be Rowan Berry (Mountain Ash). From York Redoubt we walked to Boutilier’s Ferry and home. It was a good day.

Entries from May to September 1943 were not recorded by Hugh Bell. It appears they were entered by one of his students. ↵

K. C. Laurie was appointed to the Dalhousie Board of Governors in 1939 and served as its chair from 1943 to 1955. https://digitalexhibits.library.dal.ca/exhibits/show/lives-of-dal-volume-2/chapter-2-5/k-c-laurie↵

Hugh Bell resumes writing in the journal starting Oct. 17, 1943 ↵

Chapter 5 - 1944

May 18, 1944 (Ship Harbour)
Thursday. Marjorie and I went down to Eric’s at Ship Harbour. We took our car and Mary Bisset drove down with us. We stayed until Sunday afternoon May 21st. Laura drove back with us. On Thursday afternoon Laura and I walked up beside the river nearer Eric’s place. It had been raining during the morning, so the woods were fairly wet but not very. Along the path we found some magnificent fruiting thallose liverwort (Anacrogynae) with long white transparent stalks and nine sporangia. The stalks were at least three inches long. The sporangia were spherical and about 2mm in diameter. We did not go all the way to the lake (1st Lake) but crossed the river. Laura crossed the river first on a thin stick, then she fell in trying to get me across. We returned to the road through the woods and came out quite near the bridge. The dog was with us.

May 19, 1944 (Ship Harbour)
Friday. During the morning Laura and I went to the village. With some difficulty the dog was left at home. Near the first bridge we collected a rock which showed some peculiar white specks and flecks. This was parked beside the bridge. In the village I bought some socks. Laura got eggs etc. and made arrangements about getting electric lights fixed. On the way home we had a look at the Mill and at Dr. Wilson’s house, and finally collected the rock beside the bridge.

In the afternoon, Laura and I took the road that we followed the year before, but this time we kept on going. In places it was fairly damp but passable. We passed one big rocky hill. It lay immediately on our right and Laura wanted to take time off to climb to the top of this rock, but we kept on going. Along the way we collected some likely looking male Haircap moss. We finally reached a fair sized lake. To return we struck roughly south-east, keeping the sun over our right shoulder. At times we kept the lake in sight. Most of the growth was pretty poor stuff consisting of a lot of fir and scrub spruce. Outcrops of bedrock everywhere. The route we followed took us over a number of very steep cliffs. From the last of these, there was an excellent view of the bay. The dog was lost at regular intervals, every fifteen minutes but always turned up. We struck the main road a mile and a half (+/-) northeast of Eric’s house. On the way back we met Bill and Florence James in their car. They told me about young Mason being lost in the Valleyfield. The lake we saw turned out to be Seal Cove Lake and the male Haircap moss provided some excellent living sperms.

May 20, 1944 (Seal Cove)
Saturday. After lunch we went down the road to Seal Cove to see the lake from the other end. On the road I had a talk with Bill James who was operating his road machine. We took the wood road in from Seal Cove and found it pretty wet and fly infested. We came to the lake through low sphagnum swamps. Not being able to see much from this swampy low ground, we circled around the shore, for we could see a cottage well down the western shore of the lake. It was pretty rough going, the “path” being more of a myth than a reality. Finally, we got to the cottage and found that it was situated on a point of land between the two portions of the lake. We went a bit further to make sure there was nothing more to be seen, and also to be sure that there was no more direct path back to Ship Harbour. From the hill back of the cottage we could see the place where we had hit the lake the day before, also some of the steep cliffs. We returned to the road via the way we had come. Laura had a change of shoes.

May 21, 1944 (Ship Harbour)
Sunday. After painting a boat etc. during the morning, we returned to Halifax about 4 p.m. Laura came home with us.

May 23, 1944 (Purcells Cove)
Tuesday. In the middle of the morning L and I went down through the park and crossed by the Purcells Cove ferry to the Quarry Wharf. From there up the Old Quarry Road to the top of the hill. The Jack Pines were just ripe so far as the staminate cones were concerned but dammed if I could locate the pistillate cones, and on that material. I have not located them yet. We made a good collection of staminate cones that were just turning yellow and in a very short time they would have been shedding their pollen. We also made a collection of pistillate cones from the year before. The pistillate cones for 1944 must be somewhere at the tips of those same branches. The sole came off one of Laura’s shoes, we tied it on with a piece of burlap found near one of the batteries. We had lunch on the side of the hill overlooking the lighthouse and walked back along the shore to Williams Lake. On approaching that body of water, we noticed ahead of us a party of troops and females under the command of Dolly McEwen. We circled through the woods and struck the path beyond their encampment. We were hunting for the bog or meadow that I had seen some years before. After climbing several hills, this meadow was located by following down the brook. We came to the main path and were able to locate a very easy way to find and approach the meadow. It is to pass to the SE side (or far side) of the second bog, then follow the brook or bog up. There was not much growth in the meadow, but it gave promise of a heavy growth of that tall grass. We went home by the regular path and passed through and spoke to the McEwen Troops “en route”. Home in time for supper but without any tea.

June 2, 1944 (Newport Corner)
Friday. Mrs. Grant, Margaret (Eric’s Margaret), Mary, Laura and self, left in Mrs. G’s Buick for the Windsor Road. I drove to Newport Corner [coordinates 44.965362, -63.977191] where Laura and I disembarked and started walking down the road to Brooklyn. The growth was luxuriant in marked contrast to, and quite different from, the top of Mount Uniacke. There appeared to be two wild cherries, one out, and one not. Perhaps the wild cherry which was not out, was not a wild cherry or at least a different species. Halfway in to the Meander River there was a larch tree that was very heavily ladened with cones from last year. There were not many cones on it this year (1944), but it should be good next year (1945). It is on the left side of the road when walking from Newport corner to the Meander River and in a wee bit of a bog.

At the Meander River we had lunch beside the river and in a field in front of a big house (Laura provided me with a banana). A lady gave us permission around this house. There were some very large hard maples. Before leaving the Meander we gathered some Chara.

After passing through Brooklyn [coordinates 45.006038, -64.010085] we started along the road to Windsor (pretty thirsty). I located the place where yellow Lady Slippers grow along with the other rare plants that are found at the same place. The yellow Lady Slippers were not quite out (June 2nd). I could find this place without trouble now, but it is hard to describe the exact location. It is not the hill through which the main road has made a cutting, but the similar hill slightly nearer Brooklyn. I should make a map of the place and mark the location. Shortly after we had started again for Windsor, we were picked up by Mr. Campbell the school inspector for Hants and driven to Edgehill School. (Very thirsty) It was a dusty day but slightly warm for a dusty road.

At Edgehill Janet did not appear in spite of the odd whistle from me, so we went over to the college woods and did our collecting (moss for the aquarium in the lab). On returning to Edgehill we located Eve, Patience, Janet and had a drink of water. Saw Miss Rochling and Miss Murray. Talked a lot. Janet came with us when we went for something to eat, which we had at a place that called itself a restaurant. On returning to Bustin’s we were informed that the bus would be two hours late. So, we took Janet back to school, talked some more. Laura helped Janet with her German, then we returned to wait for the bus. After a quarter to ten came and went, Bustin’s admitted they really did not know when the bus would arrive, so I started to look for a free lift. Finally, about 11 p.m. Col. Simmonds came along and drove us home. Some day!

June 6-7, 1944 (Central West River)
Tuesday and Wednesday. Laura and I left by the 8 a.m. bus. On the way to the bus, we heard of the invasion of Europe. Jimmie Fraser met us as scheduled at Central West River [coordinates 45.576883, -62.843801]. He drove us to his house where we had lunch. Then to Charlie Maxwell’s farm. We had quite a job locating the bog. The moss did not appear to be as plentiful as when I was there before but that may have been due to it being much younger and hence perhaps it had not grown or it may have been due to the very dry season. We got lots of females and finally enough males. We sorted them out and put them in killing fluid immediately. Jimmie helped us. On the way back to the main road we saw Charlie Maxwell himself, also his wife. On the way back to Scotsburn, Jimmie took us over Dalhousie Mountain and then to his new church where we saw his new organ and Laura played on it a little. After supper we attended service in Jimmie’s church. The next morning Jimmie drove us to Truro through Earltown and after leaving our stuff at the bus terminals, Jimmie drove us over to the Agricultural College in Truro where we parted company.

Laura and I found that Eric Boulden was away, so we went off on our own and tumbled over the cliff, almost on the top of the Marchantia, then went collecting along the riverbank. The collecting was excellent and there were a lot of things present which I did not remember seeing there (namely a big patch of Yew and fruiting Ostrich Fern. It was raining in fits and starts but not enough to bother us. After climbing up and down the precipice two or three times we were dirty, untidy and hungry so we went to Eric’s house and requested hospitality. This was extended to us in the form of a wash, shelter and a meal. After we got there, it rained pretty hard. We took a taxi from Eric’s house to the bus terminals. Laura thought this was a waste of money. We took the second bus and had a seat all the way home. At the Lord Nelson we took another taxi to the Forrest Building. Laura was sure this was a waste of money. At the Forrest Building we examined the museum material and found it a very early stage but good. Mount Thom trip completed. More than satisfactory in every detail. Taking the second bus home was a good idea.

June 13, 1944 (Hubley)
Tuesday. Laura and I went out to the general region [coordinates 44.578417, -63.770991] of the Big Indian and Little Indian Lakes, Nine Mile River and Big Five Bridge Lake to collect Haircap Moss, Twinflower and to observe what was to be found in that district. It was a dull day with occasional showers, but cool and good for walking. We took my car. Laura drove most of the way out and can drive O.K. She just needs to practice starting on a hill. Parked the car where Josh Umlah used to live. There are two houses there now, each occupied by a son of old Josh. The road to big Indian is OK for a car. Apparently, the road was reconstructed when the dams were built at Big Indian. Nearby Indian we collected quantities of Haircap Moss, both male and female. Then we visited the two dams at Big Indian and crossed over to the other side of the second dam. I forgot my geography and tried to get back to the old road by following the run-out from Big Indian, but when the water of Little Indian was in sight, it was plain that something was wrong. So, we crossed the run-out and circled back to the dam, the diggings for the dam being in full sight through the woods. From there we went back to the old road and walked past Little Indian and had lunch beside the road just beyond the lake.

En route we had collected some very large Haircap Moss, also we had observed that the Twinflower was still in the bud (June 13). Everywhere through the woods there were quantities of Lady Slippers. I never saw so many in one day. If it were desirable to make a collection for Botany 2, this would be a good place to get them.

After lunch we headed for the Nine Mile River. This part of the road does not appear to have changed since we walked it over thirty years ago. At the Nine Mile River, the bridge was down but the water being low we had no difficulty in crossing and so we headed for Big Five Bridges Lake.

Along the old path, which was still easily followed, we found quite a clump of a yellow flower which turned out to be Hudsonia. We also saw a plant that I had never seen before named Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi). The prostrate stem of some of the plants must have been two feet long and in the older parts at least 3/8” in diameter.

Illustration of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry) From: Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz by Otto Wilhelm Thomé 1885. Public domain. Accessed on December 8, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Arctostaphylos_uva-ursi0.jpg>.

The old houses I remembered near this old road were still in existence, but there appeared to be two of them, one completely fallen down and the other in fairly good condition. This latter must have been since my last visit to this place. Also, this old farm clearing was much further from Five Bridges Lake than I had thought.

We finally reached Five Bridges Lake took a bit of a rest and started home. Just when we reached the Nine Mile River it started to rain, and once started, it made a good job of it. We got wet. We reached home about 7:15. I dropped Laura at her house and then took the collections out to the college.

June 20, 1944 (Windsor)
Tuesday. We drove up to the closing at Edgehill. Helen Grant, Marjorie, Laura, Joan Bisset and myself. Joan came home with her mother. Laura sat in the back seat both ways. Rainy day, no botany, nothing to report.

June 28, 1944 (Bedford)
Wednesday. Laura and I went collecting Twinflowers. We took the 10 a.m. Pender’s Bus and got off at Mill Cove near Bedford [coordinates 44.713736, -63.672643]. From there we followed the road into Paper Mill Lake. There were some Twinflowers beside the road that we collected. There is a brook flowing into Paper Mill Lake about half a mile from the Bedford Road. We followed this brook flowing into Paper Mill Lake about half a mile from the Bedford Road. We followed this brook in and found a good woods road running in on the west side of the brook. Along this road we found more Twinflowers and some excellent Snowberry vines. About three quarters of a mile in we had lunch beside the brook. Laura stood in the brook to get her feet cooled off. It was a hot day. After lunch I found an excellent patch of Twinflowers just back of where we had lunch. There we collected, then we started back for the main road and took some Snowberry Vines in with us, as samples, to test for various ways of cutting sections for the Biology 1 set. We waited beside Paper Mill Lake till it was time to start for the 3:18 bus. The bus came a minute sooner than it was expected, with the result that Laura did not finish the orange drink she had bought at the shop. I finished mine. Before we started in the morning Laura bought two grapefruits. I ate one of these. I met Dr. Huntsman while she was buying the grapefruit. He walked down to the bus with us. It was a hot day, but it was cool where we had lunch. Also, there was a little breeze where we waited beside Paper Mill Lake. We were back in the lab by 4 p.m.

July 19, 1944 (Birch Cove)
Wednesday. Laura and I went to the Lakes back of Birch Cove [coordinates 44.682877, -63.656445] to get Snowberry leaves to make sections for the class set in Biology 1. During the first part of the month Laura was occupied helping her family get off to England and I was occupied with Jimmie going to camp Borden, Mitchell going to Big Cove Y.M.C.A. camp, Janet returning form Edgehill etc. During the second week in July, Laura and I made a number of class sets. All these things prevented collecting trips. On Wednesday, 19th we took the 10:10 a.m. Pender’s Bus and got off at Birch Cove, followed the Hammond’s Plains Road a couple of hundred yards, and then struck into the left along the road which had been pointed out to me by Chesley Allen. This road ran along beside a brook bed and is an excellent place for collecting. The brook was almost dry. Along the side of the bank were large quantities of a liverwort, probably an anacrogynous of the Pellia type. The apical flap covering the archegonia could be seen distinctly. There was a lot of hard wood growth; but young trees. We saw a porcupine and a number of young partridges. My hay fever was quite bad. In among the Loosestrife was a St. John’s Wart which had sometimes a single style.  We took it home and it turned out to be a Hypericum ellipticum. On the way up to the lakes we spotted some good patches of snowberry leaf. Near the top of the hill, just before reaching the lakes, the flora changed abruptly form the ravine type to the typical barren or heath type. In a little swampy meadow just before reaching the lake we found a flower with a dense large white raceme. I took it home but could make nothing of it. I pressed it for future reference.[1] We had lunch beside the lake, and I ate one of Laura’s plums. The day was fine and cool, just right for walking. We collected the snowberry leaves on the way back and caught a bus at about 3:20 p.m. We took the material to the lab. A good day.

July 24, 1944 (Williams Lake)
Monday. Went on trip to Williams Lake etc. [coordinates 44.620131, -63.595524] to get Loosestrife. Laura called for me at 2:30 p.m. and we went over on Boutilier’s Ferry. A big crowd of Charlie Allen’s summer schoolgirls were waiting on the landing at the foot of Oakland Road. On the way up the hill past Jollimore’s, Laura and I collected some pistillate flowers of Sumach. Laura said she would get the staminate flowers from the bushes at Young Avenue. (This she did) Laura wore the new shoes she had bought downtown during the morning. We picked the Loosestrife beside Williams Lake in the mud flats in front of Serrick’s house. Williams Lake was very low and yellow water lilies completely exposed. We spoke to Mrs. Serrick and she told us how her boy had been killed by our own artillery. Before going into Colpitt, we got permission from a big fat woman to go across her property. On the way into Colpitt Laura took off her new shoes and walked in her bare feet. At Colpitt we turned to the right and passed a boy who was sunning all by himself on the rocks. We went to the place where Laura took her guides. There we rested. Laura tested her penknives and bathed her feet. On the way back, we saw the ashes of a fire that was not completely out, but we had nothing in which to bring up more water. The boy was leaving for home and passed us on the path back. While going along beside Williams lake we met Serrick and had a talk with him. He was returning from work. On our way through the village back of Jollimore’s I found out that Timmie Hunter had moved away, then we bought two tins of grapefruit juice. I drank mine right away. Laura drank hers as we walked along the road and finally disposed of the tin on reaching the arm. We went home and I took the material over to the lab later.

July 25, 1944 (Geizer’s Hill, Fairview)
Tuesday. We went on a trip to find Geizer’s Hill[2] [coordinates 44.649828, -63.662046] from the Chain of Lakes side. We left the lab during the morning, took the tram car to the head of the arm and then up the St. Margaret Bay Road to the Pipe Road. When we got near the dam there was a gate across the road and a sentry behind the gate, so we turned back and crossed the track further down. We started up the hill in the direction of where I thought Geizer’s Hill ought to be. I had not taken this walk for about twenty years. Since then, the growth had become tall and thick and as a result the going was very rough. I kept much too far to the east with the result that we came out at the Ashburn golf links at what used to be the Upper Pasture. Charlie Wright and the Rev. MacKeigan were just coming up to the green. We had a talk to them, and I got out the map to get located and to find my mistake. Charlie Wright advised us to take the road. I wanted to see the country, so we started through the woods. Again, I had a poor idea of direction and kept too far to the left. The going was very rough. I tumbled around at a great rate. Finally, we got to a tall rock, climbed to the top and had our lunch. I had torn my trousers. After lunch we started towards some trees on top of a hill. On the way towards this hill, we spotted the high-tension wires from the north. We made towards these wires and struck them at the point where they make the sharp right turn to the east. We followed this line north, there being a path along the cleared way. Laura collected some Lycopodium plants for mounts. When we reached the road to Geizers’s Hill we followed it to the top of the hill. I missed the lookout tower but Laura spotted it through the woods. We made for it and climbed to the top. From the top there was a magnificent view. We were very thirsty, but Laura produced an orange which we divided and ate. It was a godsend. After resting we descended, went back to the path and followed it to the concrete building. There the path appeared to peter out. So, we started to the lakes through the woods. Laura led the way and kept a good straight course. Again, the going was very rough. The growth was at a very interesting stage. It was very tall and thick compared with the low bushes that covered the slope twenty years ago. The trees consisted of White Birch, Grey Bud Aspen, Red maple, Fir, Spruce etc. The plants were too thickly placed to keep living in their present numbers. They were 15 to 20 ft high and some higher. There were signs that the White Birch was already dying off. My prediction is that without fires or cutting it will (in another twenty years) form a fairly open growth such as we saw on the old Bell property at Mount Uniacke. Laura brought me out about a mile above the dam. The direction she had taken was a little to the left of the sun. Just where we came out there was a nice flat rock beside the lake. We rested there until it was time to start for home. We went along the railway track. There were two men picking berries beside the track. One appeared to know me. We caught the tram car at the head of the Arm and went home. Laura took the Lycopodium to the lab. It was a strenuous but mighty good day. Laura wore her old shoes. Her feet were slightly blistered from the new ones she had worn the day before.

July 26, 1944 (Bedford)
Wednesday. Laura and I took the 10:10 a.m. Pender’s bus to Bedford to visit the Douglas estate. We took the bus to the service station beyond Bedford and walked the rest of the way. Arrived about 12 noon. There was nobody home except John. Prof. and Mrs. Had left for Cape Breton that same morning. Buzzie, Patrick and Helen Creighton [3] were off picking blueberries. John conducted us practically all the way to Black Rock.  The whole woods in this region is chiefly a dense spruce second growth. There are some big trees, but most are small (6 inches in diameter) and include a fair amount of Abies [Balsam Fir]. At places the forest floor is completely bare of small herbaceous growth, this is where the overhead cover is very dense.  Along the path and under some of the big trees we noticed some twinflowers etc. Along the river there is quite a growth of ferns. At Black Rock I went in for a swim. Laura went further up the river for her bath. We had lunch and then enjoyed the scenery. On the way back we missed the path at the top of the hill, but after considerable wandering around we came out ok. On getting back at the Douglas house we were welcomed by the colored cook.  I tried to telephone home but could not get central. The blueberry party arrived back at this point. Buzzie got central and I spoke to Marjorie. We first had tea. Helen Creighton played some of her records, then we immediately had a big supper. Buzzie, Patrick and John conducted us to the bus, which came a little after 7 p.m. We got back to the lab ok. Laura went up to change some bottles. I went up to read an article that had been sent for me to review. About this time, we discovered that we had not eaten Laura’s oranges. Laura went home and I followed a few minutes later, for the smell of turpentine in the lab was too strong for me. On the way home I saw Joan Bisset who asked how Laura had got along.

August 1, 1944 (Preston)
Tuesday. Laura and I drove in my car to Preston [coordinates 44.715695, -63.434226 ], to examine spruces and to have a look at Poison Ivy. Dr. And Mrs. Saunders came with us. We called for the Saunders at 9:30 a.m. We left the car in the usual field and as we walked in, we started to examine trees right away. The Saunders took an interest in the trees too. Laura Located a peculiar bush which turned out to be Corylus Rostrata the Beaked Hazelnut. We took a sample home which we pressed. We took the usual route, observed the Poison Ivy and finally reached the rocks on the main lake. The water in the lake was high, but the paths were dry. We had a bath, then lunch and went back along the south side of the stillwater. There we found a small branch of yew also an excellent beaver dam with a lot of cut trees around it. At the broken-down house, a porcupine was roaming around the foundation. Back at HBB’s place “Richard” started collecting iron for an ice boat. Laura and I started collections and examining spruce. At first Mrs. Saunders came with us. We located a fairly tall tree with a thick base. It did not look like black spruce, but the cones were short and thick with many old cones still attached. Laura went to the top and got samples. We took these samples back to compare with what we had. It looked like black spruce to me, but in that case I had no way of spotting red spruce, so Laura and I went back for more. Laura went to the top of every likely looking tree. We got some excellent material. After resting a short time, we started for home. Beside the main road we bought some raspberries (40 cents a box). Laura got off at the Forrest Building loaded to the scuppers. I took the Saunders home. The day was hot and fine all day.

August 3, 1944 (West Lawrencetown)
Thursday. Helen Grant took us to West Lawrencetown [coordinates 44.668104, -63.378699]. Laura and I collected blueberries early. Laura took these to the lab and then drove her bicycle over to our house. Then Laura, Marjorie and I took my car to Kent St. There, we transferred to Helen’s Mercury. Helen drove with Marjorie in the front seat. Margaret, Laura and myself in the back seat. At West Lawrencetown we had to pay 50 cents to get on the beach. We then drove right along till we were opposite Rainbow Haven. Helen did not like the atmosphere over there. So, she, Marjorie and Margaret drove back. Laura and I walked back. The collecting was magnificent. I did not know any of the plants, so Laura took in all kinds of specimens. The whole Friday and Saturday morning were spent in identifying. Before we were through on Saturday morning Laura had located everything. The first flower was Lechea intermedia or Pinweed. I thought it was a Knotweed and would not have bothered with it. There was a great quantity of a fat succulent plant which turned out to be Salicornia (species undetermined) along with this, was another succulent plant which proved to be Suaeda maritima (Seablite) but at first, I thought it was part of the little blue chickweed Spergularia canadensis (Sandspurrey), but on close examination it was plain they were separate plants (although they grew in the same clump). It was some time before we found Seablite plants with good flowers. There were great quantities of Solidago sempervirens. The flowers were not out. Dixie helped us identify this. There was also lots of Potentilla monspeliensis, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Limonium carolinianum (Sea lavender). The next day Laura produced a plant of Cakile edentula (Searocket), but I do not remember seeing her collect this plant. Also, the next day she produced a specimen of Impatiens (Jewelweed). Where she got this, I do not know. I do not remember seeing it. For a time, we were completely lost in trying to identify it, for Laura had located the cleistogamous flowers and we were trying to run it through the key with these. Finally, we spotted it. After collecting these flowers Laura and I joined the others under the trees beside the road. We had a swim, then lunch, then everyone disposed themselves according to their respective desires. Laura and I walked back towards the shore opposite Rainbow Haven. It was pretty hot. On the way we collected white spruce. I managed to get up a tree ahead of Laura and got a good specimen of what I took to be typical “Cat spruce.” We continued along the shore right to the place where the bridge had been washed away. The Marine collecting was excellent.  In the calm shallow water, there was lots of Ectocarpus, Monostroma, Desmarestia, Dietyosiphon, Chordaria etc. Laura even picked up a specimen of Spongomapha arcta. Also, there was a lot of floating filamentary green which I suppose was Rhizoclonium, Chaetomorpha etc. Laura and I were still in our bathing suits so we waded in for all this. At the actual spot where the bridge used to be, the current was running fast. There the growth included many deep-water forms, such as Chorda, Laminaria, Cystoclonium, Polysiphonia, Ceramium, Halosaccion, Rhodymenia, Rhodomelia, etc. Just around the corner from these rocks there was quite a bed of Scytosiphon. This is certainly a good spot for Marine collecting. It would be worthwhile to examine it on the Rainbow Haven side, for that would be easily reached, being only 10 miles from Dartmouth. Laura and I had another swim, then went back. Laura and Margaret went in for a swim again. We all had tea and started for home catching a ferry at about 6:15. Changed to our car at Kent Street. Laura left on her bicycle for the Forrest Building ladened with spruce trees etc. She looked like one of Macduff’s men about to attack Dunsinane Castle. It was a grand day.

August 10, 1944 (McNabs Island)
Thursday. Went to McNabs Island [coordinates 44.610313, -63.519438] to make observations regarding marine algae growth as it is affected by oil on the beach.

Met Laura at the Forrest Bldg. at 7:30 sharp. Duty boat did not leave till 8:20 and went straight to Ives, then to naval Range Pier. Our passes were checked on the wharf. We then went to the lagoon. The tide pool at the north end of the lagoon was almost completely clear of growth except some small greens. On the Eastern Passage side of the island, the inter-tidal zone was covered with oil, but on the harbour side the oil was not so evident. There was, however, ample evidence of oil at various spots. Whether the bareness of the tide poll was due to the oil or some other factor, is more than I could say. The presence of oil was the most likely explanation, for even though there was not much oil the growth on the rocks in the upper half of the inter-tidal zone did not appear to be as luxuriant as it used to be in 1931. We changed to bathing suits, then the French sentry checked up on our passes. We left our packs etc. in the guard room. Then we proceeded along the barrier reef. The growth in the lagoon included Dictyosiphon, Enteromorpha etc. and appeared to be quite normal. The eel grass formed quite extensive beds. What had changed was the barrier reef. There was no outlet. So, we kept on going past Little Thrumcap to the main outlet which is now on the SE end. It was just about 11 a.m. when we arrived there. The tide had been low at 7:01 a.m. and the water was rushing into the lagoon at a rate that was too fast for comfort. However, I was able to make all the observations that I desired. The growth was exactly the same as the growth in the main outlet in 1930. That is, it included Scytosiphon etc. All the plants were clean, no decay or browning and the Chorda was still covered with the dark brown assimilatory hairs. Just beside the break in the barrier reef there was a large bed of rich dark brown Phylitis; that is everything looked exactly the same as 1930. I did not see the Bryopsis or large attached plants of Desmarestia viridis but I did not hunt very hard. Even in 1930 these were hard to find. We went back via the barrier reef on the SW side, collected our packs (haversacks according to Laura) and proceeded to Maugher Beach, which we reached without being challenged by anyone. The forms washed up on the south side of Maugher beach looked exactly the same as they did in 1930, except I did not notice any Punctaria. From my observations at West Lawrencetown, Point Pleasant and Macnab’s Island, my opinion is that the growth in the inner harbour and Northwest Arm are completely abnormal. In the outer harbour, the forms of the upper half of the tidal zone are stunted and scarce. The deep-water forms of the outer harbour do not appear to be affected. Thus, I would say that Halifax harbour itself would be useless for basic or typical marine biology, but it would not be necessary to go very far away to get perfectly normal conditions. After reaching Maugher Beach, Laura and I picked out a sandy spot on the north side, had lunch, enjoyed the scenery and went for a swim. My knee and hip did not bother me, but I took no chances. We went home via York Redoubt and went back to the lab just to see if it were still there.

Photograph of Bryopsis plumosa specimen collected by Hugh Bell on August 18, 1929 in a similar location to the one noted on August 10, 1944. From the National Herbarium of Canada collection. Accessed on January 5, 2023 <https://www.nature-cana.ca/databases/specimen_main.php?Nav=Main&GoToRecord=43>

August 12, 1944 (Cape Split)
Saturday. I went by the Forrest Building at 7:31 (one minute late). Laura was waiting. We got to the bus just in time to get a seat and then were put in another bus. Arrived at Hantsport about 10 a.m. The day was blazing hot and there was a haze in the air which almost completely obscured the distant view. We walked along the railway track, past a road leading in, till we got to a field. There we struck in towards the shore and found a pond covered with a bright green scum. It was a brighter green than I had ever seen before in Nova Scotia.  We actually struck the shore at a little cove, where there were a lot of bricks on the shore. The creek leading into the cove was dry and I could not see any plants of interest. We left our stuff under a tree and started to reconnoitrer for a cool spot. Laura put on her bathing suit and later took to the shore. I went along the top of the cliff. We found a good spot on the cliff beside “Crowell Creek” [coordinates 45.079305, -64.193395] and went back to get our things. Laura along the shore. She went in for a swim before coming in for her things. Then we took everything back to the spot beside Crowell Creek. Laura again going along the shore, she had left her little suitcase at the railway station. Laura was in her bare feet. It turned out later that her shoes (the new ones) had hurt her while she was walking along the railway track. We stayed on the top of the cliff, more or less in the shade and hoped for a cool breeze which did not come. Any breeze which did appear was hot. After lunch, Laura tried to do a chapter of German. We started back for the station a little after 5. Laura walked back along the top of the cliff. At the pond we collected some of the green scum in my mouth wash bottle. The mouth wash contents having leaked out over my pajamas and clean shirt. After collecting the scum, we made for the lower road in Hantsport. Laura got there by crossing an old broken-down aboideau. I followed. In Hantsport it was still blazing hot. At the restaurant I drank many gallons of various types of liquid. Laura drank some too. We returned to the station, ate some oranges, and collected our baggage. Laura was limping. We took the train to Wolfville. Delivered Laura to her Aunt’s and I took a taxi to Kentville and called Laura up on the telephone from Hockey’s. The next morning (Sunday) we picked up Eville about 9 a.m., called for Laura after 9, and arrived at Scott Bay at 10:15. It was another blazing hot day with the same haze obscuring the view. I found the road ok. At the place where I previously found Botrychium etc. we could not find any. After the road ended, I kept to the south side much too far and took the party through fairly difficult and rough softwoods. We landed at Big Cove a half mile from Cape Split. I was completely out in my directions. After a bit of a discussion, they got the correct idea of direction through my head and, after resting a bit, we started off again. This time we made for the north shore. There we found a sort of a path, fairly open hardwoods, and much easier going. We arrived at Cape Split at 12:45 p.m. having tramped for 2 ½ hours. At the Cape it was fairly cool air and the view was magnificent in spite of the haze. The tide rip must have extended out into the bay for nearly ½ a mile and it was roaring like a big river. There were a lot of interesting things. Hockey said the whole top of the Blomidon was, without doubt, too rocky to ever become good farming country. This is of importance when they discuss turning the place into a national park. The bedrock must be close to the surface through the whole area otherwise there would not be so many outcrops, also the soil is full of boulders and small rocks. Both times when I was there before there was no difficulty in finding lots of Botrychium. Why was there none to be seen this time? Eville suggested that perhaps the summer was too dry. Perhaps he is right. Why is there hardwood all along the north side and softwood on the south side? The hardwood trees on the north side looked very old. Why were they so bent? In some of them, the lower part of the thick trunk was parallel with the ground for five or six feet. Many were badly distorted. Probably the wind, but one cannot be sure. We started back about 2 and took the path along the north side. The going was not bad at all. We again hunted for Botrychium but without success. We had been greatly refreshed by Mrs. Hockey’s lunch and tea eaten at Cape Split and made the trip back in about two hours. Laura said her shoes did not hurt her. The car had a flat. We got back to Kentville about 5 p.m. Laura thanked Mrs. Hockey for the lunch. Mrs. Hockey gave us supper. Laura and I got good seats in the bus but were turned out into another bus after passing Mount Uniacke and stood the remainder of the way home. Arrived in Halifax late (about 10:15 p.m.). Laura took the streetcar home. I went to the lab and examined the scum from the pond. It had a strong smell of Thymol. It was a mistake to have put it in my mouthwash bottle, for it was as dead as a doornail, but the material in the pond must have been magnificent. It consisted of what looked like a complete series of the Volvocales. Certainly, Pandorina, Eudorina, Pleodorina and what looked like broken Volvox colonies. There was a great mass of a unicellular form which may have been either a Chlamydomonas or spores from sporulating Volvox colonies. In any case the pond is a possible source of living Volvocales for Botany 2. I must collect there again soon. A plant which Laura and I picked up at Crowell creek was identified by Eville as Actaea rubra (red berries in a raceme). A plant which Hockey spotted at Scott Bay [Footnote]now called Scots Bay[/Footnote] [coordinates 45.302914, -64.39572] is in the press, but it has not been identified up to the present moment.

At Cape Split we observed a bush of Corylus cornuta, the Beaked Hazelnut. The nuts were paired just like the picture in the books.

August 18, 1944
Friday. Laura passed her driving test with Don Logan.

August 22, 1944 (Mount Uniacke)
Tuesday. Laura and I went to Mount Uniacke. I met Laura at the Forrest building at 7:30 and took the 8 a.m. bus. We walked to the Mount Uniacke house along a grass covered road along the side of which were some magnificent big spruce and pine. At the house we were met by Major Uniacke. He took me out to show me the correct direction. When I got back, Laura was talking to three females and a little boy. Before leaving, the oldest of the females took us upstairs and showed us the famous four poster beds, one of which was large enough to hold six people (? God preserve me from such a fate). Then Major Uniacke took us to the end of the path and Laura and I started up-hill in search of Mount Uniacke [coordinates 44.896224, -63.860124] (according to the map it is “Mount Uniacke” but according major Uniacke it is called “Telegraph Hill”). On the way up we passed through an almost pure stand of Abies balsamea. These looked about thirty years old and as Major Uniacke had said that the place had been logged about thirty years ago, I suppose the fir cover had sprung up then. The trees averaged about seven (7) inches in diameter. Laura and I cut open some of the balsam blisters. There was a rich growth of Lycopodium (of about three species), but otherwise the growth was no different from what one would see in any evergreen woods. The trees were tall and numerous hence there was no view. There was some hardwood, and the growth was quite open and the going easy. We passed over a couple of minor hills and finally reached what I took to be the highest point. I shimmied up a spruce tree to make sure. I went up far enough to see that the ground sloped away on all sides and that there was no higher ground anywhere in the vicinity. So, I presumed we were on Mount Uniacke. Leaving there we struck straight downhill to the lake. It was fairly steep; the growth was open with more hardwood. I noted some hard maple and beech. Laura found some Oak fern (on which I spotted rust pustules). We struck the lake too far to the east and walked around the west end till we got to the railway tracks, then east along the railway tracks. Laura spotted some black blueberries. At the first bunch of trees we parked. I went in for a swim and Laura said she went to sleep while I was changing any clothes. We had lunch, argued and started for the railway station. Laura collected more black blueberries and at the shop, we drank orange-ade and waited for the bus (which did not come till nearly 5 p.m.). I did not get a seat with Laura until we were nearly in Halifax. Laura spotted the Douglas house both going and coming. We both went to the lab. Laura did some “cleaning up”. I examined the black blueberries in cross-section. They had ten compartments formed by five compartments being each divided by a false partition. Hence, I suppose they are just black blueberries and not anything else. A good trip. The day was dull, not too warm and no rain. The balsam stand was the best I have seen, and we had some excellent discussions.

September 4, 1944 (Preston)
Monday. Laura and I went to Preston to collect Milkweed for Dave. He wrote from Ottawa asking us to collect and send some up to him. We collected the blueberry first and then started for Dartmouth. We were a bit short of gasoline and it being Labour Day all the stations were shut, but we found Teasdale’s garage open and got some gas there. Laura drove out where we turned in from the main road. Parked the car in the usual place and proceeded as usual. Nothing special observed or collected. We turned in near the north end of the stillwater a bit sooner than usual and found good clear walking close to the water. We had a bit of a discussion as to the interpretation of Dave’s Map, but in any case, we found the milkweed on the rocks just where the run-out from the lake empties into the Stillwater. I found one bunch and Laura found a patch of her own. We each made a collection and at Laura’s suggestion I made a collection of two plants to press. In spite of bare legs and the presence of Poison Ivy, Laura wandered around among the poison plants. We went on to the lake. I had a swim. We ate our lunch. Sat for a while and then went home via our usual route. Laura drove right back to the Ferry. We went to the lab, pressed more plants and looked after some bottles. I got home shortly after six.

September 26, 1944 (Hantsport)
Thursday. We took my car and left 53 Oakland Rd. about 10:30. Heather P. and Janet sat in the front seat with me and Marjorie, Una T and Laura sat in the back seat. We had lunch behind a house on the outskirts of Hansport, right beside the field in which the pond is located. After lunch I took two bottles over to the pond and got them full of water. There was still a scum on the surface, but it was not so extensive nor such a bright green as when Laura and I saw it first. When I went over to get the second two bottles filled Laura went with me. We went on to Avonport via the shore road. Between Avonport and Horton [coordinates 45.10874, -64.29162], we parked beside the field with the Bayberries. Marjorie and Una stayed in the car. The others came in with me to pick Bayberries. Janet and Heather soon got tired, and Laura and I finished the job. There were lots of berries. We drove on to Wolfville by side roads, back to Windsor by the highway and visited at Edgehill. I made a collection of Horse Chestnuts at Edgehill, bought apples along the road, bought honey at St. Croix, and finally got home a little after six.

A note written in the journal at a later date reads: Filipendula Ulmaria, Queen of the Meadow ↵

https://web.archive.org/web/20220219122056/https://fairviewhistoricalsociety.ca/geizers-hill-or-geizers-mountain/ ↵

Helen Creighton was a prominent Canadian folklorist. The Nova Scotia Archives holds a significant collection of archival material related to Dr. Creighton at https://archives.novascotia.ca/creighton/↵

Chapter 6 - 1945

May 2, 1945
Wednesday. Sylvia started a collecting trip with Dave and I to locate Ilex glabra (Inkberry) at Williams Lake [coordinates 44.620131, -63.595524]. I left at 1:20, met Sylvia at the foot of Oakland Road and met Dave at the corner of the Herring Cove Road at 1:40. We crossed in Boutilier’s Ferry. Dave had come as far as that by bus. We struck into Williams opposite the Saraguay, and circled the lake. After some difficulty Dave, located the Inkberry on the large rock just east of the flagpole on the south side of the lake.

Illustration of Ilex glabra (Inkberry) From: Volume 2, Plate 1 of A Flora of the State of New York by John Torrey, 1843. Public domain. Accessed on December 8, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilex_glabra_%28Prinos_glaber%29,_Torrey%27s_Flora_of_NY_2-01.png>.

The Mountain Honeysuckle was in flower, and I collected some for growing tips, but as the flower is determinate, it did not have a good growing tip at this stage. I also collected some microspora and some tetraspora. Dave collected both staminate and pistillate flowers of Empetrum. We returned via the shore of the Arm and had tea at Dave’s house. Sylvia and I returned to the city by tram car. Dave showed me the location of good mistletoe on spruce. Sylvia will make a good student.

May 8, 1945 (Chester to look at seaweeds)
Tuesday. Aunt Jean, Marjorie, Sylvia and self drove to Chester in my Plymouth. We left about 10:20. On the way out the road we picked up Jimmie. Arrived at Chester about 11:40. The tide was low about noon, so Sylvia and I had a good chance to look along the shore. The collecting was good. I was surprised to see such a large quantity of Halosaccion. Also, I did not see either Chorda or Chordaria. Sylvia picked up the differences between the forms quickly, but she of course found the names hard. Nora gave us a big meal. After dinner, Sylvia and I walked up to the lake back of the Railway Station. The walking was good and there was a lot of good moss. There was a good patch of the Thallose Liverwort, with the tall sporophyte (white transparent seta and black sporangium). When we went back to the house Nora gave us tea. We started for home a bit after six. Jimmie drove us home. We arrived in Halifax about 7:40 just in time to see the car containing Admiral Murray. He was talking through a loudspeaker, telling the people to get off the streets. [1]

May 18, 1945
Friday. Sylvia and I went to Rocking Stone [coordinates 44.597801, -63.619722], etc. for lichens. We left Oakland Road about 9:45 and walked up the hill and out past Williams Lake to the inner Herring Cove Road. It was a dull day and as we were going by Williams Lake it started to rain quite heavily. I went into an old garage to wait to see what the weather would be like. Sylvia did not like waiting so we went on. On the Kidston property, between McIntosh Run and the gate to the Rocking Stone, we collected lots of lichens, all the ones I expected and more. After giving Sylvia a rock on the Rocking Stone we kept on going, crossed the inner Herring Cove Road again and then started down the old Spryfield Road. This old road was pretty wet. We had lunch at just about the same place where Charlie Allen and I had lunch nearly twenty years ago. We also had a little fire. We remained fairly dry until after we crossed MacIntosh Run. Then we ran into the bogs and just waded through. Everything was knee deep all the way through the Jack Pine area. Sylvia wanted to see the fort (York Redoubt) so we did the grand circle around the roads. Sylvia wanted to investigate some of the old buildings, but having picked up lice, fleas, etc. etc. etc. in such places, I did not approve. At Purcell’s cove we finished off the lunch. Home via the shore of the Arm and Boutilier’s Ferry to Oakland Road, drove Sylvia and lichens to college. Drove Sylvia home. On Saturday Sylvia pressed the lichens.

May 25, 1945
Friday. Dave took Sylvia and I out the Preston Road to show us where to find the gametophytes of Lycopodium and how to dry them up. We went in Dave’s car. Left about 2:45, Dave having picked up Sylvia “en route”. Held up for a while at Ferry. Arrived at burnt over spot about 3:45. Dave showed us how to locate and dig up the gametophytes. The black flies were terrible. They appeared to bite me more than the other two until they started to bite Sylvia on her bare legs, from then on, she lamented over the fact that she had not worn trousers. Dave collected some flowering Viburnum alnifolium, and hunted for other things but found nothing. I finally persuaded him to move away from the black files. I collected some green slime. This turned out to be very interesting containing conjugating Zygnema Mougeotia, various Desmids and large living Diatoms. Sylvia says she can remember where I got this. On the road home Dave spotted some sugar maple in blossom. He made a collection. He also collected some snowberry flowers and some better specimens of Viburnum. I collected some filamentous green algae which turned out to be merely sick Mougeotia. Later we went into a lake but got nothing. Dave went in to hunt for a small plant with clove-like leaves near the Star Manufacturing Company. He found it. We got back to the lab about six o’clock. Dave pressed his specimens, and I examined the green algae. Sylvia looked on at both operations. At the burnt over area there was a large quantity of nearly ripe haircap moss. We should go back for a Biology 1 collection, if we can get it at the right stage. From now on we should always take with us “fly dope.”

May 29, 1945
Tuesday. Dave, Sylvia and I went to Oakfield [coordinates 44.900848, -63.576605]. We went out in my car and left about 10 a.m. We picked up Dave at the Arm bridge. At the “Manse” we saw Col. Laurie, got an invitation for tea and then drove on to the site of the burnt house. We looked at the cows, etc. and then walked out to Indian Point. Dave collected enough stuff to sink a battleship. There were a number of trees, etc. just at the right stage for collecting. Sylvia was able to recognize most of the trees. We had lunch at Indian Point then walked on to the next clearing, then back. At the old house we met Colonel Laurie and helped him pick flowers. It had started to rain. We took him back to his house, had tea and then drove home.

June 2, 1945
Saturday. When Sylvia and I got to the lab on Saturday morning we found that the place was being invaded by that damn old scoundrel Kelly to do some plastering. So, Sylvia and I drove over to the Dingle [coordinates 44.62996, -63.596871] in “George” and had a look around. We went in the Flemming Park, parked “George” and then along the shore to the big rock, around the Arm side of the oval drive to the north end of the oval then up to “Castle Frank”. Sylvia liked the view. We went over the flowers we had collected and damn near froze. Sylvia always says she is warm as toast, not feeling the cold, etc. etc. Then when we have walked for a while she says, “now that we are walking, I am feeling warm again.” Apparently there had been a fire on the hill recently, probably last year, my old stand of demonstration conifers were all killed. The place is going to the Devil in various ways for more and more houses are being built. From Castle Frank we tumbled down the cliff and went to the Frog Pond via one of the old bridle paths. On the way back to the car we collected the male plants of two species of Mnium. They looked as if they might have sperms. When they were examined later, they had excellent sperms. I dropped Sylvia at her house, then took the moss to the college.

June 4, 1945
Monday. After making the usual collections, Sylvia and I took the 11:10 Pender’s Bus to Bedford. When we started the weather was fine and warm. At Bedford Sylvia bought bobby pins, sunglasses, cigarettes and apple juice. We went to the range [coordinates 44.741428, -63.661810] via the woods road and turned up the hill when we reached the new Army huts. We had collected various flowers all along the way. This was the first walk for the new boots, and they turned out to be a great success. The flies were pretty bad. We went over the top of the hill and down to the brook where we had lunch. I had taken with me a flask full of strong smells. This was poured around our location and kept the flies away pretty well. We were going to examine the flowers out there, but it started to rain and got mighty cold. Sylvia of course did not notice the cold, in fact was quite warm. My teeth were starting to chatter. As it was starting to rain quite hard, I wrapped the rubber sheet around my shoulders, and we started for home walking pretty fast. Sylvia said the fast walking made her warm again. We caught the 3:10 bus and were back in the lab by 4:10. We spent the rest of the afternoon looking at the antheridia and sperms from the moss collected Saturday. They were good. We examined these in Dave’s lab. Sylvia liked them. It was a good day.

June 9, 1945
Saturday. Sylvia and I went to Hugh Bell’s place at Preston [coordinates 44.715695, -63.434226]. We got to Dartmouth about 10 a.m. and collected hair cap moss for Bio. 1, on the way out the Preston Road. We put it in a tin paper basket from the Forrest Building and took it to the place where I park the car on the way into Hugh Bell’s place. There we sorted it out and wrapped it in paper, fifty plants ± in each package. While sorting this out a darkie with an ox tram and a friendly dog went by. The dog got very friendly and tried to eat some of the hair cap moss. When we got there, we partook of the first installment of our lunch. We then walked on to Hugh Bell’s place and struck into the woods before reaching the north end of the stillwater. On the east side of the stillwater, there were a number of sticks and trees cut up by the beavers, but no new beaver house had been started. We could see the old beaver house on the west side. We crossed the run-in at the head of the stillwater and hunted for poison ivy and milkweed but I could not find any trace of either. I do not know whether we were too early or if it was because the water was too high. On the west side of the run-in there were lots of Trilliums. On the way up the lake, we went out on a point of land and saw the patch of thallus Liverworts. We parked on the rock at the end of the path and had lunch. The flies were pretty bad, but the flask of botany lab fly dope helped out. After eating, Sylvia took off her stockings for a sun tan and I cleared the path of brushes. Sylvia claims she went to sleep, but I cannot imagine that her posture as one suitable for relaxation. In spite of alcohol and fly dope, she found out later that she was bitten by many flies. After finishing off the apple juices (my 12 oz and Sylvia’s 20 oz) we started for home down the west side of the stillwater. The Twisted-stalk was in bloom. The beaver’s hut appeared to be much larger than last year. Sylvia found a pair of antlers and skull at the broken-down house once inhabited by the crazy coon. On the way back to the car we saw the darkie and his dog again. We got back to the lab about 5:10. The hair cap moss was examined and found to be in the right condition, namely with ripe spore. The day was warm and bright all day. It was a good day. Delivered Sylvia at her door.

June 13, 1945
Wednesday. Sylvia and I went up Cowie Hill [coordinates 44.62737, -63.623234] looking for filamentous green algae. Met at the ferry at 2:30 and collected at the brook in Flemming Park, then through to the inner Herring Cove Road and to the top of Cowie Hill. On the east side of the hill Sylvia gave me some news from overseas. We then went around the south side of the hill, and I missed the old spring at which we used to get a drink. After some hunting I found it. The surroundings had completely changed. All trees had gone, and the drinking trough had completely filled in with Sphagnum moss. There was some filamentous green in with the sphagnum which I collected.  It turned out to be Microspora (or Tribonema). In some places there were a few Lady’s Slippers in bloom. We then went up over the quarries and found a pool covered with a green scum. I collected this in a bottle. This turned out to be an excellent growth of Euglena. I also collected some filamentous green which was only Microspora. We then went down through Kline Heights and down to the Inner Herring Cove Road. There we each had a bottle of “pop” and saw the “Father”. We then went to the pond (or swamp) near Dave’s place and collected some filamentous green, of which there was an enormous amount.  This turned out to be excellent Spirogyra. At the Arm Bridge we had some delay getting a ten dollar bill changed, and Sylvia thought she had lost fifty cents but found it when she got home. We both took the tram and went in the Forrest building and examined material. Sylvia changed solutions. The material from Flemming Park contained a fine Ulothrix. We each got home late.

June 25, 1945
Tuesday. Sylvia and I went to Truro to get Ostrich Fern for identification set for Botany 2. We left on the 8 a.m. bus. On arriving in Truro, we had something to eat at the restaurant and then started for the meadows back of the Agricultural College [coordinates 45.373366, -63.262853]. On the way over we saw Eric Boland. We went into the meadows from the road and walked along the north side of the Salmon River. The flats were pretty muddy and at places we had to more or less wade through the water. There was a good growth of Marchantia at the usual place and the sporangia were ripe and were little jet black spheres.  I could not locate any antheridia spores, and the sporangia etc. had grown so large that radial branches of the head of the archegoniophore were almost obliterated. Further along we climbed up and then down the cliff and located the Ostrich fern. After quite a bit of hunting we found five fertile fronds. We pressed both fertile and sterile fronds right on the spot. Sylvia saw “Jack-in-the-pulpit”, and the Flowering Dogwood. The flowers had all dropped from the racemes of Prunus virginiana. After pressing the ferns, we kept on to the end of the farmlands and had our lunch on top of the bank. Just near where we had lunch was a small patch of Yew, but I did not locate the large patch I saw last year. We walked back along the top of the bank, had some more eats at the restaurant and took the 4:30 bus home. The bus was crowded. On the way to Halifax there was evidence of rain, and at one point we passed through quite a storm. With us it had not rained all day. In spite of having started late we got into Halifax on time. I took the ferns to the lab and put them in the drier.

July 2, 1945
Monday. Marjorie, Sylvia, Mitchell, Jackie Lane and I went to the Y.M.C.A. Boy’s camp at Big Cove. I drove them there in my car. We left Mitchell and Jackie at the camp and picked up Nora Jane at Shubenacadie on the way home. Nora stayed overnight at 53 Oakland Road before going on to Chester on the bus on Tuesday afternoon. The only thing of botanical interest was at Mount Thom [coordinates 45.527286, -62.96599] where we went into the bog at Charlie Maxwell’s farm to get Mnium. We got some and preserved it in F.A.A., but the bog has completely changed. There have been extensive lumbering operations around and through the bog. It is no longer shaded. The Mnium is now in isolated patches only and many of these are dried and shriveled.

July 18, 1945
Wednesday. Sylvia and I went to Thrumcap [coordinates 44.58891, -63.502993] via the duty boat. The boat left at 8:00 a.m. and landed us at Range Pier at 8:40. We went down to Thrumcap via the barrier beach on the west side of the lagoon. On the way down we inspected the tide pool at the north end of the lagoon. It was much smaller than it used to be. There was nothing growing in it but eelgrass. There was some floating filamentous green and that in small quantities. The rocks along the exposed side of the barrier were covered with oil and the algae growth was very sparse. In the lagoon, the eelgrass was growing luxuriantly in all shallow places. The other forms were plentiful and similar in every way to those observed at the same season, former years. The oil in the harbour certainly has not reduced the growth in the lagoon. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the main outlet is on the southeast barrier reef, and this lets in water from the ocean and not from the harbour. We reached the main outlet at the south-east end of the lagoon at 9:45. The tide was just right. We changed into our bathing suits and inspected the growth. Personally, I found the water coming out of the lagoon very cold. As I remember it, when the main outlet was on the western side, the water from the lagoon was much warmer. The growth in the outlet was luxuriant. The most noticeable difference from the old western outlet was the large quantity of Punctaria. The Chorda was also plentiful, and the fronds were still clothed in the assimilatory filaments. Most of the growth included Chordaria, Scytosiphon, Dictyosiphon, Desmarestia, Halosaccion and Chondrus. There were also small bunches of filamentous greens which I did not identify, small Enteromorpha intestinalis (?), E. Linza, Ectocarpus, etc., but the dominant feature of the growth was the Chorda and Punctaria. I noticed one plant of Saccorhiza and some fruiting Alaria. There were two points of interest. The flora was of a distinctly more “deep water” type than it used to be in the old western outlet. I do not know whether to attribute this to colder water or to the fact that this outlet is decidedly deeper than the old western one. We were there when the water was at its lowest and there was one place where it was nearly three feet deep and it was over two feet deep across a good part of the outlet. The second point of interest was that there was no appearance of oil in the immediate vicinity of the outlet and the growth was certainly not inhibited in any way. I did not see any Bryopsis, though there was a small green, growing in tufts, which looked like it but on examination turned out to be a branched multicellular form probably a Cladophora. Fucus and Ascophyllum were not conspicuous. I do not remember seeing either but cannot say they were absent.

The current turned in (changed to running in) at about ten to eleven. We had our lunch on the west side of Big Thrumcap. Sylvia spent the day getting a sun tan. I spent the day trying to prevent her from getting fried to a crisp. We left for Range Pier about 3 p.m. There were a number of W.A.A.C.’s on a picnic. They went off on a boat, but our duty boat did not come, so a military truck drove us over to Garrison Pier where we caught the boat. It was fine and hot all day. From the duty boat we went straight home. That night the magazine in the harbour blew up so I did not examine the Punctaria for two days.[2] Sylvia and I each got quite a sun burn. My hip appeared to be much better as a result. Next day Sylvia was very sleepy.

July 25, 1945
Wednesday. Sylvia and I went to Williams Lake [coordinates 44.620131, -63.595524] to hunt for various things. We went over in my car and parked back of Serrick’s house and then went out on the lake in one of Serrick’s punts. We put on our bathing suits at the “Narrows”. We hunted along all the low bays along the north-eastern end of the lake for the bladder bearing leaves of Utricularia but could not find any. We then went to the south-eastern end and hunted through the shallow bay there but again no luck. The Bladderwort was in flower everywhere, but I could not find any of the finely desisted leaves. We then rowed down to the shore below the high hill with the post on top and climbed to the top. Got scratched a bit but we got there. I was not able to locate the Inkberry (Ilex glabra) which Dave pointed out to me before. On the way down the hill, I tore my bathing suit in a rather drastic fashion. On getting back to the shore we had a swim and then lunch after which Sylvia continued to get burnt to a nice crisp red. I collected some white waterlilies for Dixie.

The day and season were ideal, as most of the lake flowers were in full bloom. These included both white and yellow waterlilies, pickerelweed, lobelia and loosestrife. At various places we collected filamentous algae and took it back in 2 oz. bottles. On the way back, I made a last hunt for the bladder bearing leaves of Utricularia and found them floating in some stagnant water just inside the “narrows”. We changed into our clothes after docking the boat. My car had a flat and we changed the tire in front of Serrick’s house. Had tire repaired at Quinpool Road garage. Sylvia telephoned while tire was being repaired.  At the lab we examined the algae and found a lot of things. The filamentous material was chiefly Mougeotia, but in addition we identified Spirogyra, Zygnema, numerous Desmids, Lyngbya, Oscillatoria, etc. A mighty good day. On the way home took lilies to Dixie.

August 9, 1945
Thursday. Eville Gorham and I went to West Lawrencetown [coordinates 44.648068, -63.410087] to collect plants from the sand and salt marsh. We went in my car and took with us Peggy and Dr. And Mrs. Saunders. Got the Ferry about 10:15 a.m. It was high tide when we got there, and it was running out all day. We drove right over the beach opposite Rainbow Haven. Eville and I walked back to collect. Everything was in perfect condition, and attached on the next three pages is a report from Eville of the plants he found. I went to the site of the old bridge but could not find Phyllitis, which I thought I observed the year before with Laura. It was fine all day. The water was warm, and Peggy got quite a sunburn. We got home about 6 p.m. Sorry Sylvia was not with us for she would have picked up a lot of information from Eville.

Report from Eville Gorham of flowers observed and collected at West Lawrencetown, August 9, 1945. Page 1.

Report from Eville Gorham of Flowers observed and collected at West Lawrencetown. August 9, 1945. Page 2.

Report from Eville Gorham of Flowers observed and collected at West Lawrencetown. August 9, 1945. Page 3.

September 5, 1945 (Kentville)
Wednesday. Muriel was driving Dolly Duncan to Wolfville and taking Marjorie for company. So, Sylvia and I went along, with the object of getting to Kentville [coordinates 45.077707, -64.495306]. We left about 11 a.m., had lunch at the Old Haliburton property at Windsor, then Muriel dropped Sylvia and I at Wolfville. Sylvia had a cousin living in Wolfville. We visited this cousin and her husband drove us to Kentville. There I got the Datura which I went for. We were then driven back to Wolfville, the cousin gave us a cup of tea. Sylvia collected a kitten. We met Muriel and Marjorie at 6 p.m., had dinner at the hotel in Wolfville and drove home.

September 10, 1945 (Owls Nest at Oakfield [coordinates 44.900848, -63.576605])
Monday. Took my car, picked up Eville at lab, called for Sylvia at her house (she had a sprained ankle) and finally picked up Dave at the Arm Bridge about 10 a.m. We arrived at the outlet of Grand Lake that is the head or origin of the Shubenacadie River. Theakston was not in sight, so I waded across and found him. They were all in the cabin. I took the boat back for Sylvia and parked her in the cabin. Dave and Eville were collecting along the margin of the river. After a short time, the Theakston family went off to buy groceries. I hunted for the bog containing Mnium moss and found it along the shore about one hundred yards north of the cabin. About 12:20 we were joined by Eville and Dave and had lunch. Then we all went out and had a look at the Mnium bog. The Theakstons came back. Dave and Eville continued collecting. I had a long talk with Theakston and Sylvia talked to Mrs. Theakston. The Theakstons went to have afternoon tea with Miss Laurie. Eville and I collected our stuff (including Sylvia) and took it over to the car. We parked Sylvia in the car and then Eville and I went hunting for more Mnium bogs on the east side of the river. These turned out to be more in the nature of meadows. There was no Mnium there. I got lost in the woods and Eville took over directing our progress. We finally got back to the car and started for home. There was a fair amount of filamentous green algae in the river. It looked like Spirogyra. I made a collection in a bottle, but the cork came out of the bottle and the specimen was lost in my pocket, so I do not know what it was. Eville and Dave found a lot of good material and made a number of mounts. Dave had three presses. The lake was very low. The Mnium is ample to provide one with microscopic material, but not enough to replenish the Biol. 1 Supply.

September 27, 1945 (Porter’s Lake)
Thursday. Sylvia, Jimmie, Eville and I went to Porter’s Lake in my car. We left about 10 a.m. and arrived about 11 a.m. The first house I went to belonged to a Mr. G.E. Leslie. He was home, had the day off, and for the sum of three dollars agreed to guide us into Sandy Cove [coordinates 44.764041, -63.317301] on the northern side of the lake. It turned out that he owned the land around that part of the lake. After Leslie had finished his dinner (chicken) we started off. As we got near Sandy Cove the flora became luxuriant and very interesting. It included many types of fern and extensive mats of leafy liverworts. I must get there early in the season. When we reached the cove Jimmie and Sylvia parked themselves on the sand. Leslie took Eville and me up the stream to the top of the hill. The growth along the stream was good and should be very interesting early in the season. Leslie then showed me how to get back to the road through a hardwood stand. We went back over the cliff to the lake and walked back along the shore. We had been away just one hour and a half. On the way back to the house Sylvia collected mushrooms. The lichen growth was excellent. Mrs. Leslie gave us all tea and we got back to Halifax about six p.m. My hip hurt me a bit but apparently Sylvia was not bothered by her ankle, but of course she spent most of her time on the beach. The cliffs right at the beach are granite, those further north should be good.

May 8, 1945 was the second day of the infamous VE Day riots in Halifax. Many blamed Rear-Admiral Murray for contributing to these riots by giving sailors shore leave in Halifax on VE Day. The Dalhousie University Archives has a collection of photographs from the riot https://findingaids.library.dal.ca/photographs-of-v-e-day-riots-in-halifax-nova-scotia and the Royal Commission that was struck to investigate the incident is available on the Government of Canada website https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/priv/CP32-94-1945-eng.pdf↵

"On July 18 1945, an ammunition barge blew up in Halifax's Bedford Basin causing a chain of fires and explosions that lasted until the following day. One person was killed and many were injured. Residents of Dartmouth and north end Halifax were evacuated from their homes due to fears that this explosion could escalate to the scale of 1917 Halifax Explosion." (From: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bedford_Magazine_Explosion,_Nova_Scotia,_Canada,_July_18,_1945.jpg). For a detailed account of this explosion see "The other Halifax explosion: Bedford Magazine, July 18-20, 1945" by H. Millard Wright. Held in print in the Dalhousie Killam Memorial Library under the call number F 1039.5 B4 W7 1995. ↵

Chapter 7 - 1946

Start of Trips for Summer
1946

May 6, 1946
Tuesday afternoon. Sylvia and I went hunting for fertile fronds of Equisetum. We went in my car just to the railway tracks out by Eville Gorham’s house. Eville was working on his lawn. We got a few fronds but not enough. The next place we tried was the railway by Simpsons, but no luck at all, but we saw a man polishing tombstones. Then right out to Bedford rifle ranges. There by the targets there were large numbers of fertile fronds in perfect condition. On the way back we had a talk with the caretaker and nearly got eaten by his three dogs. We took the material back to the lab. It was good to get out again. Sylvia appeared quite serious.

May 9, 1946
Thursday. Sylvia and I went around to the Dingle [coordinates 44.62996, -63.596871] in my car to see if Clintonia was up. We picked up Janet at the corner of Robie and Morris. The Clintonia was up in certain warm sheltered spots, but the main crop had not appeared. The material when examined showed all stages of development of microspore mother cells.

May 10, 1946
Friday morning. Sylvia and I took a tour around Marlborough Woods[1] [coordinates 44.628184, -63.585749]. The only Clintonia in evidence were in the shelter of the big rock. Apparently, it is a backward season.

May 14, 1946
Tuesday morning. Sylvia, Shirley Mason and I went to Birch Cove Lakes [coordinates 44.66567, -63.689193] to get Snowberry leaves. We went in the morning and came back before noon because I had to get ready for convocation. We parked the car in a man’s side driveway and the man said the road to the lakes was flooded. The road up to the lakes was pretty rough and wet. Sylvia had her big boots, so she was ok. I showed Shirley the conifers and some other plants. On the way up we could not find the Snowberry vine, but beside the brook we did find Yew (Taxus canadensis). The plants were staminate, and the naked stamens of the sterile flowers were in perfect condition. The level of the lake was higher than when Laura and I were there, and we reached the lake by taking a path through the woods to the right of the main road. We collected quite a number of things to show Shirley back in the lab. On the way back Sylvia spotted a patch of Snowberry vine, and we made our collection. We dropped Shirley at her home and then went to the lab, where Sylvia and I looked after the material.

May 23, 1946
Thursday. Sylvia, Shirley Mason, Eville G. and I went to Stewiacke region [coordinates 45.138517, -63.346097] hunting for spring flowers. Dave told me about the place. He and Roland had collected there. We left in my car at about 9:45 a.m. It was a fine day. At first when we arrived at Stewiacke, we could not find the place and landed out at “Sibley’s Corner”. There we were told to take Thurrott’s Road just outside the town. This we did, and finally landed at the correct spot on the St. Andrew River. It was an ideal place.  First, we ate and then all started down the north bank. The collecting was marvelous. Quite a way down we came to a log across the river. Eville and I went over on the log, but the two females stayed on the North bank. Eville and I returned along the south bank. There was nothing much on the south bank except some large patches of Anemones. The following are the flowers collected:

Sanguinaria canadensis

Panax trifolium

Claytonia caroliniana (Spring Beauty)

Viola eriocarpa var. leiocarpa

Ranunculus abortivus

Anemone quinquefolia

Dentaria diphylla (one plant only)

We also observed a lot of spring flowers and ferns coming up. These included:

Ostrich Fern

Lonicera canadensis

Christmas fern

Oak fern

Cinnamon fern

Sarsaparilla

Gold Thread

Various Violets, etc.

A Mrs. Thurrott in one of the houses had a lot of these flowers in a bottle and said that there had been a lot of Hepatics in bloom along the river, but they had been over for about three weeks. Thus, we should go about the first of May for the Hepatics. The best collecting was in the hardwood thickets on the north bank. The flies were not bad, perhaps because there was quite a wind. Shirley could not drink all her fruit juice, so I drank it for her. Sylvia took an extra pair of pants for Shirley, but Shirley already had a pair. We had the press with us and Eville and Sylvia put the plants in press immediately. We got back to Halifax about 5 o’clock. In fact, we dropped Shirley at exactly four minutes and thirty seconds past five.  That evening I went over to the lab to try to identify the flowers we did not know but found Eville there with the job done. It was a very good day.

May 31, 1946
Friday. Sylvia, Shirley M., Eville G. and I went to Upper Sackville [coordinates 44.796149, -63.730859]. Shirley had found some pieces of Chondrus crispus in the bog, and I wished to investigate. Shirley took us to the home of her uncle and aunt, and her aunt guided us to the spot in the woods. It was an ordinary Sphagnum bog and no sign of Chondrus. Shirley’s aunt said some of the neighbours had brought up some Irish Moss to dry and sell, so my guess is that these men had taken some of the Irish Moss out to the bog to see if it would grow there. Mrs. Maxwell said she would let us know if any more was found. From Upper Sackville we went to Beaver Bank Station and then through the Old Cobequid Road to Waverly. On this road we went over a high hill with a good view. On the way home we made a number of collections of Sambucus. We pressed and preserved these when we got back to the lab.

June 6, 1946
Thursday. Sylvia P., Shirley M. and I went to Purcells Cove [coordinates 44.612676, -63.574932] to get some young ovulate cones of Jack Pine.  We went to the quarry on back of the hill. The flies were terrible. The young red ovulate cones of Jack Pine were in perfect condition. We were going to make a collection of Huckleberry flowers for Botany 2, but the flowers were not quite out. We went on to the rock on top of the hill. It is now completely surrounded by young Jack Pine although in 1912 the rock at that spot was bare. We collected some flowers for Shirley to examine. A group of H.L.C. girls were coming in on a picnic when we got back to my car. At the brook from Williams Lake, we collected two gallons of water for the Sambucus cultures in the lab. On the way back we circled through the Dingle and gathered some Clintonia for Shirley. We brought all the material back to the lab.

Watercolor painting of Clintonia borealis (Blue Bead) From: Smithsonian American Art Museum collection by Mary Vaux Walcott, 1924. File is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Accessed on December 8, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_Bead_%28Clintonia_borealis%29_by_Mary_Vaux_Walcott-saam1970.355.675.jpg>.

June 20, 1946
Thursday. Silvia P., Shirley M. and I went hunting for Larch cones and Spirogyra. We took Marjorie with us. We left about 10:30 in the morning and went first to the Larch tree that Laura and I saw on the Meander Road. The cones were in excellent condition. I made a collection. We also collected some Spirogyra and some Cornus stolonifera. We then had lunch at Hantsport [coordinates 45.064005, -64.180837] and got some water from the pond there, but this did not have anything in it. At Wolfville, Marjorie went off on her own to meet us later in Kentville. Sylvia’s cousin Frances Knight showed us around the Biology Bldg. Shirley had a good look at the herbarium. And Frances showed us the brook where they collect their Spirogyra. We then took Frances Knight back to her house and started for Kentville. Enroute, we collected at Tannery Pond. The Euglena there were marvelous.  At Kentville I had a talk with Hockey and got my box of apple slides. We then picked up Marjorie at the Cornwallis Inn and went to Halifax. The brook back of Acadia had the best Spirogyra.

June 26, 1946
Wednesday. Shirley Mason and I went for fruiting Mnium to the spot located by Miss M. Brown near the “Owl’s Nest” on Mrs. Laurie’s property. We left about 9:30 and went down the Frenchman Road [coordinates 44.92145, -63.566914]. We took the turn to the left and landed at the wrong place. The turn to the right is the correct one. We hired a boat for the morning (50 cents) and Mrs. Rose who was living in the cottage let us use the verandah as a lab. The Mnium was in excellent shape, and we made quite a collection.  We had a microscope with us. I taught a little girl how to play the game with the marbles. We had lunch about 1 p.m., beside the car.

From there we drove into Col. Laurie’s place and Shirley inspected the cows. She was disappointed there were not more horses. We then walked out through the woods. It was mighty hot. At Indian Point we cooled off. On the way through the woods there did not seem to be as many flowers as usual, but the Twinflower was in bloom, also Speedwell and Bedstraw. On the way out, I had reported at Col. Laurie’s house, so on the way back I drove right past going through Bedford. I bought a garden chair ($3.00). We went to the lab and put the stuff away. The cleaning women had finished the offices. That evening I came back and identified three flowers. On the way out through Fairview I had collected very showy flower clusters from a bush by the roadside. It turned out to be Viburnum opulus var. Americanum. The Cranberry Tree. While at Indian Point we heard a woodpecker over our heads but could not see it. Finally, we saw it poking its head out through a hole in the side of the tree, the bird was really inside the tree.

July 7, 1946 (Preston, H.B. Bell’s property)
Sunday. Sylvia and I went to Preston [coordinates 44.715695, -63.434226] to compare conditions on July 7 with what we saw in 1945 on June 9th. We left a little before 11 a.m. The day was fine but sultry. The Preston Road was being fixed. When we parked the car at the usual place, we could hear the thunder starting. We got to the head of the stillwater O.K., and everything was at the height of its bloom, and had grown up and covered the rocks. The level of the water was not very high. The Poison Ivy was all over the place and at first Sylvia would not believe that it really was Poison Ivy. It was in full bloom. The Royal Fern was full grown in enormous mats and the fertile fronds were ripe. The blossoms of the Joe Pye weed were in bud, but none were out. I located the Milkweed bushes but there were no flowers showing. Through the woods, in the fields and on the edge of the lake there were all kinds of flowers in bloom. These included Speedwell, Wood Sorrel, Heal All, Twinflowers (lots of them), Yellow Rattle, Potentilla canadensis, Lobelia, etc. The fruits of Trillium and Cornus canadensis were forming. On the way to the outlet of the lake, I missed the path to the point and went too far. I beat it back through the underbrush to find the path and when I reached the shore of the lake my glasses were gone. We hunted for them but could not find them. We had barely eaten our lunch when the thunderstorm broke. I took the rubber sheet and kept dry under a tree. Sylvia took my old coat, which sheds water about as well as blotting paper and sat in the open with my coat over her head. When the storm was over, I was dry and Sylvia’s interior was dry, but her posterior was soaking wet. We waited for a while in hopes that the sun might come out.  When it did not come out, we started for home. Any dry parts became soaked on the way through the bushes. We returned via the south-western side of the stillwater.  The path there was grown up and the old cow path from the darkie’s house to the bridge has become one continuous bog. We got back to Halifax just before seven. Quite a day, but the right date for seeing flowers.

August 1, 1946 (Preston to hunt for my glasses)
Thursday. Sylvia Pentz, Shirley Mason, Bidwell and I went to Preston [coordinates 44.715695, -63.434226] to hunt for my glasses. We left in the morning. My three helpers started hunting for the glasses as soon as we arrived and Shirley Mason found them right away. We went in for a swim and had lunch. Shirley and Sylvia took it easy. Bidwell and I cut a path right back to the main path and then had another swim. The Joe Pye weed was in flower, but we forgot to get some. Lobelia was still in flower, but otherwise just the late summer flowers were out. We took Shirley down to see the Beaver hut and were home in time for supper.

August 13, 1946 (West Lawrencetown to study salt marsh plants)
Tuesday. Sylvia, Shirley and I went in my car to West Lawrencetown [coordinates 44.668104, -63.378699] to study salt marsh plants. Started about 10 a.m.  Shirley sat in back seat both going and coming. We drove right over to the beach opposite Rainbow Haven and the road scraped the bottom of the car for a long way. We then walked back and collected the flowers. They were in just the right condition. We then ate, had a rest then a swim and walked over to the place where the bridge used to be. The tide was too high and the current too strong to do any collecting, but we could see the big Laminarias. So, we went back and had some more sunbathing. Sylvia insisted on taking the isolated and distant position for her sun bath. Early in the day both Shirley and Sylvia were bitten by wasps. Sylvia’s language was choice. I burnt the wasps up. After about an hour we went back to the broken bridge, and I collected some Laminaria plants for Botany 2. After eating and drinking everything in sight we started for home. We dropped Shirley off on Barrington Street where she was to meet “Peggy”. Sylvia and I took the Laminarias, etc. up to the lab. It was a good day. Next day Sylvia was stiff, and I went over the flowers.

September 10, 1946 (Dingle & Herring Cove)
Tuesday. Shirley Mason and I went in my car around to the Dingle [coordinates 44.630561, -63.59855] to get fronds of the Rock Fern for Biology 1. We left about 3 p.m. and got the ferns just inside the Dingle gate. We then went through the Dingle up the steep hill through Jollimore and right through to the inner Herring Cove Road. From there we went on to Herring Cove. The tide was low and the water calm so the seaweeds showed up well. On the way home I bought some oranges (6) and back in the lab Shirley put the ferns in the press. I ate five of the oranges. Shirley ate one.

September 12, 1946 (Bayswater Beach & Chester)
Thursday. Marjorie, Peggy, Peter, Shirley Mason and I went to Chester [coordinates 44.541408, -64.242544] for Peggy to say good-bye and to take a chair to Dougie Morash. On the way down we went around by Bayswater to see if there was any kelp washed up on the beach. We had lunch on the beach halfway down the peninsula and when we got to Bayswater, it was not very comfortable for the sand was blowing along the beach. Shirley found two sand flowers of which we made collections. Peter fell in the water. We went on to Chester and East Chester and made a collection of Musk Mallow from Nora’s garden. We had afternoon tea with Constance and on the way home we bought some eggs from a man who said he was a Frenchman. In the evening, I took the plants over to the lab and pressed them. Eville identified them. The day was fine and although we did not get any kelp it was most successful.

September 14, 1946 (Copper Lake & Brora Lake)
Saturday. Eville and I went in my car to locate Nitella and Mnium. We left about 11:15, on the way through Truro we called at the farm to see Vera Facey, but just missed her. We ate our lunch outside Truro and arrived at Arthur Sutherland’s at Copper Lake [coordinates 45.401291, -61.984879] in time for supper. Eville and I collected a lot of berry-bearing bushes in fruit. While we were at supper the hens ate the berries off his specimens. I had to get a second collection. It was starting to rain while I was collecting. During the night a real storm developed.  Next morning Eville and I started off in the rain. The roads were awash and the rain was heavy at Brora Lake [coordinates 45.485414, -62.277088]. Eville showed me the location of the Mnium, and I collected some Peziza which were in excellent condition. We had dinner with Mr. John Johnston. We started for home shortly after dinner at about 2 p.m. Both going and coming, Eville drove between Truro and New Glasgow. At Sutherlands and Copper Lake, Eville and I occupied the same bed. We did not collect any Nitella but Eville showed me where it grew, and we found some. At Sutherlands I bought a bag of potatoes. We arrived back in Halifax at 5:20 p.m. Sunday evening September 15. The weather cleared after we left Truro.

September 20, 1946 (Sackville to hunt for Irish Moss in woods)
Friday. Sylvia and I left about 11 a.m. and after calling at various places for lunches, etc. We went out to Sackville [coordinates 44.760695, -63.672213] and arrived there a little after noon just when Shirley was having her lunch. Sylvia and I went down the Old Sackville Road and had our lunch, then we called for Shirley and went to her aunt’s place to hunt for the Irish Moss. We found it, and it turned out to be Clavaria cristata.

Clavaria cristata by Emil Doerstling, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

From there we went up to our property at Mount Uniacke and sat by the lake for a few minutes, then back to Shirley’s house where we had tea and then home. Before we started in the morning and when we were calling for Sylvia’s lunch, I met Sylvia’s “Uncle Fred.”

Bell regularly collected in the Marlborough Woods. The Halifax Urban Greenway Association provides a brief history of the area showing approximate boundaries at https://web.archive.org/web/20190603161129/http://halifaxurbangreenway.ca/interpretation/nwalc.htm↵

Chapter 8 - 1947

May 7, 1947 (St. Andrews River, Stewiacke)
Wednesday. Shirley, Muriel Ord, Bidwell and I. Picked up Muriel at the Forrest Building, Bidwell at his house and Shirley in Bedford. Left Halifax in my car about 9:30 a.m. We had intended to go a week earlier but had been prevented by rain and examinations. All along the Shubenacadie River the low fields near the river were completely flooded and the rivers were rushing torrents. The day was the first fine day without rain for over a week. St. Andrews River [coordinates 45.124530, -63.291493] was very high and both the bridge and the log on which Eville and I crossed were completely washed away. We searched right down to the end of the flats but did not find any Hepatics. We did find and collect Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot) and Claytonia caroliniana (Springbeauty). Mrs. Thurrott told Shirley that the Hepatics had been out about a week before but had all been washed away by the flood. “A week before” would have been the last day of April. So that is the day we should have gone and would have gone if it had not been for the weather.  Last year we went on May 23rd. We had our lunch at St. Andrews River and then went across country on the Windsor Road. On the gypsum outcrop west of Brooklyn [coordinates 45.006038, -64.010085 ] we made a collection of Shepherdia canadensis and going through Lakelands [coordinates 44.922424, -63.889933] we dug up one plant of Daphne mezereum. It was the only plant I could find. We got back to Halifax before 6:00 p.m. I took Muriel to the Forrest Building, put the plants on the drier, then took Muriel to the ferry and finally planted the Daphne plant beside my house.

May 9, 1947 (Marlborough Woods)
Friday. Shirley and I walked down to the railway tracks and across Pine Hill [coordinates 44.627969, -63.578278]. I showed Shirley the various trees in that district, and we collected herbarium specimens of American Elm and Wintergreen Berries (Teaberries). We got the Teaberries by the railway tracks at the foot of Robie Street. We came back to my house and Marjorie gave us tea and toast. We then collected some apple twigs for the Botany 3 series. We brought everything over to the lab and Shirley went off to catch the 5:45 bus. She was going to a dance in the evening.

May 12, 1947 (Bog north of Melville Cove, on Old Hasleman Property and bog back of Purcells Cove)
Monday. Shirley, Bidwell and I left the Forrest Building about 9:30 a.m. On arrival at the Catholic Church, Bidwell got Ferguson. I went to the Catholic School and got permission from the sister to park my car on the Church property. The Catholics were holding school back of the Church and in the powder magazine house. We all went into the bog [coordinates 44.635828, -63.619720] and Ferguson showed me where to find Ilex glabra. We then went into the bog back of the cove in hunt for more I. glabra, but Bidwell and Ferguson were not able to find the clump. We were too late for the Corema, the staminate flowers had withered, but we made a collection of Empetrum. There were lots of Empetrum in the bog and the Corema was on the dry rocks. We then drove back and through the crossroad to the inner Herring Cove Road. I stopped at Derrick’s to ask regarding a boat and Shirley made a collection of Leatherleaf (Cassandra). We then drove past the Dam at long lake and home.

Illustration of Empetrum nigrim (Black crowberry) From: Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz by Otto Wilhelm Thomé 1885. Public domain. Accessed on December 8, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Empetrum_nigrum0.jpg>.

May 15, 1947 (Mr. Harper’s property, Chester)
Thursday. Marjorie, Shirley, Mitchell and I left in my car at 11:00 am. First, we went to W. L. Harper’s property down Kennedy Road and dug up half a bag full of earth from his sweet pea bed. Then we went right through to Chester, and saw Duggie Morash about Peggy’s chairs, saw Mora, went to Hennigars then out to the house at East Chester where we ate our lunch. After lunch Shirley and I went up past the school to Spectacle Lake [coordinates 44.56815, -64.235427]. We were really after sporophytes of thallus liverworts. We did not find these, but we got a lot of other good material including Epigaea, Alder, Sweetfern (Myrica asplenifolia) etc. The woods were quite dry, although the lake was high. Shirley and I had a good walk. We came out at the East Chester Post office. Nora gave us tea. Winthrop and Hazel dropped in. On the walk Shirley spotted some Sphagnum with mature sporophytes. We got back to Halifax in time for supper. I went over to the lab and examined the Sphagnum. It was perfect, we preserved it wet.

May 16, 1947 (Hazelwood Quinpool Road, hill below railway track [coordinates 44.640888, -63.611244])
Friday. Shirley and I went out to the spot indicated by Eville Gorham to find sporophytes of a leafy Liverwort. We could not find it. So, we kept on going to Fariview and got some clear gasoline. When we got back to the lab, we got Eville. He came out with us and showed us where to find the material. We made a collection. The material was good. We preserved it wet.

May 23, 1947 (Waverly, Skerry Brook)
Friday. I left Halifax about 10:00 am. Shirley thought I could not be coming and called up 53 Oakland Road. I picked up Shirley at Bedford and we went to Skerry Brook [coordinates 44.776939, -63.588311] on the Dartmouth side of Waverly. We parked the car among the shacks and started into the woods along a path on the south side of the Brook. We then took the fork to the left and followed along the brook. There we found some marvelous sporophyte of Liverwort, both leafy and thallus. The season was a little late for each. Next year I must visit the spot about two weeks earlier. We kept on going along this path where we found a deer’s head and antlers stuck to a tree. We then went across a barrens. The path turned to the right and we went across a broad bog. We finally came to a small lake and went to the far end of lake. Shirley found a rock from which we could see water further on in all directions. I do not know where we were. We had our lunch there. The black flies were terrible. The dope I got from Barnstead was no good, what we got from the geology chap was O.K. We went back the way we came in and tried the right fork of the road. It turned out to be a good road but not much material. It was starting to rain so we returned. We had gone out for flowers of sugar maple reported by Bidwell. We did not see any. We returned to Bedford. Shirley gave me some excellent tea. I returned home. By that time, it was raining hard. Attached is Shirley’s list of flowers seen and collected.

Shirley’s list for May 23, 1947:

Leafy Liverwort

Thallus Liverwort

Coptis groenlandica

Viburnum alnifolium

Trillium undulatum

Mnium Moss (dead)

Amelanchier laevis

Viola pallens (Banks) Brainerd

May 27, 1947 (Preston Road)
Tuesday. Shirley and I went out the Preston Road [coordinates 44.701703, -63.462404] in my car to get some Hard Maple flowers. Dave collected them out there in 1945 (May 25). I spotted the place and at first did not locate the Hard Maple, but we did find Viburnum alnifolium, Breech, Violets etc., and made collections. I nearly broke my neck collecting the Breech. Finally, I spotted the Hard Maple and got the branch by throwing a rope over it. The flowers were in good shape and the leaves more tomentose than the typical Hard maple. When we got back to the lab, Shirley put everything in a press or in pickle.  Attached is Shirley’s list of plants collected. It was a very good day.

Shirley’s List Tuesday May 27, 1947:

Acer saccharum

Acer pensylvanicum

Fagus grandifolia

Viburnum alnifolia

Viola cucullata

Prunus pensylvanica

Sambucus pubens

Tuesday June 3, 1947 (Truro)
Shirley Mason, Bidwell and I went to Truro. We left about 10:30 a.m. and arrived about 12:30 p.m. Bidwell and I put up at the Scotia Hotel, then started for Bible Hill. While getting gas just over the bridge we saw Vera Facey go by in a car. Shirley had a look at the house on Riverside Avenue. It looked pretty small. We went out to the farm and saw both Roland and Vera unpack the car. Vera knew of no place for Shirley to stay, so we went back to Riverside Avenue. Shirley decided to stay there. Bidwell and I went to the hotel and changed into our collecting clothes. We called for Shirley who had also changed into collecting clothes (red). We went out to the lab and Roland went with us too. It was a magnificent collecting spot. We got all kinds of plants and brought them back to the lab. Shirley and Bidwell put them in the press. It took a long time. I drove Vera home and came back to Shirley and Bidwell. We all had dinner at the Scotia Hotel, and then brought records etc. up to date. By this time, it was raining buckets. We then went hunting for a place which would make up lunches. At first, we could not find any such place, but after we had taken Shirley home, Bidwell and I found a place close to the railway station.

June 4, 1947 (Truro)
Wednesday. During the morning Roland took us to the intervale land at Kemptown [coordinates 45.469078, -63.073595]. There for the first time I saw lots of Dog Tooth Violet. We had our lunch at the lab, and during the afternoon Roland took us to an excellent hardwood collecting area. The spot is marked * on the map. It is 1 ½ miles north of Earltown. The day was fine but cold.

June 5, 1947 (Truro)
Thursday. During the morning Roland took us to a spot “up” the Salmon River to find Primula. Roland took his car and took Vera and his assistant. Bidwell and Shirley came with me. We crossed the river and wandered around in our cars before finding the right place. Finally, we got to the end of the right road, parked the cars and walked through the woods to the river. We took the path to the left when we should have gone to the right and landed too far down the river. We walked up and found the Primulas. The woods through which we came were good. Roland and Bidwell walked back to the cars. The rest of us walked down the tracks. The cars met us at the “Valley” Railway Station. During the afternoon Shirley, Bidwell and I went to Brookside and got the plants which we did not get the first day.  Roland and Vera had dinner with us at the Hotel.

June 6, 1947 (Truro)
Friday. Roland and V.F. came with us and we went to Debert [coordinates 45.437701, -63.458516]. On the road into the camp, there was a marvelous pond full of Elodea, also Spirogyra. We made collections to take home living. Roland and Shirley made a number of other collections of flowering plants. Just outside Truro we collected Buckbean. At the camp Roland showed us through the college quarters in the huts and we made some more collections. We circled through the old camp and came out on the shore road. There in a bog V.F. collected male and female Marchantia. There was also a lot of Mnium which looked as if it might be good later. This swamp was just 1 ½ miles west of where the road turns into the college (camp). After lunch Shirley and Bidwell sorted out the flowers, put flowers in the press and packed the car. We all landed back in Halifax about 6:00 p.m.

June 11, 1947 (Dingle [coordinates 44.630146, -63.596926])
Wednesday. Jimmie and Mitchell were taking the Snipe to Jollimore and wanted me to speak to Al., so I combined this with a collecting trip. Shirley and I went around in the car. There were a lot of common flowers out and we got some great good mounts. There were so many that we decided to collect some and leave the others for Thursday.

June 12, 1947(Dingle[coordinates 44.630146, -63.596926])
Thursday. Shirley and I went back during the morning to get the flowers we did not get on the day before. We walked up to the Frog Pond and around to the top of Castle Frank. The flies were bad, and it was threatening to rain, but it did not rain.

June 13, 1947 (Preston [coordinates 44.715695, -63.434226])
Friday. Shirley, Muriel Ord, Bidwell and I went to HBB’s place at Preston. We left the Forrest Building at 10:10 a.m. We left the car in the usual place. Muriel was interested in learning the common plants. We missed the path that Bidwell and I cut in 1946 but traced it back from the brook. It was a “between” period for the flowers. The early ones like the Trilliums were over and the next group like the Indian Cucumber were not out yet. However, we made some collections of blueberries, Trillium etc. There were some boys in tents camped near the bridge leading to HBB’s place. The three young ones went in for a swim before eating lunch. It was a gorgeous day, and we all had a sunbathe. When we got back, we dropped Muriel in Dartmouth, took Shirley to the bus and Bidwell and I came to the lab and put the few flowers in the press.

June 17, 1947 (West End Halifax)
Tuesday. Shirley and I went out to Connaught Avenue [coordinates 44.647351, -63.607921] to collect Potentilla. While there we collected some White Clover (Trifolia refens) too. From there we went to Hazelwood and made a collection of Ranunculus acris, both for the hebarium and roots for Bio. 1.  Shirley had seen some big white flowers, so as we wanted Bluets, we went out the Bedford Road. We did not find any Bluets, but the ‘big white flowers’ were beyond Princes Lodge and turned out to be an escaped Phlox. On the way back Shirley treated me to a drink of grapefruit juice. She had ice cream. We got the bluets in a field beside Windsor Street. When we got back to the lab, Eville and Livingstone came in and Eville had collected another Potentilla, different from the one Shirley and I had. Both went into the press.

June 18, 1947 (West End Halifax)
Wednesday. Shirley and I went out to get the species we did not get on Tuesday. First, we checked the Mountain Ash on Carteret St. It turned out to be the same as we collected before. We then went to Connaught Avenue [coordinates 44.647351, -63.607921] and collected more specimens of the two White Clovers, the common Red Clover and Crataegus Monogyno. We made one collection of Crataegus Jonesiae but the petals had fallen. To get this latter species we should go earlier next year. There are a number of good bushes there, just in front of the Jones house.

June 19, 1947 (Big Indian Lake and Nine Mile River)
Thursday. Shirley and I went in my car to Big Indian Lake [coordinates 44.594850, -63.698988] to get Haircap Moss with ripe spores. We drove in the car right to the lake. But the road has deteriorated to such an extent what it is not fit for a low-hung car. The under body scraped on the rocks etc. in at least three places both going and coming. The spores in the moss capsule were not ripe so we did not make a collection of the moss. We walked on to the new dam and made collections of Labrador Tea, both pistillate and staminate of Myrica pensylvanica, Bluets etc. We had our lunch in the car at Big Indian and then walked on to the Nine Mile River. It started to rain quite heavily. It was almost the same time of day as when Laura and I were there in 1944, (June 13). The Nine Mile River was too full to cross. We walked back to the car, (Shirley in the lead) and took the material back to the lab. Shirley put the plants in the press.

June 23, 1947 (Halifax West End and Dingle [coordinates 44.630146, -63.596926])
Monday. Shirley and I went to Studley (Phlox), Jubilee Rd. (Sorrel), Dingle (Lady’s Mantle). It was a very hot day. On the way home I bought some fruit juice at MacGreggor’s. Shirley put the plants in the press.

June 24, 1947 (Preston)
Tuesday. Shirley, Bidwell and I went out the Preston Road [coordinates 44.709986, -63.439219] to get Haircap Moss for Bio. 1. We needed moss with ripe spores. We went to the same place that Sylvia and I got them on June 9, 1945. We took a microscope with us. The whole area had grown in bushes and most of the moss had disappeared or dried up. It all looked scorched, and the earth was very dry. After some hunting we found some patches of moss and it was in the right stage, so we made a big collection in the rubber sheet and took it out beside the car to sort it out. We got the job done about 1:00 p.m. We then went on to the entrance to Lake Eagle and had our lunch under the apple tree where we parked the car. After lunch we went on to Lake Eagle, collected Twinflowers and had a swim and a rest. The Indian Cucumber-root was not out. We got Shirley back in time for the 5:45 p.m. bus. Bidwell and I took the collections up to the lab.

June 30, 1947 (Hosterman Property Bog)
Monday. Shirley and I went out to get a look at the Inkberry (a rare form of Holly). We parked the car by the R.C. Church. Shirley found the path to the bog. I had my knee rubber boots with me, so I went in across the bog. Shirley followed later. There were a lot of bog flowers in bloom, two Orchids, Pitcher Plant, Bog Huckleberry, etc., but I could not find any bloom on the Holly (Ilex glabra). We made collections there and beside the R.C. Church. We hunted for Bush Honeysuckle but could not find it, and so we went down to the Dingle [coordinates 44.630146, -63.596926] and hunted for it there. We located a patch beside the tower, but it was not in bloom. We took the material back to the lab. At the entrance to the road encircling Castle Frank, we saw three Indian Cucumber-root. They were in perfect condition to collect, but we did not gather them because we already had all we could handle properly. The date (June 30th) should be kept in mind for next year.

July 2, 1947 (Baddeck Trip)
Wednesday. Left my house at 7:45 a.m. Called for Stan Bagnall and then out to Bedford to pick up Shirley and Marilyn. At Truro we went out to the Agricultural College. Roland was not there but Vera was. Our radiator was boiling. We filled it up and started off for New Glasgow, but the radiator continued to heat so we came back to Truro and had some “cleaner” put in the radiator and went on to New Glasgow where we had the radiator washed out. The car was O.K. from then on. We arrived at Whycocomagh about 4:00 p.m. and arranged with Mrs. Ross to put us up on Friday night. We went on to Baddeck and put up with Mrs. Yates and her brother took us out to Mrs. Anderson’s house and showed us the place. Mrs. Yates gave Stan and me some tea. Shirley and Marilyn went out with Bidwell.

July 3, 1947 (Baddeck)
Thursday. It rained very hard during the morning, so we just sat around. I had a sleep. After midday meal, Bidwell came with us to get the moss. Marilyn did not go with us. I went to the Anderson house and introduced myself. Blanche was home with her sisters Gladys and Muriel. Blanche came with Shirley, Bidwell and I, and found the bog for us. The moss was not in Plaster Holes [Cove] [coordinates 45.972229, -60.812792], but in a bag about a mile back in the woods. The flies were terrible. We gathered the moss, put it in a rubber sheet and Bidwell carried at back to Anderson’s house. There the four of us sorted it out. This took a couple of hours. Miss Anderson gave us tea, biscuits, cake etc. We then went back to Baddeck. In the evening, Stan and I went up to the top of the hill where Graham Bell is burried. The view is magnificent.

July 4, 1947 (Trip through Margaree)
Friday. The day was fine, so we took a trip through Margaree. Bidwell came with us and drove most of the way. We went down the north side of the river. Shirley and Bidwell went in for a swim at the mouth of the river. Lunch at the “Blue Duck Inn” and back to Whycocomagh via the north side of Lake Ainslie. We stayed the night at the Village Inn (Mrs. Ross) at Whycocomagh. It started to rain shortly after we arrived and rained hard all night.

July 5, 1947 (Trip Home to Halifax)
Saturday. We left about 9:00 a.m. and went via Marble Mountain. We had lunch beside the road. Just outside New Glasgow one of my tires burst its casing. I had to buy a new tire. We had afternoon tea at New Glasgow and arrived in Halifax at about 6:00 p.m. Bidwell drove a good part of the way.

July 9, 1947 (Bedford Road)
Wednesday. Shirley and I went out to Mill Cove [coordinates 44.714962, -63.678161] to get Sambucus twigs from which to make sections for Bio 1. sets 12, 13 & 14. Marjorie came with us. It was a hot day. We found the bush and I cut off twigs of various ages and put them immediately in FAA [Formaldehyde Alcohol Acetic Acid].  While I was doing this Shirley collected about five common plants for the herbarium. This completed, we drove on to Mrs. Lee’s house, left Shirley’s satchel and then back to the lab. Shirley looked after the plants, and I [prepared] the twigs.

July 10, 1947 (Barrie’s Beach and beyond)
Thursday. Shirley and I drove down to the pond at Barrie’s Beach. We got there about 9:45 am. There were a lot of flowers in perfect condition, Shirley made collections of them. We were too late for the Giant Rush, but there were some flowers that were not quite out, so we should go again later next time. I found it difficult to recognize the spot because about ½ a mile of the beach had been washed away. From there we drove on to the barrier reef leading to Cow Bay [coordinates 44.621802, -63.421895]. Shirley made some more collections. There we had lunch and a rest. We even went into the pond which was about knee deep. A lot of people came around. We got back to the lab about 5:15 p.m. It was a good day in every respect.

July 12, 1947 (Mill Cove, Bedford Road [coordinates 44.714962, -63.678161])
Saturday. I went out by myself to get some Sambucus stems for longitudinal sections for Bio 1. The ones we got on Wednesday proved so good, I wanted some more. I am not sure that I got them from the same bush. I left Marjorie at the squadron while I went out.

July 15, 1947 (Waverley)
Tuesday. Bidwell and I left Halifax about 9:00 a.m. and called for Shirley. First, we went to the Old Guysborough Road [coordinates 44.909589, -63.416471], where Bidwell showed me the location of a nice grove of White Ash. They are about 100 yards in from the main highway and on the right-hand (southeast) side of the road. They are medium sized trees. We then went through Waverley and down Dartmouth Road about 100 yards beyond Skerry Brook. Bidwell took us across a field and through his trail to see the grove of hard maples. It was a long tramp and the trail is not well marked. I doubt if I could follow it again, but Bidwell got us there. It is quite an extensive grove of large hard maples, but to me the whole stand looks sort of sick. I think it has been extensively culled. The horse flies were terrible. In spite of the flies, Shirley made a couple of collections. We went back to the lake and had our lunch by the shore where it was cool and free from flies. On the way out, I cut a young fir tree for Bio. I transverse sections. Before lunch a boy with a blistered foot turned up. Bidwell drove him home. By the way, Bidwell’s trail faded out on reaching the barrens. After lunch we went up by Skerry’s Brook and followed the trail which Shirley and I found when we were there on May 23, 1947. We followed it along till it came to the barrens and then it faded out. So apparently the trail Shirley and I followed on May 23rd is the right one. We must explore it further. At this stage, we called it a day. Shirley got off at Bedford and Bidwell in Halifax. I came to the lab and cut the transverse sections of the fir tree.

July 19, 1947 (Bedford Road)
Saturday. I went out again to get more Sambucus stem. Marjorie came with me. We collected from two or three bushes, all beside the road before one reaches Mill Cove [coordinates 44.714962, -63.678161].

August 5, 1947 (Cole Harbour and Lawrencetown)
Tuesday. Shirley, Anne Gorham, Stan Bagnall and I went in my car to collect some shore plants. First, we collected on the sands at the outlet of Lawrencetown Lake and had lunch there. Then we went over to the main Lawrencetown beach. There I got the car stuck in the sand and smashed in the back of it when it was being towed. We went home from there.

August 6, 1947 (Herring Cove)
Wednesday. Vera Facey and a chap named “Potter” came down from Truro in Roland’s car. I went with them to Herring Cove. We got a lot of material for Roland’s classes.

August 18, 1947 (McNabs Island and Thrumcap)
Monday. Shirley and I went down in the 8:00 am duty boat. Jimmie drove us to King’s wharf. We landed at Garrison Pier and walked directly to Big Thrumcap. It was high tide and most of the Barrier reef between Big and Little Thrumcap was under water. In places the gap must be very deep, because while we were there a motorboat came into the lagoon. The sand had all gone from the west side of Big Thrumcap and there was absolutely no seaweed on the reef. We went back via Naval Range. Shirley collected some flowers in the low spot between the targets and the 100 yd [huts]. It is a good spot. We should visit it a bit earlier. We then went to the light house beach. The sand had all gone from the north side and there was no seaweed wash on the south side.  We stayed there for the remainder of the day. We had our lunch and a swim. The water was very cold. We caught the duty boat for home at about 4:45 p.m. A Provost Corps Lieutenant drove us back to the lab. We were asked for our passes a number of times.

Plants collected at McNabs Island:

Limonium nashii var. trichogonum (Sea Lavender)

Euphrasia canadensis (Eyebright)

Atriple patula var. hastata

Suaeda maritima (Seablite)

Scutellaria epilabifolia

August 28, 1947 (Bedford)
Thursday. Shirley and I went out to Mrs. Lee’s house and collected the plant press and also some fresh flowers on Dartmouth Rd., just outside Bedford. We went out during the afternoon.

September 2, 1947 (Beaverbank, Kennetcook, Brooklyn, St. Croix)
Tuesday. Marjorie, Mitchell, Shirley and I took the road through the Beaverbanks to Kennetcook. It is a bad road and to get to Kennetcook it would be quicker to go through Elmsdale. We had lunch at Kennetcook, then circled around the Noel Shore to Brooklyn. Outside Brooklyn [coordinates 45.006038, -64.010085] Shirley collected Shepherdia. At St. Croix, Marjorie got some honey. Mitchell drove quite a bit of the way. It was a fine warm day. We dropped Shirley at Bedford.

September 23, 1947 (Lake Eagle)
Tuesday. Shirley and I went to Lake Eagle for the whole day. Marvelous trip, fine day.

October 5, 1947 (Portobello and Port Wallace)
Sunday. Marjorie, Jean Peabody, Mitchell and I went collecting filamentous greens for Botany 2. We went in my car. On the way through Bedford, we called for Shirley, but she was away. We drove through Waverly and collected at Portobello and then at Port Wallace. There was good material at each place. We then returned via the Dartmouth Ferry. I put the material in dishes that evening.

October 11, 1947 (Klein Heights etc.)
Saturday. Shirley and I went hunting for Desmid material. Jimmie drove us out to the Arm bridge. We collected at the bog at the old gun club site, beyond the pipeline just north of the middle of the St. Margaret Bay Rd. hill. Then one of the men at the chlorinating plant gave us screenings from the city water. We then went across the Bay Rd. and went in at the place Bidwell took me in 1946. We found the bog to which he took me, but it was pretty dry. After some wild wanderings, we located Witherod Lake. There we had our lunch. The coloring of the leaves was magnificent. Shirley did some hunting for a path. She and Bidwell took it “around the lake” but did not have much success. We then went hunting for the bogs. I had seen some years before. Again, we did some wild wandering through the bush and finally located the bogs on top of the hill. We made some collections and looked at the view. We went home via Spryfield, Williams Lake and Boutilier Ferry. After having a cup of tea at my house, we went over to the college and put the material in the dishes.

October 16, 1947 (Hubbards)
Thursday. Marjorie, Mollie Schwartz, Anne Gorham and I went in my car to Hubbard’s to get Desmids. We got them from the swamp on the other side of the pond near Dr. Currie’s house.

October 18, 1947 (Swamp near Church of St. John the Divine)
Saturday. Shirley, Peggy Rundle, Eric Perrott and self-went to this swamp to get Desmids.

November 8, 1947 (Herring Cove)
Saturday. Shirley, Eric Perrott and I went to Herring Cove [coordinates 44.569650, -63.556686] for seaweed. I forgot a rake and borrowed one in the village. The surf was too high to do much collecting, but we got some Ascophyllum, or at least Eric did. On the shore at the entrance to the cove there was a considerable quantity washed up on the shore. In this we found good L. digitata, some of which were fruiting. Shirley took the specimens back to the lab and hung them up. The day was fine and not too cold.

November 30, 1947 (Silver Lake etc. on Sambro Road)
Sunday. Dan Livingstone took me out to the lakes on which he had worked during the summer.  We went out in my car and Jimmie drove. We went out in the morning and got back about 2:00 p.m. It was starting to snow. We make a collection of Sphagnum for Diatoms at Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155]. Dan had made a collection there on November 23.

Chapter 9 - 1948

February 28, 1948 (Frog Pond through Willams Lake and Colpitt Lake to Purcell’s Cove)
Saturday. Shirley Mason and I went out to get some early leafy Liverworts. We crossed the arm on the ice opposite the Waegwoltic, and followed the brook up to the Frog Pond. The brooks were too full and the ice and snow too deep to get any Liverworts. We crossed the Frog Pond and Williams Lake to Colpitt Lake. I lost the path between Williams Lake and Colpitt Lake [coordinates 44.610186, -63.597887]. Shirley collected winter buds to put through the key. We had lunch at the south end of Colpitt Lake then on to Purcell’s Cove. There we went to Purcell’s Pond and then home via the shore of the Arm. It was cold but a splendid day.

April 19, 1948 (Kentville)
Monday. Marjorie and I drove up to Kentville. I wanted to see Hockey about Jean MacLellan’s slides of [Bitter pit] etc. All through the woods around Mount Uniacke the ground was still covered with snow and the lakes were solid with ice. Just on the Halifax side of the schoolhouse marked “Maxwell” I spotted quite a large clump of older Larch trees. At Kentville Marjorie saw her painter. We had lunch at the Kent Lodge and did some shopping. I saw Harrison and we got home about 6:00 p.m.

May 13, 1948 (Waverley, Lacey River, Bog and Bayers Lake)
Thursday. Bidwell took his car. Jane Bailly came too, and we called for Ferguson. Started about 10:30 a.m. First to Sherry Brook Waverley [coordinates 44.782519, -63.599634] where Shirley and I found the Leafy Liverwort, but we could not find any. I got a good collection of Thallus Liverwort. Then back through Bedford and out to Lacey River [coordinates 44.829242, -63.810864]. There we walked in as far as the bridge and made a good collection of Leafy liverworts with sporophyte attached. This probably would have been better earlier. We had lunch then Ferguson showed me his famous bog. Back through the arm bridge and Bidwell showed me the start of the trail to Susie Lakes. Back in the lab we put the leafy liverwort in a bottle for Bidwell to take to Kingston.

May 18, 1948 (Yarmouth etc.)
Tuesday. Went with Dr. H.D. Smith to Yarmouth etc. in his car. Stayed at the Grand Hotel for two nights. Left Seaman at Pubnico. I returned to Halifax from Lunenburg by bus on Thursday evening May 20th 1948

June 2, 1948 (Purcells Cove and Williams Lake)
Wednesday. Shirley Mason, Jane Bailly and I went to Purcells Cove [coordinates 44.612676, -63.574932] to see if Jack Pine were ready for collecting (young ovulate cones). We went in my car during the afternoon. It was quite warm. The staminate cones were not ripe and the ovulate cones had not appeared. There were a number of flowers just at their best (i.e. Crowberry) and there were a lot of others just in bloom. The black flies were bad. On the way home we went up to Williams Lake. The brook was very full of water. We got some more flowers including the Fly Honeysuckle.

June 3, 1948 (Chester)
Thursday. Jane Bailly and I went to Chester [coordinates 44.541986, -64.238008] to get male and female Fucus, Marjorie came with. We took the microscopes and spent the morning sorting seaweed. In the afternoon, we went into Chester to order a chest of drawers, then planted Norway Maple seedlings then Jane and I went up in the woods to locate beds of Hair Cap Moss. We found the Snowberry in flower and found a fine bed of moss. The Sporangium had not started to swell. It should be O.K. in about 10 day’s time. After afternoon tea we drove home.

Illustration of Snowberry From: Addisonia : colored illustrations and popular descriptions of plants by Mary E. Eaton (illustrator), New York Botanical Garden. Accessed on December 8, 2022 via Biodiversity Heritage Library <https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4505964#page/64/mode/1up>.

June 14, 1948 (Purcells Cove)
Monday. Jane and I went to Purcells Cove [coordinates 44.612676, -63.574932] to get cones of Jack Pine. We left about 2:30 p.m. The cones both staminate and pistillate were just right and we made collections of each. We also collected a branch illustrating pistillate cones of three years. The [Labrador] Tea, Lambkill, and Witherod and Chokeberry were all in bud. The False Holly (Nemopanthus mucronata) was in full bloom. The black flies were bad, but on top of the hill we were able to stand them. Jane had an orange. From the top of the hill, we located most of the buildings in Halifax. We went back to the lab and put the collections in preservative.

June 14, 1948 (Hubbards, Chester and Aspotogan)
Tuesday. Jane Bailly and I started in my car about 10:00 a.m. We called for Anne Gorham at Hubbards and took her on to Chester [coordinates 44.565366, -64.219109] where we collected Haircap Moss with Calyptra still sticking on. We sorted these out in the barn at East Chester. Nora helped us a little. After eating lunch in Nora’s kitchen, we collected and pressed some False Holly (Nemopanthus mucronata). We then drove around Aspotogan [coordinates 44.523559, -64.050463] to show Anne the various beaches. At Aspotogan we collected Smilacina trifolia. The day was cold, but it did not rain. On the way back we had tea at Anne’s house at Hubbards. Back in Halifax Jane and I put the material in pickle and in the press.

June 17, 1948 (North Weaver Lake and Silver Lake)
Thursday. Jane Bailly, Shirley Mason and I went to the lakes on the Sambro Road to get water for Desmids and the plants in and around the lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155]. We started about 2:30 p.m. At Weaver Lake we got white Andromeda glaucophylla also some Kalmia polifolia. The flies were pretty bad, there was lots of Cranberry, but it was not in bloom. At Silver Lake there was some deep pink Andromeda and lots of white also lots of the Pale laurel. Shirley found some Utricularia with the bladders on the submerged capillary dissected leaves. She also found some Batrachospermum. They looked like old plants with new growth starting. Jane found every shade of Andromeda. I took off my boots and waded and promptly went through the floating Sphagnum up to my middle in the water beneath. Silver is a very interesting lake. We went back to the lab. Shirley and Jane put the plants in a press. I identified the Batrachospermum.

June 22, 1948 (Preston and South Eastern Passage)
Tuesday. Jane Bailly and I started for Lake Eagle, Preston, about 10:30 a.m. It was fine but cloudy and cold. We packed the car in the usual place and walked in. There were a lot of ordinary flowers to be checked on the way in. On the west side of the run from the lake [coordinates 44.742196, -63.447181] the Indian Cucumber was not yet in bloom. The Trilliums were over, and the Lady Slipper was in flower. The flies were very bad. We had lunch on the rock at the point and there were a few showers of rain. On the way out we noticed the Poison Ivy as very small young plants. We drove back to the main road via the schoolhouse. From Dartmouth we drove down to Barrie Beach, that is South Eastern Passage. In the pond there the seeds and rushes were not yet in flower. We got back to the lab about 5:30 p.m.

June 28, 1948 (Herring Cove and Chebucto Head)
Monday. J. W. Lawson, Jane Bailly and I went to Herring Cove [coordinates 44.569646, -63.556660] to get Ascophyllum tips. The tide was too high to get Laminaria strips. We left about 9:30 a.m. At Herring Cove, J. W. fell off the bank and I thought he was killed but he only cut his hand. We collected the growing tips of Ascophyllum and could not find any Laminaria washed up on the shore. We went on to Chebucto Head. The whole landscape there has changed greatly since I was there last. We saw the view from the lighthouse, and I collected some flowers for Jane Bailly. We got home about 12:30 p.m. The next day I threw out the tips by mistake.

July 6, 1948 (Holland Lake)
Tuesday. Shirley Mason and I went out to Holland Lake to look over the project. It was raining hard so we did not accomplish much, but we made plans. Immediately after having lunch, we came back.

July 8, 1948 (Marlborough Woods etc.)
Thursday. Jane Bailly and I after collecting the apple twigs at my place, collected Daisies at the foot of Oakland Rd. [coordinates 44.632515, -63.593157] and then went through the woods hunting for Huckleberry. Along the railroad tracks, the Lambkill was in full bloom. The [Teaberry] showed no sign of flowers and this year’s plants were just growing up. The Huckleberry was finished flowering and young berries were forming. We brought a lot of flowers back to the lab for Jane to examine. It was a fine day.

July 9, 1948 (Dingle)
Friday. Jane Bailly and I drove over to the Dingle early in the afternoon. On the hill up from Fairy Cove [coordinates 44.629918, -63.598463] we collected some Gaylussacia baccata which was still in flower but at an advanced stage. It was just what I needed for Botany 220. We wandered through the woods to the Frog Pond and found Ilex verticillata with the flowers still in the bud. At first, I did not recognize it. All through that area there was an abundance of Huckleberry, especially just east of the Frog Pond. The flowers were mainly over. On the way back to the road I took the wrong path and came out by the Church.  We then walked around the east side of Castle Frank and back over the top of the hill. Where the fire burnt over a couple of years ago there was an abundant growth of Vaccinium angustifolium var. laevifolium.

At the Frog Pond the leaves of Pontederia cordata were plentiful but no flowers. I took a plant to the lab for identification.

July 10, 1948 (Bog, St. John the Divine [coordinates 44.636209, -63.619848])
Saturday. Jane found from looking at the mounts, that we might be missing the bog Orchids. So, we beat it out to the bog fast and sure enough the Orchid, Pogonia ophioglossoides was in full bloom and Colopogen was just coming out. We made a collection of Pogonia. Gaylussacia Dumosa was just coming into flower, so we made plants to go back on Monday.

July 12, 1948 (Bog, St. John the Divine [coordinates 44.636209, -63.619848])
Monday. Jane Bailly went out during the morning and collected herbarium material of Ilex glabra [1]. Distance six (6) miles. We took the puff-puff to keep off the flies. It is a good scheme.

July 17, 1948 (Bog, St. John the Divine [coordinates 44.636209, -63.619848])
Saturday. Jane and I went out to the Church bog to get some Ilex glabra which we thought would be in flower. The three “sluggers” went with us. The inkberry, so far as we could see, was at the same stage as it was before.  Perhaps they are the young berries.

July 19, 1948 (Harry Lake, Sambro Rd.)
Monday. Jane Bailly, Shirley Mason and I went out with Jim Lewin in the jeep. They took the rubber boat. This is a magnificent collecting region both in and around the lake [coordinates 44.529818, -63.672162]. Shirley and Jim worked in the lake while Jane and I collected. A list of the plants collected is attached. Jane and I went out with them for a trip in the boat and Jane put the plants in the press on the spot. We got back about 4:00 p.m.

Plants collected:

Nymphoides cordatum

Sparganium angustifolium

Lobelia dortmanna

Cypripedium acaule

Linnaea borealis var. americana

Moneses uniflora

Veronica officinalis

Pyrola elliptica

Oxalis montana

Habenaria obtusata

July 22, 1948 (Oakfield)
Thursday. Jane Bailly, Shirley Mason and I went to check the flowers in bloom at this period. Muriel Ord, Ann Watts and Hope Bridgeford came with us to get slugs. We arrived just as Col. Laurie and family were leaving. I met young Laurie. The sluggers got a lot of slugs around the barn and Rose, the manager, told them he would keep his eye out for more.  We all went on to Indian Point [coordinates 44.92372, -63.583553]. Shirley got some flowers, but the sluggers were interested in the common forms of flowers of which there was a multitude. Tearthumb and a number of other numbers of the genus Polygonum were in excellent shape. At Indian Point Shirley found Actaea rubra in fruit. She found some orchids too. I slept for an hour and the five girls hunted for flowers. Shirley brought home a number of ferns to identify. We got back in Halifax a little after 4:00 p.m. I had to go to a civic reception for DeWolfe and Piers.

Plants collected:

Actaea rubra

Habenaria blephariglottis

Hypericum boreale

Thalictrum polygamum

Corallorhiza maculate

Corallorhiza maculata var. flavida

July 28, 1948 (Gorham Lake [Holman Marsh Lake])
Wednesday. Shirley Mason, Jane Bailly, Jim Lewin, Cuthbertson, Jim Rose, and I went out to Gorham  Lake [Holman Marsh Lake] [coordinates 44.568763, -63.775741] to start a survey of that area. My car was left at the church and for the remainder of the trip we all went in the jeep. It was a very rough trip. The area from the Prospect Road in appeared very interesting. There were quantities of Colopogen and Bog Huckleberry. At Gorham Lake [Holman Marsh Lake] we divided into parties (we had two rubber boots) and located the stations for Shirley. We had lunch, for which Lewin brewed some tea, and after lunch started to do the stations. When we were nearly through, a thunderstorm started and we made tracks for the jeep. We all got wet, but Shirley got it the worst. She was at the far end of the lake without a boat. We brought the stuff collected back to the lab and then went home to get dry. Jane Bailly came to my house to have a bath.

July 29, 1948 (Big Indian Lake [coordinates 44.597711, -63.712333])
Thursday. John S. Erskine came out with us to identify mosses. The party consisted also of Shirley, Jane Bailly, Muriel Ord, Ann watts, Hope Bridgeford and I. On the way out I missed the spot where we should have stopped and had to come back. The car was left at the Umlah house. On the way down to the Lake Erskine was excellent at showing us the mosses at the dam. Ann Watts and Hope Bridgeford went in for a swim. We all crossed over the dam, Erskine and I collecting some mosses on the other side. As Erskine identified the mosses, Jane and Shirley put them in envelopes. All the material was taken back to the lab and the next day Jane glued the mosses to sheets of mounting paper.

July 31, 1948 [location unknown]
Saturday. This is the day Shirley etc. did not get out of Oakfield to camp. On the night before (Friday night) the night watchman stole Shirley’s supply of food.

August 9, 1948 (Holland [Marsh] Lake and Lake Louise)
Monday. Shirley, Jane and I went out to Holland [Marsh] Lake [coordinates 44.669463, -63.818911] to check certain details regarding bearings and Sphagnum distribution. We finished the former before lunch. Lewin and Louise Joudrey drove in and had lunch with us. After lunch we checked the Sphagnum mats and found there were not any, but we located a large bed of dry peat. We then went to Lake Louise and found that the Water Saturated Sphagnum Margin (W.S.S.M.) extended all around the side for at least as far as the lake is wide. We were back in the lab by 4:00 pm. It was a fine day in every way.

August 11, 1948 (Chester)
Wednesday. Jane Bailly and I went to Chester for various things. Marjorie and [Maggie] went with us as for as Peggy’s where they stayed. At Chester Jane and I got good collections of Pea Nodules, Ascophyllum tips, and Mustard. We ate our lunch on the verandah. Then we went into Chester and got Anne Gorham’s cabinet from Moland. The tide was OK for the Ascophyllum when we got back. On the way back through Hubbards we called in at Gorham’s. Anne was away but her mother was there and kept the cabinet for Anne to paint. We had supper with Peggy. Marjorie and [Maggie] stayed, Jane and I went back to Halifax and took the stuff to the lab. Jane and I got trapped on [Citadel] in reception for Betty Jean Ferguson.

August 12, 1948 (Mount Uniacke [coordinates 44.892004, -63.829272])
Thursday. Shirley and I went out to have a look at Bidwell’s raised bog. Jane Bailly came too as did two of the sluggers, namely Anne Watts and Muriel Ord. At first, we had difficulty in locating the bog, but Shirley found it and we walked right across it. The place is even more interesting than expected. Shirley and I went right through to the upper part of the Sackville River. On the raised part we located Sphagnum holes at the highest levels. We all went back to the Forrest Bldg. and Jane came to our house for supper (which Jimmie cooked). Jane Bailly, Shirley and Marie Bruce picked raspberries after supper.

August 13, 1948 (Kennedy’s Road [coordinates 44.661197, -63.951777])
Friday. I left Halifax at 7:15 a.m. to bring Marjorie back to Halifax. Shirley Mason went with me to get some mounts of the double flowers of the Queen of the Meadow. Shirley got these flowers and also some escapes of Snapdragon. Peggy gave us breakfast and we were back in Halifax about 10:00 a.m.

August 14, 1948 (Herring Cove)
Saturday. Jane Bailly and I went to Herring cove [coordinates 44.569835, -63.556121] to get some stipes of kelp for making slides of the trumpet cells. There had been a big storm the night before and the waves were so high that for a time we thought we were not going to get the stipe, but we went to the cove on the far side of the big rock. There Jane found a big piece of stipe and I got some small plants with good stipes.  Before this I had got pretty wet. We put the material in the killing fluid immediately and I examined it when we got back to the lab. Jane and Shirley left for Lunenburg that afternoon.

August 17, 1948 (Two Weavers Lakes and Silver Lake)
Tuesday. Shirley, Jane and I went out to make records for the two Weaver Lakes. Jim Lewin took a rubber boat out for us and launched it in Weavers South Lake [coordinates 44.580944, -63.638814] and left the boat for us after taking some samples. We went around the lake and saw all that was needed before lunch, then we moved to Weavers North Lake [coordinates 44.582886, -63.639651] where I had left my car and there, we had lunch. For going around the lake we borrowed the boat from the man who lives beside the lake. It took us longer to reach this lake for there was a much greater variety of shoreline. While we were working at the north end Jim Lewin called and took the rubber boat back for us. When we had finished, we went to Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155]. There we measured the thickness of the peat with the iron rod and also took back some samples of Sphagnum for desmids. It was a fine warm day.

August 18, 1948(Doyle Lake)
Wednesday. Jim Lewin took Shirley and myself out to Doyle Lake in the jeep to have a look at the water saturated margin around the lake. We finished at the lake before lunch and then had lunch there. After lunch we went to Run Lake, rowed across in the rubber boat and carried the boat to Bluff Lake.  About this time, it started to rain. We rowed around the lake a little and then went back. I lost my glasses on the way in and Jim Lewin found them. We were back in the lab by about 3:00 p.m.

August 19, 1948 (Beattie Lake)
Thursday. Jim Lewin took Shirley and myself to see Beattie Lake. Jim Rose went as Lewin’s assistant and Muriel Ord, and Jane Bailly went with him. We all went down Eel Pond in the rubber boat propelled by an outboard, walked into Beattie Lake, had lunch, did our work and returned to the cars. On the way back the outboard did not behave very well. The jeep went back to Halifax, but I took my party up the Musquodoboit River nearly to middle Musquodoboit then back via the Old Guysborough Road. At Waverly we got gas from “Uncle Warren”. It was 6:30 p.m. when I got home. It was a glorious June day and not too hot.

August 21, 1948 (Gorham Lake)
Saturday. Jim Lewin took Shirley and I to Gorham Lake [location unknown] to check the Sphagnum margin around the lake. Jim was getting some water samples. We left about 9:30 a.m. and were through Gorham Lake about noon. We then drove out to the road, got some gas and tea, then went to the dam at Big Indian Lake where we had lunch. At the entrance to the road to Big Indian Jim Lewin took the jeep through the ditch, bog, woods and rock piles to get around three road trucks. Jim boiled some tea for lunch. After lunch Shirley practiced driving the jeep around the clearing. When we were getting dressed, I discovered that I had left my shoes at Gorham Lake. Jim Lewin drove all the way in to get them. When we got back to the main road, that is at the Church, Shirley took over the car and drove all the way to the corner of Oxford Street and Jubilee Road. She went past Eddie Murray’s. Shirley and I went to the lab, her room and almost to Mrs. Bruce’s.

August 23 – September 3, 1948 (Wallace)
Monday to Friday. Shirley went on her vacation to Wallace. She took Muriel Ord and Muriel’s sister with her.

August 24, 1948 (Lunenburg etc.)
Tuesday. About 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon Marjorie and I started for Lunenburg. Jane Bailly (and her trunk) went with us. We got to Lunenburg about 6:30 p.m., deposited Jane at the home, then Marjorie and I put up at the Bluenose Inn where we had evening meal. During the evening we walked around Lunenburg with Jane’s mother and Violet and had ice cream at the Bailly’s. On Wednesday morning we went out to Blue Rocks and then parked in the middle of Heckmans Island and walked over to the beach on Rupe Kaulbach’s place. We had dinner at the Bailly’s. During the afternoon we went to the Ovens. May came with us. It had turned out to be a fine warm day. After leaving the Bailly’s in Lunenburg, we started for home, picked up Janet at Chester and got back to Halifax about 7:00 p.m.  It was a good trip and Marjorie enjoyed it.

August 30-September 1, 1948 (Pubnico)
Monday to Wednesday. I went down in my car with Doug Fraser. We stayed with Ruben d’Eon. We were out on the water all Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning I inspected rockweed work [coordinates 43.702489, -65.784222]. Tuesday was fine, Wednesday was rainy. We drove home on Wednesday afternoon.

September 7-8, 1948
Tuesday and Wednesday. Seaweed Conference

September 10, 1948 (Portuguese Cove)
Friday. Anne Gorham and I went down the Chebucto Head Road [coordinates 44.500891, -63.520622] so that Anne could show me where the cranberries grew. The patch was just on the Halifax side of Portuguese Cove.

September 11, 1948 (Bluff Lake)
Saturday. Shirley Mason, Cameron, Jim Lewin and I went out in the jeep to do some survey work on Bluff Lake [coordinates 44.548497, -63.645775]. It started to rain so hard that it would have been impossible to make records. So, we circled around through Sambro (in by the Herring Cove Road), had lunch at the Rocking Stone and were back in the lab at about 2:00 p.m.

September 13, 1948 (Bluff Lake)
Monday. Jim Lewin took Shirley, Cameron and I out to Bluff Lake to do some of the survey work on the lake. We went as far as Run Lake in the jeep and then went across Run Lake in a rubber boat and walked in to Bluff Lake [coordinates 44.548497, -63.645775]. Jim and I worked on the shore while Shirley and Cameron were out in the boat. Shirley took depths while Cameron rowed. At lunch Jim boiled some tea. He had his pup with him. We worked until 3:30 p.m. and then came home. Shirley found it cold out in the boat and wore my sweater.

September 16, 1948 (Mount Uniacke)
Thursday. Shirley, Anne Gorham and I went to Mount Uniacke [coordinates 44.892004, -63.829272] and cut a fir tree for [?] (Triarch). We went during the afternoon.

September 22, 1948 (Porters Lake)
Wednesday. Shirley and I started early in the morning for Porter Lake [coordinates 44.737684, -63.313075]. Shirley drove part of the way down. At the lake we drove into the place where the road starts into the woods and parked the car there. At first, I took the path too far to the left and landed at the lake shore much too soon. Then I went too far to the right and found myself on the north side of a little upland lake. After much rough walking we came out on the lake right at Sandy Cove. There we had lunch and a rest. The growth around the cove was very interesting. We had no trouble finding the path back and we drove home via Chezzetcook etc. Shirley got some Fox Berries form a woman at Three Fathom Harbour. We were back in the laboratory by about 5:45 p.m.

September 24, 1948 (Windsor and Kentville)
Friday. I took Shirley on a trip to visit some lakes.  Marjorie and Ann Gorham came with us. During the morning we took in the following: Char Mud Hole near the Meander River, Sink Hole just beyond the Meander River and Lily Lake behind North of Center Burlington. We then went to Kentville and had lunch at the Kent Lodge, visited Chase’s (where we left Marjorie), visited the farm (where we saw Hockey), then went back to Kentville and picked up Marjorie. We next went to Centreville [coordinates 45.134147, -64.528721] and looked at a pond with a floating Sphagnum mat, went back to Kentville (where we bought China at Palmeter’s), visited the farm where we got a lot of fruit (and saw Hockey again). Finally, we went to Hantsport where we looked at a pond with an algae bloom. We were home by about 6:45 p.m.

September 27, 1948 (St. John the Divine Church, Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155])
Monday. Anne Gorham and I went out in the afternoon in my car. We collected Desmids at the bog near St. John the Divine, Silver Lake and Lake Louise. We got back at twenty to six. I took the stuff over to the college in the evening. It was a glorious day

September 28, 1948 (Purcells Cove)
Tuesday. Shirley, Anne Gorham and I went to Purcells Cove [coordinates 44.612676, -63.574932] to locate the south line of the Dalhousie property. Marjorie came with us and took some tea and food. We located the south boundary, then followed it over the top of the hill. Marjorie stayed in a sheltered spot on top of the hill. The rest of us went on to the bog, located the line there, then cleared about a square yard of bushes and dug up about another square yard of peat. We then went back and after having tea etc. with Marjorie we went home arriving in Halifax about 5:30 p.m.

September 30, 1948 (River Herbert Meadow)
Thursday. Shirley took me to a meadow her cousins had shown her. Marie Bruce came as a guide and Ann Gorham came too. We started about 9:30 a.m. and went out the Beaverbank road. We took a path into the west and went in for about a mile or less, then we hit the meadow alongside a winding river. We followed down the meadow and had lunch on an island in the Meadow.  We had a rest and then went to the end of the Meadow. Marie found a jersey dropped by Shirley’s cousin; she also found the path out. She is a good guide. Shirley and I got a lift in a truck back to my car and then after picking up the others, we went back via Rawdon. Shirley drove quite a bit of the way. It was a lovely day and a great trip.

Friday October 1, 1948 (Purcells Bog, etc.)
Friday. Dan Livingstone came with me to see the bog back of Purcells Cove [coordinates 44.612676, -63.574932]. He saw the spot that Shirley, Anne and I had prepared. On the way home we visited the bogs at St. John the Divine and on the St. Margarets Bay Road Hill. We started a little after 4:00 p.m and were back before 6:00 p.m.

A postscript added by Hugh Bell reads: When we got back to the lab, we discovered that I had mistaken the Bog Huckleberry for Inkberry [Ilex glabra]. We discovered this because we brought in some real Inkberry which was not out. We must go back for the Inkberry about the 16th or later. ↵

Chapter 10 - 1949

January 29, 1949 (Mount Uniacke Bog)
Saturday. Cameron and Livingstone got me to go with them to show them the raised bog this side of Mount Uniacke [coordinates 44.842993, -63.793452]. We went in the Museum jeep and Shirley Mason came with us. Left my house about 2:30. It was a glorious day. We visited both bogs. While going through the raised bog, we gathered some peat for Anne Gorham and her Desmid cultures. While the boys were getting samples at the river meadow bog, Shirley walked up along the side of the river on the ice. While they were getting the samples from the raised bog, Shirley went over to the spruce trees beside the road and started a fire. First, she had to get some matches from Cameron. Cameron started to use my mattock for digging through the frozen surface layer, but he broke the handle. We took all the material back to the lab. We got back to about 5:30. It was a good day.

April 21, 1949 (Inglis St. extension, shore of Arm and railroad tracks)
Thursday. Anne G. and I went out in the morning to hunt for fruiting moss, etc. We found the moss beside the road shortly before reaching the bridge on the Inglis Street extension [coordinates 44.630533, -63.588287], then went over the bridge, parked the car and walked down to shore of the Arm. There was a lot more moss on the road to the shore. On the shore we located a rosette of leaves. It looks like a Sedum, but we must check this later. On the way back we walked along the railway embankment and located blueberry patches. Before going to the Forrest bldg., we called in at Oakland Rd. for coffee.

April 27, 1949 (Spryfield)
Tuesday. Anne G. and I went to the spot along the road between McIntosh Run and Kidston’s [coordinates 44.600877, -63.607866] to hunt for lichens. We left about 2:30 p.m. and were back by 4:20 p.m. As a collecting ground the spot is all shot to hell, but we did get some lichens. Anne and Cameron worked at them the next day (Wed).

April 30, 1949 (St. Andrews River)
Saturday. Anne Gorham, Shirley Mason, Gillian Mason, Don Livingstone, Jimmie and self, went off in my car to hunt for Hepatica. Jimmie drove. We left about 9 a.m.

At St. Andrews River [coordinates 45.080826, -63.3944], Shirley got Ella Thuret to come with us and show us where the Hepatica grew. She took us right to the spot and it was in excellent condition. It is Just about fifty yards below where Eville and I crossed the river.

We also collected staminate cones of Ostrya virginiana, flowers of Ulmus americana and flowering twigs of what we took to be Corylus cornuta. This will be checked later. Anne made a Botany 2 collection of fruiting Mnium sporophyte. We went home via the Musquodoboit River, having got gas at Stewiacke. On the marsh beside the Musquodoboit River we collected, very much the same things as were around the St. Andrews River. This was the same meadow Dave and I visited. On the Dartmouth ferry my car would not go and we were pushed off. Anne and I came back that evening.

May 20, 1949 (Kennetcook)
Friday. Shirley Mason, Anne Gorham, Jane Bailly, Tony Bidwell, Cameron and I went to the Kennetcook Valley [coordinates 45.177898, -63.721296] in my car. We left a little after 10 a.m. and Bidwell drove. We had our lunch at the Anthony Hotel at Kennetcook, then immediately afterwards collected on the flats south-west of the town. There were some very good collecting spots there and we got a number of good mounts. We stopped next to a grove of trees a few miles along the road but did not locate much. Many of the trees had been cut down. At Clarksville we drove into a property beside the station and collected along the river. This was the best spot we had seen. There were many varieties of flowers there and the place should be even better a little later. It should be visited at regular intervals. We had some drinks at Brooklyn and arrived back in Halifax about five-thirty. It was a cool dull day. Anne looked after the mounts. The next day they were all identified. Attached is the list.

Kennetcook collection:

Lonicera canadensis

Lonicera villosa var. calvescens

Salix lucida

Salix cordata

Geum rivale

Fragaria virginiana

Uvularia sessilifolia

Trillium cernuum

[?] sativa

Sedum triphyllum

Myosotis arvensis

Prunus pensylvanica

Corylus cornuta

Antennaria neodioica

Crataegus

May 26, 1949 (Gorham Lake)
Thursday. Anne Gorham and I went out to Gorham Lake [coordinates unknown]. We left about 3 p.m. in my car, left the car at the church and walked in. At the bog near the lake, the Bake-apple (Rubus chamaemorus) was just at the height of its bloom. With some plants, the petals had fallen. Kalmia polifolia was in bloom but the specimens were not very good. In addition to the Bake-apple we made herbarium collections of Nemopanthus mucronata [1] which was just coming into bloom. We were back in the lab by about 5 p.m.

Illustration of Rubus chamaemorus (Bake-apple) From: Bilder ur Nordens Flora by Carl Axel Magnus Lindman, 1856-1928. Public domain. Accessed on December 8, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:311_Rubus_chamaemorus.jpg>.

May 27, 1949 (Truro)
Friday. Anne Gorham, Muriel Smith, Shirley Mason, Dan Livingston and self-went to Truro in my car. We left my house about 8:30 a.m. Dan drove both going and coming. At Truro we left the car at the Agricultural College then walked along the flats. The collecting was good, and we were sufficiently early to get things I had missed other years. We had lunch at the end of the flats by the college property and then returned to the college along the top of the cliff. At the college Anne, Shirley, etc. put the collections in the press. The only staff member of the Agricultural college around was a chap named Holland. We got back to Halifax about 4 p.m. The day was cool but it did not rain and there were no flies.

May 28, 1949 (Salmon River, Truro)

Taxus canadensis

Arisaema stewardsonii

Trillium cernuum

Smilacina racemosa

Actaea rubra

Nepeta hederacea var. parviflora

Capsella Bursa-pastoris

Primula mistassinica

Dryopteris disjuncta

Veronica ?

Salix ??

June 1, 1949 (Experimental Lakes. Andromeda at Holland Lake)
Wednesday. This trip was taken to get borings and mud from Ronald Hayes experimental lakes [coordinates unknown], so that Shirley Mason could finish her report. Anne Gorham, Cuthbertson, Cameron and I made up the party. We went in my car and took a rubber boat. Cuthbertson and Cameron did all the work. We went to Louise, Holland, Black, South Weaver and North Weaver. We left shortly after 9, had lunch before doing Black, got everything we went for plus some flowers. We forgot the fly dope, but the flies were not bad. Livingstone and Lewin met us in their jeep at North Weaver. We were back a little after 4pm.

June 8, 1949 (Eastern Passage Bog)

Juncus balticus – flowering

Eleocharis – flowering

Carex nigra? – flowering

Typha – last year’s seeds; wooly, new leaves

Potentilla palustris – leaves

Myrica gale – flowering

Alisma – leaves & last year’s flower stalks

Spiraea

June 8, 1949 (Barrie Beach, etc.)
Wednesday. Muriel Smith, Anne Gorham, Jane Bailly and self, started in my car about 10 a.m. On the way down the Eastern Passage Road, I called on Jimmie Fraser. At Barrie Beach [coordinates 44.602487, -63.474274] the growth was just starting. It should be right in about two weeks’ time, but it was very interesting at this early stage. We drove on to Hartlen Point and parked on the rifle range, but it started to rain hard, so we had our lunch and then went on to Rainbow Haven. There it was apparent that there was no boat available for navigating the current to West Lawrencetown. We were back in the lab early in the afternoon.

June 10-12, 1949 (Tower Hill, N.B.)
Friday to Sunday. Hockey and Gerry Hope picked me up at Bedford at 9:45 a.m. Hockey spent the night at St. Joseph. I stayed in Moncton. On Saturday Hockey and I went to St. Stephen and Tower Hill [coordinates 45.301985, -67.187718]. There we saw Creelman and Dave, inspected the blueberry project, collected material, and discussed the problems. On Sunday we drove back to Halifax. Hockey spent Sunday night with us. He and I stayed at the Queen Hotel at St. Stephen on Saturday night. We had fine weather all the way.

June 15, 1949 (Preston, Lake Eagle)
Wednesday. Shirley Mason, Jane Bailly, Muriel Smith and self-went to Hugh B’s place in my car. We left about 10 a.m. We left the car in the field and went right to the rock on the lake [coordinates 44.744956, -63.441597], had lunch, then the three girls went collecting. They got a lot of good mounts as per the list below. I went to sleep. After that they had a swim. On the way back we spotted poison ivy in bloom. Muriel fell in while crossing the brook. We did some more collecting by the old house and were back in the lab a little after 5.

Lady’s slipper – Cypripedium acaule

Indian cucumber-root

Bunchberry – Cornus canadensis

Trillium erectum

Maianthemum canadense

Viola lanceolata

Yarrow

Aronia

Gaylussacia

Poison Ivy in bloom

June 22, 1949 (Bog, Church of St. John the Baptist [coordinates 44.636041, -63.619851])
Wednesday. Anne, Jane and I went in the afternoon to get Arethusa. We got Pogonia and Calopogon, no Arethusa. The Venus Fly Trap was just coming into flower, but not quite out. The Bog Huckleberry was just coming out.

June 23, 1949 (Peggy’s Cove)
Thursday. Anne Gorham, Jane Bailly, Muriel Smith and self, went to hunt for Arethusa in bogs near Peggy’s Cove [coordinates 44.4933, -63.915096]. Anne drove most of the way both going and coming. We found the Arethusa in most of the bogs near the cove also a number of other plants including a diseased Cranberry. Near the lighthouse there were a number of plants in bloom, but we were too late for the Sedum. Probably it was in bloom a week or ten days earlier. In a puddle beside the road on the way out we got both Burr Reed and Hudsonia. It was foggy on the way down but turned out fine and warm at the cove. It was nearly 7 before we got home.

Plants collected:

Sedum roseum

Plantago oliganthus?

Smilacina stellata

Arethusa bulbosa

Hudsonia ericoides

Sparganium angustifolium

Arenaria lateriflora

Veronica americana

Rhinanthus crista-galli var. fallax

Vaccinium oxycoccus (normal)

Vaccinium oxycoccus (diseased)

June 29, 1949 (Hubbards)
Wednesday. Anne Gorham reported that there were a lot of sand plants in bloom on the Hubbard’s Beach [coordinates 44.630283, -64.051953], so Anne, Jane Bailly, Muriel Smith and self, went down to get them. On the way down Anne passed her test for the driver’s license. We parked at Anne’s house at Hubbard’s, then walked to the beach. The flowers were good. We had lunch at Anne’s house and I went to sleep. The three girls collected the flowers and got a lot. We then drove to Fox Point and collected Typha. We arrived back in Halifax a little after 6.

Plants collected:

Cicuta maculata

Triglochin maritima

Polygonum raii ?

Sagina nodosa

Lobelia dortmanna

Potentilla palustris

Arenaria peploides

Cakile edentula

Convolvulus sepium

Mertensia maritima

Lathyrus japonicus

Chrysanthemum leucanthemum var. pinnatifidum

Typha latifolia (near Fox Point Lighthouse)

July 2-4, 1949 (New Glasgow and Sheet Harbour)
Saturday to Monday. Anne Gorham, Shirley Mason, Mitchell and I left at 9 a.m. on Saturday. At Truro, the two girls and I collected on the flats beside the Salmon River and got a fair number of plants. Mitchell stayed in the car. At Kempton we collected again and had lunch. Mitchell and I ate what the girls had prepared. Near Salt Springs we took a detour to the right and passed through some interesting country, getting more flowers. There beside a stone house, and while the girls were putting the flowers in press, I met a chap named “Ron” from Hockey’s staff at Kentville. At New Glasgow, I secured my room at the Marfold, deposited Anne and Shirley with Dr. Cox, and took Mitchell out to the Y.M.C.A. camp. During the evening the two girls helped me pick out a cup for Marjorie and we saw Mitchell in New Glasgow. On Sunday we started at about 9 a.m., went through Stellarton, down the west side of the river to Sunnybrae and through Kerrowgare we made some good collections. We had lunch on the shore of Eden Lake and Shirley had a swim. We went through Glenelg and down the west side of the river to Sherbrooke. We collected along the St. Marys River. We got to Sheet Harbour about supper time, saw Helen Balcom and put up in the rooms she reserved for us at the Lyndhaven Hotel.  On Monday we again got off about 9 a.m. I called in to see the Beavers and saw Bill on the road. We went down to Clam Harbour, but the fog was so thick that we saw nothing. We had lunch beside a little lake near Jeddore. We branched off the main road at the West Chezzetcook and went home via Lawrencetown and Cole Harbour. We got good collections at West Chezzetcook, the Lawrencetown bog back of the main beach and on the boulder and gravel formations west of Lawrencetown. At the West Chezzetcook bog we found Calopogen, Arethusa, and Pogonia all in bloom at the same time in the same bog. The Cranesbill (Geranium) was in bloom on the boulder formation. We went back to Dartmouth by the Cole Harbour Road and got to the Forrest Bldg. about 5 p.m. On Saturday Mitchell did nearly all of the driving. On Sunday Anne did most of the driving and on Monday Anne did some, but I did most. Saturday and Sunday there was some fog. The whole trip was a success. Anne and Shirley did all the work.

July 2, Salmon River [coordinates 45.376748, -63.299426]:

Lysimachia ciliata

Circaea alpina

Galium tinctorium

Heracleum lanatum

Arenaria lateriflora

Rubus pubescens

Polygonum cilinode

Medicago sativa

Seen also – Echinocystis (not blooming), Lupins, Meadow Rue, Blackberries, Carex stipata.

July 2, Kempton [coordinates 45.469078, -63.073595]:

Habenaria flava

Erigeron ramosus

Hieracium floribundum

Viburnum trilobum

Oenothera tetragona

Oenothera perennis

July 2, Limerock [coordinates 45.5494, -62.847265]:

Malva moschata

July 2, Big Cove [coordinates 45.604246, -62.511801]:

Hieracium pilosella

July 3, Kerrowgare [coordinates 45.406604, -62.420904]:

Rosa carolina

Hieracium pilosella

Senecio robbinsii

July 3, marsh near Eden Lake [coordinates 45.404645, -62.294367]:

Nuphar rubrodiscum

Lonicera villosa var. calvescens

July 3, Eden Lake [coordinates 45.404645, -62.294367]:

Apocynum androsaemifolium

July 3, St. Mary’s River [coordinates 45.196989, -62.007330]:

Veronica scutellate

Apocynum sibiricum

July 3, Sheet Harbour [coordinates 44.923333, -62.537304]:

Brassica juncea (white and yellow)

July 4, Clam Harbour [coordinates 44.733791, -62.876548]:

Glaux maritima var. obtusifolia

Rumex acetosella

Cakile edentula

July 4, Lawrencetown inlet [coordinates 44.649892, -63.357964]:

Geranium robertianum

Plantago juncoides var. decipiens

July 4, bog at Chezzetcook [coordinates 44.741338, -63.269472]:

Pogonia, Calopogon, Arethusa together

Malaxis unifolia

Utricularia cornuta

July 4, marsh behind big Lawrencetown beach [coordinates 44.645358, -63.339382]:

Heracleum lanatum

Potentilla palustris

Menyanthes trifoliata

Triglochin maritima

Lathyrus palustris var. pilosus

Smilacina stellata

July 6, 1949 (Bog near Church of St. John the Baptist [coordinates 44.635810, -63.619719])
Wednesday. Anne Gorham, Shirley Mason, Jane Bailly, Muriel Smith and self-went out during the morning to get some Drosera which was nearly in flower the last time we were at this bog. This time it was in flower and we got it.

July 12, 1949 (West Lawrencetown [coordinates 44.668104, -63.378699])

Malaxis unifolia (woods)

Melampyrum lineare (woods)

Epilobium glandulosum var. adenocaulon (deserted farm)

Filipendula ulmaria (deserted farm)

Dracocephalum (deserted farm)

Lappula echinata (deserted farm)

Sisymbrium altissimum (deserted farm)

Old pier

Plantago Major

Zostera marina washed up on beach

Enclosed beach

Arenaria groenlandica

Arenaria lateriflora

Spergularia marina

Ligusticum scotiucum

Limonium nashii (not quite bloom)

July 12, 1949 (West Lawrencetown)
Tuesday. Anne Gorham, Jane Bailly, Eileen Gorham, Muriel Smith and I went to study sand plants. We left about 9 a.m. and picked up Muriel as we passed through Dartmouth. Shortly after we got too West Lawrencetown [coordinates 44.668104, -63.378699] the fog rolled in pretty thick. Anne, Jane and I collected along the sand. Muriel and Eileen went back to one of the deserted farms. On the sands, many of the plants for which this collecting spot is famous were not in flower as yet, but we got a number of early plants which we had not collected before. Muriel and Eileen got a lot of plants around the deserted farm. We had our lunch in the usual place and a sleep afterwards. Jane said I snored. It was too cold to go in for a swim. We visited the place where the bridge had been and started for home early. We got back to the lab about 3:30. The girls (Anne & Jane) put the flowers in the press, and Eileen helped Anne identify some of the plants.

July 15, 1949 (Barrie Beach [coordinates 44.601008, -63.469748])

Lysimachia terrestris

Alisma triviale

Sparganium eurycarpum

Ranunculus cymbalaria

Scirpus validus (fruit)

Aster

Rumex

July 19, H.P. Bell and Anne Gorham
Shaw Bog, Hants Co. [coordinates 45.024544, -64.179169]

Geum aleppicum

Habenaria lacera

Rubus hispidus

Hypericum canadense

Galium palustre

Galium asprellum

Erigeron ramosus

Sambucus canadensis

Bridge at Halfway River [coordinates 45.062989, -64.177658]

Apocynum sibiricum

Bluff Road [coordinates 45.074882, -64.192027]

Campanula rapunculoides

Along Gasperau River Road [coordinates 45.099319, -64.269375]

Clematis virginiana

Verbascum thapsus

White Rocks, at bridge [coordinates 45.048708, -64.414558]

Hieracium pratense and Hieracium aurantiacum

Agrimonia

Mimulus ringens

Windsor roadside [coordinates 44.99287, -64.135677]

Cichorium intybus

July 15, 1949 (Barrie Beach)
Friday. Anne Gorham, Jane Bailly and I went to Barrie Beach [coordinates 44.601090, -63.469698] to get Alisma. We went in my car and started at 2:30. The Alisma was not out sufficiently to make a wet collection, but we got enough for the herbarium. They collected a number of other things including a small Ranunculus. The Scirpus validus (Bullrush) was over. Should try for this about June 24. We should go about July 20 for the Alisma. I drove on to the sandy beach and got some gravel. There was some Navy chap there who got their truck stuck in the sand. We were back in the lab by 5 p.m. It was a fine warm day.

July 19, 1949 (Shaws Bog, White Rock, Kentville)
Tuesday. Anne Gorham and I left about 9:30 in my car. On the main highways Anne drove the car. Just beyond Falmouth we turned off into Shaws Bog [coordinates 45.027232, -64.178234]. The weather was sultry, and the flies were pretty bad. There were a lot of flowers which neither of us knew, so we made a number of collections. At the north end of the bog and beside the road, there were great quantities of the Black Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) in flower. We stopped for a few minutes at the bridge over Halfway River [coordinates 45.062956, -64.177568] but did not get much except Dogbane. At Hantsport we got gas and had a good lunch at Don’s café, then went via the shore road to Avonport, and through the Gaspereau Valley to White Rock. Anne got a number of flowers at White Rock [coordinates 45.050046, -64.415863] then via Canaan to the Experimental Farm. There we saw “the gang.” Anne got the flowers in the press and got some of them identified. I drank the rest of the coffee which Marjorie had given me. Anne drove home. We ran into heavy rain at Mount Uniacke. Arrived in Halifax after 7 p.m.

July 21, 1949 (Eastern Passage, Barrie Beach [coordinates 44.601090, -63.469698])
Thursday. Anne Gorham, John S. Erskine and I started about 2 p.m. in my car. It was a fine day and Erskine found a lot of plants. We were back in the lab at 5 p.m., where he and Anne sorted the plants out and put them in the press.

Epilobium palustre (beside marsh)

Myosotis laxa (beside marsh)

Alisma triviale (beside marsh)

Radiola linoides (away from salt water on mud flats)

Limosella subulata (mud flats near shore)

Epilobium coloratum (mud flats near shore)

Eleocharis acicularis (mud flats near shore)

Ranunculus cymbalaria (mud flats near shore)

Anthemis cotula (mud flats near shore)

Cotula coronopifolia (sand beside brackish pond)

Ranunculus sceleratus (sand beside brackish pond)

Triglochin palustris (sand beside brackish pond)

July 25, 1949 (Breakwater)
Monday. Miss DeWitt, Anne Gorham, Jane Bailly, Erskine and I went to Breakwater to get seaweeds for Miss Dewitt.

July 26, 1949 (Herring Cove [coordinates 44.570296, -63.568215])
Tuesday. Miss DeWitt, Anne Gorham, Erskine and self-went in my car to get algae for Miss DeWitt. The day was perfect, the tide dead low and the sea remarkably calm. We got lots of algae, but Erskine and Anne did not get many flowering plants.  We started about 2 p.m. and were back in the lab with seaweeds about 5 p.m.

July 27, 1949 (Bedford, West of Rifle Ranges)
Wednesday. Anne Gorham, Jane Bailly, Erskine and I went to west of rifle ranges [coordinates 44.739916, -63.661211] to get anything we could find. Erskine found a lot of flowers we needed. We left at 2 p.m. and spent all our time either on the meadow beside the barn or on the woods road. At the Ranges we just went along the riverbank below the bridge in the woods, the mosquitoes were pretty bad. Anne drove through town both ways. We were back in the lab by 5 p.m. Anne started to make the fern collection for Crowdis. Most of the ferns were just about right. The composites were not completely out in bloom on the ranges themselves.

Near barn:

Neslia paniculata[2]

Urtica dioica

Thlaspi arvense

Meadow on island:

Dulichium arundinaceum

Hydrocotyle americana

Polygonum sagittatum

Roadside:

Rubus hispidus

Hypericum ellipticum, Hypericum virginicum, Hypericum canadense

Dryopteris noveboracensis

Athyrium

Dennstaedtia punctilobula

Along river bed:

Sium suave

Sparganium americanum

Alisma triviale (seen)

July 29, 1949 (Oakfield)
Friday. Anne Gorham, Shirley Mason and I went to Oakfield [coordinates 44.900848, -63.576605] to get ferns for the Museum collection. We left about 10:30 a.m. and Anne drove both ways. Col. Laurie gave us cold coffee both going and coming. We collected ferns on the way out and got samples of all we were expecting. They were in perfection condition. At Indian Point Shirley and I went in for a swim, had lunch and a rest. We then collected some flowering plants. I found what turned out to be Asclepias incarnata var. neoscotica. There were a number of beach plants I did not know. Anne brought them in. It was a very hot day with thunder clouds in the distance. We got home a little after 5 p.m.

Woods at Oakfield:

Beech fern

Shield fern

Christmas fern

Brachen

New York fern

Lady fern

Interrupted fern

Shore at Indian Point:

Myriophyllum tenellum

Asclepias incarnata var. neoscotica

Lycopus americana

Mentha arvensis

Utricularia cornuta

Littorella americana

August 2, 1949 (Dingle and Williams Lake)
Tuesday. Anne Gorham and I went out in my car. We left at 2:30 p.m. First, we went to the Dingle [coordinates 44.62996, -63.596871]. There the rock was being blasted from the corner of the road.  We waited for a blast to go off, then parked inside the gate and collected rock fern for both the herbarium and for the stomata sections. We then went on to get the chain fern. Extensive road work was going on there too, so for safety I parked the car on Pearson McCurdy’s property. We walked to the old pond or bog where I collected willows in 1920. The road work had nearly filled in the pond, but the fronds of the chain fern were still available, and we made a collection. Then we walked up to Williams Lake and found Indian Pipe, Drosera etc. Also, there was considerable Utricularia on which Anne spotted white or light-colored structures.  These turned out to be seed pods full of seed. So, this should be a good place for getting the flowers of this species. There was also considerable Potamogeton. The teaberries were in full flower. We returned to the lab about 5 p.m. where Anne looked after the material. It was a very good day.

Chain fern

Rock fern

Montropa uniflora

Lycopus uniflorus

Drosera longifolia (in fruit)

Utricularia geminiscapa (in fruit)

Potamogeton

August 3, 1949 (Windsor area)
Wednesday. Anne Gorham, Erskine and I started for Windsor in my car at 2 p.m. The purpose of the trip was to have Erskine show us the good collecting grounds in the vicinity of Windsor. We left the main road just beyond Three Mile Plains [coordinates 44.969262, -64.105973] and drove in to Lebreau Creek as per Anne’s description given below:

[Anne Gorham’s description] Wednesday afternoon. Followed main highway from Halifax to Three Mile Plains; past there and before reaching turn-off to Brooklyn is a side road on the left opposite a general store; the place is called Swinamer’s Corner. Following this side road, a crossroads is reached. The left turn here leads to a river with falls [coordinates 44.950123, -64.107665], and farther up, a reservoir. Rich woods plants, such as Aster macrophylla, are found here. Following the right branch of the road past the crossroad, there is a ridge of gypsum on the right, where Cystopteris bulbifera grows; the spot is reached by walking across farms. The road passes a small lake on the left (Fish Hatcheries Lake) just past this, a brook crosses the road, Lebreau Creek. Below the bridge on the right there was Joe-Pye weed, Scutellaria epilobifolia and Daphne mezereum. Potamogetons are in the brook, and farther along the right bank (over two wire fences) is Asclepias incarnata var. pulchra. Myriophyllum expected here, also Ranunculus aquatilis. By the brook on the left of the road, Ranunculus abortivus should be found. Continuing along road, a right turn leads onto Chester Road.  Along Chester Road going toward Windsor, stopped at bridge over Lebreau Creek. Rosa eglanteria is among tall bushes growing against fence. Sonchus arvensis and Tragopogon pratensis on bank. Rosa carolina is the small rose bush here. Callitriche, Potamogeton bupleuroides, and Sagittaria latifolia[3] in the stream. Ranunculus abortivus not seen.

Illustration of Sagittaria latifolia (Broad-leaved Arrowhead) From: Wild Flowers of New York Part 1 by Homer D. House, 1918. Public Domain. Accessed on January 17, 2023 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sagittaria_latifolia_WFNY-001.png>.

We continue farther along road for Cystopteris bulbifera and turn up the road by a chicken farm. We park at Oulton’s farm, walk over the ridge and find ferns by the gypsum chimneys about 200-400 yds from the house. On the Chester Road nearer Windsor, we turn up road on the right opposite Atwell and McNeil’s post box, then turn left by a farmhouse and right by an orchard. We park at a farm on top of hill. Pond is right there. Acorus calamus grows among cattails around edge of pond. Lemna minor and trisculca were found in wet mud at edge of water. We walk a half mile (or more) past a barn to a bog which is in gully on left of path just inside the edge of a spurce woods. Calla palustris, Cotton Grass, Chiogenes, Rhynchospora alba, Habenaria lacera, Dryopteris cristata, Dryopteris thelypteris and Potentilla palustris grow here. Leaving Windsor for Halifax, at the second house on the left before Curry’s Corner we see Red seeded Dandelion and Plantago rugelii growing on the lawn. Past Curry’s Corner, before crossing railway tracks, there is a dirt road on the left; about a quarter mile back of this, there is a pond which dries up in summer, where Proserpinaca and Polygonum amphibium may be found.

August 5, 1949 (Kearney Lake and Mill Cove Road)
Friday. Anne Gorham, Jane Bailly, Shirley Mason and I left in my car at 2 p.m. Parked car in the usual place at Kearney Lake [coordinates 44.687607, -63.682290], but had trouble getting car into reverse. We walked around the end of the lake hunting for Littorella along the shore but did not find any. Probably too much soft mud. We did find Isoetes and Mermaid weed (Proserpinaca pectinata). The lake was very low. We walked up the woods road about a mile and I found the Silvery Spleenwort fern. The road was all overgrown with grass, but the road around the head of the lake was improved and good enough for a car. On the way back to the lake Anne found some other flowers and collected Sensitive fern. At the lake Shirley went in for a swim while Jane and I got the car. We drove back by the Mill Cove Road and Anne collected some Tansy. We were back in the lab a little after 5 p.m. It was a mighty hot day. The horse flies were bad.

Collections at Kearney Lake:

Silver Spleenwort

Sensitive Fern

Hydrocotyle

Lobelia inflata

Circaea alpina

Tansy

Proserpinaca pectinata

August 10, 1949 (Hubbards, Sawler Lake, etc.)
Wednesday. Marjorie, Jimmie, Shirley Mason, Anne Gorham and I left about 10 a.m. in my car. Jimmie drove. We went to the Gorham’s house first and Marjorie and Jimmie stayed there. The rest of us went to Sawler Lake [coordinates 44.646806, -64.0684], got the Lee’s older boat at the slip, and rowed across to the sandy beach where we collected, Isoetes. After that we went up to the cove near the Hart’s house and found the floating Utricularia in flower, then back to the other end of the lake for water lilies. There I got wet in the sawdust. The Lee’s were away, but we ate our lunch on their verandah and were entertained by the cat.  We drove back to Anne’s house where Marjorie and Jimmie had just finished lunch. Marjorie made us cup of tea, pressed my pants and I had a sleep. When I woke up Anne, Jimmie and I went collecting on the beach. There was a big picnic there from Maitland. Jimmie and Anne had a swim. We all had supper at Anne’s house. Shriley and Anne put the flowers in the press. We saw Mr. [Shatford] and Muriel on the beach.  Muriel called at Anne’s house. Anne got everything tidy and locked up.  Jimmie drove home and we arrived back in Halifax about 6:45 p.m.

August 10, 1949

Sawler Lake:

Nymphaea odorata

Utricularia inflata

Elatine minima

Subularia aquatica

Hubbards Shore:

Aster foliaceus

Ambrosia artemisiifolia

Bidens frondosa

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

August 22, 1949 (Silver Lake, Black Bake, Chebucto Head)
Monday. Anne Gorham and I started off about 10:30 a.m. in my car. First, we went to Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155] and collected some Desmid material. Then we went to Black Lake [coordinates unknown]. There the man who owns the house was making hay and I had some trouble turning the car due to the rocks being covered up with hay. The gear shifter got out of order and it was difficult to change gears. We got the car turned around, then went down to the lake, flushed some partridges and got good fern material. We then drove on to Sambro, the gear shifter getting progressively worse. On the Sambro road, just at the road leading to Bald Rock Hill, the car stopped.  A workman told me it was a dead battery. Anne and I walked and hitchhiked to Ketch Harbour and telephoned to Purdy’s. We had lunch on a wharf then walked back to the car. In due time Purdy’s car arrived, put in a new battery and patched the gear shift. Anne and I then drove on and visited her cranberry patch at Chebucto Head [coordinates 44.500891, -63.520622]. The cranberries were ripe. It was really the best trip of the summer. We were back in the lab at 4:30. At Black Lake there were great mats of ripe snowberries.

August 24-25, 1949 (Amherst marshes, Joggins and West Brook)
Wednesday and Thursday. Anne Gorham, Shirley Mason, Jimmie, Mitchell and I left at 8:40 in my car. We got to West Brook [coordinates 45.556847, -64.299251] about noon, met the Dickenson brothers, arranged for them to let me know when they “strawed” their patches, had lunch, saw them winnowing some blueberries and were off for Amherst without much delay. At Amherst we got our rooms at the Fort Cumberland Hotel, left Shirley and Anne on the Amherst marshes [coordinates 45.858332, -64.196925] then the three of us went to Sackville. The car tire started to go flat, so while Mithell and I were talking to Mr. Parker, Jimmie got the flat fixed. We joined the two girls on the marshes, put the plants in the presses, visited the old fort then went to Fort Cumberland Hotel for the night. Cameron and Lewin were at the Hotel too. On Thursday we went to Joggins [coordinates 45.709722, -64.435833], but I could not find many fossils. Perhaps I just did not know a fossil when I saw it, perhaps we were on the wrong part of the beach. From Joggins we went to Oxford where we had lunch and took Shirley to her Grandmother’s at Wallace. We then went to Truro via Earltown and were home by 6:30.

Amherst marsh, from Hayfields to highway embankment and dyke:

Spartina patens

Juncus gerardii

Trifolium procumbens

Thlaspi arvense

Cirsium vulgare

Sonchus arvensis

Leontodon autumnalis

Salicornia europaea

Achillea millefolium

Sisymbrium altissimum

Limonium nashii

Triglochin maritima

Arctium minus

Solidago graminifolia

Linaria vulgaris

Spiraea latifolia

Aster umbellatus

Aster foliaceus

Polygonum scabrum

Ranunculus cymbalaria

Vicia cracca

Solidago sempervirens

Atriplex patula

Suaeda maritima

Plantago juncoides var. decipiens

Polygonum cilinode

August 31, 1949 (Lake Eagle)
Wednesday. Jane Bailly, Muriel, Hope Bridgeford, Muriel Ord and self-went to Lake Eagle [coordinates 44.744956, -63.441597] to look over the blueberry species and possibilities of burning. We left about 11 a.m., collected some goldenrods and asters, and picked out two good areas for strawing. We had lunch at the usual place. I had a sleep. The girls went in bathing and read a book. We were back in the lab a little after 5 p.m. It was a hot day.

September 8-10, 1949 (Pubnico and Lunenburg)
Thursday to Saturday. After getting Mitchell on the train for Mount Allison, Marjorie and I picked up Jane Bailly at the Forrest Bldg. Jane and I got away at 9:40. It was threatening rain but did not start to rain hard till the middle of the day. I got gas and a cup of coffee at Mahone Bay and we had good lunch at the Savannah restaurant in Liverpool. We arrived in Pubnico [coordinates 43.702489, -65.784222] at 3:15 just before Smith arrived. I went with Benoit and Ambrose d’Entremont to inspect the plots. I had got a room at Ruben d’Eon’s and Jane got a room in Delphis’ house. Benoit took us to the turnip plot first. Smith etc. came with us to this plot. The grass plots and vegetable plots I visited by myself. On getting back to Pubnico, I found that Smith had arranged a “conference” at the Lakeview Hotel in Yarmouth. So Delphis took C. MacFarlane, Benoit d’Entremeont, Jane Bailly and I over to Yarmouth. There we met Simth and party, had dinner (the “conference”) were joined by Mr. & Mrs. Allen d’Entremont and drove back to Publico. There along with C. MacFarlane and Benoit d’Entremont, I outlined a fertilization programme for next year. I went to bed. Jane apparently went for a drive.

On Friday after saying good-bye to Allen d’Entremont we left about 9:15 a.m. in two cars; C. MacFarlane with me, and Jane with Delphis. We inspected Guilford’s insulator plant at Sable River, had lunch at Evelyn’s Lunch Room, then headed for Vogler’s Cove. C. MacFarlane and I inspected the place at Vogler’s Cove and decided it was not suitable for her work. Jane and Delphis had got lost, but they turned up just as we were leaving. From Vogler’s Cove we headed for the Ovens and arrived there at 4:30 p.m. C. MacFarlane showed me the bed of kelp which she had found. It was a good bed, but it was right in the surf line and quite inaccessible at ordinary times. The surf was quite high. Before starting for Lunenburg Jane took C. MacFarlane and Delphis to see the Ovens. Jane drove back to Lunenburg with me. C. MacFarlane, Delphis and I put up at the Boscawen Manor. On Saturday morning Jane called for us at 9 a.m. but we (not me) were not ready. When ready we inspected the lab on Zwickers Wharf, then went to Jane’s house where C. MacFarlane Was shown everything. At Zwickers Wharf we saw Don Betts working in the lab. After C. MacFarlane and Delphis left, Mrs. Bailly gave me a most welcome cup of tea. Then Marjorie, Jane and I drove to Halifax arriving at YWCA about 12:45 p.m. Everything under control. While this trip was in progress Anne, Eileen Gorham, M. Ord and H. Bridgeford went to Cape Breton in the Mercury.

September 7-11, 1949 (Cape Breton trip)
On the trip were Eileen Gorham (Chauffeur), Muriel Ord (Zoologist), Hope Bridgeford (Zoologist) and Anne Gorham (Botanist).

Collected September 7, 1949 at Salt Springs, Pictou Co. [coordinates 45.543512, -62.882039]:

Lychnis alba (?)

Silene cucubalus (?)

Geranium robertianum

Erigeron ramosus

Aster macrophyllus (?)

Aster Cordifolius (?)

Chelone

Senecio jacobaea

Solidago flexicaulis

Collected September 7, 1949 at Port Hawkesbury, Inverness Co. [coordinates 45.616462, -61.356262]:

Aster

Aster lateriflorus (?)

Solidago rugosa (?)

Solidago puberula (?)

Collected September 8, 1949 at 1949 Port Hastings, Inverness. Co. [coordinates 45.646132, -61.403182]:

Myosotis

Collected September 8, 1949 at Long Point, Inverness Co. [coordinates 45.810759, -61.480174]:

Epilobium palustre

Epilobium coloratum

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Collected September 8, 1949 on detour from Judique to Mabou, Inverness Co. [coordinates 46.071979, -61.392397]:

Polygonum

Hydrocotyle americana

Collected September 8, 1949 at Dunvegan, Inverness Co. [coordinates 46.298244, -61.229432]:

Lysimachia punctata

Collected September 8, 1949 at Margaree, Inverness Co. [coordinates 46.397142, -61.074805]:

Brassica

Collected September 8, 1949 at North East Margaree, Inverness Co. [coordinates 46.326272, -61.00893]:

Agrimonia

Sanguisorba canadensis

Eupatorium maculatum

Galeopsis

Leonurus

Solidago flexicaulis

Collected September 8, 1949 at East Margaree, Inverness, Co. [coordinates 46.300858, -61.229188]:

Bidens hyperborea

Chelone glabra

Ranunculus aquatilis

Lemna minor

Ranunculus aquatilis var. capillaceum

Collected September 8, 1949 at East Margaree to Margaree River (at counting fence) Inverness Co.[coordinates unknown]:

Myriophyllum alterniflorum var. americanum (?)

Potamogeton epihydrus (?)

Collected September 9, 1949 at Baddeck, Victoria Co. [coordinates 46.100104, -60.753744]:

Salicornia

Triglochin

Collected September 9, 1949 at Boularderie, Victoria Co. [coordinates 46.163555, -60.568025]:

Athyrium angustum var. rubellum

Geranium robertianum

Dryopteris phegopteris

Dryopteris spinulosa (?)

Collected September 9, 1949 at Ross Ferry, Victoria Co. [coordinates 46.143662, -60.584029]:

Fern

Collected September 9, 1949 at Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Co. [coordinates 46.242301, -60.231459]:

Symphoricarpos

Aster

Collected September 9, 1949 at Louisbourg, Cape Breton, Co. [coordinates 45.919865, -59.972807]:

Aster

Chelone glabra

Polygonum

Sanguisorba

Umbellifera

Collected September 10, 1949 at Irish Cove, Richmond Co. [coordinates 45.820117, -60.676519]:

Galium palustre

Sparganium chlorocarpum

Collected September 10, 1949 at Soldier’s Cove, Richmond Co. [coordinates 45.700564, -60.737059]:

Linum catharticum

Odontites rubra

Collected September 10, 1949 at Grande Anse, Richmond Co. [coordinates 45.621586, -61.062356]:

Buckwheat (fagopyrum)

Collected September 10, 1949 at Marble Mountain, Innerness Co. [coordinates 45.818323, -61.042516]:

Solidago flexicaulis

Plantago Lanceolata

Collected September 11, 1949 at Whycocomagh, Inverness Co. [coordinates 45.973824, -61.119122]:

Inula Helenium

Lysimachia punctata

Collected September 11, 1949 at Kingsville, Inverness Co. [coordinates 45.781795, -61.31672]:

Stellaria uliginosa

Cardamine pensylvanica

Utricularia

Sium

Aster acuminatus

Collected September 11, 1949 near Mulgrave, Guysborough Co. [coordinates 45.612156, -61.391725]:

Utricularia

Hawkweed

Aralia hispida

September 22, 1949 (Kentville)
Thursday. Marjorie and I went to Kentville so that I could interview, Hockey, Kelsall, and Liefe regarding the utilization plots at Pubnico. My interview went off ok and Marjorie got a big bunch of fruit. We were away all day.

September 27, 1949 (Truro and Debert)
Tuesday. Anne and I left in my car to interview Roland and George Smith in Truro. We left about 9:30 a.m. and Muriel Ord and Hope Bridgeford came along with us. We got to Truro in good time and I had my interview with George Smith before lunch. We had lunch out in the open and were badly bitten by skiters. After lunch Anne went over the mounts with Roland while I had a game of Bridge. Then Roland took us out collecting. We went first to the dam at the east end of the lake called Galloping Brook [coordinates 45.387741, -63.42093]. There was a military truck stuck on the dam and it was pulled out while we were there. We collected Eladia at this spot. From there we went to the Marchantia spot on the main road but got nothing. We went next to the village of Debert [coordinates 45.437701, -63.458516]. There is a pond right in the middle of the village where we got marvelous Spirogyra. Roland then took us out a road which runs due west from the college. It crosses two brooks. In one (the west one) just above a beaver dam, we got more excellent Spirogyra. In the other we collected some dark muck which turned out to be a mixture of Tabularia with two species of Tribonema and Oscillatoria. After getting back to our own car at the college, we started for home and arrived in Halifax after 6 p.m. Anne drove both ways.

September 29, 1949 (Dingle)
Thursday. Anne and I went over to the Dingle [coordinates 44.629763, -63.598942] to hunt for mushrooms in the early stages. At first, we did not find many good ones but finally we got some good specimens. I made the mistake of having her preserve some whole mushrooms in absolute alcohol. They were dehydrated and shrank to half their size.

October 4th, 1949 (Punch Bowl / Lake Louise)
Tuesday. Anne and I went to the Punch Bowl [coordinates 44.625468, -63.618585] to try to get Gloeocapsa for Botany 2. We took five jam jars and collected at various spots around the lake. We got good Desmids but not a darn specimen of Gloeocapsa.

October 5, 1949 (Bog, St. John the Baptist [coordinates 44.635759, -63.619621])
Wednesday. Anne and I went out as soon as we got to the college and got jars full of material with Desmids hoping to get Gloeocapsa. There were great quantities of good Spirogyra and when we got the collections back in the lab, they were just loaded with Closterium and a few other Desmids and Mougeotia, but still no Gloeocapsa.

October 10, 1949 (West Brook)
Thanksgiving Monday. Anne, Jimmie and I went to West Brook [coordinates 45.556847, -64.299251] to see how much straw was put on the blueberry patches. The elder of the Dickenson brothers showed us around. We took Mitchell and his friend as far as Truro and then picked them up on the way back. Returning from West Brook to Truro we went through the Wentworth Valley. The coloration of the leaves was especially good. Between Truro and Halifax we picked up Annes’s brother John. We got back a little after 7 p.m.

October 13, 1949 (Silver Lake, Dingle, Waverly)
Thursday. Dan Livingstone took Anne to Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155] to get Desmids. Shane went too. They went in the jeep. The collection they got was good containing many things in addition to Desmids. While out they got the ferns for Biology 1 at the Dingle [coordinates 44.62996, -63.596871] and collected a green scum on the surface of the water at Waverley [coordinates 44.782519, -63.599634]. This turned out to be Euglena.

November 1, 1949 (Herring Cove [coordinates 44.572534, -63.557523])
Tuesday. Anne and I left in my car at about 11 a.m. to collect kelp and Ascophyllum for Botany 2. We got good fruiting kelps and lots of Ascophyllum and were back about 1 p.m.

LAST TRIP FOR 1949

Now called Ilex mucronata ↵

The Neslia paniculata specimen that was collected on this day is part of the permanent collection of the National Herbarium of Canada. Catalogue Number CAN 251017. Neslia paniculata. North America: Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax Co. (NS), Bedford. Collector: Bell, H.P.; Erskine, J.S.; Gorham, A.; Bailly, J. Date Collected: 1949-07-27 ↵

The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia refer to Sagittaria latifolia as Sipekn. This was one of the main sources of carbohydrate for the Mi'kmaq people and it was so important that they named an entire district within the central part of the province as Sipekne'katik, "the place where Sipekn grows". The edible tuber of Sipekn looks like a small onion but tastes like a fibrous potato. From: "Mi'kma'ki, the Land of the Mi'kmaw" by Gerald Gloade, Program Development Officer, Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre (https://youtu.be/gfZMF8ooFic). The spot where Bell, Gorham and Erskine observed Sipekn (Sagittaria latifolia) near the Lebreau Creek is in the western part of the Sipekne'katik district. ↵

Chapter 11 - 1950

April 19, 1950 (Studley and Doane property on Northwest Arm)
Wednesday. With the aid of Findlay and Harris, I burned the patches both at Studley and Harvey Doane’s place. The fire was much fiercer and more difficult to control than I expected. Next time the patch should be encircled with water before burning is started.

April 22, 1950 (West Brook)
Saturday. Marjorie, Jimmie and I started for West Brook [coordinates 45.556847, -64.299251] about 10 a.m. We got there about 2 p.m. and I inspected one of the burns. So far as I could see, they had not burnt quite as heavily as I did, but many spots in the burn were just the same as mine. We went on to visit Mitchell, spent the night in Sackville and returned Sunday evening. On the way in an out of Halifax I noticed that the Alders, Poplars, and Willows were in flower. There were a number of good patches of Willow on the Halifax side of Waverley.

May 5, 1950 (Frog Pond, Bog St. John the Baptist)
Friday. About 5 p.m. after Dan Livingstone’s exam, Dan and I went out to see if the Leatherleaf was in bloom. We went to the west end of the Frog Pond [coordinates 44.624819, -63.604285] and to the back of the church. Dan took rubber boots. The Leather leaf was almost out but not quite. The buds of Andromeda were swelling.

May 15, 1950 (Bog, St. John the Baptist)
Monday. During the morning Jane Bailly, Anne Marshall and I went out to the bog back of the church [coordinates 44.636210, -63.618154] to check the Ericaceae in bloom. The Leatherleaf was in full bloom, but we could not find any Andromeda so we went on to the north end of Frog Pond [coordinates 44.627915, -63.603639]. There we located an Andromeda plant, but it was still in bud.

Illustration of Andomeda polifolia (Bog Rosemary) From: Bilder ur Nordens Flora by Carl Axel Magnus Lindman, 1856-1928. Public domain. Accessed on December 9, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:148_Andromeda_polifolia.jpg>.

May 17, 1950 (Herring Cove [coordinates 44.572534, -63.557523])
Wednesday. Jane Bailly, Shane and I went to get some seaweed for Shane and the other things. There was a high wind, a high sea and the tide was not very low, so we did not get many seaweeds. The Ascophyllum plants had just formed the air bladders so there was no good growing tip available for apical cell.  However, we did get a bottle of sea water. The road was in terrible condition and it was cold. On getting back to the lab. Shane and I had tea.

May 22, 1950 (Silver Lake)
Monday. Jane and I left from my house for Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155] to see if the Andromeda was in flower. We picked up some boys on the way, who thought they were going fishing. At Silver Lake the Andromeda was just coming out, but the flower was still in the bud form. On the way back, just on the Halifax side of Harrietsfield, Jane spotted some boulders covered with Rock Fern. We brought in some fronds for stomata (Biology 1 set) but on examination it was found that the lower epidermis was completely free from the mesophyll, so the material was discarded.

May 27, 1950 (Sambro and Back Lake [now called Harry Lake])
Saturday. Jane, Ann Marshall, Shane and I left in my car about 9 a.m. We took the shore road to Sambro and got there just in time for the low tide. We hired a boat and collected the large Laminaria from the wharf [coordinates 44.478473, -63.599769]. It was an ideal day for this. From there we took the inland Sambro Road to Back Lake [coordinates 44.530002, -63.670150]. The road was terrible. At Back Lake we collected Snowberry and Mountain Fly Honeysuckle. The flies were very bad. We kept on the inland road and made it back to the lab about 12:30 p.m.

May 30, 1950 (Holland Marsh Lake and bog St. John the Baptist)
Tuesday. Anne, Jane, Ann and I went in my car to check for Ericaceae. At Holland Marsh Lake [coordinates 44.669463, -63.818911] and along the road the Rhodora was in full bloom. At Holland Marsh Lake the Andromeda was just coming out, almost at full bloom. We collected a lot of flowers for Ann to run through the key. In the bog back of the church [coordinates 44.636210, -63.618154] the Pole Laurel was in full bloom and it should be possible to make a winter collection. We left about 10 a.m. and were back at exactly 12.

May 31, 1950 (South Maitland, Kennetcook, Clarksville)
Wednesday. Anne Gorham, Ann Marshall and I left in my car at 9:15 a.m. At South Maitland we were directed to a quarry called “Hayes’s”. This was reached by a side road leading to Five Mile River about 2 ½ miles west of South Maitland [coordinates 45.252814, -63.512113]. it is an excellent collecting ground and must be visited again. We had lunch at Anthony’s Hotel at Kennetcook and then came back to Upper Kennetcook [coordinates 45.201678, -63.657589] where we had spotted another good spot. This also must be visited again. Then to the regular spot at Clarksville [coordinates 45.100426, -63.831699] and got home about 5:45 p.m.

Collected:

Arisaema stewardsonii

Malus pumila

Trillium cernuum

Viola pensylvanica

Prunus pensylvanica

Uvularia sessilifolia

Cornus stolonifera

Rubus pubescens

Viola conspersa

Viola pensylvanica var leicocarpa

Fraxinus americana

June 5, 1950 (Kentville)
Monday. Muriel Ord, Ann Watts, Jimmie and I left a little after 9 a.m. Jimmie drove all the way. We picked up Erskine at his house and went straight to the experimental farm [coordinates 45.067349, -64.475948]. At first the sluggers hunted for slugs but and did not find many. After lunch we went down through the ravine but did not find many plants, that were unusual. Then Erskine took us to Chipman Brook [coordinates 45.16243, -64.685404] just beyond Coldbrook. This is one of the best collecting grounds I have ever seen. After that he took us to a bald rock between White Rock [coordinates 45.052233, -64.410968] and New Caanan, then to the bridge at White Rock and finally to some excellent collecting on an exposed bank between Gaspereau and Melanson [coordinates 45.075162, -64.31668]. Mrs. Erskine gave us tea and we had some more to eat at Hantsport. We were back in Halifax about 9 p.m.

June 7, 1950 (Truro, West Brook, Lynn)
Wednesday. Anne Gorham, Ann Marshall and I left at 9 a.m. sharp. Ann Marshall drove to Truro. Then we picked up Roland and transferred to his car.  At West Brook I got the blueberry collection and had lunch beside the Dickenson house. Roland took us to a good collecting spot just beyond Southampton [coordinates 45.594495, -64.248481] and opposite the schoolhouse. After this we took the wrong road to South Brook and then took the right one labeled “Five Islands”. When we got to the stand of young hardwoods, we did some collecting. It should be very good here about three weeks earlier. There were lots of leaves of Dogtooth Violet. We collected at two spots along this stretch of road. We got back to Debert at about 5:30 p.m. Roland helped the two girls get the plants in the press and named. We said good-bye to Roland and had supper at the “Coffee Shop” before we got to Truro. Anne Gorham drove home. We got to Halifax shortly aft 9 p.m.

Plants collected:

Salix alba

Salix cordata

Salix bebbiana

Salix discolor

Salix lucida

Salix pyrifolia

Claytonia caroliniana

Dicentra cucullaria

Trillium erectum

Streptopus roseus

Figaro grandifolia

Ribes hirtellum

Ribes lacustre

Geum rivale (Roland)

Erythronium Americanum

Crataegus macrosperma var. acutiloba

Menyanthes trifoliata

Cerastium arvense

June 8, 1950 (Bog St. John the Baptist Church, Dingle)
Thursday. Jane Bailly and I went across the Arm to check the flowering time of the Eruacae.  At the church bog [coordinates 44.636210, -63.618154] the Huckleberry was in full bloom and the Labrador Tea was just coming out. We went on to the Dingle [coordinates 44.629763, -63.598942] and there the Foxberry was about the same stage as the Ledum [Labrador Tea]. These should be checked in about five days’ time. It was mighty hot.

June 12-14, 1950 (Pubnico and Shelburne)
Monday to Wednesday. About 9 a.m. I started off alone in my car. Outside Bedford I picked up a Guelph student who went with me as far as Windsor. Had lunch at the American House at Middleton, then picked up C. MacF, and Shane at Digby. We took a brief look over the Nation Fish Plant there, being shown around by Mr. E. B. Richardson. We got to the Grand Hotel in Yarmouth about 5 p.m. We took Shane to his house and then consulted Mr. Irving C. Pink regarding big shots in the blueberry industry. After our evening meal, we went out to see Ruth Goodman (Mrs. Irving C. Pink) and Shane’s mother. At the hotel, McGarvey of the Res. Foundation met us and said we were to drive him to Pubnico on Tuesday. The four of us left Yarmouth about 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning and got to Pubnico about 10:20. Smith was not there. I visited Benoit D’Entremont and inspected the plots, which appeared to be very well laid out. I put up at Ruben d’Eon’s. Smith arrived about 1:30 with Foran and Mrs. Smith. Maxime d’Eon took us out in the boat to inspect Irish moss beds. After that C. MacFarlane and I observed and collected at St. Ann Point [coordinates 43.595414, -65.798617] at the top of the Pubnico Peninsula. I got to bed early. At about 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, Shane, C. MacFarlane, and I left for Quinan [coordinates 43.920271, -65.825852]. There we met Mr. Peter L. Muise who showed us his blueberry patches and told us of Mr. “Jack Cox” in Shelburne. We got back to Pubnico where we dropped Shane and picked up McGarvey who went with us as far as Woods Harbour. We had lunch at Shelburne and then had a talk with Mr. J.J. Cox. Jim Cox took me out and showed me an excellent blueberry patch at Souriquois Cabins about three miles east of the town [coordinates 43.763574, -65.323380]. We had something to eat at a lunch counter just before getting to Liverpool.  C. MacFarlane called up Kellie from Mahone Bay. We got back to Halifax about 8 p.m.

June 16, 1950 (Chebucto Head)
Friday. Marjorie, Jane, Ann Marshall and I left in my car to get the flowering time of Foxberry and Cranberry. I went to the place Anne Gorham showed me but could find nothing.  Perhaps it was the wrong spot. I do not know. We went on to the road into Duncans Cove, but did not go in. I was not sure that it led to the signal station. As far as Herring Cove the road was terrible.

June 22, 1950(Hayes’s and Upper Kennetcook)
Thursday. Ann Marshall and I left at 9 a.m. Ann drove all the way to Hayes’s. First on the road to South Maitland we found and excellent collecting ground at Ryan’s Creek. I could not find it by that name on the map, but it is the main brook and meadow before coming to Admiral Rock [coordinates 45.170264, -63.408454]. We collected again at Urbania [coordinates 45.214635, -63.425938] and then at Hayes’s we found a magnificent stand of Ostrich Fern across the river. At Upper Kennetcook [coordinates 45.201678, -63.657589] we collected on both sides of the road. We visited Courthouse Hill and were home by 5 p.m.

June 24, 1950 (Williams Lake)
Saturday. Ann, June and I went to Williams Lake [coordinates 44.620131, -63.595524] to check cranberry there. It was Vaccinium macrocarpum and it was not out. We collected some Barberry. The flies were terrible.

June 26, 1950 (Bog St. John the Baptist Church)
Monday. Ann Marshall and I went out at 2:30 p.m. [coordinates 44.636210, -63.618154] to check the flowering time of Vaccinium Oxycoccos. It was a full bloom, but it was scarce and difficult to find. The Bog Huckleberry (Gaylussacia dumosa) was just coming into flower and there appeared to be a lot of new growth for the current year and only a few of the branches bore flowers.

June 27, 1950 (Bayswater Beach, etc.)
Tuesday. We asked the Saunders to come with us and show us where Mrs. Saunders found the Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi). I called for the Saunders before 9 a.m. We got off at about 9:20, then called for Jane Bailly at the Forrest Bldg. and for Ann Marshall at her house. We went first to Deep Cove [coordinates 44.534113, -64.114001] and climbed up the side of the hill there, at the “look-off” there was a big patch of blueberry. The berries were well formed so it must flower in May or early June, probably the former. It rained a bit while we were there. Richard bought some fish. We then went to Bayswater Beach [coordinates 44.502124, -64.066511] where I showed Ann the series of beaches and collected some Iris plants. Richard then took us to an island on the east side of the peninsula which is marked “Owls Head” on the map [coordinates 44.520519, -64.002696]. Had lunch and a rest there, then walked over the island and did some collecting. Ann Marshall was bothered a bit with hay fever. We returned by the new road on the north-east side, getting back to the lab about 5:15 p.m. Anne Gorham and Cameron were there and identified the plants. Jane and Ann Marshall put them in the press.

June 29, 1950 (Road on Bedford side near Waverly)
Thursday. Ann Marshall, Jane Bailly and I went out to spot poplars. We took Mitchell with us to start his hitch hike for YMCA camp and Marjorie came for the ride. We found lots of Populus grandidentata at the end of the second straight stretch towards the north end of Fish Lake [coordinates 44.907338, -63.581681]. We marked one of the trees. We found some Populus tremuloides on the Bedford side of the bridge and right beside the road. We went out during the morning and were back by 11:45.

July 1 to July 7, 1950
Saturday to Friday. Was continuous rain

July 8, 1950 (Church Bog and Williams Lake)
Saturday. Ann Marshall and I went out during the morning to check the Ericaceae that might be in bloom. At the Church bog [coordinates 44.636210, -63.618154], the bog Huckleberry flowers were in full bloom and also the Pagonia Orchid. At Williams Lake [coordinates 44.620131, -63.595524] the tall cranberry was in full bloom. We were back in the lab at 11:30. The weather was still not completely fine, and it was close and mucky.

July 11, 1950 (Windsor, Erskine’s collecting spots and Brooklyn, Yellow Lady Slipper Spot)
Tuesday. Anne Gorham, Jane Bailly, Ann Marshall and I went to Windsor area to find the spots shown to us by Erskine (see trip Aug 3, 1949). We went first to Lebreau Creek [coordinates 44.975522, -64.160719] near the fish hatchery and collecting was good. We went into the old fish hatchery and found a very interesting pond, backed up by an artificial dam. The owner told me I was welcome to come anytime. We had lunch under a big Elm tree in the cow pasture. We then went to the farm opposite to the “Atwell and McNeil” post box on the Chester Road. There Anne got the plants she was looking for beside the pond and a lot more beside the road. From there to the Lady slipper spot outside Brooklyn where we got Cystopteris in excellent condition. In Brooklyn we found a shady spot in front of the United Church. The girls put the plants in the press while I talked to the Minister’s wife. For location of yellow Lady slipper spot see trip June 2, 1944 [coordinates 44.965362, -63.977191].

Plants collected:

Lemna minor

Lemna trisulca

Oenothera [muriatia]

Asclepias incarnata var. pulchra

Trifolium procumbens

Cystopteris bulbifera

Erigeron ramosus

Melilotus officinalis

Geum canadense

Medicago lupulina

Sagittaria latifolia

Scuettaia [lateriflora]

Chrysanthemum segetum

Barbarea vulgaris

Galium palustre

Rosa virginiana

Myosotis laxa

Carex retrorsa

Oenothera tetragona

Potamogeton bupleuroides

Carex crinite

Potamogeton epihydrus

Erigeron annuus

Melilotus alba

Medicago sativa

Epilobium angustifolium

Acorus calamus

July 14, 1950 (Kentville, Erskine’s collecting spots)
Friday. Anne Gorham, Ann Marshall and I left at 9:03 to go over the collecting grounds in the Kentville area which were shown to us by Erskine on June 5, 1950. It rained quite heavily as we went over Mount Uniacke. Ann Marshall drove. We had coffee at Hantsport then I took the wheel and we drove up the Gaspereau Valley. We collected at the riverbank near Melanson [coordinates 45.075162, -64.31668]. The place is just west of the town and easily spotted. It was raining and we had to walk through Timothy, so Ann stayed in the car while Anne and I collected. It is an excellent collecting spot and should be visited at regular intervals. At White Rock [coordinates 45.052233, -64.410968] we went on to the bridge across the river below the town. We all walked up the path along the Northwest side of the river that is on the right-hand side of the river facing up stream. Anne got a number of things and I got wet. Anne then went down stream a short distance on the south side. I went in the water near the bridge and collected some blue flowers rooted underwater, also I explored the idea that some underwater air bubbles were flowers. We then drove up the road to New Canaan and hunted for the outcrop where Erskine had collected Solomon’s Seal and Corydalis, but I missed it. My memory was at fault. I was looking for a roadside shop or canteen, whereas there is no such thing in existence. The proper place to go in, is just opposite or slightly above the old house. So, we did not collect there but went on to New Canaan and on the road down to Kentville drove into a farmyard where Anne and Ann put the plants in the press. On the way through Kentville I ordered a pair of plants. We then went on to Coldbrook and turned off at the sign “Chipman Brook”. There I took them upstream to the spot which Erskine showed me. Then Anne and Ann went downstream on the other side. While there a New Yorker drove up in a Cadillac and started to fish in the river. Anne got quite a number of flowers and put them in the press immediately. On the way home we had refreshments in Wolfville. Ann drove. We got home in Halifax about 7 p.m. Jimmie was waiting for the car.

Plants collected:

Corylus cornuta

Crataegus

Brassica juncea

Rumex obtusifolius

Astra virginiana

Potentilla norvegica var. hirsute

Geum aleppicum strictum

Rosa virginia

Satureja vulgaris var. neogaea

Galium asperellum

Mimulus ringens

Habenaria flava

Apocynum androsaemifolium

Polygonum cilinode

Hieracium aurantiacusm

Lychnis alba

Osmorhiza longistylis

Erigeron annuus

Rhinanthus crista-galli

Athyrium angustum

Epilobium glandulosum

Trifolium dubium

Sagittaria latifolia

Rudbeckia hirta

Alisma triviale

Habenaria lacera

Euphorbia cyparissias

Scutellaria epibilifolia

Veronica longifolia

Galium asprellum

Lysimachia ciliata

Clematis virginiana

Sanicula marilandica

Carex folliculate

July 19, 1950 (Wolfville and nearby valley)
Wednesday. Anne Gorham and I took the drier up to Erskine. Janet came along with us to spend the day with friends in Wolfville.  Erskine and his son David took us out to collecting spots in the valley. We went first to Tannery Pond and then through Port Williams [coordinates 45.097969, -64.40999] and on to Canard River and Habitant River. We collected whenever the road crossed a river or creek. Lunch at the Look off. After lunch I drove out to the Halls Harbour for Anne to see the place. We then collected at Sheffield Mills and went back to Erskine’s, picked up Janet and headed off for home. Halifax by 6:45 p.m.

Plants collected:

Zannichellia palustris

Najas flexilis

Hesperis matronalis

Epilobium glandulosum var. adenocaulon

Nasturtium officinale

Scirpus paludosus

Zizania aquatica var. angustifolia

Vinca minor

Dianthus armeria

Pyrola elliptica

Stachys palustris

Epilobium strictum

Stellaria uliginosa

Scheuchzeria palustris

Ceratophyllum demersum

Rorippa islandica var. microcarpa

Galium triflorum

Phalaris arundinacea

July 22-23, 1950 (Shelburne, Souriquois Lake Cabins, Port Mouton, etc.)
Saturday and Sunday. Anne Gorham, Ann Marshall and I left at 9 a.m. to check on the black blueberries. We gave one of Anne’s friends a lift to Hubbards. We had coffee at Hubbards and then Anne drove from Hubbards to Bridgewater. We had lunch at the snack bar at Summerville. The man at the snack bar told me how to get out to Port Mouton sands (Carters Beach) [coordinates 43.908301, -64.822956]. We drove out the NE side of the Port Mouton Peninsula as far as the road went and walked the rest of the way. There were marvelous examples of the sand encroaching on the woods and apparently of the reverse process too.  We walked around the head of the brook, Anne got a lot of flowers in the woods and the skiters were terrible. After crossing the brook on a foot bridge, we went by a number of deserted cabins and finally came out on the bare sand, granite boulders and granite outcrop. It was a desolate place. In the distance we saw a man sitting on the rocks but when we got there, there was no man to be seen. We climbed around the rocks and saw the fish wharf and sheds in the distance. When we started back, the missing man was discovered behind a rock. We got back to our car by wading across the brook. Anne and Ann put the flowers in the press. On the way through Port Joli we got information from two chaps in a garage on how to get to the beaches at the tip of the Port Mouton Peninsula (Cadden Bay on the map). Going through the nine-mile cut off at Lockeport [coordinates 43.698733, -65.113322] we collected at both bogs. Outside Shelburne [coordinates 43.763215, -65.323507], we collected at the Souriquois Cabins, getting Vacuum brittonii and buds of V. angustifolium var. laevifolium. Spent the night at the Atlantic House, Shelburne where Archbishop Kingston watched the plants being put in the press. He also had breakfast with us. During the evening we saw the Cox boys in their store.

On Sunday Ann Marshall drove as far as Port Joli. I took over and drove down the south-western side of the Port Mouton Peninsula to the end of the road, then walked to the headland south-east of Cadden Bay. We got a magnificent view of the mid-bay beach in Cadden Bay. Again, we had lunch at the Snack Bar Summerville. We picked up Barbara Hendry in Liverpool, then called in to see Winthrop at Chester. Hazel gave us tea. Winthrop gave me a razor he got in Germany and read to us from Champlain’s diary. He also told us the original of Raddall’s story. We got back to Halifax just before 7 p.m. and saw everyone going to church.

Plants collected:

Pyrola elliptica

Ranunculus cymbalaria

Glaux maritima

Moneses uniflora

Areca canadensis

Pyrola secunda

Euphorbia polygonifolia

Galium triflorum

Vaccinium macrocarpon

Gaylussacia dumosa

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Habenaria clavellate

Ilex glabra

Rubus hispidus

Rhynchospora alba

Vaccinium brittonii

August 2, 1950 (Petite Riviere)
Wednesday. Marjorie, Anne Gorham, Ann Marshall, Jimmie and I left at 9:30. Jimmie drove. We dropped Marjorie at Hubbards, then went on to Green Bay [coordinates 44.214243, -64.436881] at Petite Riviere. We had lunch at the beach then Anne took us along the beach and found the plants we were after. Anne and Ann put the plants in the press while Jimmie had a swim. On the way back we collected some more plants. At Hubbards, we dropped Anne and picked up Marjorie. We were back in Halifax by 7 p.m. It was a fine day and not too warm.

Plants collected:

Euphorbia polygonifolia

Galium palustre

Spergula arvensis

Pyrola elliptica

Euphorbia helioscopia

Osmunda regalis

Cirsium vulgare

Plantago juncoides

Gallatin tinctorium

Chenopodium album

Clematis virginiana

Artemisia stelleriana

Salsola kali

Pontederia cordata

Polygonum raii

August 16,1950 (Dingle)
Wednesday morning. Jane Bailly and I went over to the Dingle [coordinates 44.62996, -63.596871] during the morning to get Rock Fern fronds for the Bio. 1 stomata set. We got them just inside the Dingle gates.

August 16, 1950 (Hartlen Point and Barrie Beach)
Wednesday afternoon. Ann Marshall and I went to Cow Bay via Hartlen Point. I wanted to show Ann the various forms of beaches and changes in the same. We parked the car at the Rifle Range at Hartlen Point [coordinates 44.592059, -63.444723] and then walked to Cow Bay. It was a dull day but not cold. I called for Ann at 2 p.m. and we were back at quarter to six. At the beach we collected Spergularia canadensis, which Ann put in the press immediately.

August 22, 1950 (West Brook)
Tuesday. H. D. Smith, Mrs. Smith and I left about 2:30 in Smith’s car. We stopped for a while in Truro and saw Mrs. Smith’s sister and brother-in-law. We arrived at West Brook [coordinates 45.556847, -64.299251] a little after 6 p.m. The two Dickinsons were there and took us to some blueberry patches. Smith stayed but I caught the bus and came back to Halifax. The Dickinsons were in the middle of harvesting the blueberries.

August 25-27, 1950 (Cape Breton Trip, Orangedale etc.)
Friday to Sunday. Jane Bailly, Ann Marshall, Lawrence Cameron and I left in my car just before 9 a.m. Cameron drove as far as Truro. There we had coffee and I drove to New Glasgow where we had lunch. Ann drove from New Glasgow to Mulgrave and Cameron from Mulgrave to Whycocomagh. There we put up at the Village Inn and after picking up Cameron’s two sisters we drove out to Cameron’s house at Orangedale [coordinates 45.90133, -61.095269] where Mrs. Cameron gave us supper. At the end of the evening, I drove Cameron’s sisters back to Whycocomagh. On Saturday morning I brought Cameron into his bank and then we all went out to Cameron’s home and he took us to a magnificent bog. It is a quaking bog and ideal for my northern collections.

During the afternoon we all went out to Malagawatch to see Grant Walls. We were nearly eaten alive by mosquitos. Ann and Jane had a swim. After supper I took Ann and Jane to Lake Ainslie and then out the road to Mabou. We then went down the shore to see the full moon over the water but we were nearly eaten alive again.  On Sunday morning (August 27) we picked up Cameron about 10 a.m. and Cameron drove via Marble Mountain to the Strait. We had lunch at Mulgrave. Ann drove to New Glasgow. On the way we visited the Monastery at Monastery. We did not see much. We had coffee at New Glasgow then I drove to Truro where we had some supper. Cameron drove to Halifax, and we arrived at his house at exactly 8 p.m. The weather was fine and warm all the time we were away. It was a great pleasure to meet the Cameron family. All along the way it was great to have Cameron for conversation. He is well read.

Plants collected:

Malva moschata

Cichorium intybus

Senecio jacobaea

Lobelia inflata

Hyperium canadense

Dryopteris noveboracensis

Symphoricarpos rivularis

Saponaria officinalis

September 7, 1950 (Debert)
Thursday. Mitchell took my car and drove Ann Marshall and Jane Bailly to Debert so as to deliver the collections to Roland. They saw Roland and were back early in the afternoon.

September 13-15, 1950 (Lockeport and Pubnico)
Tuesday to Thursday. Mitchell and I started in my car at 9:15 a.m. At first it was dull, but we did not run into real rain till we were beyond Bridgewater. We took turns at driving. Lunch at the canteen just beyond Liverpool (Summerville). By the time we got to Lockeport Station [coordinates 43.744008, -65.096665] the storm was pretty bad, but I made my collections.  There are all types of ordinary bog Ericaceae just beyond the station, but the storm was so bad that I did not go along the tracks to see if the bog still extends to the tracks at Shelburne. I bought some Sen-Sen[1]. The storm got worse. Five miles before we got to Pubnico the engine passed out. We hailed a car. Mitchell went on to Pubnico, got a tow-car and got in touch with C. MacFarlane. I was towed to Pubnico. Delphis and C. MacFarlane met me there and took me to Ruben d’Eon’s, where I stayed. Mitchell stayed with Delphis. It was cold.

Wednesday morning, I went over a number of things with C. MacFarlane and got my car. In the afternoon we went out in the boat and had a look at some of the experimental work. The weather had cleared by then. Thursday morning, we started for Halifax. C. MacFarlane with us. We went via the valley. The engine heated badly. In Digby at the Fundy Garage the engine was “Pressure Purged”. We had lunch in Digby. From there on the engine was O.K. We had supper at Hantsport. Arrived in Halifax 9 p.m.

September 25, 1950 (Silver Lake [coordinates44.556874, -63.642155])
Monday. Findley went out in the afternoon for Desmids and got some good material.

September 29, 1950 (Hubley Big Lake)
Friday. Mrs. Burton, 91 London Street had asked me to identify some berries which she had collected at Hubley Big Lake [coordinates 44.660821, -63.831474]. They turned out to be bearberries. She said she would show us where they were found, so Ann Marshall and I collected for her at 2:30 p.m. and she took us to the spot. We made a collection and were back in the lab by 4 p.m.

December 26, 1950 (Hubley Big Lake)
Tuesday. Jimmie, Anne Gorham and I went out to Hubley Big Lake [coordinates 44.660821, -63.831474] to get winter buds of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry). We left at 2:15. Jimmie drove. It was mighty cold and the road in from Hubley was covered with ice. We got the buds, and I was home by 4 p.m.

A breath freshener sold from the late 19th century until 2013 (Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sen-Sen↵

Chapter 12 - 1951

January 2, 1951 (Lockeport Station)
Tuesday. Adshead and I started at 8 a.m. in my car. The roads were very slippery at the start and the car was cold, but by the time we got to Liverpool the snow on the roads was starting to melt and the roads were clear when we got to Lockeport. We made the collections and had lunch at the Ragged Islands Inn. Coming back, the roads were clear till we got to Mahone Bay then it started to get dark, and the roads started to get tricky. The roads were especially tricky in the Beechville area. We got home about 7 p.m.

March 28, 1951 (Wolfville)
Wednesday. We all went to the Institute of Sciencemeeting at Acadia. Jane Bailly, Ann MacDonald, Norman Brackett and Findlay went in my car. Findlay drove all the way. We left at 4:15 sharp and deposited Jane at the Hall at 12:35. It was a good trip.

April 4, 1951 (Hubley Big Lake)
Wednesday. Jane Bailly, Jane Burchell, Findlay and I went out to Hubley Big Lake [coordinates 44.660821, -63.831474] to inspect the Bearberry patch. Left about 2:45 p.m. and returned 4:45 p.m. The flowers were ready to open but not opened. They looked as if they would be out in about two weeks. We made collections of buds and also brought in some leather leaf plants but no preserved collections of this.

April 16, 1951 (Halifax)
Monday. Findlay and I burnt all the blueberry patches. Jane was with us at Studley and MacKeen’s. We had the sump pump and watering can. Everything went O.K. It took us under two hours in all.

April 21, 1951 (Hubley Big Lake and Woodens Cove)
Saturday. Jimmie, Findlay, Marjorie and I left our house about 11:45. Marjorie and I got off at Hubley [coordinates 44.660821, -63.831474]. Jimmie and Findlay drove on to Woodens Cove [coordinates 44.592754, -63.92209]. Marjorie and I walked through the old road. The Bearberries were not out but the buds were swollen and looked as if they should be out in about in ten days. The patches of Bearberries extended all along the high part of the land and did not end till we dropped down towards the river. We met Jimmie and Findlay at about 3:45 p.m. It hailed quite heavily as Marjorie and I were going over the highland. Findley caught two trout. Jimmie continued to fish for a while. We got back home in time for supper.

April 25, 1951 (Lake Eagle [coordinates 44.744956, -63.441597])
Wednesday. Findlay and I started off about 9:30 a.m. in my car. We parked in the usual place and walked in. We cut a patch of blueberry bushes between the site of the old house and the still-water and marked it with sticks and stones. Findlay and I fished for a while in the main lake, but it started to rain so we started for home.  The mayflies were out in force and the fish were jumping. We were back in the lab about 3 p.m.

May 1, 1951 (Hubley Big Lake)
Tuesday. Hubley Big Lake [coordinates 44.660821, -63.831474] at the spot where the Bearberries grow was visited by Jane Burchell and I. We left in my car at 2:30 p.m. We planned to drive right to the lake, but a car was broken down on the road about ¾ of a mile in and we had to back out and left my car at Holland Lake. We walked in from there. The Bearberries were not yet in flower, but the Leatherleaf bushes were. We made a wet and dry collection of these. We got back to the lab about 5 p.m. and I showed Jane what to do with the collections. It was a fine warm day and a good trip. The Bearberries were almost out and should be in full bloom in about ten days.

Illustration of Chamaedaphne calyculata (Leatherleaf) From: The native flowers and ferns of the United States in their botanical, horticultural and popular aspects by Thomas Meehan, 1878. Public domain. Accessed on December 9, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_native_flowers_and_ferns_of_the_United_States_in_their_botanical,_horticultural_and_popular_aspects_(1878)_(14586873410).jpg>.

May 8, 1951 (Hubley Big Lake)
Tuesday. Went to spot [coordinates 44.660821, -63.831474] where Bearberries grow with Ann Marshall in her car. We parked the car in the usual place and walked into the patch. It rained when we were walking in and we walked back from the road for a way. Only a few flowers were in bloom but we got some nice ones.

May 18, 1951 (Leatherleaf collecting spots)
Friday. Jane Burchell, Ann Marshall and I went out to select a collecting spot for the seasons collecting. We visited the bog on the pipeline at Armdale, the church bog, the north end of the Frog Pond and south end of Frog Pond. The growth at the north end of Frog Pond [coordinates 44.628315, -63.603223] was much the most luxuriant and furthest advanced so we selected that patch for the seasons collection.

May 18, 1951 (Hubley Big Lake)
Friday. Jane Burchell and I went out to Hubley Big Lake [coordinates 44.660821, -63.831474] to check on the flowering period for the Bearberry. The flowers were in full bloom. The corolla had fallen from some and others were withering. The last blossoms were out in full bloom. It looked to me as if it were the end of the flowering for this plant. The trip took the whole afternoon. It takes half an hour to walk in from where we park the car.

June 1, 1951 (Lake Eagle [coordinates 44.744956, -63.441597])
Friday. Ann Marshall, Jane Burchell and I left in my car about 2 p.m. to measure blueberry plants beside the patch that Findlay and I mowed. Jane and Ann made measurements of the blueberry plants and while doing this Ann was tortured by the black flies. Later she came out in a rash and had a very severe reaction to each bite. After measuring the plants, we went up the trail to the lake. I had never seen the water so high. It was running down all the paths to the place where we cross the run and the temporary bridge across the run was floating. We had to wade to get across. I more or less fell in. At the lake, the rock where we usually eat our lunch, was under water. On the way back, Ann found she had forgotten her watch, but did not find this out until she was over the temporary bridge. Jane went back to the lake and got the watch. We go home about 6 p.m.

June 11, 1951 (Lake Eagle and Skerry’s Brook)
Monday. Bailly, Burchell and I went out in my car to check growth in the patch where Findlay and I had cut. We left about 11 a.m., parked the car at usual place and walked in. The growth in the mowed patch had started, and it appeared to be about the same length as the growth in the burn patches. It did not look so luxuriant but this is only guess. Another year I should burn and cut a number of adjacent patches. We had lunch on the Lake Eagle property [coordinates 44.744956, -63.441597]. From there we drove up to Skerry’s Brook [coordinates 44.776939, -63.588311]. I located the path. It follows close beside the brook and the best patches of leafy liverworts are just at the top of the hill where the path is right beside the brook, just at the margin between the fast-running brook and the bog. It was a fine day. We came back via Bedford reaching lab by 4:30 p.m.

June 12, 1951 (Chester [coordinates 44.541408, -64.242544])
Tuesday. Janet wanted to see her aunts and I wanted Ascophyllum tips, so I took Jane Burchell and Janet down in my car leaving at 2:30 p.m. and getting back at 6:40 p.m. the Ascophyllum plants were in perfect shape, so I made the collections. We had afternoon tea there. Roberta and Fraser Bond called in while we were there.

June 14, 1951 (Kentville, Caribou bog, Steam Mill Village called “Mill Village” on the map)
Thursday. Janet Bailly, Ann Marshall, Jane Burchell and I left at 9 a.m. Ann drove. We collected at the Meander River and at the sink hole just beyond. I fell in the sink hole. We had lunch at the Experimental Farm and a little after 1 p.m. Don Creelman took us around as follows; experimental plot on farm, Caribou Bog, planation beyond Caribou bog and burnt area at Steam Mill Village. On the way home we had a cup of tea at Hantsport. The sun came out at 12:30 p.m. but we ran into rain on reaching Halifax. We got home about 7 p.m.

June 19-21, 1951 (Antigonish, Sheet Harbour and Musquodoboit)
Tuesday to Thursday. Jane Burchell, Ann Marshall and I left for Antigonish about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. We had lunch by the roadside going over Mount Thom and arrived in Antigonish in the middle of the afternoon. The two girls put up at the hotel and I went over to the University and made contacts there. A Father MacDonnell offered to guide me out to Crystal Farm. We picked up the two girls and went out. Then MacNeil (the StFX geology professor) showed us around. When the board meeting of the N.S. Foundation finished, we picked up Dr. Nicholson, took him back to Antigonish with us, dropped the girls at the hotel and went over to the University. After dinner I had a long talk with Dr. Coady and he arranged for me to see interested parties. I had a talk with Chiasson and went to bed. The next morning (Wednesday) Dr. Nicholson showed me all over the University buildings and then we had sort of a meeting on the lawn in front of Morrison Hall. At first Father McIsaac and Anselm Cormier were the chief ones there, but later Father Forrest and Reid Sangster arrived. There were a number of others coming and going. Harold Smith and Foran were around but did not listen to me talk. While I was meeting these people the two girls were being shown around the buildings. After mid-day meal (the girls were given a meal in the female part of the building) we assembled, and the college provided us with a magnificent lunch. Dr. Coady directed us how to take a road through Pinkertown and we started off. We drank the coffee when we got to Lochaber and arrived in Sheet Harbour [coordinates 44.923333, -62.537304] about 5:30 p.m. and put up at the Lindhaven Hotel. I tried to get Peter Stewart on the phone but could get no answer. After supper, I contacted Jack Balcom and arranged for him to straw and burn a blueberry patch. He gave me a drink of rum. Miss Cameron at the Balcom & Chittick store had put our sandwiches in the “fridge”. Next morning (Thursday) I got Mrs. Peter Stewart of Middle Musquodoboit on the phone and arranged to meet her. We then started off for Pleasant Harbour. There I saw Bill James and Harvey Beaver. They (especially Bill) appeared to be interested in showing and burning a blueberry patch. Florence gave us an excellent lunch. We then took the road from Popes Harbour to Center Musquodoboit, and from there to Middle Musquodoboit where we saw Mrs. Stewart. From there we took the road by the river to Musquodoboit, ate our lunch (with the help of a dog) at Lake Echo and arrived in Halifax a little after 6 p.m.

June 25-27, 1951 (Yarmouth)
Monday to Wednesday. Started about 9:30 a.m. Monday morning. MacLean and a student named Kent came with me. Arrived in Yarmouth about 5 p.m. Put up at the Lakelawn Lodge. Had supper with the Shane’s. On Tuesday, C. MacFarlane and I got the articles under way. Returned Wednesday by myself. Got home a little after 5 p.m.

June 29, 1951 (Maplewood and Preston)
Friday. Jane Bailly, Jane Burchell, Ann Marshall and I first went to Maplewood [coordinates 44.626947, -64.622249] and inspected the burnt patches. The one which was burnt in the grass had a magnificent growth. We then went to Lake Eagle [coordinates 44.744956, -63.441597] and made a collection of the tips in the patch which Findlay and I mowed. We went up to the Lake. The water in the run was almost down to normal. We had lunch, I had a sleep, Bailly and Marshall went for a swim and we then went home. We got back to the lab in time for Marshall to pump the material and do some imbedding.

July 12, 1951 (Truro / Bible Hill)
Thursday. Jane Bailly, Jane Burchell, Ann Marshall and I started at 9 a.m. At about Grand Lake the car started to heat badly, and we had to creep along, hence we did not arrive in Truro till about 11:30 a.m. C.M. Collins was still in his office when we got there, and I had a very satisfactory interview with him. We had lunch under the tree beside his building and then went down to the bank beside the river [coordinates 45.370542, -63.266655] and I showed Burchell some Marchantia, which was not so abundant as in former days and was not fruiting. We then drove over to the main building and I had an interview with Dr. W. V. Longley.  It was very satisfactory too. We then started to creep home. Ann drove. We got back to the lab a little after 4 p.m. That evening I went over to the V. G. Hospital and saw Peter Stewart.

July 26, 1951 (Oakfield)
Thursday. Jane Bailly, Jane Burchell, Ann Marshall and I went to Oakfield [coordinates 44.900848, -63.576605] to show Jane Burchell the ferns. Gillian Bedwell came along too. We left after Jane and Ann had make their collections. Col. Laurie was away. On the walk into Indian Point, we collected about ten species of ferns. Had lunch as soon as we arrived. Looked at the ferns, had a sleep, had a swim, then had a walk over to the other field and came home. Met George Grant and his mother at a little shop. Arrived back in Halifax about 5:30 p.m. It was a hot day. On the way out we noticed a “bloom” on a pond on the Halifax side of Waverly. We collected some and it turned out to be Eugena. While bathing at Oakfield we noticed a specimen of the rare Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata L. var neoscotica fern.

July 30, 1951 (C.L. Bennet Summer House, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Jane Bailly, Ann Marshall, Jane Burchell and I went to Bennie’s house to see about blueberry patches to be burnt.  We left at 3 p.m. Bennie had just arrived. Ann Marshall went in for a swim while Bennie and I hunted for suitable patches. The best was on top of the hill and could be reached by the back road. Afterwards, I took it easy on the new front platform and the three girls picked blueberries for supper. While picking berries Jane Bailly located the suitable patches. We had supper with the Bennet family. Jimmie and Jane Bennett arrived late, and Jimmie had a birthday cake. The four of us (Botany) got back to the lab about 8 p.m and we each did some work.

August 28-30, 1951 (Pubnico and Sandy Cove)
Tuesday to Thursday. Marjorie and I started off a little after 9 a.m. We arrived in Sandy Cove during the afternoon and put up at the Harbour View Lodge. After supper we drove over to Little River and saw C. MacFarlane.  She was in a bad mood. I looked over her article. The next morning, she came with us to Yarmouth, where we put up at the Lake Lawn Lodge and had lunch. After lunch we went out to Pubnico [coordinates 43.702489, -65.784222] where I met Benoit and strawed a patch of blueberries. We had tea with Mrs. Ruben and saw Allen for a minute. Marjorie liked the meal at the Green Tree Inn. On Thursday we took C. MacFarlane back to Digby and then started for Halifax. We had lunch at the American House Middleton. We got back to Halifax at 4:30 pm.

September 3-4, 1951 (Larry’s River)
Monday and Tuesday. Jimmie and I started about 9:45 a.m. We ate our lunch at the Y.M.C.A. camp at Deep Cove and arrived in Guysborough in the middle of the afternoon. We put up at Grant’s Hotel then went for a drive to Canso to fill in the time. That night it started to rain hard and was raining when we got to Larry’s River [coordinates 45.217726, -61.372273] and saw Father Forrest, but we strawed a blueberry patch and started for home by the main road. We had lunch at Goshen and arrived in Halifax about 5:30 p.m.

September 6, 1951 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005], C.L. Bennet’s)
Thursday. Jane Bailly, Jane Burchell, Ann Marshall and I left in my car at 2:30 p.m. Bennie was there already. Marshall and Burchell got off at Bennie’s house and walked through with Bennie. Bailly and I went around in my car by the back road. The bale of straw was in the car. Bennie and the two girls met us at the top of the hill. We all strawed two patches. The girls walked back to the house. Bennie drove back with me in the car. At Bennie’s house Jane Bailly got tea ready and they all washed up. Then we went home arriving about 6:30 p.m.

September 12-13, 1951 (Lake Eagle, strawed patches at MacKeen’s)
Wednesday and Thursday. Jane Bailly, Jane Burchell, Ann Marshall and I went out to the mowed patch at Preston [coordinates 44.715694, -63.434209]. We drove the car right in to the entrance, collected from both the cut plants and natural untreated plants. We were back before noon. It was a hot day.

September 18-19, 1951 (Necum Teuch and Pleasant Harbour)
Tuesday and Wednesday. Started on Tuesday morning by myself in my car. Bill James was not home, so the straw (1 ½ bales) was left with Florence. Arrived at Sheet Harbour about 12:30 p.m. just after dinner, which I had at the local hotel. Jack Balcom drove us over to Necum Teuch [coordinates 44.960862, -62.224272] where we strawed a patch back of Sandy Romkey’s house. Jack then drove us back to his mother’s house at Port Dufferin. The roads were terrible, being in the stage of construction which is the worst possible for traffic. After Mrs. Balcom had given us supper, Jack drove us back to Sheet Harbour and I brought my car to Port Dufferin where I spent the night with the Balcom’s. In the morning, I took Helen to her store in Sheet Harbour and then proceeded to Halifax. At Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292] I saw Florence and picked out a blueberry patch to be strawed, and at lake Charlotte I had a talk with Bill James. I arrived at the Sword & Anchor in Halifax at 12:55 p.m.

Weather Records Broken In August, 1951.

September 25, 1951 (Silver Lake)
Tuesday. Jane Bailly, Ann Marshall, Jane Burchell, Norman Becket and I left at 2:30 p.m. in my car. We collected Desmids at Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155] and returned via Sambro. Examined the collections when I got back in the lab and they were excellent.

October 25, 1951 (Herring Cove [coordinates 44.568581, -63.556024])
Thursday. The tide was low at 11:00 a.m. so we left about 9:30. Jane Bailly, Jane Burchill and I went and were driven there by Jim Tait in Norman Beckett’s car. There was no Chordaria and very little Laminaria, but we got a few fruiting specimens for class, and got back to the lab in time for coffee and for Burchill’s class.

October 30-31, 1951 (Pleasant Harbour)
Tuesday and Wednesday. Mitchell and I left after Biology 1 lecture. We had a midday meal at the Parker House in Musquodoboit Harbour and then drove on to Sheet Harbour where we put up at the Lindhaven Hotel. We went back to Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292] about 5 p.m. and Bill strawed a patch in his pasture. Florence gave us a magnificent meal which was very much appreciated by Mitchell. Back at Sheet Harbour, Mitchell spent part of the evening with the Mounties. On Wednesday morning we were back in Halifax by 11 a.m.

Chapter 13 - 1952

February 7-8, 1952 (Kentville and Wolfville)
Thursday and Friday. Went with H.D. Smith on the morning train, and put up at the Cornwallis Inn. There we had lunch with Hockey, Eaton, Kelsall, Creelman, etc. During the afternoon (Thursday) Smith was at Wolfville. I spent the afternoon with Hockey, etc. at the Experimental Farm. Smith and I spent the night at the Cornwallis. 9 a.m. on Friday morning we went over to Acadia. I spent the morning in hiding. We had lunch with a big gang at the Paramount. Returned home by train on Friday afternoon.

April 16, 1952 (Halifax [coordinates 44.632489, -63.592387], MacKeen’s)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill, Martin, MacLeod and I burnt the patches at MacKeen’s. We went down early in the afternoon. The straw was fairly dry, but still damp in spots.

April 19, 1952 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005], C.L. Bennet’s)
Saturday. Jane Burchell, Fred Inglis, Martin, Elizabeth Martin and I went in my car to Bennie’s place at Glen Haven. There Bennie helped us burn the patches. We got water from a pool just across the road from the patches. Bennie’s dog came with us. We had two stirrup pumps, two watering cans and five buckets. We filled them twice. We started burning the patches at Martin’s suggestion from the leeward side which turned out to be the correct method. Martin destroyed one thermometer. He thinks he broke it putting it in the ground, but it may have blown up with the heat. Martin found that the pH was lowered one point by the burn. Mrs. B. gave us tea and buns after burning. I was back home by 6:45 p.m. It was a fine day.

April 30, 1952 (Pleasant Harbour)
Sunday. Borgal and I went down to Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292] to pick out Blueberry Patches. Wilson, Adshead and Maxwell went with us. We went in my car, and I called for Borgal at 9 a.m. Before dinner, we looked over the patch on Harvey Beaver’s place as well as the large burnt-over area back of Borgal’s and Bill James’ pastures. Borgal went to his own house for dinner and Florence gave the rest of us a magnificent chicken dinner. Then Bill, Borgal and I went over to the Beaver’s house where we arranged for Harvey to clear his patch. Borgal drove home. I arrived home at four minutes to five. The day was showery and while we were at Florence’s there was a very heavy thunder shower.

May 1, 1952 (Lacey River)
Thursday. Jane Bailey, Jane Burchill and I left about 11 a.m. in my car to get sporophytes of the Leafy Liverwort. We located the place where Tony Bidwell took us and left the car on the shoulder of the road. The road in was very muddy for there had apparently been a lot of trucking of lumber over it. There were piles of newly sawn boards all along the road, but at a fork in the road the piles of lumber continued along the left or southern fork. We took the fork to the right. We eventually got to the place where Lacey Mill Lake empties into Lacey River [coordinates 44.844648, -63.814085]. There was a small cabin there, locked, but it had a notice on the door saying that an occupant would be back for the evening. I thought that we had come to the wrong place, for I could not remember the details, but I believe now we were at the right place. We had lunch on a rock near the river. After lunch we went over the little bridge and started on the road leading to Island Lake. We had just gone about one hundred yards and crossed a log bridge when we came to the brook to which Tony had taken us. Going up this brook we found large quantities of sporophytes of Leafy Liverworts. They were the best I have ever seen, and we made a class collection. We started to walk to Island Lake, but it was raining, hailing, etc. and Bailey’s hair was getting in such a bad state, that we went back to the car. We then drove on to Mount Uniacke and had a look at the old foundation of Samuel Bell’s house. This was just to show “Burchie” that my ancestors were just as good and efficient as hers, when it came to running a drinking house and den of iniquity. I bought a pair of garden gloves and some cigarettes at the Mount Uniacke store, then we went on and had a look over the Old Uniacke property. We did not get in the house but saw the modern “fixtures” through the windows. On the way home we tried to locate the Oland property with more or less success, chiefly less. Back in the lab at 4 p.m. and I had coffee with F.R.H.

May 7, 1952 (Truro)
Wednesday. Martin called for me in his car at 8:25 a.m. I was ready and we left at exactly 8:30. We called for Jane Burchill and Jane Bailey and started for Truro. On the way up it started to rain a little.  “Burchie” was very sleepy. We first went to Bible Hill and saw Charlie Collins, then to Debert where I saw Roland and Martin saw Hilchie. Roland agreed to take us on a collecting trip on Monday, May 19th. We went back through Truro where Martin bought a lunch including a quart of milk. Lunch was eaten as soon as we got to St. Andrews River [coordinates 45.124284, -63.291499]. It was still misting and cold, but the patch of Hepaticas was located as was an abundance of Bloodroot. Nothing else was out, so far as we could find, so we started off for home and arrived at the Forrest Building at 4:05 p.m. The two girls put the plants in the press. Martin fixed Burchill’s air-bubbling machine. I drank tea. When we “signed-off” Martin had not finished his quart of milk. We got and did all we went for, but it was a cold raw day.

Illustration of Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot) From: Principal Poisonous Plants of Canada by Faith Fyles, 1920. Public domain. Accessed on December 9, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Principal_poisonous_plants_of_Canada_%281920%29,_Pl._XVIII._Sanguinaria_canadensis.jpg>.

May 14-15, 1952 (Pubnico and Caledonia)
Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday morning I left by the 8:40 bus for the Western Shore. H.D. Smith (with Mrs. Smith) picked me up at Mill Village about 12:30. They had spent the night in Lunenburg. We drove on in his car and had lunch at the Ragged Islands Inn. During the afternoon we went down to Pubnico [coordinates 43.702489, -65.784222] and saw the patch which Benoit d’Entremont had burnt. It was coming along but just fairly well. It looked to me as if it were either too dry or had run out. I asked Benoit to look for better and larger areas which could be strawed in the autumn. We left without paying any other visits and spent the night at the Ragged Islands Inn. It was raining intermittently. In the morning we went to Caledonia. From the map which Martin gave us H.D.S. located Telfer Hill and Miss Florence Patterson. I could not have located them without his aid. Telfer Hill is really too unusable to operate with ease and the whole district looked like a lumbering district and not a place suitable for a demonstration blueberry patch. We had a light lunch at the local restaurant. There was a religiously minded boy living with Miss. Florence Patterson. I called up East Chester, got Margorie and invited ourselves for tea. On the way out towards Bridgewater we saw an area which would be good for a blueberry burn. We had tea with Constance at East Chester and were back in Halifax shortly after 6. H.D. drove me to my house.

May 19, 1952 (Truro and vicinity)
Monday. Jane Burchill and Jane Bailey were called for at 8 a.m. Caroline Weld came along too. Caroline drove from Shubenacadie to Truro. We had coffee at the Texaco service station then called for Roland at Bible Hill. He took us along the flats back of the college [coordinates 45.369927, -63.261877]. The early flowers were just out and in perfect condition. We went further up the river to Valley but kept on the north side of the river, then over to Upper Brookside. The Trilliums were not out but we made a number of collections. Many of the flowers were new to me. Back at Roland’s, the girls put flowers in the press and Mrs. Roland gave us lunch. After lunch, Roland took us to the intervale at Kemptown [coordinates 45.469078, -63.073595]. There the Dogtooth Violet, Bloodroot and Spring Beauty were in profusion and formed a carpet of flowers along the river. We then took the road just west of Kemptown and went almost to Earltown. Through the hardwoods we found the same flowers that we saw at Kemptown and one or two more. There was also a very dry blueberry patch which had been poorly burned and in my opinion was no good anyway, too dry. We went back on the MacKenzie Settlement Road and then along the North River Road to Roland’s house. On the way back to Truro along the North River Road, big patches of snow could be seen in many places on the sides of the hills. They were in the open spots and Roland said it was where there had been drifts during the winter. At Roland’s the girls again put the flowers in the press. On the way home we ate the girl’s lunch at the “road-side table”. Caroline drove from Lantz to Halifax. Arrived in Halifax at 6:45. It was fine and warm all day.

May 20, 1952 (Kline Heights)
Tuesday. It being a nice fine afternoon and the scrub women being around our labs, we decided to travel a bit, so Jane Burchill, Jane Bailey and I went over to the Frog Pond to see if we could find a good spot to survey. It looked a bit difficult and perhaps unprofitable due to the great number of bare rocks. We then went past Williams Lake and started to hunt for the path to the top of Kline Heights [coordinates 44.62737, -63.623234]. Shirley Mason had found this path some years ago. We went down Quarry Road, got to the Quarry, reached the top of the hill, admired the view, discussed the history of religion etc. but found no path. On the way out we struck the path. To get to the entrance of the path one must turn right at the last house on the north side and then follow the fence. There, on the top of the hill, we found acres of Hair Cap Moss. It was just at the right stage to collect for class purposes. Back in Halifax at 5 p.m. Bailey went home, Burchie came to the lab.

May 29, 1952 (Chester and Lunenburg)
Thursday. We wished to get Fred Bailey started on making the collections of Lily buds. So, Jane Bailey, Jane Burchill and I started off in my car, having given Mary various warnings by long distance telephone the day before. Marjorie came with us. At Chester we left Marjorie with Constance and Nora. The three of us drove through to Lunenburg getting there before noon. Mary gave us a fine dinner and then Jane instructed Fred in how and when to collect the Lily buds. I had a sleep while the two Janes bought a hat for Burchill. I went up and saw the Hazon Zwickers and also saw the man who makes the metal “Critters.” On the way home we called at Chester where we had tea, picked up Marjorie and Mrs. Knight’s bags. At Hubley on the way home George’s engine started missing badly. By nursing it along we just got to Quinpool Road when the engine passed out. Burchill walked home. Marjorie and Bailey took the trolley. Marjorie had Purdy’s truck come for me. The man fixed the engine.

May 31, 1952 (Bog back of St. John the Baptist)
Saturday. The two Janes and I went out to see if we could spot Gaylussacia dumosa (the Bog Huckleberry), but we could not. The bog [coordinates 44.635918, -63.619743] was full of water but the flies were not bad. The Rhodora and the Pale Laurel (Kalmia polifolia) were in bloom and Bailey collected a bunch. We could not see much of the small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos). There would not be enough there to locate it during the winter. We were back in the lab by 11 a.m.

June 10, 1952 (Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155])
Tuesday. We wished to locate patches of Andromeda and Kalmia polifolia which could be found even in winter when snow covered the ground. The two Janes and I started off at 2:20 in my car. Anne Gorham came with us. There is a big patch of Andromeda at the end of the path just where it hits the lake. This should be reached easily in the winter. The Kalmia is not in big patches but is scattered all through the growth on the water side of the bog. To aid us in locating it, rags were tied around a number of Kalmia plants. Both Andromeda and Kalmia were still in bloom, but the blossoms were almost dropping. The Ledum was just coming out. I was back in the lab by 4:15 p.m. It was a fine hot day.

Public domain drawing of Ledum palustre (Labrador Tea) from: Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885, Gera, Germany. Downloaded from Wikimedia Commons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Ledum_palustre0.jpg

June 11, 1952 (Kentville and Mill Village)
Wednesday. We wished to see the people in Kentville for advice regarding making the survey of the plot at Pleasant Harbour, so the two Janes and I went up. Janet came with us as far as Wolfville. We started early but were held up by a funeral on the Bedford Road and as a result we did not get to Kentville until 1 p.m. We had lunch on the picnic grounds and then had a long talk with Don Creelman and Fred Hockey. They gave us a lot of help and a number of good suggestions. They also promised to lend us a copy of the report on their own survey (this they brought to my office the next day). Although it was raining, Don Creelman took us out to his plots at Mill Village. The area that he hot burned with a blowtorch the year before had grown up splendidly. It completely fooled me, for I did not think it would work. On the way home we picked up Janet and got to Halifax by 6:10 p.m. It was a dull rainy day.

June 13, 1952 (C.L. Bennet’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. We wished to see if the rockweed mulch had worked, so the two Janes and I went down in my car during the afternoon. Before going, I was unable to contact Bennie and there was nobody there when we arrived. Both patches were coming along okay but it was still impossible to tell which patch was the better. The rockweed cover was wet and sticky. In places where it was very heavy, there was no sign of blueberry plants. Where it was lighter, the plants were coming through and were at least the same size as they were on the non-mulched plot. There were some showers. We were back in Halifax at 5:15 p.m. I bought some bread. On the way out Quinpool Road “Birchie” took a bucket of young frogs to her aunt.

June 24, 1952 (Mill Cove, Brook from Jack Lake to Paper Mill Lake)
Tuesday. We wished to find a spot where we could get Snowberry plants during the winter, so we went out to the brook where Laura Bisset and I saw them in 1944. The two Janes and I and Marjorie came with us to see the cabinet makers in Bedford. At the brook where we hoped to collect [coordinates 44.720773, -63.686927], the path was practically obliterated as was the woods around the brook. It had been cut over; everything was completely changed. There were no snowberry vines in big clumps. We left early in the afternoon and were back by 4:30 p.m.

June 30, 1952 (Owl’s Nest [coordinates 44.688767, -63.551235])
Monday. The two Janes and I went out to hunt for Mnium for Biology 1. We left at 2 p.m. sharp. We took the correct turns and at the landing place the woman in the hut gave me the oars for Colonel Laurie’s boat. We paddled across to the landing place. There was nobody in the house, so we parked on the verandah. We went to the collecting place for Mnium but there was practically none there and what there was did not look like the right species. On the way back I called in at H.D. Smith’s place and told Mrs. Smith to tell H.D. that the three of us would be going to Cape Breton. The water in Grand Lake was quite high. It was a fine day. We were back in the lab by 5:15 p.m.

July 3, 1952 (Pleasant Harbour)
Thursday. We wished to check on Harvey Beaver’s patch, so the two Janes and I went to Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292]. Tabby Weld came with us for the trip. We caught the 9 a.m. ferry. Jane Burchill drove from Preston to Musquodoboit Harbour. We ate our lunch on Eric Grant’s wharf and arrived at Harvey Beaver’s while he was having dinner. After he had finished his dinner, we all went over the proposed area. It is even better than I thought and needs very little clearing. We decided to make the patch 170 ft along the road by 255 ft deep. If more convenient for mapping it could be 260 ft deep. After this, Harvey took us over some of the remainder of his available land. He certainly has ample space for a big blueberry development. We then went down and saw Florence. She said that it would be more convenient for her if the two Janes came early in August. We said that would suit us perfectly. Tabby drove the car to Ship Harbour and Jane Burchill drove from Musquodoboit Harbour to outside Dartmouth. We were back in the lab by 4:20 p.m. It was a hot day, but not too hot.

July 7-10, 1952 (Port Hood)
Monday to Thursday. Inspecting Irish Moss situation on the west side of Cape Breton. H.D. Smith and I left in his car about 3:30 p.m. Mr. & Mrs. Gould came with us as super cargo. Supper at lunch counter at New Glasgow and spent the night at Crystal Cliffs. Breakfast with the M.I.T. people, then on to Port Hood [coordinates 46.016177, -61.530911], arriving about 12:15. I put up at the Oceanside Hotel. During the afternoon (Tuesday) Smith and I inspected the shore north past Mabou and almost to Finlay Point [coordinates 46.136441, -61.4645]. There was lots of Irish Moss but it was in deep water only. The intertidal zone and to a depth of two or three feet below low water mark was clear of any growth. H.D. and I had supper at his aunt’s house. He had sort of a conference afterwards. I spent the night at the “Oceanside”. My room was like an oven. Next morning (Wednesday) we all visited the Port Hood Islands. H.D.’s aunt gave us all lunch and after lunch H.D. and I (also Gould) inspected the shore to the south as far as Little Judique Ponds [coordinates 45.950622, -61.527121]. In the bays the Chondrus was infected with Callithamnion but there was lots of clean material on the headlands. Just beyond Little Judique Ponds, but in the same bay, there was a small corner of the shore where the ice in the winter would be stationary. There the intertidal zone was covered with Ascophyllum and the Chondrus was in quantities up to the low water mark. We left Port Hood about 4:00 p.m. (Wednesday) and arrived at Crystal Cliffs at about sundown. We had supper on the beach. Spent the night at Crystal Cliffs. Breakfast (Thursday) with the M.I.T. chaps then started for Halifax. Arriving at 53 Oakland Road about 3 p.m. All three days were fine. Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday very very hot, especially Tuesday. Marjorie was alone in the house all the time I was away.

Photograph of Callithamnion corymbosum specimen collected by Hugh Bell on July 26, 1930 in East Chester, NS. From the National Herbarium of Canada collection. Accessed on January 5, 2023 <https://www.nature-cana.ca/databases/specimen_main.php?Nav=Main&GoToRecord=44>

July 25-27, 1952 (Summerside)
Friday to Sunday. Marjorie and I went over to see Mitchell. Saturday morning I interviewed Mr. Ira W. Ellis regarding the machine for collecting Irish Moss.

July 29-August 1, 1952 (Port Hood)
Tuesday to Friday. Marjorie and I left about 3 p.m. on Tuesday. We had lunch beside the road between New Glasgow and Antigonish. We stayed overnight at Crystal Cliffs, and went on to Port Hood, arriving in time for mid-day meal. We went out in the boat early in the afternoon, but it was too rough to get anything done, so we came ashore and drove to Inverness. We looked at the entrance to Inverness Harbour, which had been filled with silt, then we went to some blueberry barrens, but these were too isolated to be any use. Back in Port Hood we had evening meal and then went to “Aunt Jennie’s” where H.D. was holding a conference with the members of the Inverness Board of Trade. At this conference we arranged to inspect a blueberry patch at 2 p.m. on Thursday. Spent Wednesday night in a cabin at the Oceanview Hotel and during Thursday morning we tried to rake Irish Moss but did not have much success. H.D. had brought with him a Yale chap named Drinker. This chap put on viewing equipment and flippers on his feet, but in general it was all negative. During the early part of the afternoon, we inspected the possible blueberry patches of Malcom MacLeod at Dunvegan [coordinates 46.298244, -61.229432] beyond Inverness. It was an excellent place for demonstration plots. Went back to Port Hood and started for home about 5 p.m. Evening meal at the Goshen where we saw Greenidge and his wife. H.D. went on to Halifax. We took Drinker back to Crystal Cliffs where we spent the night (Thursday). On Friday morning we headed for Halifax, arriving home about 1 p.m.

August 4-5, 1952 (Pubnico)
Monday and Tuesday. Jane Bailey, Jane Burchill and I started in my car at 9:40. We had lunch at Summerville and arrived at Pubnico about 4:30, putting up at Miss Rubens. I immediately saw Bennie d’Entremont and inspected the patches he had picked out. They were perfectly satisfactory and I told him to go ahead. After supper we drove to Bell Neck and saw Lawrence Armstrong and had a very satisfactory talk with him. Apparently, he is the main shipper and buyer for the county. On Tuesday morning at 8:45 we started for Halifax via the valley. En route we went over the fort at Annapolis and the “Habitation”. We had lunch at Granville Ferry. We got back to Halifax at 7 p.m. Going through Berwick we did not see the Camp Meeting. Burchill drove quite a bit, both going and coming. The weather was mighty hot, but we ran into a heavy mist going over Mount Uniacke.

August 15, 1952 (Lake Eagle)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I went to Eagle Lake [coordinates 44.744956, -63.441597] to see the patch that Wallace Findlay and I had mowed. We got there about noon. The plants were growing luxuriantly, and it was difficult to tell whether or not the plants were as dense as an average burnt patch. Like all the bushes in the area they did not have a normal crop of berries, but they had a much greater crop than the adjacent untreated wild bushes. This scarcity of berries may have been due to the long period of dry weather during July. Jane and I had lunch at the usual place beside the lake. We went home via West Chezzetcook and the Lawrencetown beach. Jane drove a fair amount. It was a very hot day.

August 18-19, 1952 (Pleasant Harbour and Necum Teuch)
Monday and Tuesday. Starting about 9 a.m. I took Jane Bailey and Jane Burchill to Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292] to survey the acre to be burnt. Marjorie came with us. We had lunch at the “Senioretta” at Ship Harbour and saw C.I. MacFarlane. After lunch ($1.50 each) the two Janes were left with Florence and while Marjorie and Florence were talking, I inspected the patch that Bill had burnt. It had grown up very well. Marjorie and I went on to Sheet Harbour where we saw Helen Balcom and Miss Smiley. The latter said the roads were O.K., so I decided to drive on myself. Called at Jack Balcom’s and saw both Jack and Sandy Romkey. Drove on, and Sandy caught up with us just when we reached his house at Necum Teuch. I inspected his plot. It had grown up magnificently. While at Jack Balcom’s, Sandy had engaged a cabin for us with Mrs. Baker at Marie Joseph. So, we continued on and spent the night there in the cabin. Marjorie liked it. On Tuesday morning we called at Romkey’s again, but he was off fishing. We called again at Balcom’s and saw Jack. I wanted Sandy to burn another patch and mulch it with sawdust. Called at Florence’s and saw the two Janes just when they were starting lunch. They had progressed in the survey in a most satisfactory manner. I arranged to come back for them on Saturday. Went over and saw Harvey and arranged for straw, etc. Saw Bill at Lake Charlotte. Home by 4 p.m. Fine weather. Excellent trip.

August 22, 1952 (Sambro)
Friday. During the morning I went with Robertson to inspect his place at Sambro. See letters to both Robertson and H.D. Smith.

August 23, 1952 (Pleasant Harbour)
Saturday. Marjorie and I went down and brought back the two Janes. They had finished the survey. The two Janes went down to Pleasant Harbour on Monday August 18, and came back on Saturday August 23. They completed the job.

August 26, 1952 (C.L. Bennet’s, Glen Haven)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I went t Bennie’s place [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005] during the afternoon to see how the rockweed had worked as a mulch. There was no doubt regarding the evidence. The patch which had been strawed and burned only was covered with a luxuriant growth of blueberries. The patch to which a mulch of rockweed had been applied had a luxuriant growth of garden weeds, such as pigweeds and other plants which had over topped the blueberries. The blueberry growth was rather small and patchy. That is rockweed does not make a good mulch for blueberries. We had better stick to sawdust. It was a fine day. We were back by 6 p.m.

August 28-29, 1952 (Larry’s River and Antigonish)
Thursday and Friday. Martin and I drove in my car to see Father Forrest at Larry’s River. I called for Martin at 8:30 a.m. We had lunch at Antigonish and arrived at Grant’s Hotel Guysborough early in the afternoon. We then drove out to New Harbour and around to Larry’s River. En route we saw some good barrens just on the Larry’s River side of New Harbour [coordinates 45.184017, -61.419891]. Neither Sangster nor Father Forrest were home, but Father Forest was expected back that night. In Guysborough, I bought two pints of stout. During the evening Martin and I looked at maps then walked around the town. On the way down through Antigonish I had called at StFX but did not see anyone except Father Michael MacKinnon’s secretary. On Friday morning we drove out to Larry’s River and saw Father Forrest. He told us about leasing 2000 acres of crown lands. He showed us these. They were excellent for blueberries, but I told him that it would probably be a good idea to mulch part of them with sawdust. Father Forest then went with us and saw the barrens near New Harbour which we had observed the day before. Back in Larry’s River we had a look at the blueberry canning factory in operation. Martin and I drove back to Antigonish via, Isaacs Harbour and Country Harbour. At Antigonish, I called at StFX and left messages for Father MacKinnon. We arrived back in Halifax at 5:25 p.m. Thursday night at Grant’s Hotel was mighty hot. Both days were fine and very hot. Martin drove over half the way.

September 4, 1952 (Sheet Harbour)
Thursday. H.D. Smith called for me in his car at 11:20 a.m. MacGarvey, MacEchran, Miss Tompkins and Miss Campbell went in another car.  We had a poor and expensive meal at the Salmon River Lodge then went on to Sheet Harbour, where C.I. MacFarlane had been waiting for us for a long time. We went out in the boat to various islands at the mouth of the harbour [coordinates 44.874333, -62.486153] but did not see any Irish Moss. We had some coffee when we got back to the wharf. H.D. and I started for home, the others waited. H.D. and I attended the opening party of some place in Eastern Passage. Jack MacKeen drove me from the ferry to my house arriving home about 9:00 p.m.

September 8, 1952 (Lacey River and Mount Misery)
Monday. Jane Burchill and I started at 2 p.m. for Lacey River [coordinates 44.829242, -63.810864] to locate buds of Snowberry. We located and marked two patches, we also located and marked some tall blueberry (canadensis). On returning from Lacey River we went to Mount Misery and located some good patches of Huckleberry.

September 9, 1952 (Chebucto Head, Sambro, Silver Lake)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I started at 9:20 a.m. First, we called at Halibut Bay [coordinates 44.551116, -63.553767] (Burchie wants to buy the place) and had a look at the rocks there, Chondrus was quite conspicuous. We had a little difficulty in finding the cranberry spot because cottages have been built there and I did not recognize it. But it is just before Camperdown and just at the last “Private Property” sign. There were lots of cranberries there but the box berries would be too hard to find in winter. I re-explored Sandy Cove. It is the same as it always was and hard to turn the car. We had lunch at Robertson’s place at Sambro (Burchie slept and got groggy) then we took the old road to Silver Lake. There we had some difficulty in locating the plants but finally did so. On the way home we went out the Bay Road to look at the fire, but a Mountie told us not to go out the Prospect Road. We obeyed. We were back in the lab about 3 p.m. It was a fine day, and not too hot.

September 10, 1952 (Peggys Cove, etc. Seabright)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I started at 9:30 a.m. First, we went to the bog near Seabright [coordinates 44.614547, -63.925612]. I had noticed cranberries there when walking with Wilson, etc. in the spring. We drove the car to the end of the road then walked up and down the hill. There were lots of cranberry vines there, but most of them appeared to be Macrocarpon. As we went down towards Peggys Cove, we had a look at the cottages where Burchie hopes to spend two weeks at Hacketts Cove. It is a mighty nice place, “a good thing.” Just before we got to Peggys Cove we inspected a bog. It used to be on the right had side of the road. It has now moved to the left-hand side. The cranberry vines there were definitely Oxycoccos and just fairly plentiful. We had lunch on the rocks north of the lighthouse at Peggys Cove. Burchie skipped around the rocks like a mountain goat. I thought she would break her neck. After lunch on the way towards West Dover [coordinates 44.495409, -63.876585] we inspected another bog. There was lots of Oxycoccos there, and they had the upright branches in abundance. At Shad Bay we had a look at the picnic grounds and tried to delve into local history. On the way back along the Prospect Road we saw lots of fire engines, but could not see the fire (although Burchie said she felt the heat from it). On reaching the Bay Road, Burchie took a little extra drive just for practice. We were back in the lab about 4 p.m. It was a mighty good day.

September 13, 1952 (Kentville)
Saturday. Jane Burchill and I started at 7 a.m. Jane drove all the way up. It started to rain on the way. We had a long talk with Hockey and Hall. They gave us a lot of good suggestions and criticisms. After that I had quite a talk with Ernest Eaton. Jane and I then went to the Aylesford bog [coordinates 45.029096, -64.819917] [1]. The cranberry plants there are magnificent and are the ones we should use for the winter buds. While there we ate a little lunch which Marjorie had given us. While at the farm, they (Berger) gave us a box of wind-fall Gravensteins. After we left the bog, we went into Berwick to try to get some fruit for Burchie to take home, but could not get any. On the road between Berwick and Kentville we bought a basket of plums and a basket of peaches. At St. Croix we went into Stewarts to get some honey, but Stewart was in a car accident out west and was still in hospital. We got two bottles of honey from a man on the Windsor side of the bridge. Burchie did not like driving the car while it was raining. We arrived home at 3:30 p.m.

September 14-18, 1952 (Chester)
Sunday to Thursday. Marjorie and I went to Chester on the afternoon of Sunday the 14th and returned on Thursday morning the 18th. While there I located a number of good beds of mayflower plants which could be found under the snow.

September 29, 1952 (Sambro)
Monday. H.D. Smith and I went to Sambro [coordinates 44.478563, -63.604887] in his car. We were accompanied by Murphy from Wedgeport in another car. He had three men (one an experienced raker) with him. We went out in the motor-boat and had a look at the beds of Irish Moss. We collected some. Findlay from the store came with us.

December 23, 1952 (Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155])
Tuesday. Jane Burchill, Norman Becket and I started about 1:30 p.m. It was a rainy day and the roads were muddy and slushy but not really slippery, for the temperature was above freezing, but there was a raw cold wind. Becket got some samples of water, Jane got winter buds of Andromeda, Pole Laurel, Rhodora, Ledum and Leatherleaf. Norman drove home. We were back in the lab by 3:15 p.m.

December 27, 1952 (Bennie’s place, Peggys Cove and West Dover Bog)
Saturday. Jane Burchill and I went to get winter buds. Jane took Johnnie along too. First, we went to Bennie’s place and got those available there. Then we went on to Peggy’s Cove to the small cranberry patch. In the bog on the Halifax side of Peggys Cove I could not find any at first, then I collected what I thought was cranberry, but not satisfied we went on to the bog near West Dover [coordinates 44.495409, -63.876585]. There I again collected the wrong material, but seeing the real low Cranberry plants I realized my mistake, collected the right material and discarded the wrong plants. Johnnie got his feet wet and was acting cold, so we brought him in the front seat, where he said he got warm. With Johnnie in the front seat, we went home.

The way to spot the correct bog near the Dovers [footnone]Dovers refers to West Dover and East Dover.[/footnote] is to go west from Peggys Cove and watch for the Church Steeple of the Dovers. When it appears, one is at the bog.

Aylesford bog was later developed into a very large commercial cranberry farm. ↵

Chapter 14 - 1953

January 2, 1953 (Lacey River [coordinates 44.829242, -63.810864])
Friday. Jane Burchill could not go out, so I got Anthony to come with me. We left about 1:15 p.m. The ice on the roads had melted. At first, we could not find the marked spot of Snowberry, but we finally located it. We located some Canada blueberry on the way back. In the lab by 4 p.m. I stayed till 7 p.m. locating the snowberry buds. They were damn small. Everything was put in F.A.A. [1] and pumped.

January 5, 1953 (Chester)
Monday. Mitchell and I took sister Marjorie back to Chester [coordinates 44.537392, -64.223283], starting about 10:45 a.m. Marjorie and I went right into the golf links and collected the mayflowers. I also collected some teaberry. We had lunch then I dissected the mayflower buds and put them in F.A.A. I examined the teaberry but could not see any signs of a terminal bud, or a flower bud, or of any type of bud. I must examine them when growth starts in the spring. We were back at the Forrest Building at 4:10 p.m. It was a gorgeous day.

Watercolour painting of Epigaea repens (Mayflower). From: Wild Flowers of Nova Scotia by Maria Frances Ann Morris, 1840. Public domain. Accessed on December 9, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wild_Flowers_of_Nova_Scotia_Epigoea_repens._May_Flower_%28Plate_I%29.jpg>.

April 4-5, 1953 (Necum Teuch, etc.)
Saturday and Sunday. I started by myself about 9:15 a.m. in my car.  Arrived at Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292] about noon and had lunch with Florence. After lunch went over to Harvey Beavers and saw him burn a small patch in the middle of his acre. He got a good burn. He had only enough straw to cover a small patch in the middle of his acre. I went on to Sheet Harbour, picked up Helen Balcom and then headed to Port Dufferin where I left my satchel. We then went on to Necum Teuch [coordinates 44.960862, -62.224272] where Sandy Romkey showed me his patch. It was coming along splendidly and if it bears good berries, he will burn a large area this autumn. Sandy’s father had burnt a patch across the road, but he had done it without straw and it was patchy. Went back to Port Dufferin and spent the night at the Balcom’s. Next morning, I went to the 8 a.m. service with Helen and after service we visited with sister Nichols (Mrs. Bishop) at the Rectory. After mid-day meal we started for Halifax, arriving back about 4:30 p.m. Helen Balcom drove back with me. I called in at Eric Grant’s place at Ship Harbour both going and coming, there was nobody home.

April 22-23, 1953 (Shelburne, Pubnico, etc.)
Wednesday and Thursday. Marjorie and I started a little after 9 a.m. in my car. I was going fairly fast after we left Liverpool and the car overheated. We arrived at the Ragged Islands Inn about 12:30 and after a bit of a wait, had lunch. At Shelburne I saw Jack Cox. He said the people around Shelburne would not be interested in blueberries, but thought that those around Barrington might be. He said Benoit d’Entremont would be the best one to pick the man and get such a project started. We arrived at Pubnico [coordinates 43.702489, -65.784222] just before 5 p.m. Marjorie parked with Mrs. Ruben. I went on to see Benoit and gave him the barley (25 lbs). Benoit had just finished his meal. He said that arrangements had been made to grow about four acres of straw. We picked up his brother and visited the blueberry patch. They had an excellent burn. Benoit agreed to cut down some of the bushes. We burnt a little patch while there. Benoit thought it would be a good idea to try to get some plots going in the Barrington area, but thought Sable River might be better. He agreed to look into the possibilities and let me know. I picked up Marjorie at Mrs. Rubens and we reached the Grand Hotel just in time for dinner (7:15 p.m.). We spent the night at the Grand Hotel and went home the next day through the Valley. The car overheated and I had stuff put in radiator in Weymouth. I had the radiator flushed out in Annapolis where we had lunch at the “Veteran’s Restaurant”. Marjorie shopped in Kentville and we drove up our driveway at exactly five minutes to six. Wednesday was fine but it rained all Thursday.

April 29-May 1, 1953 (Lockeport, Clarks Harbour, Pubnico, Kentville)
Wednesday to Friday. Left with H.D. Smith and Mrs. Smith in their car about 1:30 p.m. Waited on wharf in Lunenburg while H.D. put through long distance calls and business. Arrived at Ragged Islands Inn for evening meal. The two boatmen, Malcom & Wilbert Greenwood of Shag Harbour, were there ahead of us. After eating we had a conference with the two boatmen. On Thursday morning we went out to see Nickerson at Clarks Harbour. It was a beautiful day. Nickerson remembered us and gave us some useful figures. We then went to Central Woods Harbour where we had quite a talk with Frank Wood. He gave H.D. a big bag of lobsters. We then went to Pubnico where we had lunch at the “Red Cap” and H.D. put through a long distance call to Ray McGarvey warning him regarding the lobsters.  Our lunch was very late. We kept on going through Digby, etc. H.D. called Ray McGarvey again from Middleton. Arrived at the Cornwallis Inn at 7:25 p.m. I had dinner and put up for the night. H.D. & Mrs. S. went on to Wolfville to eat the lobsters at McGarvey’s house. They returned to Kentville very late that night. On Friday morning C.I. MacFarlane arrived from Wolfville also Ray McGarvey. These two, H.D. and I all went out to see L. Koldinsky who was laid up with a game leg. We told him the names of the people who could provide him with kelp. About the time we arrived back at the Cornwallis Inn, I caved-in. C.I. MacFarlane drove me back to Wolfville, where she found me a bed belonging to one Elizabeth MacMillan. I stayed there for the day. After 5 p.m. we started back for Halifax. C.I. MacFarlane Driving her car. We had a bit to eat at Don’s Café in Hantsport and arrived home about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday were fine, but it was raining very hard before we arrived home on Friday.

May 20, 1953 (Bridgewater, Caledonia)
Wednesday. I called for Martin at 7:15 a.m. and we went right through to Liverpool where we turned off to Caledonia and saw two of his burns. Ate our lunch at Caledonia and filled up with gas. Then we went into the Sanctuary and drove 35 miles over wood roads and saw the burns there. We got out about 5:30 and another lunch outside Caledonia. We took a shortcut to Bridgewater where we had a cup of tea at Martin’s home and met his mother. We got back to Martin’s house at ten minutes to nine. It was a fine day but dull. Martin drove all the way. Martin names the burns we saw as follows. They are numbered in the order in which I saw them that day

Milton [coordinates 44.059565, -64.753731] – Burnt 1951
Formerly mature pine which was not virgin growth. Cut over winters of 1950 & 1951. At present, a few Ericaceae, blueberries, etc. and hay scented fern. Lots of Rumex acetosella, Prunus pensylvanica, Prunus virginiana, and Sambucus. These last appeared to be from old roots. Surrounded by large pine tree on both sides.

Moose Hill [coordinates 44.075207, -64.739161] – Burnt 1950
Formerly young pine and young spruce. Cut over. At present poplar and lambkill. Across the road there is a stand of spruce, etc. similar to the condition of the burn before the fire. Surrounded by a stand across the road and by poplars etc. in other directions.

Westfield [coordinates 44.414485, -65.0215] – Burnt 1932
Here is where Martin had his covered plots. Formerly spruce, red maple, wire birch and some aak. Cut over just before the burn. The cutters set the woods on fire. At present bracken fern, suckering red maple, wire birch and oak. Surrounded on one side by spruce, red maple, were birch and some oak. On the other side by blueberries, huckleberries, and some spruce. This was probably an old burn.

Peskowesk [coordinates 44.283088, -65.180323] – Burnt 1946
Formerly mature white pine, about 60-year-old red pine, and young spruce. Cut over. At present lambkill, and some blueberries. Excellent white pine regeneration on one side of road surrounded by young growth spruce 25-30 years.

Tobeatic [coordinates 44.262380, -65.273425] Where there was cairn of rocks on top of rock and the good view – Burnt 1946
Formerly mixed softwood. Cut over 1912± Fernow (1912) says at that date it was severely culled. At present mainly tall huckleberry and lambkill with scattered spruce and a few white pine. Surrounded by mixed softwood, spruce birch and poplar. This was a very large burn.

Roseway [coordinates 43.624939, -65.349696] – Burnt 1972
Formerly virgin hemlock and scattered white pine. Cut over 1940-41 but just the hemlock removed. The white pine left standing. At present white birch (dense) and some white pine. 40000 white birch to the acre. 500 white pine to the acre. Half the cut over area was not burnt comparative counts will be made in the stand of virgin hemlock adjacent.

May 26-27, 1953 (Pictou)
Tuesday and Wednesday. At 10:45 C.I. MacFarlane and I left for Pictou. We put up at the Braeside Inn. Inspected Chondrus on Caribou Island [coordinates 45.755082, -62.724672] during afternoon. Returned Tuesday arriving home 2 p.m.

June 4, 1953 (St. Andrews River and Pleasant Harbour)
Thursday. Started about 9:20 a.m. and called for Jane Burchill and Jean Knowles. At the Turtax gas station, just north of the gas station, there was a pistillate Staghorn Sumac in flower. At St. Andrews River [coordinates 45.080826, -63.3944], the flowers which are characteristic of the site, were all over and there was nothing much to collect except one flower which I did not know. We took it home and pressed it. We crossed the river a number of times and in a group of spruce trees found a magnificent stand of Ostrich fern and also a number of Oak ferns, Birch ferns, etc. So, this made the trip worthwhile. We had lunch by the hut, then continued along the same road to Middle Musquodoboit. From there we drove through the valley to Upper Musquodoboit. The meadows of the valley were an extra bright green and looked like miniature examples of the meadows in England. We crossed to Sheet Harbour where we had coffee then on to Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292]. Florence was not home, but we saw Harvey and we inspected the burnt patch. The blueberry plants were just showing above ground, we were back in the lab by ten to seven. Jane drove on all the paved roads.

June 6, 1953 (Chebucto Head)
Saturday. Jean Knowles had to make a collection of Leatherleaf, so we continued on to Chebucto Head [coordinates 44.500891, -63.520622] to see what was happening to the tall cranberry out there. The bushes were pretty wet, but the three of us, (Jean Knowles, Jane Burchill and I) went into the edge of the cliff and hunted for Macrocarpum. It was very difficult to find any. I found one plant. Apparently, it is disappearing there. There was an almost continuous bed of Empetrum and lots of Foxberry but the Macrocarpum was practically nil. The Foxberry was just coming into flower. It would be a good idea to go there when the Macrocarpum is in flower to see if it is really disappearing. On the way back I got cramps in my ribs and got a drink of cold seven-up at Spryfield. Jane had dug up some Sarsaparilla plants for her garden, so we deposited these at her house then went to Purdy’s to see the smashed-up cars. We were back in the lab just as the 12 o’clock gun went off.

June 11, 1953 (Martin’s burns near Timber Lake [coordinates 44.692247, -64.174017])
Thursday. Martin called for me in his car a few minutes before eight, then we picked up Jane Burchill, Jean Knowles and Janet Dexter. We turned into a woods road a few miles west of Hubbards and there picked up the Ranger named “Dauphinee”. This Dauphinee guided us into the limits. We left the car near a hut beside a stream, then walked into the stand of hemlock. This stand was a magnificent sight. We were close to Timber Lake. We also saw stumps of hemlock over three hundred years old (339) also an enormous spruce the age of which was not known because the centre was gone. We had lunch beside the hut. It started to rain. Jean Knowles and I did some collecting. After lunch we visited some very old burns, which Martin is going to survey. On the way home on the St. Margaret’s Bay Road we saw an enormous transport van on its side. We were home by the middle of the afternoon.

June 22, 1953 (Herring Cove)
Monday. Jane Burchill, Jean Knowles and I left about 9:45 a.m. to get the 11 o’clock tide and collect Chordaria and Ectocarpus. At Herring Cove [coordinates 44.569435, -63.556639] the tide was not very low and there was quite a surf and there was a dense fog. At first, I could not find these forms, but Jane found some Chordaria and it had Ectocarpus growing with it. I found some old Fucus with a rope-like Ectocarpus on it. Then in a higher tide pool on the top of the sharp edge of rock I found more Chordaria and in another pool what I thought was Ectocarpus growing on Scytosiphon. Back in the lab the Scytosiphon material was all Scytosiphon covered with fine hairs, so it was discarded, but the other material was good and was kept. There appeared to be two species of Ectocarpus both were kept and in the same bottle. Both had lots of unilocular gametangia.

June 25, 1953 (Westville)
Thursday. Scammell told us of a place near Westville (Rocklin by name) where he said we could get some Mnium Moss. I called for Jane and Jean, and we were at the Fairview under-pass by twenty minutes to eight. We arrived at Westville O.K., then went out in a general southerly direction to find Middle River and Rocklin [coordinates 45.497787, -62.782306]. We found the exact spot as directed by Scammell but did not find much Mnium. However, we got some. After having lunch, we started for home via Newton Mills, Musquodoboit Valley, Musquodoboit Harbour, Lawrencetown, etc. At Cole Harbour we went into Barbara Bell’s house (burglar fashion). There we ate the rest of our lunch, but we let a cat escape. We got back to our respective homes about 8:30. Burchie drove all the way and it was fine all day. It was a very good trip.

June 29, 1953 (Owl’s Nest [coordinates 44.688767, -63.551235])
Monday. Jane Burchill, Jean Knowles and I went out for Mnium Moss. We left at 2 p.m. The day had turned very warm. At the head of the river, we were charged fifty cents for parking, and a little girl rowed us across for a quarter. The cottage was occupied by a Mr. Farmley who was giving a holiday to a whole raft of children. We found the moss O.K. and Mr. Farmley rowed us back. The day was so hot, we stopped a number of times for drinks. We went home via the old Cobequid Road. Jane drove all the way. We dropped Jean Knowles at her house and Jane Burchill got off on Oxford Street to go to the Waegwoltic. I took the moss to the lab.

July 6, 1953 (C.L. Bennet’s, Glen Haven and bog, West Dover)
Monday. Jane Burchill, Jean Knowles and I started about 2 p.m. At first, we went to Bennie’s place [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005]. Some of the blueberries there were growing well, but due to the fact that we did not have the plots well staked, the actual burnt patches could not be located with certainty.

We went on to Gretchen Fraser’s house and after some difficulty in arousing Mrs. Fraser, she took us out to the woods and showed us the two flowers to be identified. One was the One-flowered Pyrola and the other was the Twinflower.

We then went on past Peggys Cove to the bog just west of the Dovers [coordinates 44.494803, -63.885192]. When the steeple of the Dover Church appeared along the road, we were right beside the bog. We marked some small cranberry vines, using curtain rods. They were just a few feet in the bog from the telephone pole. There were lots of orchids (Arethusa) and Jean Knowles collected a bunch. We went home via the Prospect Road. Jane got off to go to the Waegwoltic. Jean drove the car from Oxford Street to the lab, where she had some work to do. I took her home. The day was fine and hot.

July 8, 1953 (Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292])
Wednesday. I called for Jane Burchill and Jean Knowles before 9 a.m., but due to delays at the ferry it was twenty to ten before we got to Dartmouth. The harbour was thick with fog. We went right to Borgal’s house, had lunch and started cutting. We laid out a strip 45’ x 15’ i.e. enough for three plots. The two little clippers were inadequate. Harvey Beaver came over and gave us a hand cutting and drove in some larger stakes. Just as we finished, Florence and Bill drove by and we spoke to them. Jane had gone over while Jean and I clipped and had arranged with Florence to take the two of them early in August. We then inspected Harvey’s burnt patch. It was coming along O.K. We drove back via Waverly, and were home by 4:30 p.m. The day was fine and hot.

July 15-17, 1953 (Pubnico and Port Mouton)
Wednesday to Friday. Called for Jane Burchill at 8:15. It was raining. Picked up Jean Knowles at Pentz Lake. On the way through Kentville, I spoke to Harrison and Don Creelman regarding the best way to carry out fertilizer experiment with seaweed. We ate our lunch at Jean’s aunt (Mrs. Stevens) at Kingston. Arrived at Pubnico [coordinates 43.702489, -65.784222] about 5 p.m. and put up at Mrs. Rubens, but we had supper at the Red Cap. After supper we saw Benoit and arranged for meeting him on Thursday. On Thursday morning we called Benoit at 8:30 a.m. The weather had cleared and although the bushes were wet, the weather was fine and hot. Benoit helped me make the measurements and drive the stakes. The two girls, using the marked rope, made measurements and records along three lines. Benoit and I measured fifty blueberry plants. We got through before noon and on the way back I inspected the fertilizer plots. After lunch Benoit called for us. The two girls took my car and went on. Benoit and I started making all kinds of calls. One at Argyle was at the property of a man who had an extensive burn out on a point of land. The land needed sawdust. I saw and told him so. He said he would spread sawdust on some land next year. Benoit and I drove east and went through a short cut which brought us out at Barrington. At Sable River, I saw the burn on the property of a Mr. Harlow. I did not think it suitable for a demonstration. Supper at Sable River then we picked up the two girls at Port Joli. On the way to Port Mouton the car made a most disturbing noise which turned out to be due to ridges on the road. The girls had supper at the Tuna Inn. We put up for the night at Gwendol Inn. Up at 5:30 a.m. next morning to see the sunrise. I saw it rise. The girls did not. After breakfast we drove to the cross roads at South West Port Mouton. There we parked the car and walked the 4 ½ miles (?) to Black Point. The day was hot. At Black Point we met Mr. Fred Burgess. He showed us over the big house and took us down to the beaches. Birchie had a swim. Burgess took us down to the second (larger) beach in the jeep. He then drove us back to our car in the jeep. Lunch at Summerville Centre and started for home. At East Chester I called in to see the girls. They gave me tea. We were back in Halifax before 5 p.m.

Burchie drove all the way all three days.

July 15 1953 (Mount Uniacke)
Wednesday. Originally, I had intended to go to West Lawrencetown, but it was such a miserable day with fog that I decided to try for better luck inland and visit the raised bog at Mount Uniacke, and if time enough, go into the flood plains along the River Hebert off the Beaverbank Road. Jane Burchill, Jean Knowles and I left in my car about 10 a.m. Approaching Mount Uniacke, it was apparent that I selected the wrong spot for the bog. I went into the woods to look but it was not there. The two girls were left in the car. Like a fool, I kept ploughing through the woods and swamps. The trees were dripping with water and I got soaking wet. Eventually, I realized that I had lost my sense of direction. So, I stayed put (more or less) and shouted after what seemed like many hours, Jane answered me and we met. Was I glad to see her! She took me out, but by this time she was soaking wet too. We all went to Jean Knowles’ cottage. Mrs. Knowles gave us dry clothes and hot coffee. We ate our lunch there. After lunch we drove through the road to East Uniacke and came out on the Beaverbank Road. I spotted the path for going into the River Hebert flood plains. We kept on driving to Court House Hill and went home via the pavement that comes out near Shubenacadie. We were home by about 4 p.m. Jean and Jane each got off at her own house. Jane drove all the way. Motto. “Always take a compass”.

August 3-5, 1953 (Larrys River and Pleasant Harbour)
Monday to Wednesday. Jane Burchill, Jean Knowles and I started shortly after 8 a.m. We had lunch beside the road between New Glasgow and Antigonish, and arrived at Larrys River [coordinates 45.2232822, -61.3777276] about 4 p.m. The assistant manager John L. Pellerin took me out to the burns. I also met the manager Donald S. Feltmate. We went on to Goldboro where we put up at the “Clark House” for the night. Jean Knowles went out to look up a friend. It had rained a fair amount during the day. First thing in the morning we went out to the lighthouse beyond Isaacs Harbour, then went on our way. The road between Sherbrooke and beyond Liscomb was being re-surfaced with rocks and was very rough. We had lunch at Mrs. MacDonald’s Restaurant at Sheet Harbour. I saw Helen Balcom and then took the two girls on to Pleasant Harbour where we met Florence and they started at their work. I had a look at the mowed patch back of Borgal’s and then went back to Sheet Harbour, picked up Helen, went to her house and waited for her to start the oil stove. She went with me to Necum Teuch where we saw Sandy Romkey and inspected his patch and his fathers, then back to Helen’s where her cousin Mr. Will Balcom gave us a big supper. Helen and I spent the evening with the Bishops at the rectory and then went back to Helen’s about 10:30 p.m. Next day (Wednesday) it was raining hard. I drove Helen and two of her friends to Sheet Harbour, then on to Pleasant Harbour where I picked up the two girls. They had finished their work. Back to Port Dufferin where we had lunch with “Sister” at the Rectory, then off for home. The road between Pleasant Harbour and Musquodoboit Harbour was under construction and very rough. We arrived at Halifax about 5 p.m. It had rained hard all day. Jane Burchill drove the car for the whole trip.

August 27, 1953 (Truro)
Thursday. Started at 9 a.m. with C.I. MacFarlane in her car. Saw Milligan and George Smith regarding proposed fertilizing experiment using rockweed. Had lunch at the new “Palliser” restaurant outside Truro. Were back in the lab by 4.30 p.m.

September 1, 1953 (Lake Eagle)
Tuesday. I called for Jean Knowles at 9.10 a.m. in the Austin. This was the first collecting trip for the Austin. We arrived at the property at Preston [coordinates 44.715695, -63.434226] before 11 a.m. The growth of bushes on the patch we mowed was very dense, but for some reason there were no blueberries, perhaps it was too late. I showed Jean the milkweed, the poison ivy and the beaver hut. We had lunch beside the lake. The day was fine and not too hot. It was an excellent trip in every way. When we got back to the car we met Roy Atwood and went with him to his hut. I had Jean back at her house at 4.20 (40 minutes too soon).

September 24, 1953 (Williams Lake)
Thursday. Jane Burchill, Marigold Fry and I went out in my Austin (“Thomas”) to get Oedogonium for Botany 2. At first we went to the eastern end of Frog Pond [coordinates 44.625969, -63.601532]. The end of the path near the lake is badly grown up with Huckleberries. In the pond we got a good collection of what turned out to be Coleochaete with sufficient good Oedogonium mixed with it. On the way back, I could not find the end of the path. We then went to the eastern end of Williams Lake [coordinates 44.620965, -63.587189] but got nothing there except for filamentous bluegreens and dead Mougeotia. We brought everything back to the lab and examined it. It was a gorgeous day at the Dingle. I met a man who had been stationed in Halifax during World War I.

September 25, 1953 (Silver Lake)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I went to the Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155] for Desmids. Jane Walls and Marigold Fry “came with”. We got there and got the Demsids O.K. We left about 8:30 and got back by about noon. We came back via Sambro and met a grader on the Old Sambro Road. There was some difficulty getting “Thomas” by. On the way home we went out to the light house at Chebucto Head, but the air was a bit hazy for a really clear view, otherwise it was a fine day.

December 11-12, 1953 (Pleasant Harbour, Necum Teuch and Port Dufferin)
Friday and Saturday. Left by myself in the Austin. Caught the 10:15 boat. Had lunch at the Salmon River House. Inspected Harvey Beavers patch. It had grown up chiefly in Lambkill and Rhodora. Not many blueberries in evidence. Must check this next summer. Saw Harvey Beaver. He was filling in the pipeline to his new house. Called for Florence. She went over to the Borgals’ where Bill was filling his truck with earth for Harvey. Inspected the little patch we cut there. No growth as yet. Looked over the ground further back. It is sloping and not so boggy. It would probably make a better place for a trial patch, but I doubt if the bushes are thick enough for a fire to run without help, also the surface is pretty well burnt off. Perhaps some nitrogen should be added after the burn. Should burn about an acre here next year. Shall write to Harvey about it. Went on to Sheet Harbour, picked up Helen Balcom and then went on to Necum Teuch. Mrs. Romkey said that they had an excellent crop of blueberries this summer. I had a look at the patch. They will probably get another good crop next summer. Went back to Port Dufferin and spent the night at the Balcom’s. In the morning drove Helen and the Smiley girl to Sheet Harbour. Saw Florence and Bill again at Pleasant Harbour. Got home about noon. Both days were fine. That is no rain. Friday was sunny with a very high wind. Power lines were down. By Saturday the wind had gone down, but the sky was overcast.

December 26, 1953 (Hubley Big Lake and Dovers)
Saturday. I called for Jane Burchill about 10 a.m. and we drove out in the Austin. First, we went to Hubley Big Lake [coordinates 44.660762, -63.831950] and drove right to the lake. The road was much better than it used to be. We collected the Bearberry and right beside the Bearberry is an excellent growth of Teaberry. We should visit this next summer. When we got back to the main road, Burchie took over the wheel and drove the rest of the way. At the Dovers, we finally located the small cranberry plants and made the collection. The bog was very full of water. We drove home via Shad Bay. Burchie went to the lab and put the buds in killing fluid immediately.

December 29-30, 1953 (Shelburne, Jordan Bay)
Tuesday and Wednesday. I took the morning bus (8:40). On the way to Lunenburg there were two girls from Lunenburg who were in training at St Martha’s Hospital Antigonish. I had lunch at Bridgewater and arrived at Shelburne by 3:15. I put up at the Atlantic House and met young John Cox. He took me out to Jordan Bay [coordinates 43.70257, -65.23809] immediately. The area he had selected appeared to me to be excellent, but would probably take a little while to get into top production. It had apparently been burnt over many times, for there was no loose organic matter on the surface, but just a smooth black layer less than an inch thick. I advised John to apply nitrogen first. There were a few patches which had been burnt 18 months before. There the blueberry plants were very large but crudely deposited. All the regular blueberry weeds were well represented. The man who owned the land came with us. We returned to Shelburne via a slightly different road. That night John and his wife had a “Waffle Party” which I attended. He had a couple there named “Snelgrove”. Next morning Jane Cox drove me as far as Bridgewater where we had lunch. I took the train to Halifax, getting home by 6 p.m. Both days were fine and exceptionally warm.

F.A.A. is Formaldehyde Alcohol Acetic Acid. ↵

Chapter 15 - 1954

January 23, 1954 (Aylesford Bog and Kentville)
Saturday. Jane Burchill and I started from her house at 8:30 a.m. The temperature at the back of my house was two below zero. Going through Mount Uniacke it was difficult to keep the windows of the car defrosted. Even in the valley it was bitterly cold. We went right through to Aylsford Bog and there we found the whole place a foot under solid ice. So, we went back to the Experimental Farm at Kentville and there we had a very profitable interview with Hockey and Eaton covering the programme for the summer. We ate our lunch in the lab and started for home where we arrived about 4:15. The day was fine but very cold. Jane drove most of the way.

January 26, 1954 (Chebucto Head [coordinates 44.500891, -63.520622])
Tuesday. Jane Burchill, Ann Churchill and I went out hunting for cranberry buds. We called for Ann at 2:30 p.m. After some hunting we located a magnificent patch. It was a little grassy hollow near the edge of the cliff. We made a big collection. Back in the lab (about 4 p.m.) Ann and Jane put the material in two killing fluids F.A.A. and Nawaschin’s. The day was fine and mild.

March 26-28, 1954 (Fredericton)
Friday to Sunday. The taxi called for me at ten to eight and I took the 8:15 bus to Bedford, where the three (Hockey, Eaton & Hall) were waiting for me at the cross roads (Superline Service Station). We had a cup of coffee outside Truro. The day was very cold and there was snow in the woods and heavy ice on top of Economy Mountain. The steady and heavy rain stopped during the morning. Hall stopped in to see his people at Parrsboro. At West Brook we saw the Dickinsons and arranged for maple syrup on the way home. Lunch at the bus stop restaurant in Amherst. In New Brunswick, we turned off at Norton, went through Springfield, crossed the river at Evandale and arrived at the Lord Beaverbrook Hotel at 6:20 p.m. After dinner we went to the mezzanine floor and had an informal meeting and discussion. I went to bed at 9:30. The men from Maine were Dr. Hilborn, Dr. Edgar, and Mr. Owen.

The next morning (Saturday) we met at the Experimental Farm and spent the whole morning discussing the various problems. I showed them Burchie’s pictures. We checked out of the hotel after lunch and I saw the Camerons for a few minutes. Started for home about 4:45, having waited for Eaton to help a chap with some report. Went back by the same route by which we had come, had a meal in a Depot Restaurant at Sussex and arrived at the Fort Cumberland Hotel about 10:30. Next morning (Sunday) we left about 9:30, got the maple syrup at the Dickinson’s, and had lunch at Truro. I picked up the Fleet Line bus at the Superservice Station at 2:15 and arrived home at exactly 3 p.m.

April 1, 1954 (Kentville)
Thursday. Marjorie and I left a little after 9 a.m. We went to the Experimental Farm and borrowed the weed burner. Saw Hockey etc. Had lunch at the Cornwallis Inn. Got home at 4 p.m. Burchie and I tried out the flame thrower in our garden. It worked O.K.

April 3, 1954 (Pleasant Harbour)
Saturday. I called for Jane Burchill at 7:30 a.m. We caught the 7:45 ferry. It was raining torrents and there was a heavy wind. At the corner of King and Portland Street I ran into the fire truck. After seeing the police, etc., we kept going and got to Pleasant Harbour about 11 a.m. We saw both Harvey and Bill. It was raining, blowing hard and at times snowing. We could not do any burning, so after showing Harvey and Bill how to start the weed burner, we ate our lunch and came home. Arrived home about 1:30 p.m.

April 16, 1954 (Pleasant Harbour)
Friday. Jimmie and I went down to pick up the weed burner. We ate our lunch at Eric Grant’s place. We saw Harvey and Bill and inspected the places they had burnt. It was a fine day but cool. Jimmie drove all the way. We were home by 5 p.m. If I remember rightly Bill and Harvey had done this burning on April 9 and 10.

April 21, 1954 (Chebucto Head and Sambro)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I left about 2:15 pm to collect Leatherleaf. After making the collection we went on and relocated the find of cranberries at Chebucto Head [coordinates 44.500891, -63.520622] and then went to Sambro and had a look at the place where Robertson’s cabin was burnt down. The growth all around the cottage showed all gradation from severe burn to light burn, so later it should give a good idea of the effort of burning on this type of growth in the area. We were back in the lab about 4:30. The day was warm and sultry.

May 2-4, 1954 (Shelburne, Pubnico and Kentville)
Sunday to Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I started at 2 p.m. and arrived at the Ragged Islands Inn about 6:30, where we put up for the night. Next morning (Monday) we left before 9 a.m. and at Shelburne, we saw John C. Cox, who told us of his burn at Jordan Bay. I saw Cox Sr. and Jane Cox. We arrived at Pubnico about noon, had lunch at the Red Cap and then went out and inspected the burns at St. Ann Point [coordinates 43.595062, -65.799256]. On returning from there we met Benoit at 2:15, had a talk with him and then he took us to inspect the burns of D.M. Morrison on the Greenwood Road. When that was finished it was only about 4 p.m., so we decided to keep going for Annapolis. This we did. We had a cup of tea at Meteghan and telephoned ahead. We arrived at Annapolis a little after 7 p.m., put up at the Queen Hotel, then went out and had supper at “Helen’s” restaurant outside Annapolis.

Next morning (Tuesday) we started at 8:45 and arrived at Kentville at 10:30. Had a cup of coffee at the bus terminal, then went out to the farm. I returned the weed burner then had a talk with Eaton, Hockey and Hall. Don Creelman gave us a fur coat to take to Halifax. We got to Halifax about 2:45, delivered the fur coat, and then went home. We had fine weather all three days.

May 14, 1954 (C.L. Bennet’s, Glen Haven)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I left about 9:15 and went right to Bennie’s place. We tried the back road but did not find it satisfactory so we parked at the front gate. We put wax paper bags around 99 buds and it took us only one hour. We had lunch on Bennie’s verandah and were back in Halifax by 1 p.m.

May 18, 1954(C.L. Bennet’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.643092, -63.909477])
Tuesday. Jane Burchill, Ann Churchill and I went down during afternoon. A Mountie inspected the car at intersection of Prospect Road. Burchie did not have her license. We replaced bags on blueberry plants. Bennie, Helene and Jane arrived before we left. We collected some blueberry plants in full bloom beside the railway tracks on the way home, but were unable to get any pollen from them in quantities although the anthers were ripe.

May 20, 1954 (French Village)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I went out during the morning to the railway tracks beside the road on the Halifax side of the French Village station and about ½ mile east of the turn off to Peggy’s Cove [coordinates 44.686077, -63.871794]. We had noticed blueberry flowers in bloom there on Tuesday. We made collections of flowers in four different stages and put them in killing fluid immediately. The flies were bad.

May 21, 1954 (French Village)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I went out to the patch by the tracks [coordinates 44.686077, -63.871794] and got flowers for stamens from unopened flowers to try and get pollen, as per suggestion given by Roland. We also collected older pistils from which the corolla had dropped. These last were put in killing fluid immediately. It was raining so we did not go to Bennie’s place.

May 24, 1954 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. On Friday afternoon May 21, Jane Burchill and I picked off stamens as per suggestion given by Roland. We had tried this method, and had obtained a considerable amount of pollen, which had germinated on agar. The best germination took place on 1 ½% agar + 10% cane sugar. Ann Churchill, Jane Burchill and I worked all Saturday morning and let the stamens dry in open Petri dishes till Sunday night when I crushed it gently. Burchie came in after church and put some on agar, by Monday morning this had germinated. So, on Monday morning we went off to carry out the pollinating. Marigold Fry and [Jamie] Burchill came along with Jane and myself. We started pollinating at 10 a.m. daylight time and after that made collections every two hours. Helen Bennet gave us coffee and between two of the afternoon collections we went down to Woodens Cove and saw Ann Churchill. We made the last collection about 6.30 p.m. It had started to rain. On the way home the car acted up and stopped completely outside the Irving Oil Gas Station at French Village. The three girls got a lift home with young Campbell and Ernest came out and got me. On Tuesday morning I went out with a jeep from the Provincial Motors and we towed the Austin in.

May 25, 1954 (Bennie’s Place, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Tuesday morning. As the Austin was in the garage Ann Churchill borrowed their family car and drove Jane Burchill out to make another collection of the flowers we pollinated on Monday.

Tuesday afternoon. Got the Austin back about 4.30 so Ann Churchill and I went down about 5 p.m. and made another collection. I bought a tin of beans on the way home.

May 26, 1954 (Bennie’s Place, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I went down during the morning and made the final collection of pollinated plants. Before going down Jane visited the violets at 53 Oakland Rd.

May 27, 1954 (Lacey River [coordinates 44.829242, -63.810864])
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I went out to see when the strawberry was in bloom. We went to the same vine from which Tony and I collected the winter buds. We must have been at least a week too late, for all the corollas except one had fallen off. We made a collection and were back in the lab before 5.30 p.m.

May 31, 1954 (French Village [coordinates 44.632071, -63.915142])
Monday. Ann Churchill and I went out during the morning for blueberry plants for pollen. We were back by noon.

June 2, 1954(Bennie’s Place, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Ann Churchill and I went down during the morning and pollinated eight or nine clusters. It had rained heavily the night before and although it was still and cool, it did not rain. We rebagged and tagged all the clusters we pollinated. We were back before noon.

June 7, 1954
Monday. A.W. MacKenzie called a conference on blueberries in his office. We met at 10 a.m., went all morning, had lunch at the Nova Scotian and continued till 4 p.m. Those present were A.W. MacKenzie, Hockey, Hawbolt, Walsh, Burgess, McSweeney, Collins, Eaton, Creighton and Bill. The general consensus of opinion seemed to be that demonstration plots should be set out in various places. Those present were formed into a committee to meet twice each year.

June 9, 1954 (Glenmore)
Wednesday. Wilfred Creighton called for me at 11 a.m. and we went to his sub-station just beyond Shubenacadie. There he showed me around his park and zoo. After having dinner in his dining hut, we met Burgess and drove out through Middle Musquodoboit. En route we had a flat. From Middle Musquodoboit we went to his farm beyond Glenmore and spent the afternoon inspecting the whole property which was extensive. We came back to the sub-station where we had supper and Creighton had me home by 7 p.m.

June 11, 1954 (Truro)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I left about 9:45 a.m. and went right out to the Agricultural College at Truro. We saw Collins for a few minutes and arranged to see him at 1:30, then went out to the river bank and had lunch. We went back to the College by 1:30 and had a talk with Roland. Collins then took me over to the main building where I met Douglas. We went back to Truro and found Hawbolt’s office, but he was not in it (however I met Benson). We then went out to Debert and saw Beth and Greenidge’s lab. Drove out to the Folly gate then back to Truro where we picked up Jimmie. On the way in the Bedford Highway, the car started to buck. We were home by 7:30.

June 22, 1954 (West Brook)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I started shortly after 7 a.m. and arrived at West Brook [coordinates 45.556847, -64.299251] at 11 a.m. Seymour Dickinson took us over many burnt fields and I could not see that the flame throwing machine did any more damage to the humus layer than the flash fire of straw. He showed us the trouble he was having with weeds and it appeared to me that where he was in most need of assistance was with this weed control. Certain experiments had been started, but they had not been followed up. I had a look at a field just outside Parrsboro which had been burnt with a flame thrower. It looked to be in good condition and no real damage done. We had our lunch on tables beside this field. We went home through the Wentworth Valley, picked up Jimmie in Truro and reached Halifax by about 7 p.m. It was fine all day and at times very warm.

June 29, 1954 (Bennie’s Place, Glenhaven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I left about 3 p.m. and inspected the flower clusters. They were still intact. The ones which had been continuously bagged had not set fruit although the normal unbagged clusters had set quite large fruit. The artificially pollinated flowers had all set fruit. We were back at 5:05 p.m.

July 2, 1954 (Pleasant Harbour)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I started for Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292] about 9 a.m. We put Bushell on 8 Kalmia and Rhodora at Harvey’s place and our ferns at Boral’s place. Jane has the records and maps of what we did. We saw Harvey but did not see either Bill or Florence. We were back in the lab about 4:20. The day was dull and misty.

July 7, 1954 (Bennie’s Place, Glenhaven and Dover)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I left during the morning and checked the bagged flower clusters on Bennie’s Place. We had lunch at Peggy’s Cove, then went on to West Dover [coordinates 44.495409, -63.876585] where we found a ditch dug through our low cranberry patch. We marked a new patch. We did some exploring and started for home. The car started the old bucking stunt. We managed to get home and picked up the typewriter en route.

July 12, 1954 (Sambro)
Monday. Jane Burchill, Ann Churchill and I left about 3 p.m. and visited Robertson’s burnt down house at Sambro [coordinates 44.478563, -63.604887]. Practically no blueberries had come up as a result of the fire, just what was there before namely Gale, Huckleberry, etc. It started to thunder and rain on the way home and we had a flat when in the middle of the Arm hill. Jane and I were back in the lab about 6:30

July 14-17, 1954 (Tower Hill, New Brunswick)
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I left in the Austin at 8 a.m. and drove to Truro. Handed the Austin over to Jimmie and was picked up by Hockey and Hall. We had lunch at Amherst and spent the night at the White House Lodge outside Saint John. Arrived at Tower Hill before noon and had lunch there. General Meeting just after lunch and then went over to the farm. I got hay fever badly. We had our evening meal at a church hall, the blueberry growers “banquet”. Spent the night at Tower Hill with Hockey and Hall.

In the morning the party inspected the entomologists lab and some “big field” a long distance off. I did not go with them. When they got back there was another long meeting at which the chaps from Maine discussed their work. At lunch we had trout caught in the little pond and then had our pictures taken. We were delayed a bit in getting off by Dave talking to Hall but finally got away about 4 p.m. We had our evening meal at the White House Lodge near Saint John, spent the night in some cabins at Sussex where we had breakfast, stopped for coffee at Amherst, looked at Hall’s marked plants at Dickinson’s place, had lunch at Parrsboro, arrived at Bedford at 3:50 and had coffee. Hall and Hockey went on to Kentville. I took the bus and taxi home arriving about 5 p.m.

July 20, 1954 (Sambro)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill, Ann Churchill and I went out during the morning to spray a plot on Robinson’s property. We had bought the sprayer the day before. We sprayed a small plot the day before. We sprayed a small plot on the north side of the field using one tank full (2 gallons). We were back by 12 noon.

July 23, 1954 (Pleasant Harbour and Sheet Harbour)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I started at 9:15 and went right to Harvey Beavers place. First, we sprayed the patch in his pasture with “Brushkill”. It took five gallons to cover the old burn. We had lunch on the bench below the church at Murphy Cove and then went to Borgal’s place where we sprayed some bracken fern and sensitive fern, but not where the vines had been burnt. We took a box of notes to Helen Balcom at Sheet Harbour, then home by 6:15. The day was warm a lot of fog, but no rain.

July 26, 1954 (French Village)
Monday. During the afternoon Jane Burchill, Ann Churchill and I went down to the tracks near French Village [coordinates 44.687808, -63.877807] to get some blueberry plants to see how the flower primordia had progressed.

July 29, 1954 (Truro)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I left at 1:15 p.m. and took the maps of the Pleasant Harbour and Pubnico burns up to Collins etc. Neither Collins or Roland was in Truro but I dictated to Collin’s secretary what we had done. After that Jane and I went on to Pictou (Peggy’s) where we stayed for the night and brought Marjorie home Friday afternoon. It was fine during Thursday and Friday morning but it rained Friday afternoon.

August 3, 1954 (French Village and Bennie’s Place, Glenhaven)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I went down during the morning to determine how much of the plant died and if there were a number of flower buds on the same branch. First, we went to the railway tracks near French Village but could not get enough conclusive evidence there so we went on to Bennie’s place and found lots of material to indicate that the whole branch died distal to the most distal vegetative bud. On the way back we bought things at Simpsons, Empire Pastry and MacDonalds.

August 5, 1954 (French Village and Dingle)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I went out to get blueberry buds beside the tracks [coordinates 44.687808, -63.877807]. The buds were needed for early stage of ovary development. Then we went to the Dingle [coordinates 44.630561, -63.59855] to locate good Huckleberry. We found one beside the excavation between a birch tree and the edge of excavation.

August 6, 1954 (Glenmore)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I attended a blueberry “field day” held on Burgess’ farm at Glenmore. There were about 150 present and it lasted from 10 a.m. till about 3 p.m. H.D. Smith was present. The programme is in the files.

August 11, 1954 (French Village)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I went out to the patch beside the tracks [coordinates 44.687808, -63.877807] and collected blueberry buds.

August 12, 1954 (Pleasant Harbour)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I left about 10 a.m. and checked the plots we had sprayed with Brushkill. On the way home we went in to Clam Harbour and took part in the Biology Dept. picnic. We got there about 3 p.m. and had a long walk along the beach. The others arrived about 4:30. Burchie, John and I left at 5:30, to be home for choir practice. There was a very high wind.

August 13, 1954 (Sambro)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I went out during the afternoon to check the patch we had sprayed. Vera Facey went with us.

August 25-27, 1954 (Shelburne, Pubnico, Yarmouth and Kentville)
Wednesday to Friday. Jane Burchill, Marigold Fry and I left at 8:30 a.m. Had lunch at the Ragged Islands Inn, and then picked up John C Cox at Shelburne. We first went out to his burns at Jordan Bay and found them not very satisfactory so we went out to his cottage at Round Bay and looked at some grassy spots beside the road near Gunning Cove and Roseway. While at his cottage we looked at the magnificent beach below his house. From there we took the shore road to Port Clyde and then around to Port La Tour where we spent the night at the Oak Lodge. Before supper we went to the Sebim Beach were Jane and Marigold had a swim. The fog came in for part of the time we were there. After supper we drove out to the end of the land, but the fog was so thick, we could see nothing. We also saw the historic monument. Thursday morning, we drove on to Pubnico and with Benoit d’Entremont inspected both our own burn at St. Ann Point and Morrison’s burn along the Greenwood Road. We had a very poor lunch at the Red Cap. Then went on to Yarmouth where we put up at Lake Lawn Lodge, contacted Harry Grant, and had supper at the “Lobster House”. After supper we went out to Cape Forchu where we saw the Boston boat go out and the sun go down. On Friday we had breakfast at the Lobster House, then Harry Grant called for us at 8:30 and took us out to the Kemptville nursery. Thursday had been foggy till noon, but Friday was a beautifully clear day. Harry had a splendid stand of blueberry vines. He drove us out and back in his car. We started along the road a little after 10. Had coffee at an Inn and a very expensive poor lunch at the Headley House. Arrived at Kentville a little after 4 p.m. Had car washed and saw Hockey and Hall. Hockey drove us back to get our car. At Grand Pré we had a look at the statue of Evangeline then had a little supper at Hantsport and were home by 8:30. Friday was fine all day and the scenery along the French shore was perfect.

August 31-September 2, 1954 (Antigonish and Crystal Cliffs)
Tuesday to Thursday. On Monday night I got in touch with Hockey and found that he could not go, so on Tuesday afternoon I started with Ronald in his car along with Livingston and _____________ from Newfoundland. We had our evening meal at Antigonish and then on to Crystal Cliffs where ___________ and I were put up in the same room. Ronald and Livingston went back to the Dingle. On Wednesday we went on a boat trip to the causeway in the Strait of Canso and after dinner I was driven back to Antigonish where I stayed the night at the Royal George. I failed to make contact with the Forest Ranger in either New Glasgow or Antigonish, and hence I did not get to Larry’s River. For me the trip was a complete failure. I returned to Halifax Thursday afternoon by bus.

September 9, 1954 (Bog back of Church and Seabright)
Thursday. I called for Ann at 2:30. First, we went to the bog back of the church [coordinates 44.635810, -63.619719]. There Ann spotted some low cranberries with winter flower buds on them. These we marked. Then we went to the bog at Seabright [coordinates 44.614547, -63.925612] (We had checked herbarium specimens and descriptions on Wednesday). All the plants in the Seabright bog were Vaccinium macrocarpum. I delivered Ann at her house just before 5 p.m.

September 15, 1954 (Truro)
Wednesday. Marjorie and I went to Truro during the morning, saw Jimmie, and Roland. Hawbolt was away. Lunch at the Palliser. Home by 5 p.m. Lovely day.

September 21, 1954 (Pleasant Harbour and Necum Teuch)
Tuesday. Went down by myself during the morning. Ate my lunch at Eric Grant’s place. Harvey Beaver and I measured out an acre plot back of Borgal’s for strawing. Went on to Port Dufferin and picked up Hellen Balcom. She drove me to Necum Teuch and I saw the results Sandy’s father got from his burning. Spent the night at the Balcom’s and got home 1:45 Wednesday. Tuesday was fine, Wednesday raining.

September 24, 1954 (Kentville)
Friday. Went to see Hockey and Ivan Hall but missed them both. Marjorie went with me. Had lunch at the Cornwallis Inn and got some apples.

October 9, 1954 (Windsor Road, Chester)
Saturday. Nora and I went out to the Windsor Road to hunt for the regeneration of Hemlock that Winthrop claimed existed. It did not exist, but there were many young Hemlocks along the side of the road near the power plant and dam [coordinates 44.881228, -64.214664].

October 12, 1954 (French Village)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I went out during the afternoon to get [bud], for making counts of small flowers at the tips of the branches.

October 14, 1954 (Pleasant Harbour)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I went down to see if the straw was properly spread. We got there about noon, and shook out some bunches which had not been separated. We went on to Taylor’s Head, had tea with Florence, inspected Harvey’s boat house and were home by 6:30.

October 15, 1954 (Chebucto Head)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I took Ivan Hall out to Chebucto Head to get some tall cranberries (macrocarpon) and some foxberry plants. Dot [Coombs] went with us.

Illustration of Vaccinium macrocarpon (Cranberry) From: Flora Batava of Afbeelding en Beschrijving van Nederlandsche Gewassen, by Jan Kops and F. W. van Eeden 1872. Public domain. Accessed on December 13, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vaccinium_macrocarpon_%E2%80%94_Flora_Batava_%E2%80%94_Volume_v14.jpg>.

October 20, 1954 (New Glasgow and Antigonish)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I started about 8:40 a.m. and went right through the New Glasgow [coordinates 45.589332, -62.64479]. There I called up MacDonald from the Norfolk Hotel and he took us to the two plots he had picked out. One was at the fire tower and the other adjacent to his nursery (For my report on these and the Antigonish plots, see my letter to Burgess of October 22). After leaving MacDonald we went on to Antigonish. We had our lunch at the entrance to the YMCA camp at Big Cove. All day on the road we met many cars with carcasses of deer tied to the outside of the cars. At Antigonish I picked up MacMillan at his office. He took us out to the plots at Caledonia [coordinates 45.487441, -61.798398]. At first, he took the wrong road which delayed us considerably. We left Antigonish about 4:45 p.m., had a meal at the Open Kitchen and saw Jimmie on the way through Truro. Between Truro and Halifax, the rain was coming down in Torrents. We arrived at Halifax about 10:15 p.m.

October 25-28, 1954 (Conferences in Sydney, Mabou and Parrsboro)
Monday to Thursday. I left with Jane at 10:30 a.m. Coffee at the Open Kitchen. Lunch at the Goshen. Arrived at Isle Royale, Sydney at 7 p.m. The car (Thomas) did not have any power. Supper at the coffee shop. Breakfast by myself at the hotel (Birchie slept in). Gave my speech at the meeting and we all had lunch at the “Airlie” back at the Isle Royale, but the car would not start. I had to get four new spark plugs and new points. The car went O.K. from then on. Arrived at Farquhar House at Port Hawkesbury at 7:00 p.m. and had good meals. Left on Wednesday at 5:45 a.m. for Mabou. Tramped over the highlands and had a box lunch. Back at Hawkesbury about 4 pm. Bought a bottle. Had supper at the Open Kitchen, arriving at the Scotia Hotel about 7 p.m. I saw Jimmie for a few minutes. Next morning, I overslept (rum). Left for Parrsboro at 8:20 a.m. and arrived 9:45 a.m. Attended meeting. I had lunch at Ivan Hall’s home. Started immediately after for Halifax, saw Jimmie again, and arrived home 4:45 p.m.

November 5, 1954 (Truro)
Friday. Marjorie and I started for Truro about 8:30 a.m. We dropped some things for Jimmie at the library, then Marjorie stayed at the Scotia Hotel, and I went out to the Agricultural college and had a meeting with Kinsman, Collins and Endel Karmo.  A very good meeting too. I left Muller’s book with them before going back to have lunch at the hotel with Marjorie and Mrs. Benson. After lunch I went back to the college to get the book, then Marjorie and I went for a short drive out to the North River. We then waited for Jimmie, went to his boarding house and started for home about 6 p.m. We got back about 8:30 p.m. It rained most of the day and there was a lot of traffic on the road while we were going home. On the way home I had a little supper at Stewiacke.

November 16, 1954 (Bog back of Church St. John the Baptist)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I went out to re-locate the plants we had marked [coordinates 44.635918, -63.619743]. At first, we could not find anything that looked like flower buds on the marked plants of Gaylussacia dumosa. At the corner with bushes projecting into the bog, there was one plant without leaves that had a few flower buds, but very few. The others did not have any. Just as we were leaving, we noticed one marked plant in the middle of the bog that had lots of buds. I put a big, tall stick beside it. It was beside a big isolated clump of bushes. The Vaccinium oxycoccos was easily located and there were lots of buds. Jane checked one of these in the lab, and it had lots of little flower buds in it.  She also checked the buds from G. dumosa, and they were vegetative. We must go out again. We went out again the same afternoon and located buds in which Jane found florets.

November 18, 1954 (Porters Lake)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I went to Porters Lake [coordinates 44.737684, -63.313075] to locate snowberry stands (Chiogenes hispidula) for winter bud. We drove a short distance down the road on the west end of the lake, left the car beside a barn and walked the remainder of the way. We found an excellent patch on the left side of the road halfway down a hill just beyond the last deserted house and barn and walked the remainder of the way. We marked this and other patches in the same vicinity with curtain rods. We walked on to a house where a man with a dog was carrying wood. He said he had built his house in 1936. We had lunch on an old stone wall on the way back. We were home by 1:30 p.m.

November 26, 1954(Peter Stewarts, Middle Musquodobit)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I started at 12 noon. First, we went to Elmsdale and told Dot Coons we would be back, then we had a conference with Peter Stewart and then called for Dot Coons. We were back in Halifax by 6 p.m. It was a fine day but dull.

December 22, 1954(Bog Back of Church. Hosterman’s Grounds)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I went out the first thing in the morning and got winter buds of the low cranberry, bog huckleberry and Rhodora [coordinates 44.635918, -63.619743].

December 29, 1954 (Chester)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill, Hope Clement and I started about 10 a.m. It was raining hard but warm. On the way out the Bay Road we nearly (?) hit a dog. At Chester [coordinates 44.541408, -64.242544], Nora went with us to the golf links. Hope stayed at Constance’s house. We collected mayflower at the same place we got the previous collection. There were some flowers in bloom. Jane took the buds back and put them in killing fluid as soon as she reached the girl’s house. By that time, it had practically stopped raining. We had a big meal and started back for Halifax immediately and got to the lab by 3 p.m. Jane pumped the buds immediately and put them in fresh killing fluid.

Chapter 16 - 1955

January 4, 1955 (Dingle)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I went over to the Dingle [coordinates 44.629935, -63.598507] to get the common Huckleberry. During the summer we had spotted the bushes beside the excavation. We got the bushes and were back by 3:30. The roads were quite slippery.

January 10, 1955 (Hubley Big Lake)
Monday. Jane Burchill and I went out during the morning to get bearberry buds [coordinates 44.660729, -63.831997]. I drove all the way into the lake, but it was pretty heavy going on the road in low gear (no.2) all the way. The day was mild with a light drizzle. Snow from Beechville on, ice on all high land.

January 11, 1955 (Porters Lake [coordinates 44.737684, -63.313075])
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I had an early lunch and left at 1 p.m. The road into the lake was frozen but there was no snow. We had no difficulty in finding our marked patches of snowberry and got lots of buds. There was a man there with a Maple Leaf milk wagon. The horse and he were hauling logs out of the woods. We met a truck as we were going out. The driver wanted to know if he was on the right road to Isner’s camp. We were back in the lab by twenty to four. On the way home we missed spotting a church we wished to inspect. The day was dull but otherwise ideal.

January 13, 1955 (French Village and C.L. Bennet’s)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I left about 9:50 and went straight to Bennie’s place [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005]. We had with us a blow torch filled with kerosene and we carried up a watering can filled with salt water. We tried the oil on a patch. At first the bushes would not light. Then we soaked them and got an excellent burn. the stream from the blow torch was too fine. When we do it again, we must light the patch with a rag on the end of a long stick. On the way back we collected blueberries at French Village. We were home in the lab by 12 noon.

Febrary 14, 1955 (French Village)
Monday. Jane Burchill and I went out during the afternoon and made the usual collection of blueberry buds beside the tracks this side of the French Village station [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675]. The day was clear with a bright sun, but it was cold about 20°F.

February 21, 1955 (Dingle [coordinates 44.626963, -63.606499])
Monday. Ongoing over the Vaccinium myrtilloides material, I found that it was at slightly earlier stage than the lowbush, but that we had only the one collection, and hence it was desirable to check with a second collection if possible. So, Jane and I went out during the morning to see if we could locate a bush. We found one which I took to be myrtilloides. It was just east of the little pond where I used to collect Mnium and Ostrich Fern. It was beside a little white pine tree and in the bog there was a spruce tree on the ground pointing just south of our brush. Also, there was a big log on the ground lying east and west about twenty or thirty feet south of our bush. We got some rags from Keltic and tied one around a small red maple (?) beside our bush. The day was warm and sunny.

March 3, 1955 (Sheet Harbour [coordinates 44.923333, -62.537304])
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I caught the 9:30 a.m. ferry and went to Dundas garage where we more or less expected to meet Helen Balcom. We waited till nearly 10 a.m. and as she did not appear we went on. It was a very cold day but clear. We had lunch at the Lynnhaven Hotel and met Harry Hussie at 1 p.m. We visited both the burnt over land belonging to the company and his own property at the back of his house. As we were all through our work and it was only a little after 2 p.m. we decided to go home. We made our apologies to Helen Balcom and Miss Nichols, then started for home, arriving at Birchie’s house at about 4:30. Birchie took a lot of pictures with her new camera.

March 10, 1955 (Conference in Bible Hill, Truro)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I left at 8:10 to attend a conference called by Gordon Kinsman. Before the meeting Roland checked over his herbarium for blooming dates of Ericaceae and put the information on the sheet that we took up. We had the conference all morning, had lunch at the Open Kitchen, went to the vendors for a bottle of rum, had the conference till 3:30 in the afternoon, inspected the mechanical straw distributor and started for home at 4:15. Arrived in Halifax at 5:45 p.m. The roads were wet when we went up, but by the afternoon the sun was out and the roads had cleared.

March 16, 1955 (French Village [coordinates 44.632071, -63.915142])
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I went to the usual place for blueberry buds

March 30, 1955 (Williams Lake)
Wednesday. Birchie and I went down to the tracks to get rhizomes of blueberry but could not get good ones. Birchie said she and Lyn Martin got good ones at Williams Lake [coordinates 44.620276, -63.605230]. So, we picked up Marjorie and went. We got good rhizomes and then went on to Purcells Cove to see the view. We came back to the lab and had tea. Marjorie came to the lab too. It was a glorious fine day.

March 31, 1955 (Bennie’s Place, Glen Haven)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I left about 9:45 a.m. after loading the car and getting some stove oil. When we got to Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005], we took the back road and got to the rear of Bennie’s place more or less OK. There we deposited the sprayer (filled with kerosene), the oil can with two gallons of stove oil, the buckets and a watering can. I walked on and found a place where the car would turn, and then started to take the car there. On the way down the hill, the right wheels went over a sunspot and sank to the hubs. After some hard labor we got the car out of this hole. We took it down the road, turned it and brought it back. We had the sunspots covered with spruce and I should have been able to make it but I took the car too far to the left and the left side sank into the sunspot. This time, in spite of much labor, we could not get it out. So we had lunch and then started to hunt for horses or oxen. Instead, we met Mr. Goldwin Smith. He gave the car a push and out it came. We left our stuff under the trees. We went home and left the car at Bill’s to get washed. We dropped in at Bly’s Radio. Jane bought a bunch of records and we heard that Diane Oxner did not make the finals.[1] I walked to the college and got some money at the bank “en route”.

April 1, 1955 (Glen Haven)
Friday. Jane Burchill and I left for Bennie’s place about 9:30 a.m. [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005]. We did not take the back road. All our cans etc. were safe and sound in the woods. We got water and started to use the sprayer, but the nozzle had fallen off. So, I took off the brass tube and used the sprayer or shower producer at the end of the rubber. This certainly delivered oil in the bushes. We cleared the lower branches from a fir tree and burnt halfway around the tree on the southeast side. We did it in small patches at a time. The oil certainly burnt. We had one gallon of kerosene and two gallons of stove oil. We ate our lunch to let the largest patch cool off. When we had used up all the oil, we went home. It was a glorious day but cold at times with a few snow flurries. We were home by 2 p.m. On the way up South Street, I picked up Ronnie and told him what we had been doing.

April 18, 1955 (French Village)
Monday Jane Burchill and I went out to the usual place [coordinates 44.632071, -63.915142] for blueberry buds.

April 18, 1955 (Dingle and Chebucto Head)
Monday. Jane and I went out during the morning, first to the Dingle [coordinates 44.626963, -63.606499] where we got Gaylussacia baccata and then to Chebucto Head [coordinates 44.500891, -63.520622] where we collected Vaccinium vitis-idaea and Kalmia angustifolia.  It was misting slightly.

Illustration of Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. (Cowberry) From: Bilder ur Nordens Flora by Carl Axel Magnus Lindman, 1856-1928. Public domain. Accessed on December 14, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vaccinium_vitis-idaea_L..jpg>

April 19, 1955 (Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155])
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I went out first thing in the morning to get Andromeda. At first, we were not sure that we had Andromeda, but Jane found some similar plants on which the leaves were opposite. She noticed this and on comparing these two plants with the mounts we had taken with us, we found that with Andromeda the leaves were alternate, but with Kalmia they were opposite, so the plants (of which we had collected ample material) were Andromeda. As we were coming out of Silver Lake, Mar Swain drove up in his car with his wife and child. They followed us as far as the other end of Doyle Lake. There we turned around, for a man living there informed us that the road to Sambro was very bad. We were back in the lab by 11:20. It was a fine day.

April 19, 1955 (Hubley Big Lake [coordinates 44.660762, -63.831950])
Tuesday. Jane and I went out during the afternoon and got Arctostaphylos. We walked in but saw some big cars which drove in, but the road was bad. At the lake Jane took some pictures. On the way out some boys on bicycles kept us company. We were back in the lab by about 4:30pm.

April 20 1955 (Porter’s Lake [coordinates 44.737684, -63.313075])
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I started at 9 a.m., went across the bridge[2], and arrived at the house with the dogs at 10 a.m. We walked into the patches of Gaultheria hispidula. Large patches of these were dead. They must have died since we were there on January 11. However, we found enough living for the purposes of our collection. We were back in the lab shortly before noon. The morning was bright and sunny with a fairly high wind.

April 28, 1955 (French Village)
Thursday. Jane, Burchill and I went out early in the afternoon to the usual place [coordinates 44.632071, -63.915142] and got blueberry buds. The weather was rainy and cold.

May 3, 1955 (Silver Lake)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill, Dorothy Coons and I went out to Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155] for Andromeda. We left about 10:30 a.m. and called Kirby’s Garage on the way out. The Sambro road was very bad. We were back by 12:30 p.m. The weather started dull but turned out fine.

May 3, 1955 (Hubley Big Lake, French Village and Bennet’s Place)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill, Dorothy Coons and I started at 2 p.m. We walked into Hubley Big Lake [coordinates 44.660494, -63.830700] and collected Arctostaphylos. At French Village [coordinates 44.632071, -63.915142] Jane got blueberry buds. Then we went to Bennie’s place [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005] and inspected our burn. Also, we cut down a few trees. We rested a while at Bennie’s house, had some soft drinks at Tantallon and were home by 5:30 p.m. It was a gorgeous day.

May 4, 1955 (Lacey River)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill, Marigold Fry and Dorothy Coons started about 9:45 for Lacey River [coordinates 44.829242, -63.810864] to get Gaultheria hispidula. At first, we missed the entrance to the road and went almost to Mount Uniacke. It turned out that the entrance is just 1/10 of a mile beyond the country boundary sign. The road in to the place where we got the plants was very wet, but we got the plants O.K. We were back in the lab by about 12:15 p.m.

May 4, 1955 (Dingle and Chebucto Head)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill, Dorothy coons and I left about 3 p.m. First, we collected Huckleberry at the Dingle [coordinates 44.629927, -63.598604] and then Fox Berry at Chebucto Head [coordinates 44.500891, -63.520622]. It was a glorious and warm day. The buds of all species had swollen. When we got back to Halifax, we all had tea at my house. Then jane and I went to the lab.

May 10, 1955 (Bennie’s Place and French Village)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I started at 2:30 and collected first at French Village [coordinates 44.632071, -63.915142] then went to Bennie’s place [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005] by the lower road. On the way up the hill a man met us and walked up with us. The buds were opening but were not so far open that they needed [bagging] immediately. We decided to leave them be for a few days and to go to Chester on Wednesday. We cut down one fairly large tree. On the way back we had a drink of milk at Tantallon. We were back in the lab by 4:45 p.m. and Lawrence Cameron was there talking to Livingstone.

May 11, 1955 (Chester [coordinates 44.541408, -64.242544])
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I left at about 9:30 a.m. We got gas and oil at the Head of the Bay. Nora took us to the patch of Gaultheria hispidula and we collected the flower buds at about 11 a.m. Burchie killed them immediately. We had lunch at Chester and then Nora went with us to Chester to see Moulton about fixing Jimmie’s bed and I arranged to have it fixed by the Hume Bros. We were back in the lab by 3 p.m. It turned into a fine day but it was cold at first.

May 13, 1955 (Bennie’s Place [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Jane Burchill, Dot Coons and I went down about 11 a.m. and put bags on the blueberry plants. We took our lunch. It was a good day. We finished clearing the brush and cut down some more trees. We tried to make a parking spot for the car but found a better place down the road. We came home via Prospect. We were home by 5 p.m. just as Cynthia was leaving.

May 16, 1955 (French Village [coordinates 44.632071, -63.915142])
Monday. Usual trip for blueberry buds. On the way out Burchie and I went to the bank. On the way home Birchie went to cousins for something being cleaned.

May 18, 1955 (Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292])
Wednesday. Marjorie and I left about 10 a.m. It was a glorious day. We had our lunch on the verandah of Eric’s house. Everywhere else we were eaten alive by flies. First, we went to Harvey’s place and saw him playing with his new tractor. Then we saw Mrs. Beaver who was looking and feeling pretty sick.  She was just recovering from a long illness. (I forgot on the way through Musquodoboit Harbour, I went to both the office and house of the District Forester, Ralph Redmond. He was away, but we saw his wife and baby.)  After seeing Mrs. Beaver, I inspected the place that Birchie and I had treated with 2-4-D. The bushes were well killed. At Florence’s I picked up Bill and inspected the plots back of Borgal’s. The 1954 burn was badly infested with Lambkin and the blueberry bushes had only four or five flower buds per stalk. The 1955 burn with straw was a good clean burn, and if the place is any good for cultivating blueberries, there should be a good growth. Back at Florence’s we had a cup of tea. At Musquodoboit Harbour I looked in again at the District Forester’s house, but he had not returned. We were home by about 4:30 p.m.

May 19, 1955 (Hubley Big Lake and Black Lake)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I started at 2:15 and drove right into Hubley Big Lake [coordinates 44.660494, -63.830700]. The Chamaedaphne calyculata was in full bloom with all flowers out. It had certainly been in bloom for some time. The Arctostaphylos uva-ursi was just coming into bloom. Some flowers were fully out, while others were still buds. We went from there out the Sambro Road, and after making enquiries at Kirby’s etc. we took the back road. We gave a school boy a lift. We got to Black Lake OK and found enormous mats of Gaultheria hispidula. It was in full bloom. The road was much better than it had been. The school boy said the grader had just been over it. We came home via Sambro and reached the Forrest Bldg. at 5:55 p.m.

May 20, 1955 (Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Jane Burchill, Judy and I went down early in the afternoon to see if any bags had come off. Very few had. We went in by the back road. A load of lumber came in while we were there. I drove in the corner stakes. We were back by 4 p.m.

May 21, 1955 (Hubley Big Lake)
Saturday. Jane Burchill left at 9:10 a.m. and drove right into Hubley Big Lake [coordinates 44.660494, -63.830700]. We collected Arctostaphylos for fully open flowers for sectioning in case we needed them for its type of ovule development. We also collected some Arctostaphylos and Chamaedaphne to press and make mounts for Hazel Winthrop. The day was fine warm and sunny.

May 24, 1955 (French Village [coordinates 44.632071, -63.915142])
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I went out to the usual place for blackberry buds. On the way home we spotted a good clump of Rhodora opposite the Lakeside garage.

May26, 1955 (Bog back of St. John the Baptist, Dingle, Lakeside, Frog Pond)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and I went out during the morning. First, we went to the bog back of the church [coordinates 44.635918, -63.619743]. The school children were having recess. The Chamaedaphne blossoms were falling. Rhodora was in blossom. Ledum buds were swollen but quite far from blooming. Kalmia angustifolia showed no signs of life. At the Dingle [coordinates 44.629772, -63.598447] Gaylussacia baccata flower buds could be seen, but were far from being in bloom, for the flowers were still minute. At the frog pond [coordinates 44.625025, -63.604843] Rhodora was out and the Chamaedaphne was practically over. At Lakeside [coordinates 44.637029, -63.701036] the Rhodora was not out. We called at Bligh’s both going and coming. While we were out it started to rain very hard.

May 30, 1955 (Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Jane Burchill, Dot Coons and I went out during the morning. Jane pollinated about fifty flowers. The morning was dull but it did not rain.

May 31, 1955 (Bennie’s and French Village)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I went out during the morning [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005]. Jane cross pollinated with some Myrtilloides pollen we had collected the day before. She also pollinated some more Angustifolium. On the way back we made a collection by the tracks at French Village [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675]. It rained before we went out and very heavily afterwards, but it was not raining while Jane was pollinating.

June 1, 1955 (Bog back of Church and Silver Lake)
Wednesday. Jane Burchill, Ann Churchill and I started about 9:45 a.m. We got gas and air at Bill’s. We got to the church [coordinates 44.635918, -63.619743] about 10:15 a.m. and the school children got their recess while we were in the bog at 10:20. In the bog the Kalmia polifolia was in full bloom. The Ledum is showing signs of coming out, and Gaylussacia baccata had the closed flower hanging free but closed. While we were getting in the car a girl fell down the stairs. We then went to Silver Lake [coordinates 44.556874, -63.642155]. There everything was much later than at the bog back of the church, but the Andromeda was in full bloom whereas the Kalmia polifolia was still in tight flower buds. Hence Andromeda is at least a week ahead of the Kalmia polifolia. At Silver Lake the Ledum showed no sign of blooming. Even some of the Rhodora was not out there.

June 2, 1955 (Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Thursday. Jane Burchill, Ann Churchill and I went out during the morning and collected for pollen tube growth.

June 2, 1955 (Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Thursday. Jane Burchill and Ann Churchill went out during the afternoon and collected flowers that had been pollinated on Monday to check pollen tube growth. I stayed in the lab. It was a dull a day with heavy fog.

June 3, 1955 (Bennie’s and Dover)
Friday. Ann Churchill and I went out about 9:30 a.m. and made the regular collection at Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005]. We ate lunch at Ann’s house and walked three miles down the Old St. Margaret’s Bay Road. After a rest, we went down to Dover and found Kalmia polifolia flower unopened. In another bog on the opposite side of the road near Peggy’s cove I found a great quantity of Bake Apple in full bloom. We then made the second collection at Bennie’s and were home by 4:30 p.m.

June 4, 1955 (Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Saturday. Jane Burchill and I went out during the morning and made the usual collections. It was a dull foggy day. On the way home we went to Kirby’s where they said the exhaust pipe was broke. We then went to Spring Garden Road and got two loaves of bread.

June 4, 1955 (Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Saturday. Jane Burchill took the car with her mother, Judie and Marigold, and made the afternoon collection. I stayed home and worked in the garden. While out Jane took in Peggys Cove.

June 6, 1955 (Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Jane Burchill and I went out during the morning and made two collections: one 6th day and the other 7th day.

June 7, 1955 (French Village [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675])
Tuesday. Jane Burchill and I went out about 11 a.m. and made a promiscuous collection for fertilized plants. That afternoon I examined many of the flowers and very few of them were pollinated. It has been raining every day since May 30 (10 days ago) and not really fine weather for a few days before that.

June 9, 1955 (Bog back of Church, Dingle, Frog Pond and Chebucto Head)
Thursday. Jane Burchill and Ann Churchill went out during the morning to check the flowers which were coming into bloom. The following are Jane’s observations and conclusions:

Ledum is beginning to bloom at every spot visited. Gaylussacia baccata showed a few flowers blooming at the Church bog [coordinates 44.635918, -63.619743] but none could be seen in bloom elsewhere. [Baccata], however in the other spots will probably bloom in a day or two. Vaccinium vitis-idaea at Chebucto head [coordinates 44.500891, -63.520622] showed flowers just coming out of the bud and is considerably behind the other two.

June 9, 1955 (Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Thursday. Jane Burchill and Ann Churchill went out to Bennie’s and made a collection of pollinated plants for embryo development.

June 11, 1955 (Chebucto Head and Dingle)
Saturday Ann Churchill and I went out to check blooms at Chebucto Head [coordinates 44.500891, -63.520622] the Ledum was quite far out and the Gaylussacia flowers were ready to open but had not quite opened. The vitis-idaea was still in a tight flower bud. At the Dingle [coordinates 44.629935, -63.598507] we found one Gaylussacia flower open. The others were closed.

June 13, 1955 (French Village [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675])
Monday. Jane Burchill and Ann Churchill went out during the afternoon and made a promiscuous collection.

June 15, 1955 (Dingle [coordinates 44.629935, -63.598507])
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and I went out during the morning to check the plants that we had tagged during the winter, thinking it was Vaccinium myrtilloides. We had a terrible job finding the place. The puddle was all filled in with dead trees. Having at last found it, the plant turned out to be Gaylussacia baccata in full bloom. On the way back we had coffee with Keltie, and got Marjorie a quart of butter milk.

June 15, 1955 (Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Jane Burchill, Ann Churchill and I went to Bennie’s to finish the collections there. We took the bags off all the crosses, most of these had set. We went out during the afternoon, which was fine and warm.

June 17–18, 1955 (Musquodoboit Harbour, Pleasant Harbour, Sheet Harbour, Port Dufferin)
Friday and Saturday. Went off by myself at 9 a.m. Friday morning. I first called for Ralph Redmond at Musquodoboit Harbour [coordinates 44.787246, -63.148102]. He took me to the place being operated by the Dutchman, J. Perons.  There was a magnificent growth of blueberry plants. They had been burnt during the spring of 1954. I got badly bitten by flies. I promised to lend Perons a blueberry rake. I ate my lunch on the verandah of Eric’s house at Ship Harbour [coordinates 44.807839, -62.882569] then looked at the place Birchie and I had sprayed with Brushkill. Most of the patches of Lambkill were certainly dead but, in many cases, the surrounding fringe of blueberry plants was still alive. We must finish off what Lambkill that is left. Harvey was ploughing a new field on top of the hill. The places where he had burnt brush were well covered with blueberry plants. The Rhododendron plants to which Birchie and I had given the “glove treatment” were mostly dead, but new ones were coming up. Florence and Bill were both away. At Sheet Harbour [coordinates 44.923333, -62.537304], Helen Balcom could not leave the store when I arrived, so I waited for her. We then drove to some point where there were supposed to be blueberry barrens, but they had all grown up. In any case, the place was not suitable for many reasons. After supper we went back to Sheet Harbour and I met Harry Hussey who told me about a good blueberry patch 10 ½ miles up the Musquodoboit Road. The field on the north side of the road is owned by D.K. McDermaid and on the south side by Dr. Doull. He said that Burgess could get information on this land from Elmer Irwin, Mill Superintendent at the Pulp Company in Sheet Harbour. Back at Port Dufferin [coordinates 44.913976, -62.384088] I looked at a field owned by Mrs. Balcom, but there were no blueberry plants there. Saturday morning Helen lent me the boy from the store and he went out the Musquodoboit Road with me and showed me the two fields Hussey told me about. They are ideal places for burning blueberries. On the way back to Dartmouth, I saw Florence and she gave me cup of tea. I did not get to 53 Oakland Rd. until 1:30 p.m. Marjorie thought I had been killed because she expected me at 1:00 p.m.

June 20, 1955 (French Village [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675])
Monday. Jane Burchill and Ann Churchill went out during the afternoon to make the usual collection. It started to thunder and rain very hard while they were out there.

June 21, 1955 (Truro etc.)
Tuesday. Jane Burchill, Ann Chruchill and I started at 8:00 a.m. For a long distance we were held up on the road by a long trailer truck and did not arrive at Bible Hill until ten after ten. There we met Ivan Hall and all got into Gordon Kinsmen’s car and drove out to the blueberry field, which was well beyond Londonderry [coordinates 45.47484, -63.603141]. There we met the bee man Endel Karmo. We spent the whole day in the field. The weather was not right for the bees because the sun was not out and the bushes were wet, but they showed us their procedure. The black flies were bad, so they gave me a net to wear. Gordon Kinsman had taken lunch for everyone, but we had ours with us. We left Truro at 4:20 and were in Halifax by 6:10 p.m. Near Waverly, a truck just ahead of us blew one of its double tires. Jane and Ann made a promiscuous collection B 331.

June 27, 1955 (Truro)
Monday. Jane Burchill and I left about 9:30 a.m. I gave a talk to the Kiwanis Club and afterwards saw Gordon Kinsman and Endel Karmo. We were home about 4:45 p.m.

June 28 1955 (Kentville)
Tuesday. Marjorie and I started early and got to Kentville about 12:15 p.m. Enroute, we called at the farm [coordinates 45.069260, -64.477226] and arranged for a meeting at 2:00 p.m. We had lunch at the Cornwallis Inn and met Hill, Bishop and Ivan Hall at 2:00 p.m. We must have talked for over an hour. I still do not know exactly who he is or why he wished to see me. I got butter-milk for Marjorie and a bottle of rum for myself. We were home before supper.

June 28, 1955 (French Village [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675])
Wednesday. Jane and Ann made the usual collection.

June 29, 1955 (Bog back of Church [coordinates 44.635918, -63.619743]and Chebucto Head [coordinates 44.500891, -63.520622])
Wednesday. Jane Burchill and Ann Churchill went out to both of these places to check blooms. Kalmia angustifolia is coming out into full bloom. Vaccinium oxycoccos is completely out and Vaccinium macrocarpon is not out but sill in bud.

July 6, 1955 (French Village [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675])
Wednesday. Birchie, Judy and Ann Churchill went for promiscuous collection. I was away.

July 6-9, 1955 (Conference U.S.A.)
Wednesday to Saturday. On Wednesday July 6, Ray [McGarvey] called for me about 9:30 a.m. Ray delivered some apparatus for George Smith at the Agricultural College and we arrived at Moose Lodge just after 12 noon. There we were delayed waiting for, and having lunch with H.D. Smith and did not leave until 2:00 p.m. At Salisbury N.B., Ray called up the Admiral Beatty Hotel and engaged a room for the night. We had supper at Sussex and arrived at the Admiral Beatty early in the evening. Ray went to a Charlie Chaplin movie and I went to bed. On Thursday we left shortly after 8:00 a.m. We called at the Biological Station in St. Andrews, but the man Ray wanted to see was not there. We got some American money at St. Stephens and crossed the border before noon. Had lunch at East Machias and arrived at Harrington about 4:00 p.m. our time. Ray and I had a room in the Harrington Hotel beside the room occupied by the [Dave] and Hall. We started discussions right away. Had supper in the hotel and discussions all evening.

Friday morning, we had breakfast in the hotel. [Dave] and Hall moved from Ernest Eaton’s car to ours, then we went over the experimental blueberry plots all morning and ended the conference with lunch in the “Country Kitchen” at Columbia Falls.

We left for home about 2:00 p.m. and crossed the border about 5:00 p.m. Dropped [Dave] and Hall, then kept going. Had Supper ($2.50) just outside Saint John and at Sussex, Ray checked our reservation at the Marshlands Inn. We arrived at Midnight.

On Saturday morning we left at 5:10 a.m. and started for home. Called at HD’s place but he was not home. Arrived at 53 Oakland Rd. about 1:15 p.m. All four days were clear and very hot. My hay fever did not get bad until Friday noon.

July 15 1955 (French Village [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675] and Bennie’s [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Jane Burchill, Dot Coons and I started just about 3 p.m. First, we went to the patch on the hill just to see what it was like. A man along the back road was getting electric light wires installed along the road, so we walked part of the way. There was no sign of berries developing from our crosses. Then we went along the shore road and I arranged with Willis Dauphine to dig a fire break around the patch. On the way home we made a promiscuous collection at the tracks.

July 19, 1955 (Pleasant Harbour [coordinates 44.789004, -62.728292] and Musquodoboit Harbour [coordinates 44.720392, -63.101825])
Tuesday. Jane Burchill, Ann Chruchill and I started about 10:00 a.m. and had lunch on the beach below the Church. First, we sprayed the old patch in Harvey Beaver’s pasture, then looked at the area back of Borgal’s and finally visited Florence and Bill. We were back in town about 4:20 p.m. and on the way I paid a visit to the [vendors]. It was a fine day, but started to rain on the way home. I forgot to mention that on the way through Musquodoboit Harbour we visited the filed which had been shown to me by Ralph Redmond. In on field there were places when there was no set of fruit and as a whole the set was poor.

July 26, 1955 (Bog back of Church [coordinates 44.635918, -63.619743] and Sambro [coordinates 44.478563, -63.604887])
Tuesday. Ann Churchill and I went out during the afternoon just to the Bog back of the Chruch to get some Labrador Tea so as to answer [Sifton’s] letter. Then we went to Sambro and saw the patch we sprayed last year. Everything was dead except the Labrador Tea and the Bracken fern. I was surprised by the Labrador Tea. The blueberry plants along the ground were still living. On the way out to Sambro we had a flat and got it fixed at Kirby’s. We did not get home until 6:00 p.m.

July 31-August 2, 1955 (Pubnico)
Sunday to Tuesday. Jane Burchill, Hope Clement and I left at 1:30 p.m. We had some milk at Bridgewater and spent the night at the Victoria Hotel at Barrington Passage. We went out to Port La Tour but saw nothing on account of the fog. We left a little after 8:00 a.m. the next morning. At Pubnico, we checked our reservations for the night in Yarmouth, then called for Benoit D’Entremont. With him we had a look at our blueberry burns and then went out the Greenwood Rd. [coordinates 43.716865, -65.786828]. He took us part way out the nine mile cut-off then we went on without him. We had lunch in Barrington Passage. I picked up my penknife which I had forgotten. On our way past Pubnico we called at the [vendors] then headed for Yarmouth where we put up at the Lakelawn Lodge. Before supper we went out to Cape Forchu where it was thick fog, but otherwise O.K. After supper we went through the Anglican Church and then had a look at the new terminals and dock for the boat. On Tuesday morning we left at 9:00 a.m. and had some coffee outside Annapolis. It started to thunder etc. shortly after we left Yarmouth and the storm stayed with us all day. We had lunch at Middleton, took the road through New Germany to Bridgewater then home. Shortly after we left Chester it rained very hard. We were back in Halifax at ten minutes to six. Birchie drove all the way. Monday was fine but dull.

August 5, 1955 (Conference and Field Day, West Brook)
Friday. Ann Churchill and I started at 8:30 a.m. Had lunch at the Moose Head Lodge and arrived at West Brook [coordinates 45.556847, -64.299251] about 1:45 p.m. The conference lasted till 4:15 p.m. One man told me about getting rid of Kalmia angustifolia by ploughing. He said the blueberries grew in after he had grown a crop of oats. His name was Gus Graf and he lived in Windham, six miles from Springhill on the Collingwood Road. I told him I would visit his field. On the way back we had an evening meal at the Palliser in Truro. Outside Truro, Ann bought a basket. We were back in Halifax by 9:45 p.m.  Ann telephoned from Truro that we would be late. Ann drove all the way. It was fine all day.

August 8-9, 1955 (Pictou)
Monday and Tuesday. About 10 am, Monday morning, I started off with Peggy, Peter, Georgie and the dog. We had lunch at the Open Kitchen and arrived at Pictou [coordinates 45.676017, -62.708861] about 2 p.m. Peggy got money, groceries etc., then we went out to her house. During the afternoon I went over to Don Webster’s place and saw the patch he had burnt. It was very poor. I spent the night at Peggy’s. Took her to town in the morning, put a bolt on her front door and started for home at 11:20 a.m.  Outside Truro I picked up a boy and his girl. They got off at Sunnyside. I got home at 2:20 p.m.

August 11, 1955 (French Village)
Thursday. Jane, Ann and I went out to the tracks [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675] and collected rhizome tips. They were collected at 11:00 a.m., the Lord’s time.

August 15–17, 1955 (Conference, Goshen)
Monday to Wednesday. Jane Burchill, Ann Churchill and I left at 12:30 p.m. sharp. We had coffee etc. at the Open Kitchen and arrived at the Royal George in Antigonish about 5 p.m. Before dinner we bought some juice for Tuesday and after dinner, we drove out to Crystal Cliffs. We arranged to be provided with lunch for Tuesday and after breakfast on Tuesday we left at 9 a.m. and arrived at the site for the field day at 8:50 a.m. Monday had been very hot, but Tuesday was not so bad. The field day went off OK and was over by about 3 p.m. Then it started to rain. I went with a district forester Ralph Hale to a place about two miles outside Goshen [coordinates 45.378104, -61.973163] to see a possible site for a blueberry operation on some crown lands under his control. It was an excellent piece of land for the purpose. Jane and Ann did not come with us. After rejoining Jane and Ann, we headed for Marie Joseph and arrived there about 5 p.m. H.D. Smith was there before us. After supper I went for a walk. Jane and Ann went for a drive. I put up in the house. Jane and Ann were in a cabin. On Wednesday after breakfast we drove to the big barrier reef beyond Marie Joseph, there was one good blueberry possibility there. We then drove to Mitchell Bay down the shore from Ecum Secum. There was nothing there. In Sheet Harbour, we had something to eat at MacDonalds Restaurant. This was horrible. Saw Helen Balcom and headed for home. Outside Musquodoboit Habour we had tea at a very nice tearoom run by an old soldier named “Rawlings”. We got home about 5 p.m. Ann and Jane shared the driving.

September 6, 1955 (French Village)
Tuesday. Ann Churchill and I went out by the tracks [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675] and picked some blueberries. Jane Burchill and party drove by while we were there.

September 7, 1955 (West Brook [coordinates 45.556847, -64.299251])
Wednesday. Ann Churchill and I left at 7:30 am. Sharp. We arrived at Dickenson’s house just before noon. Seymour drove us to Gus Graf’s place at Windham. There was very little growth in the field Graf had told us about. Back at Dickenson’s place, Seymour and I went out and did some digging. On the way home we had tea at a new restaurant and later Ann bought some apples and corn. It rained between Parrsboro and West Brook, both going and coming. We were back in Halifax at exactly 6:10 p.m. We left West Brook at 2:10 p.m.

October 5, 1955 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. During the afternoon Byron Reed took Ronald’s truck and transported three bales of straw to our plot.

October 12, 1955 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Ann Churchill and I went down during the afternoon and cut down the bushes to have the place ready for the show. On the way back we called at Kirby’s to check on Mitchell’s car.

October 17, 1955 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005] and Glen Margaret [coordinates 44.578878, -63.912753])
Monday. Ann and I went out during the afternoon and spread straw first at Bennie’s and then at her place at Glen Margaret. It started to rain just as we finished.

October 24, 1955 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Ann Churchill and I went out during the afternoon and spread Ammonium nitrate on the plot.

October 26 – 27, 1955 (Conference, Parrsboro)
Wednesday and Thursday. Marjorie and I (Ann Churchill was sick) left at 1 p.m. and arrived in Parrsboro about 5 p.m. where we put up at the Cumberland Inn (a great mistake). The meetings took place all the next day (Thursday). We left at 3:40 p.m.and were back in Halifax at 7:30 p.m. The weather was fairly cold, but no rain or snow.

November 9, 1955 (Kentville)
Wednesday. Marjorie, Ann Churchill and I started at 8:30 a.m. We got to Kentville about 10:20 a.m., dropped Marjorie in town, then went back to the farm. Talked with Hall and Hockey till noon then went to the Cornwallis Inn. There was a big health officer convention there. I had lunch then went back to the farm. Talked with Hockey and Hall some more. Marjorie and Ann bought apples en route. We were in Halifax by 5 p.m.

November 15 – 16, 1955 (Pubnico)
Tuesday and Wednesday. Ivan Hall and I started in his car from my house at 8:20 a.m. We had lunch at the Ragged Islands Inn and arrived in Pubnico [coordinates 43.702489, -65.784222] before 3 p.m. We located Benoit, picked out three plots, then went on to Yarmouth where we engaged rooms at the Grand Hotel. Next morning (Wednesday) we left a little after 8 a.m. and were in Kentville before noon. I had lunch at the Kent Lodge, visited Lockhart’s, then took the bus home getting in at 5:25 p.m. Tuesday was fine but windy and cold. Wednesday was a fine day with little wind.

Diane Oxner was a widely known and highly regarded singer and later a music teacher from Lunenburg, NS. The competition referred to by Hugh Bell was likely the "Singing Stars of Tommorow" competition that was last held in 1955/1956 (Murray, Paul. "Diane Oxner". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 15 December 2013, Historica Canada. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/diane-oxner-emc. Accessed 15 November 2022). Oxner frequently collaborated with Helen Creighton who is also mentioned in these diaries. ↵

This was just 15 days after the completion of the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge connecting Halifax and Dartmouth. Prior to this Hugh Bell travelled by boat to access the eastern shore or drove around the Bedford Basin. ↵

Chapter 17 - 1956

January 5, 1956 (French Village)
Thursday. Elspeth Giffin and I started at 10:3O am. It was raining very heavily, in fact just pouring. We went out to get some blueberry bushes, to keep in the lab and see if we could get smears of the sporogenous tissue in the others when the buds started to swell. This was suggested by Bishop.  The road was covered with small lakes. After going through one deep one just by the side of Hubley, Thomas[1] passed out.  We had to be pushed by a truck from Low’s Garage. We got going again just past the Bar-BQ. This cost me $2. We got gas at French Village [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675] and the blueberry bushes at the usual place. I was home by 12:45 pm.

April 18, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven)
Wednesday. Ralph Wheaton, the forest ranger for the western part of Halifax called at 53 Oakland Road about 1:45 p.m. and picked up Tony Bidwell and myself. Wheaton was in the Department truck. He took us to Bennie’s place at Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005] and went into the patch with us. He had a shoulder tank with him. On the road up, the snow was still three feet deep. Tony and Wheaton did all the work like getting water etc. We burnt the patch. It burnt OK except in low spots between the rocks. These places were full of water. Wheaton had us back at 53 Oakland Road by 4 p.m. Jimmie Bennet and a friend with two kids were at Bennie’s place.

May 2, 1956 (Glen Margaret)
Wednesday. Called Ann at 2 p.m. and picked up Ann’s friend Carol MacDonald at Glen Margaret [coordinates 44.578878, -63.912753]. Ann picked up a permit from the local forest ranger. We burnt the two patches at Ann’s place and got good burns. After that we made a collection of buds for reduction division.  Ann collected a bunch of Mayflowers. We were back in the lab by 5 p.m., examined the buds and [pumped] the preserved ones. Also, we showed Carol some things under the microscope and Ann took her up on the roof. I was home at 6 p.m.

May 4, 1956 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Audrey Holllibone and I started at 12:40 p.m. and went to Bennie’s by the lower road. First, we collected buds from plants that we tagged. Then we dug up the plants and there were no new rhizome tips, which was natural considering that stem growth in length had not started. These buds were discarded, and another collection made. Plants from which these buds were taken were marked with string so that rhizome tips could be obtained from the same plants later. The patch that we burned last year had been attacked by deer and the tops all eaten off. We were back in the lab shortly before 4 p.m. Audrey examined and finished the collection.

May 7, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Called for Audrey and Ann before 9 a.m. and went to Bennie’s by the lower road. Collected buds for reduction division. We selected buds that were well advanced. I tried to dig up a plant to put in my garden, but the mattock broke immediately. Audrey dug some up with her hands that we brought in. Audrey also brought in an old stump for her mother. Ann changed her clothes on the way back. It was a fine day, but cold.

May 11, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Called Audrey about 9 a.m. and went out to Bennie’s by the lower road. As it had rained heavily the day before the roads were muddy. We put bags on the plants and collected cuttings from the plants the deer had eaten. We were back in the lab by noon. It was a fine day.

May 15, 1956 (West Brook [coordinates 45.556847, -64.299251])
Tuesday. Called for Audrey at 7:30 a.m. I had lunch at roadside table on the other side of Parrsboro and arrived at Dickenson’s, shortly after 11:30. It had rained up to this time, but the weather cleared shortly after, and it was a beautiful clear day from then on. The breaker plough did not arrive until just after 2 p.m. so I filled in the time by transplanting some plants into the field surrounded by blueberries but not invaded by them.  We watched the beaker plough and “dozer” go around the flat twice, and then started for home at 3:20 p.m. We had a meal at the restaurant six miles outside of Truro and going through Truro we dropped in to see Gordon Kinsman. We were back at the lab by 8 p.m.

May 24, 1956 (Chester)
Thursday. Went to Chester [coordinates 44.541408, -64.242544] starting at 2 p.m. Marjorie Kraft and [her] mother-in-law went in my car. Her father-in-law and Ann went in the father-in-law’s car. At Chester, I found a good small patch that we can straw this Autumn I collected some Vaccinium myrtilloides buds for Palser and arranged to have some plants planted in the field. Nora gave us all tea and we came home as we went down. It had turned into a fine day. We were home by 7:00 p.m.

May 29, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Tuesday. Elspeth, Audrey and I started about 9:30 a.m. and went into Bennie’s by the lower road. The bags had come off the plants. We collected and put in killing fluid two racemes from which we got five flowers (unopened). I collected fifty slips from the plants burnt last year. These to be put down in auxin, vermiculite and peat moss. The blueberry blossoms showed no sign of coming open. The woods were very wet. I missed the path and got lost on the way out. Elspeth got me back on the path. On the way home I looked at the plants beside the tracks. They showed no sign of opening. We were back in the lab by 12 noon.

May 30, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Audrey and I left about 9:30 a.m. There was a bridge torn up on the lower road, so we had to go in by the back road and we did not have any trouble. Audrey stuck the bags on the plants with scotch tape and I located a plant of Vaccinium myrtilloides with lots of buds. We gave a woman a lift in from Glen Haven. We were back in the lab by 11:35 a.m.

June 4, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Elspeth, Audrey and I started at 9:30 a.m. It was raining but cleared up when we got there, but it was terribly muggy, the flies were bad, and we did not take the puff-puff. Audrey and Elspeth pollinated about thirty flowers, and I collected flowers from two bags, for study of [Anna]. On the way back we collected flowers for more pollen. We were back at the lab about 11:30 a.m. and I went to the bank.

June 6, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Elspeth, Audrey and I started about 9:30 a.m. and pollinated a number of plants. We cleared a bit of a path in from the back road.  We were back in the lab by 12:15 p.m. It was a fine warm day. The flowers pollinated on June 4 were numbered “1”. Those pollinated today were numbered “2”.

June 9, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Saturday. Audrey and I started about 9:30 a.m. and collected some of the bagged plants and also Vaccinium myrtilloides for Barbara Palser.  On the way back we gave a man a push to the garage near Beechville. We were back in the lab by 11:30 a.m. It was a very cold day.

June 11, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Both Audrey and Elspeth went with me. We started about 9:30 a.m. It was raining. Got gas out on the Bay Road. We went in by the back road and it was not too muddy. We made two collections. One from plants pollinated June 6 (B353) and another from plants pollinated June 4 (B354). We were back in the lab about 11:30 a.m.

June 13, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Rosemary Lane, Audrey and I started about 9:20 a.m. At Bennies we collected from the last of the bagged plants for [Annas] and flowers pollinated June 6 (after 7 days) and pollinated on June 4 (after 9 days). The flies were very bad. It was a warm humid day. Rosemary looked at flowers and birds. Audrey got some Lady slippers.

Illustration of Cypripedium acaule (Pink Lady Slipper, Moccasin flower) From: Wild Flowers of New York Part 1, 1918. Public domain. Accessed on December 14, 2022 <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cypripedium_acaule_WFNY-033.jpg>.

June 14, 1956 (Sheet Harbour and Pleasant Harbour)
Thursday. Marjorie went with me. We left at 9:35 a.m., went across the bridge and ate the lunch we took with us just before getting into Sheet Harbour [coordinates 44.923333, -62.537304].  There I saw Mr. Hussie and he told me that the field had been strawed, but he was not able to burn it on account of the weather. He promised to have more straw put on the field this autumn and burnt next spring. We saw Helen Balcom for a few minutes then called for Mrs. Hussie, who we drove to Conrod Settlement six miles on the Halifax side of Musquodoboit Harbour. On the way I inspected my patches. At Borgal’s the part burnt last year had lots of new growth and bloom (which was not quite out) but the growth was not luxuriant. On the part burnt two years ago the plants had grown quite large with many branches and quite a quantity of bloom. It will be very interesting to see how much fruit is produced. On Harvey’s patch, everywhere is dead or stunted including the blueberries. The ground looked poor and sterile. The Lambkill was coming back just about as much as the blueberry, and it all looked poor. We saw Florence and Bill for a few minutes. We did not go in to see Harvey and Mrs. Beaver, because we had Mrs. Hussie with us. After dropping Mrs. Hussie, we went back to Musquodobit Harbour and had tea at Rowling’s Tea Room. The tea was cold. We were back at the bridge just in time for the 5 O’clock rush. I bought some rubber cement at Handy Andy’s.

June 15, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Audrey and I started out about 9:20 a.m., and made the two usual collections of pollinated flowers. It was a hot sunny day. Audrey collected some flowers and we got male and female cones of spruce that we took to Rosemary Lane. Audrey broke the tree getting them but did not fall down.

June 18, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Audrey and I started about 9:15 a.m., and made the two usual collections. It was very cold. On the way back we looked at the old Hazelwood property where the city is leveling the upper field and then went down to Pine Hill and saw some ash trees.

June 20, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Audrey and I left about 9:20 a.m., and made the two regular collections. The No. 1’s were pretty well all used up. It was a warm day. On the way back Audrey got an ice cream cone.

June 23, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Saturday. Audrey and I left at 9:20 a.m., and made a collection of flowers pollinated on June 6 (labeled 2). It was a warm fine day.

June 25, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Audrey and I left at 9:15 a.m., and made the last collection of this pollination series. It was raining and cold.

June 28, 1956 (Kentville and Mill Village)
Thursday. Elspeth and I left at 9:40 a.m., but stopped to try to get honey and to have coffee, so did not get to the Experimental Farm until just before noon.  There we saw Hockey and Ivan and arranged to meet them at 1:30 p.m. Elspeth and I had lunch at the Inn then went out to the farm where we met with Hockey, Ivan and Ernest Eaton. I went over the drawing and my lecture to be given at Tower Hill. They gave me a lot of valuable suggestions. Then they told me how to repopulate an area with rhizomes and we discussed a lot of other things. Ivan showed me the plants in the green house and the plot he was repopulating at the back of the farm. After this we went to Mill Village [coordinates 45.102759, -63.458434] to see where Ivan was slowing down the growth of Lambkill by adding fertilizer. Back in Kentville Elspeth went to see her uncle. We had a bite to eat at Babcock’s restaurant in Wolfville and were back in Halifax by 6:55 p.m. It was a hot muggy day.

July 10-13, 1956 (Tower Hill, NB, Conference)
Tuesday to Friday. Marjorie and I started about 9 a.m. on Tuesday [10th] and called for Elspeth. Had coffee at the Open Kitchen and arrived at Peggy’s about noon. Elspeth drove part of the way. I had procured and transported to Tony a water pump for his car. Lunch at Peggy’s. I had a sleep then left about 3:45 p.m. Elspeth took over the car outside Pictou and drove from then on. We went to Amherst via Springhill arriving about 6:30 p.m. Put up at Fort Cumberland where we had supper on Tuesday and breakfast on the 11th. On Wednesday morning we left about 9 a.m., and had coffee at Petitcodiac. I bought some “medicine” in Saint John and we had lunch at the White House Lounge, arriving at St. Stephen about 4:30 pm. We first went out to Tower Hill where we saw Ernest Eaton and Ivan Hall, and had supper. We went back to St. Stephen and put up at the Park Hotel. The trunk of my car would not open, and I had to get a garage man to tear out the back seat and open it from the inside. Thursday morning, we went out to Tower Hill. Ivan helped Elspeth put up the pictures and Ernest Eaton showed me some plots. The people from Fredericton and Maine arrived. I met Hylands for the first time and had quite a talk with him. George Wood made his speech, then I made mine. We had lunch at a church hall, inspected some plots, then went back to the station where Ivan Hall made his speech. Left about 4 p.m. and arrived at the Admiral Beatty about 6:30 p.m. where we put up and met an R.C.R. chap in the restaurant where we had our supper. On Friday morning we had breakfast at the restaurant, left about 9 a.m., had coffee at Petitcodiac and lunch at the Bus Terminals Restaurant in Amherst where we saw Hockey. We drove back via Parrsboro, had tea at the Palliser and got back to Halifax about 5 p.m. just after Marjorie, who had been driven down from Pictou by Muriel.

July 16, 1956 (Dingle)
Monday. Elspeth and I went out during the afternoon and collected some Gaylussacia dumosa back of the Church [coordinates 44.635918, -63.619743] for Polser and some Gaylussacia baccata at the Dingle [coordinates 44.626963, -63.606499] for seed development. This latter was a poor spot for very few flowers had set fruit and those which had, were too far advanced.

July 17, 1956 (Eagle Lake [coordinates 44.744956, -63.441597])
Tuesday. Called Elspeth about 9:15 a.m. her brother and Heidi came too. We left the car in the field and walked in. The bridge across the river at Hugh B’s place was torn down. Elspeth’s brother dug up some rhizomes for me and we made a collection of tips then took the tips and rhizomes back in a wet towel. We then went up to the usual point of land. We had trouble getting across the river because everything in the shape of a bridge was absent. I went across in my bare feet and hurt my toe. The woods were very wet from the rain the night before and I got wet in the river. We spent the rest of the morning on the rocks and started back at 2:15 p.m. On the way back we visited the beaver hut. It is almost gone.  The paths are all overgrown.  We got to the car at 3:25 p.m. and went home via Chezzetcook, Lawrencetown, etc. On the way through Cole Harbour we called in to see Barbara Bell and had a cup of tea. On the way through Porters Lake, we had some soft drinks. We were back home about 5:40 p.m. It was a warm day but not too warm. The flies were bad, but we had the puff-puff. I found the trip strenuous. We did not see much scenery because fog came in.

July 19, 1956 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Thursday. Marjorie came with me. First, we went to the bank to get a draft for Jimmie. Then at 2:15 p.m. we started collecting the huckleberries by the path from Bennie’s house and were back by 3:45 pm. The berries were in every stage, some with corollas still attached. Many not [setting] fruit.

July 20, 1956 (Chester)
Friday. Marjorie, Elspeth and Elspeth’s brother Bobby all started about 9:30 a.m. On arrival at Chester [coordinates 44.541408, -64.242544], Elspeth, Bobbie and I cut the bushes off the patch by the well. This I propose to straw this autumn and burn next spring. Then Bobby and I dug up some rhizomes in the woods and planted them in the field marking them with stakes. The remainder of the day was filled in various ways. We had all taken our lunch. Marjorie and I drove into town. The three young ones lay in the sun and got badly sunburnt. I had a sleep and contacted Ken Holloway over the phone. Sister Marjorie took Bobbie for a sail. We had tea and were back in Halifax by about 6 p.m. Nora sent some roses to Roberta Nichols. These were delivered by Elspeth. It was a fine day.

July 26, 1956 (Kentville Experimental Farm)
Thursday. Elspeth and I started at 9:30 a.m. It was thick fog. The fog cleared at Mt. Uniacke. We had coffee at Hantsport and arrived at the farm about noon. There we arranged to meet Hockey and Hall at 1:15 p.m. and had lunch at the Kent Lodge.  Then we met Hockey, Hall etc. and showed them the rhizomes. Hall then took us to the back of the farm and we dug up some more rhizomes. Then was a chap named R. A. Hamilton who was one of the [curatorial] staff at Ottawa. He gave a talk on preparation of scientific papers. We stayed for this till 4:15 p.m. We then went out to Coldbrook and bought some honey. Then I started for home. We had something to eat at Hantsport and were home about 7:15 p.m. It had been fine all day with us, but it had rained hard in Halifax.

July 27, 1956 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Elspeth and I went out to Bennie’s during the morning. The flies were bad so all we did was to dig up plants which had been tagged on May 4th. We took these back to 53 Oakland Rd. and put the hose on the clump, but due to the thick mat of hair cap moss we were unable to trace the stems through to the rhizomes. However, we did get a number of rhizome tips that we preserved. It was after 1 p.m. by this time, so we treated the rhizomes (air [pump]) during the afternoon.

Bell referred to his car by the name “Thomas” ↵