"Yes, Ralph," said the Professor, "there are still several places of
interest you will like to see. 'Stony Garden' is another very
interesting freak of nature. It is about two and a half miles from the
small town of 'Snitzbachsville,' as Fritz calls the hamlet, and 'tis a
wild spot. About an acre is covered with trap rock. The stones are of
odd shapes and sizes and appear as if thrown into the forest in the
wildest confusion. No earth or vegetation is found about them. 'Tis
said the rocks are similar to those found at Fingal's Cave, Ireland,
and also at the Palisades on the Hudson, and are not found anywhere
else in this section of the country."

"And Ralph," said Fritz, "I want to show you 'Big Rock,' at Avondale,
where a party of us boys camped one summer for two weeks. Oh! but I
remember the good pies given us by a farmer's wife who sold us milk
and eggs, and who lived just across the fields from our camp."

"I think," said John Landis, "it is time we began hitching up our
horses and starting for home. We have a long drive before us, and,
therefore, must make an early start. Sarah, get the rest of the party
together and pack up your traps."

At that moment the Professor came in sight with an armful of ferns,
the rich loam adhering to their roots, and said: "I'm sure these will
grow." Later he planted them on a shady side of the old farm house at
"Five Oaks," where they are growing today. Professor Schmidt, after a
diligent search, had found clinging to a rock a fine specimen of
"Seedum Rhodiola," which he explained had never been found growing in
any locality in the United States except Maine. Little Pauline, with a
handful of flowers and weeds, came trotting after Mary, who carried an
armful of creeping evergreen called partridge berry, which bears
numerous small, bright, scarlet berries later in the season. Ralph
walked by her side with a basket filled to overflowing with quantities
of small ferns and rock moss, with which to border the edge of the
waiter on which Mary intended planting ferns; tree moss or lichens,
hepaticas, wild violets, pipsissewa or false wintergreen, with dark
green, waxy leaves veined with a lighter shade of green; and wild
pink geraniums, the foliage of which is prettier than the pink
blossoms seen later, and they grow readily when transplanted.

Aunt Sarah had taught Mary how to make a beautiful little home-made
fernery. By planting these all on a large waiter, banking moss around
the