POISONOUS PLANTS

The increase in the number of country homes that are being builton "new land" makes important an understanding of the commonpoisonous plants which are likely to occur and which should not becollected for use in planting, but should rather be removed if they areso situated as to prove dangerous to people, or where they may bebrowsed by animals. A few of these plants are sold by growers and ifplanted they should be located after some forethought.

Of those in the first list there are several that are really desirablebecause of their flowers; but all in the second list can easily be dis-pensed with. Similar to the poison ivy or poison oak is the woodbineor Virginia creeper; but the latter has five leaflets on a stem while theobjectionable vine has three. There are several desirable species ofsumac in addition to the poisonous kind. The species to be avoidedcan be recognized by its growing in swamps, and it is rarely found inground at all well drained. It and the poison ivy alike are distin-guished by their white fruits. The first plant in List B, however,primula obconica, the hairy primrose, popular as a house plant, neednot be discarded if any person who is susceptible to contact poisonswill rinse his hands in alcohol and then wash with soap and waterafter handling this plant.