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.

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.

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.