At the north end every bird that
frequents the Central States is to be found. Here grow in
profusion many orchids, fringed gentians, cardinal flowers,
turtle heads, starry campions, purple gerardias, and grass of
Parnassus. In one season I have located here almost every flower
named in the botanies as native to these regions and several that
I can find in no book in my library.
"But this change of territory involves the purchase of fifteen
acres of forest and orchard land, on a lake shore in marsh
country. It means the building of a permanent, all-year-round
home, which will provide the comforts of life for my family and
furnish a workshop consisting of a library, a photographic
darkroom and negative closet, and a printing room for me. I could
live in such a home as I could provide on the income from my
nature work alone; but when my working grounds were cleared,
drained and ploughed up, literally wiped from the face of the
earth, I never could have moved to new country had it not been
for the earnings of the novels, which I now spend, and always
have spent, in great part UPON MY NATURE WORK. Based on this plan
of work and life I have written ten books, and `please God I live
so long,' I shall write ten more. Possibly every one of them will
be located in northern Indiana.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73