In the low Flint's Pond Path, beyond Britton's, the tall rough goldenrod makes a thicket higher than my head.

July 24. 

P. M. — To Flint's Pond. 

July 24.

Solidago stricta, Ingraham Path, well out, some days.

Chimaphila maculata, three flowers, apparently but few days, while the umbellata is quite done there. Leaves just shooting up. 

See those light-bordered dark spots on tall and other goldenrod leaves (fungi (?) says Russell). In the low Flint's Pond Path, beyond Britton's, the tall rough goldenrod makes a thicket higher than my head.

Many hazelnut burs now look rough and reddish about the base. 

Tobacco-pipe much blackened, out a long time. 

I find, at the shallow stone wharf shore, three balls in good condition, walking about half the length of that shore. Methinks it was about a week earlier than this that they were found last year. 

There is on the surface of the water, washed up and floating about, a good deal of the eriocaulon, loosened up, perhaps, by pouts or other creatures, and also some other fine weeds with it. Yet the eriocaulon has but just begun to bloom!

So also the vallisneria has washed up some time in river. 

There is also a very fine rush (?) on the bottom there like hair. Is that a little submerged kind of utricularia or ranunculus on the sandy bottom in shallow water there, looking thin and dissolving from above, like a conferva? — like little regular green masses of conserve? 

The red lilies are completely out of bloom now at Smith's meadow pasture, but the yellow ones are still very abundant in the meadows. 

The Ranunculus Purshii is now very hard to meet with. Saw one double flower with sixteen petals (at least) in two rows. Time to get seeds of it. 

Hardhack well out, how long? 

The small purple fringed orchis, apparently three or four days at least. 

The fall has already come to skunk-cabbage and hellebore. Their yellow and black decaying leaves and stems now cover the floor of the swamps which they recently clothed in early green. 

The Lobelia Dortmanna still, but no full spikes. It is apparently the worse for the wear. The oldest stems of it are covered here and there with apparently the red ova of some insect. 

Some Gnaphalium uliginosum going to seed; how long?

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, July 24, 1856

In the low Flint's Pond Path, beyond Britton's, the tall rough goldenrod makes a thicket higher than my head. See note to July 18, 1854 ("Methinks the asters and goldenrods begin, like the early ripening leaves, with midsummer heats.")