Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-11-11


CONTINUE VOTING ALL DAY!!M
From the Nashville Journal Of Medicine and Surgery,
NorenaLer. 1858.
Natural weather Indicator.
Our readers will remember that about
| year ago we mentioned an extraordinary
| r,,1nt sent us by Louis S. Ullman. Esq. at
present resident Of Columbia of this State.
We requested Mr. Ullman TO send specimens
of his plant to several Amcaican SGUIHS with
a request that they should test its powers,
and in the meantime to write out the circum-
stances which led him to its discovery. and
every thing connected with it. Both of these
reoucsts Mr.. Ullman has complied with, and
we desire to lay his description before our
readers, to be followed by the opinions of the
| learned gentlemen who have examined this
! wonderful plant:
"Seated in front of a bazaar early one
| morning. an Arab from the desert accosted
| me. presenting at the time with his compli-
| mcnts a bunch of beautiful flowers. After
| making some purchases he departed, and
examining my rare eXotics. was struck with
| the curious appearance of one singularly
convoluted and twisted little plant, yet with
| out more thought. being called away. drop
ned il upon the water stand Upon returning
! was surprised TO find that this little plant.
singularly twisted up, when placed upon the
wet table had now become elongated, and
almost perfectly straight Picking it up, |
took it to the door to examine it. and upon
the SUMS rays falling upon it. it speedily
returned to its former spiral shape, and
became almost Immediately as twisted and
curled as when first il drew my attention.
"Attracted by the great sensitvencss of
this plant at once fixed it upon card and
placed it where it wcnld he exposed to the
air. yet protected from the weather. And
strangeas il may seem.it denoted straightway
the different variations Of the atmosphere. |
at once discovered that had a natural weather
Indicator. and Hyproscope.
"Elated with my discovery, started at
once in search of the Arab who gave it to me,
and soon found him stopping at a caravan
sarai near bv. Questioning him relative to
the little plant | learned enough to induce
me to visit the great desert, where it is in
diginous. and as he was about to depart
towards the east we soon arranged that | ac-
company him. Being prepared for fort
nights travel, we set out upon our journey.
In a few DAYS we struck our sandy track
through the immense Arabian desert, and
travelling east by south, upon the fourth day
we drew near the locality of the Oriental
Talsman.
Viewed from a distance on the plains, The
place of its growth, presents rugged
bold. dreary outline--like an ancient
caste-a ridge of hills rising above
the sandy plain, and presenting to the
eve no vegetation save this rare plant, with
here and there clusters of species of fern,
which risingabrubtly now and then above the
general height of this ridge of hills, adds to
the dreary aspect of the place, and were it
moi that the eye is relieved by the beautiful
orange yellow, pinkish flowers of the tails
man. one can conceive OF no place more
lonesome or dreary.
Here we pitched our tent, and upon the
following day, having filed a sack with this
wonderful natural weather prophet, we
started out upon our return. aud in due time
arrived at Damascus in Tyria, with our trea-
sure.
Botanical Description.-The relative abun-
dance and the vigorous growth Of this shrub
by plant was greatly Influenced by the char
acter of the rocks with which their deeply
penetrating roots came in contact. 1t grows
TO the heighth of three and half To four and
half feet in attaining its maturity. Ny
,, guide in Arabic language called this plant
chdhdjia. chdhdR,-Dvincr, sooth-sayer; Hdr
iolo,is or Prognostcator.
This plant has thick. tuberous. long roots
from twelve TO sixteen inches in length, with
tangled tibres, starting in every direction into
the scanty soil upon which it grows From
each root spring from one to three handrrd
to fifteen flowers, and every fewer produces
only one weather-prophet or talisman, which
grows in twisted natural form, just il is
presented flow. The stalk is one inch in
diameter in the perfect plant, and is generally
succulent. with very thick epidermis.
learned from an Arab, that ut certain seasons
of the year il casts off its hyprometrical
portion with cracking noise, which can be
heard ut a considerable distance.
..Sn hard and horny il fht. pbiiprmig uf this
plant, that the stems that spring frcm n sim
gle root. striking each other ia the desert
breeze; actually uing with clear metallic
sound, giving musical tunes; aud then in
stead of dying, it blooms anew again, new
flowers shooting from the same capsules rs
the former. Tue leaves set vertically, SO
that the intensity of the suns rays affect them
less. They are very thick, having u dark
grvensmooth upper surface the under surface
5 rough and OF q lighter hue The
edges are rhairy and sealloped; the leaves
are from seven 10 ten iIches in breadth
aud ten To twelve inches in lenghth. Upon
some portions of the leaves and the
stouter part Of the stalk, the prickles are of
sufficient strength and sharpness to wound
the hand.
The seeds OF this botanical curiosity are
the size of small grain Of rye of green
color, and generally containing two Ia each
capsule. Placed in water they change into a
light b:ownish tint, aud upon being split ia
th-ir centre, they present little tongue-iike
protuberance. The desert produces pcca-
liar spotted insect about the size oi NAY
hy (coekeAafer,l that delight 10 iced upon the
seed, aud hundreds OF the plants are desSica-
ted annually by them.
The young pants bloom within six months
of their springing, aud casting their fruit,
flowers still continue 10 grow, until they reach |
maturity, which requires some years. Cur |
responding with Ihe uniformity of the |
climate throughout the year, is the vegeta.
riou Of the eialAgyiA ehaAasa. IL has no winter |
dress, but IL al eyergreen,and of slOw growth. |
..Iae whole plant indicates the approach |
of rain by dropping, and the lowegs TALL al
It's coming, the leaves Ia autumn are blown |
by the ainds. The bloom OF the ehaAaiin |
ehalan l. beautifully yaTiegated. The White, |
blush, gFeenish. golden yellow aad crimson |
flowers. emiacntly conspicuous la ting suns |
m.