, 1860-08-17
From the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
The Rat Taft Geranlum. %

= uO hOS 1 as Oga auNuAa
There was young Doctor of my ae-
qunintance. who lived in the town Of W,
in the northern part of the State of Ohio,
who, although pretty well educated and in
telligent, was very conccited. No subject
could be started for conversation that he
was not perfectly at home in. He would
always make some general remarks to in
duCe those with whom he was conversing
to 4hink that he knew all about the topic.
Especially was this so with regard to Aow-
ers and plants.
Although he was no botanist, nor even
florist, yet he pretended to know all about
} these things, and when he was visiting or
making calls among his lady acquaintances,
il u rare or curious flower, plant or shrub
was shown him, he invariably knew oil
about it--had seen it before, or at least
had heard or read of it,
Now, ladies who have spent great deal
Of time, and perhaps money, in introducing
rare plants from a distance, like to have
their efforts appreciated, or at least not
made light by young upstaris So. Miss
Kate X, determined to take the con-
ceit out of Dr. N. She procured a
large rat and buried its head downward In
flower pot, in such a way that oDly the
tail was above the ground. She then took
pains to meet the Doctor in the streets and
tell him that she had received some beauti.
ful new flowers, and invited him to call and
see them. He, in the excess Of his polite
ness, was extremely happy TO goimmediaie-
ly. Miss X. conducted him TO her fne gar
den and showed him many new plants
Here" said she, "is curious ceyens from
Mexico, that received not long since from
friend in the nrmy.D "Ah, yes, said be,
Il was reading about this the other day;
it is great curiosity "Well,n said she,
''see this beautiful plant from California; il
is called elarkia eisgans. You never have
seen it before, have your" ''Yes," said be,
''the name is familiar to me, and / saw the
flowers once in Cincinnati tis very pref
tyP why, really said Miss K. you
are well posted; can't | find something that
would be new to you? Look at this splen-
did camellia that friend sent me from
New York. Have you seen it beforei''--
No. said he, II have never seen one, but
hear that they are quite common in the
east, in gardens and hot houses" By this
time they had approached the hower-pot
that contained the dead rat ''Well,D said
Kate. iii Is surprising how well you are ac-a
quain ed with flowers. Bat here is a very
'lrare plant that received yesterday that i
don't think you ever heard Of; Il Is said to
be entirely unknown TO florists Its new
species OF gerahidm, from the Cape Of Good
Hope, aud is called 1at-fqi gerauinm,n = at
the same time showing him the rats tail IN I,
the flower pot. "Ah.9 said be, u have
heard Of that species Of geranium, aud Il
is very curiouss Said KATE, 1t Is won
deffnl how much It locks like rats tall
"Yes,n replied DR.. N, "that is the way the
plant grows-without leaves or branches
Lit is quite common in the gardens Of The
wealthy IN England aud France" "Bnt,S
said Miss Kate, "this has short hairs and
scales, like those on the tail Of a rat.D 80
have heard" says the Doctor. Aud II
you rub It between your fingers, = continued
Miss K, ''you will perceive a strong rat
odor.p "Ah, certainly says the Doctor,
at the same time rubbing the rats tail be-
tween his fingers and then smelling Of
them; that Is one reason why the plant
received the name Of rdt,faa geraninm, and
tits very Appropriate 'Bat,D said Miss
X, '.the plant has another peculiarly that
perhaps you are not aware Of; il has
bolbous root" "Ah, yes, sai6the Doctor,
1T seems 70 me remember that this plant
has bulbons root Yes, certainly ii has
That Is provision Of nature for leaaess
trees.y at Is . very curious bulb, p said
Miss X, eas you viii see IL you pull it up.
Pull il Up, it viii do i no barn; il was
only planted ycsterdayg He accordingly
pulled on il gently; bat Il required little e.
fort to lift il out Of the earth 10 the flower
pot Then, for the first time, as he stood
holding large rat BY The tail, the idea
flashed upon him that he had been "soIdp
Il was a severe blow 70 bis conceit; for all
Of bis acquaintance got hold Of il. and Il
was long time before they ceased 70 speak
Of The rat-tail geraninm, with the buIbous
root. Q.
This reminds Que Of an old story told Of
Dean Swift, ] believe it was, who was very
much annoyed by.a lady who was showing
him her flower garden. She showed him .
eaetus meieeaeins, splendid meimbryanthe-
mum, curious sdrracenia PnsPurla, etc.;
and that this one she had received from
Lord 50 and So; another she had got from
the Duchess Of b., ETC. When Swilt,
losing all bis patience, (Of which be never
had any great s,Oeks) asked her: z 'Madsm,
did yon ever get a PsOyriasis sspienniii
THIS used 10 be the medical name for the
seven year itch. "Ah. yes" said she. not
wishing to appear ignorantof anything per.
tanning TO flowers, II got . bensiifiii one
from the Bishop Of London, but what a
pity it was that it died.
BI- Down to 1898, every President had
i s..., 49,. &c., ,ha 0al qih;rfan, ctst.s