Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-05-18
THE "FNOsT FLOWERsn OF RUSSIA
PRODUCED IN BOSTON.


A Boston journal describes an extraordin-
ary frost ilower'' of Russia, which has
been produced, it is said, in Boston in a
temperature of artificial cold, in the follow
ing words:-'This wonderful plant, or rather
hover, is found only on the northern boun.
darles OF Siberia, where the snow is eternal
II was discovered in 1853 by Count swino-
skoii, the eminent Russian botanist, who
was ennobled by the Car for his discovery.
Bursting from the frozen snow on the first
day Of the year, it grows to the height of
three feet, and flowers on the third day, re-
mains in flower for twcnty-four hours, and
then dissolyes itself into its original element
stem, leaves, and flowers being of the
finest snow. The stalk is about one inch in
diameter; the leaves, three in number, in
The broadest part arc an inch and half in
width, and are covered with iniinitesimal
cones OF snow; they grow only on one side
OF the stalk, to the north, curving gracefully
in tho same direction. The flower when
nlly expanded is in shape IL perfect star; the
petals are three inches in length, half an
inch wide in the broadest parts, and tapcring
sharply TO point. These are also inter
laced one with another, in beautiful man
ner, forming the most delicate basket of
irost-work that the eye ever beheld; for truly
this is irost-work the most wonderful. The
anthers are five in number, and on the third
day after the birth of the ''llOwer of snow
are to be seen on the extremities thereof,
trembling and glittcring like diamonds, the
seeds of this wonderful flower, about as
large as pins head. The old botanist says,
when first he behcld this flower, 81 was
dumb with astonishment; filed with won
derment, which gave way to joy the most
ecstatic on bcholding this wonderful work OF
nature, this remarkable phenomenon Of
snow. To see this flower springing from the
snowy desert-born of its own composite
atoms. touched the stem of one lightly,
but II fell at my touch, and a morsel of snow
only remained in my hand" Gathering
some of the flowers in snow, in order to
preserve the little diamond like seeds, he
hied to 81. Petersburg with, to him, the
greatest prize of his lifetime. All through
the year they were kept in snow, and on
the first day of the year following the Court
of st. Petersburg were delighted with tho
bursting forth of the wonderful frost
flower" Our friends in Boston succeeded
in obtaining several of the seeds, and al
through the Summer and Autumn they have
been imbedded in snow brought at great ex
pense from the White Mountains and thu
coast of Labrador; and they now have tht
most unbounded satisfaction and pleasure il
announcing that all signs are favorable L
the realization of their fondest hopes, til,
production of the "hower of snow" The
snow and ice are in large glass refrigerator
with the thermometer forty-iive degrees be
low zero, and the solid bed of snow has al
ready begun TO show little fissures and (
slight bulging In the centre-unmistakabl'
evidences of the forthcoming of the phe
nomenon.n
The above description of the frost ilowe
''is an airy nothing, with local habitatiol
and name" The weight of snow is in 81
much excess, compared with its tenacity
that pile of it, with decination of tn
leaning tower of Pisa, would fall from it
own weight. The anthers, petals and leave
of this beautiful transplant from the "Fan
tastic Realm" are all more or less horizon
tai in direction and would also fall from thci
own weight. Then again, all seeds ar
vegetable in origin, in substance and in en-
bryo; and as like produces like, and snoV
contains no vegetable ingredient, how coul'
this plant produce puctiferous seed? p.