, 1875-07-31
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.

SPARKS OF SCIENCE.
THE HOLYTHOnN.
There In al anciont teH,ntl, originated by tho
notllks Of glastonbury Abbey, England, which
relates that 1oHcph Of lrimathoa onco visited
britain, aul, landtug neal Glastonbury, paused
upon Woary-ai uill and llauted his staff In tho
ground which Immediately took root aud grew
lnto lu1ur1a,lt thor,l-tree TINT b!ossomed ivory
year exactly at Clratrastslnc. Mingled With
tl,ls tradition Ii duonsh of truth to make tho
wLoto look like fact to tilt ignorant aud unreh-
nuu.pR and to compel scientific mon occasional
IL to attotnpt natural explanation OF the aT1-
parent miracle. iiarti'oickts Science GOSSIP las
lnteiy contained several contributions to tho real
history Of tho Holy Thorn.' from which we
lcaru that It was cut down by a protoBtnnt sol
slior OF Charles l., who coulonncd it as MI un-
,lallowed relic Of popory. Tho stump rcnn!nod
to mark tho spot @loro tn treo grow until about
tho year 1760.
or coutso 40 remarkably tree was caro- fully
porpc1latcd by means of n,tngs, and all of its
descendants a.o Haid to inert tito miraculous
trait OF 1lowe1,ng nt Ehr5tmlH-ti1na. Ono Of
tleso Holy Thorns atnnds lear st. Johns Church
In glastonbury, tradition aasertlog tlat it was
lantci somowAcro near 100. Another ID in the
grounds Of UutloEh Coat md R!!!l anutiIer ts
on tho denesl.u Of glastonbury Abbey. There
III abundant evidence rowing that tho Holy
Thorns do BLOSSOM frequently, ii not always,
about Chr!atmas-t!no tHt' again In hlav, tho
tsllal Hcusou for the hawtHfn to nrpcnr In bloom,
lhut tlIIA peculiarly III mt cuniiAel to tho Holy
Thorns. It II shared by ntnY lEawthorn.trccs thas
Aubrey wrote in 1885,: .4ln parlia'l
rurko, in suffolk {alr. I'm elo's>, is pretty an
ciont tl,Hrne that blosHonsko tint ut liaHton-
bury tho -pco?Io tlock tltthor to 500 Il Oh
nsy Asse Nsays Nsg IsAt hafnss a6"n
nnturaiy ike hat at ulAtonIurry,,' aud also
that III tho ro1o TINT 1ead FROM Worcester to
Droitwicho ID . blackthornlcdRc al Olayn. half
a-mile luns OF moro, that tossomsabolt Olrlst-
inns Day. for week or moo togethaF."
rloHczug trecs and ahrbs, Ike tho apple,
pear. and cherry. nte ofte. known to p4oluco
two croph of blossoms In season, the sec0Ml
Appearing IN tho autumn. Tie curious ciroum-
sta,lco nbout TUG Holy ThonH IL that tlo tino Of
al tn Chrlsttuah Eve., 1roh anil ehrubn form
shair lcaI anu lloNer buds durtug tho summon,
And tllese genorallY rolnsn dormant until tho
cunning spring; but II nuuncotntnon dograo OF
lloat stimulates the plant o activity out of sea'
son it will DO iikeiy to sed out and expand
part OF its moru precocius buds to tho great
wonder VI tho Hupu!stltioll.
AZ for the miracle Of htJosephtB staif Etow-
1ng into tree ls is sllply 70 miracle at al.
Gi1n,;s !. rntrst Hr.ncry f,nnrtin,a ti,a css" ~
q hawthorn, Atick taken rom q dead hedge,
Which, On being Hharpe,,ed.t ono ond and stuck
n !Ao ground, "npoitaconsly bnddod, pus.
e" a"lt! ptnncnsh: nn1 nucue tLnriYlnH tsee.
ane "tnes w. s'a nns" ., ~ a.'atn.iee NHeEo
a.l" a :, .i t,1 ~ "1.o es 9aaJ -!
a!hte'l "oIe nhoa tus anMainK ny nisy oE Juno 70
n"en Siopo. pe"n ~ ~ en.Yn' Nv "s'e % anha!
aieo ~ tllo may e'! q! ,i,t oes ~ tue Rtuunu,
WIEN hosota, ~ tue.ai adn"nn ~. pi9eeoaeu 10
plossotn, hau sugts p'os.J, ~ It. coltoAs
pfesentea ent1ouh 6l~oIe; Up mpiss"Es
from tAe 9tounu nAa SIAN tao e1pinK ne ot
tilo utAncnes, anu tnuy neusent the.s !As' iotceh
~ gu cMo.a e s e..eos tav "e VI te po"et-
o1ad efea'eo lhe PFovloo0saf'
,r,r.,,,
! .He hss uttEAvEM. ~
Tho beautiful sEsde-trq ID ti'tanatts gaandHlo-
sas) imported from csslnfs1d called by tl.o Co
| IaHtiaIB tho "Ifea OF Ilaabn," has fallen lnto
| Disgrace in Auortca on a;ount of tho discnst.
;..'.t,.,. - ia un..,. II t. ,,,l,. ~ ,..,.
luz ooos ot "s ,o"oss, al ~ ee'nR n"s oh'y
neglected Wy asposlcalsuffs' eat fuiltsessly cut
down where it Las been . ferea to grow. a de-
fnn]or Of t1o murh-a1,atlh. treo hss arisen
49, ~. IN In ,,.,s,,,, NJ Iron,,a,,t t,.i.an ~
tAs@ ~ s"s Po'eo' y. fo'uu1u. os&'ae" u
| Ohio, who urEea tho fol!Ylng coEent roasoue