, 1876-04-22


most has na7ot received distinct recognition.
because 1t is no insignificant and uuattraostyc.
Nevertheless, with tho hsrbast who is studying
tho nora or region. this elcuder, struggling
vegetable will mot escape notice or placo IN hIs
collection as 4 diatinet aud therefore troportant
Individual Tho Shepherds Purse {copseua
bursapdstor1s) Ia ono ct the very iilst plants to
spring up md burst into blossom ybsn tina
snow has uncovered the ground buta II flowers
are never sought for ornamental purposes. Tboy
alnoBt demand 3 microscope to be rendered
visible, and certainly their different parts can.
not be satisfactorily examined without tho
aid Of mngntfying glass. Tho roos-leayeB Q!
the plant lie nearly Hat upon the ground in sor4
OF roHette, aud are long and narrow, and toothod
Or plnnaiifcd. Tbs erect ata:ns rising from .ht
centre bear arrou-shaped leaves along the base
and nro terminated with raceme OF small white
lowerb. which arc succeeded BY Beed.pods o,
pouches, whose slispo-tst and triangulpr-
suggests purse or bag, aud honcs tLe name Of
the plant.
Tho Shepherds purso ushers In tho largo triba
Of tho Cruc'ftrr. or Muhtard Family, MANY ol
whose members are very uaotuf, ns food-plants,
OF iu medicine, and few OF which ato used for
decoration iu gardens. Among tho former VI
may euumesato tho Cabbage, Caulilower, Droc-
coli. coIowors, Turnip, Rape. nadlah, cress.
Horao-Rad!s., Ecurvy-u ursss, Mustard, and Son.
Hale; and ranging With the latter arc tho 3wocs
Alyssum, Honesty Wallilower. Stock, aud Rocket
One OF tho most singular anoclos included III
tue order Is tho Ieose of Joslcho {anasAatica
hieroehuntiah an annual growing wild in tho
OF the East. It Is sn,nl. buBhy herb, not o1-
cccding inches in height. Il has fine, wlite
flowers. and. after theso lave witherea aud the
learcs have fallen, the rigid branches all curve
In frFrn
tho Torn. OF round bail. It's roota arc ttou
easily detached from tho roll, aud tic thing be.
connnr the sport Of the wind is blown about III
= haphazarl way over lhe desert wustes, II II
eolrits OF The ais, who kick Il around
as ; football, its branches directly ex-
pand. md tho pods opcts, letting oIt ths
Imprisoned secds. Whon the plant IL gathered
bofore it has fully drlod. 1t rotaiua It's curlona
hyGsomotrlc property for years, expanding liz
b.anches when exposed to moisture, and con.
tsacting them again 1Aca subtect to drought.
AZ natural consequence. tlia peculiar faculty
has given rise to many marvellous stories about
the llose Of jericho. Ono OF these declares thnt
tho plant first blosaoued OIL Cllristmas-Eye, In
honor Of the birth Of the Savior; mud that II
remainod Expanded until Easter. to pay homags
70 HIS resurrection. It IL called from tMa
legend the no1s OF the Virgin. and alHo tho
nesu1rectiou-Flower.
Tic botanical name Of the Mustard Family
crcifors. or c'1tci}eru-is taken from the cross.
Thc!o IL q remarkable uniformity In the form
and cofoss Of tho blonsoms throughout tho order.
Almost without. exception these hayo four
sepals, four petals aud six esamens; and they
ute generally disposed in racemcs. and arc uBu-
ally yellow or white, or. in rare tnstnuctA. par,
plo The fruit Is q pul. called ia technical Ian.
Euaga sqns, or si!iculo and tbs leaves a1B mol
placed opposite, but aria ono nftor another ou
tho BteHl,-thht ". they nro alternate. TIE
HlemEsra Of tic family arc readlly known BY
il,oSe wsElmarkcd trats but It IL not easy to d..
ternline tho different species. Indeed the Crit
cifers aro about the hardest plants to classify
that young hoAnRtR are apt 10 fall In with.
A universal characteristic Of the family ia 4
punReut. ncrld, juice. which Possesses an aut,.
hcorbtttio xnd Btinnlant quality. This quality
scens to depend on volatile utt that Is present
10 various dogreeK in the different Bpeces, and
often in diflercnt parts Of the sarue plant. The
family embraces somewhere hcswean 1,GO0 aud
2o0o species. Very fcw asc found iu the tropics;
considerable number iuhabtt tho frlgid zonc;
and the remainder occur In temperate regions.
The Continent OF Europe ts = fAvotito habltAt
for tho ordor, many mora species boing natsyo
there than LII my otlor ar0s OF tile B1Ino size
on tue globe. Qray describes seventy SPECIES In
h,a turA Of the Northern H'atcB cast ot the Mis-
ssBippi; and l'rof. l3aocDck 1ueut.ouy only four
teen il his catalogue OF plauts growing rouud
about Chicago.
In ths woods weat aud south Of tho oltY, tho
De,llatra lactniata OF peppor-Root, IL very carly
in li'nEaom, following o!0ss upon the I}tpd&fca.
1t IL ps6tty plaut, the Bftpplo esom support
lug threo itsegutaIlS.cns 1cayea In whorI, and
terminated by \ taccule OF pale.purple or ueAr-
iy-Nhite flowers. Tho llttlo tuGera forming tile
.toot-ntock n2ye peaHantly-puugent fayor.
alucll resembling The Deniaira is the Cardansins
rhnmbolden aud var. fn'purcn which grow IN
tho woods north and west. The stonl.loavea Of
tho fardami'.e, or SpGnR-Ctess, aru ovAts, or
almost Ianceolaso, and aoneuhat augled or
toothcd Tue tsowoia In tho Q. rhouabofoen aro
whtte. and /; tho yat. parpure" aTo purple.
Later in tho stasoa. tne Water. CEoss, Eastn'-
sloualiY be soon in poola and water-courses
north OF tho city. The hock-Cr {ATatis H.
rdta), which loweEa from April to July ID found
in the oak-openlngs aud grayolly banks st Hydo
l9ri9aa, and 4. Luttoriclana may bs gathered
In tllo woods At Ilyossdo. Tbs Uraba cdroiiala
oecura rarely south Of Calumet, Two spocloa Of
the wild IsppoEgrass, the Leptdium Vtrgintcua
Aud l.. sntertnedluHa, grow everywhere ip sandy
soil. 1hey are tTo Of ths eommoness and tenht
interesting OF weeds. Both have mich OF tho
aspect aud taste. Of tho cultivated species which
is used for salads. lu July aud September.
along tho lake-aho1o. tho American a-liookes
(caktle dnlertca,la). which completes the Lat OF
Crucifora III the Chicago tura. comes Into bloom,
1t Is wide-branchlug hesb. viii. purpltsh dow.
e1s aud iieshy pods aud the otherwise uamts-
MANUFACTURE OF ICE.
A now invention for the manufacture OF tcs b
desasbed and highly commended in Nature II
Ia the creation OF young had Ingenious Gene.
veso physicist, II. Naout Ihc.ot. Alters saus-
factory examination OF tho propeFties Of series
OF volatile liquids. It WAS found BY II. petes
tia. sulphurous anhydslde, S03 Furnished the Ct
seutial qualities for tho cheap snd sAio ptoduo-
tion OF Ice. Tue mschins contEivad fos the ap-
plica.ion Of this liquid to the purpose required.
IL thus briefly desctiosdi
IA cylindrical tubular copper boiler has =
J.,,,t. u r., a.-a. and Atan,atar nf AZ nAnff.