, 1877-03-24

monlli Of the flower, where they must nearly In
eyttably MD tn the ptMrss Of fcrtllIzntion
e" havs set s .,
afc quick to initiate them, and often whole
field of plants OF d certain species will he served
IN this way. ftts a quicker method IN the end
To- k ,n GnHy aS @ hsf ne ss ec. "
ior tic sako Of the Fe.t Of tho community.
Ills supposed that the frat plants NH lch Mp.
neaFe1 upon thc eartt, ar were sryrtngaaas, ansl
opct!!, hefo1c TIC cxistenee Of INSECTS, they de-
pended unor the wind fur crots.fcrtilizatlon.
Many species still continue to be fcrtiltzcl.nain
BY tliis agency, aud these, ns whole, stand II
SCOTS. Thu amount Of pollen produced by wind
fctti'!xcd or ancmophtlous plants, as they arc
called, is enormous, ~ there must bc a great
waste fn Its transport Most persons, f,arc OBJ
eoniferou. trees, when in bloom, by every gust
that passes by.
Instances arc cited vhero bs.kctfuls OF pol
leu, chiefly Of thqAcontfcrs and grasses, hare
sssa ne ro sss' Ill., tss s ss
Ensomologist of Missouri, rclases that be
has seen Tho ground in the vicinity Of Ct.
Louis yellow with The pollen o. the
bss besv Th n eFs wss soGa Tam s nns.
forests 400 miles to tho south. Wlnd-fertEllrcd
plants generally bear flowers Of separate sexes.
either on the sano plant or on distinct plants.
Naga @ be.;syes ri 70 a.o ssn Tho y saSts so xs%
ctabls kingdom. Whcro tho maso anu
female flowers arc on distinct plants, cross
fertilization is insured; md th!a NAV be
Tho reason, Darwin suggeses, WY 80 Tsaty mamy
long life enables them tho better to sustain
possible failure Of impfeEnat.on IN any scMon;
and, also, the advantsEc Of eross-lerttllzatlon
tends to promote sturdy and enduring Erowt; arc
the sexes scparated OF distinct plants. g..
Darwin believes that tho benefit Of croes-lcr-
tlllzation depends on tho plants which nEe
crossed having been subjected during PREVIOUS
Of soil, climate, ctc.,--vcry slight differences
producing decided results. This conclusion har-
monizcs With tho fact that cross bctHe1n an
mails wlhc', hava been subjected To slightly
Is beneficial that tho sexual elements should be g
] differentiated to certain extent, and WHY, II
the differentiation be carried still further, IN
3ury follows" stl rems's mYsteTy enaienS a,tan;
d'f,sry fact" says Mr.. Darwin, ,Mthat, with
many species, flowers fcrttsfzcd with their own
| pollen arc either absolutely o. ia some degree
sterile; IL fertitfzcd with pollen from another
times, though rarely, i 1!ttlo moro fertile; 4
| fcrtillzcl With pollen from another !ndi-
yiduai or variety from the. Same species,
they are fully fertile, bNt, Z witt.
Sterile Ia ali possible degrees, until utter stcr1lt.
" is reached. We thus have long series Will,
absolute sterllftY Ut tho two cntis,--at ono cnd
due to tho soxual clements not having Dcen sal.
their having been differentiated in too great q
| degree, or In Bofne peculiar manner. J,
Is equally inconcolrablc Why some indtFidualt
of the same species should be sterile, whilst
ohers arc fully fertile VIA teT own poi!S;n pollen
| should bo cyen moro fcFtllo with pollcn from
distinct species than With thcfr own pollen. Ant
80 II ts With many other facts, which arc 80 Oh
seure that we stand in awc before Tho mYsteE,
OF 1itc."
Tuc agricultusist vii! DO ahle to profit b. som'
Of tho conclusions at which Mr.. Darwin has nf
rived In these studies. Among other things, hi
may learn that crops Will be improved pY soT-
Ing seed produced In llfcrent locality. in alter
tho spot. Tho intcrcrossing Of the two stock!
By this means will result III Tar bottcr ytelt
than where all tho seed las been raised under
the same conditions. Tue breeder OF stock y
related may be prncticcd with excellent results
provided tho individuals llavc been raised OF
distant and differently ly-stuatcd farms, wlercb,
tho differences in their constitution l,ave beef
plants suffer more thnn Others from closD Inter
breeding, 90 It no doubt is with BONO animals
In both cascs tho OBJECT Is deterioration Ut gen
eral Ttgor, including fertility, with no neccssar
Like tho previous TWO or three books Of Mr.
Darwin, thls last ie less attractive TO tho gcncrn
public than were tho earlier ones, which mad
their author famous os tho rcvivcr Of the thcor
Natural Selection. Ths book, being confined t
facts relating to q single question IN one depart
mcnt OF Natural scicncc. necessarily appeals t
a somewhat limited class, viz.: those who hay
special Interest In Botany aud enjoy q minut
study Of It's most puxzling questions.
l
TIE sLAvE-rOWER IN AMERICA
sLAVE-PoWEI IN AMEnIoA. ~ ilssn
:sf s' c. '' shs'so sa'e, SSi'ss nse'
1tiss natter Of congrntulation that, at I'll
tLmo OF tho death Of yico-rrcsiient Wilson, til
thlrl ard last volume Of bis great work sceort
INK tho I" History OF tho Rise and Fall OF I'll
slayc.PoWcr Wis so lar advanced toward con
pletion TINT II was comparatively M easy taa
for another to carry it through to tho end In It
method md spirit In whicl, It had been plannct
When tho palsy OF death had fallen upon I'll
h!storian most Of the chapters, wo Dre toll
wcro already written, aud tho materials for Il
remainder had been brought together. Tho dut
OF finishing tho work WAS very properly asslgnt
to tho assistant Of Mr. Wilson, the Ncy. 6amu
Hunt, who had aided him from tho bcgtuniE
[ In lth pfcpatAti01s hau was t10rou.u!y Hc4ualn
cd With tho ideas and aims Of the author, ar
| in sympathy with them. 80 capably has NJ
Hunt acquitted himself Of tho delicate oilI
dcvolying upon him, that one docs not dlscov
whcro ho takes up tho part Of narrator, INT
toward tho close, certain d]minutlon In Il
fcryor and vitality Of the stylo bctraya that
new hand, md oac less strongly ncryed by c
citing memories OF tho past. has resumed Il
,, pen which BIT. Wilson suddenly droppod..
, The closing volume continues tho hIsto
from tho election Of Abraham Lincoln to Il
| Presidency Of tbs un!tetl etates, In Noyen,be
1880, to tho passage ol tho asncndatory act.
tho Civil Rights bill, In 1873. 1t includes
,, its scope tho most momcntous years IN u
lifc ot our nation,-thnso III which Il
| War Of the Rebellion was fought and dcci
! cd, and in which tho scccding statcs wc
brought back into tho Unlou, aud tho possttt
OF the negro a citizen OF tho United Stat
= waa definitely settlcd. Tho dcep interest OF u
! story, which enchalucd every reader Of the III
: two volumes, remains unabatcd through th
. . II Is founded, In q MINORITY OK tho chapter
= = upon the proceedings Of Congress; aud c1tra<
!, from tho tiebatcs held III both Houses tourht
!. questions relating to slavery, and showing t
y up,n!ous and disposition of leading Senators a,