, 1877-06-09
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.

ST. JouN's HoHr FAMILY AND THE lALLows
FAMlLr.-Tha st. Joho's Wort Family, OF
Ilypcrlcaccre, offers very little Of interest to
any except tho botunls&, who Anas soms attrac-
ton Of curious structure or uovel habit In the
humblcst weed that blows In the ditch or by
tho whysiAc. The 81. Johns Wosts, which H.
clutlo herbs, and shrubs, and trees, usually hear
yellow dowers, and leaves sprtnklcd with
transparent dota and bordcred with black
gianJs The petals Of the flowers arc indeed,
"a well as tho icares, often thickly sp1asl.cd
with ttack apccks, and sometimes stripes.
Another popularity frequently characterzfng
thu spcc,ea il tic collection Of tho stanlcns
from their base into three or moro separate
Tic far.iIY is scattered widely over the world,
"nlablting nnountatbs md valleys, narale.
aud t!sy plans, meadows and lecihs." u nusn-
Lrrs sotnowlIerc near 300 species, none Of which
i's 81 for, nna Of M eoior, Or i1astsnes. fer Isse
Yielded drugs wllicl, have been OF use Ia tho
heniinE art. The Snice oi many has bi!thtsy
p,trg4tiva and fcbriluga1 qualify. The flsH''a
nam, aifords tl.o substanco known In commerce
a. American GItnmtGutta. ..
Tho genus HyperscuEu contains the majority
OF tho spcucs. and IN Cur Aora has fse repre-
perfofatu.n) Is in bloom In juno, but II Is rare
l,ostr, Which bluesoa,s month later. Tic
kalm's 1t. JohnWott III. Kaltnlanuln) IL COM
August. Tho II. Canadcuso and The II. Barothra
bloom from June to October. but arc to 10 met
Tha 1is MaIsh 81. JOINS Wort lElodes yif4nlcaA
small pl',kis', aoweEs in n,1asl!nmsr, 1t I'm
lsl,cs the list ct our Bt. johns Worss.
Tho Nlallows Family {slaiyaceR) ia much
moro stowy order, contributing scvcral OH
tayo,ss to err S;%en so,ss w
which, IL stately rowa of .ayrtal colurs. l!nes
tho walks aud sides Of rustIc gardens. The
Tree ulh1scus uIbsscua syetac,sh native ot
sys kfnss scs S9 ~ g s Msess s% .rb e
bearug large flowers Of varied hIss; and tt'c
H. hiarrt1,ut, another exotic from China, Which
l,as snlpnur-yclow flowers with purple centre:
Tte Okra III. caculcntns( which la cultivated
for tho sake OF lts pols, belongs to the sarlc
Tns slallogs Fun,ily Is useful too, as well IS
ornamental. 1t gives us tllo Invaluable Cotton.
plant 'a.s!pio % wff fa1 nTs,na rnx M' aens'
abounds III bland, innocent lnuriiaEo, Which Is
salutary IN rascs Of irritation 1t IL found III all
pars ol the p'ant and TIC ,t'owcss te lsayss
| sputiI iui!alIlnations OF every sort.
ManY VI the 3]altuws develop tnto shrubs OF
trees, hut their wood Is always very ls4ht anti
| u! iitt,c yalue. Rocket-sttcks arc made frYn
straight btgth3 0A VIC SANh tAscHankuEs 4Ha
bark q sons species 4 exceedingly tenacious.
atIordiug II gbre suitable for manufacture into
cordage The stohoc or Nolsant of the West
Indies tlIlkacus arboruus) yields stfoug flbfe,
1 which used TO bu Wofen Into Whps for laahlng
The slaves. Tho lithlseui sAnnabaNus Is cnltt'
I yatel III India as q substitute for hemp The
leaves OF tho tioaiyhock are said 70 contain
biuo cniortnG MISTER as good ~ indigo. Tux
| fruit Of ths Dkra, Or 0un,bo, Is fayorito tn
gsedicnt In SOUP, to which 1t imparts Its mu
| TfEarHnnttR nunftY.
ria hfaiyaees Include upward Of 900 species
The srester nuMber Of which erv lAtiyes Of tht
| Truptcs Humboldt TeckMlcd that oi,e in hftj
Ut the Towering p'ants t1 Tue Tot!td Zone. ant
one Ia go Of those Ia ths Temperate Zone, Tcrs
stallows. In the Arctic regions there ure none
In Great Britain thcre arc seven speeies,-tou
| Of tho Reuut MalSa. two u ths Althea, aud oul
Of The Iayatesa Of ree.Sfallow.
Wood enumerates thirty.shree species in ~
tora Of the United States sast OF the h!isstsslp
p!, and air. batcock aames only three r. Eso. sa,
mon MailoHs lMa.va sotnadtfoitah war
leaves aid pipkish iowers. Every chll.
knows It from tho litile ehetsts-ss the rou.l4t
dit tlngs ol seeds are ealle4-rhlrh fotm r.!
material for InunehlpG. ihe Gaillrhaa " "
seeulsf leaves sud Eel-purple flowers, ls local
ussr Ufsee!ai,d. The abattton ar(eeuus aprtug
! up Ia waste PLACES, generally BY the road Q
near Tho kaunts OF man. The plant has 1elye.
leaves. from which It II sometimes called Vel
yct.leaf, and yellow flowers. Il Il wandese
from, FM India, adapting itse'f readily 70 ou
cltalate> In our greenhouse VIC haYe two hanu
some specle8 Of the ss,ue Kcnus, which cot1
| fsom Dftxu.
JAPANESE COLLEGE OF ENGINEER
ING.