Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-09-12
For the Democrat
WHERE DO OUR PLANTS ORlGl-
NATE

climbed and how many seas crossed before
the little plat OF ground could take on such
brilliant array, aud was much surprised
at the result of my investigation, coniin-
lug myself to the common plants alone.
Lilacs are natives Of Persia and havl, g
been brought into Turkey in the carly cen
turtles, were carried TO England, In 1897 by
way OF CoDstautinople, where they were
celebrated for their snowy pyramldal flow
ers and delightful fragrance. One would
think from the manner they throw out
suckers in all directions they were seeking
path to their early home.
One OF our best plants for screens and
hedges is also native OF the cast, aud
reached Europe about the same time the
lilac arrived ;but II the hollyhocks Of to-day
with their beautifully variagated, hemis-
pherical flowers in which the delicate pet
ais are crimped, and fluted, and crowded !;
could look on their Syrian ancestry, they
would regard them In much the same light
an anti Darwinian would look upon Barn
um's best chlmpanzee.
The geraniums or more properly the
pelagoniums, although we may well despair
OF being able to change name which is so
firmly rooted, have come long distance 10
make our borders so ablaZe with bic ON
The well known rose-ge ranium with its
Loo COG onb tiaacapt o1nr tvas the
first to arrive from Cape of Good Hope
in 1000. The others soon followed and
under the skillful management of the for
lists they displayed great beauty of foliage
as well as bloom. A zonale geranium,
four feet in height in my yard Is thing
OF beauty, having one hundred and twenty
bright cherry colored blossoms very large
and double.
The suphower. so intimately associated
just now with aesthetics, is native OF
tropical America and embraces an exceed
ingly numerous family Of some fifty spe-
cies. Among these is the common, inc
radicable artichoke, sometimes called
Jerusalem artichoke, from 4 mispronun-
citation of the Italian name, and which is
simply the root of species OF sunfower.
The sunfowers in my garden have at
taiued gigantic height OF stock and size
of blossom although planted in what seem
ed poor soil, and was quite unable to
account for 1t until discovered they were
growing where ashes had been thrown and
they drank potash al rate surprising al
other plants. | have also observed they
do not turn their faces towards the sun in
his daily rounl and consequently have
been constrained to surrender the touching
mythology Of the love lorn maid and the
dazzling god and accept the name as DERIVED
from the resemblance they have 10 the
sun, with their broad disk and raIlatipg
petals.
South America has been very generous
in distributing her plants. In 1923 sIe-
cieS OF white petunia was brought fIcm
Brazil aud few years alter 4 purple one
and from these two have been obtained
the iunumcrable varieties, both single
and double, 10 beauty Of form and color.
he originals are completely lost.
The y,r5enI is another gin from Brazil
aud has proved general fivorJc for pro
ducing such color effects, all shades hay
ing been obtained think, exc,p. yellow.
About tlfly years ago a sailor brought
from the West Indies to his sweet !
heart In England Gue fgchsia which |
Mr.. Lee an enterprising gardener near Lon
don, purchased for one guinea He man
aged by cuttings TO have three hundred |
healthy young plants ready Tor sale thc |
next year and put in his pocket three hun
dred golden guneaS as the reward OF his |
foresight and Industry. In rich soil and
cool, well shaded situation this graceful |
plant will grow to large size.
One season in my garden little sparrow |
OF refined taste selected fine double fuch-
sia for her home, and built her nest amid |
the beautiful pendulous blossoms and there
reared her young.
Alexander Won Humboldt the great Ger
man naturalist was the first to introduce |
the dahlia 10 Europe, he having sent sew
eral Of the plants to Spain, while pursuing |
lis wordeiful scientific explorations in
the countries OF South America. Hence
they were carried TO France and speedily |
became universal fGvoritCs on account OF
I he ease with which new and beautiful va
rieties can te obtain ed.
Phlox belong exclusively to our own
country and have been found growing wild
from New York to the Rocky Mountains
and Southwark. The Drummond phlox
were sent North from Texas by the distin-
euished botanist for whom they were
named.
The poppy embraces great many spe.
cies and is widely distributed but the com
mon poppy, which affords the opium OF
commerce, and Is also the original of most
If the varieti es in our gardens is 4 native
If Southern Europe. IL really seems in
credible that the 400, 600 pounds imported
nto the United States alone in one year,
:ould be the lnspirsated juice of the plant,
We see haunting by the roadside or in old
gardens, and yet it is so. The opinion is en-
ertained by some that supply of opium
,ould be produced in this country, which
yOuld make difference IN India ofI
y, 900, 900 annually.
To those who love flowers, | think nc
tudy could be more pleasing than that
# their habits and their early homes.
lost OF our garden plants have made long
nnrners hacnra thnu rnanhnd nnr Lonr. |