Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-03-12
Wanderin. Plants.

Every plant once had its own home.
Just as every man has his own father
land But very much as men have
done, many of them have gone wander
ing about the world and ara found grow
ing far from home. They have jour
neye1 IN various ways, some as little
feathered seeds carried by the wind.
while others have been borne by bir Is
of passage from country to country.
They have been swept far from their
native haunts by the waters of over
flowing rivers; they have fioated away
on the waves OF the sea; even animals,
as well as birds, have aided in their
mIgrations. For the most part, how
ever, MAJ himself has carried the
plants from one land to another, some-
times purposeIy. oftener by accIient.
do not know of anything that would
be more interesting. if they could speak,
than to listen to the conversation of the
flowers of conservatory, especially if
they were talking OF their Old homes.
or of what befell them on their Jour
neys through the world. As they are
not gifted with the powers of speech
We shall have to do tie talking our
selves, which, though 1t may not be as
pleasant, WI svrye q purpose quite as
well.
Myrtle is descended in strai6 6ht line
from the shrubs which fiouiished around
the marble temple of Hellas. and whose
leaves wreathed the brows OF the cham
plons who conquered at the Isthmian
games. That young citron tree, on the
lower shelf, sprung from a seed brought
by ship from Sicily. The tree from
which 1t was plucked grew near Enna's
classic plain, and in sight OF the fiery
crater OF Mount Ktna. This rose bush
standing between them. filed with love-
~ blossoms, was once at home IN the
gardens OF Cashmere, and perhaps saw
the pageant OF the darh-eyed Nour-
mahal when she rowed over the rose
covered lake in her fairy barge. The
cameilia yonder received its name from
a priest, who, returning from mis-
sionary journey to China, brought it
with him as memento of some obiique-
eyed celestial. This mountain rose,
whose purple blossoms rival the camellla
In bsauty, has wandered clear from the
shores OF the Euxine, and the ancestors
OF this superb rhododendron grew upon
the heights of the Himalaya III Northern
India.
Here is a wonderful passion flower,
winding about pillar near the corner.
Once it grew IN the dark wilderness of
i Brazilian forest, twining like living
thing upward on the giant trees. Long
ago Spanish monks carried 1t away with
them 10 Europe and said:
This Hover Is a great marvel OF ere |
atlcn. In Its blossoms are represented |
ali the Instruments used III the martyr |
dom OF Jesus-the nails, the spears,
and the crown OF thorns; and upon the |
crown even the drops OF blood are to be |
seen" This flower h4s already N ide |
known, symbolically in those distant
lands, the suiierings OF our Lord before |
the foot or Christian preacher ever |
Irod them.
Aloe trees came from cuttings brought |
years ago frcm the Cape of Good Hope. |
Look ut this stately dahlia, which looks
rs II II had been reared Ii royal court.
1t has Travelled all the way from the
troplc plains OF America, where long
before the eyes OF the swart Genoese,
it gazsd wonderingly on Aztec or Peru
vlan magnifcence, In the nut-bi own
hands OF some dusky maid of MoLte-
court, or the Inca's palace OF
the sun. That serpent cactus, winch
stretches downward from the hanging
basket above our heads came from the
same region, for its ancestral home was
on the dry rocks of Peru, where the
llama wanders and the condor nests.
Here are flowers, too, from Southern
Europe, oIhers from Asia; wnIle the
beautiful acacia tree, winch lifts its
graceful foliage aboye the neighboring
olives, had It's home on the banks OF
he sunny Nile, where the pyramids hit
heir eternal shadows.
These hot-house plants, growing and
here SO peacefully together,
lave been gathered from every conti-
lent and zone. The auricula, whose
tine chamois cropped upon the
lopes OF the towering Alps, mingles lis
'erfume with the manila fragrance OF
he heiiotrope, of whose leaves III its
latIve haunts the Peruvian marmOt niO.
lies. by what strange accident, IN an
wer to how many motives, aud to serve
7hat VARIED interests OF men, have these
'iailts cone INTO companionship. The
eeds OF the beautiful pers,carla (pOty-
'osaHDa orlent0ie) were procured 10y NJ.
-ournefort from the garden Of tine Three
,hurches' near Mount Ararat, the spot
II which the ark is supposed to have
ested, and presented To the superin-
endent OF the Jardin des Plautes in
'arIs.
There is no trait more valuable than
determination to persevere when the
light thing is to be accomplished.
lie ,s xra1laI nth fba <rofas |