Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-02-08
The Mystery Of Seeding.

A correspondent is puzzled by the
disappearance and reappearance Of GER
tain plants in his neighborhood; some
times on land under frequent cultiva-
ton. ut other times on tough old sod Of
many years standing. Such a thing
even happens as The production of fine
crop of red clover on such an old sod,
merely because, so far as he could see,
dressing of coal ashes was applied to
it last fall. The puzzle is the same to
every one who has given to the matter
any observation or any thought. What
is more strange in this respect than the
common phenomenon of a growth of
oak succeeding an old forest of pine
that has been cut off, and where no oak
has been known to grow for many
years? We can not believe that the
seeding comes from she last growth of
an oak forest there, whenever that was;
for we can not believe that single
acorn can remain in the damp ground
for years upon years without either ger
minating or rotting. 1t can be saved
from one change or the other only by
keeping 1t dry or by putting it into an
antiseptic liquid like alcohol, or by can
ming it as we do corn or peaches.
But. nevertheless, l can not follow
for single step in the way suggested
to get around the difficulty, that "a
certain combination of the elements
will insure a particular form of vege-
table life, and that such a combination
may take place without the Intervention
of seeds or other form of ordinary re-
production" Certainly not, SO long as
the position is held by some of the most
eminent and careful investigators in the
world, and strongly fortified by the re-
suits of most searching Investigations,
that not even the lowest and minutest
forms of animal or vegetable life can
be brought into existence by any such
combination of the elements" how
ever patiently and skilfully it may be
nursed and coaxed, but that they can
arise only from germs produced by a
foregoing generation of the same kind
of organism. Certainly not, while
multitude of the winged or four-footed
inhabitants of the forest and field are so
constantly collecting or distributing
seeds of every variety. Certainly not,
while multitude of the seeds them
selves are so cunningly fitted by nature
in one way or another, that they need
no help but the winds, or some moving
thing TO which they can attach them
selves, to make long journeys.
Certainly not, either. while nature
still continues to provide for such
bountiful production of seeds, that even
if but thousandth or a ten-thousandth
of them ever come to the ground under
conditions where termination is posi-
BILE still each kind of plant continues to
occupy some portion of the earth's sur
face. and to take its share in the battle
for the survival of the fittest;" now
disappearing from one place, and then
yeappearing in her--disappearing,
very possibly, because overpowered by
some fungoid or insect pest-reappear-
ing elsewhere, because its seed was re-
Gently sown there in some way, and
when the conditions favorable for its
springing into life soon followed the
seeding. 1t is by far easier to believe
this, than that the seed can lie dormant
for years in the damp and often stirred
ground. | can no more doubt that that
clover came from recent seeding that
merely happened 10 coincide with the
dressing of coal ashes, than can doubt
the steady outpOuring of that heat from
the sun, which alone can bring life out
of these seeds. 1t is estimated that a
single burdock plant may ripen $4,000
seeds; May plant, 10000; a red pop
py, $4,000, and purslane a million.
With such provision for keeping our
gardens well stocked with the insidi-
Gus, low-lying purslane. and our road
sides with burdock, may Heaven spare
us from any combination of the ele-
ments'' that can give us any more of
such comforters than we are afflicted
with already.-Dr. q. c. CaldWeH, in
| ~. Y. Tribune.