The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-10-09
Dissemination Of Seeds.

Mr.. Waldo F. Brown, who has made
the various ways in which the seeds OF
different plants are distributed a subject
of study, cites in the National Stock
man, several examples which may help
to draw attention to the interest of the
matter:
First comes the very large class
which are provided with down which
carries the. seed, like the dandelion,
garden lettu, e, the thistle, the iron
weed, the sycamore tree, and a host OF
others belonging to this class. The
maple and some other tree seeds have
another way of travelling on the wind.
They are provided with wings which
are almost as perfect as those of a bee,
and by this means are carried to great
distance when high wind blows.
Some of them have one long and one
short wing, which gives them a rotary
motion. Still another class of seeds
are contained in round balls, which the
wind rolls along. scattering the seed as
they 60. One of the best examples of
this IS the common white clover. As
the head ripenS part of the tlOwerets
turn down, so that it is almost as round
as marble, and when ripe the stem
breaks off close up to the head, and the
wind rolls it along until it meets with
some obstruction
g 1t is wonderful to notice how many
WAYS there are in which animals dispense
seeds. First of all come those plants
which are so valuable to the animal
man that he sows The seeds of them.
Then the nuts and fruits are scattered
by birds and squirrels. Many seeds
are so protected that they may be
eaten, and will pass through the
stomach and bowels without damage,
and will grow in the weddings. By far
the larger class of animIa-dispcrsed
seeds are carried by hooks or thorns
by which they attach themselves, and
l wish readers to examine some of the
plants which | name; the burdOck,
Spanish needle, cookie bur, and the
different varieties of beggar's lice, are
all 'stick-tights and yet all alta n
themselves differently, and most of
them SO securely that they may be car
ried for months before they lose theiI
hold.
lone Of the most curious of the ami
mal-dispersed plants is the martynia.
The seed pod is about four inches long,
about an in h and a half in diameter
and runs out to q sharp point As the
pod ripens it splits in the middle, and
one of the points curls each way and
downward, and when hardened the
seed pod is provided with Two hooks so
sharp that they will attach themselves
to a bootleg. The seeds are held in
layers by a paper-like substance, so
t! at all do not scatter at once. and so
seeds from q single pod may be scat
tered all over a farm. The self-dispersed
seeds are those which have the power of
throwing their seeds to quite distance
by the bursting of the pod. The best
examples of this class with which / am
acquainted are the balsam, pansy,
pholx-D rummondia and euphorbias. Any
of these will expel their seeds with such
force as to throw them several feet.
Among the water dispersed plants
we shall find great variety, and many
which are carried by wind and then by
water, or like the sycamore may first
be carried by water and then by wind,
for this tree usually grows along the
borders of streams and the balls are
fioated down the curren5, aud are lodged
and become dry, and when they finally
come to pieces are provided with q
down, which carries the seed. The
grasses, clover and many weeds are
| iioated away whenever a heavy rain
| falls, and may finally lodge and grow
| hundreds CT miles from the spot where
| they ripcned The wonderful vitality
! of seeds-under circumstances which it
| would seem would either cause them to
grow or to rot-is worthy Of notice A
| part of the seeds of plants will grow the
| first year, others not till the second,
third or even a long period after.
''In proof of this l p anted a single
hill of martynia in my garden and al
/ lowed it to ripen its seed, and for eight
| years after it proved a troublesome
weed although I never allowed plant
| to stand until it blOssomed. 1t is won
| derful how provision IS made for the
| protection of young plants and how
wisely seeds are sown. For example,
| the blackberry and raspberry come up
| very small and delicate and can not en-
| dure the sun. But the birds drop the
seeds along the hedges and they find
mellow soil well shaded in which to
| terminate. and gain a foothold until
| they can endure sun and frost. The
more closely we study the habits of
! plants the greater will be our admira-
| ton o,the infinite wisdom which has
provided for the reproduction of even
| the weeds,