Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-27
FROM ANOTHER WORLD.

A Wonderful Plant and Strange Story
Ofits Origin-A Fern that is Fed on
Cosmic Dust.
From the Neao York Commercial 4 dgsrtiser
On train between Rochester and Syr-
acuse happened the other day to occupy
a seat with middle-aged man who car
ried a small flower pot containing little
plant for whose safety he seemed extreme
y solicitous. During the first half of the
journey there was but scant conversation
between US, each being preOccupied with
his own thoughts; but, as | am interested
In botany, began TO look more closely at
my felloW-traveler's plant, and finally be-
came quite absorbed in it. 1t was a spe-
cies of fern with which was wholly I'M
acquainted.
MAY l ask you what kind of fern that
is, and where it grows?' inquired, at
last.
''rhat is more than can tell you" he
replied, ''but l venture to say there is no
other like it in the world"
Naturally, became curious, and asked
questions. The following is a synopsis of
his replies:
Il was for years In the employ of the
Hudson Bay Company and spent the best
part of my life among the iceland savages
in the cold regions OF British America. |
had often noticed that the snow and ice
in some localities was covered with a
grayi. b black powder, but pa no atten-
ton to il till read an account of an Arc
tic expedition. in which the writer stated
that such powder was cOsmic dust sifted
down through the atmosphere from space,
which is said to be more or less filed
with it.
"As soon as read this statement it
struck me that it would be good plan to
collect some of the dust and see whether
ANYTHING would grow on it. So l began
to carry bottle. into which l put the
powder whenever found any. In few
years succeeded in collecting quite a
quantity, about as much as you see here"
he held the flower pot toward me; 1t
was about one-third full-''and l became
very much interested in my cosmic treas
urp. wondering whether, il any Of our
plants should grow in 1t, they would take
the same shape as when nourished by
their native soil.
"At this time was called 70 England
in connection with the business Of the
company, and planting a pea in the celes-
tial mold, locked it up in a large wood.
en- box. There 1t remained undisturbef
till my return, little more than a year.
confess | opened the box again with "A
good deal OF curiosity, and was both as
ton shed and delighted 10 see that tine pea
had developed into a fern. as 1 supposed,
for this pla was then about one inch in
height. ] attended II very carefully for
about two months, but it did not seem TO
grow. One day | stirred up tie dust (it
had hitherto been undisturbed), and 10
nv extreme ast0nishme1t brought to light
the pea had planted, as dry and I'M
sprOuted as though IL had been busted in
dry sand. | examined the pea carefully.
IL was wholly unaffected. and the fern
must have had some other origin. There Is
no dO0bt about that"
Have YOU any idea how IL originated
there p | asked.
"Well, yes; i am confident the seed
came with the dust from some other
world"
Inanswer to my look Of amazement,
and, II may be, Incredibly, he an
swered:
at was certainly not planted In this pot
in anv shape. And how could fern root
or fern seed become mixed with the dust
AZ the TOD Of thick snow and iceY Ihat
was impossible. Neither could u get in
10 the bottle. In which / kept u until
emptied into this pot, which was Dran
new. And now II cosmic dust can settle
mon the earth, which | believe scientists
regard as a fact, is there anything unrea-
sonable In suppOsiug that hght plant
seed can do the sameF .,-.-.
s,Your logic seems good, but must con-
Tess that on tirst thought your theory APP
@on frst thought II will undoubtedly
seem 40. but not on the hundredth, per.
hans. have studied this matter IN an
directions. and have come 70 the cohciu-