Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-24
NATURE AT WORK.

sound save, perhaps, the rustic of n
breeze among the branches, nor SEQ
any thing in motion except it might be
q waving bough or a huttering leaf.
But you would note that great and
rapid change was coming over the
scene before you. Where, but few
weeks ago, the trees and shrubs and
the ground beneath were alike bare
and brown. you would observe indica-
tions Of returning life and beauty. You
would see on some trees and plants the
red buds just starting. upon others the
leaves half unfolded, and on the ground
the blades of wild grass and the stalks
of flowers pushing their way out of the
layer Of mold. 1t IL evidently one of
the busiest places that could possibly
be imagined, and yet one of the most
quiet. There is no jar and whir OF
wheels, no hum of spindles and thud
Of looms, no grating sounds of files or
saws, or hammers, and yet the most
wonderful works of architecture are
going up, the most curious patterns
are being woven. and the most intri-
cate pieces of Workmanship are being
put together
II our sight could penetrate the bod
les of the trees We could gain some
knowledge of natures ways of work
ing. We would sec ascending through
the most minute tubes, drawn up by
some invisible power, countless num-
ber Of streams Of sweet watery SUBJ
stance called sap. This sap is COM
posed principally OF water drawn out
OF the earth by the roots of the trees
and carrying with II certain substances
which help to make the buds, leaves,
flowers and the green, new wood. The
sap may be properly called the life
blood of plants, since its Office is very
much the same in plants as that OF the
blood in man and other animals, carry
ing the DEMONSTRATING properties to
every part of the body. Like man and
brutes. plants must have light and air
In order to live. The sap itself would
not sustain the life of the plant, II it
were not for the help 1t receives
from the sunshine and the surrounding
atmosphere, any more than the blood
in an animal would keep 1t alive aud
vigorous II it were placed in q dark,
air.tight room. Every plant has lungs.
or organs which answer the purpose of
lungs in drawing air into its body.
Every leaf OF u plant has q countless
number of little openings, or mouths,
80 small that you can only see them
with microscope. Through these
mouths plants inhalc various proper
ties. OF which the air is full, especially
the gases they need to make them live.
Through them they also send out the
air and gases from which they have
taken all they require, and which have
become impure and unit to breathe.
The sap which has come up from the
roots into the leaves then meets with
the air, and together they make won
dcrful combinations OF new material,
which the sap carries back in its return
journey to help build up other parts OF
the plant
We may imagine that the particles OF
sap nrc little servants or workmen
whom Nature employs to build up the
trees and shrubs and weave the tex
ture OF their leaves and flowers. just
follow. in imagination, one OF these
little workmen who are carrying up
the materials to build the plants in
some such way as you have seen other
workmen carry the bricks and mortar
to build the walls Of house. This
little burden-bearer gets his load ol
carbon and some other substances tina,
are called for down in the dark ground
where Nature keeps her choicest stores
and then he goes quickly up the long
winding stairways in the interior OF tht
tree, up and up, leaving q little here
and a little there, as he goes to the top
most branch, and out into the little
tender twig. where he leaves his loat
70 help swell the bud and open th'
leaf.
And one Of the strangcst thing
about this business is that these work
men never make mistake. Here ar
growing in small space q great vari
ety of trees and smaller plants Of dif
ferent general shape and texture. will
different shaped leaves and flowers
and bearing different kinds OF fruit ye
all drawing their life from the sam'
ground. The sweet violet and tn
poison ivy nestle at the foot OF tn
oak, and obtain their supplies OF nour
ishment from the same soil that sus
tains their giant protector. The littl
workmcn select from the same grea
storo.house the material that Is neede'
: for each plant where they arc appoint
Cd to wors. They never mako such
blupaer as to carry way up TO the toF