The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-13
FLOWERS OF THE SNOW.
What Schwatka Found Blooming IN the
Arctic Regions.

species enjoying ~ an Arctic climate.
Small rs this cold weather class is. it
amounts to more than most people give it
credit for having. the popular opinion
being that the polar regions and snow
clad mountain tops are practically devoid
Of vegetation. Ii Is singular, too. that
While there are t62 kinds of flowers in
the Arctic regions, within the Antarctic
circle a Towering plant has never yet
been found. Everything isagainst plant
life at that end Of the earth's aXletree.
The weather is more severe throughout
the wear. and there are few tracts Of
land of great extent on which plant life
can flourish; and we have already seen
that it is well inland on large land areas
where such lie flOurIsles the best IN the
Arctic. where it can absorb some of the
little heat that is coming down, without
being chilled 10 death by contiguous ice
fields.
But of these 7Go kinds OF towering
plants in the Arctic. only some 30 OF
! them, as far as We know. or about one
fifteenth. are wholly residents of that
! zone. Thus it l. seen that a niyal OF Al
pine flora, as compared with that Of the
Arctic, is a much more distinctive one,
or has more species wholly its own IN
proportion 10 the total numuer found.
The polar flowers seldom have any per
fume. and the few that exhibit this de-
lightful quality, however feeble, are, |
think. from that class that have crept
over the cold border marked by the Arc
tie Circle: or, in shor,, nom of the fifty
mentioned - Esquimau flowers, we
might call them, in a popular way-have
anv apprcciable odor.
The color OF these boroai blossoms are
generally OF the cold tints. as II in har-
monv with the chilly surroundings, IN
stoaI of the warm huCs that would break
i'm mpon the desolalion with double effect
b., sheer contrast where 50 few cheering
| si-ht. are 10 be- seen. White and hight
yellow predominant, and these colors
| seem associated with fros;7 and cold
weather. for 1t appears uat those lowers
", call .'eYerla-ting5. and which arc
the longest to defy the mppine5 OF the
coming winter weather. dIe mostly tinted
l,., t.,e northern now and yellow
northern lights. 10 IS .u thr d pths Of
Oil Ocean that we find some Of the
largest expressions of plant d. iu the po-
!lr 2oi-. Here. within a short distance
OF shore, are colossal kaips and other life
that grow throughout the year; Of
coarse. yegetating the most in the short
,uJmer months.
Land plants. as already said. are pig
mo, compared with those Of the sea-. or
Cy.u the corresponding class in the lower
latitude. and this dwarfcl condition, a
naturalist tells Us. IS not due 50 much 10
lhe intense cold in the Arctic winter as
90 the fact they do not get enough
warmth in summer 10 develop them per-
fccily. DR.. Joseph Hooper mentions it
as "a rare property of n of the graminee
Ohe grassesl. Trlsetun Subspicatun., that
il is the only polar species known which
is equally an inhabitant OF the Arctic and
Antarctic regions.
Nearly all Of the plants Of these cold
countries are Of the biennial on perennial
sorts. as the season is too short 90 give
ANNALS the whole length If time they
demand for the maturing OF their fruit
"a insure the next season. growth. These
|pelennials act like our hardy prlng flora,
by rapidly pushing their growth before
the snow Is all OF the ground and with
the very first cessation of the ycrnal cold.
| have seen flowers IN bloom SD close to
the snow ON King Williams land that /
think the foot could he put down and
leave an impression on the edge Of the
snow and crush the flower at tie same
step; while Middendorf, % siberian
traveller Of note, sayl that he has seen q
rh%olodcndrOn in that country IN full
flower.
1t Is hardly to be expected that any
useful or cultivated plants should be
found within the limit, of the fright
zones, and vet both arr known in ,h
unexpected locality. There Is the scuryy
grass. u rough cIucifeIou, plant that IS
famous for the good 1t has done among
explorers in that rough cline IN contend
ing with the terrible disease which has
given it its distinctive name. Barley Is
grown in good crops rs high ass Alien, IN
Norway. in latitude 20 dogs. north, or
about 2J0 miles above the Arctic circle.
Il is June, July and August in growing,
and the rapidity of this polar growth
under a never setting sun may be plainly
shown by stating that these barley stalks
have been known TO grow two and q half
inches IN twenty-four hours. Where the
heat IS held by little valleys this Nor
wosian barley may, in favorable seasons,
be ready 10 cut IN about two months
after sowing; and thus two crops secured
in II summer; just as California brags
Of its two crops Of certain growths m onc
season. But what would California think
Of bleak Norway as a competitor IN rails
ing three crops OF the same piece Of
ground in one year! There Is a tradition
in the province of Thelomarken-the
place from whence the celebrated
snowshoc men of Norway-that a certain
farm known as the Triset gets the iirst
syllable, tri three. from the three crops
once reapcd on the land in one season.
Rye. which Is not SO hardy. Is cultivated
IN Norway for 100 to 200 miles above the
Arctic circle. and even in Sweden il is
carried up 10 that line. Barley was
raised in Iceland froA $50 10 400. and
tlon abandoned for more profitable cattle
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