Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-08-13

among those Salvage Courtiers, at the min
ute Of my execution, she hazarded the
beating out of her owne braines to save
mine" The supposition is that Mr. Smith
lied. Then they have buried George Wash
iupton's little hatchet, and have attacked
his reputation for truthfulness also. Some
day thew will sink the Msyhower and exc the
Hector. They have already shifted deris-
iyely at the mention of New Hayen's
ssphsntom Ship" and some day we shall
be told that we never had State House.
Few of the dear old traditions remain.
We have Christopher Columbus still. Let
us cling to him, at least until the "only
greatest" Fair is over. 1t Is proposed to
exhibit at Chicago an exact replica of the
Old Mill, with carefully prepared models
showing every detail of its construction,
also volume of theories concerning 1t.
This theory of Mr. Mason's is very common
sensible. and the romantic ones who have
pinned their faith to the Lief Ericsson ira
dition, or the dramatic tale of the 'tSkele-
ton in Armor' will have to unpin it and
let it 60.
SONG OF LIFE.
He that clingeth unto life
For the fond lips Of wife
Hath, know, great joy to O. 1--we; ,
Earth hath nothing more to give
OF all gifts the gods confer
Sweeter than the love OF her!
He that is to life beguiled
By the c!inging of a child
Hath, know, great store OF grace,
And with Love dwelling place;
For all heaven hath dreamed and smiled
In the sweet face OF chnd
He that unto life is drawn
When the dark hath drowned the dawn;
When no wife's lips sigh or sing,
When no child's arms clasp and cling,
Still hath hope-for in the night
Cometh dreams and CLEANS of light
So, though love be lost to thee,
Life, though lonely, sweet may be;
Cans't thou take. when sore opprest'
Love unto the loveless give?
Thou shalt bless thyself and live!
Frank L. Stanton.
MERELY HINT.
"Phyllotaxy" may seem a large word to
put into the mouths of little people, yet it
is quite as easily mastered as are many
words of more trivial meaning. AS for
the study itself, it is one of Natures most
delightful object lessons wherewith to en-
tertain the sharp-eyed, curious, quick
witted little companions of ones summer
rambles. 1t teaches, moreover, the law of
creative design. There is no "chance" in
Gods universe. every blade OF grass In
the field is measured; the green cups and
the colored crowns of every flower are
curiously counted; the stars of the frma-
ment wheel in cunningly calculated orbits;
even the storms have their laws" To in
still into some young, inquiring mind,
ideas of the dignity of Law and Order, and
the power of the One Creator, by means of
humble, wayside plant or branch of a
familiar tree, will be to teach lesson, use
full, impressive, and stimulating, and more
convincing than volumes of dogmstic as
sertions.
To 90 back to our word. It means leaf
order, that is, the study of the position of
leaves, or parts answering to leaves, upon
the stem. This is one of the most inter-
esting divisions of Botany and brings out
a remarkable arrangement of proportions,
numerically expressed in a curions series
of fractions, series which some one has
called "the signature of Deity on nature" "
since it occurs again and again in different
parts of Gods creation.
The point in the stem where the leaf is
produced is called the node. When sim
gle leaf arises from q node the arrange
ment is called alternate; when there are
two to each node it is called opposite, since
the two leaves in this case are always on
opposite sides of the stem, and when three
or more leaves spring from the node they
| are eaid to be whorled, or verticillate, that
| is, placed like the spokes of a wheel.
| When there are three leaves in the whorl,
| the leaves are one-third of the circumfer-
ence of the stalk apart, when four, one
| quarter, Eve, one-ffth, and 30 on. The
| plan of opposite leaves, very common
one, is that of whorled leaves, with the
fewest leaves to the whorl, namely. two:
| OF opposite leaves the red maple and
morning glory furnish examples; of alter
nate leaves, the cherry, apple and golden
| rod, while the yellow lily of the meadow
has verticillste leaves.
But this is not the curious part of leaf
arrangement. Not only leaves upon the
stem but thorns, twigs and branches, are
disposed spirally, that is in, line which
winds around and around the stem like
the threads of a screw. If we carry 9
thread from the insertion, (the point whe-e
the leaf Joins the stem) of one leaf to
that of the next, We shall iud it winding
in spiral curves around the stem as il
rises, and bearing the same number OF
leaves for each turn around the stem
Take fresh young shoot from an apple
tree, fasten thread to the twig where tht
lowest leaf starts, carry the thread around
the twig to the next leaf, from that to tn,
next, aud so on to the last You will hnt
| your thread has made two revolution
around the stem when it reaches the hftt
leaf, and the sixth leaf, exactly above tn
J | first, commences a new series. The sew
enth will be above the second, the eight
above the third, and 30 on u p to the elev
enth, which will be on a straight line will
the first and sixth. Any two successive
, leaves will be separated from each othe
by an equal portion of the circumfereno
Of the stem. In this case the distance
Just two-6fths of the way around; in tn
holly, and large number of trees, 1t vi
3 be seen that from one leaf to the nsae dl
, rectly above, the thread will take thre
turns and that eight leaves from seriel
the distance from one leaf to another b
ing three eighths of the circumference {
I the stem.
j If we begin our measurements with
r stalk of grass or Indian corn we shoul
find the alternate leaves 80 placed th'
there would be only two leaves for eac
: turn Of the thread, the leaves being in tw
J, ranks, one on one side of the stem and Il
}, other on the other. Though the distan'
y in height between any two leaves may val
d greatly, the distance as measured arour
# the stalk will be the same, just one ha
j. the circumference. Most grasses grow
b this way, while in the sedges and nu
,r grass each leaf is one-third the way rour
x the stem from the one below it.
y The series of fractions that we ha'
le found, properly arranged, stands thu
% l-S, 1-S, D, 90. IL LILO
,e any two that stand side by side are add
r together we have the numerator of t
r next in order, and the same rule applies
70 the denominators. If we make anoth
O. fraction in the same way we have 6y
a. thirteenths, and taking bit of wormwo
III we find that the thread winds five tin
a | around the stalk and passes thirteen leav
a before it comes to one directly over the fir
its The next fraction will be S21, and
es ne 1t 1884 These are found in the lea,
ly and cones of the Pine family, and in ott
ce plants with small and crowded leav
u, With some exceptions, which may be
,es cause some of the leaf-germs have failed
he develop, the leaves of each species
plant are arranged at regular distan
ct from each other around the stem. ]
he symmetry of branches is rarely so CO
ill plete as that of leaves, sil
De- the buds do not all grt
as and of those that begin to grow ms
ter perish for want of light or nourishme
nat but the general arrangement is still spil
in the regularly revolving lines showing t
ne the plant obeys definite law, the des
AS | of which seems to be that the diversity
re- position gives to each twig or leaf o cha
ire, for it's share of air and light which co
ent never have been gained by any hsp-haz
ry, arrangement. Even when leaves are