The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-04-16

ives anu TIC p4G.1 iOOhlng grass family,
whose light seeds fly about hither and
thitber as tie stems are tossed about by
the wind
"When a summer Thunderstorm bursts
bending the strongest trees, or when in
autumn the wind rusheS through the
woods, then the time has come when the
plant children. now only slightly attached
to the plant mother-that is the ripe seeds
that cling to thom-are torn away and
Set out on their adventurous travels; then
they whirl and dance in the air, along
with thousands on thousands of their fell
lows. Many rise high in air and sail on
the upper air currents far away; Others re-
main in the tree tops or hang from the
branches; others still fall on roofs or bare
rocks; many, too, drop on passing men or
beasts Chance bears few to place where
their growth is assured. The greater part
must perish. p"
After mentioning the various trees that
have winged seeds, such as the ash, maple,
etc. Professor Muller goes on to describe a
peculiarly interesting plant belonging to
this class-the ''i;ose of Jericho" He says:
1.-The spherical plant, resembling birds
nest in the foreground, is the so called rose
of Jericho (Anastatica hierochuntia), be-
longing tn the family OF crucifere. When
the plant approaches maturity, it forms
by the bending of its branches a spherical
ball that carries the fruit within Now
the dying mother plant is ready for its
journey over the desert. When, with the
help of the wind, il has become detached
from the ground, &c is rolled about in the
storm, hopping and springing over tho
earth, now leaping over some rock that
protrudes from the sea Of sand, now over
the bleaching skeleton of some unlucky
wandeTer of the desert, all the time strew-
ing its seeds far and wide
There are also many plants whose
s.eds, by means of mechanical devices, are
harled forth from the plant, as in the OK
alis family, the geraniUm and many 9TH
ers. Such seeds however. can travel only
short distances, and that is the reason why
We almost never see the plants growing
siugly, but in groups together Still some
times they are carried to great distances
by passing animals, and also by flowing
water.
There is large number Of plants
whose seeds are carried in the stomachs OF
animals and so make long journeys.
Water also plays a great part in the dis
tribution Of plants, and in the case Of
newly formed islands il plays the princi-
pal part
Who has not on en- autumn walk
II rough wood and field brought home
th So little hangers on, clinging TO his
clothes, or been obliged angrily to free
himself from the troublesome distractions
lille still on the roads Unvittingly he
has thus aided in the distribution CT these
plants, and, equally unwittinply, animals
carry the seeds in their fur and birds bear
them on their feathers, whence they ara
sooner or later dislodged- The skill shown
hy nature in the matter is truly remark
able. These plants are mostly troublesome
weeds which one would rather SIC decay
and perish, but nature makes use OF Us
against our y Ills TO serve for their pTOpa-
CATION. We are like that strict professor
who, 70 see that there should be no cheat
ing in written examination, went about
from scholar 10 scholar and thereby I'M
Willingly aided them 70 cheat. for he car
ried about with him picard barring the
answers 20 all The questions, which some
sly scapcgTace had pinned 20 his o0attails.
In this conuoCfion the Interesting fact
should b stated that very many plants
whose fruits serve 70 nouFish neither man
nor beast have these devices for securing
the distribution Of their seeds In the case
CT plants Whose fruits are sought as fope
this very fac. = sufficient security that
the seeds viii be properly distributed -
Literary Digest