Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-03-29
TRAVELS OF SEEDS.
NATURES VARIED DEVICES FOR SCAT
TERlNG THEM.

by Animals and Water.
Nature has spared no pains to provide
for the perpetuation of living organisms
She is prodigal, even apparently wasteful
In her efforts to attain this end Every
plant throws out yearly it's myriads of
seeds, and no small part of the machinery
adapted to make this product fulfill it's
mission is that directed to the distribution
of these seeds. So effective is this machin-
cry that plants spread in II few years over
wide regions. Witness the incursions of
weeds like the SO called Russian thistle
against which the efforts of the farmer
seem almost unavailing. The means by
which this rapid spreading is brought
about are the subject of an article by Pro
fessor f Muller in Der Stein der Weis-
EN-, =" Vienna, of which we translate the
most interesting portions:
"Who has sent them 1.-THE plants) rs
colOnists into this new, unpeopled land?
Whence have they come and by what wayg
If we call the roll of the army of colunists
that wo may get an answer to this ques-
ton, we shall find especially plants whose
seeds can navigate the air like miniature
flying machines, often for long distances
All these belong to the widely distributed
aster family (compositp) or to the nearly
related teazel family (dpsaceie) Their
reeds are furnished, to fit them for their
long sails through the airy sea, with a
sort of parachute of soft, feathery fibers
The lightest breeze raises them and bears
them in graceful sweep over field and
meadow, but the storm wind lifts them to
the region of the clouds so that they fly
with tho eagle over hill and dale to far
and foreign lands Millions, to be sure
fall to the ground without reaching the
sought for SOIL but other millions fulfill
the end of their existence, the perpetual
ton and increase of their kind Next to
the composite plants is the numerous mus
tard family (crucferR) Then comes the
pink family with its countless representa-
tives and the plain looking grass family
whose light seeds fl about hither and
thither ms the 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 thcm-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 fe
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 ii place where
their growth is assured The greater part
must perish.
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 rose of Jericho He SAYS
The spherical plant, resembling bird
nest in the foreground, is the so called rose
of Jericho (Anastatica hicrochuntia). be
longing to the family of cruciferie When
the plant approaches maturity, it forms
by the bending of its branches 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, it has become detached
from tho ground, it is rolled about in the
storm, hopping and springing over the
earth, now leaping over some rock that
protrudes from the sea of sand, now over
the bleaching skeleton of some unlucky
wanderer of the desert, all the time strew-
ing its seeds far and wide
There are also many plants whose
hurled forth from the plant ms in the OK
ais family, the geranium and many 9TH
ers. such seeds, however, can travel only
short distances, and that is the reason why
we almost never SEQ the plants growing
singly, 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 it plays the princi-
pal part
Who has not on an autumn walk
through wood and field brought home
these little hangers ON, clinging to his
clothes, or been obliged angrily to free
himself from the troublesome distractions
while still on the roadY Unwittingly he
has thus aided in the distribution of these
plants, aud, equally unwittingly, animals
carry the seeds in their fur and birds bear
them on their feathers, whence they arc
sooner or later dislodged The skill shown
by nature in the matter is truly remark
able These plants are mostly troublesome
weeds which one would rather see decay
against our wills to serve for their propa-
cation We are like that strict professor
who to see that there should be no cheat
ing in IA written examination, went about
from scholar to scholar and thereby un
Willingly aided them to cheat, for he car
ried about with him IA placard bearing the
answers to all the questions, which some
sly scapegrace had pinned to his coattails
In this connection the interesting fact
should be stated that very many plants
whose fruits serve to nourish neither man
nor beast have these devices for securing
the distribution of their seeds. In the case
of plants whose fruits are sought as food
this very fact is sufficient security that
the seeds will be properly distributed. -
Literary Digest.
Cleaning Silver.
Silver is cleaned at the shops by press
ing the piece against a rapidly revolving
wheel made of canton flannel in many
rolls The wheel reaches all irrpuulnrihi es