The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-08

have a wing-like appendage. In this in
stance the wing enclOses the seed at one
end and is then prolonged like the blade
of an car. As soon as it leaves the bunch
of keys" the wing revolves in the cur
rent of air, reminding Of the action of an
oar in sculling. In this way, by auto
beyond the area ruled over by the parent
ASH tree, and the young plants, when
they start into active life, will not rob
their progenitor of its punishment. The
elm mas a similar provision, only in its
case the wing extends equally on all sides
of the seed, and when set free to seek its
fortune, the adventurer fiicks up and
down, on this side and on that, in the
oldest hayward fashion, until it finds a
resting place.
OF the many pleasures which await the
observing eye, the methods of transport
ing seeds are by no means the least in
teresting. The poppy is provided with
sort OF pepper-dredger, the holes of which
are Just under the cap. AS the wind rat
ties the dry stalk, or some animal pushes
against it, the small black grains are
thrown broadcast around The violet with
It's three-valved pod dries up, inside out
as IT We're. thus scattering its seeds with
force enough to throw them to some dis
lance. In the south of Europe grows the
squirting cucumber, from which we ger
the drug elaterium BY the action of The
juice on the tissue of the chamber con-
tanning the seeds a strong pressure is
SCI up and often the slightest touch will
cause an explosion, like that of a soda
water bottle. and the seeds are elected
as canister-shOt was of old, often falline
at distance of twenty feet
Another plant acts more leisurely In
stead of flying. or clinging to some ami
nal, or being shot out from its parent il
deliberately sets itself to walk to its fu,
lure nome. 1t Is an ally of the rpistle-
toe and has viscid berry. Wherever the
seed falls it adheres, and there germi-
mates. When the radicle has become about
an inch long 1t develops a flattened disk
at It's extremity, and then curves about
untl the disk touches some neighbour
ing surface Should it find the locality
grow If not, It lifts Itself If up teams 4hse the he
Vsclu perry from Its hold, twists itself in
a new direction. deposits the berry again
Ilfts up the disk, and tries a new spot
repeating the process until its wants are
satlshed. This strange plant Is an arceu.
thobium, and is parasitic on jumpers. A
relative of 1t, parasitic on beech trees is
provided with four long fiattened appen-
dages by which IL anchors itself to the
branches until its sucking disk has a good
There Is no need to dwell on the artifice
OF concealing seeds in a tempting and
succulent fruit, but the morality of as
Stunning disguise may be questioned
Yet such is the plan of Scorpiurus, which
has seeds so like a caterpillar or a CEN
tipede that bird may be forgiven for
being deceived into swallowing one in
expectation OF dainty morsel.
1t is well known that cocoanut palms
are among the first vegetation seen on
a coral island after 1t energies from the
a bold sea rover, floating in its raft
of buoyant fiber. There is an interest
ing story attached to the double cocoa
nut the cocos de mer of the SEYCHELLES
Islands. 1t also has a fruit provided with
huoyant and Waterproof raft and
| floats for thousands of miles in tropical
seas. Being found in the Indian ocean
before the tree which bears it became
known. mystery attached itself to IT,
The story told how it grew on only one
tree in the world, whose roots were fixed
deep in the oceans bed, and whose guar
dian was griffin, and, like a good many
other mystical things, it was connected
/ with the wise King of Israel and called
'SolomOn's nut" Its virtues We're as re-
| markable as its origin, and it became
a talisman against poisons and infectious
diseases, sum Of money equal to S7JQ be-
ing thought none too much TO secure its
| possession. In 176S two French officers
! solved the mystery by discovering the
| palm which bears the nut growing plen-
/ tifully on two small islands in the Sev-
chelles group, where they form graceful
| trees a hundred feet in hight, and take
a century and a half to arrive at matur-
| ity. It's method Of rowing is not, however
/ so effective as that of our dandelion-
! down, and therefore to the graceful lit
| tie parachute on the stage of the micro
! scope our thanks may well be paid for
| its suggestions.