The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-21

weed seems to render most skins 1mper-
vious to the attacks of the Ishmaelite Of
our woods and fields.
But watch the NORWOOD. See how the
raindropS culver for an instant upon the
tips of the pinnate leaves, then follow each
other in a mad chase down the central
grooves of the leaves. Each leaf rises from
three ridges on the stem of the plant and
between these ridges lie shallow grooves,
down which the raindrops run and soak
into the ground upon the plants root
Now you can tell, from watching the con-
duct of these leaves, what sort Of root the
wormwood has. | have never pulled one
up but am sure it has main top-root,
with no spreading branches. All such
plants have leaves sloping upward, and
with grooved stems, to perform for the
roots just the Office that these leaves are
performing. Study the leaves of the radish
or the beet and you will see how admir-
ably the leaves are equipped to act as
er-carriers.
This alfilaria, now, the fragrant ''flaree"
of our fields, has another provision for this
same purpose. The tilaree is wide
spreading plant with an absurdly small
root. 1t needs lots of moisture, and the
stems are thickly set with soft, fuzzy hairs
that catch the water and convey it along
the stem to the root. Growing all along
the bank is the little chickweed, with its
tiny white stars of blossoms. II it were
not so plentiful we would wax enthusiastic
over it's beauty, and seek it for our garden
borders. 1t has running, threadlike root
and single row of hairs along its stem
holds the raindrops and sprinkles them
gently down upon the roots.
Where a plant has a spreading root the
leaves slant outward and downward from
base to tip, letting the moisture they
gather down upon the roots. My willow
has such roots, and it is a lover OF moisture.
See how the long branches droop and shed
their drops of gathered rain.
The eucalyptus is another victim to
mighty thirst, and it takes deal of water
to keep that thirst quenched. We do not
half appreciate this tree. Here about the
bay it is one of the most beautiful growths
we have. 1t is not symmetrical in the
sense of having neat, snug, arbOreal
symmetry. 1t sweeps its tall head against
the sky and spreads its great branches to
the wind with the untrammeled original
ity of genius. 1t is genius among trees.
What other one has its unquenchable
dominance of life, its endless variety of
form and color in foliage, its ability to
withstand the storm and survive drought?
The treeless hills of India, the barren plains
of the Pacific Slope, the deadly campagna
of Rome have all been redeemed, beauti-
fed, vivified by this tree. 1t sends great
for water. Other roots branch off in the
same erratic, original fashion that charac-
teriZes the growth of upper branches, and
thick, glossy, pointed, housekeeping
leaves soak in the moisture of the air,
gather in the falling rain and pour the
drops down in beneticent showers upon the
roots.
Did you ever stand beneath a eucalyptus
tree and glance upward at its foliage? If
not SIlVprV awaits Sppn
thus the leaves are things of beauty in the
sunlight. This beauty is greatly enhanced
however, on a rainy day, and in the moon
light they glimmer in a silver sheen of
glory that cannot be described.
The leaves are the real life of the plant.
They gather in its food from the air. They
are the lungs through which it breathes.
The flowers are mere incident in the
plants life. When the plant grows under
water the leaf is long and thread-like.
Thisis because the supply of carbon is linn
ited, and the leaves are minutely divided
in order that the greatest possible surface
may be exposed to absorb it. If, as is the
case with many aquatic plants, the stem
grows until the leaves finally reach the sur
face, they Immediately spread out and be-
come larger. Most of them float out upon
the surface of the water, knowing that this
will support them, and they need waste no
further effort in growing a supporting
stem. Nature never does waste effort, de-
spite what seems at times her reckless
prodigality of growths.
The same reason that makes the plant
under water put on slender, threadlike
leaves makes the grass grow in the form
of blades. The air supply would seem
abundant, but competition is fierce. The
grasses and the low-growing plants are
very numerous, and so they divide and
subdivide, because in these forms they are