The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-08
ROWING SEEDS.
Novel Methods of Vegetable Propa-
cation.

cation.
From the New York Post.
To-day we went out to gather the tooth
some mushrooms which the abnormally
warm days of this first week of Novem-
Der brought out in profusion. AS we
hunted along the pastures there were
frequent EXPLANATIONS of disgust from
the younger members of the party. At
tracted by cluster of the dusky white
objects at a little distance, they rushed
or, only to find that the supposed treas
ure was group of dandelions lifting up
Cheir downy heads of seed. Sodden with
the heavy mists which had hung over the
fields, the usually feathery plumes were
dropping and motiOnless. Let the sun
shine, however, for a day or two, and you
will see the dandelion-down floating with
the wind TO find new home Tor the beau
tiful golden stars which are among the
first heralds of spring, as well as the last
survivors of the fora of autumn.
When we reached home a seed with it's
plume was detached and placed under the
microscope. 1t is an interesting object.
The seed itself is q brown sugar loaf
shaped thing, with the apex prolonged in
10 a slender shaft surmounted by
spreading star whose rays are delicate
hairs. The sugar-loaf-shaped portion is
strongly ribbed and towards the point
has a nugber of projecting spikes, and
each hair of the star is abundantly notch
ed. The whole IS a wonderful cOntrtVance
for the dissemination of the seeds of the
plant, and yet It is only one out of many
devices to which nature betakes herself
on behalf of her offspring. When the
dandelion head is ripe and dry and the
wind is blowing across the meadow, the
seed leaves its bed on the white kid-like
top Of the flower stalk, trusts itself on its
dilated parachute, and sails away. The
Jagged notches on the hairs interlock and
make the parachute rigid so that the
aerial voyage continues for some time,
and at length the tiny burden drops TO
earth. The points on the seeds as well as
those on the hairs of the carrier form
effective anchors and resting place is
secured.
The rowing wind-lovers are plentiful.
especially among the composite fam
lily very interesting one is to be
found among the valerfan family, but
that also is a sort of relation of the COM
posites. The valerian has its parachute
rolled up inside the flower and as the
seed natures 1t unfolds, so as to be in
readiness for the signal TO cast off"
Neritable emigrants are these rovers,
trusting to their own innate Vigor to
Occasionally some tyrannical invasion
viii hurry matters on. OFTEN last sum-
mer l stood and watched the salad-bird
or American goldhnch, tearing the this
tie heads apart, and the rapacious brig
ands set free many a younglng TO try
his luck in new regions.
A week or two ago, bent on investigating
a rough corner where / knew that lowell
est of flowers. the fr1nged gentan grew,
l pushed my way through forest Of
goldenrod nearly as high as my head.
/ came out Ike a miller, white from
head to foot with the minute goldenrod-
down, but / had done my part in supply
ing some other distant corners with q crop
of that emblem of wealth, for a perfect
cloud of feathered seeds went careering
from me across the boulder beds.
The parachute, however, is only one
form of appliance by which nature gets
rid of surplus population. On returning
from my mushrooming expedition to-day
I found ii necessary TO spend some time
in clearing myself Of burdock seeds, which
with their hooks chung more closely to
me than street arabs when selling
matches. I burned them; but had they
fastened themselves to a COW, horse, or
dog they might have been carried into
the next county and there found ge-
NAL home. Sanide or black snakeroot.
and wild carrot. make use Of the same
means OF getting transportation
Did you ever watch the seeds fan from
the slgar-maple. or the silver maple
trees often planted In the streets OF our
cities? The trait IS two-seeded, each seed
being provided with a fiattened projection
or wing which spreads out Ike ran
The pair are Joined, the wings approach
ing right angle with each other Wnen
they fan from the tree, you may see these
wings reYolge like the blades or the sore"
OF steamship. and they plQw their way
through The ocean Of air, oiten Tor long
distances until they reach the eafin,
Opposite my door is magniheent white
ash. and 90 seDtember days I while away
"a feA moments observing the fruit leave
the tree lne seeds. while hanging lu
what Ne called iur0ur childhood lunches
81 Keys" are single, but, Ike fhoac -
ihe mauie. form sainara, that %, ihey