Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-06-20
NOW DESERTS ARE esAur,e,ep.
seed Carried by various Means to the
Dcao1atc Spots of Earth.

seed Carried by various Means TO the
Dcsoiatc spots of Earth.
The terrible eruption Of Krakatoa. In
opportunity for illustrating the case
with which nature can replant with
vegetable life district that has be.
come completely desolated. The vol.
canic eruption was one Of the most de.
struct've recorded in history. the loss
Of human life being estimated to ex.
ceed 100000. OF the thirty-gve volca.
noSs on and near the Island of Java
twenty.slx were In vi9lept eruption ct
the same time. The center Of disturb
anee was the Island Of KrakatQa, which
emitted molten lava and burning ashes
In such abundance that every living
thing. whether animal or vegetable,
on the island was destroyed, and an OBJ
server from ship which approached
close 70 the land declared that the
whole islam was red hot. Four years
from the date of the eruption the island
was visited by an eminent naturalist,
WHO found that the ashes and lava had
Cooled t. such an extent as to permit
the beginnings Of vegetable life, and on
making a closer examination he dis.
covered that during the brief space Of
four years nature had stocked the isl.
ana with 246 different kinds Of plants.
There are many seeds which seem. BY
Ss>>lr formation, to be specially design.
cd for transmission through the air. and
~ tto,., ,c.. m .ol n "a s,,,tto N 0ood iItua.
trations rs the thistle. The seed Of the
common dandelion. a plant to he seen
on every common. has wings which
will carry It away on the very slightest
breath Of air. The wings are very
slight filaments. radlatlng backward
from the seed, 70 that when the Inter
0nally lodges II falls tip first. In the
most favorable position for taking root.
Country children In the United states
often find amusement In blowing the
seeds from the stalk and watching to
see how far they will go before falling
to the ground. but whenever there II
even n moderate breeze the experiment
IL uniformly failure. rs the fleecy seed
fiy on, Of sight and are gone In an in
p"uts GNU thc heAt sVusoh u uuhuesoi
springs up In somebody's lawn where
the plant was never seen before. The
common tumble weed is another exam.
pie OF the winged seed. The plant
grows In a woody bunch which when
dried is easily separated from the stalk
and light breeze sets the ball rolling
over the ground to scatter its seed
wherever 1t goes.
The seeds Of many ferns and micro.
scopic plants are 80 constructed as to
be readily lifted and carried away by
the wind, while some of considerable
size are provided with IN elaborate ar
rangement for aerial transportation
The common maple Is an example OF
the last kind, for projecting from III
large head Is n membrane closely re
sembllpg In size, shape and general up
pearnnce the wing Of the locust. Wher
the seed Is separated from the tree
even II the mir be quite still, II does moi
fall directly to the earth, but by II,
peculiar construction acquires in fall
ing spiral motion that takes It sew
ernl feet from beneath the starting
point, Ind when brisk breeze Is blow
ing one Of these winged seeds has beer
known to twirl through the air for oil
miles before its Journey came to an enc
and It sank to the ground. there to ger
inmate and start a maple grove-St
Louis Globe emocrat.