The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-11-03

Ceylon, whdte 1t has the name OF the
Monkey Clip" because those animals
lift the lids and drink the juice of water
it contains AID are fond of it, so say the
missionaries who further state that
men in that climate often drink from
those ours When they are thirsty and
no water ne.r. 1t has strengthening
power for DISEASES native to that island.
Other amin lis and birds use 1t when
dry. Nature provides for her own,
There are bther plants equally useful
that are only found on the sea islands
One very peculiar plant grows in the
south called the Fly Trap" and is
dangerous ID those insects, for 1t is
really what is name implies, a trap
for flies" Ii is open to the sunshine
and dew, and is most innocent look
ing, not to say beautiful plant, with no
seeming danger in it. Bullet a fly,
bee or any inject light upon its leaves,
and they arr shut in for life, The
leaves close together, the edges of the
leaves fit together like teeth closely
locked, and the imprisoned fly dies a
lingering dee tn. What the design of
such a plant was for only the Creator
knows
The leaf of The common fern, or wild
wood brake /, another peculiar plant,
The seed-bea ring portion or flower is
under the sur face of the leaf, where 1t
is unseen Except by examination
through the microscope. 1t is COM
mon plant in fur New England forests.
The cactus is a plant having thick
leaves as do tae India rubber tree and
the commoni wax plant. The cactus
leaf if brokenI off from the parent stem
will grow if pls ced edgeways in the soft
soil near the rC,cks. 1T grows native in
the south. TIE rubber grass has a
pretty shape{ leaf and is one of ma
lures curiositSes 1t is striped and no
two leaves ai|e alike, They differ as
human faces d..
There are OTHER plants whose leaves
differ On the [ ame branches, and they
all hang togef her stirred by the same
wiEd, nourisbed by the sunshine and
dew, yet dnfer.lg as the people of the
earth do in ljoks, and some of their
characteristics like brothers and sis
ters of the same parents, yet looking
like neither. The ribs of the leaves
contain the SAB which flows from the
tree, and this fluid extends to the
smaller rib tF vein and from there
passes off into the atmosphere. When
leaves are\brolien from the tree the sap
ceases to flow and the leaves die. Put
them in water ind they will live several
days, the watt4c passes up through the
veins instead of sap and evaporates,
but does not i,italize like the sap and
after given time the leaves will die.
1t is known that leaves absorb the
moisture from the atmosphere daily,
and is taken tt the main plant and also
from the soil Which passes off from the
leaves A GREET deal of the moisture in
the air comes from trees and other pro-
auctions of th.4 SOIL the leaves breath
ing the moisture into the air all the
time. The sotsness in the atmosphere
comes from TIE leaves and the fra
GRANGE from tte breath of flowers. A
garden of roseA in bloom will perfume
the surrounding air, making 1t balmy
and very pleasant Each leaf yields its
small portion, ind as there are millions
of leaves, a grY$at deal of water passes
up into the atmosphere with the ammo
mated matter from the decayed vege-
table and animal substances which be-
comes, through chemical action, min
gled with the ltir, ard moisture being
condensed, it liz to the earth in dew
and raj, whet' it is absorbed by the
soil, and entering the roots of trees and
plants it passes, up in the form of sap
/ to be sent up cain by or through the
leaves, and thus the vitalizing power in
4 nature is pert atually at work, never
!. failing and neEer ceasing till the end of
4 time, AMOS D. SMITH, Sd.