The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-30
TREES THREE INCHES NIGH.



The most interesting feature OF the for
estry and herbaceous collection Of Cornell
university is one recently added. consist
ing Of specimens OF perfect forest trees
less than three inches high. They were
brought 10 tie university from the Arctic
regions by Ii party Of explorers sent out
by the institution itself. The most notas,le
features Of the collection are the Arctic
birch and the erowberry.
Nowhere sn this country. so far as
known. does q museum contain perfect
specimens Of the birch. This curious
growth r. occasionally to be found OF the
top OF Mount Washington, but no one has
ever before been able to secure one of
these tiny trees in absolutely perfect con-
di:ion- The specimens which Cornell has
were found on the Greenland coast, some
at Godhayen. on the Isle of Dislike. Others
were discovered at Wilcox head. where
the exploring party that secured speei-
mems did most of It's work. A curious DIFF
ference between this hliputian birch and
the ordinary forest tree OF the same spe-
cies Is that the Arctic specimen bears
fruit. The trees on the island Of Dislike
were covered with fruit when the expior-
ers found them. What Is mCce. this fruit
Is decidedly edible. II has a taste not TN
like the juniper berry and Ii said to be ex-
eeedingly health giving.
Ever 30 many persons have read Of this
little birch tree under the scientific name
of betula mana, without having any idea
Of what the name really signihed. Trans
lated. II means white birch, and those who
have read of the struggle Of DIR. Elisha
Kent Kane and his companions In the
Arctic regions half century ago will re-
member what an important part the be-
tula mana took in sustaining the life Of the
members of the expedition. The berries
which grow upon the birch seem to have
a ma mr. Of r}pIr
and upon them a person may exist for a
long time without materially losing
strength.
The second notable specimen Ii known
as the erowberry. or Az the scientist terms
II. the cnpetrum nigrum. While this tree
Is in measure a cosmopolitan plant, al
though classed as ar Arctic growth. the
same difficulty has been experienced In
securing perfect specimens as I'm the case
OF the birch. The crowberry grows In this
. country on Mount Desert Ia Maine. and
Is occasionally found at the highest points
of the Sierra Nevada range OF mountains.
Like the birch. IL bears an edible berry.
and 1t is no exaEgeration to state that ii
is one OF the principal sources Of succu-
lent food in the region where 1t grows.
Several years ago an exploring expedt-
ton to the Arctic regions very thoroughly
investigated the crowberry. for the pur-
pose of discovering what difference there
was. ii any, and whether other than ell
matte conditions were the cause OF the
difference
These old specimens of Arctic growth
arc all the more notable because of the
fact that OF the several hundred species OF
plants which grow in the Arctic regions
the great majority are herbs. Few Of
these. however. are ANIMALS. The ccndi-
lions existing in the Arctic zone seem to
favor the herbaceous plant above all
NJ ~
seem 10 be the most efficient vehicle to
carry the lives of the plants over the long
and severe winter. In fact. no woody
plants. with the exception of those men
toned In this article. growing in the Arc
tic regions. deserve TO he called trees or
even shrubs in the ordinary sense of the
term. Their stems are PROSTATE. sending
up short, ieafy branches. which expand
flowers and bear fruit in an incredibly
short time
A third specimen Of the dwarf trees
which was brought back by the Cornell
party was the Arctic willow. There Is the
Arctic willow proper. and then what Is
known the bear willow. II and the
herbaceoas willow grow within the limits
Of the United States upon the tops of the
highest mountains. notably Mount WASH
ington. The reticuiated willow is a very
beautiful plant the rarest of them ALL
The Cornell party discovered a specimen
on the Labrador coast. They had great
difficulty In securing a perfect willow OF
this sort. and the specimen that now rests
In Cornell museum Is believed 70 be the
only one in existence away from It's native
climate.
These little trees which have been de-
scribed are OF exceeding interest apart
from their rarity and place OF discovery,
from the exact resemblance in every slight
detail IN the great trees Of the same spe-
cies found In the forests OF the United
States. For instance the leaf is precisely
the same and the general appearance of
the wood exhibits no difference With the
willow II is curious 10 note the ieaf forma-
ton and the quality ~ sap that exusfes
from twg when the bark IS removed
therefrom The texture OF the wood is
precisely the same. One can make very
fair whistle out Of the trunk ~ any Of the
Arctic willows equal In quality to that
which the youngster evolves from the
small branch Of the willow Of ordinary
size
Taken altogether. the collection Is an
exceeding novelty in It's way. So far as
known. the only museum where the trees
which lock ms II they came from f.ilspu,
can be seen Is AZ Cornell university.