The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-10
PLANTS AND ANIMALS TRAVEL.
They Follow Emigrants and Tour
lists Round the Globe.

lists Round the Globe.
| From the Chicapo Chronicle.
Apples were unknown in California
| previous TO the eastern emigration TO
| the coast in 1919. In that year and
! the Following years until the railroads
| Were built the thousands that went
overland made large provision for sus-
| tehance on the way, Bales of hav
and whole oats were carried along
for the cattle and mules, and from the
,Missouri river TO the Pacific ocean
theic sprang up grasses that were
strange to that country. and to this
day the old trails are marked with
timothy ana oats that grow Wild and
are indcstructibe. In course s,f time
oais cam" to be cultivated in some
sections. as barley had always been.
IL was the same with certain kinds of
FRUITS. Enigrants from Michigan and
Wisconsin, both apple growing states
LOOK with them the finest of apples to
eat as they moved across the plains
The seeds of this fruit We're dropped
mere and there, on receptive soil i'll
favorable climates. and hence the new
region of the Rockies and beyond was
soon thereafter known as an apple
growing region. Now some of the
finest I!aldWns and pippins to be found
anywhere are growing abundantly in
California;
This is only one instance of what Is
happening all the world over Num-
bers of the common plants and weeds
of civilized countries. as we'll as of the
birds. beasts and insects seen around
the homes in these countries. travel.
unnoticed, thence with man and SO pass
to the remotest continents and islands.
Like him. they possess the property of
crushing the resistance of the natives
and oustine them from their ancient
possessions. A recent investigator re-
ports that to New Zealand, within this
century. 500 species of plants. besides
animals and birds, have come from
England alone and established their
quarters. Many of them are small
species. but all are driving out the
natives before them. Scotch thistles
have spread enormously. The stinging
nettle bears it company. Dock and
SOW thistle flourish amazingly. while
the ponds are choked with water
cresses.
Besides the fine cultivated orange
trees of Florida. which have been i'm
are yet thckctS Of thorny wild orange
trees in the southern lake region of
that state. The fruit of these is coarse
and sour and of no value. The origin
of them dates from three centuries ago.
Before some Spanish invader in Ponce
De Icons force curelessly dropped the
company had brought on the long voy-
In rI t,. fro.
was unknown in America.
Down in the lonely antarctic Sir John
Hooker found a wild flower brighten
ing with its dainty blossoms a lonely
iset. The great naturalist knew the
flower for one which had gradually
spread from it's home in central Asia
across the contnuent of Europe to
Britain, but how it had jumped into
this far corner of the earth he was
puzzled to imagine. He knew. too. that
island had been bleak and bare. and
now there was not a spot uncovered.
He set out to explore. In the center
of the island he found the grave of
an English eX-sailor. 1t turned out
that the spade the grave had been dug
with had last been used in England. \
clung to the mold on its blade, and
from this grew a carpet that covered
the whole island.
Invading armies are great agents in
the spread of plants. Naturalists
twenty years hence, writing on South
African botonS, will date many weed
back to this year of war; Enormous
quantities of forage is being sent up
In t,.v lnxy
the front. The hay comes largely from
Canada as we'll as from England, and
the seeds of which it is full will ger
inmate and spread on the river banks
and veldt. The common sorrel, with
its red spikes, has already made Its
way wherever American hay has been
used. Another plant which is likewise
forcing it's way into every warm coun-
try on earth is the South African
passion flower, which now covers thou |
sands of acres of the fruit orchards |
of the United States with its trailing |
vines.
Such well-known English garden |
plants as the phlox and the verbena
have run wild over hundreds of acres !
of sandy Texan plains, as we'll as in |
If q white man tents for a few days |
in the newest of new lands behold the |
houseny is on hand. II he builds a |
house the cheeky sparrow is speedily |
to be seen quarreling with the poultry |
for their grain. A little longer and the
big brown rat appears as if by magic
and makes short work of the weaker
and smaller native. Our common Brit
ish mouse has also spread over Ameri- !,
ca' and Australia.