The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-16

room at the top but the question ia how
to get there? Without light they are like
the young trees, poor, sickly washed out
things. hardly able to raise themselves
even with the aid of the stems of trees
or other climbers like themselves Some
few do succeed, however. one way or an
other-one species using veritable claws
and when at length they get to the top.
how they do revenge themselves on the
trees which have stood in their light,
First the vine, after having surmounted
the tree, branches out in various direc-
tons, spreading its leaves over those OF
its support, until eventually a wealth of
brilliant flowers open out. eclipsing those
of the trees altogether But this is not a
sufficient revenge. After Haunting its SUI
perior splendor before the tree. the vine
says, Now l am going to kill you IL
extends its branches while its stem swelis
ard hardens until it looks like great
hempen cable which, if 1t happens TO be a
twiner. constructs its support in serpent
like folds until perhaps the tree is stran-
sled to death. But by this time the vine
has spread Itself over dozen giants OF
the forest where it revels in the sunlight
and seems to crow over its victory,
Perhaps the most insidious enemy
against which the forest tree has to con-
tend is the class of strangers such as
clusia and figs. Birds eat the frrlit OF
these malevolent plants and deposit the
seeds in the topmost forks of some for
est giant, where they terminate. One OF
these succeeds in getting ahead. and as
its leaves open, it extends number Of
aerial roots down the trunk OF the tree
until they reach the earth. Crawling AMI
twining like very long worms, the dsadly
folds seem reather to embrace tenderly
their intended victim. Now the stranger
has gained its footing. and be-
gins to feel its power The
aerial roots expand laterally I'M
TIL they actually into each 9th
er, and cover the trunk. One can almost
fancy the magnificent forest tree pro-
testing strongly as oetopus-like the clu-
sia begins to compress and strangle it.
But opposition and protest are in vain
The deadly vine grows stronger and
stronger, until by and by. as it opens its
magnificent flowers TO the sun and glo-
ries in its conquest, the poor unfortu-
nate victim droops and dies. Its trunk
becomes diseased. wood ants begin their
work. and finally nothing is left but the
hollow cylinder OF the stranger.
There is yet another foe to the giant
of the forest, the parasite or bloodsucker,
the leech of the vegetable kingdom. Like
the leech, it is not very large in COMPARE
son with its victim, but that does not
matter. as IL makes up IN NUMBERS what
it lacks in size. These plants are known
as bird vines. their seeds. like those Of
the strangers, being distributed by birds.
These seeds are covered with glutinous
J;ulp which, when they are dropped by
birds, enables them to adhere TO the
branches of the trees Here they sprout.
and with their young leaves. produce
aerial roots, covered with suckers. which
run along and insinuate themselves into
the cracks of the bark. continually nour-
ishing themselves on the lifeblood Of their
victims. AS the loranth expands itself.
it seems to revel in the mischief il is
producing looking bright and happy in
contrast with its miserable victim, whose
limbs begin 10 wither and fall. Until
ultimately the branch becomes dry and
brittle, when perhaps some day 1t breaks
off by it's own weight and comes to the
ground. bringing its murderer with il.
Sometimes the entire tree sickens and
dies.
These are some instances of the warfare
waged by denizens OF the vegetable king
dom against one another not taking into
consideration the dread attacks OF the In
sect world 1t will be seen that existence
in the tropical torest is precarious. and
that life, even in the case of a tree, IS
sometimes a weary burden.