The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-12

-< HE expert botanist who has for
gotten his watch and gets
caught out in Kinnear park or
any other park for that mat
IL ter. without a timepiecc In his
waistcoat these bright sunny
mornings isn't worried I'm the least by any
difficulty in ascertaining the time. ny
simply throwing a glance around him IN
tho direction OF the flowers he can tell
the hour almost to the minute just 40
quickly as II he were looking ineo the
countenance Of hlgh-priced chronome-
ter. ThrouRhout the morning and most
OF the afternoon some flower II opening
or closing every hour. and with very
little instruction and observation the lay
man as well as the florist, botanfst or
gardener can tell ithe hour by inspecting
few OF the flowers wherever they are
found in as large numbers and variety az
In the parks
The action OF this Moral clock IS regu-
lated and quite perceptihiy affected Ny
weather conditions and Is scarcely con-
sidered reliable except In warm. sunny
weather On cloudy. cool days the ac-
| ton Of the flower machinery. as II wera.
seems to be seriously retarded and the
flowers do not open promptly ON time. IL
| requires hot days and undimTncd sunshine
| 10 bring the blossoms up to the scratch
| and make them open up and close nj the
regulation hours when II IN time for them
| 20 get up or go to bed. The humidity or
| the dryners az the atmosphere also af-
| fects them, so IL the day II not perfect
the person who would tell the time by
the flowers must be well versed IN the
| modifying conditions and the extent OF
their effects. Otherwise on cool. cloudy
day the tyro who had merely learned the
hours Of the normal openings and clos
ings might make serious blundsrs In his
chronological calculations.
Washington park. Chicago Is an excel
lent place for studying the habits OF fiow-
1 ers The early riser ~ the morning glory,
when the suns first rays begin 20 creep
1 over the earth along about o'clock the
beautiful rural flower hops up without
/ waiting for a rising bell One dash OF
| sunshine into his eyes II enough his sleep
| IL over and he throws open his velvefy
blossom and blooms away until he Gas ex-
/ bausted himself for one 'da3.
NV the time O'Clock gets around the
water peoples are beginning 70 open up
| for the day. They aFe Seiiewsah little
fewcra which live only on thT water. and
| which close mp AZ night about the time
| some other aquatic plants are beginning
| 10 bloom
A, 7 o'clock there II no flower which is
beginning to open or close. 80 the garden
81 i able to ten this hos because when Il
COMES around there IS M chanEe whatever
, taxing place among the plants
AS ss'cieck q water flower II again the
Indicator az the hour. Then the new buds
| on the magnificent double blue nymphia
/ from Zanxshar begins TO open. The ngm-
phia Il very large ara extremely bess-
,tfs, SPECIES - water sliy. imported into
thls country from zanzibar. Each vne ~
,hg rig blue flowers which bloom upur z
cnens three days in succession Tbs FIRST
dax j, COMES into exisfeufe Il opens ~
o'clpex an6 " fn'iy hiown by ? Thr Aec-
at4aer as Ia4s41 -
At.e a. o'clock the oYdisary water
{ ,ases ,saW4 each day So THESE fwo kinda
- wnter isfies carrnheraie Each other .
testimony ~ 70 the haur ~ 2, Orr r1rees
~ tbas houf While the other, when swo
aays cid. II iast opening as M sAE~ mo
-rse hour ~ 10 o'efoek also = indicated
b., $50 ~ rasfer three Witnesses ~ y
M s1sr ssfineks afd asrpltniae which he
! -, hsnorr{nr the night f,vfoFe csa*e 10
rszapsrsetx At the same isegf the ihrfe-
day-osd nymphias Begin ~ ofse1
ytx ii s-ei0ck fan thfee.3afsni3 blooms
- fslw orenef hearing TIRE cnty fe~-
,lnseav * an the rewers IN fhe bed ~
( ~ -h4 watAr that sse hasss hefsfr naar
| ~. arrived. Tire arrival Il The reon boar
4 arnnuneea ~ the closing np ~ he
morning xiefiss. ~hien taen snf snaS "
sha heat ard refifa fsr she day y zeeg-
p@raie ~ ~ cening d ne sun % 'hs
/ following morning
rvorr y n'e4sek nnfii the man who u
ulthoes his wateh will have % hlandrs
along a. best he ran. guessing fhe time,
ar between y ard o'esock there Il No
aa,rer which either opens eT closes.
Rat when the hour " eenaeH srounf
the flowers sarnewilat make ap Tor nav-
ins been 50 remixs b. aring dosbie ga
lutte. so TO speak Two kinds 81 tube
shaped flowers vie with each ctheE 70 SCI