Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-05-29
NATURES SEED-POCKETS
PROVISION FOR THE SPREAD AND
PERPETUATlON OF vERDURE.

The Magic Ease With Which She Re
robes u DesoIated Region-Birds as
Ministers of Her Fecundity-Wingcd
md Arrowed Units of Life.
Mature" says the Autocrat Of the
breakfast Table, "always has her pock-
cts full Of seeds and holes in all her
pockets" Certain it is that nature
spares no pains in providing for the
perpetuation Of plant organisms. Ev-
cry wild plant furnishes myriads of
seeds, full allowance being made for
waste and loss, and so effective are
the means used in their distribution
and planting that very few years are
sufficient to spread a new variety over
wide areas.
During the glacial period the ice
masses which plowed the continents
bore with them seeds and roots. The
rivers and ocean currents took up the
work, bearing abroad the seeds of diff
ferent attitudes. In Louisiana and
Mississippi the fora peculiar to the
Rocky Mountain heights. where the
Missouri has it's source, 1000 miles
away, find lodgment on the shores Of
the Mississippi River and flourish un-
der the beams of the glowing semi
tropical sun. On the western coasts of
Ireland and England are found the
plants Of the plains Of the Amazon and
the Orinoco, the West Indies and Flor
ida, borne across the Atlantic by the
current OF the Gulf Stream.
The volcanic eruptions in the Island
of Java in 1888, furnished remarka-
BILE illustration of the facility with
vegetable life desolated region. The
centre of the disturbance was the ISL
and volcano of Krakatoa, which sent
forth floods OF molten lava and burning
nshes, so that every living thing,
whether animal or vegetable was de-
stroyed. The island, in the words Of
an observer, was ''red hot" Only four
years after this event, a naturalist, Wis
iting this spot, found that nature, un-
assisted by man, had stocked the ISL
and with 246 varieties of plants. The
winds, the waves and the birds had
Deeu tHe only dSeulS.
The birds do great share in this
work. Mr. Darwin found by eXamina-
ton that particles of earth adhering to
the feet of migrating birds generally
contain seeds. From q ball of earth
carefully removed from the leg of a
wounded partridge he raised eighty-two
plants Of five different species. From
six and three-quarter ounces of earth
gathered from the feet Of birds which
frequent the shores of lakes and ponds,
he raised, under glass. 10 less than 537
plants. The plumage of migrating
birds also contains many kinds Of seed
which adheres to them as they stop to
feed or to sleep on their way to distant
lands. Many seeds are carried in the
stomachs of herbivorous animals, and
thus make long journeys.
Some years ago, after an unusual
prevalence of high winds from the
north, the Canada thistle made it's ap-
pearance in localities from the Dakotas
to the Gulf of Mexico. The wheat
fields of the Northwest and the cotton
and sugar plantations of the South
were all planted by the winds with
this most unwelcome immigrant.
There are many seeds which, like the
thistle, depend almost entirely upon the
winds for transmission and distribu-
ton. Some of them, as the maple and
the ash, have wings, and literally fly
on the wind. The seed of the maple
tree has an elaborate arrangement for
aerial transportation. 1t has wings
like those Of a locust or large grass
from the tree, even if there Is no
breeze, it does not fall directly to the
ground, but, by its peculiar construc-
ton, it acquires q spiral motion which
carries it at least some yards from be-
meath its starting point. When wind
IL blowing these seeds often twirl
through the air for miles before they
finally sink to the ground to find new
home and to found new maple grove.
Some time ago appeared an account
of maple trees growing to the height
CT twenty three feet upon the summit
UI Il lower lol Ieel ulsu III
Decatur County, Ind. A grove Of
maple trees surrounds the Court House,
Of which this tower forms part, and
Tie winged seeds, borne aloft by the
winds, have taken root and flourish
upon the roof of the tower.
All varieties of asters have seeds fur
nished with soft, feathery pinions. The
gcntlest zephyr is sufficient to watt
them over field and meadow, and plant
them by every stream and pathway,
but the storm-wind lifts them to the
clouds, and they fly to far-off regions.
Millions fall into waters, which do
their share in planting them on dis
tant shores other millions perish, but
natures pockets never become empty.
The dandelion shows an almost hui
man intelligence in the sudden growth
of the flower stem, when the seeds
begin to ripen, to exactly the
height which enables it to rear its
crown of feathercd arrows above the
surrounding growths, so that the
breeze may bear the seed away and