The suburban citizen., 1902-03-29
NATURES SEED-POCKETS
PROVISION FOR THE SPREAD AND
PERPETUATRON OF VsR0URE.
The Magic Ease with Which She Re-
robes u Desolated ReEion-Birds as
Ministers of Her Fecundity-Wtnged
and Arrow Units of Life.

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. Ey-
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 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
rerent ATTITUDES. In Louisiana and
Mississippi the flora peculiar to the
Rocky Mountain heights, where tie
Missouri has its 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 a remarka-
Bile illustration Of the facility with
which nature is able to replant with
vegetable life a desolated region. The
centre of the disturbance was the ISL
and volcano of Krakatoa, which sent
forth foods of molten lava and burning
ashes, 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, 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
been the only agents.
The birds do great share in this
work. Mr.. Darwin found by examlna-
tion that particles of earth adhering to
the feet of migrating birds generally
contain seeds. From a 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 no 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 tho
north, the Canada thistle made its ap
pearance in localities from the Dakotas
to the Gulf of Mexico. The whea
fields Of the Northwest and the cottOr
and sugar plantations of the Soutf
were all planted by the winds Will
this most unwelcome immigrant.
There are many seeds which, like the
thistle, depend almost entirely upon the
winds for transmission and distrlbu
tion. Some of them, as the maple ant
the ash, have wings, and literally fly
on the wind. The seed of the maple
tree has an elaborate arrangement foI
aerial transportation. 1t has wings
like those of a locust or large grass
hopper. When the seed is detached
from the tree, even If there Is NJ
breeze, 1t does rot fall directly to th'
ground, but, by its peculiar construc
tion, it acquires a spiral motion whicl
carries it at least some yards from be
meath its starting point. When a wlnt
i3 blowing these seeds often twir
through the air for miles before the!
finally sink to the ground to find new
home and to found new maple grove
Some time ago appeared an accom-
of maple trees growing to the heigh
Of twenty-three feet upon the SUNNI
Of tower 1917 feet high in Greeusburg
Decatur County, Ind. A grove 0
maple trees surrounds the Court House
Of which this tower forms part, ant
tie winged seeds, borne aloft by th
winds, have taken root and lourisl
upon the roof of the tower
All varieties Of asters have seeds fur
nished with soft, feathery pinions. TIL
gontlest zephyr is sufficient to wal
! them over field and meadow, and plan
them by every stream and pathway
but the storm-wind lifts them TO tn
clouds, and they fly to far-cff regions
Millions fall into waters, which d
their share in planting them on dis
! tant shores; other millions perish bu
/ natures pockets never become empty.
The dandclion shows an almost HI
: man intelligence In the sudden growt
, Of the flower stem, when the seed
! begin 10 rpen to exactly th
g height which enables it to rear II
{ crown Of feathercd arrows above til
} surrounding growths, so that th
! breeze may bear the seed away an
! plant it. Borne high upon the wine
/. 1t sails point first, arrOw-lilie, and fall
5 into the earth in tie most favorabl
. position for taking root. The countr
t children blow the seeds from the stal
4. t. see whether mother wants me-"