New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-24
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE THURSDAY. NOVEMBER "a 1904

europe present very meagre showing beside the
iiashihceht woods of America. The five leaved
pines OF America the wide variations of the oak.
'ne maple the tulip tree. the sweet gum the horse
chestnut the locust popIar and plane the hick-
ory' the walnut, all typical American trees. are
unknown in Europe. except as they have been
introduced in parks
a host of American shrubs and herbs like
"lso unknown in Europe among them the kamia.
INC rhododendrons. the azaloas. the asters golden
rodS, suntowers and water lilies
NOW all these silva and fora have stamped upon
'ncIA predomndtinS marks of identity with those of
Nh'na and japan Why is this?
1he reason Is that in the great Ice age. which
came gust before the present geologic epoch, the
vast Ice cap from the polar regions travelled south
ward to the fortieth degree of latitude. In Amer
II" the lortlc:h degree runs along the southern
boundary of Ohio. In Europe it falls in the Med@
iterranean Sea. Also. the great mountain ranges
OF Europe run cast and west. instead of north and
SOUTH n ~ America. and they in their turn sent
out icefoes north and south. Caught between the
mountains, the sea and the awful icecap from the
north the poor and flowers OF Europe per-
lShed utterly. leaving only fossils to show that Eu
rope once possessed as varied and beautiful fora
mercy o f on thT s9 fafrs dney
ING after ts ice age tn overspre adj the North once
obstacle TO the progress the ancient flora up the
Western Coast, SO that it is the plants and trees
tity with thosa of Asia
III State: Island students may find ample mate
the fora of the pine barrens of New-Jersey has
met that of The Northern States. SO that three
quarters Of all the species in the State still to
he found here. The fringed gentian, lily and
cardinal flower still linger in remote The
asters and goldenrod. most typical of American
the only place in the city where butternut trees
can be found. The sweet gum. tulip peperidge
locust red. white and sugar naples. all be
found there. The tulip and splendid old oaks
be found in Prospect Park also. and the kalma.
typical American shrub oe the Blue Ridge has been
introduced into Central Park. where il lines many
rocky banks.
The huckleberry one of the shrubs most char
acteristic OF America and Asia still haunts the
wilder parts of Staten Island and the typical Amer
lean water plants. also found wild in Asia. are in
the ponds of all the parks In Van Cortland and
Pelham Bay parks characteristic trees and a few
~iGfoweTs also be found. Curiously enough.
however. the most common roadside flowers in
America, the dandehOn. buttercup. daisy and Ca
madam thistle, all importations from Europe
The typical American wildfowers of the Eastern
woods We're destroyed. The goldenrods and asters
almost the only well known roadside flowers
which are native Americans.
Professor GrataCap also directed his hearers
where to find material for field work in geology
within the city limits. but he referred to botany as
the most popular branch OF nature study for the
public schools
Botany is the easiest form OF nature study
said he, because the specimen does not elude the
And, owing to the fact that most of the teachers
are of the sex peculiarly susceptible to beauty the
study of botany becomes with many of them a
positive passion. Their humane feelings not
shocked in dissectirg the specimens, as in shoot
ing the bird or impaling the insect"