The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-10
SATURDAY, SEPT. 10, 1904.
A VEGETABLE coRKscREw
The Alflaria Seed Twists Itself About and
Behold Is .

The Aflaria Seed Twists Itself About Times and
Behold, It Is Planted
Joseph Eastman, writes Clara r. Hamilton in Pres
byterian Banner to Los Angeles last fall spend
the Hnter but his mother felt much better there
than she did the east that papa said they would stay
year Joseph was very well pleased, partly because he
was glad to his mother well and happy partly
because there were so many and queer things in
California that he wanted to stay and find out about
them One day he standing by the gate when a
couple OF children passed their way from school, One
was the boy who lived next door and the other a
bigger boy
What those things your coate' asked Joseph
The boy next door looked down at the front of his
ling Of tat east they looked like sticks ' ''''
That's fillaree, - said he.
What's is there forg'' asked Joseph.
Put it there to it wind up answered the boy
l Ihen the bigger boy stopped
esDo you see that weed with the little pink bos-
soms?'' he asked ''Wel, those punches of pods be-
long to it, and when the pods get dry you just pull
apart, like this and stick them into your coat and the
end begins to around and around like clock hand.
Some of the boys call them clocks.''
AS he spoke, he pulled off of the little brown
Seeds with its long, sharp end or wing and stuck it into
his sleeve and enough the free end
ming little corkscrew. Joseph gazed at it in astonsh
ment -~-s-
''What makes it do that9' he asked but the bow
could not tell Joseph took handful in to his Aunt
Mary who had lived years in California and who
knew great deal about the strange plants that grow
there.
"Amt Mary, what makes the faree twist up sos'
Aunt Mary looked at the bunch of brown pods
oh," she said that is alflara, tho the children
sometimes call it fllaree for short. People who have
studied these little seeds think that they
help themselves into good place for growing next year,
~ don't see how turning around and around like
that would do any good, - said Joseph.
'Well, you know, the minute the seeds fall to the
ground one end begins to twist around and that pushes
the other endthe seed end-into the dust. It goes
these little hairs, all turned backwards Can you guess
what they for9''
''No can't. There aren't enough of them to keep
the seed warm.'' ~. IT. -
emo, not enough for that They just keep it in
the place that all this twisting turning
it. They are stiff and will not let it backward You
know here in California do have grass you do
IN the east This afaria is grass And these long,
slender seeds would get blown away and lost in dry
months if there not way keeping them
they belong. They belong out the hills and fields Just
where they fall that they grow there year.
and the and sheep have plenty of aflara to
eat.'' -+.-~-.-
g And do you that the seeds twist themselves
right into the ground2''
g Yes they twist themselves into the ground very
much the way corkscrew twists into cork And the
funny part of is that they keep at work almost
summer For when the wing of the seed is wet it will
straighten out all nice and fiat again. Of course,
not have any rain here in the summer but there often
enough fog to get the little seeds pretty wet then
the long wing straightens and smooth and when
the begins to shine, and it gets and dry Why
it just twists again and pushes se Aarther every
time And so it keeps until winter comes and the
rains fall It is ready to grow then, and by
has gotten itself as nicely planted tho farmer had
put it carefully under the ground with his hands, Is it
not wonderful how the heavenly Father has planned for
the smallest things that he has made9''