Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-07-28
PLANT PUZZLES.

MunN arc the mysteries which
plant-lifc holds for horiculturists-
mysteries which they have been striv-
ing for years to fathom: and one of
the most puzzlinS plants known to
science is the orchid
This orchid said It's exhibitor Mt
the horticultural Society's flower
show In January last. has done
thing Which have never seen before.
1t has changed it's color three times
The flowers opened with violet
blotchcs on n yellow BACKGROUND.
Then the yellow turned To white and
We saw that we had something very
unusual. Later the white background
changed again to pale lilac, and we
now consider the plant TO IL price
less"
Gardening is by some considered =
dull occupation. A greater mistake
could not he made. YOu never know
exactly what will happen when you
plant seed in the ground or graft
scion on an old stock. This chamc-
leon orchid which we have just de-
scribed was grown from n seed plant
ell SIX years ago. Ii is Il hybrid or
cross between two comparatively
common orchids, yet it is priceless,
gardener never can prophesy
what seed will grow into Some
times the seed of n beautiful and val
liable plant Will revert and make
totally valueless production: some
times, on the other hand, the seed OF
n common, cheap variety will evolve
into Il yer ymiracle of beauty and
value. An instance of the latter is
seen in the famous Shirley poppies,
which range through every tint from
snowy white to richest crimson: and
yet were all raised from common
corn poppy which the. Reverend w.
Wilkes of Shirley Vicarage. Croydon.
found In his weed-grown garden when
he first took possession. The garden
was ovcrrun with peoples. and one
of these, Mr.. Wilkes noticed differcJi
slightly from the others. He mark
cd 1t, saved the seeds and from the
seed OF that one wild poppy have de-
scended all those hundreds of vari-
colored Shirlcys which so delight our
eye.
Luther Burbank Is known as the
plant magician. but sometimes even
he gets surprise, a year ago
carnation lowered in his garden
which. like the chameleon orchid
has puzzled him as much ms 1t has
anyone else. The first day the bloom
is pure white; within 4hours the
color has changed to a pale pure pink
In another day the carnation has
blushed brilliant crimson ana so re-
mains.
There are plants which owe their
attractivencss To the fact that they
are freaks. The cockscomb, still com
mon in old-fashioned gardens, is one
~ 4.
in its strange habit of broadening the
upper end of its flowcr-stalk into n
form which. strictly speaking, is mon
strous
The common foxglove sometimes
grows in a similar monstrous shape
for no apparent reason, and the writ
or has often noticed ox.eyed daisies
which. instead Of throwing out the
ordinary petals, present lumpish
green heads.
1t takes long and careful toll on
the part of the gardener to improve
n common single into doulse flow
or and then, after the now VARIETY
seems TO he thoroughly established.
II may suddenly and for no apparent
reason. revert. The double crimson
hawthorn Is an instance in point. a i
tree of crimson hawthorn will some
times bear white flowers on one
branch. while all the rest are red.
Again plants will sometimes bloom
at the wrong time OF the year. The
most famous instance is the Glastcl
bury thorn, which used to blossom at
Christmas until some sacrilegiousl
Puritan chopped 1t down. Crafts
from it still flourish, and one Mt SUIT
ton Poyntz duly blossomcd ut Christ
mas (Old Style. January 5th in the
year 1881. On the hartford road, he
You'd Erith, stands horse chestnut
which has more than once thrown
out spikes OF blossoms for second
time in September.
What is. perhaps. the oldest of all
botanical mysteries Is the Oxalis ceru-
nus. yellow-flowered weed common
In Southern Franco and In Italy, |
which Is one OF the most persistent
visitors that ever came unasked into
garden. This plant never seeds.
How II pronagates is n mystery which
the quaint little plant keeps to itself
and. in spite OF all Investigations and
many experiments, botanists are still
as much in the dark as eyer.--London
Answers.