Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1907-10-05

tuates plants and flowers in this way.
The fact is, their object is to safe
guard their greatest treasure For In
the flowers heart are placed the tiny
seeds in a case, and round them the
equally valuable stamens carrying
the precious pollen-dust fully exposed
to the air.
Thus If cuplike flowers such as the
EsChscholtzias remained open in wet
weather miniature rain pool would
form and I'LL each blossom to the hrim
from one end of its life to the other,
washing away and spelling the sod
den pollen dust. Moreover, no insect
would care to dive through the pool
in search of honey! And there would
be no messengers to carry out the
marvellous acts of fertilization from
one flower to another,
For this reason do many flowers
seek to protect their pollen; and the
more sensitive the plant to slight at
mospheric changes the more success
fully does it guard its treasure. Now
let us consider the barometer plants
that do not actually close their petals
in bad weather, but droop their heads
so that a cup becomes hanging bell,
presenting only its back to the rain
fall.
The little wild geranium stands up
pink and bold on bright days, but
droops perceptibly in damp weather,
until at length its face is to the
ground. The pretty mauve heads of
the sheep-bit or scabious act in just
the same way, as also does the Clay
tonia-a cheerful enough creature in
fair weather but very detected and
insignificant on a showery day.
l have often watched a patch of AL
pine potentilla that grew in a rock
garden. On a brilliant spring morn
ing it was a blaze of gold, and the
tender green foliage was thickly stud
ded with exquisite little yellow bios
SONS. But on a dull wet day the
shot stems turned quite over and lay
almost at right angles to their orig
inal petitions, while the yellow cups
were turned entirely upside down.
Other plants that prefer this
method of protection for their pollen,
and therefore pose as weather proph-
cts, are the cinquefoil, potato wood
sorrel, campanula, chickweed and
willow-herb. The last-named is es-
pecially willy. On bad day you will
see most of the flowers bent over,
while few remain erect. Here, you
will say, the barometer role is uncer-
tain and left to chance. But investi-
gate more closely and you will see it
is only the older flowers that do not
bend. All the younger ones have
done so, and little further knowl-
edge of each flowers life story eX-
plains the point.
The life of each is but three days,
On the first two the stamens are ripe,
and scattering their pollen on all in
sect visitors. The third day, however
the function of the stamens is ended
but the carpets containing the seeds
are now ready for incubation by pol
len for the first time. Here is a
clever scheme to ensure cross fertiliz'
alton; but its interest for us is that
the flowers do not droop over on the
third day, because there is no longer
any need to protect the pollen.
But, 1t may be asked, if plants and
flowers think rain injurious in this
way, how is it there are notable ex'
ceptions? The fact is that most dc
make provision for their flowers
against the rain, but such provision
can be made in many ways. There
is no real need for plant or flower tc
turn into a barometer" to effect this
Thus in such plants as the monks
hood, violet, yellow rattle, snapdrag
on, sweet-pea and others, their curl
ousiy shaped petals provide a kline
of permanent roof over the stamens
In the globe flower the yellow sepali
never open out entirely, but Away
close the stamens in. And in thu
arums the green sheathing spath'
is a permanent protection.
Again, many plants that bear thei
buds in an upright posture to begil
with invert them into a dropping at
titude directly they begin to open
and remain thus until after the pollel
has matured. Then the stalk
straighten themselves again, and tn
fruit is borne upright. This happen
with the fritillaries, the water ayen
and brugmansias, as we'll as the dead
Iy night-shade, lily of the valley am
many others.
Moreover, some plants have littl
, lids on their anthers or pollen-boXes
Thus the laurels and bastard toadtia
. are so provided, and these lids clos
in when the weather is damp. an
only open when the sun is out an
the air quite dry. In the case G
the bastard toadfax, these wonder
fully ingenious lids" are so sensitiv
that they will shut up within thirt
seconds of the approach of moisture
American Homes and Gardens.