Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-09

as in the case Of the common purple orchs: Dig up
of these long puppies of Shakespeare. and
you will find that its roots include two smooth round
tubers. One is just forming. while the other dates
from last year and is now being drawn upon by the
growing stem for nourshnent. Next season this
,also~will have wthered. while new tuber will be
upholding stem. and yet another little smooth
ball will be forming on the farther side Year after
year this process goes on that the stem every
season uprears itself half inch more from the
spot occupied by the plant the previous year. The
purple orchiS being perennial. it will have moved
six inches foot in few and similar action
. though much more pronounced characterizes sew
eral of our lilies and spring Towering bulbs.
Thus if you plant tulips that they shaded
by thick evergreens. the flowers will be found liter
ally to walk away from them into place of more
light The bulb will send out a white shoot that
runs at right angles below the earth until it is sew
eral inches away. Near its point swelling begins.
and develops into another bulb which sucks away
the substance of the old and the following year.
if the plant still finds its site unfavorabe, 1t will
repeat the process. -
apparent. Place. bulb. of Lilinm anratmnr, the
big flower pot and observe it closely For season
or two it will retain its position, and then break
up into a number of smaller bulbs. equaling
exceeding in number the Towering stems sent
up the previous summer. But when these in turn
give off stems you will that each does not at
grow up vertically but shoots horizontally
until it reaches the side of the pot when begins to
rise. Or you may plant such bulbs in the garden
border and put in stick to mark the spot. In the
of few seasons you will find that your lilies
have travelled quite distance from the stake. Tulip
and and lily strongly object to being crowded.
pastures new.
Renewing Their Youth
THEN there is large class of perennial trailing
plants whose length of life is hardly ascertanable
since they may be said constantly to renew their
youth. Among them may be mentioned creeping
jenny the periwnkle. strawberry and sweet violet
small portion of the trailing plant, broken off and
dropped on damp earth will send down roots from
fha md he of
shoots that peg themselves down at short intervals
and cover a considerable area with pretty network
of green vines Everyone knows how violets and
strawberry plants throw out stolons runners
mere leahess stems at whose end young plant will
be formed just the right moment and in the right
place This in turn is pegged down. and on goes the
to form another and vet another plant at
intervals.
Thorny brambles often act like this though
they do not precisely trail An ascending stem
grows so rapidly that its weight will cause it to
arch over and touch the earth The contact induces
roots to push down into the soil. and so another
bramble bush is formed in connection with the old.
the plan as the banyan tree of India. whose
"plared shade" has been so exquisitely described
by the mighty Milton.
One of own ferns occupies new territory in
similar fashion 1t is like the common harts tongue.
especially at the base of the frond. The whole fern
has graceful arching habit. and its bending tip
takes root from bud at the fronds tip. Most curl
is it to watch this bud developing cluster of
little fronds and roots. even while swayng in the
air The increasing weight of the young plant.
laden with rain dew. bends the parent frond to
earth. when its offspring roots take hold and be-
come fixed. When we'll established and
turity. the frond tips of the youngsters likewise
repeat the process; and several generations may
thus be found attached together.-a graceful fern
family. closely united and occupying much territory.
The walking leaf this variety is called, is found
by many streams bounded by rocky. topped
banks along whose edges the fern families found
in tangled masses. The long archlng tips of the
fronds with their young plants find convenient root
no n hR n a