El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-12

surface of the sea or lodged upon the
shore. Just how it became connected
with the manufacture of perfumery is
unknown but it has been employed in
that industry for centuries. Only re-
Gently has its origin become known. 1t
is nothing more than the morbid secre-
ton Of the liver of a sick spermaceti
whale. 1t is described as being a
waxy substance disagreeable to sight
and touch. but even in its crude state
giving off a pleasant odor. II is sub
jected- to chemical action to extract the
part called amberine. The largest price
on record as having been paid for am
bergris was $4,000 for a mass weighing
$50 pounds which was found on the
Windward Islands.
Cultivatine Love of Nature.
In New York city the Plant, Flower
and Fruit Guild is doing much toward
cultiyating 2 love of nature among the
poor and sick This organization has
been working for a number of years.
and with little or no capital has been
accomplished splendid results. One
reason for this is because outside people
have aided the cause. The first pur-
pose was 10 systematic the distribution
of the flowers among the sick and poor,
but this has grown into the larger field
Of endeavoring to awaken a love Of ma
LuIc anu VI CIVIC improvements dluOne
the people. The flowers come from
many voluntary sources. the wild BIOS
SONS gathered in the country being side
by side with those used at the social
functions Of the four hundred
Free Transportation.
Another help has come from the ex-
press companies who have issued labels
allowing free transportation within q
radius of one hundred miles for all
81 ~~1,, As-rt,-
ing over twenty pounds Over a thou
sand window boxes have been distrib-
uted among the tenement jewellers ana
out of this number only two or three
died for want of care. The number Of
bouquets received daily by the Guild
runs as high as two thousand, and the
number of institutions which receive
these floral offerings are about a hun
dred and fifty. Not only has joy and
happiness entered into the life Of the
poor. but many children have been
taught the lesson of helpfulness. In
many small towns there are gardens
being tended by children for the exclus-
i've use Of the guild.
Natures Queer Antics
Many queer things are to be encoun-
tered in nature. Gas can be weighed,
but the wisest scientist has not yet been
able to weigh scent A grain OF musk
which the air has had free access for
ten years. and during all OF this time
the air. though constantly changed, was
thoroughly fmpregnated with the odOr.
The most remarkable point in cOnnec-
ton with this experiment was that at
the end of that time the particle OF
musk had not sensibly diminished in
weight.
Are Perfumes Injurfouss
Perfumes O1o ir0o6 IN "a in
furious and beneficial. In several
cases singers and public speakers have
been troubled with throat affections
which they discovered were caused by
violet perfume It is claimed that as
long as flower has any odor whatever
IL IS injurious. and that the violet is
the greatest offender. On the other
hand a Latin writer has put on record
a hundred perfume remedies for vari-
Gus diseases, and the violet figures
most prominently in his list Lavender
is said TO be soothing, and il is claimed
that the lavender scented sheets or
our grandmothers were splendid sleep
producers Jassamine is said TO be good
as a general tonic.
The Spanish Dagger
Another instance IN which Nature
has demonstrated her cleverness is that
Of the Spanish bayonet, which is so
abundant on the mountain slopes and
foothills Of the west The stalk grows
10 a height of about fifteen feet, and
acquires a diameter Of from six to eight
inches. On a single one of these stalks
as many as 5000 blossoms may be seen.
These flowers are so constructed as TO
make self fertilization seem impossible
and scientists believe that this service
is performed for the plants by a small
white moth which makes nocturnal
visits This little insect goes TO one
flower and accumUlates the pollen by
rolling il into a little ball with its
feet Thus. laden the moth flies away
to another bloom and deposits its load.
Poppy and Opium
The department OF agriculture has
made several successful experiments
with the poppy as a source Of opium.
These were tried in Vermont, Califor-
MIA and Texas, the best results being
obtained in the first named state 1t
was found that morphine could be di-
Tectly obtained from the poppy This
plant can readily be grown in the up
land regions skirting the Appalachian
range and those adjoining the Rocky
mountains The value Of such an in
dustry in this country can be readily
realized when it is understood that the
annual cost Of the Importation of opium
into this country is over a million dol
lars.