Year: 1875

1t takes American Ingenuity to put
pure science to practical use. When


Dr. Darwin wrote his learned work on
'lnsectiverous Plants" he little


thought that it would suggest to the
| Wilmington On. c. Star the long
sought sovereign remedy for the


winged pests that devour our crops.
In his book the naturalist describes
those curious varieties of plants that
catch insects and live upon them. His
careful observationsiand many expert
ments leave no doubt that this is the
function of the "sundew," "Venus'a
hy-trap," and others of the family.


The sundew is an innocent looking
little weed, with round, shaped leaves
Systematically arranged about the
stem, These are covered with bright
drops Of sticky fluid which sparkle in
the sunlight and make a thing of beauty
to the beholder. He lights on the leaf
to sip the seeming nectar; he ruight as
well have stepped into prepared glue,
for when ke tries to rise, his feet are
firmly held by the viscous substance,
his wings become so entangled, and to
make sure of him, q quantity of hair
like filaments, with which the leaf ia
covered, automatically close about
him, rendering his prison complete


This is also his grave. The best insect
powder eight kill trihe sooner, but
not more surely. In fifteen minutes
he IS dead, and the diabolical little
sundew is absorbing his Juices into
itself with relish DIR. Darwin
clearly shows that it lives on animal
chiefly, and has the Unsuitable appetite
OF bear. Thus gifted, it is ingloriously
independent of nourishing soil. and
will flourish where only the humblest
moses can exist. The sundew is well
distributed in England. Its analogue
in tLis country is well distributed in
the Diodna, popularity known as We.
nus's fly trap, found principally cr only
in the region lying between Whining
ton and Newbern, N. c., and alonr
the Santce River in South Carolina,
Its destructive apparatus surpasses thai
of the sundew. In addition to the
adhesive fluid and the closing tenta.
cles, it has double leaves capable of
shutting against each other, like the
common sensitive plant, and penning
its victims beyord the last hope OF
escape. This treacherous and horrible
product OF nature being Indigenous to
North Carolina, it is meet that a paper
of that State should be the first TO
propose its utilization against the bugs
Of the fields. To this original idea our
contemporary devotes leading arti-
Gle. Whimsical as this may seem at
first, it is not to be dismissed with =
laugh. A few trials would show
whether the Dionpa would live in
ground suitable for ordinary crops,
and in any latitudes other than those
where it is now found. Those points
settled favorably for the experimenter.
there is no question that this ravenous
vegetable could be trusted to do its
work well. No fly, bug or beetle can
resist its temptations; and it is equal
to strangling and eating the largest of
grasshoppers. By contemplation, the
subject grows upon the mind. While
it is dreadful to think of a beautiful
little plant which isalso as treacherous
and cruel as = serpent, it is fascinating,
too, we must confess. But we quit
the subject now with the remark thai
the Commissioner of Agriculture
ought to look into it and report. L
nothing else came OF it, he could sun
ply readable paper TO relieve the
dreary monotory of his annual vu,.
ume