A novel Seed Planter 
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By Davip GRIFFITHS ‘¥\ 
Much interest naturally attaches to a desert flora. In a hu- 
mid region where the soil cover is maintained throughout the 
year, and the growing season continues for six or more months, 
there occurs such a gradual succession of species that the transi- 
tion from spring to summer or summer to autumn is so gradual 
as to escape attention. The most striking change is the spring 
awakening which is dependent upon the return of invigorating 
higher temperature. In a desert region, however, the changes 
which occur are much more sudden and striking. A change from 
a naked surface dotted here and there by a stray sinuous shrub or 
a spiny cactus to a literal flower garden so dense and extensive as 
to be recognizable by the brilliancy of its golden hue a score of 
miles distant, is something which impresses the uninitiated with 
peculiar force. What the characteristics of this vegetation which 
comes so rapidly and dries up and blows away as it were in such 
a remarkably short time are: how it survives the long droughts 
and the intense heat ; what the contrivances are by which it pro- 
pagates itself; how it successfully maintains itself against such 
trying conditions are considerations of much scientific interest and 
growing economic importance. It is the purpose of this paper to 
record some observations on one contrivance by which one desert 
annual is able to cope more successfully with the conditions in 
which it finds itself. 
While upon the deserts of southern Arizona during the winter 
of 1900-1901, it was often a matter of wonder to me how the 
multitude of seedlings which were springing up all over the mesa 
became established, and how the seeds succeeded in remaining 0? 
surfaces which had apparently been deprived of every vestige of 
tilth by the erosive action of fierce destructive showers whose only 
effect appeared to be the carrying away of everything not actually 
anchored to the subsoil. In such localities, however, in the vicinity 
of Tucson on areas where there appeared to be nothing left but ee | 
undisturbed hardpan subsoil there occurred a profuse growth oe 
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