72 THE PLANT WORLD. 



at the base in a network of brown fibrous tissue. The whole appear- 

 ance of this plant indicates great age. Bearing flowers and fruit at 

 the same time, it excites a double interest. The flower racemes of 

 greenish yellow are not as handsome as those of the Seaforthia, but 

 the fruit — immense clusters of dull peacock-green olive shaped, deep 

 purple or black speckled grapes, is worth going some distance to see. 

 On cutting open one of these grapes you will find the skin lined with 

 orange and encasing a pit much like that of an olive. Cut the pit and 

 you come upon a white substance resembling vegetable ivory, inside of 

 which is a brownish pithy material enveloping the germ. This palm 

 is said to be perfectly hardy in Cornwall. 



New York City. 



THE PASSING OF THE WILD-WOOD. 



By Katharine Dooris-Sharp. 



IT was in Duluth, a few years ago, that the fact was first forcibly 

 suggested to my attention that we are carelessly allowing the 

 native vegetable growths of forest, vale, and water to become ex- 

 tinct. Near one of the docks, Avhere a natural shallow inlet ran be- 

 side the unfinished stone- work for a short distance, the graceful sedges 

 and water-plants still flourished undisturbed. 



It was in the month of July when the aquatic florte are at their 

 best, yet in this one spot alone, did I seen anything to remind me 

 that once these shores of Lake Superior had been green and luxuriant 

 with blossoms. The iris and sagittaria spread their colored petals to 

 the sun, the sparganium and typha lifted their forest of spears, with 

 the pale green inflorescence sheltered from any but close observation. 



There were tufts of Scirj>as lacustris and other tall, graceful 

 varieties of the Cyperacew duplicated by reflection in the water. 



A glimpse of nature, an object-lesson for the denizens of the city, 

 surrounded by the works of man from day to day, as they are, why 

 cannot such spots be spared, here and there, from the general destruc- 

 tion of nature's original beauty, which takes place wherever a city is 

 planted. 



Nature's bounties are so various, and there is no locality in which 

 some one of them may not be found. In one place the geological 

 formation ar^ rich, in another the long stretches of woodland and 



