66 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



cherry because it is one of the first trees to spring up when 

 a tract has been burned over. In no other way could its 

 seeds be scattered as abundantly as this would indicate 

 than by the birds. The mistletoe is a familiar example of 

 how^ plants wath sticky seeds maybe disseminated. When 

 birds eat the mistletoe berries, the extremely sticky seeds 

 adhere to their bills and later in cleaning them by rubbing 

 against twigs and branches the birds leave the seeds in 

 the best places for growth. 



Many plants, however, not onh' withhold payment 

 for scattering their seeds, but actually' demand, as much 

 as plants can demand, that their seeds be carried free. 

 Their seeds are armed with hooks and barbs and catch in- 

 to the coats of animals at every opportunity. What is 

 more persistent in clinging than the burdock, beggar-ticks 

 and their ilk ? When after walking through their haunts 

 we pick them from our clothing and throw them on the 

 ground miles away from where they started, the plants 

 have been served exactly as they desired. In keeping with 

 all this it is most curious to observe that fruits with hooks 

 do not grow on trees or high bushes. If they did, their 

 hooks would be useless, for no animals would come in 

 contact with them. 



Some other plants have various devices for shooting 

 their seeds to a distance and need no outside aid. Most 

 familiar of these is the witch-hazel that can shoot its seeds 

 to distances of fifteen or twenty feet, and the jewel-weed 

 or touch-me-not whose seed-pod flies into pieces at a 

 touch, when ripe, scattering the seeds in all directions. 

 Among others of this class may be named the violets and 

 the New Jersey tea. 



DECIDUOUS LEAVES. 



Plants have alternating periods of rest and activit3^ 

 In our latitude these periods usually correspond to the 

 alternating conditions of day and night and to the sea- 

 sons of the year. The active growing period usually oc- 

 curs in the summer or the rainy season and the inactive 

 one corresponds to the cold and dry season. Where the 



