1879. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



leaves. But I do not consider that I have over- 

 thrown Mr. Darwin's theory. The soup may 

 have been too strong, or of the wrong material, 

 or perhaps the glands will not profit l)y the ap- 

 plication of animal matter in any form. 



PECULIAR FORMATION OF ROOTS 3N A 

 PAPER MULBERRY. 



BY REDWOOD CALEIIOPPER, AVILMINGTON, DEL. 



On a street of this town a paper mulberry at- 

 tracted my attention by reason of an unusual 

 development of roots; that is to say, it was an 

 unusual sight to me, though it may be of com- 

 mon occurrence. Tlie interior of this tree, a 

 medium sized one, was completely filled with 

 decayed wood, much of which had become quite 

 black and was therefore in a suitable condition 

 to receive and support root growth. 'New wood 

 had covered the edges of the broken side through 

 which the rotten interior was seen, and from 

 this new formation, roots, in one instance an 

 inch or two in thickness, had struck down into 

 the mass of soft decayed matter, the roots being 

 almost equal in quantity to the supporting ma- 

 terial. The starting point for manj^ of these 

 roots was three or four feet from the ground, but 

 whether they issued from the entire interior sur- 

 face of the tree, or only from the new wood at 

 the edges of the opening, I cannot say. 



This instanced fact simply shows that under 

 different stimuli different results are produced 

 from the same surface of wood. If the condi- 

 tions are favorable for the growth of leaf buds 

 such will be produced ; if for roots, they will 

 naturallv follow. 



THE ENCL9SH SPARROW. 



BY W. C, NEWBURG, X. Y. 



Concerning the English sparrow eating fruit I 

 can speak positively. Great numbers of them 

 nest in the neigliborhood of my house, winter 

 and summer, seeming to enjoy particularly my 

 garden. I have seen them for years there by 

 the hundred, and never until this fall have I had 

 reason to believe them trespassers upon its fruit. 

 It so happened the very day your last journal 

 came I sat looking over its pages by my library 

 window. I had just noticed " Maryland's" re- 

 quest for information, and raised my eye at the 

 same moment toward the window. There in 

 full view upon the grape trellis opposite were at 

 least one dozen of the sparrows in a vigorous 



attack upon a few clusters of Delawares still 

 upon the vines. Caught in the act, they were 

 guilty beyond peradventure ! Still, as they had 

 destroyed without doubt through the summer 

 insects without number, and before touching my 

 fruit liad waited for me to take my share, I made 

 no objection to them now taking theirs. Strictl}' 

 speaking they are fruit thieves, but certainly un- 

 usually modest ones. I wish it were possible to 

 make their example followed by the rascally 

 oriole. 



FOREST FIRES IN WASHINGTON TER- 

 RITORY. 



BY MRS. FANNY E. BRIGGS, LA CENTER, W. T. 



We have had our heated term even here where 

 the atmosphere is supposed to be always cool 

 and moist, but old Sol was not responsible. Of 

 course in clearing timbered land there is mucli 

 burning to be done, and as the time approached 

 when rain might be expected it seemed as if 

 everybodj^ started fires simultaneously, and the 

 summer having been very dry they spread be- 

 yond all expectation. We have had a new ex- 

 perience in connection with these fires, but not 

 one we wish to repeat. With my little daughter, 

 I left a neighbor's house to return home nearly 

 three miles distant. We knew there were great 

 and increasing fires in all directions, ])ut had no 

 thought of danger on my way, of which the first 

 mile lay through open ground, the remainder 

 through heavy green timber hitherto untouched 

 I by fire. There were no houses after I left the 

 I open ground, no cross roads, and my road was 

 i scarcely more than a foot path. Half way home 

 I I became aware of a heavy fire advancing from 

 the south. I could hear the steadv roar of the 

 flames, and soon could see them at intervals 

 sometimes quite near. I hesitated a little, but 

 did not like to turn back. The fire could not 

 advance very fast through green timber though 

 there was dense underbrush and manj' fallen 

 logs, some dry at this season ; besides, I might 

 soon pass the fire. For a mile I went on, hear- 

 ing and seeing the fire constantl}^, but as mv 

 way tended to the northeast, not nearer to the 

 road. 



Half a mile from home, however, the smoke 

 thickened and the air grew hotter, and I could 

 hear fire advancing from the east. I dared not 

 now turn back, for my strength was giving way. 

 and I was sure the fire had crossed tlie path at 

 niany points. I soon saw that a fire had swept 

 through since the day before, and had retired, 



