294 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



the little seeding grows toward maturity. 



The way in which Nature provides for the 

 sowing of the innumerable seeds borne by 

 the trees varies greatly with character of 

 the seed and the time of ripenuig, but the 

 wind is the most common distributing 

 agency — the great sower of tree seeds. In 

 order that the seeds may be carried long 

 distances, instead of falling directly beneath 

 the parent tree where there is no room to 

 grow, many trees produce winged seeds 

 or seeds encased in tiny paperlike balloons. 

 The wind blowing through the treetops 

 detaches the seeds from the parent stein 

 and scatters them far and wide. 



Of the trees producing seeds with wings 

 the maple is a familiar example. The 

 maples are prolific bearers, some, like the 

 soft maple, ripen their seeds in early Sum- 

 mer ; others, like the sugar or hard maple, 

 mature in Autumn and often cling to the 

 branches long after the leaves have fallen. 

 The seeds of the elm and birch are provided 

 with rilmy rims and those of the hop horn- 

 beam are encased in tiny inflated balloons. 

 Seeds of this character are carried long dis- 

 tances by the wind. 



In the settled country where the land is 

 under cultivation, only the seeds that chance 

 to fall in fence corners or along the road 

 side have any chance to grow, but in large 

 forests or forest openings they spring up by 

 the millions and where grazing is not al- 

 lowed the young seedlings quickly possess 

 the land. One frequently sees in the early 

 Spring whole gardens or plowed fields in 

 the vicinity of trees thickly covered with 

 self-sown little tree seedlings which are 

 destroyed as soon as cultivation of the soil 

 begins. If these fields and gardens were 

 left uncultivated for a few years they 

 would be transformed into young forests. 



In the case of nut-bearing trees and fruit 

 trees other agencies than the wind are neces- 

 sary for distribution of seed. With the 

 first named the squirrels play an important 

 part, often carrying the nuts long distances 

 and burying them here and there in the 

 ground or hiding them in stone walls for 

 further use. These are often never used by 

 their harvesters for one reason or another 

 and so germinate and grow. In the case 

 of many kinds of fruit-bearing trees the 

 birds are the seed sowers. With both fruit 

 and nut bearing trees, standing on low 

 lands or near large streams the Spring 

 freshets often act as seed carriers, floating 

 them long distances downstream andas the 

 waters subside depositing them here and 

 there to begin the miracle of life and 

 growth. 



Thus Nature persistently carries on the 

 work of iree reproduction. Lavishly do the 

 various species bear seeds, and with an 

 equally lavish hand are they scattered far 

 and wide over the land. Were it not for the 

 destructive activity of man our cleared lands 

 would soon be covered with trees as of yore 

 and our forests would regain their original 

 density of growth. — Tree Talk. 



FLOWERS AND SEX. 



The commonest form of flower is that in 

 which both stamens and carpels are pres- 

 ent : in fact, this is regarded by the un- 

 botanical as the only kind of flower. When 

 any extended study of these structures is 

 made, however, two other types usually 

 appear — the monnecious, in which the sta- 

 mens and carpels are separate and borne 

 on different parts of the same plant, as in 

 corn and the pines, and the dicecious, in 

 which the two forms of flowers are still 

 further separated by being borne on aiffer- 

 eiit individuals, as in willows and poplars. 

 While these are the most conspicuous, there 

 are numerous other forms among which 

 may be mentioned jierfect and staminate 



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flowers on the same plant, as in some V m- 

 belUfera; perfect and carpellate flowers on 

 the same plant, as in AtrifUw and many 

 Coinfositcr ; separate plants with carpellate, 

 staminate, or perfect flowers as in some 

 maples ; separate plants with carpellate and 

 perfect forms as in Plantago lanccolata, 

 and separate plants with staminate and per- 

 fect flowers as in Caltliu. There are also 

 all gradations from completeh- perfect 

 flowers to flowers that are either staminate 

 or carpellate. Ten different forms have 

 been found in the ash. According to a 

 writer in the American Journal of Botany, 

 more than ninety families of plants have 

 species that show- differences of the kind 

 mentioned. — American Botanist. 



SOBARIAS. 



The Sobarias are better known under the 

 name of Sfiirtra and the one most com- 

 monly listed in the catalogues is S/'irtra 

 sorhifolia. 



They are a handsome genus of flowering 

 shrubs and it is really a wonder they are 

 not more often met with in shrubbery plant- 

 ings. 



The planter is usually concerned more 

 about a plant's general appearance and time 

 of flowering than botanical differences. 

 Some of the points in their favor that 

 should commend them to the gardener are : 

 They are adaptable and vigorous in their 

 growth, sometimes too much so, as they 

 spread rapidly by means of suckers when 

 the position suits them. They flower during 

 the Summer when there is a dearth of bloom 

 on the average shrubbery borders. A moist, 

 partially shaded position suits them, and it 

 is often diflicult to select a shrub for such 

 a place that will be so much at home. The 

 foliage is rich and handsome. 



The one fault, if it be a fault, is the un- 

 sightly appearance of the dead panicles 

 when the bloom is past. These, however, 

 are easily removed which gives the plant a 

 longer season of good appearance than most 

 flowering plants. 



The different kinds are all much alike in 

 habit but flower at different times. The 

 first to bloom is the Sobaria sorhifolia, 

 which comes in June, followed by .S". .'!tel- 

 lipiUa, S. asurgcns. S. arborca and. last of 

 all, 6". .litclnsonii in September. — Xational 

 Nurseryman. 



