WANDERING SEEDS 



Looking down on the seashore, you will notice the high- 

 water mark, a yellowish brown line of floated rubbish which 

 is quite distinct even at a distance. If you now go down 

 and examine it closely (not a particularly pleasant operation, 

 seeing that so much is in a decomposing condition) you will 

 find many seeds amongst the corks and bits of straw, sea- 

 weed, and objectionable, if lively, animalcula, and very 

 likely also pieces of plants, such as willow branches, which 

 might quite easily take root. 



On the coast of Norway, and on our own western sea- 

 board, the fruits of a West Indian bean (Entada scandens) 

 are occasionally to be found, and its seeds are probably able 

 to germinate. We know that in long-past geological ages they 

 were floating round the estuary of the Thames, where they 

 occur as fossils. It has been found by experiment that fruits 

 and seeds are not killed although they have floated for a 

 year or more in salt water. Thus ocean currents are utilized 

 to carry fruits and seeds. 



But from our comfortable seat on the South Downs, still 

 more can be learnt of wandering seeds. The wind which 

 blows across the downs carries with it hundreds of winged 

 or hairy fruits, all of them exquisitely fashioned as miniature 

 airships, aeroplanes, or other winged contrivances. The wind 

 is an important distributer of seeds. 



One of the South Down sheep is trailing behind it a piece of 

 bramble which has caught in its wool ; others, which have been 

 grazing on the broken cliff'-edge where Agrimony, Forget-me- 

 not, and Burdock are flourishing, are certain to have spiny 

 or sticky fruits entangled in their wool. Animals therefore 

 carry seeds in their wool or fur. If it should happen to 

 be a fine, sunny afternoon, and if there are any plants of 

 Broom near by, it is quite likely that you may, every now 



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