PERSONALITY OF PLANTS 
When we get into the polar regions, all the 
plants take on a stunted and dwarfed appear- 
ance and, in some cases, retire almost entirely 
under ground. The number of genera and 
species is much reduced. The Oak, Walnut, 
Chesnut and Elm are replaced by the hardy 
conifers. At the point where vegetation be- 
comes almost extinct are dwarf Birches, Wil- 
lows and polar Blackberries (Rubus Arcticus). 
The simple Mosses and Lichens mark the last 
lingering evidences of life. 
A curious feature of plant life in the polar 
regions is the rapid growth which it often ex- 
hibits. The summer of the Far North is short 
but it is one day of intense and blinding light. 
The sun shines continually throughout each 
twenty-four hours. By virtue of its stimulat- 
ing power, plants are able to perform in a few 
weeks processes of development which take 
months under ordinary conditions. 
It is illuminating to take a single country in 
a more favoured climate and, as far as possible, 
trace its plant history. The British Isles, be- 
cause of their limited area, are a convenient 
field of study. An investigation of their set- 
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