readers are familiar with the parachutes a peculiar thick-leaved, stunted, cactus- 

 of the silk weed, dandelion' and various like plant, suited to withstand) the drouth, 

 members of the Compositae family. How In the forests of Central South America 

 they sail through the air. A walk through a great vine climbs to the tops of the tall- 

 the autumn forests will make one the un- est trees and there flaunts its gay colors to 

 conscious, perhaps unwilling, carrier of the breeze. In Damara Land, southwest 

 numerous Spanish needles, stick tights, tropical Africa, upon a small upland sec- 

 burrs and seeds of various plants who tion, and nowhere else in the world, 

 have taught their children to steal rides in grows the marvelous Welwitschea mira- 

 all sorts of provoking ways. I imagine bilis, with no real leaves, but with its two 

 the wicked old mother laughs as her ugly cotyledons, persistent and growing to 

 baby clings to your clothing, sure of a enormous length, living a century and ac- 

 safe ride to a more favorable place for quiring a great trunk, the flower-stalk 

 growing. Many plants achieve the same growing up from the bare trunk while the 

 end in a more pleasant way. They pro- two great leaves, if I may so designate 

 duce fruits and berries so luscious that them, whip about in the breezes for a cen- 

 some bird or animal will carry it some tury without change, except as they fray 

 distance for the sake of the pulp. Man out at the ends. These three so dissimilar 

 himself, philanthropist as he is, when he plants all had a common, not so remote, 

 finds that a plant has produced a luscious ancestor, but have grown so unlike in 

 fruit or palatable seed, will help the dis- their effort to adapt themselves to their 

 tribution and growth, and bring his su- environment, that no casual observer 

 perior intelligence to the assistance of the would suspect they were akin, 

 plant's slow instinct to improve its pro- There is so much to say about the won- 

 duct. A book might be written upon the derful intelligence displayed by plants in 

 methods of seed dissemination. In fact, their various activities, that a volume 

 there is a very interesting book upon the could not do the subject justice. We 

 subject. started with the question, Do plants have 

 We will just notice briefly the marvel- instinct? We end with the question, 

 ous adaptation of plants to their environ- Have they? Rowland Watts, 

 ment. In the dry plains of Arizona grows 



Still winter holds the frozen ground and fast the streams with ice are bound, 

 There's many a dreary week to come before the flowers bloom; 

 Though everything were lost in snow yet Nature's heart beats warm below 

 And Spring will build her palace gay on hoary Winter's tomb. 



George Gee. 



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