FARMERS' REGISTER. 



261 



and thus obtain roots for market sooner ihnn they 

 otlienvise could do. It if? probable tliat quite an 

 iuiprovi'monl might in this country be cii'ected in 

 the same wuv. 



DIOK^A MUSCIPULA. 



From "Curtis' Enumoiatioii of Plants around Wilmington, 

 Kortli Carolina." 



This plant is found as far north as Newbern, N. 

 C. and from the moulh of Cape Fear river nearly 

 10 Fayetievilie. Elliot says, on the auiiiorily of 

 Gen. Pinckney, that it (rrows along the lower 

 brandies of the Santee in S. Carolina. J)r. Rach- 

 nian has received it from Georgetown, S. C; 

 and Mr. Audubon informed me, with the plant 

 before us, that he lias seen it in Florida of 

 enormous size. I think it not improbable, there- 

 fore, that it inhabits the savannas, more or 

 less abundantly, from the latter place to New- 

 bern. It is (bund in great abundance for many 

 miles around Wilmington, in every direction. I 

 venture a short notice of this interesting jtlanl, 

 as I am not aware that any jiopular description of 

 it lias been piiblished in this country. 



The leaf, which is the only curious part, springs 

 from the root, spreading upon the ground, or at a 

 little eleva'ion above it. It is composed of a 

 setiole or stem with broad margins, like the leaf of 

 the orange tree, two to four inches long, which at 

 the end suddenly expands into a thick and some- 

 what rigid leaf, the two sides of which are semi- 

 circular, about two thirds of an inch across, and 

 fringed around their edges wiih somewhat rigid 

 cilite or long hairs like eyelashes. It is very aptly 

 compared to two upper eyelids joined at their 

 bases. Each side oi'ihe leaf is a iiitle concave on 

 the inner side, where ate placed three delicate, 

 hairlike organs, in such an order, that an insect 

 can hardly traverse it, without interfering with 

 one of them, when the two sides suddenly collapse 

 and enclose the prey with a (orce surpassing an 

 insect's efforts to escape. The fringe or hairs of 

 the opposite sides of the leaf interlace, like the 

 fingers of the two hands clasped together. The 

 sensitiveness resides only in these hairlike pro- 

 cesses on the inside, as the leal' may be touched 

 or pressed in any other part, without sensible 

 effects. The Utile prisoner is not crushed and 

 suddenly destroyed, as is sometimes supposed, for 

 I have liberated captive flics and spiders, which 

 sped away as fast as fear or joy could hasten 

 them. Atoiher times I have Ibund them enve- 

 loped in a fiuid of a mucilaginous consistence, 

 which seems to act as a solvent, the insects being 

 more or less consulted in it. This circumstance 

 has suggested the possibility of their being made 

 subservient to the nourishment of the plant through 

 an apparatus of absorbent vessels in the leaves. 

 But as I have not examined sulTicienlly to pro- 

 nounce on the uifiversality ol' this result, it will 

 require further observation and experinient on the 

 spot, to ascertain its nature and importance. It is 

 not lobe supposed, however, that such food is 

 necessary to the existence of the plant, but like 

 compost, may increase ilsgrowthand vigor. But 

 however obscure and uncertain may be the linal 

 purpose of such a singular organization, if it were 

 a problem to construct a plarit with reference to 



entrapping insects, I cannot conceive of a form 

 and organization better adapted to secure that 

 end than arc ibutid in the diontua muscipula. I 

 thcrelbre deem it no credulous inference, that its 

 leaves are constructed for that specific object, 

 whether inserts subserve the purpose of nourish- 

 ment to the plant or not. It is no i t)jection to this 

 view that they are subject to blind accident, and 

 sometimes close upon straws as well as insects. 

 It would be a curious vegetable indeed, that had 

 a faculty of distinguishing bodies, and recoiled at 

 the touch of one, while it quieily submitted to 

 violence from another. Such capricious sensi- 

 tiveness is not a properly ofthe vegetable kingdom. 

 The spider's net is spread to ensnare flies, yet it 

 catches whatever falls upon it ; and the ant lion 

 is roused from his hiding place by the fall of a 

 pebble ; so much are insects, also, subject to the 

 blindness of accident. Therefore the web of the 

 one, and the pitfall of the other, are not designed 

 to catch insects ! Nor is it in point to refer to 

 other plants of entirely different structure and 

 habit which sometimes entangle and imprison 

 insects. As well might we reason against a spi- 

 der's web, because a fly is drowned in a honey 

 pot ; or against a steel (rap bccauee some poor 

 animal has lost its life in a cider barrel. 



DURHAfllS VS. UEVOKSHIRES. 



From the Cultivator. 



3Iessrs. Editors — Permit a subscriber to make 

 a remark or two on an article in your December 

 number, recommending Devonshire cattle in pre- 

 ference to the Durham. I would first observe that 

 the recommendation comes under no responsible 

 signature; the assumed one of " PAeZmi," is no 

 guaranty lor the good fliith, disinterestedness or 

 soundness of the advice, and in a matter of such 

 importance, the incurring the vast expense of 

 changing one high priced breed for another, we 

 should at least know in whose judgment and 

 experience we are asked to confide. In general 

 it would heighten the character of your publica- 

 tion, if all your correspondents were required to 

 give their names with their communications, but 

 more especially where facts are stated or advice 

 volunteered. 



Phelim informs us, that among northern farmer?, 

 the Duiham cattle are considered "not adapted to 

 the climate, the pasture not sweet or rich enough, 

 and the winters too cold or severe." He then 

 asks "whether it would not be a good plan to 

 buy some other breed that will keep on short pas- 

 ture and stand our severe winters'?" Admitting 

 his premises, the answer to this inquiry would 

 undoubtedly be in the affirmative; but it seems 

 to me that in pitching upon the Devonshires as a 

 substitute, he could not have made a worse choice 

 among all the known breeds of improved cattle. 

 I will admit that the latter being a lighter breed 

 may exist on shorter commons, but why docs he 

 expect them to possess more hardiness than the 

 Durhams? Is it because his favorites derive 

 their origin from the mild relaxing climate of De- 

 vonehire, where myrtles and oranges endure, 

 almost without protection, what can hardly be 

 called a winter, while their rivals fiom their birth 

 are accustomed in their native county, Dtirham, to 

 face the blufls of ilic frozen North Sea, or has any 



