68 
POPULAE SCIENCE NEWS. 
[May, 1S90. 
This curious vine possesses one well-known char- 
acteristic of its relative, the morning-glor^', — that of 
twining from right to left, or against the sun. In 
trying to remove a specimen from a stalk of eupato- 
rium, I found the bark broken, and only succeeded 
in removing the vine by breaking it in tiny pieces. 
If one will lake the trouble to examine the under 
surface, at the place where it adheres most closely to 
its support, he will discover by what means it is 
enabled to cling so tightly. Where it comes in con- 
tact with the bark, are developed minute papilte, 
which remind one of the tiny feet of some creeping 
thing, and suggest the curious fancy that the 
tenacity with which it clings is prompted by 
instinct. This arrangement is not wholly for sup- 
port, it seems, but by thus insinuating itself into 
the outer bark of the plant, it is enabled to draw 
from it its juices. At any other place along its 
entire length it may easily be uncoiled. 
As it steals its nourishment from that to which it 
clings, it has no need of digestive apparatus, there- 
fore leaves are wanting, but in their place it bears 
deeply-fringed oval scales. The tiny white flowers, 
produced late in summer, are the only deviation 
from the prevailing color of the plant. These are 
gathered together in a cymose cluster at a distance 
of ten or twelve inches apart. The tiny corolla is 
bell-shaped, five-parted, with a tube somewhat longer 
than the calyx lobes, which are ovate and spreading. 
The stamens are furnished with curiously fringed 
scales. The dead corolla remains upon the oyary, 
which is two-celled and four-ovuled. The spirally- 
coiled embryo germinates in the soil, but, upon 
rising from the ground, the root withers, and it 
becomes entirely parasitic. One specimen had the 
remains of a tiny thread-like root still adhering to 
it, though the germinating portion of the plant was 
at least twelve inches from the ground, clinging for 
dear life to a species of eupatorium known as 
trumpet-weed. 
Moosup Valley, R. I. 
This form is highly fantastic, disclosing sometimes 
the grotesque features of a " king's fool," again, the 
distorted figure of a dwarf, a comical elf, and so 
forth. Pearls of this character are mounted on 
pedestals of colored stone, richly embellished with 
gold and silver, and please the eye as curious bric-a- 
brac or paper-weights. 
The real "mission" of the pearl, however, is to 
enrapture inan in the capacity of a most gratifying 
jewel. Indeed, it receives more homage than either 
the diamond or the ruby. Years ago, it was custom- 
ary for jewelers to mount pearls in the form of a 
medallion, similar to the usual arrangement of the 
garnet. Now, the preference is to use them as set- 
tings; and its shimmering white appears most 
effective from the bed of glistening gold. In this 
way they are used on bracelets, necklaces, brooches, 
pins, ear-rings, and rings. 
In its modest splendor, the pearl can maintain its 
own beside any gem. Even the brilliant rays of 
the diamond cannot depreciate its beauty. Its quiet 
charm kindly heightens the liquid green of the 
emerald, enhances the deep-blue light of the sap- 
phire, and deepens the gleaming red of the ruby. 
While its unpretentious dignity lends grace to the 
most costly of gems, it does not scorn to aid the 
common stones. As graciously it casts its soft radi- 
ance over garnet, amethyst, topaz, or turquoise. 
fOriginal in Popular Science A'ews.J 
THE PEARL. 
BY ANNA HINRICHS. 
The pearl, like the calm, pure moon, ever fas- 
cinates the eye. In its charming modesty it resem- 
bles the violet, and occupies the same place among 
gems that this simple flower holds among gorgeous 
flora. Little wonder that its rare beauty entices 
thousands of bold divers to brave the perils of the 
deep. They seek it at the risk of fatal encounter 
with shark and sword-fish ; in defiance of the deadly 
embrace of the polyp. True, the diver does not 
make his perilous plunge solely because of his 
admiration for this matchless "daughter of the 
deep;" his fundamerital motive is the love of gold 
with which his labor is rewarded. Certainly, the 
poor diver is ambitious because of necessity, for 
the most robust of constitutions cannot endure 
the hardships of diving for more than — at the 
utmost — six years ! This peerless gem is obtained 
at the expense of many human lives. 
The most extensive pearl fisheries are conducted 
along the coasts of the Persian Gulf, Ceylon, and 
Japan. Every shell does not contain this treasure, 
and hundreds shatter the eager expectations of hid- 
den wealth. But to the diver, misfortunes, likewise 
blessings, never come singly; for if he finds one 
containing the coveted prize, he almost invariably 
finds many more of various size and form. In color 
they range from deepest black to pure white, fre- 
quently yellowish, and rarely delicate rose-pink. 
The pearl is "beauty unadorned," requiring no 
artificial aid — no mechanical art — to cut and polish. 
Its most peculiar form is the so-called "Barock." 
growing amidst heaps of snow is astonished at the 
endurance of the crocus. Its gentle companion, the 
snow-drop, is as frail, and even more precocious. 
Both are cordially welcomed after the bleak winter 
and the stormy morn of spring. 
[Original in i'vpuUtr Science Netffs.l 
CROCUSES. 
BY PROF. W. WHITMAN BAILEY. 
Flowers undoubtedly bloom for some favored 
persons sooner and better than for the mass of 
mankind. Sometimes one is led to think that the 
delicate creatures respond to the love which is felt 
for them. We are sure that certain beech trees, for 
instance, are fully aware of our affection, as we 
stroke their smooth boles or caress their foliage. 
Any observer of Nature will notice from year to 
year that there are particular gardens in which cro- 
cuses make their appearance sooner than anywhere 
else. Nor does the degree of exposure always seem 
to account for the phenomenon. Rather, we think, 
the inmates are en rapport with the flowers. They 
nestle under the front piazza, catching the sunshine 
in their bright chalices, and oflering their brimming 
beauty to every visitor. 
We generally think of the crocus as a native of 
England, but its headquarters are in the East, 
although some species, like Crocus veriius, have 
long been established in the mother country. A 
kw species only extend to Central Europe. While 
some bloom only in the spring, others are as char- 
acteristically autumn flowers. They are all exceed- 
ingly beautiful dwarf herbs, with grass-like leaves, 
and arising from fleshy corms. The perianth is 
long, funnel-form, with narrow, erect tube, and a 
six-parted border. It closes at night, or when the 
sky is clouded, thus forming a sort of weather-glass. 
Crocus is a member of the iris, or flower-de-luce 
family. It has three stamens, included in the cup 
of the perianth, and a peculiar fringed, orange- 
colored stigma, which, together with the styles, 
forms in one species the " saflron " of commerce. 
The best of this comes from Spain. 
The crocus is very hardy, and becomes easily, 
though not permanently, established in grass plots. 
The colors of the species are yellow, violet, white, 
and shades between. Like all plants that blossom 
early, they become greatly endeared to man. Their 
coming is by no means an indication here in New 
England of the advent of spring.' We may en- 
counter many a rough blast and cold snow-squall 
after these apparently fragile beauties have reared 
their heads. No one who has sijen Alpine flowers 
AGRICULTURAL ITEMS. 
A Good Preventive for the inroads of ants is a 
stripe of carbolated petrolatum, about half an inch 
in width, drawrb about the places frequented. 
The loss to manure by exposure, especially by 
leaching, in tests by the Cornell University, has 
reached as high as 42 per cent. The moral is, keep 
manure under shelter, or draw it upon the land at 
once. 
Paris consumes, on an average, 300,000 litres 
(quarts) of milk per day. In summer this quantity 
falls to 210,000 litres, and the difterence is used in 
making cream and fresh cheese. Four-fifths of this 
milk is furnished by milk companies, which gather 
it from as far as 60 or even 100 miles from Paris. 
A COLD storage company's circular says that if 
celery is packed in small boxes, placed in total dark- 
ness, and submitted to a certain low temperature for 
thirty to sixty days, it will not only be beautifully 
white and crisp, but will lose its natural bitterness 
and have the delicate flavor and fine appearance of 
the choicest fresh celery. 
Novel Training of Grapes. — A grape-grower 
in Bristol County, Massachusetts, has adopted a 
plan which, though it may not be new, is certainly 
interesting. He sets stout posts at suitable intervals, 
with smaller ones between wherever there is a vine, 
and upon these stretches two strong wires at a 
proper distance apart, the lower one being placed 
far enough from the ground to allow a horse and 
cultivator to pass freely underneath. By the use of 
high step-ladders the fruit can be readily harvested 
and the vines trimmed or handled at will. A 
similar method has been in use among the Italians 
since the time of the ancient Romans, at least. 
The Pleasures of a Deer Forest. — A corres- 
pondent of an English society paper enumerates the 
pleasures of being the tenant of a Highland deer 
forest. He explains that the place costs him £10,000 
a year, in addition to no end of small sums, which 
he grew tired of noting, and the pleasures which he 
obtained in return for this outlay were of the follow- 
ing character: " For a couple of hours at a time I 
have walked with the waters of a running stream 
well over my boots. A suit of clothes has been 
done for in a day's wear. Twice or thrice I have 
sunk up to my chest in a moss. Once I fell over a 
precipice. Once when crossing a loch I tell over- 
board, and was not fished out till I was nearly 
drowned. On another occasion I was lired at by 
one of my own gillies, who said he mistook me for 
a ' beastie,' of what kind I do not know, but I fancy 
I had rather a narrow escape. I'er contra, I have 
on five occasions brought down a good stag." 
A Novel Railroad Tariff. — Hungary has led 
the way in a railway experiment of very great 
interest. The whole country for railway purposes 
was divided into zones, and within each zone the 
railway fares for any distance travelled are equal. 
Short journeys and their frequency are intended to 
compensate for the expensiveness of long journeys. 
The results are said to be astonishingly successful. 
There has been an increase of seventy per cent, in 
the number of passengers and fifteen per cent, in 
the receipts. No additional expense has been in- 
curred, either in laying rails, buying carriages, or 
increasing the number of officials. This system is 
practically the application of the post-oflice stamp 
principle to given times of railway service. 
