466 
JULY 17 
grafting for lire |omig. 
TALK ON BOTANY.—NO. 4. 
UNCLE MARK. 
The Stem. 
Is the preceding talks we have dwelt exclusively 
on the root, Its forms and Its mode of develop¬ 
ment, we will now advance a step farther and 
examine the stem of the plant, and try to under¬ 
stand some of the Interesting features character¬ 
istic of its development. By way or review I will 
again call yqur attention to a few of the most 
prominent points in regard to roots. First, the 
office of the root Is twofold, namely, to flx the 
plant to the earth or other supporting medium, 
and also to absorb nourishment for the plant. 
The absorption of plant food takes place through 
the little root-hairs, or fibrils, that form on the 
young and tender rootlets. These fibrils are gen¬ 
erally too flue to be seen with the naked eye, Out 
they can be distinctly seen under a lens of mod- 
derate magnifying power. They con stst of closed 
cells with very thin walls through which the food 
is imbibed, and all plant food must therefore be 
In a liquid state; it cadtaot enter the plant In solid 
particles, no matter how small these may be. Re¬ 
member also the mode of growth of the root, it 
lengthens by the addition of cell tissue at the tip, 
so that any portion or It once fixed in the ground 
is not again pushed out of position by growth. 
The stem Is the ascending axis of the plant. 
In a former lesson we learned that the seed-leaves 
or cotyledons, are already formed in the seed, and 
that when the embryo bursts the seed-coats, and 
stretches liself Into the air and sunlight the coty¬ 
ledons often become green and partake of the na¬ 
ture of true leaves. Snugly hidden away between 
this first pair of leaves Is a little hud called the 
plumule and it is from this bud that the future 
stem of the plant is developed. 
Unlike the root which only grows at the Up, 
the little primary stem lengthens throughout lta 
whole length and usually lifts the cotyledons 
above the surface of the earth. When the growth 
of this little stem bearing the seed-leaves 
Is completed the plumule begins to grow forming 
another piece of stem crowned with one or two 
leaves. When this piece of stem Is developed the 
hud in the Joint of the last new leaf starts upward 
forming another piece of stem and another leaf, 
and so on as long as the tree continues to grow. 
As soon as true leaves are formed the young plant 
has all the organs necessary lo growth that are 
found in a full grown tree. It has roots, leaves 
and stem, and the power to draw the needful 
materials for its growth from the soil and air. 
Nodes. 
The leaves appear at certain regular Intervals 
on the stem called nodes. These points where the 
leaves occur have received ihe technical name 
of nodes, literally knots, because the stem is at 
these places more or less thickened, hardened or 
otherwise interrupted in its tissue. This is con¬ 
spicuously seen in the stalks of corn or all other 
kinds of grass, in which each Joint form a node, or 
place where the leaf appears, on the twigs of a 
tree the nodes are also readily seen, even alter 
the leaves have fallen, by the scars that are left; 
but the woody tissue is not generally much 
harder than at other points and as the twigs grow 
and become thickened branches, the scars are ob¬ 
literated and the nodes disappear. I how wish 
each of my little readers will take a twig of a 
maple with leaves In the hand for examination, and 
also one oi an apple tree, ;or elm, or beech, 
or willow. You will notice that on the apple twig 
there is one leaf at each node. When thus ar¬ 
ranged the leaves are said to he alternate because 
they alternate w ith each other In their disposition 
about the stem. On the maple twig you find two 
leaves placed opposite each other at each node, 
the leaves are therefore said to he opposite, still 
other plants have three or more leaves at a node, 
and when this 13 the case the leaves are said to 
he whorlcd. 
Intern odes. 
The smooth portions or spaces of the stem be¬ 
tween the nodes are called tfitemoOes. You will 
see that the length or these Internodes will de¬ 
termine how thickly the Btem Is clothed with 
leaves. If the luteruode3 are very short the 
leaves will be thickly set, if, on the other hand, 
they are long there will bo comparatively few 
leaves on the stem. 
Pliytone. 
Now, if you take a knife and cut the twig in pie¬ 
ces j nst above each leaf, you will get a number of 
parts that are very much alike each consisting of 
an Internode with a node on its upper end Each 
such part, that Is, an Internode with Its node, is 
called a phyion . All herbs, shrubs and trees are 
really constructed of phytons, one placed on top 
of another. 
But more about this in our next talk 
ORATORICAL SUCCESS. 
The purpose of a great speech is to persuade 
men. It maybe brilliant and eloquent, so much 
so that men will say or it, “that Is oratory,” and 
go about their business. When men act as If they 
had heard not a word of a speech, it Is a failure, 
even if it is thought worthy of a place among 
‘ * specimens of eloquence ’ ’ 
“ A great speech,” said O’Connell, speaking of 
addresses to a jury, “is a very fine thing; but, 
after all, the verdict is Use thing.” 
Professor Mathews Insists that no one would dis¬ 
cover the perfect orator, If such there could he, 
while he was speaking Re tells two anecdotes 
to illustrate his assertion. 
When Chief Jusllce Parsons, of Massachusetts, 
was practising at the bar, a farmer, who had often 
heard him speak, was asked what sort of a pleader 
he was ? 
“Oh, he la a good lawyer and an excellent 
THE 
HEW-Y0B8CER. 
counsellor, hut a poor pleader,” was the reply. 
“ But does he not win most of his cases?” 
“ Yes. but that’s because he knows the law, and 
can argue well; but he's no orator. 
A hard head ed bank president once congratu¬ 
lated himself, in the presence of Mr. Mathews, on 
resisting, as foreman of a jury, the oratorical 
blandishments or Mi’. Choate. 
“ Knowing his skill,” said the hard-headed man, 
“ in making white appear black, and black white, 
I made up my mind at the outset that he should 
not fool me. He tried all his arts, but It was of no 
use; I Just decided according to the law and evl- 
dence.” 
“ Of course," answered Mr. Mathews, “ you 
gave your verdict against Mr. Choate’s client ?” 
“ Why, no; we gave a verdict for hl3 client; hut 
tben we couldn't help It; he had the law and the 
evidence on his side.” 
it never occurred to the bank president or to the 
farmer that Choate and Parsons were after ver¬ 
dicts, not admiration. And they got them because 
they suuk the orator into the advocate. 
“ Thou mildest people say, * How well he 
speaks 1’ ” said Demosthenes to Cicero, In Fenelon's 
“ Dialogue of the Dead,” “ hut I made them say, 
' Let us march against Philip !’" 
That was true, hut it required many passionate 
appeals from the prince of orators, before the 
Athenians uttered that cry. 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Dear Uncle Mark I sit down to try my luck 
again. My last letter did not appear In print, hut 
I am far from being discouraged. We received 
the Free Seed Distribution seeds, but not the rasp¬ 
berry. I got all but the oats. 1 planted all, but 
none of them came up, except the Golden ovoid 
mangel, some of which are nearly Ihree inches 
thick. Now for the cousins’ Free Seed Distribu¬ 
tion. The pinks I planted on the first day of May. 
Sixty-three plants came up. 1 didn’t set them out 
till the first week In June, and by that time there 
were only 4S plants. They have not grown much 
in bight since that time. The. portulacas and phlox 
did not come up very well, only six of the former 
and ten of the latter. The okra came up well. 
Out of six seeds five came up; one was a little 
late, and I scratched Into the earth to see If It was 
sprouting and broke It off. The weather was cold 
and wet, and two of them rotted off at the ground, 
and one was hoed off for a weed, so there are only 
two left. One Is ten Inches and the other 
eight Inches high, and botn have buds. About 
halt of the mignonette came up. It has been 
blooming for about a week; It Is not sbowy, but 
very sweet-scented. 1 gave four of the melon 
seeds away, and 1 planted the remainder In 
four hills. The chickens scratched two of the hills 
away; I hoed them up again and two plants came 
up in one of them, but the other was left blank. 
After thinning out, I have eight fine plants, all In 
bloom. The way I made the hills Is thus: After 
the ground was pulverized to the depth or about 
eight Inches, I hoed out holes about two feet 
square aud six Inches deep. 1 filled these holes 
nearly full with manure, then pulled the dirt hack, 
and planted the seed on the top of this. 
We are done harvesting here, and most of the 
wheat is hauled Id. I think that Virgil c. Mitch¬ 
ell’s poetry is good for one of her age. My letter 
Is long enough, so I will bring It to a close; If I 
don't that dreaded wastebasket will receive It. 
If I see this letter in print—me and health spared— 
I will write again. With my love to all the cousins, 
1 say, good-bye. Samuel P. Shull. 
Clark Co., Ohio. 
Dear Uncle Mark Being a Canadian, 1 am, 
perhaps aa Intruder on your Horticultural Club. 
However, 1 will cross the line and Join it. Why, 
this Is equal to scaling the fence of my neighbor’s 
garden and helping myself to vegetables he was 
at that moment tending. But Just when I am 
about to chide myself for my Impertinence, I And 
that the garden does not belong to my neighbor at 
all, but to all who wish to take beauties out of it 
ror simply telling their names to the anxious- 
faced old man by the gate, who smiles on the in¬ 
dustrious groups that are elbow deep In gardening 
for the gratification of Beelng him smile on them. 
Anon he listens for tne tap of a child’s soft hand 
that he may admit tue little one, and keep the 
little fingers from becoming entangled In the 
meshes set for the lule. Dear Uncle Mark loves 
God and he could not suffer Him to lose one of his 
tender lambs, If his garden could contain them 
all. He has a warm hand to press each chubby 
one that Is extended to Dim. He teaches the young 
hands to separate the weeds from the flowers. 
Surely, when Uncle Mark swings his gate open to 
BO many of his own. Lie will not turn out through 
it, the stranger who scaled the fence, but give her 
a hoe and a word of encouragement and allow her 
to be one of the great many who are beginning to 
learn that the only way to enjoy life is to be use¬ 
ful. Before my feeble voice rises too high in 
favor of the design of Uncle Markin promoting 
the work of the Horticultural Club, I will hid you 
all adieu. Sbklumiel. 
[Shelumlel, take your hoe and go to work. Our 
club may contain one million members. The 
amount of fruit that each one may gather Is only 
limited by the Industry and care with which he or 
she keeps out the weeds, and tends (he useful 
plants.—U. M.j 
Dear Cousins:— nurrali for the country ! I am 
going to the contry pretty soon. And won’t I have 
fun, though ? Why don’t Frizzle-Top and Madcap 
Mollle send some letters? Their letters are the 
only ones that are not sleepy. 1 cannot keep my 
letters from getting sleepy to save my life. I 
must saj I am the most unlucky girl in trying to 
raise flowers I ever heard of. When my seeds 
came from the Rural 1 planted them along with 
some other seedB 1 had bought; but not one of 
them came up. I am sure 1 don’t know why. 
Well, after I had got tired of waltffig for those 
seeds to grow up, I got some more, and they are 
coming up now. I have read so much lately that 
I began to get sick from It, and mamma made 
me stop for a little while. I am trying to learn a 
little bit of the French language; but It Is rather 
hard work in hot weather. I think I shall begin 
to take music lessons In a little while; so you see 
I will have to study quite hard. 1 am dreadfully 
unlucky, and I am continually getting Into scrapes. 
I am very fond of playing tricks; but 1 do think It 
Is a disagreeable till tig to get caught. The other 
day, In school, when we were out In the large room 
writing, I gave a girl a pinch, and she fairly 
jumped up in the air. Well, Miss Burger, my 
teacher, saw it and brought me out, to stand in the 
middle or the room. The principal saw me and 
asked what was the matter. When she learned 
she made me sit on the platform all the afternoon, 
and I did not enjoy It a bit I can assure you. 
Well, I guess I must bid you good-bye. 
Your sorrowful cousin. 
New York. Lizzie E. Blair. 
Dariom 
Dear Uncle Mark and Rural Cousins:— Will 
you admit another cousin into yourclrde? i have 
been reading your letters a great white, and like 
them very much. Papa has been taklDg your 
paper three years, and think It is splendid, l am 
going to school now. We have a beautiful farm 
about three miles from town, and any amount of 
roses and honeysuckles. We have garden flowers 
and a few house plants. Am I too late to Join the 
Horticultural Club? I like that story entitled 
“ John Ascott’s Daughter." l will try and write 
you one some time. Will some of the cousins 
please send a pattern for fancy tatting through 
the Rural to me. I can tat real nice. I am 
crotcbetlng a rug with a flower-pot on It. I think 
It will look real nice. I am going to can some 
fruit next week, such as gooseberries, strawber¬ 
ries, etc. I will tell you about our luck In raising 
poultry this year. We have sixty little chickens, 
doing finely, hut our little gosimgs.oh, dear! they 
were so nice and pert; but they all died. The old 
goose would lead them down to the slough and 
they would get wet and chill to death. We tried 
lo raise two in the house, but failed. We have live 
more eggs, and hope to have better luck with 
them. Grain looks nice out here. I think we will 
have a fine crop ibis year. But 1 must close. If I 
see this in print I will let you hear from me often. 
From your cousin, E. A. C. 
Shedds, Linn Co., Oregon. 
A LITERARY ENIGMA. 
^ 63 LETTERS. 
24, is, 6,10, 58, author of *• Lalla Rookh.” 
so, 61,19, 48, author of “ Abou Ben Haasan.” 
10 , 28, 63, 42, io, 4, author oi “ Pleasures of Mem¬ 
ory.” 
14,40, 82 , 62 , 21, 64, 28 ,6, author of “ Sea Dreams.” 
46.43, 9, 84,11, author of “ The Talisman.” 
22 , 65,66, 31, 43, 62 , lo, author of “ The Good Par¬ 
son,” 
l, 44,26,60, IT, 6,10, 62,16, author of the “ Scar¬ 
let Letter.” 
26, 10, 13, 66, 32, 7, author “The Conqueror’s 
Grave.” 
8, 8,10,48, author of “ The British Spy.” 
38, io, 39, 3, 62 , 63, author of “ Tales of a Trav¬ 
eler." 
60, 24, 47, io, 29, 6,19, author of “ Representative 
Men.” 
26, 37, 38, 48, 11, 3. 58, 10, author Of “ SnOW 
Bound," 
41, 20, 2,43, 12 , 36, 10 , author of “ Lire Thoughts.” 
7,15, 28, 24, 60, 69, 85, 40, 10, 57, 2, 21, author O 
the “Convict Ship." 
10, 6, 61, 42, 10, 7, 33, 28, 45, 60, 27, 21, author Of 
“The Curse of Kehama.” 
49, 47, 41,62,10, author of “ napplness.” 
Tfie whole Is a quotation from Shakespeare. 
Answer In two weeks. Alice. 
RHOMBOID. 
Across:—1, The awn; 2. A portion of land; 3, 
The tip of the ear; 4, A slattern; 6, Obtained 
from the maple; 6, Obliterated. 
Down : —l, A letter; 2, A prefix; 3, Passion; 4, 
The young of shell-tlsh; 6, Earth; 6, A short dag¬ 
ger; 7, Pyramldlcal; 8, A suburb of Constanti¬ 
nople: 9, A word applied to small girls; io, An 
abbreviation; li, A letter. •• Gus." 
Waterloo, Ind. 
Answer In two weeks. 
CROSSWORD ENIGMA. 
In damper, in hamper, In tamper. 
In palgle, hut never in box. 
In cutter, gutter, In mutter. 
In barbet, but never In rox. 
In coaster, In boaster, In toaster, 
in lemur, but never In rat. 
in fester, in pester. In tester. 
My whole Is a broad brimmed hat. 
CS^Answer In two weeks. 
Gus. 
-m- 
PUZZLER AN8WERS.—July 3. 
Square Word:— 
may 
A V A 
YAM 
Hidden Storms— 1, Gale, 2, Guat; 3, Shower; 4, 
Tornado; 6, Tempest; 6, Whirlwind; 7, Hurrloane; 
8, Cyclone; », Simoon; 10, Mouaoon; 11, Pampers. 
*‘ Wearily, drearily, time speeds along-. 
Youth and its happiness flown. 
1 have tried to suttm and be strong, 
But the lesson was hard to learn.” 
Answer to Geographical Enigma, June 19th.— 
Faint heart never won fair lady. 
BR 1 EFLETS. 
The following is old but good advice; Keep 
the head cool while in the harvest field. A 
leaf of rhubarb, cabbage, beet, or even corn will 
greatly assist. Thus sun-strokes may be avoided. 
•••*•• The editor of the Tribune regrets 
his inability to inform an iuquirer why grass 
colors butter yellowinstead of green. . 
It appears from careful tests made in Germany 
that an iutact skin is one thing to be looked to 
in the preservation of peare and apples. 
J. M. Gregory, president of the Illinois Indus¬ 
trial University, has resigned.Men 
who wish to be accredited with superior wis¬ 
dom and to occupy a high position in the 
world—to merit and to hold it—must possess 
superior knowledge. The grand trouble is 
that pretenders on all occasions are thrusting 
themselves forward in the hopes of appro¬ 
priating the harvest they never sowed, culti¬ 
vated or garnered.Mr. Roe says, 
in his new work, p. 94, “The oyule in the 
ovarium to which the stigma leads represents, 
at maturity, a seed—the actual fruit of the 
strawberry.’ It would have been more accu¬ 
rate. (botanically) had he expressed i t thus: 
“The ovule in the ovarium to which the 
stigma leads, represents at maturity the actual 
fruit of the strawberry which contains the 
seed.,’ ..Mr. J. J. Thomas finds that 
manure and too rank grow th are detrimental 
to the quality of the Clairgeau pear as he has 
found it more uniformly good on old and 
slower-growiDg trees.When the 
buds are plump aud the bark may bo easily 
separated from the wood—then is the time 
to bud .Too little care is given the 
first season to grape-vines. One shoot is 
enough. Pinch out ull the buds that push 
In the axils of the leaves. That is, confine the 
vine strictly to one cane. Tie it to the stake 
or arbor whenever IS inches of growth have 
been made. This is more important than it 
seems. Of two grape-vines, one of which is 
well supported, the other not—it will be found 
that the former will make a much stronger 
growth aud fruit perhaps a year earlier. 
We shall have some highly important aspara- 
gas notes ere Jong.And we shall soon 
clear up the mystery that invests the “ White 
Elephant.”. Beans and cucumbers 
for pickles—melons for mangoes may still be 
planted.It will save time and labor 
If purslane is pulled up as soon as it appears. 
If hoed the cut pieces will root, that remain in 
contact with the soil. Then if peimitted to 
bloom and seed, a hundred plants may grow 
from the seed of a single pod. If with any 
weeds it pays to destroy them before they ap¬ 
pear, it certainly pays with “pnssley.” .... 
Col. Weld hazards the prediction that before 
long more eggs will be batched by kerosene 
than under hens.Will somebody 
please inform us why a young lady who mod¬ 
estly shrinks from sitting on the front stoop 
with a young man’s arm encircling her waist, 
will whirl around a brilliantly lighted ball-room 
for hours at a time and let a fellow hug her to 
his heart’s content?—Elmira Sunday News. . . 
. . The editors of the Nebraska Farmer 
have built several miles of wire fence the past 
month and they deem it as good as any post- 
and-rail fence though it costs but 43 cents per 
rod—three wires. .. 
Tue 49 th Exhibition op the American In¬ 
stitute of this city will open on Sept. 15, and 
close ou Nov- 27, *cxt. The Board of Man¬ 
agers desiring to encourage, so far as in their 
power lies, a full and complete exhibit of work 
produced by Amateurs aud Apprentices in all 
branches of Mechanical, Industrial and Deco¬ 
rative Art: it is therefore proposed to admit, 
without charge, for exhibition and competi¬ 
tion. all such works as may be approved aud 
lo award premiums to those who may excel in 
the arts named. Applications for space must 
be made before September 1st, to the General 
Superintendent. Room 22, Cooper Union, New 
York City, stating nature of proposed exhibit, 
and where it may be seen and examined. The 
Board of Managers reserve the right to reject 
any exhibit offered, which in their opinion may 
not be worthy of a place in the exhibition. 
--- 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
Thirty-ninth Annual Report of the New 
York State Agricultural Society for the year 
1879. This compilation of 130 pages, 8 vo., 
contains among other matters, a valuable ad 
dress on Lung Plague or Pleuro pneumonia, by 
Prof. James Law. Reports on Insects Injuri¬ 
ous to Vegetation by J. A. Hutuer; Poultry 
Bleeding by Natural and Artificial Meins, by 
our contributor, A. M. Ilalstead ; and About 
Potatoes, by I. F. Tillingh&st. Thomas L. 
HutIsod, Sec’y. 
Circular. American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, Twenty-ninth meet¬ 
ing, to be held at Boston, Mass., Aug. 1880. 
Address F. W. Putnam, Sec., Salem, Mass. 
