THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
-white. The why or wherefore of tlie various forms or 
■colors is not the subject under consideration ; it is what 
they do, and how they do it, that now interests us. 
Climbing plants differ materially in their mode of 
operations ; some climb by their leaves, some by means 
of tendrils, some by their stems, and others by what are 
known as adventitious roots, such as the Ivy, Bignonia, 
etc., etc. Each geuus has a method of its own, to which 
it adheres with the greatest tenacity. The growth of 
any climbing plant depends largely upon its means of 
support; when proper ones are furnished, its growth is 
rapid and vigorous. If it has none, it will try to invent 
one of its own ; failing in this, it will throw out branches 
from every joint, and assume a half-shrubby form, with 
but little vigor. In looking for an object to fasten itself 
to, either leaf, tendril or stem may be seen to bend to 
one side and to travel slowly round towards all points of 
the compass, moving usually like the hands of a watch 
with the sun; during the day these revolutions are per¬ 
formed, on an average, every two hours, until the part 
has found a support. It is very interesting to watch 
the movements of the various classes of climbing plants, 
as some of them not only show remarkable intelligence, 
but a degree of independence and perseverance worthy 
of imitation. The moment any climbing plant finds a 
support, it grasps it, and makes one turn round in an 
incredibly short space of time, apparently in order to 
establish its claim. Most plants are not very particular 
in then- selection of a support, but take the most con¬ 
venient object. Others will only take just such an one 
as suits them; conspicuous in this class is the Maurandya. 
Here we will remark that if you excite any leaf, ten¬ 
dril, or vine seeking support by touching or rubbing the 
part with a small stick, it will, within a few minutes, 
change its position as though it had secured a home. 
This is not altogether so with the Maurandya, for if you 
rub it with a smooth , hard stick, or carefully lay one 
against it, in what you would suppose the most suitable 
position to assist the plant, it will not pay the slightest 
attention to it; but lay a soft piece of cord, weighing 
only one-sixteenth of a grain, on the leaf-stalk and it 
will grasp it at once. 
If you plant a Honeysuckle in your garden and fail 
to furnish it a trellis, its twining branches will wander 
in all directions for support: failing in their efforts, the 
stronger will overpower the weaker branch, and compel 
it to alter the direction of its spiral, and they will twine 
around each other, showing will power as plainly in the 
family of plants as it is manifested in the family of men. 
The writer once planted a Honeysuckle on the side of 
his dwelling, and furnished it a trellis that reached the 
second-story windows ; the plant completely covered it 
the first season, having made a most remarkable 
growth. The second season it commenced its growth 
with its accustomed vigor, but having reached the top 
of the trellis, and having no further support, the 
branches wandered in all directions, making but feeble 
growth after the first few weeks. In order to see what 
the plant would do, a trellis was placed above the old 
one, leaving a space of nearly two feet between the two; 
no effort was made to disentangle the mass of branches 
that had twined around each other, nor was any re¬ 
quired: the branches soon straitened out, and withih 
forty-eight hours all the leading ones had reached up 
and fastened themselves to the trellis, at the same time 
resuming then - active growth. 
As we look through the garden other strange phe¬ 
nomena present themselves. Here we see the Cranberry- 
bean twining to the right, giving the gardener little, in 
fact, no trouble in its direction; again we see the Lima- 
bean going in the opposite direction, or twining to the 
left, and seemingly determined not to climb at all. The 
cause of this strange phenomena long puzzled inquiring 
minds, and while the scientist was groping in the dark 
for light, a solution of the question was afforded by a 
practical gardener, who explained the mystery as fol¬ 
lows : The Lima-bean is a native south of the equator, 
the Cranberry-bean a native of the north side; conse¬ 
quently in their native habitat each moves with the 
sun. In its adopted home, the Lima refuses to change 
its habits, which nature insists upon its doing; the con¬ 
sequence is it fails to do either, well. 
Plants never deviate from the path in which they 
were made .to walk, they know the right and will walk 
therein. If a prop be placed within a few inches of a 
Morning-glory vine as it commences to twine, it will 
find it, although it may be shifted daily to a hew posi¬ 
tion ; after it has become established and has made a few 
turns around the stick, unwind and twist in the oppo¬ 
site direction, and it will immediately return to its 
proper position or die in the attempt; it will not grow 
wrong. What is true of this plant is true of all others, 
whether climbing, trailing, creeping, or erect growing, 
each has a specific work to perform, which it performs 
wisely and well. From every class of plants there 
may be drawn the most instructive lessons, and 
the highest moral philosophy. These lessons can 
only be learned from the text-book of nature—a 
book complete with wisdom and instruction, one 
that you must study for yourself. No commentary 
on this book will satisfy the desire for the true and 
beautiful in nature. 
The result of this study has been so beautifully de¬ 
scribed by Coultas in his admirable book, “ What may 
be learned from a Tree,” that we quote his closing re¬ 
marks in full. “Reader, if you wish for peace and con¬ 
tentment of mind, study nature. You will be brought 
into communion with the infinite and eternal. You 
will become temperate in your desires. You will love 
truth and righteousness. The contemplation of this 
majestic system of continuous change will give lofti¬ 
ness to your thoughts; free your mind from a groveling 
and ignorant superstition; give you just, confiding, 
worthy views of your Creator, and enable you to march 
through life with a firm, a manly step. Tins world is 
full of beauty little understood or appreciated. An 
overflowing goodness has covered the earth with flowers 
and glorious forest trees; yet how few, comparatively 
speaking, care to know anything about them. We in¬ 
vite you to this grand and ancient library ; to the study 
of these volumes overflowing with wisdom and instruc¬ 
tion. It is not the mere study of nature, but the 
impressive lessons which she teaches. Thoughts of 
infinitude and eternity come to me from the distant 
stars, and from the forms of vanished life laid up in 
the rocks, reminding me that my own life is fleeting 
and evanescent, as the vapor of morning. The lofty 
tree, with its wealth of branches and foliage, perishes 
alike with one of the lowly undistinguished blades of 
grass which it overshadows; so none are so high or 
well-known but they shall, ere long, lie low and be forgot¬ 
ten. And herein is seen the wisdom and equity of the 
