THE DEVIL PLANT OF MISSISSIPPI.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXII, Issue 307, 26 January 1894, Page 3

THE DEVIL PLANT OF MISSISSIPPI.

ffowe bM receutlr appeared in this -tUjiaitf a 'most peculiar growth, knbwn a* 'Ihe * devil plant/ which is 10 deadly as to render all insect life and -vegetation in its neighbourhood •Kfelete: f It-is most innocent in appearance, being of a tender green, 'clingifig^ close to the earth, and sprinkled with small red blossoms, cup-shaped, awfc*hoMing in their heajjauaj singjg, dfpp of moistureV/ It is iv ,tp|s Angular dew, which the sun >ha^ nq ppwer to^ dispel, that the j^apt's moit blighting influence is Sajd te tie*, Bees by. the hundreds JbaVjabeep found dead in the blossoms. IndMj the hives, of the neighbourJiD^i, are nearly depopulated by the noijous flowers. A gentleman who is noted as. a botanist in these parts .fecfai thi» dew, and declared that it wals^f a eickeniog sweetness, without o<i)ur,vand viscid like liquid gam. Ifciwas alldwed to dwell on; his tongue, which soon began to burn him so as to raise member swelled, up and became discoloured ami very painful. The bees bave not be^p the only sufferers by this growth, bht every insect approacbing it seems to be^9me paralysed, and after a beat of . |wp pjf tne wings a^oye this creepIng upag drops dyin* among its cruel leaves. Cattle wbicb have eaten of it die in a few hours in the greatest agony 'with a sort of exaggerated te&mns, the ; skin drawn tense, and a eyes protruding from the head, ordinary remedies fail to restore one in these attacks. Vegetation also seems to j&uj& the 'ieviL^lant/ and whole tracts of meadow are now lying scorched and dead from the insidious approach of this unknown growth. Under' the microscope the leaves exhibit innumerable little mouths, or suckers, of such tenacity as to sting the hand on which the leaf is laid, leaving a dull; red mark, like the wound of a ' scorpion* The people of the vicinity say this plant is the forerunner of disaster, it having made previous appearances just before the outbreak of the war and on each occasion of ths coining of yellbw fever. An effort has been made to burn it Ott^' btit, jyrotccted by its singular (lew, this has failed. The dead bodies of ctrttfe which have died of eating it, on being examined, show that the digestive organs are swollen to four times their natural size, and look as if they had been burned ; the heart is congested, and the blood of a dark twuoual tinge, with an odour like benzoin*. Dhe plant is of rapid growth^ eovming acres in a few days, requiring Jittje Ti^id.' and going over every ojbstacVin its way, the roots being of tibrtaacUiks fineness, and extending only art itich or two below the surface of the ground, but exhibiting extraordinary tenacity once they seize hold of a ppot, enwrapping pebbles, old roots, etc., like clinging fingers.

A peculiar case was beard at Greytown on Wednesday, when an artist named James Lewis claimed the sum of £2 lOb from a native named Tamiti Pairimo for having shaved his father, when dead, tracing tatoo marks in Indian ink, and photographing the corpse. Judgment by default. ; Mosquitos only live twenty-four hours, sometimes less, hut they generally manage to have a good time while they are in this vale of tears. The Government derived £9,590 5s 6d revenme from * Press ' messages y. sent during 1893. Every description of letterpress printing is executed in first-class style at the office of this taper. Keep the money in the place by having JfWfißi^inL4o9*h9».-rABVX.