Countries Enriched by Plants.

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 64

Countries Enriched by Plants.

Sir Joseph Hooker tells a pretty story of a little wild flower and a desert island. The island is one of the unnamed group south of the Falkland's. Neaily a centuryago a party from an English sealing vessel lauded* upon this islet charged with, the sad task of biu-ying a shipmate. They dug the grave on the highest ridge of the sandy, desolate waste, and left their comrade toi sleep under the dull Antarctic sky. Foily years later Sir Joseph vi?ited the spot in company with other members of the crews of the Erebus and Temr. The once desolate island was now covered with a thick coat of verdure, and brightened with the by- eet-smellmg blossoms of an English wild flower. He traced the plant which hadl worked this transformation to the grave of the British sailor. There it grew thickest. Without doubt, a seed or two had been attached to the soil which had been caked on the English spada used to dig- the grave. This is only one instance of a hundred similar. Either by design or chance plants have been introduced into spots which were deserts before for want of suitable vegetation, and have changed these wastes into gicen pastures or forests fit for Ihe habitation and use of man. Here is an instance in which Nature, ima-ssisted, turned a terrible disa*t:r in"o an ..ctual benefit.

In the year 1825 some French Canadians squatted on State land in Arostook County, Maine. Tliev were warned to move, but :c*fused; and finally two sj^ecial constables were sent to evict them. Having . turned! the families out, these men set fire to their shanties. A strong gale came up, and within an hour the biggest forest fire ever seen in Maine was raging. It was not checked till, after three days, it had cleared^ every stick of timber from ten million acres of fine old forest. The damage was estimated at three millions sterling, ond 270 persons lost theL' lives.

Aftei* the fire had burnt itself out, it was found that the intense heat had actually calcined the peat and earth for several feet down. The country w.t* a howling wilderness, with no living tiling iipon it. But Nr.turii had not forgotten it. Next year the little green spires of birch and cherry began to push up from the alkaline ashes. In 10 j cars all was thick bush. Then came "black knot," a disease -which killed all the cherries, and the birch forest stood nlone in its glory. Last year from the site of that famous fire were cut forty million feet of birch timber, a- sample of which is tc be found in nearly every lady's workLasket in the world. Almost all cotton reels are made from Maine birch trees.

It is, not, however, necessai'y to look very far from home in order to see what miracles plants effect in turning waste lands to> good useful soil. Tho great manoeuvring (pound of our troops at Alaershot was at one time so covered with loose sand as to niake marching a mi«ery, and camping, when any wind blew, not much beter. Scotch pine tiees Inve been planted over * part of the area, and these have not only bcund the sand together, but act at present ,'s efficient wh'd brerk?

Marram gras«, w Inch every east coast dweller knows so well, has reclaimed thousand* of acres of shifting sand dunes ;:long the Norfolk coast. Marram has the wondeifnl property of flourishing in the loosest snnd, throwing its long matted roots

15 and. ?0 feet down towards moisture.

.••i><l finally forming a network which no cale can affect. It is this grats and others like it. such as matweed and sand sedge, winch have made it possible for Holland to keep the se:> at bay all through the centiu-ie^s hime her people first began to fiijlit the ocp.tp with dykes. No soil, let ilcne liKir . c a nd. would withstand the lj, llow - ol a single equinoctial were it not ti^d together with these intei-lacing roots. It i- -aid that over .i hundred thousand acres have been saved from the sea. in the neighbourhood of Cape Cod on the Maine coast by the agency of Marram gras«.

— The Guildford Guardians have decided to regale members from a distance attending meetmgb of the board with twopenny luncheons. For this sum they will be suppi ietl with 4oz of bread and 2oz of cheese. If members desire fluid refreshment they will require lo bring it with them.

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