A Botanical Ladder for the Young

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. Emily. Now, mamma, will you show me the picture of the pitcher-plant, and let me read about it ? Mamma. Yes; here is the picture, and the account begins over leaf. E. The Nepenthes distillatoria, or pitcher- plant, is one of the most singular of nature's wonders: it is furnished with appendages to the leaves, which are shaped and closed like pitchers, ' provided with a moveable .lid. As soon as the pitcher becomes filled with water, ] either by rain or dew, the lid shuts down closely The Pitcher.pint. upon it. It is prevented from turning over by a hook attached to the top of it, at the back or point of the lid. When the pitcher becomes empty, its lid again opens to let in a fresh supply; and in this singular manner a store of limpid water is preserved. The plant grows in China and in the swamps of the East Indies, and is by no means rare of cultivation even in this country. Not rareof cultivation in this country! How I should like to have one ! But here is another picture, and something about a cow-tree; and it begins by saying, Let not this order be neglected because of its containing the stinging-nettle. I thought stinging-nettles were never good for anything. M. In that you were mistaken: the leaves of the nettle are used as a pot-herb; its stalk forms a valuable cordage; and its warm and nourishing seeds are often given to poultry. Many of the most common plants in structure belong to an interesting family or genus. We must not expect to find in them, any more than in persons, many perfections united. People who are rough in exterior and blunt in manner, are often possessed of good qualities. E. Yes, mamma; but one cannot help liking people better who are polite and kind, and who always look nice. I heard you say the other day to papa, yo...