New-York daily tribune., 1849-01-29
Chemistry in it, Relation to Asrirui,ur..
Dr. Asri'FLL' 'reeSD LECTURE

Dr. AyrrsELLs Second Lecture vas delivered
Friday evening. The s-5le-rs considered were tie
Con,rrueuon Of Pant. generally. Their .eTersl organ.
ard The c-fces " Il those organs pe-fora lfs ne.
ce.sary o5served The Lecture 60 travel OCT Of tie
way q pure Chemistry order 10 unserrsrd tas IN.
uor-saee Of ih.s subject Of Vegetation Plants rensr
sly are regarded a. having to st. o. organs ou,
coltr5lt1- o. q. supper; 0f The rdisdu pant sud
the ofher gerpetuatrE lts psrf c-sr fpeces Those
which su22ort Re individual DBL, are The roci ias stem
ard the 'esves
Ofthsse i i1 best % cons Ter the stem .sd cave.
supy-fJr the root = nothing a10re than subdivision
oi tha stem placed underground
TEE Doctor Vtrt % ieuosstrste this assertion by
.xr--neus slowing tee practicable trz1spositon u
ae properties 81 the stem aud tie r,ot ~ reversing
treir positions ID TIE -, placing ire root upyermost
70 Fes found thst 10 n transliatou tle entire
t1-es @ each we're exchanged Hence the argument
that tie root sgress = but coflnuA;ol % re stem,
SO posses ssd Of -rsfArf.s.y the same garts.
The lecturer then gsvs description u The mode bg
Rhich nutrition s Afforded % the plant snd illustrated
verv forc5iy the action of the Sfnll minute open.
ugs in t-e exfreuiines oi the roots through which
sacu nour h1enf pssses Re then turning q suitable
sgraus Ill ira q th- structure q RE vessels of
D.ii within the tree forming ~ primary s-bs;anoe Al
arsi OF round torn, the accession o. taer numbers
causes close hexogensl Arrangement ard bot unfs-
gleul7 they de out entirely hy the tune the full ma
tariy " the j. stainsd Tn. pith moreover does
not AZ sry time grow in the tree la proportion O. the
growth OF is other parts rs purpose the Dr. consider.
ed entirely c0lnnst . TIE earlier stages OF the
growth Of the tree As established 5y ne circumstance
Of its lT aent tissPYesrsnce 10 The uus,e stages Of
.ts growth.
TIE other portion OF the stem outside the pth oc
cupied with Woody Fibre and then come iho spiral
vessels - called because they have spiral or cork
screw appearance In tropical plants ~ tnd these
vessels n crest abundance, and the stem be- broken
gently they may be- readily perceived.
Here the Dr. advertsd ~ some length to The growth
II plants In tropical regions sni then passed 70 con
sideral0n Of Lsarfs. These be considered merely
m0ditcston of the brsncn
Its not from toe stem sni roots much from the
leaf that Judge tree. Ine leaf is nothing more
than continuation OF the stem. and has the same
constituent properties but n ths leaf the vessels Of
the plant are spread wider surface than n
the stem and ar isened. The leaf nas no. simple
surface but consists VI two surfaces, or rather two
caves held together-s0 that We macersie leaf We
shs BE- able 70 separate the Two End pass the hand be
tween them TIE speaker thus proceeded some time
In description Of the 4n4tomy and fanct ons oi differ
snt paris OF plants Their Instructive rejection oi
whatever substsnces unsuitable 70 .hem their or
ganc and inorganic constituents their assimilation of
carbon Of water. and OF al nutritious matter, were s
touched upon the OF the Lecture, and mum
Der OF interesting experiments detailed.
Dr. A. made slusion 10 the property In plants OF seek
log moisture Ther roots vii travel about the ground
n every direction in search VI water This Is paTtcu
lary Observable In lucerne and sain0ia-the former
mas send Quits roots twenty Tee, where
there scarcity VI moisture.
We ind that pants possess a selecting power-eiher
Of taking up rejecting certain suostsaces AuOlgny
hss msde some very Interesting experiments on this
point He vaiered the Pea with & solution Of nitrate
OF stronts-the mineral extersively used in tnesers 70
produce a red Highland which Is poisonous 10 al
plants. The Pea refused 70 take ltup
Ssussure tried experiment OF the same Kind upon
Poiygonum a species Of Blckwheat, to which be ap
Piled solution OF scetate of line The plant refused
ii but took up greediy solution Of common salt
We know that II We plant side by side the pes and
grain OF whes, although growing upon the same kind
Of sol end treated IN precisely similar manner, snsy
sis will show hat their constituents are essentially oh
ierent one has abundance Of silica and the other
none Thus proving that not only do plants clter
eut species take Up Different food but thsi pant the
same species always choose the same ingredients. Ia
vhstever way then, may consider ~ We are led %
the conclusion that al plants are possessed OF select
ing yOwer-not only OF taxing Up, out oi throwing on
Upon this principle De Csndole founded his theory
Of the Rotation OF Crops tie concluded ths, the mat
thus THROWN OF must be POISONOUS 70 piaus, ana
this YVES sabsequently proved TO be thc csSs
The principle Of Capillary Attraction was next trea,
ed Of By the Dr-he illustrated - action very clearly
and succncily he considered that this cspilsrity Of
action does not entirely influence the properties Of the
sap, though undoubtedly il has great effect. The
more probable IL that which arises rom the
plant itself He considered hat while the sap n ts
original state OF water entering he plant through
IN, membrane before ment n,d az tns extTemies Of
t roots powerful Influence Il q work Al the top OF
the plant which greatly influences its sscent con-
evaporation IL going on when the sun IS shining
''N---+ .|r.r'
this Circumstance, considers Dr. A. 70 which man-
| Is owing the ~ OF the sap.
That this evaporation ia constituent principle has
been clearly proved By experiment snd among otners
| By tina, Of Mr Hays upon sunno"sf u only tnree
| feet hght which be found discharged 81 pounds OF
water 70 hours. OF course the amounts isrger 10
proportion 10 the size OF the plant or me ue we may
consider the leaves snd trunk IN ths conGt0u az 81
phon-he fuid being carried W by The one e as last
a. is poured out BY the other The saline na'ters
taken In by the roots become slightly Changed 10 pass
ing into the STEM ~ taking Little woody matter Ard
by degrees the original Of the water Is changed
IL approaches the leaves the sap "a quite InlcA ov
ing to the macilsge snd other properties Of me wood
which have Teen absorbed durgs is passage tnrolgl
the vessels Of the pant-and by Tire time u mas r,1caed
4 the leaf the tue sap 10 formed There ls however
portion OF the cap always ysfzTsiHS which mee, ne
ascending and newly formed part and tn'teaas sresy
| promote the circulation Of tn pisnL
The Doctor then We Ut into description OF TIE terms
Exosmo.e and Endosnose applied 70 the CROWN OF
the plant whether from or toward the center What
are termed the Orsaac Paris oi plants ara DER, "a
,ltogether from the air through the sgency OF the
sponaole. In the leaf When the sun s shining these
arc always open, and mbioing large amount oi ne
different kinds Of gases WHICH are contained pa NC
atmo.ubere These gases are decOmpOsed, the oxygen
giveu out and the carbon ass!nLa.ed into me plant
rhs goes on only in the SUMNER snd II the plants are
observed while lying 10 water u VIII De pefceis.u .al
no change taxes place this "a aiso tre case 10 Nnlrf
Tbe leeturr iuto position Of the prop
critics Of CArbouc Acid illustrated ~ various atefest
ing experiments snd thence passed 70 eohsioeishon
| % ~ Com y-L.-uyn n ~
cordsuce with which this instance carocnlc acid
80 noxous ~ life, !. rendered essential 70 tne
existence Of a plsnt o, -
| Dr. A next consd cred the effect Of Climate upon
Vegetation What IS understood oy Climate SAID De,
confused idea IL is thought y some 70 consist oi
the influences of altitude OF latitude or VI the coudi-
ou OF the country whether lnsar or continental etc
The Doctor then went INTO brri DESCRIPTION oi tne
vssetston peculiar ~ dfrreui regions passing rom
the Palm and Banana the Clfron sud sus-rC Ans tne
Lime aud the Olive, The Grass ianiy tne flne ano 70
Lichens o. regions OF eternal snor-snere He hna
that cold does not destroy but only retsrds Fesetar0l
| The minute Lch-ns growing upon tHe snow, Snen
give II the red appearance formerly supposed 10 D.
traces of blood are made 70 sOrd n0urshGent 10 hu
man life In those regions ss Te a. 70 tne support oi
the Reindesr-Ihe Doctor sls9 adserted % New hol'
and a. the only connecting INK IN vegetable life BE-
tween the world before rs-r1n and a. nog existing
and concluded By general view Of the laws which
rezu ate and the inauences which s1rcr Vegetation
The subjects Of the nexE Lectare viii Be Tie Ainos
phsre and Water generally considered, and TIE Oees
which they perform in the support Of the life Of the
Plant
| ANorHER DIsAsTROUs FiRE.-This morning,
sbou, O'Clock IRE broke 10 the back part Of the
sto-e Of NJ Sprait west side of Azin-st and and 70
"a, not STAYED until ihs whole block bounded By
M.ip Perry Bench and Green sts. vas u ruins. Tae
| westher "a. intensely cod. There wind had
The night been windy IL would not easily have been
xsc, within even .uch limits The buildings were al
| "A E-a a h~fa vef