Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-29
EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

NEGETArDN.-The concluding lecture on
vegetation was delivered at the Smithsonian
oy Prof- Asa Gray, on last Friday evening
before a large and attentive audience
MI cray devoted thi, lecture to still fur.
Their lllustrstion Of the relation of plants 10
the sun; the vegetable was viewed "a a ma
chine for transforming mineral into organic
matter or earth and air into food, through an
agency set IN operation by the sun Wb.n
exposed to the sun, the foliage evolves oxvoen
gas, when Is an unerring index of the form
alton OF organic matter. This was shown by
comparing water, the food of the plant with
lis fabric and general products-the differe,re
IN the two being represented BIZ the owen
gas gwen Oh by growing plsnts-thus yegets
ton serves TO purity the air We breathe In
every step of their growth, plants vitbdrav a
portion Of carbonis acid gas from, ~. az
when, Hit ac9umula. ed, it would become del
eteIious to animal life, and give back oxygen,
the element so neediul to animal life. Thus
the plants, while they purify the air, ut the
same time transform air-water being a part
ofit-intO f'od and this they do emily under
the influence Of the sun.
The vast amount Of matter which ha b.en
organized by plants, was then considered, in
Tthe present vegetation, in decomposing yeve-
table matter, In m0uld, peat, and coal, and in
the whole eItant animal kingdom
He explained what becomes of all this or.
ganized matter by showing the changes il un-
dergoes-hrst, In the plant itself after life has
departed; then in the living vegetable; then
when transferred as food to the animal
He then illustrated the reversion of organ
ised matter, by decay, into the original inor.
gapic state, in which the plant took the mate
rial; then the decompositions which take
place IN living plants and animals the mate.
rails IN all being given back to mineral state
In me form OF carbonic acid water, aud aua-
mopls, viz: IN the same condition the plan,
toos them: Combustion of organic matter. "a
of wood &C., produces the same result. De-
cay and many other process es carried ont in
the living plant, and the respiration Of ami
mails, Wede shown to be quiy alsnt to combus-
ton, and 10 evolve jus, az much heat as would
be evolved by the burning Of the same mate.
ral; ana the heat given out is absorbed by
the foliage Of the plant f~om the sun at the
time the matter become organised.
In the plant and animal power is expended
and work is done as the matter DECAYS The
sun, in the production of organic matter in
plants, has endowed it with force derived from
Itself, which may be expended in various ways,
sld which man variously directs.
30 II is sun heat evolved by vegetable mat
ter, seen in decay in hot-beds, or in fuel used
to warm US, cook Tor Us, drive steam engines
for Us, &c. In the case of wool. the heat
came from the sun few years ago. that Of
n
torch, or camphene extracted from pine. re-
Gently came from the sun. But in coal gas.
We light our hall tonight with sunshine stored
up Tor thus purpose by a vegetation which
y fOulished hundreds of years before The erea-
ton OF man. Ii is the same, also, both az to
the result and the source of the light, whether
We burn candle made of wax of the bayberry
or CT wax made out of sugar by the bee, or a
tallou candle, or Of materials made out of the
heTosge OF the OK or sheet; whether we burn
oil extracted from corn, or feed that corn 10 n
pig ard burn lard oil
IheEe Is no longer room for doubt than ami
Nal heat Is sun heat, that our bodies are
warned by sua heat, which also warns the
earths suTisce by direct emanstion from the
common source.
Heat and light were then viewed as Eo,ce
convertible into still ether forms, among than,
mechanical power Every act Of muscular
enc 81 deoomPoses a portion Of the muscIs
which food resuPP'ies By the Incorporation of
new material
The lecturer closed with an original sryu-
nent against materislisn-against the idea
thal NATE itself may be so organized IS to
thlnk For, II even the forces which the will
causes the body to exert be not forces Inherent
IN the matter Of the body, but derived from
the sun, much more must the power or pripei.
Pie that wills be distinct from the body.
II the one may be traced back to the sun
itself created thing, may not the power that
THINKS and Wills claim a higher origin. even
IN the underlved fountain and source Of
thought and will
lag BALLET-The Rous etts, on re-openinp
The National Theatre on Saturday night last
were received throughout their entire per
formaDces with such applause az is rarely ac
corded by Washington audience Their
beautiful ballet OF the evening, the Giselle,
WJs never better performed Caroline. Ads
IsIde, and Theresine, created each a perfec, I'm
TOR in their respective parts, while Ciementine
. TOO, came IN for fair share Of the thunder of
the grained audience. Nothing in the way
OF ballet, ever seen in our city, exceeded the
grace Of Caroline, the elegance of Thefes;ne
or the piquant agility OF their charming sister
cased IN male attire, who is by long oids the
best formed woman We ever saw on the stage.
Coroy and Szoilosy, ia the after piece, SeIt
we mouse ID roar OF laughter, both being
comic pantominists without EQUALS slserbere
IN the United States Corby is really the
finest comic dancer we ever saw and trav.
eled friend, an enthusiastic connoisseur Of the
ballet assures, at this moment, without his
equal on the Partisan boards. His making
uP Is exquisite in its way while bis pan,o.
mime Is not 10 be described with the pen TIE
man who can witness it without a laugh.
must have nerves Of steel Tonight thew re.
produce Giselle, and for the lastfime, with the
side-sPlitting afterpiece Of the barber duelliss.
Erisac.
NovHL SIGBT.-Our attention, yesterday.
was attracted by crowd assembled in front
OF the General Post Office, and ever anxious to
Keep the readers of the Star fully posted in
all that transnires in our city, we joined the
throng Tbe hrst view revealed 90 ca TT, in
WHICH was collected large and varied assert.
ment Of household and kitchen furniture
consisting Of kettles, pots, frying pans, tin
cups dc, dc Surmounting all were a pair
O. boots, attracting much attention from their
peculiar appearance, and giving assurance of
ha'lDg seen hard service ElbOwing our way
through the outsiders, +" VIC gained The inner
circle and held converse with the owners of
this novel sssemblage Of articles They were
an old man and his wife, over fifty year. of
age, travel stained, and giving evidences of
fatigue. They had stopped at this spot to en-
JOY resting spell, and his dogs, of which be
had two or three, lay down painting and went