Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-25

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

ense ~ ne nao conslaered the plant as TO Its
organs, its growth, and Its modes of increase,
the plant lives, the conditions under which
this life is eujsysd, and the general purposes
which vegetation subssrves in ithe world at
large. Plants sustain intimate relations ON
the one hand, with the soil, air, and sun, and
on the other with animals and man. OF these
the most important and fundamental. and
from which may most readily be gathsrsd the
answer TO the question, What does yeeota
ton accomplish, and how 2,' is the rel atoms Of
plants 10 the SUM-
Ihe entire dependence of plants TO the sun
was hrst illustrated in the fact that vegetation
belongs exclusively TO the earth's surface,
and Is most abundant, other things being
equal, Jist in proportion to the amount If
light and heat received from the SIN. The
suns Influence over the plant when il gsrmin-
ates from the sesd was then adverted to the
sscent CT the young stem the descent Of the
root; the bending of the green shoots towards
the light; and the constant Turning Of the
upper and deeper green surface of Leaves.
These properties are inherent in the plant,
and are only set in operation by the sun, or
other exterior influences. ... ID
These directions assumed by parts of the
plant were shown to depend on slow movements
OF the same nature Of those which are seen in
the change in position of the leaves of many
plants at night, and which b s been fancifally
called 1.-The sleep OF plants, F" and of the sam
nature a. the more obvious and rapid move
mems Of the Dionasa. or a J. catcher, in which
an appendsge of the leaf, something like an
open rat trap, closes when touched on che up.
Per face as by ay alighting on it, so quickly
as to capture the insect, and to grasp it all the
tighter for its struggles Several cases Of
spontaneous motions in plants we're then ad-
due-d. which are executed while the sun
shines, or Until the organs tire. All these mo.
tions are followed by exhaustion and require
rest before they can be renewed; a weak solu.
ton of opium enfsebles their motion.
The immediate cause of the movement was
shown, by variety Of evidence, to be a con-
traction of the cells of the tissue on The inner
side, and therefore TO be analogous TO move
ments by muscular contraction in animals;
In animals, tie coils of the muscles contract
through stimulus impa rted by nerve In
plants which have no nervous system, the
stimulus OF the light of the sun appears to in
cite the movement.
These more extraordinary movements in
certain plants al exaltatiOn Of a faculty, be-
longing 10 all plants, and shown in the cases
already mentioned, and also in the curling of
tendrils ard closing Of blossoms each in its
own wsy and time, some opening in sunshine
and closing at nightfall, others opening at
sunset, and closing at the dawn Of day; such
dlneren: cond uct under the same circuMstan-
ces, plainly depend upon forces or faculties
belonging to the plant itself, aud only set in
operation by the sun
The free movements executed by various
simple and microscopic plapt,, or by what an
sSers to the seeds Of the lower aLssa, we're
fully Observation-Disclosures free and vivid
that they had long been mistaken for animals
though the evidence OF their vegetable nature
is perfect.
The reason Why Psychologists have so long
hesitated to acknowledge in plants the power
of making Independent and self-detsrnine ed
movements, probably is that such faculty
seems 10 imply consciousness This is an un-
founded assumption, for various functions and
movements are carried ON inourselves without
our CONSCIOUSNESS or will the lower animals
were asserted to have no consciousness and
the lowest no definite vClition, while sponta-
neous motions are made in direct reference to
An end Of vegetable as we'll as animal life
The vitality Of plants and animals are idsn-
teal; but as we rise in the scale Of being
something - added al each step in animals
with a brain, consciousness; in the highest
brute animal, the power Of simple reasoning :;
in man, 10. only all this but the power of
making his osn thought, The object of thought
The true difference between animals and
vegetables IS not in the nature of their vital
ity, but in the relations sustained by the ami =
NAL kingdom to the vegetable. and the latter
TO the sun.
4uo Itet VI inc uIIcOurSe vas devoted 10
seoSlpg that the sun supplies motive power
by which circulation and the rise Of the sap
from the roots 70 the leaves is effected; that
the plant, under the agency of the sun, pro-
dVces all the food III the world that the
great 6ffice of vegetation is to weave out of
earth aud air fabric in which the ETHEREAL
principle OF life may be embodied; to produce
the material which cOInPosss the cOrporeal
frame OF both vegetable and animal races
and through power derived from the sun. "a
would be shown ID the next lecture
In conclusion he showed by original srgu.
meats, that the sun does not create the vegeta-
tisn, but only drives its living machinery but
that plants, and therefore animals must have
specifically "created after their kind BY Di-
vine Power, and introduced upon the earth,
and adapted to their conditions and to the Of
ices they were respectively destined to per.
form-the vegetable to create food, the animal
20 consume il.
MANUFACTURING Our city readers are pro.
baby, but few of them, aware th at a great
many OF the beautiful articles displayed in
the store of Dir. III. Semken, Pennsylvania
avenue, are manufactured in this city, some
OF his ar'ists-for none but highly accomplish
ed artists can produce such exq uisite goods as
his silverware-earnirg al times from $50 TO
SO per week. We here refer to the desi gners
he employs We know all the celebrated
similar establishments in the country. and
know Of none in which one can find chsster
or more elegant old silver coffee ami tea &c
OF three and six pieces, pitchers, cream jugs,
forks and spoons, beautifully finished and
richly engraved crumb scrapers, fish and bake
knives. oyster ladies, preserve spoons, sugar
and cream spoons, cups, gObletS, ice and sugar
topgs, napkin rings, Dresden china, and, in.
deed, everything elegant that persons of
tasts can desi. in the way of table furniture,
OF silver or Of plate. Those who take delight
in viewing such things may also see there the
most beautiful Roman uossics, pearls, coral,
eam.os, garnsts and other precious stones and
great variety of richly chased and plain gold
jewelfy, chronOmeters and watches of every
description now used In the world, fro the
silver patent lever TO ladies' ensmelled
watches and hunting watches made to stop
with Q spring at the desired second the last
mentioned being to Us quite a novelty. Really
Mr.. Semken deserves great credit for the
stock he has brought to Washington, from
which one may make IS good a selection, and
at reasonable cost, as in any other jewelers.
in bar Apnayiean 81