Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-08-24
Facts Worth knowing,

Facts W osth Knowing.
There is popular French book by Aime Martin,
which, during the last forty -four years. has gone
through thirteen editions, the last recently, and
"nlch on each occasion of reprhting has bceh
FULLY made level with the knowledge of the day
It IS an introduction to natural history and science
entitled Letters to SOPHIE dad the char yes that have
heen made it during tae 'o:ty four years of its
stcnce would nrniS! odd subject of So sculaton.
Che letters are filed wit, instructive ann amusing
facts, which glitter the TOO luxl,iant LEAKAGE like
the gem fruits in certain underground garden
which certain tailor's son once visited Having
got among them lately by some chance we filled our
pockets from the store.
We will begin with the subject of Sensibility-
the Sensibility Of Nature NJ Durend lectured on
4iineralogy in Paris, about fifty years ago and he
thought he proved that there was scnsblity in
stones. His great point was the love of the stone
f''r the sun. 1t was quite and nightingale
;andal Take solution CT salt, put one-half of
II in the sun keep the rest in darkness. Superb
crystals will form under the kiss of the sum- while
ii the shade the salt and water still remain salt
aad water. Light, said NJ. DIrend goes therefore
into the composition of crystal Diamonds are
slmost wholly composed of sunlight; they are only
found III places where the sur gives heat and light
Enough to make them Now, said tie French phil
"iopher, what do you call that reception of light to
Inc BOSOM OF Somewhat can You call that but
lave? He wen farther, and asserting that all the
highest mountains placed under the eq.:ator
cilled them Jumps of sunlight. They are imita.
Tons OF the salt experiment On large scale Their
granite peaks are crystalized light; but incomplete
cystals. Give them more light and they will be
compete-they will become crystals of the sub.
ilmest order, they will be diamonds-rea Koh
noors, or mountains of light If the sun were but
u little brighter and q little hotter, Chimborazo
would be all one diamond, the Himalayas would be
diamond sleeps, and all towns in the East over the
sunny side of their wall would have diamonds tur-
rets like Amberabad. Every sun. baked brick of
Egypt would in that case become q level worth
..ome quarts of Kohl noors.
All this is the result of the sensibties of stones
The whole earth, many old sages believed -Keper
among them-was alive. NJ Patrin taught of the
earth how metals plants, and minerals were formed
ny the gas in its body. 1t Was not to be sure, SEN
slb'e like man, hut like world 1t could not
talk words, but it could talk things
This is not so very absurd. if the things in ma
t're be not sensible, they certainly are net stupid
Look at q tree or shrub Bopuet used to say
that at the end Of all his study he could not see the
difference between cat and rosebush. Let US
see I" hat the wis are that rosebusil has, Look
at its leaves, with their smooth differing surface
turned TO the sky; but their under-surfaces, all
soft and full of pores, open to catch TIA moisture
rising from the soi-half open when they need only
a. little, closed when they want nonc The rain
that falls upon the waXy roof made by the upper
surface of the toIiage Off and is dropped into
the ground just over the sucking ends of all the
rootlets Turn some Of those rose leaves upside,
down. Lay cat on her back and she will not con.
sent to remain In that unnatural position. The
rose Leaf, too, objects to he inverted. A man NAV
bend branch 50 that its leaves all hang with the
wrong side upward; but let him wat it. He will
observe how all the little leaves slowly and very
hnv to FINN .,,r A. II. I
of few hours every leaf will have brought round
its polished surface TO the light, and be holding its
open mouths again over the ground for drink
Is the plant stupid? 1t knows what it wants and
likes, and If that be within reach will get it. Put
the rose tree into soil with dry bad earth on Its
left. You will not find it suffering its roots to lie
long in the dark about the trick that has been play-
ed them. They start out of course as usual. and
as the mail-coaches used to do in all directions:
but those that begin their journey through poor
dust receive in a mysterious way some information
Of the better land that is to be found by travelling
in contrary direction. Accordingly they all turn
back to follow their companions who have gone in
to the richer pasturage Propose pot these roots
into Jail, by digging trench round the tree or
sinking stone wall into The earth around it. The
rootets dive into tho ground until theT have reach
ed the ootn OF the c5staclc, then pass it. and run
I'D again until they fad tho level tuat best plesses
them.
Who will now undertake to say that plant is
rot sensible? Let Sophia go into the fields, and
She will tread upon multitude of flowers that
know better than she does herself which way the
wind blows, what o'clock it is, and what is to be
thought about the weather. The Calendar arreu.
sis opens in fine weather, and shuts up when rain
is coming. The S5nchus si6iricus shuts I'D at the
end Of each days business, but only remains tram
GULLY asleep when she has no doubts at all about
the morrow, when she knows it will be fine Let
traveller seek shelter from the sun under an aca
dia with thorns white SIS ivory, called by Lnn@us
the Ntnsosa tburnia. The dark shade on the sand
perhaps becomes suddenly dotted with light: he
looks up, and observes that his paTaso is shutting
itself up; that every leaf is putting itself to bed
If he will look closely he will observe too, that the
leaves sleep by the dozen in bed, nesting togeth-
er in small heaps: The traveller has hing to com.
plain about; he does not need the shade; there is
a cloud over the sun. The tree thinks-one is al
most Obliged to say, the tree thinks-that perhaps
It will come on to rain. There. is 10 reason WHY
is whole roots should not be watered in the arid
soil, aud there is reason why its leaves delicate
set on slender stems, should be beaten from their
l@ldlngs. The leaves, therefore, are shut up and
ira~n together in small bundles, that they may
ind in union the strength which in isolation
hey DO not possess: while at the same time room
S left for the rain to pass between them to water
be roots.
There is not an hour of the day that is not the be-
owed honr Of some blossom, which to it alone opens
!er heart. Linneus conceived the pleasant notion
II Tower clock. Instead of o rude metal bell to