New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-03-31

not live In the open air any more. The whole growth.
therefore must decay as deep 10 the roots ana
new plants WI shall spring up from them appear also
in their original form again'
These and other similar charges in the forms OF
plants bring young bctanss often into great confusion.
and have also given rise to many discussions and differ
ent opinions among The experienced
can hardly let this occasion pass without referring
20 the peculiar organization OF plant which grows
frequently in poa6s-namely the Uiric'ss lila vul
garis. blalderweed. Tie stem OF this plant is 80
berbaceous and weak that II cannot bear It's own
weight and is therefore constantly submerged. These
pllnts however, belong 10 The ANNALS, which must
hear seed every year in order q reproduce themselves
anew bnt the production OF seeds cnDot take pace
under water and the stem j rot able 10 rise above
the surface, Nature has found va incGuiors plan The
scticeons leaves have pvon provided with great
number Of small badders aled witn Ight ga', lnd
by means Of these buoys the oWerstfks are raised TO
the saIilce where the Modification axes place. and
aIier the seeds have grown to maturity ueY GIoi %
tho bottom OF the water from which they spring up
again ~ the following season.
After having now pad some attention 20 these plants
which are nsed 10 grow IN SOIL and water. we Wil now
turn 10 the parasitessuch plants namely rs are IN ne
habit 81 growing on trees, or stones ana rocks &C.
Those who have not visited prmeval forests con form
no idea of the beauty and 'he nsgniicence Of such
appearance. IN the forests OF the tropics We
frequently ud trees Of the greatest age and the NEST
gigantic forms covered entirely with those parasites
hom the bottom 10 the point. They generally belong
10 the tribes Of Ferns, Lycoooda, Bananas. ochiqes
&C. Such an Old tree represents some what Dolanich
garden. mere tinist can easily spend month OF
more in order 70 make his s'udies and collections.
The most interesting among these parasites nre the
oIchdps particularly remaIkabcsor tho shape OF their
flowers the brightness and great contrast 81 thei1
color. &c, for which reason they ere now So frequent.
~ cultivated in our hohonses Tie parasites arr n 20
~ live at the expense Of tho moisture o The .mos phere
We arrive that class OF plants which commonly
grow on Wondering wood stones, rocks etc, name
IT, the noses ferns ard licheus and by iiustTaiif
their habits will find that their functions IN natural
economy If much higher importa1 tran would be
generally supposed These plants may be regarded as
the true pioneers of ,tion. Il has sready been
stated tst the s'eds OF these families are So very light
ard dus ke that taken mp by the Wind IN large
quantities and carried away 10 great distances ana
fequ"uy reach stones rocks and even distant barren
Islands, where thew often gerniRnte aud groN
SUI ported BY the moisture Of toe atmosphere. lea
in of time These plants or par oi them ulo IN
decay 4 small layer 81 1amus viii be- produced, IN
winch the second generation, howeyer viii gro" ard
proper more rapidly. BY this cot nue. change pf
growth and decay such an incrras"d layer oil minus -
proiuccd-thouh often not tai after the expiration OF
c.uturichat larger plants ard even the largest Tree"
grow and prosper IN II. IT We had the means OF
tracing nack 10 US origin tie history Of many an
island especially OF cora-rd-. We would In all probi-
hv become convinced that vegetation oh them began
ard continued in ths very manner.
Among an the different functions Of tho get1b'es
none may hS more interesting md II higher imornnce
IL reeor, la oar own existence and health. than the
manner ~ which the vegetables are instrunohth IN
pu Tying the air by decomposing the poisonous car
bonic acid Gas Of the atmosphere. and reproducing
iherefroIu the necessary quantity Of owen gas.
Although he explanation Of tins pr cess il somewhat
sfdlfls ana ie tniuNTfNfNhhI bi bib hAui' IT,
uuues s'ne knowledge Of chemistrg WI cndeaV9r
TO host of my abilities TO Illustrate the process IN
the most popular way.
In order 10 reach This nv ain an Obliged 10 start
with te explanation % msny other facts. connected
with the phenomenon alluded to. We are All ZANZIBAR
with the feet. that beng that br"aihes through
lungs is able live fur short lne without IN
hal pg atmospheric air Beside. that by he condeusn.
ton 81 this air the animal heat produced an1 sustained
tie effects also very impOFtint a'rra'h " "li
| blood When the air-consstlng ~ W al k"oN, OF
about &C rer cent nitrogen gas AID * pr cent oxygen
ras-comes In connection with tho s-oall"d cnIic IN
our ungs. both of them (naney. tb- AIR AMI coy,
undesCo thereby strange niicrnn. lhe White ~! 10
DERIVES tic cir Of part OF IT, OxYrf fAAngr tbeTrt
It's hito color into red. AMI - Thereafter Ieal blood,
wGch is then pumped by ihs p-iullr.n OF the neHs,
through the veins 81 the whole body TIE purpose o.
developing and nogrlshing the same 20 the iem"tcsi
! eziTemites.
As equivalent for the Oxygen received. The ohyle.
however delivers 20 the oxygen o. the Atmosphere
part of iis srperfuons caTbogeu producing ihefchi
oarbonic acid gas which alter thus process u eihAi'
IN company with the unchanged tine mere an nl %
GEN e a and moisture. which "iI interMn "41h
ESs.d~s Gv ,ahnston o.rbonic aoid rss : produced
By the process ~ hnrnnr OF fcrmentiton pbifriacto
by vulcanic oraption. by escaping oh nuinf al mineral
! springs aud many '"hers 900 -
II we now consider how many millions OF humar
beings aud nnmais nave already ised aud breathel
since the creniiOn; how much combustion has taken
/ place and how many sub-tanccs bo,h vegetable and
animal hive gone 10 decay &C., aud u we consider
furthermore ihi hy all these occurrences oxygen g
constantly ahsorbfd from tie air aud carbonic acid FHs
Produced in return. one would fenr nat aiieF Toe ae
Of time the oxygen would decrease, Will the cnrb'nie
acid gas would increase N snch citons ihat ahims
life could no longer be possible.
The learned men ~ the oden times entertained this
idea hntng frequently NJ this dan cf ana rs the e'ci
OF the carhunc acd gs - sufocAttn when exceeding
the proportion Of per cent the smosphcrica air.
they feered the tire would arrive when aiHal lie on
our globe would entirely cease 20 exist Mnsi bappy
Gar n. however Ms vel ~ for or descendants, the
aprehensons Of the old naturasts have proved to be
nnicunded; for siuce the science ~ analytical chenis
,ry has attained high degree ~ perfection t' us
r,sults NAV be considered scrurIlousiy correct tho
air has frequently been analyz'd IN regu
lar intervals and In very ierent places aud localities
and the result Glways demonstrate nat the proportion
NJ The carbonic acid gas that u Che atmosphere Is
nearly constant and IN place whatever exceeds per
cent.
For long nerod the scientific world had specialized
"A 10 what became az the carhonic acid gas thus pro-
,ced until nally the German chemist LiebiR proved
through facts that the plants dissolve ana uecompose
the carbonic acid gas Of the atmosphere by absorbing
its csrbosen for the formation oil 'heir gfpw'n p5
leaving the oxygen 70 escape As gas WHICH, W akuin
dissolying into the air. begins Its wsfk anew. N tns
jup,rtnnt process the equilibrium o The constituents
81 tbe air will be restored aud preserved ioreVeri 80
The facts stated in the foregoing demonstration WIZ
clearly show that and for what reason, the atnospher
cal air in the country and IN the woods mns De purei
md more wholesome than that Of censely populated
oites aud that the trees are very Instrumental In ths
action Furthermore. they prove that the shs1e trees
In our cities should not only DO regarded ~ sheterng
ornaments but also beneflctoIs G our sanitary wei
60 The consequences will therefore DO entirely dli-
f,ec, when we Keep our shadetrees sound and enable
thet, thereby 10 perform their duty rpurihersor
slloy rotten trees, or even stimpA on our street.
,rbcb beside Of their disgusting appearance conftme
! a, veen gas and viii produce dangerous masmas IN
rei,rp And these the reasons why have tried so
frequently in last five years 10 lead the attention OF
,be bc 10 the poor condition ana the constantly IN
cre,sng mortality OF shade-trecs and why ha'
ever aimee been In &stae Of war against the destrno
| I've measure. wormi IL,
Arotber very interesting phenomenon In connection
With vegetable life Is that which we term CROWN
Th;s IL certainly one Of tho greatest wonders In crea.
ton and IL this fact does not moro seriously attract
On, attention. the reason Is 10 be found In its familiar
ity Let US suppose however. that certain person
- ,ayer saan n tree and some should step for