The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-01-04
TAe Be0osha 0ele0raph,
zEN0SHA,WIS. JANUARY 4tb, 1879
A PLEA FOR HOUSE PLANTS.
From the Rural New Yorker

sciences Of bota0y and chemistry are
sfudIrd in our common schools and NV
our fire sides. FIn them We NAV lea, q
many facts established by eXperinent,
proving that so far from berg injurious,
they are the great promoters oi h+allh
and supp"rtel5 Oi Animal HE not 0Dv
in turn!shHg to0n, bur the breath Of htc
These sciences ahuu'd IN toe detail # IL
tcrest'ug facls and experiments, snnWlaG
how Inorganic substances, SUCH as ar,
water and some minerals, are traasi oTmed
into the varsous segc aD!e substances
nsed by nntnais tn sustain ie rad pro
mote growth, and hnw IL return, au'mlls
furnish plants ire necessary elements Of
life aud grow u.
"P,ants ana an m%is can exist OAly III
air" Even those I0und In water could
mot exist there If th elements of the 1T
m0Spuere did hot pervade he water; yet
thu relations Of each ~ the ar are eX4c.
ly Opposite rs, Yuuman's Atlas OF
Chcmlauy, p. "a
When wood Is cn,rred in 4 pit, black
mass IF the same SIC and fDr'u IS the re
salt This is cssrppn, 'He soidlying pIIn'
clple Of ali Substances possessing life.
When this carbon or charcoal is burned,
heat IS prud0ctu Ivy It's union with y Ger
tain part OF tie atmosphere called "xggvn
gas Carbon ais exists Ii the blood o.
ANIMALS ami 81 rvee the purpose # pro
duCIng au!mti he.a Ivy union with oxygen
in breathing. Now, the result Of th!s
un:un is carDonIc acid gas, the lmpure
air thrown ii, III the lungs. TaiS cannot
be- again taken i'll" the lungs, is tx
ptlcd, wllhuut producing death. Nov,
had not our & Gator -pruv,trd u ready
purifier, W hat must have been tue con
dIIIon of he atmosphere alter IT'S use b.
the lnlmaglnAh.c myrlads ~ living,
breathing FEATURES, tor these six thou
sand years? And II plants render the air
impure, now vastly Is the trouble lncIeas
Ell
But the revelations of chemistry teach
us that TIL, CART" me ACID gas is exactly
fitted Tor the use OF plants, ana even IN
dlspenSlble to heir lite and growth. b.
Ing absorb d by them through the num
berless pores on their surfaces. it is de
composed, the carbon going ca form the
vegetable structure and increase lis
growth and solldlty, While the oxygen,
.he on y lie sustaining principle OF the
atmosphere iur animals, is thrown If, q
b. again inhaled III the lung>, there again
to and iro, carrying the Indispensable
elements II lite rom one To Lbt ntAer con
stanuy.
ms same poisonous gas arises from
dgcaylng vegetation and with another
called ammonia, from decaying lusal
substances These cause the uDhea.thtut
ness nl cities where vegetation does not
abound.
l. = In off oE 10 OF
vegetables to absorb an dec' impose
these gases ana water Hence the IN
meuse amount OF green sugtace spread
out to catch the ae' lal allmept. How IN
teresllng the thought, tina. every blade |
and icai ri grass hand stretched Out
to catch from every fitting zephyr the
destructive element OF life Instead.
w helcyer green plant exists, wheth |
er it be those mich man cuitivates as
sources o; food, or the venerable forest
trees, or the WILD weeds of tue prairie, or
the tumble grass 10y the wayside, or he
sta.weeds which gr"w In the ocean" or
. th3 eAotIc iii the pdrlor; " this IS its IS
sen .Ia functl0n-that in which vegetable |
life CONSISTS, to absorb carbonic acid gas,
deeompose it, use the carbon in forming
organic vegetable mpounds, aud restore
YUuman's Atlas OF Chem, p, &c
From these facts we may safely infer
that The cultivation of house plants under
favorable circumstances, SO lar from being
injurious is beneficial to health. Those |
winch present the greatest leaf surfaces
are the most useful.
There is also another way in which |
house plAuts benefit health viz, by pro.
noting cheer illness; as that is consider
ed q great curative agent. When the |
frusts OF autumn have laid waste our
beautiful garG ems and the earth has eX
changed her robe OF green for one OF
whit, how refreshing to watch the spring |
ing leaf, the bursting bad and the open |
ing flower Even the hearts of the little |
ones are full, rs they daily witness some
newborn leaf or flower They Will cost
less and afford more real amusement than
heaps of Christmas trlhes. gsAE
MANAGEMENT OF HOUSE PLANTS.
They must lie kept III thriving and
healthy condition, hy having fresh fertile
soil, moisture, and plenty OF lIght.* Plants
growing III the dark corners OF a room,
or IN deeply shaded windows, If warm
aud moist, they will grow like potato
sprouts in u cellar. They will absorb gases
and water in the dark; bat require igh'
to decompose them, and make the plants
grow green and hardy. They should be
kept iEce from dust, as any considerable
amount on their surfaces won! Ii close the
little pores; though fortunately,,he great
tr part Of these are (tor that reason eyi.
de0tlv) on the under surface.
JUo+,r eitouid hp kene I'm fba .to,a !, -