The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-05-13
Phenomena of Plant Life.

We have received another interesting
and valuable contribution to the science of
vegetable life and force from the pen of
President Clark, of the Massachusetts
Agricultural College at Amherst. Our
gave, about year ago, of the experiments
conducted under his directions, and also
the later account of the lifting power Of a
growing squash. The latter experiments
were conducted last summer at the Agri-
cultural College, and the result was that a
single squash, so guarded that the lateral
pressure was restrained; lifted in its growth
the enormous weight of two tons and a
half without being crushed.
The history of these experiments forms
the basis of this treatise, which is illus
trated by numerous engravings, but many
important subjects connected with plant
life, and especially the power and habits
of plants in growth, are discussed by one
who proves himself master in this de-
partment of science. We make the fol-
lowing extracts:
During the past year much has been
written and said about carnivorous plants
which catch great numbers of insects for
the apparent purpose of feeding upon
them. When fly alights on the leaf of
Dionpd, the two halves close upon it and
hold it fast until consumed, when they
open for another. The leaf of species Of
Drosera, in New Jersey, is said to have
the power of moving toward an insect,
fastened within half an inch Of it, and
feeding upon it. The pitcher-shaped
leaves of SdrraceniH rarioldris not only
seem to possess the power of enticing in
sects to climb from the ground to the in
side of their pitchers, by secreting verti-
cal line of honey on the outside, and also
a line around the edge of the cup, but they
prevent their escape by an ingenious ar
rangement of hairs, which continually
force them downward as they attempt to
fly out When they thus reach the bot
tom of their prison they come in contact
with fluid which first paralyzes them
and then hastens their decay and absorb
ton.
Not less wonderful are the instructive
movements by which climbing plants
seek for and attach themselves to a sup
port. Twining vines, like the hop, the
bean and the morning glory, exhibit re-
volving movement of their extremities
until they come in contact with some OBJ
ject around which to coil. Each species
has it's own peculiar direction, from which
most of them never vary. A few, like the
hop, wind from the right upward toward
the left, moving like the hands of watch
but most, like the bean, move in an oppo-
site direction. The squash, however, is
not a twining plant, but climbs by means
Of tendrils. Nevertheless, the tip of a
growing vine revolves continually from
left over to right, in evident search for a
support.
if single he set into the ground near
the tip of a growing squash-vine it will in
day or two be seen turning toward it;
and that if the single be removed to the
opposite side the direction of the vine
will again be changed. He also states
that he has observed squash-vine, after
running along on the ground ten or twelve
feet, and then passing under the branches
of tree which were four feet above it, tc
stop and turn upward toward the branches
After growing in this direction till itcould
no longer sustain itself, the vine fell to the
ground; but instead of proceeding hori
| ZOntally it again rose into the air, again tt
fail. A third effort was made before thu
| plant was willing to give up and trai
| humbly on the earth.
1.-THE end of the vine under observation
was constantly elevated to the sash bar.
and glass above it, sometimes to the heigh
of two feet, and as it increased in length
was pushed along against them. The ex
| tent and velocity of the terminal motion
| were doubtless greatest in August, whe1
growth was most rapid. The record, how
| occupied in each revolution was variable
| nd f1o die, sof al n
scribed, which was horizontal, measured
about two inches.
"The tendrSls of the squash-vine were pro
| hollow and divided into several branche
at point three or four inches distant from
the vine. These branches spread out il
various directions and attained length
of six or eight inches Each branch grad
ually Strengthened out from the coil il
which it first appeared and increased il
length. When about two-thirds devel
oped it began to revolve, so that its hooked
tip described an ellipse several inches il
diameter. Its revolution was made by
series of bendings, in such a way a
not to twist itself. The tendrils moved il
the same direction with the tip of the vine
but somewhat irregularly both as to tim
and to the figure described. During tn
day the ellipse was broad and at nigl
long and narrow. Usually the motion
was scarcely perceptible to the eye, bu
sometimes it moved two inches in fiv
minutes. The average time of revolution
in November was about three hours. ]
touched by the finger on the sensitive 0
inner side the--tendril bent toward tn
| place where the finger was, and, not find
/ ing it, Strengthened itself again. If, how
ever, 1t came in contact with any object
which it could cling 1t bent at the point
contact and the concaye curvature q
6 Iended along the inside Of the bfaac
tuntil4 the extremity was wound closel