The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-02-21
Portland sseietx Of Natural uui.tery.

York Observer, iC which was detailed account
OF the method adopted by Mr.. Peter Hender-
500, the well known florist of Phldelphia, for
testing the truth of the Dlrwiniau theory. MIR.
Henderson procured large number Of the N
Carolina fl traps, DionCgd MuscipulG, and after
carefully preparing them for the experiments
ons houdrsd we're parted 10 Que box covered
with wire netting fine euoush to exclude in
sscts, add another buudred 10 a box without
cover If any kin4. They f0utished, and by the
middle of May, two months afer planting, he
b5gau TO feed the plants 10 the uncovered box
WITH flies and other insects, md this was kopt
uo till August 10 this FEEDING he was assisted
by Mr.. William rait, gentleman we'll versed
in natural science. At this time, three months
from the time the feeding begau, ''the most care
fol Exclamation aud com paEison failed 70 show
tie slightest differences be wetn the one bupdred
plants that had been 'ied' and the one hum
dred (npdeF the wire nettipg) that had not been
fed; both los had N sde splendid growth and
were the admiration OF scores Of visitors. THE
universal verdict OF all beboldeIs was that shot
lots we're identical as near az could be-" But
there was one stordy Darwinisp, bot4nist aud
eminent horticulturaist, very Wlberforce 10
eloquenoe and arguments who drove Mr.. Hep-
dersop into q close corner and almost
"squelched" him by taking out q msgnifyiug
gl%ss and showing him minute species of
shell snaiIs ipabedded in nearly every one of
the closed up 10 # traps of the Dionasas, pre-.
sumeby of the uncovered box "rhere, SAYS he,
nature has placed the animal food direct into
the mouth of these insect eating plants. Can
you longer doub5 the correctness of Darwin's
theory?" Mr.. Henderson was aggeied, but net
yet convinced and kept close watch upon this
unexpected and msana-lke dispeEsstion Of
nature. Very soon the shell sn&ils required no
magnifsing glass 10 SEE them; in three weeks
they had increased wonderfully in aye, aud In
three weeks more the biters were bitten, for
the snails had eaten the fly traps ABOUT COM
pletsly up."
twas insuuated that Mr.. Henderson may
bage misjuterpreted the facts apd thst this
destruction of his plants was afterall, strictly in
accordance With ''the rigid Law of natural sslac-
tion." Daring the month that he was 20 assidu-
onsly feeding the plante 10 one box and attemp-
ing TO ssarve those 10 the other, an indefinitely
great number of these minute ehsll snsils may
have been fulfill their destiny and furnished
thereby ths requisite noucishmsns to his
DouaeAs or fl traps, their fnsl destroyers
coming f,r;h n accord ace With the law Of the
''sQrvisal Of the fttest" Adopting this method of
gaining tper subsislence and cf defending
the nselves !!
The remarks Of Mr.. JcCobb LED TO a general
d'scussou aud wi hGut any one expressing
sspy positive opinion, pro or COL, in regard to
the Conclusions drawn or inferred by Mr.
Dsr@ip, get they seemed 10 regard his numer-
ens aud car failg conducted experiments as
tt ndins to show that insects are bs these and
several other kiads of 40 called catnivorous
plants, caught, Destroyed and perhaps subj ected
to process analogous to thai If digestion aud
absorption. Yet It does not clearly appear
that THIS is absolutely essential to the
growth, health or life of the plant
Naturo has 10 sill ages devised Numerous
methods of keeping down the ,eeming pumbers
of 'ts insect If We fod them emealmsd N
the amber, copal aud other resiuous gums n
which they have come entanRled when these
were in qaid state ard txadieg from trees
that long sess ago formed stately fofes,s, The
very existence Of which tbese gums, now found
buried in tbs sands, furnish st tbs prescott day
the role evidence. We ara familiar with very
numerous and Analogous methods for tbs de-
struction of insects az the present day, and yet
we nevsr think Of conn.ctiug this destiuction
with the health or life Of the plants upou
which they are fjuod.
Not until scientific and carefully conducted
experiments have demonstrated it beyond
doub, will all BE- ready to admt that plants
are carnivDrous in snS other sense than that Ct
being destructive in some instances to insect
life. They may be so 70 ths extent indicated
By the experiments OF Darwin and this food
msy oe essential 10 their health or life, but the
fact does DOT appear to be demonstrated beyond
doubt OF room for cayil.
The president called attention to a subi-cs of
no uncomfortable poTtaDce 30 the interests
ef she State, that of the preaent condition,
preservation and renewal # it's forssss. Itis
well known that little if aoyshibg has been
doEe ia thu laster direction, whilst from the
earliest period Of I'D settlement 10 the present.
time, the Woodlands Axe has bsen necessarily
and rnthlessiy applied ID their destruc .ior.
This for loug series of years has bees incfeas-
ing in ratio, 10 all probsbillty, far beyond
that of che demands Of the arts and commerce
Mr Emersou 10 his ne v edition of "The Trees
and Shrubs of Massaahusetts' pays: ''These
old wopds are every whers falling. The axe
has made and is making, wantoH and terible
havoc. The cunuiog foresight of the Yankee
aesms to desert him when ne takes the axe 10
hand. Tbs new settler cleared 10 year more
acres than be coald cul iv Ate 10 tea, snd de-
stroyed at single burning many 8 winter's
fael. Waich 6oaid better hsvs bsen kept in re-
serve for ats grandchildren IL is NOS time
tn&t he atsenfion of the people of the whole
State shoals b. awakened 20 the importance of
dscidi g uDou some method for stayidg be
further progress Of The thous htless and almost
w4nton destruction OF oar forests and provide,
as has been done 10 Europe, some syste ma
tizaa plans for their restoration, by planting
the barren aud uow waste places of the st tie
for the bsueft at Least, of the comipg eeners-
lious 10 the Ceusus Report f1S70, 1t is est
mated tbst the res cover 10,5O571 acr4s or
very ne&riy one-haIf IF the entIre area OF the
STATE. TINS is not xceeded in any Of the 9TH
&c great lum Der producing states except Mich
gan and Penuss lyanis; while the ratio of the
wond laid TO the entire area il gteeter in Maine
than in sny other state.
l. will be interesting to know what will be the
change in shis ststemsbs sbzt viii be made il
The -nsns noS near st.hsnd Of $780, 1t should
be seea to- that rs ia IA .de from dass obsained BY
&C usl Inspection u reliable parties, ard not
made up from she eeords Of the past, or from
thu lucnbr4tions Of q frrtls mAginaGiou.
Mr.. George P. Marsh. 10 his work en- Mar
and Nature, says that "when we consider he
immense advantages derived from the presence
aud the tsrsble evils Eecssssrily resulting from
the destruction OF the forest, both the presefva-
toa of existing woods, and she far more costly
extension OF them, where sheY have ben IN
duly redaceu, are among tho most obvious OF
the dotles wbich this age ewes to those that are
to come after it. Especially is this obligation
incumbent apon Americans"
Extracts we're then read from Mr. Emerson's
WORK upon the Uses and Improvement Of the
Forest, which space vii not permit US to pre-
cent, but which will form the subject of some
future article One allusion only TO the ecouo
mic uses of the forests, as relating to the sub
ject il hand, VIII be made. He says thai