The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-12-12
A WONDERFUL PLANT.
A Fern That Is Fed on Cosmic Dust-New
and startling Theory of Vegetation.

A Fern That Is Fed on Cosmie Dust-New
and startling Theory of Vegetation.
On train between Rochester and
Syracuse happened to occupy seat
with a nliddle-aged gentleman, who
carried small flower-pot containing a
little plant, for whose safety he seemed
extremely solicitous. Daring the first
half of the journey there was but scant
conversation between us, but, as | am
interested in botany, l began to look
more closely at my fellow-traveler' S
plant. and finally became quite abb
sorbed in it. 1t was a species of fern
with which / was wholly unacquainted.
May | ask what kind of fern that is,
and where it grows?" Inquired at last
That is more than | can tell you, !"
he replied, "but venture to say there
is no other like it in the world
Naturally, | became curious, and
asked questions. The following is a
synopsis of his replies:
II was for years in the employ of the
Hudson Bay Company, and spent the
best part of my life among ice and saw
ages in the cold regions of British
America. | had often noticed that the
snow and ice in some localities were
covered with grayish-black powder,
but paid no attention to it till | read an
account of an Arctic expedition, in
which the writer stated that such pow
der was cosmic dust, sifted down
through the atmosphere from space,
which is said to be more or less filled
with it.
LAS soon as I read this statement it
struck me that it would be a good plan
to collect some of the dust and see
whether anything would grow in 1t.
So began to carry bottle, into which
| put the powder whenever | found
any. In a few years | succeeded in
collecting quite a quantity, about as
much as you see heren-and he held
the fiower-pot toward me, it was about
one-third full-"and | became very
much interested in my cosmic treasure,
wondering whether, if any of our
plants should grow in it, they would
take the same shape as when nourished
by their native soil.
in connection with the business of the
company, and, planting a pea in the
celestial mold, locked it up in large
wooden box. There it remained undis-
turbed until my return, a little more
than year. | confess | opened the
box again with good deal of curiosity,
and was both astonished and delighted
to see that the pea had developed into
fern, as / supposed, for this plant was
then about one inch in height. | at
tended it very carefully for about two
months, but it did not seem to grow
One day | stirred up the dust Gt had
hitherto been undisturbed), and to my
extreme establishment brought to light
the pea l had planted, as dry and I'M
sprouted as though it had been buried
in dry sand. | examined the pea care
fully. 1t was wholly unaffected, and
the fern must have had some other
origin. There is no doubt about that. :"
''Have you any idea how it originated
therePn | asked.
"Well, yes; l am confident the seed
came with the dust from some other
world
In answer to my look of amazement,
and it may be, incredulity, he con-
tinued:
at was certainly not planted in this
pot in any shape. And how could a
fern root or fern seed have become
mixed with the dust at the top of thick
snow or icep That was impossible.
Neither could it get into the bottle in
which kept it until emptied into this
pot, which was brand new. And now,
if cosmic dust can settle upon the earth,
which | believe scientists regard as a
fact, is there anything unreasonable in
supposing that a light plant seed can
do the samepn
Your logic seems good, but l must
confess that on first thought you theory
appears fanciful."
''On the first thought it would I'M
doubtedly seem SO, but not on the hun
dredth, perhaps. | have studied this
matter in all directions, and | have
come to the conclusion that some of the
varieties of our plants have had Just
such an origin as | claim for this fern,
and it may be that the same is true of
some of our animal species. Perhaps
the beginning of all life on earth had
such an origin, perhaps life from this
earth has been waited to our neighbor
planets as well.
Now another confirmation of my
theory as regards this particular plant
is that no one has ever seen one like it.
No botanist that | ever consulted has
been able to classify it. Since became
interested in the subject | have exam
ined many kinds of fern, but never
came across one that resembled this.
''How long has it been growingP"
Ten years. 1t grows very slowly
and does not thrive on water At the
suggestion of friend, l have tried
sprinkling it with diluted ammonia,
which seems to agree with it."
At this point we came, as | thought,
very suddenly to my destination, and,
as i left the car, l asked the stranger
to give me his name. He replied that
it was Tarleton or Carleton, could
not distinguish which, and he said he
was on his way to England. Syracuse
Cor. N. Y Commercial Aduertiser.