The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-25
A PLANT.

IA u 4 1hdt LS Icu Oh H OuSC-NcW III
Startling Theory of Vegetation.
Syracuse Correspondence New York Commercial Ad-
vertiser.
On a train between Rochester and Syracuse,
l happened, the other day, to occupy a seat with
a mlddie-aged gentleman, who carried a small
flower pot containing a little plant, for whose
safety he seemed extremely solicitous. During
the first half of the journey there was but
sea mt conversation between US, each being pre-
occupied with his own thoughts; but, as / am in
terested in botany, l began to look more closely
at my fellow travellers plant, and finally became
quite absorbed in it. 1t was a species Of fern with
which l was wholly unacquainted.
MAY | ask what kind of fern that is, and
where it grows?" l 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 cues
tons. The following is a synopsis OF his replies:
Il was for years in the employ of the
Hudson Bay Company, and spent the best part
of my life among ice and savages in the cold
regions of British America. l had often noticed
that the snow and ice in some localities were
covered with a grayish-black powder, but paid
no attention to it till | read an account of an
arctic expedition, in which the writer stated
that such powder was coSmie dust, Sifted down
through the atmosphere from space, which is
said to be more or less filled with it.
las soon as | 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 it. So | began to carry a bottle. into which l
put the powder whenever l found any. In a few
years | succeeded in collecting quite a quantity,
about as much as you see here'-andh he held the
dower-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.
y 'At this time I was called TO England in con-
.r:<l l. 8 ~
planting a pea in the celestial mold. l locked it
up in a large wooden box. There it remained
undisturbed until my return. a little more than
a year. / confess l opened the box again with a
good deal of curiosity, and was both astonished
and delighted to see that the pea had developed
into a fern, as l supposed, for this plant was
I then about one inch in height. / attended it
very carefully for about two months, but it did
not seem to grow. One day l stirred up the
dust lit had hitherto been undisturbed). and to
my extreme establishment brought to light the
pea / had planted. as dry and unsprouted as
though it had been buried in dry sand. l
examined the pea carefully. 1t was wholly I'M
affected, and the fern must have had some other
origin. There is no doubt about that"
Have you any idea how it originated there?"
l asked.
"Wen, yes: l am confident the seed came with
the dust from some other world"
In answer to my look of amazemert, and it
may be, incredulity, he continued:
WdS CtTtdlEIS ~ plhnteQ III HIS pot III
any shape. And how could a fern root or a fern
seed have become mixed with the dust at the
top of thick snow and ice? That was impossible.
Neither could it get into the bottle in which l
kept it until emptied into this pot, which was
brand new. And now, if cosmic dust can settle
upon the earth, which ] believe scientists re-
gard as a fact, is there anything unreasonable in
supposing that a light plant seed can do the
same2"
'Your logic seems good, but I must confess
that on first thought your theory appears fanci-
full"
ION the first thought it would undoubtedly
seem so, but not on the hundredth, perhaps. |
have studied this matter in all directions, and l
have come to the conclusion that some of the
varieties of our plants have had just such an
the same is true of some of our animal species.
| such an origin, perhaps life from this earth has
been waited to our n~eighbor planets as well.
Nov another confirmation of my theory as
regards this particular plant is that no one has
ever seen one like it. No botanist that l ever
consulted has been able to classify it. Since /
became interested in the subject l have exam
ined many kinds of fern, but never came across
one that resembled this"
'How long has it been growing2"
''Ten years. 1t grows very slowly and does
not thrive on water. At the suggestion of a
friend, | have tried sprinkling it with diluted
ammonia which seems to agree with it."
AT this point we came, as | thought, very sud
denly to my destination and, as / left the car, l
asked the stranger to give me his name. He re-
piled that it was Tarleton or Carleton, l could
not distinguish which, and he said he was on his
way to England.