New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-05
PLANT INTELLIG ENCE.

Mr. ! II Converse Of Santa Barbara, reports
what the California papers are pleased to call
most remarkable display Of plant intelligence
II is really nowhere near so remarkable as the able
writer's of the Golden State seem to think. MT
Converse in telling of it., only shows how far ne
hind thp age he is in scientific matters. IL IS the
pleasant privilege of this journal 10 set po'h MI
Converse and the brilliant monlders OF punlc
opinion right on the subject.
The incidents about which 50 much fuss Is
being made are these large plum ire" growing
in Mr. C0nvrrse's garden sent root into an oo
and dismscd sewer and followed II FOR some dis-
tancp. Finally il came 10 where the S'wrr was
cut of by stone wall The root here pa'iSed
for some time, then went up the wall foo' aooFe
the ground passed through u hole. down inc othrr
side, where IT, re-entercd the sewer ana continue"
its course Plant intelligence. SAYS Mr.. o"hVcrs"
Vegetable reasoning, shout the Jonrhah''s. lr''
we reply, hnt of a low order. Again VII on
verse had several rows OF young tonht" pIlhts
Nolcs began 10 make sad havoc among them
Mr. Converse discovered that by trradng IN"
earth down hard around the plants he could pre-
vent the moles from continuing their de''rh'tiN"
operntons lie went ont one morning deter
mined TO tread down the soil in ne eh'i"
tomato patch The plants were dropping ana
evidently discouraged. Mr.. Converse went al"n-
ore row. stamping the soil firmly down. " Zen
he turned 10 back the next row ne wa,
surprised to find the plants in that row stand
ing upright. their hope evidently renewed ana
their attitude that Of thank fitness. Again CAL
fornia speaks Of vegetable intelligence, ond agaih
We answer. yes. but of commonplace" rhara'f"r
The accounts Of certain Connecticut observations
ha ve not appa rently reached the Pacific Slope
Mr. &. s. Popkins lives in Hartford Conn. lie
has residence and a large garden on Asylum->'
One day last spring Mr.. Popkin> wos in his garden
with largo Tin watering pot lie set II on me
ground for a moment while he Strengthened fhr
rcllulod collar on scnrerrow which he had ar
ranged for the EnSliSh sparrows wien ~
TUNED around he a>ton!shed 10 see that ne
root ~ raspberry bush had reached up over
the cdr" OF tie pot AMI drunk mp half III" water
Mr. Popkins bestowed the rest o the contents on
The Ingenious plant AMI went back 10 the well
and r'illcd the pot. ON another occasion MI
P"pkins went into his garden wlfh a p"rk-m"aS"rr
flied with patent bone fertilizer. Pausng 1"
moment f. >c.. what the worrns were doing to a
fayori,r apIe.trcr, the neN thing Popkin> knew
a nrchhorinc quince bush hal reached into III"
mc,,,fr sroopcl ont Two quarts ot the Fertilizer.
and thrrw II around Us ""n ro">. All Of Mr.
rnpiius'> plants bow 20 Linn wien h. goes int"
The garden in the morning Orc day last sum
n"r. ro'i .i'- p"a-pant '""h"niug 10 him, J."
""u' "i.' ami found Il "ut""rm about TO hem
operations on il. II" killed tho worm. and wien
tie Irl> were rIc h. he'll LIS pan under tie yin"
az! rl"v diorpr,i irto II. ,lcl,r We submit that
il"~' lH,r,ci'> slow a LIsl"r order OF p'a''n-
,ch "ncr than has yet hcca reported from t.l.
.oinia Ba' We still h,," tie mos wonderful
ln>'an"r :" >i"',k of Mr. rrpklrs finished hill
-, Ii,