The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-06-16

let the procession proceed.
BILL ARP.
The Lille Of Plants.
About one fifth of every living thing
is composed of numberless little points
of life called bioplasts. They are 30
minute that only the most powerful
microscope can detect them aud ap
peaf to be- a colorlsss viscid fluid, which
in most animals and plants Is contained
in cell. They are continually in mo.
tion, taking in nutrient matter aud
throwing off all formed material. In the
human system they spin the nerves,
bones, muscles, etc. in plants the roots,
stems, leaves, etc. Now, strange as it
may seem, this little bioplast, examined
by the most powerful microscope, looks
just the same in plant or vegetable as
it does in s man. We plant flower
seed; the bioplast, which We call life,
feel a quickeniug Influence, and at once
throws off another bioplsst. These little
workmen have the power of converting
in,tanteneously rop.llging into living
material, and the one that is found S'eavs
ing the barks looks just like the one
that is spinning the fibre or the flower.
German students have lately been
studying this life principle. 1t can be
destroyed but not resuscitated. A crystal
can be dissolved and recrystalized, but
once this little life is destroyed no one
can bring it back. The more more ne
think of it the mere wonderful it seems.
An intelligence past our comprehension
appears to attend the growth of every.
thing. Niuety.fve per cent. of all the
vegetables and plants is taken from the
atmosphere. These little bioplasts seem
to know just what they want with which
to build every part-the root, stem,
bark, leaf, flower, and not only that but
the shape Of every part as well as the
delicate colortng and perfume. How can
it all be d,ne by this little point of life
which we call bioplast?
1t is natural for men to sleep once
in twenty four hours. The prevailing
theory Is that refuse matter aecumulates
10 the nerve Centres in such quantities
as to bring about insersibility, which
continues until ho brain has been re
lieved of waste Ii, .:ter by its absorption
into the circulation; and yet many
flowers and plants exhibit the phenome>
non of sleep. As night approaches the
dandelion folds its petals, the acacia its
leaves, and remain 80, to open with the
dawn of day. Flowers and plants have
no nerve centres and organs, yet they
must sleep once in twenty four hours.
The leaf of many plsnts contains the
principle of the whole plant, for by root.
ing it plant can be obtained complete
This shows that the germ which is con-
tanned in the seed is, in many instances,
found in leaf or brauch. This same
phenomenon is also exhibited in the an
imal kingdom for there is worm
called the nais, which if its head is cut
| of new one is at once produced. The
same is true of the tail. Thus ne see that
the vegetable and animal Kingdoms are
closely allied, and life, wherever found, is
a hidden mystery, and yet we have not
come to the most wonderful part. As we
have said, the microscope reveals the pro-
cess of building or forming the various
parts of animals ard plants. We see the
little bioplast in q cell taking a nutri-
tious matter, and converting it instanta'
neously into living matter then throwing
of formed materlals--such as, in animals.
bones, muscles, and in plants, roots.
flowers, leaves, etc., also throwing off 9TH
er bioplasts.
One would suppose that this living
matter in a cell, since it looks exactly
alike whether found in q plant or ami
NAL would do the same kind ofwork, and
continue to multiply cells in mass
without form yet ne see the most intri'
cate mechanism, and not only that, buI
one part is made to serve another, as the
muscles of the fingers to contract and
move the fingers, etc. In plants ne see
combinations of colors which easily
rival the art of the most skillful paint
ers.-Popular Science.