The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1894-03-09
POPULAR SCIENCE.
Information on Many Points of
General Interest.
Temperatures of Trees-Longevity Of Ele-
plants Relation of Plants to Soil
Structure of Pulpy Fruits
or Berries.

"
TEMPERATURE OF TREEs.-From some
observations recorded by Mr. IL. L. Rus
sci in the Botanical Gazette, it ppears
that as general rule tho temperature
of the interior of a tree is somewhat
higher than that of the air, except dur
ing the warmer parts OF the day, the
maximum temperature of the air be-
ing generally between one and two p.
M, and the minimum between six and
seven a. m. The comparative tables
show that heat is absorbed and radiated
more rapidly in the outer layers than in
the center.
Experiments made at a time when the
buds were starting, in order to de-
termine whether the chemical action
carried on in the tissues gives rise to
heat, led to the conclusion that it is
very doubtful whether the metabollic
processes involved generate enough
heat to influence the ordinary thermom-
eter. A curious difference, however,
was discovered in the wood of the oak
and pine in winter, the author having
found that the temperature of the pine
was lower than that of the oak at all
times except during the latter part of the
night and early morning. This is at
tributed to the thick coating of the
leaves on the pine preventing absorp-
tion of heat by the trunk, since the
larch, which has similar wood, resem-
hlnc tho l. fbo, ho = ho Min s,, fho
matter of temperature. The further
conclusion is reached that the direct
absorption of heat is the main cause of
the high temperature of trees, and that
it is largely dependent upon the charac-
ter of the bark, smooth-barked trees be-
ing warmer as rule than hick-barked
ones.
LONGEVITY OF FEIEPHANTs.-Th iourn-
ais of Ceylon have recently mentioned
the death of an elephant that was we'll
known on the island and had been seen
by several generations of Engllshmen.
He was called Sello and had belonged
to the lastof the Kings of Handy, He
was one of the hundred elephants that
were taken by the English Government
in 1915, when the Kandyan Dynasty was
overthrown. At this epoch the elephant
was said to be fifteen years old. If this
is correct, he died natural death at the
age of eighty-nine years.
RELATION OF PLANTS TO SoM.-Mr. G.
Vile, in paper read before the Acad-
emy of Sciences of Paris, shows that
the composition of the soil influences
plants in five principal characters, viz:
The stature, the color, the amount of
caroline and chlorophyl and the guam
tity of vegetation. A table is given
showing the difference in stature and
color of plants of the common hemp ac-
cordiDg to the manure used, from which
it is evident that this plant fourishes
least in soil without manure, next in
manure without potarh and in rnnrr'~
without nitrogen. Inc absence OF lime
and phosphate in the manure in the
case of hemp did not interfere so large
ly with the color and stature of the
plants. 1t would appear, therefore,
that rich manure is essential, at least,
to the development of foliage.
STRUCTURE OF PUFFY FRUITS. To the
Annals of Botany Mr.. j. b. Farmer
contributes an article in which, after
pointing out the very different sources
of the pulp in different fruits, he gives
detailed descriptions of its mode OF for
nation in the elder, dulcamara, black
berry and ivy, The term berry is
usually applied to fruits in which
the pulp or succulent tissue is
derived from the pericarp, but in Daphne
mezereon it is formed not only from the
pericarp, but from the outer integument
of the seed also. In Citrus it is due to
hairs which spring into the ovarian
cavities and become distended With
fluid. In Wits and Solanum Dulcamara
the pulp is formed partly from the pla
centa and partly from the pericarp. In
the latter, after fertilization of the
ovary, the cells of the placenta grow
out between the seeds, so as to give
them the appearance Of being sunk in
it, and this growth is continued until
met by a similar growth from the peri
carp, so that the cavity of the ovary is
then filed up with pulpy tissue. The
outermost layer of cells of the ovules
also undergo change, their inner and
side walls becoming lignified and the
outer wall becoming mucilaginous and
forming part of the mucilage of the
pulp, just as it does in linseed. The red
color of dulcamara berries is due to the
appearance of q large number of ehromo-
plastids derived from the chlorophyl
granules. At the same time that this
formation takes place the starch in the
fruit becomes changed to sugar.