Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-08-22
CELLS.

The spectacle of energy and vigorous
growth which the garden and field afford
at the present time should nil every
thoughtful mind with reverent wonder.
Man, when he projects some compllcateo
building filled with apparatus and CON
veniences for varied purposes, plans IL al
out with skillfull care, and then by the
aid of innum berable workmen, all skilled
in their various departments, fashions ana
shapes the neediul materials, and Oy
building the fabric up piece py piece
finally triumphs in his completed WORK
If, however, he wants to duplicate or en-
large it, precisely the same process has 10
be gone through again, and the hrsI "orA
only aids him as pattern.
In Nature. however, we find the ost
complicated fabrics apparently making
themselves; and having one OF these IN
| our possession, we many, as it were, pull
| a brick out of the factory wall, stick IL III
the middle of a suitable site, and 10! II
| will begin splitting itself up and spreading z
| around until we begin TO see the plan OF
| another factory developing; everything be
adjusted to a nicely as the performance
| goes on, until finally all is complete and
| in full working order. Can anything De
more marvellous than thlsf and yet IL Is
going on all the time, and II any reauei
fails to grasp the fact, let him get mirror
and see such factory in himself. Ihese
| wonderful bricks are the cells; ana ol
course in man himself the marvel Is the
| greater that some of the cells which cor
tribute to build him up, j. e., his BRAN
cells. are the fathers of the inorganic IA
brics which dot the world with cities and
towns. and seam it all over with the bene-
| ficant mycelium of rail and road when al
| once engedders and fosters their exten
sion. -
| In the vegetable kingdom this power o
| salEconstruction in the cell is easily stud
led in some of its lower forms by means
| a microscope; some of the translucent wat
er weeds especially display very clearly
| the delicate network of cells which con
| stitute their comparatively simple struct
ure. Valisneria spiralis does SO TO perlee
| ton, and the circulation OF the sap lrou
| cell to cell is shown very clearly. Vei.
simple object, showing net only now tu'
cells multiply. but also IN small uegIe'
| that iscratable wonder of building To plan
ia the nrotballus of a fern, the little greer
scale produced by the spOre. A perlodi
cal examination of one of these from I'M
| time it is a tiny dot up ID that OF the fuli
size scale, will show distinctly all I'M
stages of self f-shaping, and also the diner
| eutiation into root hairs, and the repro
ductive organs, which may be regarded a
the machinery above alluded 10; lev
spores scattered on piece of damp clal
are easily handled and examined IRON
time to time without detriment rrou
such a simple manifestation 1t become
easier TO carry the mind to the more com
plex cases where plants not merely oull'
themselves up into stems, leaves an'
charming flow ers, but more mary slou
vet. constitute themselves subtitle chemi
cal laboratories in addition, in which Tn
deadliest poisons, beneficent medicines {,
nutritious food and stimulsnts are al
| alike formed from the same soil constltu
| snts by Natures own alchemy. The sell
same family, indeed, may emUrsce ootl
extremes, the deadly nightshade and I'M
tomato to wit, or, more wonderful yer
one and the same fruit. such as peach
NAV weld store of delicious food in IT
flesh, while hiding the deadliest OF poIsoss
prussic acid itself, in the kernel. Truly
when we consider these things the spec
tacle of plant in full growth Is one o
overwhelming interest, as active eVidehc'
of the creative power OF which we know s.
little though we see so much.-The GARD
eners' Magazine.