The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-14
INTELLIGENCE IN PLANTS.
ETIDENCEs SHOWING THAT THEY
THINK ron 7HEMSEJVEs
From Fern spore. aud Pot Mold 90 MAN.
grove. and MI-tietoc. the Marvellous
Power. OF Life Choice Are shown.

Fo"er' d h"'
Iron the Pharmaceutical Jo'rnu.
Plants. iust as much as animals, are irritable
,..aa .nJ H. a,I,,,I. thev NAV show irrito.
DetnSS, u = "" r. -. 49,.
bility TO varying degrees. Thus some pien's
may be described as mildly irritable, others
-. ..,td,. Irri,obI. ord few AZ even
o.,,nsa,w ,rri,nh,s rverv plapt has TO
look after It's feeding. Green plants. fur
thermorc. have to seek for a very important
part OF their food In tho ar anu TINS 'hey '"No
nm under the influence of light, so that IL In not
~ ~ nna ,hs ,na,ance NJ snyironment
surprising 10 ma the inhuehco .. ehV,runm.
making itself felt on every plant, ana causing
the plant In ono way or another to react to Its
stimuli which we may call irritabiiitv. A plant
TAKE IN. c,s, Of yaucberia. a lowiy organized
'"'o" '"u -. 49,
green PATCHES upon nower pots. When tn.
n,,,, ia ant ,p,o water a. bepIn, to change It's
p,'n' 70 p"1 NV -. ,,.. -, i,s c,..
character altogether ana IN tne tpso W
menis aggrcgations OF protoplasn are scen TO
t,rm rrbese become more and more dense, the
Iorm' hese .o' NV -. 80
hlanent then bursts ana olscnnrses "sr'on
protoplasmic mass. which swiins by means OF
'i""' ""' """'' ,h.-..,.t ..I,
pinntlct does not DO ms ihuiscrimihe'e'S ~"
n hurry. but shows n great method In settling
-, o.. i,..i, 90, ~.
plnsin'c Dody mas thoutnt lur .,ioii. Wy hns
WV t'F'N'. M. ia a.
the surface OF ,the water. ~ tbis positioh u
secures the inhxlnluin nui',',uot i,snt Mn.nis
70 enahie IL " MAKE tne suos'hm n teguituT inr
lis growth, w uihy say. 1nc"' th",Nppto
thnt " Nhe han 10 NUM- i"I y '"Vu " MUMMY
settled uown ON u -h..H'ir spu,; .r. ,-,uo,,.
higher plahts no less lhnn iVmsF n.e trf'tan,e'
The shoots Of Tree Itspohulns 70 'ne lnn1-
ence OF Iish., piaSe tne ish.ss y Wy most au.
vantaIeous pos,tlon 'or the mntk they nave 70
perform. and the roots, ~ onedienco 70 the
stimulus eherteu w ErTNltstiph' gro" unWh,
ward mo tue earn; i ehuri,s afe monli,tu
lthNtF " W nv Jaw II ~ "
10 'oht1ct. 49, -
a iItt,o PAM: tne ivyiIeaven 'onu.haf' iouhu
green tonnage anu purple mowers, altoTn. an
in'eres.Ins inntAnce oi rrI'anliity. nsn
~ pIossoti' wv lunI noWer slaiks os the
pIhht TURN uuIMaru hhu chIry the now
ere from nnderncalh tho leaves ia order
lhht they may secure tne Vi-lts OF insects
wmneh rhu..e neeess'ry ior 'ner ivr'',nn-
tloh. me ttaiA OF the sren NesSel Is. Tor
,unatriy ior We welfare nI the plant, an
irrttaole httuCtute. w men towering IS oNerl
no longer seeks the place which Is most strongly
,tEute,,, uut 'u.ri"s lho rlpehlnt IruIt penlnu
the seed vessel bursts aud discharges. it's con-
tents. NOT among cohrstr weeus, Where It's
ILo"tn won,d 10 inevitably checked, nut upon
louhH seedlings Don make thclr appearances.
ana, as = result "I ~, iiourishing start ~ ilts.
the Ny'IctNeu t"hu.Hnk Is usually ,Iouhu aouhu-
antiy IN districts whereu In found at all. Here
we have "A Hover stalk responding 10 the stimu-
lusu oil llIht, ana a reversal OF the influence Mt
diiereht prriods OF ueNeiopinent enabllng the
plant 10 accommodate itself 10 It's environment.
Al plants only succeed so long a., their irrlta-
plltS l'aus them 10 huapt themselves 10 their
surroundings, Tue more lowy organized. by
reas', "i tlleir simpler structure, chow greater
versatility IN this respect than their more COM
pick relatives. IL Is easy to understand how a
mass OF protnplasni can more readily adapt
itself to varying conditions than n higher plant
with Its extensive differentiation OF tissue.
Bacteria are especially sensitiye from this
point OF view. They can distinguish with very
great nicely between the relative suitability OF
two nutrient solutions. Many OF them are caIa-
be or perfectly astounding discrimination In
illA AADpn n thn IN NEaA tins III hlnnI
CorpusCics are attracted by certain foreign
often pathostniu- substances to the spo, Of the
Intrusion OF bacteria into the blood. Here u Is
the business OF the white corpuscles, II possible,
to destroy the bacteria. This attraction shown
by many orfan.sms toward chemical substances
Is known as chemIOtaxis.
The spores of ferns aud MOSES AFFORD Q
remarkable illustration. The male cells are
discharged by, the plant. and may be seen
swimming In all directions In water, when sud-
denly they will make a dash in the direction OF
the female organ. THIS sudden rush is q
chemiutactic phenomenon. In the case OF ferns
mallc acid, and IN the case OF moses n sugar, Is
the SUI lance secreted by the female organ,
causing the surprising activity of the little
sw innih ahtheroioids. wonderfully, dilute
solutions are capable OF causing the stimulus.
surprising the strength OF tho solution be grad
uaIiy increased, the limit Is shortly reached,
beyond which he solution acts as repellent in
stead OF an attractive stimulus, causing the
plants toswlm away rs far as they can. II. how
ever, the plants be compelled To live In q strong
viii swim vigorously toward a solution Of the at
tracing salt. although y may very much exceed
the normal maximum OF attracting strength.
Tue Glowing Is an example Of chemiotaIis
which a plant has discovered To secure its own
ends. lsarin Is a fungus which infests silk
worms and other cairrpillars. Melanospora Ia
another fungus parasitic upon isaria. an cx-
trenielS intelligent parasite, aud unless IL hap
pens to meet with u ilam-nt Of SARA II entirely
misses lis vocation. Now melanospora APP
rarently secretes some substance which cxer-
clscs considerable attraction Tor isaria nlamerts.
Tor ines seek out the apparently harmless
spores OF moianosporaa ana grow freely over them.
w hen Tue spore t. surronnded bY isarla MIA
nents. IL puts out It's germ tube and proceeds TO
feed upon It's host.
Not so obviously Intelligent, although It 10 In
fsAilty' Is TIE IiIc OF the green plants. The fact
that The branches OF n tree grow upward into
the air anu lght, while tho roots grow down.
ward into tho soil, shows that thed parts
are endowed with special irritability. Green
plants also possess the power OF adapting them
selves 10 circumstances. A potato, when grown
Ia the cellar, IN the attempt TO get its leaves into
the light puts out very much, elongated shoots
bearing small leaves, Tor in tho darkness leaves
are unable, 10 perform the important func-
lions OF taxing food from the air. This DO.
hhvior OF the potato, plant Is. then. a direct At
Tempt TO overcome disadv.niAgeou conditions
by putting all ITS strength into the work of
elonEatlng It's stem, II haply II may bring Its