The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-14

not necessarily know in which direction
the stimulus tends. In the case of roots
certain part is increasing in length, and
this is the portion in which curvature
takes place under the action of the slim
ulus of gravitation. But this Is not the
part which knows which way gravity Is
pulling Near the tip of the root, just
behind the rOotcap, Is very small patch
of tissue which perceives the stimulus.
Cut off the tip of the root, and with II
this little patch of irritable tissue, and
avert the plant, and the root, which is
thus placed uppermost, grows vertically
into the air. A very interesting expert
ment in illustration of this fact, and one
easily tried, is as follows: Take a thin
glass tube shaped like a boot, the toe
being rather short, and more than two
millimeters long. Allow the roots of
Seeding TO grow into this, fixing the plant
at the open end of the tube. The root
grows vertically down the tube. and when
1T reaches the toe II turns hoIlzonta.iny
along it. The tissue at the tip or the
root sends a message up the plant that
there is something preventing 1t from re-
spending to the stimulus of gravity ana
growing vertically downward. and this Is
necessitating its horizontal growth. In re-
spouse to this message, the elongatlng
portion curves at right angles IN the nope
of thus getting the tip or the root iOuhu
the opposing structure. But IL Is uncon-
scious that a trick Is beng played upon
it, that the root is fixed in the glass
tube unable to move forward, and that
the curvature instead of pushing the
root horizontally forward, acts upon the
shoot pushing this horizontally IN the
opposite direction.
The berries of some foreign species OF
mistletoe show a remarkable behavior IN
their endeaVors' TO penetrate the trunk OF
a tree. The sticky berry fastens user 70
a branch and sends out root, which curN-
ing over meets the branch again ana
forms a saddle-ike mass OF tissue. ~ at
tempts at this point TO pierce the bark. IL
unable TO do So the berry is deposited
little farther on. The saddle now becomes
detached and, by another bending OF tae
root; Is placed once more on the brancn
beyond the berry. IL roots can penetrate
in the new station, all goes wei; Dut X
not, the plant. performs another somer-
sauIt One berry that was made the Cd
iect Of continued observation performed
1--WE Jumps in two nights and three days
A n1mber OF unfortunate berries were
once seen hOpelessly travelling along the
telegraph wires in Ceylon. Vainly endeav-
oring 10 find a profitable resting place.
The sensitive plant and the Venus hytrap
furnish two examples among many others
Of restlessly irritable plants which react
violently to the stimulus Of contact IL Is
a curious and but little known TACT that
the Venus ny-trap only responds 10 the
when one Of the hairs on the cen
Ter of the trap Us touched twice. NO |
effect Is observed after the first touch
The wonderful purposefulness OF these |
habits and mechanisms forever dlspel the |
idea that botany treats Of inert. oDJectless
plants II Is instead a science Of life ana
living things. each one of which IL en- /
dOWed with marvellous and different pow
ers OF making the best OF life in the sphere
in which II finds itself.