Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-09

THE PHILOSOPHY OF PLANTS.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF PLANTS.
1t is well known that most animal
organisms need the direct influence OF
sunlight Tor their proper development,
and in the same way plants and, IN TACT
all lite on earth, depend on the action OF
this wonderful agent. The beautiful
structure OF plant cells, the study OF
which constitutes the most interesting
part OF plant biology, has never been
properly understood until now; but men
like Liebig and others have determined
the peculiar use oil the cells in the life
of plants aud have also included in their
Investigations, as oil equal importance,
the processes OF nutrition. Present
knowledge SHOWS that plants take from
the atmosphere what is nesded for The
formation OF the cells, aud also throw
of useless material through the leaves
Thus carbon is taken up by the leaves,
which transform under the influence OF
sunlight, the carbonic acid taken from
the air and through the roots nto car.
bon and Oxygen. Water and salts are
also taken up ny the roots OF the plants.
The various ways in which the sun
light affects the leaves aud blossoms,
and consequently the whole plant, must
be considered IN the study of pant
physiology.
1t is well known that sunlight has a
decided influence on the colorug OF the
leaves, which look slckly and pale when
the plant has only a little sunlight,
whereas strong sunlight increases the
amount OF chlorophyl, thereby giving
the leaves a richer color, Referring TO
the influence OF sunlight, We may wiki
propnety speak OF the rays that work
chemically, others which act simply as
| dispensers OF heat, while still Others are
simply light rays, even though there is
not actually such a division in nature.
| The chemical action OF the SUMS ray s
eau be best understood by the wonders
| OF photography, and we certainly can
not go astray in assuming thar certain
| rays OF the SUMS spectrum also have
| a special iDfiaence on the plant cells,
which will, doubtless, affect the plants
| OF the different species differently, Tor
the conditions OF light and heat impress
themselves clearly on the character of
the plants.
Former observations have already
proved that certain rays OF the suns
spectrum have harmful effect on plant
| organisms, while, Oh the other hand,
sap and the assimilation oil nourlshment,
thus promoting the growth OF the plant
A recent experiment made by the well
known French physicist, Camille Fam
marion, at tue Agricultural and China.
Iologlcal Experiment Station, at Juvisy,
indicates plainly the eject OF diff .rent
colored light upon plants, and the result
is OF special value, practically and theo.
reticaliy, to plant physloiogists and
climatologists. 1t has been clearly
shown by the various experiments that
ordinary ''colorless" hgnt is represented
by natural sunlight, because, when ex.
posed only to it, health and natural
growth reign. Colored light, according
to the particular color used, causes
either one sided acceleIation or retard.
ation OF the development OF the plant.
In his most interesting experiment,
Flammarion adopted the plan oil expos
ing sensitive plants (Mimosa sensitlya),
which he raised from seed, 10 different
colored light. These plants are specially
sensitive 10 the effect OF light and to
touch. and were, therefore, well adapted
for Examinations experiment.
lie planted number OF seeds, and
the seedlings, after they reached height
OF about one inch, were painted in pots.
in pairs, and placed IN q hothouse where
each pot received the same quantity OF
light and an even temperature prevailed,
SO that the plants were subjected 10 the
same conditons. But the experimental
placed over some OF the plants bells OF
green, red or blue glass, while others
received the. sunlight through the plain
glass OF the dollhouse wluLow. The
effect OF the colored hight was soon per.
ceptible in the development OF the
plants, and the more they developed
the palmer this difference became, until,
at the end OF two months, the plants
under the red glass were sixteen inches
high, those under the green glass were
only hive inches, and those under the
blue glass were only one inch high while
the plants that had been left in the "col-
orless" light were four inches high.
The red light forced the plants most,
for those subjected 10 it blossomed hive
weeks after the seeds were planted, and
the stems were much longer than the
stems OF the other plants. The uifier.
ence between them and those exposed
to the blue light was most marked. The
leaves oil the latter were, indeed, dark
green, while the leaves OF those SUBJ
Jected to the red light were pale, poor
seemed unhealthy and stunted, they
mad gained nothing in height since they
were placed under the blue glass.
Therefore, it was proved that the blue
light was not only an impeachment, but
an actual injury to vegetation. The
effect OF the red light was noticeable,
not only in the growth OF the plants, but
also In their sensitiveness, Tor even the
slightest touch, a breath, was sufficient
to cause the leaves to close and the
little stems to droop. The plants ex-
posed only TO white light were not SO
easily affected, and those raised under
blue glass were not at all sensitive.
Those raised under white light must
be considered normal They were more
stocky and showed greater tendency
to bud, but the buds did not open.
Flammarion extended his experiments