Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-12-31

In my garden, last summer, l
planted large number of morning
glory seeds, hoping that a reasonable
part of them might grow and produce
beautiful blossoms in the autumn, a
hope which l am happy to say was
in a fair way realized. After they had
grown to the size when the long twin
ing part of the plant which climbs
strings Or poles is produced, found it
necessary to provide these things for
them in greater numbers than | had
expected. To save the necessity for a
few rods, placed a single one in the
center of a wilderness of plants, and
as the plants which were several feet
away grew in length, bent or turned
them toward the poles, thinking that
those at some distance would work
their way there in due time. | found
on experiment that when two plants
joined their forces together by twining
around each other they were III most
cases successful, but that a single
plant going alone would, after wan
dering about in a most irregular way,
generally fail. To help them all I
could often gave several start by
bringing them together in such a way
that they would act together. Thus
was promoted association in numer-
Gus instances, apparently to great
advantage. In studying the plants
that unconsciously worked together |
found that they supported each other,
and each held its partner from going
off in a tangent or in direction that
led nowhere. It seemed to me an eX-
ample of unconscious association for
the attainment of an end far more
easily and surely than either could
have attained it alone. | think if |
were to try could give numerous in
stances from the vegetable world
where association, working together,
often produces results far more favor
able than are accomplished by indi-
vidual effort.
/ have often noticed that our forest
trees are hardy or not according to
whether they grow in groups so as to
be able to protect one another from
the wintrv blasts or not. There are
many evergreen trees that will die if
standing alone, but thrive if planted
in clunlps. They cooperate or asso-
ciate unconsciously for mutual aid,
and illustrate what shall show fur
Their on.
If we take broader view Of the
subject we shall find that all
through nature, association, mutual
aid, whether conscious or uncon-
scious, has been one of the chief means
by which evolution has been able to
accomplish it's work in developing
from the lower the higher and more
complicated plants and animals. If
we consider the mOnoCellular organ
isms, from which we may conclude all
higher organisms have arisen, we
find it is by association that their .ev
olution has been accomplished. These
low forms must have found some adj
vantage in keeping together instead
of dividing and each Onetaklng care OF
it's little cell or group of cells. BY as
ISOLATION they were able to divide
their work, one group attending to
locomotion, one to digestion, one to
sensation; and so little by little, from
cooperation along such lines as were
useful, arose more and more compiled
ted plants and animals of greatercom-
plexitv, and finally man himself. |
think we may assume that If the orig
inal monocellular organisms had not
in some way uncOnsciously to
themselves found out that it was
better to live and work in union and
harmony than Independently man
would never have had an exls-
tence, and today the world would be
swarming with unicellular organisms
as the only forms of life. We might
trace the influence OF association in
the organic world all along the line of
evolution up to the human race with
interest and profit. ! will give a few
Illustrations.
The common ant is one. Its associ-
ative life is very highly developed and
bv means of it this insect IS able to
live much more comfortably and per-
fectly. Among some varieties the d1-
vision of labor is very remarkable.
Like the bee, ants are male and ie-
male and neuters, or undeveloped
females, the former having little to
do besides reproduction, the latter or
neuter, doing the work, building the
often very elaborate nests, gathering
food, guarding and protecting the
eggs and young, and assisting each
other in danger. Some species have
a military system resembling mans
and some are even Shareholders. We
cannot doubt that by means OF asso-
c;ation they have been able to spread