New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-15

having called attention to the fact that certain flowers
have the property of shining by their own light this
observer being the daughter of the great Swedish
allSt LlnneuS. In June and July I762 she observed
radauonS of light from cluster of garden nastur-
uunS QroProlnW WdjHS). which occurred in the morn
ing IN the evening twilight
ne same phenomena has been observed in other
Towering plants. the coroa of the sunflower the
French and African marigold and the yellow lily
Ii will be noticed that all of these flowers either
orange or yellow in color and the fact points to a
curious and unexplained law regarding phosphor-
essence. that the luminosity of object tending
SHINE bv phoSphorSccnt light enhanced by the
that the luminous body. whether II belongs the
mineral. vegetable animal kingdom is of a yellow
orange color Sir Isaac Newton. who first dis
covered that white sunlight made up of the
different colored rays that compose the spectrum,
says: The most luminous of the prsmatc colors are
the yellow and the orange; these affect the senses
more strongly than do all the rest together
All this, however, does prevent flowers of other
colors than yellow and orange from giving per-
oepube though faint flashes of phosphorescent light
Besides those mentioned the dahlia the tuberose and
the four O'Clock have been recorded phosphoescent
Not only the blossoms. indeed. but the leaves OF
many Towering plants emit light under favorable
atmospheric conditions; even the milky sap of the
So-caed phosphoric spurge Enph0ybid. and of
several other vegetable growths become luminous in
the dark.
With regard to the comparative intensity of the
light given out by the flowers that he had observed,
Professor Haggern who seems To have devoted con-
siderable thought and time the subject writes:
The luminous radiations of the marigold | have
found to be the most brilliant. to which place
the light given out by the nasturum and third that
of the yellow lily. \ careful microscopic examination
has convinced that the light does not depend upon
the presence of any animal organism"
Professor Haggems attention drawn 10 the
subject by perceiving. evening. flash of light
repeatedly dart from a margold Much
priSed at 50 unusual appearance he deter
"a irKe he and a
sure himself that he not deludcd he station n
cd his gardener in the immediate vicinity s
directing him TO throw up his hand the moment
the light appeared. The mans signals CORES
bonded perfectly with his own observations.
He is careful to record that the illumina- -
tions of the marigolds of orange or flame ~
color were the most brilliant. while those OF
the pale flowers were scarcely discernible.
Occasionally the same flower flashed up
eral times in rapid succession, but oftener at
intervals of several minutes, and when -
cluster of blossoms shone at the same mo- &
rnent the light could be at considerable
distance.
Haggern thinks that the light is electrical.
The phosphoreScence in flowers observed by Sara
Lime had the appearance of electric spark which
shot out from the coroa and was discernibe at the
same hour warm evenings. when the air was sur
charged with electricity.
The radiance too. observed by Professor f. NJ.
Fries the Swedish botanist, in group of poppies
(1abag4y Oylent1D in the botanical gardens UpSaa.
indicated periodicty of time and identity of condi-
tions always occurring when the air electrical.
between ten and eleven o'clock at night
In view of such facts together with the evidence
furnished by his own observations. Professor Hag-
germ constructed a theory electrical action induced
bv physiological changes in the plant. 10 account Tor
its light-gving properties.
The trouble with the professors theory, granting
all that he claims for it, is that. like good many
other theories great many other subjects 1t seems
10 be framed TO few particular cases and that
II calmly ignores all the rest thus leaving the problem,