The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-02-13
THE DESERT
| PLANT LIFE
A Laboratory Near Tucson,
Arlz., for Study Of Flora.
RESULT OF YEARS WORK
Ingenious Self Recording Instruments
Used for Determining the Various
Phases Of the Activities Of
Desert Plants.
RESULT OF YEARS WORK

-
Or. w. A. Cannon, formerly in the
] laboratory OF the New York botanical
gardens and now resident investigator
In charge OF the Desert laboratory, near
Tucson. Arlz.. was in New York re
Gently He described the first years
| work of the laboratory. which was es-
tablished i'll 1908 10 carry on special re
searches upon the life. history and
physiology OF desert plants says the
1 New York Post.
/ The site Is on tile north shoulder Of
Table mountain. about 800 feet above
the town. This was also the site OF the
| prehistoric fortified town Of Tucson.
where the village Indians sheltered and
protected themselves from tile raids Of
/ the ApacheS. The village Indians, the
Papagos, are now widely scattered.
The fiora OF the laboratory tract Is
very diverse. Including plants which
grow on the mountain aud those con.
! fined to the mesa, or plain Many of
these until recently were used by the
| Indians and Mexicans In the construc
ton Of their houses Among them art
the giant cactus, the ribs Of which
were used for the sides and roofs Of
dwellings, aud the ocotillo, which was
utilized for the same purpose The
creosote bush was used for thatchlng.
! 1t ii probable that the village Indians
obtained their building materials from
the laboratory site.
AS it is the aim OF the laboratory to
study the various phases Of the activ
tiles Of desert plants, with special ref
\ erence to the physical conditions to
which the plants are subjected, care.
full record is being made Of these condi.
lions. This notes the changes hi tenn.
peratufe rainfall, relative humidity,
] state Of soil and air and the brisiiancy
of the natural light, with their effect
upon the plants. For determining these
various conditions the laboratory has
especially delicate and ingenious self
| recording instruments,
Although too short time has elapsed
| to permit the drawing Of sweeping con.
illusions, many interesting facts have
been learned by this study. OF the
physical factors noted the amount OF
water presented to the plant Il the on
/ which influences its activity the most
| profoundly The existence Of many
types Of plants, such MS ANIMALS, il di
rectIy controlled by the rainfall, and
the leaving aud lowering Of many
shrubs are controlled by the same fac.
tor. On the other hand, certain plants.
like the giant cactus, are apparently IN.
/ dependent DC the annual rains, as they
store mp water In large quantities Id
their own structure 1t has been found
that the cactus known as the bisnaga
ID between 90 and 90 per cent water
The estimate ii made that 1t would
take two years average rainfall to sup
| ply the space covered BY the roots Oh
the plant with sufficient wafer to equal
the amount stored up in the plant it
| self Nature, it Is explained, has pro
yided that the plant shall absorb
enough water in wet years to carry II
through dry seasons.
/ Tt has been found that the transpira.
ton or evaporation of water of some
| of the plants is reduced in seasons Of
| drought to almost nothing, but when
the rains return the Transportation Of
/ the desert plants equals and sometimes
exceeds the rate of that of plants in
most regions. Transportation, said DR.
Cannon, ia an index of the activities OF
/ all plants, and when the desert forms
| have abundance Of water growth Is
| quickened. They respond more prompt
| " to the influence of moisture than
plants in i moist climate. because they
have SO little time in which to do 1t.
In the region of the laboratory there
are two seasons of rain-the summer
/ and the winter. Tt Is In response to the
summer rains, when the temperature Is
high, that vegetable activity is greater.
| AT this time the desert is covered with
wonderful growth Of plants, both an.
| nuals and perennials, and presents the
appearance Of spring in more moist
climates, The flowers. many of them,
arc large. striking and OF great beauty.
In many places they grow Iii such
masses that they can be seen for thirty
miles from elevations, this being par
ticularly true Of the ATariposa lily and
California poppy After the rains have
passed the annual vegetation dies with
in few days, the leaves of many oil
the shrubs and perennials dry Up and
fall of. and the country presents the
| typical desert condition.
The study Of plants IS carried onI
while they are In their natural eondi
tons out Of doors, and the climate per-
mits this study to be continued Ill the
year round. The desert plants ID their
outdoor conditions are to be compared
/ with seedlings to be grown under
known conditions In ii greenhouse now
in course Of construction at the labora.
tory.
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