The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-10-05
INSTINCTS OF PLANTS.

some Instances In Which it Seems to
Equal That Of Animals.
AS an observer, in my long life l
have noticed strange explorations OF
the roots of plants and especially Of
fercst trees.
Some years since I was making a
road through pasture. came
across a green root half an inch IN
diameter. l looked about to see
where there was a tree. In looking
up a steep hill, about fifty feet away,
I saw an ash tree about eight inches
in diameter and from this tree the
root came. I did not trace this root
to it's end as 1 should have done, but
knowing the distance to the water,
on lower land below me, and the size
Of the root where I cut it in two, |
estimated the root must have gone
twenty-five feet more, making seven
ty-fve feet in all the root must have
travelled to obtain water.
Vines, including all that grow in
gardens, such as grapes, squashes,
pumpkins, also cucumoers and mel
ons, in their natural state, climb
where they have chance. I have
had s9uashes climb high in trees and
bear good sized squashes, so that I
would have to give them support that
they might grow to maturity. Mar
ket gardeners say that squash run
ming along on the ground in coming
under the limb of an apple tree or
any other tree will lift itself to OBJ
tain support, and then fall back.
Again, they say that if we place a
dish Of water to the right CT left OF
the terminal point CT vine and a
little forward the vine will go for the
water in whatever direction the
water may be.
I have known CutteTnut and elm
trees to send their roots thirty or
forty feet down a steep hill to a run
ming brook of water 1t has been re-
corded that well was dug twenty
five feet from tree and lined up
with cement, and the well covered.
The water was conveyed to the house
In wooden pipe. In the pipe there
was knothole and In time the water
began to fail, besides acquiring
strange taste. On investigation it |
was found that the well was partial |
ly filed with the roots Of the tree.
A root found the knot hole twenty
FIVE feet away and 50 found the water
at last.
$ A tree in California sent out root
feragiRs for water, so it followed
the line of a sewer, following its cas-
ing until it reached high Brick wall,
in which several feet up there was
a small hole leading to the other side.
The root made for this hole, passing
through it, then it ran down on the,
other side, finding the water sought.
Some years ago I read Of case
where there was well. en- one side
OF house and a willcw tree on the
other side. In the course Of time
the tree sent root undsc the cellar
bottom to the other side Of the house
and cellar, reaching the water at last.
In my own case, many years ago i
conveyed water from spring to the
farm buildings in what we called
pump logs. The loss getting some
what decayed, the root of maple
standing some ten or twelve feet
away and little down hill found its
way into the logs and filed them to
such an extent that the water at the
buildings was minus On exploring,
we found the trouble as related.
Mysterious are many OF the works
of nature. How do the roots and
vines know where to find water? Is
It vegetable instinct? If it Is, even
then It IS mysterious.-Timothy
Wheeler in the New York Tribune.