New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-07
A PLANT HOSPITAL.
One Of the Peculiar Features of
Rronr Park.


plants are as free from the maddins crowd as
wealthy patients in ideal sanatorium
The hospital is reached by narrow path
through a sumach grove. Then gate opens
and reveals a six-foot wire fence hedged IN
by nursery of evergreens. These are wearing
what the attendants call overcoats. otherwise
blankets of warm leaves and grasses woven to-
gether They are convalescents that have had
some root disease or perhaps have been suffer
ing only from anemic weakness. They have
done time in the sanatorium and have been put
in the outer grounds to get strong before their
journey to the park forest and the old life in the
open.
Through the convalescent ward one is ushered
TO the first house summing hospital for small
plants. Here the plant doctor, Ernest A Cos
tain, welcomes the visitor He is tenderly bum
ding up thousands of cuttings of the red osier
dogwood and invites the callers to help him.
BY race he is Manxman, clear eyed ana sun
bronzed and has loved nature from boyhooc
The 1900 patients that he nurses TO health
every year are in themselves testimonials to
his skill and sympathetic care.
You see these have been slightly touched
with FROST said Mr.. Costain, holding UP his
bundle of twenty-five dogwood cuttings. They
need a little summing and warming up to restore
circulation. After treatment we will plunge
them In warm sand, and by the opening of
spring tney Will De SeHultiS Oul AcdithS SOuiiS
roots. 1t takes time. you see, to overcome plant
diseases What else do L bundle in this way?
Oh. the naples, European linden, the box elder
willow and poplar"
glance at the clock ho%ed that it was time
to give morning medicine in the palm ward, so
doctor and visitor entered the warm, we'll lighted
greenhouse where many varieties OF palms stoOd
in tubs and pots The patients seemed to nod
in relief at the doctors approach; perhaps it
was a draught of air caused by opening the
door
There is no reason said Mr.. Costain, busy
ing himself with sprays and liniments, why the
lives of trees and plants should not be prolonged
A great many die through sheer neglect or the
artificial conditions forced upon them. Take
the Cowthorpe oak in England that is 1,5OO
years old, and the California red wood that at
tains the age of 1900 years. They illustrate the
longevity that is possible to trees There are
grape, rose and ivy vines two centuries old. and
the life of the fir, pine, hemlock, cedar, spruce
and balsam can be prolonged many decades by
Civilization brings disease to the vegetable as
well as the animal kingdom. There are many
causes OF trouble, such as dust, electricity, bad
air, bad food and lack Of sleep. Dust stops up
the pores; electricity, which rusts underground
pipes also injuries tree roots lack of sleep Is
q nervous condition due to all-night iumna-
ton and disturbance OF soil. Inconsistencies like
wise attacks many tropical and foreign plants.
After living year two in the strange out
side environment they lose their strength and
appetite and have TO be brought here to re-
cuperate amid home surroundings and diet
"Self-sown seeds usually up In six
months or a year, but under artificial conditions
the process is fastened with the result that the
plant does not get its naturally healthy start 1t
has puny figure and weak constitution which
means a life of sickness and hospital care.
Plants destined for exhibition in winter must
sleep or rest in summer, and vice versa. Nature
sets the example of sleeping time when she uses
the autumn winds to snap off the leaves and
pods and bids the sap cease rising. Artificial
conditions prevent rest the plant is always
awake, and sometimes gets bad case Of in
somnia.
There is a daily sleep in plant life the
rest of the seasons. The sensitive plant. for in
stance, shows distinctly noticeable movement in
going to sunber In the fields dandelions and
clover can be seen preparing for their maps.
Slumber rests the organs of growth
All this time the plant doctor had been using
a series of sponges with fir tree oil, whale oil
soap and other medicines and appurtenances.
Among the patients treated were the feather
palm. parasol, bamboo, Bungalow, blooming
cane broom. fern. jaguar. royal. fan. umbrella
and Bourbon. Some of these palms were dropping
and fainting like the sick after long, hard night
of nerve racking pain. The Bourbon was in d
state of complete nervous prostratiOn; the
feather looked rheumatic, its offshoOtS cuTled up
and knotted; the fan had some pulmonary
trouble and many of the others were victims of
indigestion being unable to relish their food.
warm bath. sponging with oil. doses of plant
medicine. changing of position and loosening
of the earth around made them more comfort
able. In short time it needed no imagination
hot fhayr fclf NM No
the road to recovery.
Leaves are the lungs of the palms" resumed
the doctor and If people would only remember
this they might mitigate the dry air of our over
heated rooms by various common sense means
Broad pans Of water placed on radiators create
steam and make the air moist The foliage or
palms should be washed constantly to enable
the organs to breathe better. and so stand the
bad air. Chemistry has shown us that nitrogen
is necessary TO plants and science has proved
that respiration is as fully marked in plants as
animals Desdemona is not more liable to suffo-
cation than geranium.
Exercise is an important matter. Plants get
exercise swaying in the winds outdoors, but
they become relaxed inside and need gymnas-
tic substitute for natural movement There is a
field here for an inventor to devise plant eX-
erciser something that would gently sway
the stem and make the life sap circulate IN tue
leaf tips The prime movement of plants is up |
ward in the way of growth. and, being done in |
doors under great pressure, the plant suners.
Root pressure capillary attraction. the forming |
of vacuum in leaf cells by evaporation--all
these move the sap to rise and push the plant |
up. Such motions take place lrreguIarIE III uil-
natural conditions and result in slight ailments
If not chronic disease
Sun following is another plant habit diff |
cult to indulge in indoor life, but given scope to
in the hospital. Watch any plant and see 1t fol-
low the sun from east to west. Look at its stem |
and see how elastic its hbreS are from seeking
the light. Leaves roots. stems and even the
flowers twist and turn TO the. sun that gives
them life. The cure is a first requisite for
our patients, II is in human sanatoriums,
but few exceptional growths like the mistle-
toe prefer the shade Water seeking is a second
instinct. Roots will naturally strike out toward
water, even when there is no trail Of moisture