Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-08-16

limbs, branches, twigs, leaves,
which for every plant produce a
mathematically constant type.
Within this type, then, the individ-
ual variation creates the differences
between the single plant-individ-
uals, which otherwise would have
to resemble each other as one egg
another. This individual variation,
however, depends upon the nourish-
ment conditions and the fitness of
the individual for its special life
conditions. That was very signif-
icant discovery, which first makes
the special life of plants comprehen-
sible to us. They possess the ca
pacity in the most wonderful fash
ion always to make the most of the
given circumstances and adapt
! themselves to them so as to reach
the normal conditions. The best
witness thereto is their habitat.
AS this capacity was investigat-
ed, the most incredible proofs were
reached with what exquisite adapta-
ton to plan the forces of Nature
acts. For example, the leaves of
plants stand in fixed order, so
that all may share the sunlight.
This is the case even with the
thickest-foliaged tree top. All the
branches, twigs, and petioles grow
in such fashion that this aim is
reached; in subservience to it, too,
leaves place themselves according
to need diagonally, horizontally, or
at the top vertically, to avoid UNI
necessary shadow. 1t had often
been asked why the leaves of diff
fcrcnt plants are cut up, lobcd, and
sinuate in so wonderfully manifold
a manner. The answer was re-
ccivcd when ii was noticed that,
beheld from above land so from the
standpoint of the sunlight), each
situation makes room for the pro-
lection of leaf, from below or
above. There had, all at
once, been found the explanation of
the inconceivable variety of the leaf
forms. If nothing else will do,
the topmost leaves pcrforatc them
selves merely, that some sunlight
may be made possible through the
riffs. This will be found the case
withsth favorite foliage plants, the
philodendrons, which, just by rea-
son of these elegantly perforated
leaves, acquire an appearance so
odd and hence so useful for garden
ing purposes.
This mutual struggle for light
that is peaceably adjusted by mu-
tual accommodation what an ad-
mirable natural prototype of the
social struggleD is, however, re-
ncwed in tree each year, since
the old relation of equilibrium is
disturbed by the new twigs. But
that it is nevertheless al ways
brought about again proves that
the plant possesses, not an inherit
ed, general, but an individually
variable capacity therefor which
is not thinkable, without a feeling
for the existent bodily form. This
necessarily caused the plant physi.
ologists to claim that the form per.
ception previously studied by Rol
in the roots) it is that prescribes fol
) the branches and leaves, too, theii
: always orderly mutual position
|, And it was an admirable confir
: nation of this view that the char
{ acteristic habit of plants always
seeks of itself to establish itsel
) again, when it was disturbed b,
! any kind of elemental injuries, a
storms, floods, and the like. This
} fofm-feeling explains also thu
: strange and otherwise wholly enig
maticsl plan-following of the ten
5 dency of growth in twigs ant
] branches, which prevents thu
boughs of trees from mutually hin
: dering each other and in growing
I injuring each other. To hov
: high a degree this strange percep
: ton advances the most serviccabl,
processes of plant life, new proc
: at once appeared from differen
D quarter. Prof. Meyer, of Eienach
1 called attention to the fact in hov
, remarkable a manner many plant
s are seen that are compelled I
! gain bare living on steep preci
pices. In the German secondar
S chain of mountains, are usual
d found in such places small speci
t mems of the univcrsally-know
: chickweed, or of herb-robert ice
ranium Robertianum) which, root
S ed merely in a crack, would at ono
: lose their hold and indolently han
: down, if they could not help them
y selves in this serious predicamen
f in a very peculiar way. To wit
e they bend downward the stems {