The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-05-12
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II Nature has fitted these plants with sens
touch. feeling. she surely must have had a pl'-
pUse-
In the case Of the uiruosa ,lis reason IS be-
ieved be that the colspse at slight couch aids
keeping of large browsing animals. also attacks
II injurious insects
A goat seeing his prospective meal dwindls,
leaves it for more favorable past"rage' fly IS
scared away by the collapse OF leaves The closing
leaves is also protection against rli1 or hail
In one class OF plants The utility evidently lies
in nsuring the transfere1ce or reception Of pollen;
another. the capture and digestion OF insectA
Why the oxals leaves collapse touched Is not
known.
\ visitor who called experiment green
mouse at twilight to see the sensitive plants was
surprised be told by tne attendant: I fear you
Mi very little q them, Tor they re an asleep s;.
goes down. closing up Their leave after the same
1t was suggested that perhaps this a
purely mechanical act and isn't not mean that the
10 the human senses. which needed rest
it strange tSst no amount Of artifcis light Or eiec-
Tom s fgT5sn' 1t or wS 9snf oeS T
In that green9opse there wa sort OF divine f
up mechanicaiy and> that hey treashed forth
And speaking OF breathing IL Is vel established
animals do, with some slight VARIATION for. where
dioNid the plant thrves carbon dioxld and s.'es
out SHy DfsBis 4es s9Ft s Sf P'9e ssiPoe'y
OF course. TO speak Of Plant se s.ii one must
say that plants have in the same sense as ami
organisms that serve same purpose
In at least TWO inStanCes-tL the cases of the
pertalonia and begonia-there stick up from the
surface the leaves innUIneraule little elongated
hairs with slight swellinss on the euds.
These hairs say the bOtanists correspond D
the retina the eye; they colec: stray RAYS OF
light pass them dOwnwaTd-2s light
the leaf where they nourishment, life
In another case-the htsonta plant-mucilaginOus
the surface OF the Leaf are lr
POLITICALLY held lie purposs of eyes.
Turn a japanese bean vine Upside down-piacins
woven wir the mouth OF the the di-f
viii not spill out-and watch it,
The leaves which at nrst hang downward -
evenly will curl Upward-frst the leaves then
he entire stalk-until they assume their final posi-
ton
the nght-the sun-and when they find II. stop and
look serenely at IT.
Have you done anything 90 prove that plants
possess the sense of SMELL of the investigators
asked.
Yes" he replied IF YOU place dirt tn a box
with glass sides and plant seed so you can watch
its growth through the glass you may note
thing
suppose there are in that dIrt-out Of line with
the vertical direction at first taken the seed
certain substances. such as arsenic and starch
You VIII see. every time. the root turn its
toward the substance Ekes-in this Instance the
starch II that isn't smell what is II
That plants grow from protoplasm, as animals
DO is generally accepted That they are but
lower form of animal life IS natural conclusion
That they contain in essence those characte sites
which. in more highly devt lopeC life become
known senses-who ca1 prove tH 10.
the next logical step7