The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-02-17

the refined grain of sugar-in everything =.
Won, could rnention-and that this lite III ",i"'
,ra call inanimate matter Is simply anO'neI
,,r-re of the life we are conscious Of
If so. how easy 70 believe that the Inys'e
,~,,s shark In those substances Is simply par
Of the rreat life-giving force pervadlng the uni
versc-the same spark that underhes animal
life. only in a lower stage Of Development
luton, some would call It.
Now. as to what DR.. Leduc has actually
ac~orunIished in the way of making plant-lke
structures grow entirely by artificial means:
He has already produced forms resenohhf
saavvaed. mushrooms. and grass wheat-ears
Resembling" mark For he doesn't say that
they we're actually what they appeared 10 De
First he makes q seed He takes two parts
of saccharose of sugar and one part OF sulpna,e
Of copper, grinds them to powder anu my ~
them. Taking a pinch of the mixture ana
rnoistening it with water, he rolls 1t into sor'
OF pill This is the seed.
But YOU corldn't stick that seed in the sol
and expect 1t to shoot up. 1t needs sPeclGi
element In which to grow. Tins substance-cuL
tire it IS called-is prepared by taking some
common water, and adding to II a mixture OF
ferrocvanide Of potassium, to. per cent
chloride of sodium, 1 to 10 per cent and geIa.
tine. 10 per cent. This makes a combinatloI
somewhat resembling the protoplasm OF all egs
full of condensed nourishment-.
Filling a test tube or jar with this culture
he throws In seed.
In a few minutes you can see the seed begir
% e,veI. then it sprouts with the point dIrrct
ed upwards, and next it lengthens out, some
times in a single stalk, and sometimes breaking
up into as high as twenty stalks.
In a few hours these stalks have reached
LENGTH of ten to twelve inches-h the tube b5
that long; for they will not rise above the cu4-
Viewed from a little distance. this growth
assemblies a water plant
When the growth arrives at the surface o,
the liquid, it still further follows the habits 0.
aquatic plants and spreads out in the shape .;
leaves and water lilies.
The form taken by the growth Is entlrel,
different if 1t be In a jar instead of tube. Sea
weed and mushroom forms are the most common
"a this case.
But. Dr. Ieduc says. there is not 4 bit o.
life In. it. There is no trace of living matter
IF protoplasm, with its many albumenoids.
any other matter which is now regarded as con
tanning life.
The scientist has given his own explanation
of how the thing is done. The sugar In the see
Is in condensed form, and susceptible to growt
when moistened. Water, forcing its way thrOug.
the copper sulphate, affects the sugar and caus
1t to lengthen into stalks-the growth beIn'
aided by the nourishment taken from the cultur
along the way.
The fact that the growth spreads out in tn
form Of leaves at the surface IS explained b
saying that there is nothing else for 1t to ID
since it cannot support itself above the culture
Not only is this artificial plant sensitive
poison but temperature has a decided effect o.
its growth.
A plant that has been cut for grating pur
poses viii close again, just like natural one
and when broken will make a rcjoin. DIR. Ledu
has not been able TO explain. how this -
since there be no Life IN tae seed