New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-09-20

on Its way in peace. All this intelligence resides
on the tip OF the root the large roots serving only
10 anchor the plant, and If so much MILL
metre is removed from the tip it loses its power
The tendrils of climbing plants intelligent
as roots The tendrils of a Virginia creeper will
grow toward the handle OF a spade or rake set
| against the WALL and il the article is moved the
next day the tendrils viii have found it again
Some plants that twlne round their support always
follow the sun around the pole, like the hop vine.
while Others like the wistaria and the bean, climb
away from it. Others, like the bittersweet, don't
seem TO care which way they climb.
The mimosa or sensitive plant, is perhaps the most
remarkable Of intelligent plants Ali Little Men
and Women must have heard OF it. but no
realize how wonderful it is who has not II.
and any one see it who wants to visit the
greenhouses in Bronx Park The little plant not
only closes its leaves up tightly when they are
touched. but telegraphs the to other leaves
so that they also close. Besides this it droops the
stem that bears the leaves.
This gives it a very dead and ,withered appear
ance and with the help of the hard and prickly
stems no doubt dscourages any animals that
looking for sweet mouthful At night the leaves
assume this position of their own accord and then
the plant is said to be asleep. It may be to
sleep in the middle of the day by darkness. but
quickly wakens again unless the temperature is
reduced II kept in continuous light darkness
it continues TO go to sleep at the usual time for
several days, or until it gets used to the con-
ditions.
o
is uncommon. but many other plants sleep n night
any of the little folk can see for themselves
when they are in the country in The
leaves of the clover. the locust the oxas the bean
and the wistara all sleep at night nesting close
to each other and to the stem This helps them
bear the cold better Darwin found that when the
leaves of the West Indian arrowroot pre-
vented from moving at night they suffered more
from the cold than when they allowed to
nestle together. He also found that the nerves
al aft had
had severe shock it could not get to sleep for
several nights.
Those ogreke plants that catch and eat insects
also give curious illustrations Of plant intelli-
gence. The closing of the trap upon the unfort-
innate visitor is the least remarkable thing about
them Still more astonishing is the fine discrimna-
ton shown between things that the plant can eat
and those that useless to i, and even between
bit OF food OF fair size and one not big enough
TO be worth bothering with. When the trap Of the
Venus fytrap closes over insect visitor or any
bit OF animal matter the two sides press close
together and crush the intruder. but if the sub
stance is mineral, such a small pebble the
trap forms hollow chamber and soon reopens
If the substance is edible, but very small it is
allowed TO escape between the interlocking teeth
OF the trap The innocent looking but blood
thirsty sundew also rejects inedibIe substances
after the treacherously dewy leaves have engufed
them.
That plants have eyes something like our own
was another startling statement made by another
fessor Harold Baker. He said that he had discov-
cred little lenses in the leaves of plants and had
taken photographs by means OF them. Whatever
botanists may think of this. they all know that,
whether with or without eyes. plants perfectly
well They seek the light and avoid the darkness,
except when. Ike the tendrils of climbing plants,
they love the darkness, rot because their deeds
evil but because they grow dark walls
and make them beautiful for And this is not
all If plants merely sought the light and avoided
the darkness in general way it would be
strange, because that is the only way they can
grow al. But they actually arrange their leaves
to receive the amount Of light that
they want This is why the compass plant, very
common and troublesome weed in this part OF the
country arranges its leaves almost vertically in
horizontally, with the surfaces facing east
and west and the edges pointing north and south
It wants the TO shine on both sides of its
leaves, and it knows well what it wants that if
the position Of plant growing in a box is changed
the leaves will alter their position until they point
again north and south. The compass plant is
cousin of the garden lettuce, and it has been dis
covered that when this plant is allowed 10 grow
until it flowers It's stem leaves become compasses