, 1909-02-24

GAe lOcustF Ii 1t was not instinct what was
1T? Does the willow have n sense of smell for
water9 When q small boy my mother said
to me: "YOu cannot cheat a cow, q hen, or
a hill of corn" She saw G2 years ngo that
that there was al intimate relationship be-
tween the Animals, fowls and plants.
A few days ago I gave a lady some very
fine fruits. She said, "Can l grow such
fruit in my farm?" Iroplied, eyes, if you
will feed and care for the trees as you
would o fayourite Jersy CIV" Intensive
agriculture is the hope Of our country in the
not very distant future,
FBANoIs WAYLAND GLEN,
Mr.. Glen's inquiries rs made above are
along the lines of Investigation into tho
physiology OF plant life which, from O scien.
tic, agricultural point Of view, it would
seem absolutely necessary hat we should
all undertake. Thus far animal physiology
has been decidedly obscure, and plant phyei-
Ology simply u blank to most OF US. Prof.
Sidney Howard Vines Of Christ's College,
Cambridge, England, delivered o series Of
lecturea on the Physiology of Planta, which
Here published in Cambridge in 1889. II
was The cOmpletest expression Of all know
ledge Of plant life made up to that time.
Dr. Ludwig Jost, professor Of botany in
the University Of Strasburg, has now
become our standard authority in
plant physiology, and he has author
lied the English translation Of his recent
lectures on this subject by II. j. Harvey Glib
son, professor Of botany in the University of
Liverpool. Prof, Jost takes up lust such
points as Mr.. Glen raises, and5it seems to be
practically demonstrated that plant life is
very intimately rotate to oil othor forms of
hte, just as was practically demonstrated by
Prot Huxley forty years ago in his famous
lecture on ProtoplasnI. Jogt wrote the pre-
face to his great work in 1903 and he wrote
che preface for the English edition in 1906,
which latter edition was published in 1907,
with whatever fresh data that had appeared
by that time.
Plant life seems to be as full OF instructive
movements rs is animal life and, as is well
known, the line Of demarkntion between
plants and aDlmuIs is practically impossible
OF definition. The ordinary HunAower is said
20 face the sun throughout the day, whom
conditions pormIt it and the common Wild
indigo also fac0s the sun. The oxtrome sem
altlveness OF plant life to tho sun is Il matter
OF common observation. The nutrition Of
plant life, or any way It's circulation, begins
with the root system OF the plants. With
out water most of them cannot live, and vet
there are said to be air plants in some Of oar
western deserts that live, o. ut least lie dor
mant without loss Of life, in the most arid
season, and whom some sudden shower of
rain falls, the plants at once show signs OF
life and some of them bloom. An excess Of
water in the soil apparently browns ordinary
plants. Cultivated plants adapted to dry
culture. get the water Of their circulation
from the microscopic water of the soil,
Aquatic plants, such as rice, seem to got
their circulation of water, and bheir oxygen
also, out of the water,ju just as fishes with their
peculiar breathing apparatus secure their
oxygen from the water.
The willow tree, to which Nj Glen refers,
is well known to send its roots out many feet
after wafer and to choke up tile drains. The
great descent that he refers to in his article,
however, seems quite extraordinary. Sugar
cane belongs 10 the grass family md requires
a very large amount Of watcr, but not moro
than the proper amount, which is sometimes
estimated at rs high rs one-third the total
weight of the soil.
An intelligent agricu)turist, familiar with
hls work, should come to look upon plant life
oil around BIN rs very infinitely aasocinted,
II not directly connected. with animal j. ,aud
to produce the best agricultural and horti-
cultural results such coon Z1uro p,ust be