The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-19
PLANT HEREDITY.
Savant Tells Of Research in Botanical
Physiology.

ny 1%SANhys
Declaring that he can effect and change
the character OF plant by injecting a
solution into its cells, Dr. D. D. Mac
Dougal at a public lecture at the state
university at Berkeley yesterday made
an announcement for the first time Of
the preliminary result Of a series of in
yestiqations in botanical physiology
which are parallel TO and promise 10 be
as far reaching in their effects on science
as the wonderful discoveries Of Prof.
Jacques Loeb, the eminent investigator
Of the germ Of life.
Dr. MacDougal declared his researches
were mainly concerned with the action
Of the plant machine itself Those Of
Prof. Loeb were directed at discovering
the origin Of the cell Of life.
The university botanists are greatly
interested III the discoveries Of Dr.. Mac
Dongal and both Prof. w. j. Y Oster-
bout and w. A. Setchell were present at
the lecture. which was attended By an
audience which taxed the capacity Of the
lecture room Of the agricultural build
ing.
Both Profs, Setchell and 0sterhout adj
mitted that DR.. MacDougars investiga.
tions were entirely new and tried by a
scientist for the first time. They said
that he was progressing rapidly in his
chosen researches, although he was beset
By difficulties as aggravating as those
which continually obsttrueted the path
Of Prof. Loeb.
According 10 his brief outline Of his
results before an audience yesterday AT
ternoon. Dr. NacDougal declared that
he was a follower Of Darwin in his ex-
periments, which were pointed toward
the discovery Of the effect Of heredity
and TO ascertain If such artificial effects
were of a lasting nature.
For this purpose he injected into the
cells Of desert plant on which he was
working, a variety Of the cactus, solu-
ton Of calcium diluted with $4,000 parts
Of water
The effect in 100 instances recorded
showed that fourteen varieties were dit.
ferent from the parent plant and pos
sessed distinctive features. In one series
Of experiments he noted that. whereas
the parent plant was rough, the deriya-
tive had a smooth skin and the leaves
were shiny as glass
lie then crossed the derivativc with
the parent and found that the plant
produced possessed traces Of the parent
and derivative, but was much larger and
inclined to put out shoots and leaves
in greater numbers than either
His investigations with solutions of
water, 10000 parts to one Of iodine.
brought about equally marvellous results.
He said that he would continue TO carry
on his researches in the ovarv of the
cell rather than / nthe workings Of the
cell itself The conclusions of his re-
suits, he announced would take many
years and would not be to the benefit Of
the people Of the present generation
Continuing has lecture, the speaker de-
eiared that he had established d labora
tory at Carmel BY the Sea. whore he will
continue to conduct his researches, both
as To the effect Of heredity. Us pointed
out for the first time BY Darwin. and
on his laboratory work connected with
hts researches 81 desert plants
For the latter purpose he has brought
up from Tucson several dozen plants pc
cuIiar to q desert soil and has planted
them Ia plat at Carmel. where he viii
watch the effect of the saashore condi-
tions on desert vegetation.
Prof 0sterbaut Of the university fac
nifty, whose own researches il botany
have made his name famous. said that
Dr.. MacDougal was doing a wonderful
work He declared that he would not
attempt to point out the difference be-