New-York tribune., 1911-10-22
POISONING PLANT LIFE.

'In the remarkably pure air or Stanforu
r-riyorsi+v With the nearest domestic coal
fire a quarter mile away and with gas sup
piled 10 the university by single smai
main. a greenhouse has been so constructor
that IL is completely divided into TWO eA-
actly similar halves, in which experiments
and their controls can be carried on undei
as nearly natural conditions as can BE con-
ceived. In each half OF this house there
were boxes OF growing grain, consider
ahla variety Of potted Seeding trees, one,
two and three years old, and other plants,
aquatic and terrestrial. The grain was
grown on the spot from seeds; the trees
were grown from the seed in the pots ana
we're brought into the house so long before
they were used in experiments that tney
we're quite accustomed 70 their surround
inEs Into one half Of the experiment house
a dose Of sulphur dioxide equal to the pro-
portion in pure city air was introduced
daily Sundays excepted for months, dur
ing the resting period only for one set OF
trees during the growing period only OF
another set and during the resting and
most OF the growing period or third set
The trees continuously in the side OF
the house dosed daily with very minute
quantity Of sulphur dioxide gas, blown into
and thoroughly mixed with the air OF the
house. showed a growth in length two
thirds OF that Of the trees in the pure air
OF the other half Of the house. There are
10 visible injuries only measurement shows
that those trees in air purer than that OF
most cities do not thrive. do not make as
much growth as trees in thoroughly pure
ayNHf f~Nf IL
oxide is fixed, mainly in the leaves ana
thus disturbs the vital activities Of plants
The results with grain correspond. These
results obtained by experiment JUSTIFY
therefore. the assertion that the problem
OF urban smoke is one OF gases as well as
solids. of poisonous fumes as we'll as in
convenient SCOT.
An illustration of this is found in the
southeast corner of Tennessee. where, for
many years a low grade copper ore. rich
In sulphur, has been smelted. There are
now TWO smelters IN that region. The
country Is mountainous, the slopes natu-
rally covered with the large leaved mixed
forest Of the Southern Appalachians, well
watered by the frequent summer rains.
The virgin forest was long cut for mine
timbers and for fuel IN that extensive dis
trct known as Ducktown, but the second
growth is also gone, and up 10 three years
ago nothing OF any value could be cult
waited within a distance OF miles from
these smelters In the suit won by the
State OF Georgia before the Supreme Court
of the United States II was shown that the
poisonous effects OF the fumes were visible
in Georgia at a distance OF forty miles
from these Tennessee smelters. Three and
a half years ago so hopeless was the condi-
ton OF the people attempting 10 farm there
that they declared even the soil was pois-
oned-a mistake. OF course. Since there Is
scarcely any level land in that distsrict one
may imagine the result OF removing the
forest cover. destroying the underground
and preventing any other vegetation which
might cover the naked soil with Its
branches or leaves and hold IL together and
in place with it's roots. Instead, the leaf
mould accumulated during centuries on the
forest floor and the ine soil worked and re-
worked BY roots. worms and other occu-
pants OF the ground were quickly washed
down the slopes into the turhid streams
foods took the place OF the spring fresnets
and the bare earth battered by the rains
constantly gave It's fertility 20 the already
rich lowlands far away or 70 the sun
more distant and unneeding sea.