The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-11-01
Thinking Veg
etable of Mars
(NeN, York American.A

b one which we Fan see the most
plainly. and the first m which we
shall be able to visit when science
makes a journey beyond our atmos-
phere possible.
Mars. moreover. is proved by as
and to be capable Of supporting life
in some form.
These facts make it natural that
scientists and writer's should specu-
late upon the character Of the life
upon Mars. 1t must as yet he specu-
lation. for u means Of seeing only
enable us to distinguish objects sew
era miles in extent upon the planet.
Many Interesting theories about the
IRE OF Mars have been put forward.
but all of them have been open to
some objection. Prof. Percival Lowell
Of the Flagstaff observatory in Ari-
n mas argued that the so-callea
canals Of Mars are vas engineering
works. n consequently that the in
great intellectual development. The
scientific novelist. H.. q. Wells. has
built an extremely interesting story
on n basis that Martians are octo-
pus-hke creatures. without bony struc-
ture. u possessed of highly developed
Drains. A common assumption of
manS spectators has been that the
Martians are extremely attenuated
creatures. because the slight pressure
OF gravity on the surface of the
planet would favor this form.
Now a new and exceedingly inter.
esting theory concerning the life Of
Mars has been put forward by Prof.
william Wallace Campbell of the
great Lick observatory. California, He
suggests that all life on Mars has
aiken a vegetable form.
inns theory Is one OF the most plau-
siole mat has been put forward. II
mas the support Of ali the facts about
Mars that have been scientifically es.
.aolisned. and 1t avoids many Of the
!mprooabtlities involved in other
theories on h same subject
The vegetation theory rests prt.
marty on the fact proved by spectre
scopic analysis that there is an enor.
nous proportion Of carbonic acid gas
IN the atmosphere Of Mars. which
would make animal life Of the kind
SHOWN to the earth exceedingly diff
cult. IT not impossible. while Il would
greatly favor the development Of
BEFORE considering this theory fur
tner. We must bear in mind a few of
he proved facts about Mars. It has
atmosphere. seasons. land. water.
storms. clouds and mountains. II
also rains and SHOWS on Mars. as i.
- NS AS' StCdl MulIS DdVCnoS
appear periodically upon its surface.
Ihese may be accumulations Of snow
ana they lave also been called eyes :
Their nature Will be discussed later.
When Mars approaches nearest to
the earth it is seen to have a bright
red color and sometimes looks like a
RED lamp in the sky. 1t has been sug.
most part is yellow or orange instead
OF. green. as with US. thus giving the
planet its color.
Mars has two moons. the nearest OF
which Is about 300 miles away and
revolves around the planet in seven
hours and a half. showing all the
phases OF our moon in one night.
The density and size Of Mars are
ess than those Of the earth. and con-
s%equently a mar who weighed. 200
pounds here would only weigh Is
pounds up there.
The atmosphere and moisture Of
Mars are very slight. and the inhabi.
sa1ts: II there be any. must find life
a dificult problem there. The water
IS confined entirely to the poles, where
IT Is deposited annually in the form
OF a thin layer Of snow or hoar frost.
only to melt away again with the
advent Of summer.
Ages ago life on Mars must have
concentrated itself on the problem Of
Soiie HiedHS whereby n
melting water Of the polar parts might
be conducted to those arid regions Of
the temperate and torrid zones,
which would still blossom il watered.
Here We may note one Of the strong
est arguments in favor Of the vegeta-
ton. theory Of life.
Prof. Lowell has argued that the
Prof: schiaparelli Of Milan. but lons
considered optical illusions by astron-
omers. are the irrigation works Of the
inhabitants. The canals are singular.
~ artificial in appearance. They ex.
tend toward the equator from the
poles and cover the planet like a fine
netting.
Each canal is the shortest distance
between W points and invariablv
runs to a point called an oasis"
where 1t meets other canals, NOT in
haphazard fashion. but according to
some plan.
The canals vary in length from $50
miles to over 5000 miles. a length
that is astonishing when it is con-
sidered that the diameter Of Mars is
only 1920 miles. All told. Prot. Low
ell has plotted 437 Of these canals and
lS6 GASES. 1t was Prof. Pickering. a
close associate Of Prof. Lowell, who
first saw these GASES.
The canals Of Mars appear and dis
oPpea Will the seasons. In 0tEc.
words. they slowly creep down from
the poles each spring and slowly re-
treat with the approach of winter.
II the canals are artificial in origin.
this phenomenon would appear 70
mean that the Martians are busily
engaged In digging s%tupendous canals,
only to NJ them up again every year.
Prof. Pickering ingeniously avoided
this embarrassing conclusion by point
Ing out that we see not the canals
themselves. but the vegetation which
fringes their banks and thus indicates
their course. Vegetation u grow
before the canals are visible. and
must disappear before the canals
vanish.
Here We can see why the theory
that all the life or Mars Is vegetation
Is more probable than any other.
Prot. Pickering admits that the signs
OF life we see are vegetable, but ug.
gests that they are the work Of man.
like creatures whom we cannot see.
But We know that 1t would be almost
impossible for man-like creatures to
i've there. IL is most. likely. then.
that vegetation is the only life.
earth it is quiet conceivable that the
highest type Of intelligence might
dwell in a plant. as plants that. we
know possess more or less intelli-
gence. and the fact that they may
not possess the highest kind is due
to conditions on the earth which do
not exist on Mars.
The original germ Of life on earth
was neither animal. nor vegetable.
Many stages Of. development nassed
before the two forms Of life became