Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-03-11
Thlnxs Dome bx Plants.

A distinguished gardener was doing In
chair In bis drawing room ono sultry
summer afternoon and bottle stood on
the table by bis side. Suddenly tho bot
tie began to move stealthily across tho
table. The sleeper woke up, the bottle
had disappeared.
In establishment, which might have
been agitation, had the bottle contained
any thing but bunch of blossoms, be set
out to investigate. In the midst OF bis
meditstions the thief fortunately gave
audible warning of his proximity. Glanc-
ing out of his window the horticulturist
saw an astonishing sight. The tinkle-
tinkle he had heard was Virginia creep
or rattling the bottle against the window
pane!
The adhesive pads on it's tendrils are
irritated by anything they touch, and
stick to 1t like leech. Really 1t may be
quits feasible to train plant to pick
pockets. =.
The fashionable sweet pea, II touched
on one of Its tendrils with q stick, or
rubbed gently for half an hour, will be-
gin to twist round the stick. II teased
further it will grapple with its tor
mentor. Besides the twisting motion 1t
has another, which has been described
as Glowing around" or circummutation.
! This is an endeavor to fasten on some
thing. 1t was undoubtedly it's success
In blowing around" or circummutation
that enabled the creeper to carry off the
bottle.
Though we have yet to find plants that
can hear or smell, many Of our common
growths are sensitive to touch, taste,
! sight and thirst. Cloropbyll, which Is
the green colorng matter of leaves, not
only stores up the energy OF the sun IN
| plants, but enables the plant to select
the light ray that is most beneficial to 1t.
In millions of little green granules under
the epidermis of the leaf, it is, In fact,
the eyes of the plant. 1t can detect
every color and rays the human eye eau
not see.
! The projected giant .cOncentrator
which may make the Sudan the powder
house of The world was long ago antici-
pated by nature In the schizostigma.
This apparently terrible creature ia
nothing more formidable than a type OF
moss. Nature has endowed 1t with
lenses in the form of globular granules
which concentrate and condense light
and so feed the plant In the shade. Too
much light, however, turns leaves yell
low, and plants can be made to turn
their coats by the action of light upon
them.
Plants, in fact, are just as sensitive as
we are. Insectivorous plants can IN.
doubtedly taste what is given them and
refuse 1t as certainly as the gourme,
would an inferior dish at the dinner of
city company. They only like nitrog.
enous substances; sugar, starch, oil
and such fattening carbohydrates they
have no use for.
The craving of plants and trees for
water has sometimes led them to terri
BILE extremes. A poplar has been known
to burrow beneath wall, under road
and down a well-all In search Of water
and pertinacious turnip which got the
tip of its root into the crack In a field
drain went on and on until 1t was siz
feet long in the drain. So sensitive Ia
the tip Of the root on the water question
that Darwin declared 1t must have
brain in 1t.
If ever book Is written on vegetable
mechanics one will find that plants
have made levers, screws, columns
wedges-everything, in fact, that engi
neers have.