The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-03-04
GAM PLANTS SEE AND HEAFs2

f p
From far Brazil. Harry q. Black,
an American, is coming with one of
the most remarkable collections of
orchids, valued at more than SIS, OOO,
together with several hundred other
rare plants. Mr.. Black is q. swell
known itor-pubHsher of Buenos
Aires, the owner of Fraymocho,. an
Illustrated weekly printed inS Spanish,
and at present he is bound for New
York on board the s. s. CESAR, of
the Lamport & Holt line, accom-
panied by his friend, Senior Diego
Gibson, a, native of Buenos Aires,
likewise Senior Ramon Caceras, a
horticuIturist from Monteyfdeo. They
are bringing the Black collection of
unusual plants for the purpose of ex-e
hibiting them at the Third Interna-
tona1 Flower Show under the aus
pieces of the Horticultural Society of
New York, Grand Central Palace,
March 17-23. The steamer is due
here March / 8 and the plants will be
brought through the customs house
in bond and subsequently returned to
Buenos Aires, with the exception of
a few specimens which Mr.. Black in
tends to present to Dr.. w. E. Aughin-
baugh of New Y ork, with whom he
spent many years insSouth Anericas
and whose guest he VIII be during his
stay in this city.
Mr.. Black has spent II years in,
'
a hobby with him, and he has made
lengthy excursions through the wilds
of Bolivia, Peru and Brazil, emery
ing from the dense forests after stays
of several months, with plants never
known to have been seen by human
eyes. Mr.. Black was one of the first
to agree with Sir Francis Darwin
whens as president Of the British So
ciety in 81908,s Darwin delivered an
address declaring that in plants there
Il
as consciousness in ourselves" The
famous scientist was laughed at by
many in his theory that plants can
see and hear, but Mr.. Black believed
it, and INDUCED in research work.
that would prove it, as did Mr.. Jean
tiers France, who maintained that
the rose could see the beautiful wo-
man inhaling its perfume and fur
thermore that plants can hear.
In proof of these theories, Mr..
Black is bringing some. specimens,
one of which is a sensitive plant that
folds up it's leaves in fright if a
sharp noise is made nearby, and the
same plant is almost human in that
In addition to having the sstempera-
| ment'' of a nervous woman, it is also
rendered insensible by anaesthetics
such as ether, ch1orofol1n, heroin,
etc. It's discoverer says that he has
reason to believe that plants have a
| system OF speech ana IKE MI. N1auO-
Brant, cites cases where the scent of
flowers is a, manifestation of their
vegetable life and living radiation.
Scent considered as an o1afactory.
sensation is a vibration, and scent
therefore is the sound. uttered by
| flowers, or a song without words as
Its were. He says: Every scent, or
rather every sensation or scent, cor
responds to a certain speed Of vibra,-
stion which is peculiar to it. Here we
see an analogy between theN percep-
ton Of scent. light and sound. Strong
scents correspond to low notes, and
delicate scents to high notes.
Among the astounding plants
which Mr.. Black viii bring, is a
species of jatropha from Columb ia,
known as the ortiga bravo alba (the
Ecruel white metaD which secrets a
poison like a rattlesna,ke, and when
| touched, two tiny organs which cor
respond to the tongue of a snake,
shoot poison and inflict deadly
wound. He also brings some varieties
of singing plants. which have long
/ hairs, and when a hair is snapped by
contact, it discharges poison in even
| sufficient quantity to kill a man. He
| intends to demonstrate this by killing
/ and insects