The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-14
At The Coming Flower
Show There Are Some
That Not Only Hear,
but See. Feel and
Taste, Say Botanists
IT HE majority of botanist- are
willing to agree that many
plants possess ONE senses
fnnaa.I L., LAA.... I.L.u- Ac

POSSESS certain mentality and spirit
uaiity. Sir Francis Darwin in 1905
when president of the British Society
made an address in which he asserted
that we must believe that lin plants
there exists "A fine copy of wha We
know as consciousness in ourselves"
and ne went on at length to explain
why, giving Of his exper-
ments with plants and by actual
demonstration.
NJ. Jean Nisud-Bruant. tho cello
hrated nurseryman of Poit.ere. France.
published n brochure some vars ago
entitled "Baptcme de Flrurs." in
which he says: when. as . young
man. ! studied natural science At
Poitters, | became intensely Interested
n all the phenomena Of vegetable life.
n I tried to reproduce them in my
gardens. 1t was my purpose TO under
stand the real life Of the flower.
was beginning to grow. ! ALREADY
loved them p~ass.onatcly. and mt
Young Imagination endowed them wl.a
certain faculties and feelings. when
noticed. particularly at the omc Of
formulation. certain suggestive phe-
nomena certain nervous or spasmodic
movements. And when ! saw the
climbing plant turn toward tle sup
port necessary for It's progress I
began 10 wonder whether a will d.
rected It's movements. whether Il
could see.
Il cannot hut think that the rose
can see the beautiful woman who In
Aales It's perfume. and | base my belief
N the observations Of Prof. Warers
~ Cambridge University and on the
absolute conviction OF NJ. Cuutsse,-
'arnot. And plants can hear. The
sensitive PLAN folds mp rs leaves IN
fright II a loud noise Is made near IL.
This same plant. too. with he impress
Sionable nature OF a V woman,
= rendered insensihle bv an|psthetics.
particularly by ether. Which proves
that II has a ervou SYSTEM
NJ. Ntaud-Bruant was also inclined
20 believe n a plants have a system
~ speech peculiar to them. and he
submits the following hypothesis: We
know that the scent Of flowers is a
manifestation ~ their vegetable life.
a living radiation. Scent considered
as an olfactory sensation is vibra-
ton. Scent. then. is the sound uttered
- hpN'iNs anu Il VpbIutN - "a SDllE
without words. Every scent. or rather
every sensation Of a scent. corre-
spends to a certain speed OF vibration
which IA peculiar to II. Here we see
an analogy between the perception Of
sound, light and scent. Strong scents
correspond 10 low notes; delicate
scents TO high notes"
NJ. Niaud-Bruant was positive tina.
plants could hear and cited expert
ments with certain sensitive plants.
such as the mimosa. which is a dainty
bush, with small, delicate W. leaves.
arranged serrately on It's many stems
and branches. \ phenomenon which
has been noted with mimosa plants Is
hat after "a time If continually sub
iected to loud sounds they become
leaf, Just as in human life the trap
hooter and the soldier become deaf
Vt present the armies engaged in
he European conflict are endeavoring
20 And an ear muffi!ng device for the
soldiers which will prevent deafness
being caused. In this respect sensi-
live plants are affected exactly as
humans, and scientists who have
made repeated experiments have dis
covered that continued sharp sounds
viii not only make the plant deaf
nut ultimately will cause II to wither
and die.
Sir Francis Darwin H. credited with
having taken a sensitive plant, one OF
the Mimosa species. to IN iron foundry
where much hammering and hash
noise WA constantly going on. The
plant was watered and given plenty
of sunlight, but II could not live. Had
Sir Francis lived In Harlem in one of
those apartments with wheezy grapho-
phones on several floors. n budding
Young pianist on the second, and young
babies on the third and fourth. doubt
icss he could have proved his case
without the trouble. of visiting an iron
foundry.
AZ the international Flower Show,
to be held in the Grand Central Palace
this week CMaroh II to 23), under the
auspices Of the Horticultural Society
Of New York and the New York Flor
sta Club. n number of sensitive plants
will be shown. w. A. Manda of South
Orange N. J. win exhibit a Mimosa
Pudica-
Royal Dfpon, author Of a work on
the "human side OF plants" recently
published speaking on this subject,
said that very human powers of SEN
sat1on and instinct are natural TO
plants has been shown repeatedly;
therefore, IN discussing plant mental
ity these powers will not he referred
to- but only that mentality which
realizes. reasons and wills. II IL posi-
lively known that plants do have both
an active. existing mentality n a
very evident spiritual nature.
Consider first the evidence Of plant
mentality. Great and unbiased minds
have for many years been centred on
the study OF plant habits, in the hope
of finding. some conclusive evidence of
An existing mentality In plant life. As
a result OF these exhaustive investi-
CATIONS, occasional articles and treat
ises have appeared. which claimed that
their authors had found. beyond all
questions. the proof of an active intel
hgenoe in plants. However, tho mind
Of the average human Is a stol!d thing,
and hates I be 1oited from its regular
course by the entertainment OF new
these amusing announcements of facts
and with smiling superiority has re-
turned to tts old, wormy books ana
theories IN calm self-satisfnction. hut
tho men who have furnished this
Amusement. who have learned really 70
know plant nature, smile in their turn
and proclaim the truths which their