1877.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST, 



215 



the 9th of April, the Vines under the blue glass 

 measured 3 ft. 4 in., and under the white 2 ft. 4 

 in., the two being equal in strength, but showing 

 that the absence of the sun had retarded the 

 progress of those under the blue glass to a greater 

 extent than it had done those under the white 

 glass. All the plants, such as Camellias and 

 Fuchsias, are vigorous and healthy, although 

 Bomeofthem were rather sickly when the ex- 

 periment was commenced. Wishing also to test 

 the effect of blue light upon vegetables, we 

 planted a few early Potatoes in each house. 

 They were planted on the same date as the 

 Vines, and without any other heat than the at- 

 mospheric heat of the houses, the result to-day 

 (April 10) is six of the Potatoes from under the 

 blue glass weighed 11 oz., and six from under the 

 white weighed only 5 oz." 



This somewhat accords with the experience 

 with Mustard, of thirty years ago, which we re- 

 cently referrc. i lo in our pages — the early growth 

 was accelerated by blue glass. Ultimately, how- 

 ever, the white glass beat. So far as Mr. Spence's 

 experiment has gone, we see the same result. 

 Though there was a gain of three-fourths at the 

 fii"st measurement, it was reduced to less than 

 one-half in time. 



We are glad to see practical gardeners taking 

 in hand to try this matter in this way. There is 

 a great deal of " science " brought to bear against 

 General Pleasanton, which is all very well from 

 the scientific stand-point. The ridicule and 

 pleasantry, of course. General Pleasanton can 

 stand. On the other hand, many of the good 

 things claimed for the blue glass, it is more than 

 likely, are to be referred to other influences than 

 the mere blue glass, but, if under any circum- 

 stances, blue glass will favor the growth of any 

 particular part, even though it be at the expense 

 of some other part, it is to the advantage of gar- 

 dening that we know it. The gourmand, who 

 feasts on pate defoie gras is quite satisfied to get 

 that glout morceau, without caring much for the 

 health of goose that produced it. It is thus 

 in many of our gardening operations. 



The Sleep of Plants. — Referring to the pe- 

 cuhar times of opening and closing of various 

 flowers, a writer, quoting from the Proceedings of 

 the Philadelphia Academy of Aatural Sciences, says : 

 — '■ Mr. Meehan says the popular impression uf 

 light and moisture as agents in their behavior, 

 had seemed to receive a tacit scientific assent. 

 It was clear, he thought, there was a more 



poAverful agency underlying them, and it was 

 perhaps a gain to science to be able to see this, 

 though in so dim a light." 



In regard to this, a valued correspondent 

 writes to us : — " Who are the scientific men de- 

 serving of the name, who hold any such belief?" 

 Recently the Scientific Farmer has had an inter- 

 esting chapter on " Light and Vegetation," in 

 which occurs the following, from which it would 

 appear that Mr. Meehan is not alone in suppo- 

 sing that the presence or absence of light was 

 closely connected by intelligent persons with 

 these diurnal openings : — "The so-called 'Sleep 

 of Plants,' i. e., the change in position which 

 plants make from day to night is due to the 

 presence and absence of light. The questions 

 which naturally arise concerning the time of day 

 or night, when certain species of plants open 

 their flowei-s, giving rise to what are styled floral 

 clocks, are interesting, but at the same time dif- 

 ficult to explain. That the modest Night-bloom- 

 ing Cereus prefers the night to the day for the 

 unfolding of its large and showy flowers is curi- 

 ous. Why should the Mirabilis consider that 

 time in the afternoon, from which it gets its 

 name of ' Four o'clock ' as the best hour to 

 bloom ? But we must not ask hard questions. 

 Doubtlesst, he sunlight plays an important part 

 in all these individual peculiarities. 



"The sensitive plant is fast gaining the repu- 

 tation of being an organization endowed with 

 sensation and voluntary motion. If an active 

 plant of this nature be placed in darkness for a 

 length of time it loses this sensibility, or at least 

 its susceptibility to shocks, and remains rigid 

 until it has been again exposed for a considera^ 

 ble time to the action of the sunlight." 



Northern LL^aTS of Animal and Vegetable 

 Life. — The memoirs of the Nare's Arctic E.xpe- 

 dition are full of interest to the lovers of nature. 

 "As they made their way further north than 

 any of their predecessors, so they experienced 

 intenser cold and more protracted darkness. 

 The lowest temperature registered was 104° be- 

 low freezing point, Fahrenheit ; the mean tem- 

 perature of 13 consecutive days was 59° below 

 zero, and the mercury was frozen 47 days during 

 the Winter. Although we hear much of snow- 

 storms and fogs in those remote regions, it is re- 

 corded that a chronometer found in one of the 

 Cairns that remain as records of the Expedition 

 of the Polans proved to be in perfect working 

 onler aftei' an exposure of four Winters. A 



