ANOTHER CASE OF EXPANSION. 1 93 



Another Case of Expansion. 



BY SUSY C. FOGG. 



There was published in Current Literature for April, 

 1899, an extract taken from the Philadelphia Press on the 

 " Amazing lyifting Power of Plants." 



If the reader found anything of interest in the mush- 

 room sketch contained in the last issue of Nature Study, 

 he will not fail to scan the following worthier article. 



There is no one less given to dreaming and exaggera- 

 tion than the true scientist ; scientific research demands 

 accurac}^ of observation and measurements, and the truth 

 wherever it may be fathomed ; therefore, while the aver- 

 age lifting power of a man possessed of healthy muscles 

 may not exceed 150 or 175 pounds, yet, this astonishing 

 estimate of the plant may be received with assurance, 

 coming as it does from one of our leading agricultural col- 

 leges. 



Experiments have demonstrated that one of the most 

 amazing things in nature is the lifting power possessed by 

 a growing plant. Science has proved that such an insig- 

 nificant, commonplace vegetable as a squash is capable of 

 elevating a 5,000-pound weight b}- the mere force of its re- 

 sistless living power of expansion. Given the requisite 

 number of these products of nature and the squash could 

 elevate a modern sky-scraper or rend a rock. 



Experiments to show the marvelous force latent in the 

 vegetable world have been conducted by Charles H. Ames 

 at the Massachusetts Agricultural College, Amherst. The 

 attention of the president of the college, W. S. Clark, 

 was directed to the matter, and he, together with other 

 gentlemen interested in opening up new pathwa3's to 

 knowledge, made further experiments. A squash was 

 procured and a harness constructed on such principles as 



