THE PLANT'S RESPONSE 

 The Response to Human Agency 



The response of plants to human preference, plan or 

 purpose, is such a matter of fact that most people over- 

 look it altogether. In a thousand ways we take things 

 as we find them. We never think of origins, nor have 

 we any sense of obligation, no more than that which may 

 stir the breast of a robin feasting upon the proverbial 

 early morning worm. No doubt the life of a man is 

 dependent upon the world of plants quite as much as 

 that of the robin upon the world of earth-worms and 

 fruits, but neither man nor robin concerns himself very 

 much about it. 



Now in a certain sense this is well. Why should we 

 concern ourselves about the boundless beneficence of 

 what we call Nature ? The robin, should he reflect at all, 

 might say: "What a magnificent world is this!' I 

 awake in the morning; the air is sweet and pure in 

 moving oceans all about me; my wings are free; I sail 

 unconsciously upon the morning wind as boats sail on 

 the sea; trees stand everywhere, my island landing- 

 places. I feel an inclination to fill my mouth with some^ 

 thing soft and sweet and lo ! the earth teems with juicy 

 things that meet, exactly meet, my need; yonder the 

 cherry stands in brilliant dazzling scarlet, crying out in 

 the very speech and dialect of the whole robin tribe: 



