1871 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



165 



to the Society. The following resolution was then 

 adopted : 



First, Risoleed, That the warmest thanks of this 

 Association he tendered to the inhabitants of High- 

 land, for their liind Hospitalities, which we have 

 received at their hands. 



Second, Resolved, That we. the officers and mem- 

 bers of Kansas State Horticultural Society, return 

 our sincere thanks to Mr. and Mrs. McAft'e, Miss 

 Pogue, and their pupils, for their kindness in pro- 

 curing and enlivening us with music, a kindness for 

 which we will ever feel grateful. 



Third, Resolixd, That the thanks of this Society 

 are due, and are hereby tendered to the Missouri 

 Pacific, the Kansas Pacific, St. Joe & Denver, and 

 Atchison & Nebraska Railroads '"or courtesies ex- 

 tended in the reduction of fares to ofllccrs and 

 members attending this meeting. 



Valedictory by the President. 



Closing remarks by Rev. S. M. Irvin, after which 

 the choir sang " The Golden Stars." 



Benediction and dismissal. 



The session was well attended throughout by an 

 appreciating audience. The chapel was tastefully 

 decorated with rare and beautiful flowers, while the 

 walls were hung with costly paintings, and above 

 all hung the old flag, the stars and stripes, festooned 

 over the rostrum, which spoke louder than a thous- 

 and tongues, " This is free America." 



Prnning Trees. 



The Gardener's Monthly says it is provoking to 

 see how unworkmanlike some will go about prun- 

 ing off the large branches of a tree, and thus illus- 

 trates the right and wrong in doing such work : 



Fig. 1 represents the usual appearance of a cut 

 off branch, caused by cutting on one side, and the 

 weight of the branch drawing over and splitting 

 down the bark. A good workman cuts as shown 



Fie. 1. Fift. 2. 



in figure 2. When it falls over it then comes off 

 with a clear smooth surface. After large branches 

 are cut off, the wood should be painted or tarred to 

 keep the wounds from decaying until the bark 

 grows over. Very small branches do not need this, 

 88 they cover themselves long betore decay seri- 

 ously commences. 



" Electricity and tbe Gronrth of Trees.» 



By the Associate Editor. 



In the May number of the Penologist, Mr. Suel 

 Foster appears to differ with us on the electrical 

 phenomena of plants, and gives us his disbelief 

 in the following quaint style : " A tree grows 

 much as a boy whistles : it whistles itself; so the 

 tree grows." 



This method of reasoning reminds us of what 

 we have often heard said, " that a plant grows 

 because it is a way it had." This method of dis- 

 posing of the subject may suit some persons, but 

 we are doubtful if all are satisfied with it. 



While we admit that different influences act upon 

 plants — as light, heat and air, yet we cannot con- 

 ceive how the}' grow without electricity. There are 

 two forces inherent in all matter: the one is attrac- 

 tion and the other repulsion. The first has a tend- 

 ency to build up, condense and solidify, the other to 

 expand, decompose, rarefy and diffuse. The first is 

 positive and the other negative, and both are equal 

 In power and extent ; or, in the language of the 

 distinguished philosopher, Auguste Comte, there is 

 an " equivalency between the action and re-action." 



In the compo-sition, formation and condensation 

 of matter, the positive or attractive force predomin- 

 ated, and in its decomposition and diffusion, the 

 repelling and negative force, will have the ascen- 

 dency. 



In organization, we have life or vitalit}', which is 

 also inherent in organized matter, which is more 

 forcibly expressed by Prof Andre Poey, late direc- 

 tor of the Observatory of Havana, in the following 

 language : " The fact that living beings are onlj' 

 formed of cosmical elements leads us to an important 

 view in philosophy, that vital force is immanent to 

 organized matter, and inherent to the elements 

 which enter its composition, on the same ground by 

 which gravitation, heat, etc., are inherent." 



In organization we have the receiving, directing, 

 and converting forces, which assimilate, develope 

 and build up the different parts of the organism in 

 harmony with each species and variety, but we 

 have also the repelling and destroying force which 

 gets the ascendencj' in disease and old age. 



These two forces are purely electro-magnetic 

 depending upon electricity, it being the only agent 

 known which produces these phenomena, and every 

 experiment tends toward demonstrating these facts. 



Therefore, every plant is under two antagonistic 

 forces during its period of existence, and as long as 

 it retains its sappy or circulating state, these forces 

 are held in equilibrium ; but as soon as the sap 

 becomes condensed as in the dormant state, drought, 

 or old age, the plants cease to grow because of 

 feeble electrical action. 



In confirmation of the electrical action of plants 

 we refer you to the experiments and researches of 



