J82 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



der glass, thrives there so well, principally on 

 account of humid atmosphere, the evaporation 

 from the trees' foliage might benefit the vine 

 growing over it ; but it has been further ob- 

 served that they grow as well over dead trees 

 as over living ones : and so on, in like manner, 

 every theory has been refuted, and the true 

 reason unexplained. 



I think Mr. Darwin's discovery of tendril 

 motion will afford the key to this phenomenon, 

 and enable us to form a new theory as to the 

 origin and employment of force in vegetable 

 growth. 



Mr. Darwin has shown that the tendrils of 

 plants are in continuous motion for a longtime 

 until they find something to cling to, when mo- 

 tion at once ceases. Motion is an attril)ute of 

 viti:,l force ; and vital force, whatever be its 

 origin, must be sustained by nutrition. 



There are two forms of motion. The one 

 we call growth, which is the motion of the cells 

 individually ; the other, in animals, we call 

 muscular motion, is the movement of the cells 

 collectively. This tendril motion, unnamed 

 because until lately unknown, is analogous to 

 animal muscular motion, in its being a collec- 

 tive movement of the parts. 



In animals we know that nutrition will only 

 supply a given amount of force, and that if mus- 

 cular motion receives an undue proportion of 

 this force, growth (cell motion) suffers. In 

 common language, the over-run horse gains no 

 flesh. On the other hand, the disuse of mus- 

 cular power fattens the animal. If the same 

 division of motion exists in plants, and Mr. 

 Darwin's paper shows it does, it necessarily 

 follows that if one form gets more than its due 

 share, the healthful balance is destroyed — in 

 other words, the force necessary for excessive 

 tendi 11 motion in the grape vine exhausts the 

 nutritive powers of the plant to supply ; growth 

 suffers, and disease ensues. 



To apply this principle to the case of unsuc- 

 cessful grape culture, we find in no system of 

 grape management is any provision made for 

 arresting tendril motion, — but on the tree 

 thousands of little twigs invite the tendrils at 

 every turn. No motion is expended except for 

 what we might almost term healthful exercise, 

 — the balance is used in growth. 



Observation on many species of climbing 

 vines under similar circumstances confirms 

 these views. The growth and general health- 

 fulness of every kind of vine, is in exact pro- 

 portion to the climbing facilities afforded It. 

 The garden pea will furnish a ready means of 

 testing this proposition. It will be found that 

 difference in vigor, general healthfulness, and 

 longevity, is strikingly in favor of those grown 

 on twiggy branches. Peas unstaked, grow 

 weakly, bear early and sparing, and die young. 

 Honeysuckles ramble to great heights and have 

 large luxuriant foliage on fine wire trellises, 

 but when dangling to one straight stick they 

 grow very little Indeed. The most striking in- 

 stance that came under my observation was in 



some Wistaria sinensis which had been trained 

 to form self-supporting dwarf trees. The 

 branches would only grow two or three feet in 

 a season, but a few of the shoots in time bend- 

 ing over and reaching the ground, where they 

 found a natural support, would grow thirty 

 feet during a single season. The observations 

 in this way were so uniform, and the materials 

 being everywhere, any one can verify this 

 without it being necessary for me to particu- 

 larize further instances. 



Every effort of nature is but an endeavor to 

 accomplish an object. The history of a plant's 

 life is a struggle with gravitation. The pur- 

 pose of that struggle is with the Author of its 

 existence, but its immediate object is to elevate 

 itself from the earth. The force required for 

 this is very great. In its young days, how- 

 ever, it goes on with vigor, — taking no thought, 

 as it were, of to-morrow, — but, as it grows 

 older, it becomes bowed down by the weight of 

 its own accumulations ; gravity tells on its 

 wide-spreading branches, reminding it of the 

 growing weakness. It then prepares itself for 

 its final dissolution by producing fruit, which, 

 fully accomplished, the struggle with gravita- 

 tion ceases, and dust to dust returns. 



The whole of this enormous motive force 

 must, as we have seen, be derived from nutri- 

 tion, — and the proper proportion due to each 

 form of motion must be provided and paid to 

 it, or deranged action be the inevitable conse- 

 quence. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 NOTES ON THE CONNECTICUT VAIi- 

 LEY.— NO. I. 

 Scenery— Soils — Tobacco— Corn. 



The Connecticut River valley has had a 

 reputation for fertility and beauty of scenery 

 unrivalled perhaps by any other section of the 

 New England States. By reason of this repu- 

 tation I was prepared on coming to this place, 

 to expect not only fertility and beauty, but a 

 high grade of agricultural information and prac- 

 tice. I will not say that I have been altogeth- 

 er disappointed In these respects, for I have 

 not had sufficient opportunity to make up a 

 final verdict. I will, therefore, just record 

 my impressions as to how things here strike a 

 stranger. 



Much as has been said respecting the varied 

 beauties of the scenery of this section, only the 

 past summer a noted traveller expressed sur- 

 prise at the comparative low estimate of the at- 

 tractions of this locality ; when, according to 

 his opinion, they were far greater than any he 

 had ever met with in any or all of his travels 

 abroad. Be this as it may, a person having a 

 taste for such things cannot fail of finding 

 localities of very great attraction and of greatly 

 varied character. 



This matter, however, I regret to say, does 

 not occupy so prominent a place in the estima- 

 tion of farmers as it ought. If the masses 



