A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIMENT.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 185, 17 January 1877, Page 2

A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIMENT.

A French horticulturist, in studying the physiology of the vegetable kingdom, conceived that the smallness of certain plants—the violet, forexamplo—was owing to an atmospheric pressure too great for its delicate organs. Having carefully resolved this idea into form, he determined to test the correctness of it by some satisfactory' experiment. After not a little calculation lie at last Hit upon the possib'c and probably' only means by wliieh he could illustrate his new theory', lie prepared a small balloon of as light material as was consistent with the necessary quality of durability, and this he made perfectly tight so as to prevent the escape of any gas with which ho filled it. To tiiis fie attached a strong silken cord, 1200 metres long, or say 4000 ft. Attached to the balloon, in place of a basket, was a pot of earthjin which were planted Parma violets, just springing from the root. The result lias been wonderful. In the thin air which the delicate violets breathed at that height—for flowers do breathe in their own delicate way—they' thrive marvellously', the blossoms enlarging to five times the size attained at the earth’s surface. This beautiful experiment, after two mouths of judicious trial, rewarded the ingenious and scientific horticulturist by presenting him with violets as large as Bengal roses, something probably no\ or before seen on eai th.