Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1896 — Secret of the Mango Trick. [ARTICLE]

Secret of the Mango Trick.

A French scientist, M. Ragonneau, has Just discovered how to make a plant grow from a seed in thirty minutes as much as it would under ordinary circumstances in as many days. Heretofore nature has shared this secret with the Yoghis of India alone, and the methods pursued by these clever magicians in performing this trick have often been described. They plant a seed in the earth and cover it with a cloth. In a few moments the earth begins to be pushed upward by the growing plant, which in a short tme attains the height of several feet. Various theories have been advanced as to the modus operandl of this miracle, one of the latest being that the spectators are all hypnotized by the magician. During his travels in India, M. Ragonneau saw this trick performed frequently, and noticed that the Hindoos always imbedded the seed in soil which they brought with them especially for that purpose. At last he learned' that they obtained this earth from ant hills. Now, as every one knows who has inadvertently eaten one of these industrious insects, ants contain a large proportion of formic acid, with which in time the soil of their habitations becomes charged. This acid has the power of quickly dissolving the integument surrounding a seed and of greatly stimulating the growth of the germ within. After a little experimenting with thjp acid, the learned Frenchman was able to duplicate perfectly the Hindoo trick. His further researches have led him to believe that this discovery may be profitably applied to agriculture. By Infusing ants in boiling water, acid as strong as vinegar can be obtained. M. Magonneau has achieved the best results and most perfect growth by using earth moistened with a solution of five thousand parts of water and one of acid.