Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1896 — Plants Eat Insects. [ARTICLE]

Plants Eat Insects.

Francis Darwin, a sou of the great naturalist, has been investigating the effect on insectivorous plants of supplying them with aud withholding from them animal food. He grew ten of the carnivorous, plants under similar conditions. One plant of the lot he fed with roast meat (one-fiftieth of a grain licitig placed on tlie secreting glands of the plant each hour), while from the others all such food was carefully excluded. The result of this experiment was very marked iu several particulars, the greatest being in the number, weight ami vitality of its seeds. The number of seeds produced l>y the plant that was given its regular ration of animal matter was 240 to each 100 produced by plants which were unfed; while the total weight of the seeds was SSO to 100. In other words, the plants which were restricted to a diet wholly vegetable were invalids compared with the plants that were furnished with animal food. Tlie increased heaviness of tlie seeds Is another item to be noted, as it certainly implies increased vitality. At least, it is so with wheat, as any farmei will tell you, it being tlie rule that the heavier the grain the greater iis fertility.