| Show red blue and green lights s seen as an aid in growing greenhouse plants in the plant world red means go ahead green lights mean stop experiments peri ments conducted at the smithsonian institution in washington D C by W IL hoover a scientist in the department of radiation show that plants respond to colored lights by speeding up or slowing down their growth to zero the reason that plants exposed to green light cc cease ase to grow grov or slow down progress 49 Is that they simply reflect the green green through the coloring matter in their leaves called chlorophyll thus they tail fail to absorb the light just as if they were growing in dense shade the reds on the other hand noticeably tice ably stimulated the process of development able to absorb the light plants plans exposed to red and red blue rays proved able to assimilate larger quantities of the carbon dioxide essential to their development and so speeded up to a corresponding rate of growth the process went on rapidly unde exposure to rays so intense that they are invisible tc to the human eye plants Plant scan can evidently distinguish ul tra violet light and reds far beyond I 1 and im not joking it if you dont come back on the run it mayln may interest you to know my contact with general onelia arose from his as gumption of the ministry of war our old friend in that post having been crushed by the final straw of the mysterious disappearance of a battery of howitzers howit bad news asked adan noticing dirks thoughtful expression not particularly said dirk but I 1 guess ill IH have to rush back it if its only to square myself give us your account of the rescue my sob son said don jorge pleadingly we have been very patient forgive me maxie ive been rude as well as selfish said dirk and plunged into a detailed account of all that had happened As he finished luz came in search of him with the good news her mistress had awaked and wished to see him for the first time he entered joyces joycea bedroom it was more cheerful than any other in the house there was an open fire burning gaily and opposite it two high windows looking out upon a walled garden between them stood a bed with scrolled back and no footboard its towering tester made it seem a throne but joyce her dark head half buried in pillows looked too small for a queen he sank on his knees and seized her listless hand joyce he whispered you hear nothing at all rear hear what she asked her eyes studying his face feature by feature when I 1 was holding you in my arms on he explained you were close to me your heart against my heart my lips were beside your ear oh joyce you have stayed unconscious all that time you must have heard but what was it you said she insisted looking him full in the eyes 1 1 I l 1 I told you I 1 loved you stammered dirk desperately was that all no I 1 said a lot of things I 1 think 1 said some of them over and over again what were they he knelt in silence looking into her grave eyes his hand dropped hers the arm he had thrown across her waist grew lax his head fell forward 1 I dont know he whispered ive forgotten I 1 cant remember a word so swiftly he never knew how it happened her arms were around his neck and she had drawn his head down against her breast oh dirk darling of 0 course 1 I heard I 1 I 1 heard all you said and a lot more it only your arms that were around me it was your thoughts I 1 lay in them and dreamed I 1 felt safe and happy glad to be sure id bleed if ever I 1 cut you oft off you kissed me once in your way now I 1 kiss you in mine im kissing you with my heart against your face A dull boom rent the air and trailing it came a weird howl that passed over the house there followed lowed a rending of branches in the outer garden and then a terrific explosion pl oslon dirk leaped to his feet and stood transfixed joyce sank back against the pillows wide eyes staring at him questioningly all the hacienda stirred into life with the th a hum of a threatened swarm of bees shouts were heard presently punctuated by the thump of don jorges approaching staff joyce half rose her shoulders gleaming white but strong above the yoke of her filmy nightdress abruptly she seemed no longer too small to be a queen that was no earthquake she stated it was a gun a cannon TO BE CONTINUED the range of visibility for the human race while the sensitiveness ot of plants to rays of colored lights is a tact fact of general interest to gardeners it will have an economic value hoover believes in bringing specimens into bloom earlier or oc later than under ordinary conditions growers will be able by flooding their greenhouses with green light to hold back theli their plants or by the use of 0 deep red and blue rays to force them into bloom tar far ahead of their seasons season |
