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Nov - 2d. 77

Vegetable Marrow.

Nutation of axis — Filament of glass gummed to stem beneath Cots. [Sketch]

Kept in dark; traced on Horizontal glass; tracing magnified 17.7 times; but outlying lines magnified from obliquity— could calculate actual movement in middle part, by dividing by 18. (See diagram. 1) Traced from 8. 23' to 8. 30' after which went off glass, apparently weight of very heavy Cots, bowed down stem.— During the 12°, made what may be considered as 4 imperfect ellipses ,of decreasing size — longer axes of most oblique to line joining the 2 Cots—No doubt about nutation of stem. The Cots. judging by eye held same position all day in dark— They were only partially open, each infolded & interlocking, so that they did not stand quite opposite one another— Movement of stem great visible to eye.

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(Nov. 4th fixed at 8° 40' a.m 1 Cot. to Cork & observed other Cotyledon tracing on vertical glass in quite dark room; continued to rise all day & this was probably owing to darkness, & by afternoon the stem had grown much & pushed up [sketch] the free Cot. & made it stand considerably more vertical than it otherwise wd. have done; so that observations almost useless. By 7° 15' P.m. leaf Cot fell tremendously, but how much of this due to the plant being now freer or to nutation I know not)

(Useless)

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Vegetable Marrow

[data not transcribed]

During the 2d I measured from tip of mid-rib of the 2 Cots, as shown on here; but observations made during darkness, so movement may have been disturbed. The Cots continued to open till 4°. 30 & afterwards began to close, & during night must have again expanded for at 7° A.m. when one was exactly as widely open as at 4°. 30' P.m on previous day — Seem double movement in the 24 hours, 2 of greatest expansions & do 2 of greatest contraction; but it shd be remembered all this in dark.—)

(On Nov. 5' the plant having been kept in dark all previous day, I banked up whole stem in damp sand, so cd not nutate & observed the same Cot [sketch] on vertical glass— plant fully exposed to light of N.E. window—At commencement Cot. stood up almost vertically up. First dot at 8° 5, the Cot went right down till 3°. 30 but this movement may & probably was aided by Heliotropism. — began rising had risen a little by 4° 30' & continued to rise a little till 10° 48' P.m, but the rising was not exactly on the same line as descent, so that the upward & downwards movement may be considered to be nutation. Next morning (Nov. 6th) was was sill higher

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Vegetable marrow

was a little bit higher, & then continued to descend till 3° 30' or 4'. P.m; but part of this fall was due to Heliotropism of whole plant, notwithstanding banked up sand. From 4° to 6— remained nearly on same spot; & then began 30' to 5' moved to right & this important as the same fact occurred yesterday; & at 6° had begun to rise a little, & continued till 10° 30' P.m. rising a little.

Next morning (Nov. 7th) was rather more risened risened, & risen afterwards remained quite stationary, Cot having become too old.

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Vegetable Marrow. 1877

Best account. Cotyledon

Oct Novr 10th This morning early at 7° 15' the 2 cotyledons, which had opened only yesterday, were quite closed & vertical. A 12° 15 the two formed an angle together of 39°, ie. 19 1/2 from the vertical or 69° 1/2 above Horizon.— At 4° 20' & again at 4° 48 they were more open or wider apart, viz at angle of 29 58°, so had expanded 19° compared with what they were at 12° 15'.— so that each had expanded 29°

[in margin:] 39 [+] 19 [=] 58 [÷] 2 [=] 29°

Plants brought into my study, which probably retarded movement; at 7°. 23 P.m the 2' Cots formed angle of 20°, (instead of 58° as at at 4° 48') so had risen 19° considerably closed. 38 [÷] 2 [=] 19

At 8° 40' P.m the angle was 16°, with the margins touching & at 10°. 30' P.m the angle of the basal part was only 8°, with the margin touching so both stood almost vertically, but the distal part or tips of leaves was still some little way apart, or folded a little backwards. Next morning third day (Nov. 11th) at 7° a.m the 2 stood at angle of 18° (having been kept under dark cover) with the tips of the 2 almost straight; still not so completely closed as last night in Hot-House. At 8° 24' the angle was 22°, & opened more as day advanced.

I cd not make out that rubbing stem or scratching cots. any effect.

Nov. 12' 7° 30 A.m. Cots: not closed.

Nov. 12 In the morning at about 7° 15 (Fourth day) a.m. the Cots were not closed: at 7° P.m & & 10° 15' P.m of same day the 2 together formed an angle of 46°.

Next (over

[254v]

Vegetable marrow

morning (Nov. 13th) (5th day) at 8° 30, at 11° & at 3° remained at same angle. At 4° 50' 5°. 15' & 8°40' a trifle viz at about 6° more (or 52°) more open. At 10° 20' P.m a little more closed viz by 9°, & remained same next morning. I think effect of light during day in N.E. window & retained this position angle all night & next morning Nov 14th The plant on 13th [*] had a little leaf, which including petiole was .75 of an inch in length.— It is clear that Cots. actually sleep only during first few days of life but more slightly at night, when older; but in present almost fixed position of Cots, they are pretty well protected from radiation as they stand only 23° or less from vertical.

[*] (Their differences are so slight that I doubt whether trustworthy.)