166 POPULAR ERRORS. 



piece, the portions beneath the lemon-colored parts 

 had not only a considerable degree of acidity, 

 while the orange had its proper degree of sweet- 

 ness, but they were separated from their sweet 

 neighbors by a distinct membrane, which, in some 

 degree, accounted for their difference in taste." 



The presence now and then of broad thickened 

 stripes upon the lemon and orange has long been 

 observed, and was attributed by Gallesio, an early 

 Italian writer, to cross- fertilization, and many still 

 believe it to be due to that cause. There is no 

 proof, however, that either grafting or crossing has 

 anything to do with it, and the appearances can 

 only be considered as sports for which no direct 

 cause is known. The resemblance of such a fruit 

 to a combined orange and lemon is only fanciful, 

 and extends no farther than the peel; the pulp is 

 unchanged, and the thickened portion of the rind 

 seldom corresponds with one of the cells of the 

 pulp. 



Influence of Electricity on Plants. From time to 

 time some one having in mind the beneficial influ- 

 ence of electricity upon animals in certain diseases, 

 raises the question whether it cannot be applied to 

 stimulate the growth of plants. More than a cen- 

 tury ago Abbe Nollet considered that he proved 

 beyond a doubt that electricity, properly applied, 

 accelerated the growth of vegetables. Experiments 



