BOTANY. 839 



very simple plan may be adopted. By sowing the crop in drills, as described 

 above, a fourth of the plants can be easily removed ; and as the male takes 

 the lead, by simply pulling the most advanced plants at the time the crop is 

 6 to 12 inches high, it will turn out an almost female crop, securing the great- 

 est yield in both seed and fiber, without any after trouble in the treatment 

 between the plants of each sex. Experiments have also proved the possibil- 

 ity of taking off the seed by the ordinary thrashing-machine, provided an even 

 crop be obtained: and that the hemp-straw can be scutched in the common 

 flax-scutching mill, by simply having the diameter of the beaters, to which 

 the wipers are attached, enlarged. 



OX THE INFLUENCE OF LIGHT OX THE GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 



At the British Association, Dr. Daubeny gave an account of some experi- 

 ments on the germination of seeds the object of which was to determine 

 whether the opinion that tin's process is most favored by the chemical rays of 

 light, be well founded or otherwise. Five sets of experiments were instituted 

 for this purpose, in each of which from 40 to 60 seeds, of several different kinds, 

 were exposed to the action of light transmitted through different media. In a 

 south aspect, indeed, light which had passed through the ammonia-sulphate 

 of copper, and even darkness itself, seemed more favorable than the whole of 

 the spectrum ; but this law did not seem to extend to the case of seeds 

 placed in a northern aspect, where the total amount of light was less consid- 

 erable. Nor did there appear to be any decided difference hi those cases where 

 the land of light was different, the quantity transmitted being nearly the same. 

 From these experiments Dr. Daubeny deduces the conclusion, that light only 

 affects germination in so far as it induces a degree of dryness unfavorable to 

 the process ; and this he believes to be accordant with the experience of 

 maltsters. 



Dr. Gladstone stated that he had performed a series of experiments on the 

 same subject, and had come to the same conclusions as Dr. Daubeny. He 

 found that plants growing under the influence of yellow light produced larger 

 roots than those in other colored light. 



CULTIVATION OF QUIXA IN JAVA. 



Some time since, under the direction of Professor Miquel, of Amsterdam, 

 the Dutch government undertook the cultivation of the Quina or Peruvian- 

 bark-tree in Java. The experiment, by the last accounts, has proved en- 

 tirely successful. The young plantations established hi the mountains thrive 

 extremely well. Lately, M. Karl arrived in Java with a whole ship-load full 

 of young plants and seeds from Peru ; so that in a few years Java will be 

 able to supply almost as much quina-bark as is wanted, which is the more a 

 matter of congratulation, as the quina forests in South America are fast 

 approaching their entire extermination. 



