438 Miscellaneous Intelligence, 



this opinion, certain experiments were made. On the 15th Sep- 

 tember last, two pears of a young tree were selected ; one near the 

 middle of the tree was nine inches four lines in circumference, and 

 was left hanging from its branch ; the other was eight inches ten 

 lines in circumference, and was supported on a little shelf on the 

 top of a stake fixed in the ground. On the 30th of the same month 

 the pears were gathered ; the first had increased only two lines in 

 circumference, the second nine lines, which is a great deal for a 

 fruit already so large, and in the space of only fifteen days. 



To remove objections arising from difference of position in the 

 tree, other experiments were made. Two pears, coming from the 

 same part of the same branch of the same tree were chosen on the 

 15th September; the one left to hang naturally was eight inches 

 four lines in circumference; the other, which was supported, was 

 eight inches in circumference. On the 7th of October these were 

 gathered ; the first had increased two lines in circumference, the 

 second eight lines : here the larger remained suspended, the smaller 

 was sustained ; the reverse experiment was therefore made, and on 

 the 15th September, two pears were selected springing from the 

 same place, and the larger was supported ; it had three lines more 

 of circumference than the smaller. On the 15th of October fol- 

 lowing the fruits were gathered, the larger had then nine lines 

 more of circumference than the smaller, or had gained six lines, 

 which, as the fruits had all nearly arrived at maturity, must be con- 

 sidered as a great deal. 



There is, therefore, reason to believe, that if such experiments as 

 these were commenced in July and August they would give still more 

 marked and satisfactory results, and that the theory and practice 

 may be applicable to many other fruits, as quinces, apples, oranges, 

 &c. A fact which is in favour of the theory is, that large pears have 

 generally short stalks, whilst the stalks of small pears are unu- 

 sually long. It is intended that many experiments on various 

 kinds of fruit shall be made this season. — Annates de V Agriculture, 

 1829. 



10. On the Structure of the Cellular Tissue of the Pith and Bark 

 of the Cereus Peruvianus, and the Existence therein of prismatic 

 Crystals of Oxalate of Lime. By M. Turpin. — This memoir is 

 reported by MM. Chevreuil and Cassini. M. Turpin first refers to 

 analogous observations made previous to his own, and especially by 

 Jurine in the Journal de Physique for 1802. His memoir on the 

 organization of leaves gives, for the first time, correct details rela- 

 tive to this point. M. Jurine thought the needles he saw were 

 organs ; since then, others have proved they are crystals, and M. 

 Decandolle, without referring to their nature, has called them 

 Raphides. M. Turpin believes that these crystals had never before 

 been found within the vesicles, but only in their interstices, and 

 remarks that they had never been seen except separate one from 

 another, or easily separable, very narrow and acicular. Those, on 



