216 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[July, 



quantity of wheat similarly exposed for tliesanie 

 lenj^tli of time way found to be still unimpaired 

 as regards it.s vitality, and readily germinated 

 when placed uniler favorable conditions. Attho 

 latitude where the Discovenf wintered, Sl° 44^ N., 

 animal life was comparatively plentiful; but 

 this may be reckoned as nearly marking its ex- 

 treme limit, for the sledging i)arties found no 

 game and were prostrated by scurvy through the 

 want of fresh meat. The musk ox was the main- 

 stay of the crews as regards fresh meat, but hares 

 and nniny kinds of birds were obtained, a bear 

 was seen, and in Lieutenant Parr's desperate ad- 

 venture—walking alone over thrty-five miles of 

 soft snow to obtain help from the A!erl — he was 

 guided by the fre.sh track of a roaming wolf. 

 One of the prevailing birds is the Knot, Tringa 

 canutus, a near relation of our sandpipers and 

 plovers; ashore haunting bird, the nest of which 

 is rarely seen in this country, even in districts 

 where the birds abound, and of which it is re- 

 ported that in the far north neither nests nor 

 eggs were found, although the young in all stages 

 of growth were plentiful. 



" It njay be assumed that latitude 83^ N. is 

 about the limit of life of all kinds— -animal and 

 vegetable — at all events, in the regions reached 

 by way of the west coast of Greenland. Remains 

 of Eskimo were found on the west side of Smith 

 Sound in latitude 81° 52^, which we may regard 

 as the highest point reached by these strange 

 wanderers, who, being largely dependent on the 

 chase for subsistence, cannot proceed far beyond 

 the limits of game, even had they such motives 

 of curiosity as impel Arctic exj>lorers. In due 

 time we shall hear something of the vegetation 

 of these regions, but it is not likely that there is 

 much to be said on that subject; first, because 

 there is not much vegetation, and secondly, be- 

 cause there were not many opportunities for 

 botanical explorations; larger work consuming 

 the time and strength of even the most leisurely 

 of the party. 



"Nevertheless, about fifty species of plants 

 were discovered on the hills, prominent among 

 them being the Arctic willows and saxifrages ; 

 and the lakes were found to be in many instances 

 well stocked with salmon and trout, and their 

 recesses were tenanted by vast flocks of brent 

 geese." 



The Shape of the Earth.— A Kansas cor- 

 respondent of the Sd^mtific Ameiiean thinks it 

 no proof that the earth was once an impalpable 



ma^js, that it is round now. He says: — " I hold 

 that its shape proves nothing as to its origin, or 

 (ho present condition of its interior. I think the 

 earth could not retain any shape very difTerent 

 from the present one, even if it were composed 

 of solid iron. It is known by all architects and 

 engineers that there is a limit to the size of 

 arches, depending on tlie strength of the mate- 

 rial used. An arch spanning several inches can 

 be made of soft putty. Many feet can l)e spanned 

 by an arch of brick, and hundreds of feet are 

 spanned by steel in bridges. But no one believes 

 that an arch over Lake Erie, or over the Straits 

 of Dover, would sustain itself, no matter what 

 material was used. So that there is a limit to 

 the size of any large body, beyond which gravi- 

 tation exceeds cohesion. The most minute par- 

 ticle of water assumes a globular form when not 

 in contact with other matter. Putty or jelly 

 would act like water, but would require a larger 

 quantity to overcome the cohesion of the parti- 

 cles. A body the size of the earth, if not revolv- 

 ing on its axis, would be spherical, or very nearly 

 so, even if composed of steel.- But let it revolve 

 on its axis, and it will be an oblate spheroid. A 

 very small planet, like some of the smaller aster- 

 oids, or a meteoric rock, might retain perma- 

 nently any given shape." 



Hkkbarium Specimens. — Mr. A. H. Curtiss, of 

 Jacksonville, Fla., (formerly of Virginia,) has for 

 many years made a specialty of preparing herb- 

 aria of United States plants ; and will at any 

 time supply sets, accurately labeled and system- 

 atized, at the rate of $S per 100 species, or in ex- 

 change for desirable additions to his museum, 

 library or garden. Packages sent pre-paid by 

 mail, or l)y express, as far as New York. 



Origin oy the Phylloxera. — The London 

 Journal of Horticulture says: — "The President 

 of the Vine-growing Society of the Pyrenees 

 Orientales has, says Nature, sent a document to 

 Paris Academy of Sciences, afTirming that 'it is 

 the American plants which have brought the 

 Phylloxera into France, and that each planta- 

 tion of them is the signal for a fresh invasion.' 

 This statement directly controverts the theory 

 which has been more than once propounded, 

 that American Vines are phylloxera-proof. Per- 

 haps our American friends will embrace the op- 

 portunity of ' commenting on ' the bold assertion 

 of the Frenchman." 



