1880. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



149 



A thermometer placed in the glass furnished 

 the explanation. The temperature in the glass 

 exposed to the yellow light was much more 

 elevated than that of any of the other glasses, 

 contrary to all theory, as the red and orange 

 rays being the least refractory should have 

 given the highest temperature. I leave physi- 

 cists to explain the phenomenon. 



I pointed out the rapid growth of the plant 

 exposed to the yellow light to M. Houleau, who 

 was much surprised at it, and remarked that 

 whenever before he had exposed plants to the 

 action of yellow light, they had been killed off 

 as quickly and surely as though they had been 

 put in the fire. But I called his attention to 

 the fact that here there had been an interposi- 

 tion of white light, which appeared to have 

 mitigated the effects in a very remarkable man- 

 ner. In other respects, M. Houleau's experi- 

 ence accorded with what might have been 

 anticipated from the great increase of tempera- 

 ture in the yellow light. 



These experiments were repeated during 

 three consecutive years, and always gave the 

 same identical results. In six other glasses, 

 similarly disposed, we planted six seeds of the 

 same plant, but the disheartening tardiness of 

 their vegetation hindered any observations. 



It will be seen that our special object was not 

 attained. The stimulus which was to raise this 

 singular plant out of its abnormal frame of ex- 

 istence produced no effect upon it whatever. 

 Its clandestine mode of fertilization was steadily 

 repeated — that is, whenever fertilization oc- 

 curred. But if we failed in our purpose, the 

 conclusions deducible from our experiments are 

 none the less interesting and calculated to prove 

 useful in a horticultural point of view. 



Despite their very restricted scope, limited as 

 they were to a solitary little plant, our observa- 

 tions established the persistent recurrence of 

 certain phenomena justifying the following con- 

 clusions : 1. That plants exposed to violet 

 light, modified by white light, grow luxuriantly, 

 thus partially confirming the experience of 

 General Pleasanton. 



2. That plants exposed to yellow light, always 

 supposing it to be mitigated by white light, 

 fruit very rapidl}'. These facts, we repeat, are 

 likely to prove of great utility in horticul- 

 ture. 



"We purposed repeating the experiments above 

 described, so as to ascertain whether the same 

 results are obtained when plants are grown fn 



glass houses provided with violet, yellow, and 

 white lights. 



These experiments promised to be of great 

 utility, hut unforseen circumstances have obliged 

 us to postpone them for the present. We hope 

 to resume them at some future day. 



THE SKY LARK IN AMERICA. 



BY KDWAKI) TATNALL, WILMINliTOX, DEL. 



The Duke of Argyle will probably be sur- 

 prised to learn that the sky lark was introduced 

 into this countr}' about twenty years ago by 

 John Gorgas, then of this city, now deceased, 

 and let free by the hundred in this vicinity. A 

 few were seen after the first winter, but in the 

 second year nothing was heard of them. Pro- 

 bably our winters are too severe for them. I do 

 not wish by this to deter any one from trying it 

 again, but merely to honor one who did so at his 

 own expense. 



SOME EARLY VIRGINIAN SPRING 

 FLOWERS. 



BY MISS M. EVELYX HUNTER. 



Few of our native spring flowers come earlier 

 to gladden the earth with their fragrant pres- 

 ence, than the delicate wax-like Epigsea, or 

 Trailing Arbutus. Its leaves are heart-shaped 

 and evergreen, but the color is so dingy, and the 

 texture so rough that no one is prepared for the 

 clusters of rose-colored flowers that lend such a 

 peculiar charm to the plant, and change it from 

 a rough coarse trailer, to the most exquisitely 

 4:pfined beauty. I have seen its flowers of the 

 purest white, when growing near the water, but 

 generally they are rose-tinted. 



We have several varieties of the wild violet ; 

 first the swamp violet with its shining smooth 

 green leaves and vivid blue flower, veined with 

 a deeper shade. Kext comes the common lit- 

 tle wood violet, with its hairy dark green leaf, 

 and deep blue flower delicately veined with 

 white, brightening the sheltered spots and scat- 

 tered here and there through the brown leaves. 

 But the most beautiful of our native violets is 

 the bird-foot, with its light green leaves three to 

 five cleft, and large handsome flowers, one broad 

 pale or deep lilac purple or blue, the two upper 

 petals sometimes almost a royal purple, and 

 velvety like a pansy. These are found in light 

 sandy soil growing in large masses, the pale 

 blue more abundant than the pansy flowered 

 violet, and occasionally a white one, with a 

 dash of blue through it. See this mass of shad- 



