ACTION OF THE SALTS OF IRON ON VEGETATION. 



467 



Exactly like the last, but with scarlet blossoms. 

 July to October. 



ScHisANTHUs PiNNATTTs, Wing-leuved Schisan- 

 thus. — Erect, branching ; flowers prettily cut, blue, 

 purple, and yellow j one and a half I'eet. July and 

 August. 



ycLENE PENDULA, Peudulous Catch-fly. — Dwarf, 

 bushy habit ; flowei's pink-like j blooms a great deal. 

 June to Aug. 



Tropceolum adtjncum. Canary-bird Flower. — 

 A climber ; curious and pretty; light yellow blos- 

 som ; grows freely and blooms abundantly j 10 i'eet 

 July to Sept. 



Yours, &C., 



A Disciple of Flora. 



New-York, March, 1847. 



Action of the Salts of Iron on Vegetation. 



BY ADOLPHUS BROGNIART, MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, PARIS. 



Translated from the Revue Horticole for this Journal. 



Men of science and agriculturists have not 

 hitherto coincided in opinion regarding the 

 action of the Salts of Iron on vegetation. We 

 are indebted to Eusebe Gris, Professor of 

 Chemistry at Chatillon (Cot6 d'Or,) for nu- 

 merous experiments, which are quite conclu- 

 sive. To enlighten our readers respecting 

 the benefits derivable from the Salts of Iron, 

 especially sulphate of iron, when applied to 

 diseased plants, we have concluded to sub- 

 mit to their inspection the report made by 

 Messrs. Payen and Adolphe Brogniart to 

 the Central Society of Agriculture. 



"The Central Society of Agriculture di- 

 rected Mr. Payen and myself, to report on 

 the communications of M. Eusebe Guis, in 

 relation to his experiments concerning the 

 action of the Salts of Iron on vegetation. 

 We have repeated the most of these experi- 

 ments, and varied them in order to ascer- 

 tain the rationale or mode of action of these 

 salts, while watching their effects on the 

 plants of different families in different states 

 of health. These numerous and protracted 

 trials have created the delay of the report 

 due to the society. 



" We should prefer to modify some of 

 these experiments, to extend their number, 

 and to vary the attending circumstances ; 

 but such as we have made, seem sufficient 

 to inspire us with great confidence in the 

 results announced by M. Gris, in the two 

 pamphlets he has published on this subject ; 

 and which, added to our results, obtained 

 according to his indications, will enable 

 others to appreciate the researches of their 

 author. 



"These researches comprise: 



" 1st. The influence of the different Salts 

 of Iron (sulphate, chlorate and nitrate,) ap- 

 plied in solution to the roots of plants af- 

 fected with a disease known to cultivators 

 as chlorosis, or diseased condition of the fo- 

 liage,* which consists of a defect of the 

 green coloring matter of the leaves, and in 

 the yellowness or whiteness of these organs ; 



" 2d. The direct action of these same salts, 

 applied in weak solution, to the diseased 

 leaves themselves ; 



" 3d. The action of these salts on healthy 

 plants. 



" The first experiments of M. Gris re 

 garded delicate, diseased plants, whose dis 

 colored, white or yellow leaves indicated a 

 radical change in the organization of the 

 interstitial base, structure or parenchyma of 

 the leaf; a malady, which affects certain 

 plants, as the Hydrangea, Calceolarias, 

 Primroses and Geraniums, and which al- 

 most always induces a protracted decaj' and 

 final death of the plant, unless the soil in 

 which it is cultivated is changed. We 

 must not confound this modification of tis- 

 sue, which exhibits itself in a plant which 

 has been healthy for years previous, with 

 those modifications of permanent colorings, 

 which produce the stripes or marblings in 

 many plants that are cultivated for the sake 

 of the striking and odd contrast of the dis- 

 colored with the adjoining parts, the green 

 color of which equals in intensity that of a 

 healthy plant. These stripes are varieties 



* Yellows of tliis country 7 — TtiANSLATOR. 



