different varieties belong to one family, that these exceptional members would, in their 

 analysis, exhibit different constituents which would harmonise with the prepared mineral 

 manure? Or, is it not more probable, that these recusant plants are endowed with interi- 

 or impulses, and secerning forces, by which, in accordance with the rule I have proposed, 

 they prefer one or more constituents in excess, and utterly disproportioned to the rest, 

 and thus elaborate through their elected media, their tempting and luscious products? 



Organic analysis. — The only organic analysis I have at hand, I take from the " Voll- 

 standige Bibliothek oder Real Lexicon, Leipsic, 1836." It represents the strawberry 

 fruit to be organically composed of citric and malic acids, and a large proportion of mu- 

 cus sugar, (" schleimzucker," glucose or grape sugar, I presume.) No allusion is here 

 made to tannic acid; and I am not aware that there is any authority for sustaining the 

 idea that these three acids, and grape sugar, may be substituted for each other; or that 

 they have even the advantage of isomorphous bodies, admitting the questionable conjec- 

 ture to be correct, that isomorphic bodies may erect a specific dynamic influence, as uner- 

 ring in effect as their crystallization is uniform. 



Tannic acid. — Professor Mapes — on making personal application to him respecting this 

 acid, courteously replied to me in substance: " that tannic acid is contained in the corti- 

 cal, or external surface of the fruit ; that, by subjecting a large quantity of these sur 

 faces to the appropriate chemical tests, he had detected the presence of this acid; that he 

 attributed the flavor and fragrance of the strawberry, which belongs to this surface, to 

 the specific property of this acid; and that he reiterated with confidence, his private and 

 public assertion, that tannic acid applied to strawberry plants, in the proportion of one 

 gallon of tan-liquid to one hundred gallons of water, made an evident and striking im- 

 provement in the size and flavor of the fruit." Here is a plain, straight forward state- 

 ment, savoring of sincerity and truthfulness. Why should the existence of tannic acid 

 in strawberries be questioned, then, until the cavillers offer, instead of words, their own 

 analysis, to counterpoise that of the Professor! Irrespective of the analysis, a few expe- 

 riments will be presented, which the reader is desired to scrutinize closely, and thence 

 deduce his own conclusions. 



Tan-hark mulch. — Mr. Downing, among others in this vicinit}', has used the tan-bark 

 as a mulch, and invariably with a marked benefit to their strawberries, over those ordi- 

 narily treated. Mr. Charles Downing informed me that he ate strawberries twenty 

 years ago, taken from a tan-bark bed, that were then remarkable for their excellence. It 

 will be answered, ' it is without doubt true, but the enhanced value of the fruit should be 

 ascribed to the viulch, and not to the specific influence of the tannic acid.' I have proved 

 the mulching by hay, straw, muck, charcoal and iron cinders, and yet have found no result 

 equivalent to that of the tan-bark. My beds of British Queen, which I have heretofore 

 nursed with extreme care, were mulched last year with tan-bark, and have presented this 

 year an array of force and beauty quite equal to defy the sharp edge of the sternest skep- 

 ticism. 



Experiments with tannic acid and other liquids. I selected three rows of each variety 

 of four different kinds of strawberries, which traverse my triple bed of inorganic manures, 

 and made my applications in the subjoined order. The liquids were applied from May 18th 

 to June 2.3d, twenty -five times, usually about sunset, the omissions being supplied by rain. 



Rival Hudson. 

 Tannic acid — in the form of tan-bark liquor, one gallon to one hundred of water 

 1. ^ Citric acid — the exi)ressed juice of one lemon to fonr gallons of water. 

 Malic acid — one pint of cider to four gallons of water. 



