370 



TEE GARDENER'S MONTELY 



[December, 



Metallic Substances in Plants. — The number 

 of metals absolutely indispensable to all plants, 

 and consequently to fruit trees, is six ; namely, 

 potassium, calcium, sulphur, phosphorus, man- 

 ganese, and iron. There is no doubt, however, 

 that certaui plants require, in addition to these, 

 this or that other metal to complete their nour- 

 ishment. We may even assume that silica, 

 chlorine and sodium, and perhaps also mag- 

 nesium, play a part in the functions of certain 

 plants. If we reckon the four gaseous elements 

 "which furnish pla its with their first and princi- 



pal food, we have a total of ten, or sometimes 

 thirteen or fourteen elements, which have proved 

 essential to the perfect development of plants. 

 According to Prof. Adolph Mayer's excellent 

 text-book of agricultural chemistry, these ele- 

 ments are taken up in the following forms : — I, 



. as free oxygen ; 2, as water; 3, in the form of 

 acids, namely, a, as carbonic acid ; h, as nitric 



1 acid ; c, as sulphuric acid, and d, as phosphoric 



j acid. 4, in the form of bases, namely, a, as po- 

 tassium ; 6, as calcium ; c, as manganese, and d, 



■ as oxide of iron. — Journal of Chemistry. 



Pv 



miTERATURE, ^.^LRAVELS & p^ERSONAL 



3 





C0M31UNIGA 770 NS. 



VIEWS OF DISTANT LANDS. 



BY W. T. HARDING, COLUMBUS, OHIO. 



New Zealand, from the insular position it oc- 

 cupies, although much nearer the equator than 

 Great Britain, is said to much resemble it, in the 

 mildness and moisture of its climate. Probably 

 it does, but in no other respect will it bear com- 

 parison. Its topography, when compared with 

 the wonderful continent of Australia, diflers 

 much in general appearances. The atmosphere 

 is also much lower in temperature; while the 

 paucity of its Flora is as remarkable as the 

 meagreness of its Fauna. Perhaps no country 

 having the same extent of area, 51,584,000 acres, 

 contains a less variety of either plants or ani- 

 mals. 



True, there is a vast interior as yet unexplored ; 

 and from the hostility of the natives, is likely to 

 remain so for some time to come. The learned 

 Bacon says ; " Man is an animal as well as a 

 brute, but he is something more." But, in the 

 ease of the ferocious New Zealander, man is noth- 

 ing less. So devilishly full of evil are they as to 

 be a terror to well doers. Many a harrowing 

 tale could be told of their diabolical doings, to 

 honest and brave men, fair and faithful women, 

 innocent babes and children. As long as the 

 " red handed " wretches continue to oppose the 

 approach of the white man, with the war-club 

 and spear, but little can be known of the hidden 

 treasures which remain for the venturesome 

 traveler to gather at some future time. The axe. 



the plough and the railroad, the three great civ- 

 ilizers, are gradually bringing about the inevita- 

 ble change which will peoj^le the wilderness, and 

 make the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose. 

 But why dwell upon blood-curdling themes, 

 the gentle readers may inquire, when there are 

 happier subjects to dilate upon? Surely there 

 are pretty flowers, beautiful trees, and pleasure 

 scenes to describe, without introducing us to 

 nasty, naked, blood-thirsty cannibals. With all 

 due courtesy, let me inform them that my inten- 

 tions are not to cause any needless pain. Be it 

 known then, that I harbor no " bloody thoughts " 

 or unkind feelings; God forbid. Yet, however 

 painful it may be, the writer feels compelled to 

 divulge the fact, that he has willingly associated, 

 when in Europe, with bloody wall-flowers, Cheir- 

 anthus Cheiri sanguineus, by name, and with- 

 out a blush ; and confess to having many times 

 seen Love lies-bleeding on the ground without 

 shedding a tear. And, although he well knew 

 the unhappy East Indian's name. Amaranth us 

 caudatus, he sorrowed not. Without remorse, 

 or qualms of conscience, he has dug and delved 

 among blood flowers, at the Cape of Good Hope. 

 This bulbous rooted subject, Ilajmanthus san- 

 guineus, with such a terribly bloody name, is, 

 anomalous as it may seem, one of the most sin- 

 gular and beautiful occupants of the green- 

 house, and should he in all collections. He has 

 even taken pleasure in the handling of Blood- 

 wort, the Sanguinaria canadensis (not meaning 

 bloody Canadian), of the woods in this hemis- 

 phere. One of his chief delights has been to in- 

 dulge in blood oranges, and fea,st on Bloodgood 



