164 MHIli:!! IIOMOpTIJiA. 



want »f |>n>|4>r ntitriiiH-nt, i>r i>y I'tlur ii<-ul«-<-t. It i.-> triir that a ^ ie<>n>u.s {ilaiit or nntnibl 

 ma) bccumc lulVslcd wtlli |><kra<>klfi« ; l>ul lh«-s«i« caM-.t ntv i-src|>ti<i|iA,iiiul n<>t tin- rulr. Wp 

 have llien<rurr rvt-r)- luulivn lit Inilure u»lu |iri>l«ct ami nuurlub our plants and aiHiual», 

 both for Ihp erratrr pmflt Ihry uill rrtnlrr tu, and as a ««curlt)' agaiu't dw-a>c ami ihr 

 attflrk^ of |uira.oMir niiiiiialfl. 



AtDiuNi*lirric yii;;li(. 



Tiir.RC is a dist-nv nniong cuUivulfd JuTltacfiiis |>Iunl>, the "rii:in "f which Is not deter- 

 mlnc^l. The plant, n» the Juno pea. Tor vxaniple, ItrKlns to ilry and whitpn helow : thin 

 <lrvne'*>* ixtrinN ufiwnrtN, iind ^«ini<lliius «<> rapiilly that the mp <if \fease ]•( li»st ; hnt 

 whrlhiT thlt l>f thf cn» or not, the rn>p will Ik- KTcnily iliniinitiht'd. and the earl) death 

 »>l' the whide pinnt i« the oiriM-fiuerire. Thi- diwHM- niiiy If said tti In- a pn-niatiire ilerar 

 ami ile.'ith <>r the plant : it if e<|uivHleiit t<> a Misht, or to the |>otato dis«aM-. The (jiu Miun 

 that nri«ie>i r<?i|>ectincr it, h, N it iltie to an iiiMTt, or to atnu«phrrir cnns4S J The answer 

 to this <|Hrstlon is neither dellnilely necative nor iK.hitive. No inwets have yet U-eti de- 

 tectetl u]M>n the [>oa : and yet its nHtt, which haji not |»erhaps I^h'D >iutliciently exandnrd, 

 may di<tc|i><M> some ins4>ct that brings on this decay. As tu the atmosphere, phyMologiMs 

 may well diflVr : we ascrilx' to changes of the weather, tho>e diseases and injuries that 

 cannot !»»• n-ferri-tl to the attacks of iiis«'cts. Keniedles have not Ix-en pr<^|>os<d ; but it is 

 8Uin;est«sl that n change of si-^il may divert the calamity, or i>erha|>s sojikinK the seeds in 

 muriate of ammonia or a weak solution of coppenis. and then rolling them in planter. 



The Itirhnidrn Ijeconies somi-tiuus atVected with a white nioiil<lim->s. which makes its 

 appenninre upon the leaves early in July, and «lestri>ys the U-auty of the plant, lK>ginning 

 ujKMi the lowrrmost part of the leaf, and extending upwarils until the whole is coated with 

 a fil>n>us matted mucor. It di>es not ap|>ear to he of animal origin : under a single lens, I 

 have not U-en aide to discover any thing that looks lik« the work of an insect. The ques- 

 tion i«. Whether this fungus is the conse<juence of a too iW'ble vital action ; or, to s|>eak 

 more cautiously, w hethir w hat we call ri7<i/ actions an* enfeebled by any cauS4'> other than 

 thoM- which may Ih> attril-uted to waimLs by in>ects \ The parench)nia of the leaf is not 

 destrovetl, but the surliiee is covend with a w hite fibrous fungus, analogous to the covemg 

 of the go«iSeberry when aflected with mildew. 



In undertaking to assign a cause for effects of the foregoing kind, it should not be for- 

 gotten that a ndnute puncture may result in tlie pnHiucti««n of a fungous growth : the 

 juice exuding from a wound, whi-ther p<iisf)ne«l or not, undergoes a change that fits It for 

 th>' gn>w-th of fungi, which may lie in wmie instances small and invisible, while in others 

 they extind over large surfaces, and, as in the l)chnidea ami gooseUrry. occupy in time 

 th.- wholi- leaf, or the whole surface of the fruit ; so that a puncture, to us invisible, and 

 which mnv U- made bv on insect, ran yet be detectetl in its consequences. The greater 



