21 
rootlet be taken up and examined under a quarter-inch power, the 
minute hair-like processes which surround the fibrille will be seen 
to be coated with the organic matters contained in the sewage which 
have been arrested in their course and abstracted from the sewage, 
leaving the water to pass off minus the organic matter contained in 
it. These organic matters are not to be found on the unsewaged 
grass. If the plant is examined still further, and a root is abstracted 
from the soil by most gentle washing with a jet of water, it may be 
seen that these minute fibrille extend for a very long distance into 
the soil, and that they evidently perform other duties than simply 
fixing the plant in its place. They are seen to be bundles of 
parenchymateous tissue surrounding prosenchyma, and from the 
parenchyma, processes are given out which are elongated cells some- 
thing like the mycelium of fungi. This mycelium-like matter forms 
apparently a tangled mass which surrounds every bit of organic 
matter in the soil or in the sewage, and rapidly extracts all the 
nitrogenous matter which is contained in it. Carbonic acid is set 
free, whilst the ammonia, or other nitrogenous compounds are 
absorbed. Freed carbonic acid is dissolved by the water, and may 
be seen as bubbles on the root. It is shewn to be in excess in the 
effluent water by treating the latter with lime water; carbonate of 
lime is deposited in a manner which shows excess of carbonic acid 
in the effluent, or if retained for some time crystals of bicarbonate 
of lime become deposited as in the specimen on the table. That 
specimen is effluent taken at Beddington Farm some years since, 
and crystals have been slowly deposited in it. The action of the 
minute fibrille seem to be something similar to the action of certain 
fibres in extracting dyes when colourings are discharged by the 
effect of certain salts. There is either a chemical attraction for the 
nitrogenous matter, or else a vital affinity for it, by which all the 
granules containing nitrogen are seized upon by the roots, and a 
change instantly commences in them, by which they are deprived 
of their dangerous qualities and made harmless. It is a disputed 
point as to whether fungi are the causes or the consequences of 
decay in organic bodies, but there can be no doubt in this case that 
the fibrille which are developed on the rootlets of rye grass are the 
cause of the change which takes place in the organic matters sub- 
mitted to the action. Ihave submitted these points to the test of 
experiment by growing rye grass in silver sand and feeding it with 
various substances. I have found that if the grass is fed with some 
things, such as phosphate of ammonia, and more especially with 
non-nitrogenous matters, it has dwindled and after a time died 
away. It has not grown for some time, even if fed with artificial 
manure, but if fed with milk and beef tea it grew rapidly imme- 
diately, those ingredients being assimilated at once. Plants which 
_ existed under similar conditions and which were not so fed, 
_ dwindled away, whilst pans in which milk and beef tea were added 
B 
