THE SOUECES OF THE NITROGEN OF VEGETATION, ETC. 503 



stems and leaves, and forming a densely crowded mass of vegetable matter. The root- 

 lets from the main branches extending through the mass commenced their growth in all 

 directions indiscriminately, but after growing about one-fourth of an inch they invariably 

 turned downwards. 



Bean (b) — Seeds, in Pumice with 50 cub. cent, water. — Identical in appearance with the 

 last (Bean a), excepting a little further developed. 



Bean (c) — Meal, in Soil with 40 cub. cent, water. — Almost exactly like the Wheat (c) 

 and Barley (c) meals, described above. 



In no one of the above nine cases was there any Ozone reaction to test-paper. 



April 28. 



Wheat (a) — Seeds, in Soil with 50 cub. cent, water. — Twelve to fifteen stems ; leaves not 

 unrolled, and scarcely any tendency to expansion. The vegetation not nearly so much 

 crowded as in the case of the corresponding Barley (a) ; yet most of the shoots show 

 signs of dying. A thin coat of fungoid growth covers the stems to the height of from 

 1 to 1-5 inch. The stems are from 2 to 2-5 inches high, those of the corresponding 

 Barley being from 3 to 4 and 5 inches high. The air passed through the apparatus is 

 not disagreeable either in taste or odour. 



Wheat (b) — Seeds, in Pumice withlOO cub. cent, water. — The Pumice moist, but with- 

 out visible water, and the surface covered with a grey mouldy coating. The air has had 

 an unpleasant odour ever since March 16, and now it is exceedingly nauseating. 



Wheat (c) — Meal, in Soil with 40 cub. cent, water. — The soil apparently dry, but slightly 

 mouldy, and the air passed over is almost without odour. 



Barley (a) — Seeds, in Soil with 50 cub. cent, water. — The bottle full of vegetable matter, 

 all quite yellow at the top where it touches the cork, and yellowish lower down. The 

 plants covered with a coating of greyish fungus. The odour and taste of the air slightly 

 disagreeable. The soil looks quite dry. 



Barley (b) — Seeds, in Pumice with 100 cub. cent, water. — The soil is moist and mouldy. 

 The mould on the surface appears to be decreasing, and is now less abundant than in 

 the case of the corresponding Wheat (b). The odour of the air is much less disagree- 

 able ; indeed there is scarcely any at all. 



Barley (c) — Meal, in Soil with 40 cub. cent, water. — The soil mouldy and apparently 

 dry. The air from the vessel tasteless, and inodorous. 



Bean (a) — Seeds, in Soil with 50 cub. cent, water. — Continued to grow vigorously for a 

 lon« time, filling the bottle with a confused mass of stems, leaves, and roots, which has 

 commenced to decay rapidly during the last two weeks. The upper portions of the 

 mass are now entirely dead and black ; but nearer the soil the stems and leaves are 

 green and long, whilst healthy roots are intermingled with them. The soil is also 

 tolerably filled with roots. The odour of the air is not disagreeable. 



mdccclxi. 3 z 



