149 



there is no danger of injuring tbe plant, and a small quantity of petro- 

 leum appears to impart its antagonistic qualities to a considerable 

 amount of water. 



The Heaton and Bessemer processes. — A careful report by an 

 eminent iron-master in France upon tbe respective merits of tbe Ileaton 

 and Bessemer processes of refining iron, presents tbe conclusion tbat 

 wbile tbe former is not likely to replace tbe latter for tbe manufacture 

 of steel, yet it is tbe best bitberto invented for tbe purification of ordi- 

 nary cast iron. It may be remembered that tbe Ileaton process con- 

 sists, essentially, in tbe addition of nitrate of soda to tbe melted metal, 

 by wbicb all tbe impurities, such as carbon, sulpbur, pbospborus, &c., 

 become cbemically combined witb tbe nitrate and pass off witb a loud 

 deflagration in tbe form of vapor, leaving tbe metal in a state of extraor- 

 dinary purity. 



SEASONixa OP AYOOD. — A writer in an Englisb journal informs us 

 tbat small pieces of non-resinous wood can be seasoned perfectly by 

 boiling four or five bours — tbe process takii]g tbe sap out of tbe wood, 

 wbicb sbrinks nearly one-tentb in the operation. Tbe same writer states 

 tbat trees felled in full leaf, in June or July, and allowed to lie until 

 every leaf bas fallen will tben be nearly dry, as tbe leaves will not drop 

 of tbemselves until tbey bave drawn up and exbausted all tbe sap of 

 tbe tree. Tbe time required is from a montb to six weeks, according to 

 tbe dryness or wetness of tbe weatber. Tbe floor of a mill laid witb 

 poplar so treated, and cut up and put in place in less tban a montb after 

 the leaves fell, bas never sbown tbe sligbtest sbrinkage. 



Watering plants with hot water. — It bas lately been sbown, 

 by careful experiment, tbat sickly potted plants, even some tbat bave 

 almost died out, can be greatly benefited, and sometimes, indeed, en- 

 tirely restored to vigor, by applying warm water to tbem instead of 

 cold. In certain cases, oleanders wbicb bad never bloomed, or did so 

 only imperfectly, after being treated witb luke-warm water, increasing 

 tbe temperature gradually from 140^ up to 170^ F., produced tbe most 

 magnificent luxuriance of bloom. Similar results occurred witb an old 

 plant of Hoya; and also witb an India-rubber tree wbicb bad nearly 

 withered away. In all these cases tbe application of water heated to 

 about IIC^ F., without any other precaution, caused a new and flourishing 

 growth. 



Transpiration of leaves. — Von Pettenkofer,iu tbe course of recent 

 researches upon the amount of evaporation which takes place fro'u the 

 foliage of plants, ascertained in tbe case of an oak tree tbat this in- 

 creased gradually from May to July, and then decreased till October. 

 The number of leaves on the tree were estimated at about 751,000, and 

 tbe total amount of evaporation in tbe year at 539 cubic centimeters of 

 water for tbe whole area of the leaves. As the average rain-fall for the 

 same period was only Go centimeters, the amount of evaporation is thus 

 eight and a half times greater tban that of the rain-fall. This excess 

 must, of course, be drawn up by tbe roots from a great depth. The 

 inference is derived from tbe above tbat trees prevent tbe gradual drying 

 of a climate by restoring to the air the moisture which would otherwise 

 be carried off by drainage. 



Cattle plague entozoa in Ceylon. — In the course of an exam- 

 ination of the muscles of animals dying at Ceylon of tbe cattle plague 

 disease of that country, Mr. Boyd Morse discovered certain remarkable 

 organisms, of which he has lately published an account in the London 



