140 



FARMERS' REG [STER. 



[No. 3 



der glass in London, where no plant could be 

 made to flourish without such a protection. Near- 

 ly a year ago he planted hjcopodium denticulatum 

 in a chemical preparation glass, with a ground 

 stopper. During that time the bottle has never 

 been opened; yet the lycopodiutn continues per- 

 fectly healthy, and has grown very much, al- 

 though, lor want of space, the form of the plant 

 is distorted. Seeds which happened to be in the 

 soil have germinated, and marchantia has srown 

 of itself within the glass. He also obtained a 

 a hollow glass globe of eighteen inches diameter, 

 and with an aperture sulhcient to admit the hand 

 for planting the specimens. A variety of ferns 

 and lycopodiums were then set in the soil, which 

 was properly moistened with water. This hav- 

 ing been done, the aperture was covered with 

 sheet India-rubber, its attachment to the glass be- 

 ing made perfectly air-tight. No change of air 

 could take place, except by percolation through 

 the India-rubber, which was every day forced ei- 

 ther outwards, as the air within the glass was 

 heated and e.xpanded, or inwards in the reverse 

 circumstance; these ferns grew probably as well 

 as they would have done in a green-house, or hot- 

 house. They were all foreign, and some of ihem 

 requiring great heat. Several had ripened seed. 

 Mr. Gray slated, that he had grown droseras 

 under glass jars; one circumstance with regard 

 to them he thought worthy of remark, their leaves 

 did not turn red, as is usual when exposed to the 

 atmosphere. Professor Graham observed, that 

 although in Mr. Ward's experiments atmosphe- 

 ric air had been admitted, he did not think it es- 

 sential to the welfare of the plant. Plants grown 

 in this manner only required a glass large enough 

 to contain a sufficient quantity of air, to permit of 

 the absorption of oxygen without deteriorating the 

 air of the vessel to such an extent as to injure the 

 plant. The want of red in the leaves of drosera, 

 he thought, depended on the presence of moisture. 

 A singular point was, that plants growingnaturally 

 in arid soils and climates, flourished in the humid 

 and confined atmosphere of the closed jars. He 

 had placed underjars completely closed some plants 

 of cacti, which had flourished more than those not 

 so situated. He did not think that animals could 

 be sustained in the same manner, as they con- 

 sumed all the oxygen which they inspired. Dr. 

 Travers remarked, that he had seen common 

 mould, which was a species of fungus, in a tube 

 which had been heated and hermetically sealed 

 for two years. Mr. Bowman had observed at 

 the Duke of Devonshire's, Chatsworth, that dro- 

 seras did not, under the jars, change the color of 

 their leaves as in open air. He wished to know 

 of Dr. Graham, how long his cacti had lived in 

 a moist atmosphere; they were naturally, at cer- 

 tain seasons of' the year, exposed to heavy rains. 

 He thought it was very possible for plants and 

 animals to live together. Mr. Duncan inquired 

 if plants were healthy, and fit to be transplanted 

 to the open air, when treated in this manner. 

 Professor Graham stated, that the cacti had lived 

 without access to air eighteen months. He 

 believed that plants and animals might live to- 

 gether, provided the vessel in which they were 

 inclosed was sufficiendy large to enable the plants 

 to absorb the carbonic acid gas, expired by the 

 animals. This would be a representation in mi- 

 niature of what takes place in our own world. 



Professor Lindley, in reply to Mr. Bowman's 

 question, stated, that plants suffered little when 

 confined in carefully closed vessels. From im|)ro- 

 per treatment they may become debilitated, but 

 he had seen them arrive from foreign countries, 

 when treated in this mauner, in the most perfect 

 state of health. Want of skill in the manage- 

 ment of those brought from abroad was the most 

 frequent cause of injury. Too much water was 

 frequently given to plants when just packed. 

 They had better be placed in too dry, than in too 

 moist an atmosphere. He had seen this illustrat- 

 ed in plants from India; plants exposed to too 

 much moisture rotted very soon. He thought the 

 change of color in the leaves of plants depended 

 on their free exposure to light ; the droseras men- 

 tioned, had not been exposed to the free access of 

 light; this was certainly the case with the drose- 

 ras at Chatsworth and of Mr. Gray. The disco- 

 very of Mr. Ward was not only important in en- 

 abling us to import foreign plants, but it also ren- 

 dered the ventilation of green-houses less neces- 

 sary, and would enable gardeners to manage the 

 artificial climate of their hot-houses with less dif- 

 ficulty. The fact that cellular plants grow best 

 under this mode of treatment, was well establish- 

 ed. In answer to a question from Professor Lind- 

 ley, Mr. Gray and Mr. Yates stated, that plants 

 had both flowered and fruited under this plan of 

 treatment. Professor Graham stated that the or- 

 der in which he had found plants to grow best, 

 was : L Lycopodiums ; 2. Grasses ; and 3. Be- 

 ijonias. 



LIME AS MANURE. 



We are pleased in laying before our readers 

 the following valuable communication of Judge 

 Hayes, as he is considered one of the best farm- 

 ers in the country, and his experience will be 

 valuable to others. His beautiful and productive 

 fiirm gives evidence that the hand of industry is 

 directed by intelligence. Other communications 

 from the same source will be very acceptable. — 

 Yankee Farmer. 



South Berwick, March 29, 1838. 



Mr. S. W. Cole:— Your letter of the 22d 

 inst. requesting information in relation to the use 

 of lime as a manure, has been received. My pro- 

 fessional engagements have engrossed all my time 

 till the present moment. I have no very particu- 

 lar knowledge on the subject, but will with plea- 

 sure state to you in what way 1 have successfully 

 used lime as a manure, and how I have known it 

 used by my neighbors. 



I have used on my farm from ten to thirty casks 

 of lime every year lor the last twenty years ; and 

 have found it beneficial. Although a portion of 

 my farm and buildings are on high ground, still 

 between that and an adjoining swell of land there 

 is a muck swamp, which formerly must have been 

 a deep pond, and has been gradually filled up with 

 vegetable matter, till the surface has become level 

 with the adjoining land. This swamp is on high- 

 er ground than my barn-yard, and about twenty 

 rods therefrom. The muck is inexhaustible, and 

 is very easily hauled to the barn-yard. Immedi- 

 ately after haying, when the ground is very dry, 



