for working gardeners of ail gi-ades, for this rea- 

 son, that they are the silent and modest precur- 

 sors of tliose great changes by which the veget- 

 able property of a country acquires an enhanced 

 value. Whether, tlierefore, you are delighting 

 in an exclusive garden adjoining a country resi- 

 dence, or looking proudly on the beauties of a 

 suburban retreat 1 thus remind you of a very 

 important argument to be employed iu the de- 

 fence of your pursuits. 



But I turn witli plea.sure from the objects con- 

 templated by the spade and the plow to flowers, 

 tho.se luxuries of Nature, given to reward man 

 for his obedience to the law, " In the sweat of 

 thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread." These em- 

 blems of purity and innocence are like the 

 bright eyes Nvhich animated tlie knights of the 

 tournament, calling forth their exertions and re- 

 warding their cou(iuests. The matchless charms 

 of flowers force the attention of the most taste- 

 less of mortals, and win the hearts of the sus- 

 ceptible and refined. A child once said that 

 the stars were little holes pricked iu the finna- 

 ment to let Heaven's glory through ; a truthful 

 idea, though linked to a physical error. Apply 

 the same mode of reasoning to flowers, and 

 what can they be but emanations of the beauty 

 and liappiness which reside in the mind of an 

 Infinite Being 1 Their utility is less manifest 

 than their subserviency to the wants of our in- 

 tellectual nature, since they append almost ex- 

 clusively to what is refined and sentimental and 

 poetic iu our constitution. Beed is produced 

 without the accompaniment of a splendid co- 

 rolla, with its wondrous sanctuary of stamens 

 and pistils, as in the case of all kinds of com, so 

 that utility is rather associated with that which 

 is plain and unattractive. But the most glorious 

 structures of the floral world belong to plants 

 which, in reference to man's bodilj- v^ants, may 

 be called useless. Trade ^vould go on, and for- 

 tunes be made, if the world did not possess a 

 Carnation, a Tulip, or a Rose ; and yet they are 

 here, winning our attention and riveting the 

 emotions of our hearts. Why are they here ? 

 Doubtless to recall us from pursuits carried on 

 in reference to our lower nature, and to lead us 

 to that which is gentle and good. The amateur 

 gardener is thus evidently a respectful obsei-ver 

 of the will of Heaven, \vhen he receives these 

 gifts with thankfulness, and bestows on them a 

 portion of his intellectual wor.ship. To think 

 lightly of Floriculture is almo.st to disparage the 

 wisdom of our Maker, who calls the attention 

 of the child and the man by enameling the earth 

 with the rich colors and lovely forms of these 

 universal favorites. This is a second and con- 

 vincing argument which you may use in refuting 

 detractors, and justif\-ing j-ourself Yon may 

 not succeed with the former, for some men are 

 de.stitute of the power of appreciatini; such rea- 

 sonincrs as I have endeavored to unfold. But be 

 contented if you are able to satisfy yourself that 

 in loving your garden you are acting right. 

 Hear what has been written of wild flowers, 

 and be sure that such sentiments are still more 

 appropriate to those who have had something to 

 do in the production of the beauty they admire : 



" Oh I chide not nt the simple theme that wakes the 

 minstrel's lay; [.som by the way ; 



Earth were Ic's bright without the flowers that blog- 

 He at whose word the uiiiveree her ancient micht 

 did yield, [the field. 



Hath taught proud man a IcsRon from the Lilies of 

 1 thank thoe, God ! for every boon thy hand in mer- 

 cy showers, [flowers ! " 

 And oh, not least among thy gifts, tlie bea\uiful wild 

 (1007) 



w 



AiMMONIA AND WATER IN GUANO. 



A Simple Method for Determining thk 

 Free and Cojibined Ammonia and Water 

 IN Gl'ano and other Manures. — The want of 

 a simple, accurate, and at the same time expe- 

 ditious method for determining the amount of 

 Ammonia in Guano has, I think, been felt by 

 mo.st chemists who have been engaged in the 

 analysis of that manure for commercial pur- 

 poses, \\here time necessarily becomes a matter 

 of importance ; and as the follow ing method, 

 w liich I have introduced into the laboratory of 

 Dr. G. Wilson, Edinburgh, where several anal- 

 yses of Guano are daily in progress under my 

 direction, seems to me to possess 

 these advantages, I beg leave to 

 place it before the notice of 

 chemists who may be similarly 

 circumstanced. The quantiiy of 

 free Ammonia in the Guano is 

 first determined, along with that 

 of the Water, by the following 

 process :— A common test-tube 

 (about -J inches long and ^ wide) 

 is taken, and in it a determinate 

 quantity of the Guano under ex- 

 amination is placed ; fi-om 25 to 

 50 gr.s. will be found mo.st con- 

 venient. To the test-tube is then 

 joined, by means of a cork, a 

 tube of the same diameter, bat 

 only about 4 inches long, having 

 one of its eads contracted and 

 drawn out, .so as to pass through 

 the cork and leave a small com- 

 municating aperture for the es- 

 cape of gas fi-om the test-tube. — 

 A few fragments of asbestos are 

 then placed in the contractetJ 

 end of the tube, to prevent the 

 aperture being choked up during^ 

 the progress ; and the tube ik 

 then filled with fragmenla of 

 caustic potash, either alooe or 

 mixed with fragments of iime, 

 which I prefer. To the top of 

 this tube is then joined another 

 tube of precisely .similar con- 

 struction, but being only about 3 

 inches long, and which, the as- 

 bestos being placed as before, is 

 tilled with coarsely-pounded sul- 

 phate, nitrate, or chloride of cop- 

 per, previously well dricdi Ai 

 few fragments of asbestos are 

 now placed on the top of each 

 of these tubes, so as to i prevent 

 any of their contents falling out. 

 The tubes are then weighed sep- 

 arately. The three tubes are 

 then connected, and the test-tube 

 which contains the Guano is 

 placed in a water-bath until all 

 moisture has been expelled. — 

 The tubes are now disconnected, 

 and again weighed, when the 

 (juantity of Ammonia contained; 

 in the Guano in a free state is 

 directly detennined by the m- 

 crea.se of weight which ft is 

 found that the tube containing 

 the co]iper salt has suffered, 

 while the quantity of Water is 

 shown by the increa.se of weight 

 in the tube containing the potash 

 and lime. The quantity of com- 



