C 194 3 



I steeped radish seeds in September 1807, for 12 

 hours, in a solution of chlorine, and similar seeds in 

 very diluted nitric acid, in very diluted sulphuric acid, 

 in weak solution of oxysulphate of iron, and some in 

 common water. The seeds in solutions of chlorine 

 and oxysulphate of iron, threw out the germ in two 

 days ; those in nitric acid in three days, in sulphuric 

 acid in five, and those in water in seven days. But 

 in the cases of premature germination, though the 

 plume was very vigorous for a short time, yet it be- 

 came at the end of a fortnight weak and sickly ; and 

 at that period less vigorous in its growth than the 

 sprouts which had been naturally developed, so that 

 there can be scarcely any useful application of these 

 experiments. Too rapid growth and premature de- 

 cay seem invariably connected in organized struc- 

 tures ; and it is only by following the slow operations 

 of natural causes, that we are capable of making im- 

 provements. 



There is a number of chemical substances which 

 are very offensive and even deadly to insects, which 

 do not injure, and some of which even assist vegeta- 

 tion. Several of these mixtures have been tried with 

 various success ; a mixture of sulphur and lime, 

 which is very destructive to slugs, does not prevent 

 the ravages of the fly on the young turnip crop. His 

 Grace the Duke of Bedford, at my suggestion, was 

 so good as to order the experiment to be tried on a 

 considerable scale at Woburn farm : the mixture of 

 lime and sulphur was strewed over one part of a field 

 sown with turnips j nothing was applied to the other 



