52 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



2nd, that it is not impossible that they'may also 

 serve, in some cases, for absorption ; 3d, that it 

 is equally possible that they absorb water during 

 the night." 



Prof. Gray says, "Stomata or breathing-pores 

 are orifices connected with a peculiar structure 

 in the epidermis of leaves, and otlier green parts," 

 "Through these," he remarks, "the vapor of wa- 

 ter and air can freely escape, or enter, as the case 

 may be. The apple tree leaf, where they are un- 

 der the average as to number, contains about 24,- 

 000 stomata to the square inch of its lower sur- 

 face." 



"The experiment alluded to, of placing a dried, 

 shrunk and shrivelled plant in water, and its 

 imbibing moisture, proves nothing in regard to 

 the vital iunction of the epidermis of the bark of 

 trees," says C. A. L. ; "it is a phenomenon of jnire- 

 ly physical endosmose." Strange that so learned 

 a 2:)hysiologist should have adduced this as a case 

 in point. That absorption, as well as exhalation, is 

 performed by the leaves [if by the stomata of the 

 leaves, then why not of the bark ?] of plants, is 

 known to every farmer who has observed (lie ef- 

 fects of a heavy dew in reviving his wilted corn, 

 but few are so stiq^id as to imagine that this ef- 

 fect has been produced by absorption from the 

 stalks!" (??) The incongruities of this question 

 are its best refutation. 



Endosmose, as defined by Webster, signifies 

 "The transmission of gaseous matter or vapors 

 through membranes or porous substances inward." 

 "Purely jyhysical [not metaphysical !] endosmose 

 is a phenomenon" that fully demonstrates and 

 confirms the porosity of plants, according to C. 

 A. L.'s own showing. So he confirms Drs. Oan- 

 doUe and Hedwig's experiment by endeavoring 

 to overthrow it. 



Hales, in his "Vegetable Staticks," gives among 

 his numerous experiments the following : 



"I took a cylinder of birch, ['impenetrable to 

 the air,' says C. A. L.] with the bark on, 16 inches 

 long and | inch diameter, covered both ends Avith 

 cement ; also the old eyes where shoots had been 

 cut off ; and by the aid of the air-pump demon- 

 strated that the air passed through the bark. 

 The same was proved true of other kinds of 

 wood." 



Dr. Grew, a botanist, observes that "the pores 

 are so large in the trunks of plants, as in the 

 better sort of thick walking canes, ihey are visi- 

 ble to a good e5"e without a glass ; but with a 

 glass the cane seems as if it were stuck top-full 

 of holes, with great pins, being so large as very 

 well to resemble the pores of the skin in the end 

 of the fingers and ball of the hand. In the leaves 

 of pine they are likewise, through a glass, a very 

 elegant show, standing almost exactly in rank 

 and file through the length of the leaves." (Grew's 

 Anatomy of Plants, p. 127.) 



More authority bearing on the point under 

 consideration, of the highest order, from Ger- 

 many, France, and England, might be furnished, 

 but what has been cited is deemed sufficient to 

 establish the porous texture of the epidermis, or 

 to show that it has stomata. This, moreover, is 

 admitted by "C. A. L.," who, nevertheless, says in 

 another place, "L. W." must not expect me nor 

 yotir readers to receive his ipse dixit as to the 

 functions of the epidermis, uiiless supported by 

 some acknowledged authority ; nor must he ex- 



pect to escape by locating stomata or pores in t?ie 

 hark, instead of the leaves, and then applpng to 

 the former what is designed for the latter." This 

 was no assertion of L. W., as the reader may set- 

 by referring to his article on page 438 of the Sep- 

 tember number of N. E. Farmer. It was there 

 shown to be the doctrine of Drs. Candolle, Hed- 

 wig and Schleiden. So it was not "a tyro's" ip- 

 se dixit, and may give further occasion to show 

 that a "tyro" cannot overthrow it, though he tug 

 never so hard ; and, when by study he comes to 

 know really, as much as he would receive credit 

 for now, he will not attempt it, for such folly 

 could only be equalled by offering his head for a 

 battering-ram ; for facts serve as a more impene- 

 trable wall of defence than any which encircled 

 the besieged cities of olden time. 



"L. W. would admit 'a little soap.' What! 

 close the 'pores' with this viscid substance, which 

 it is far more likely to do, than whitewash ; and 

 then how unnatural to wash trees with soap and 

 water, as if they were dirty babies or coal-heav- 

 ers !" Is it the tendency of the application of 

 soap to "babies and coal-heavers" to stop the 

 pores of the skin ? If so, then it may have a 

 similar eff'ect upon the epidermis of trees when 

 applied. L. W., by the way, did not recommend 

 the use of soap. 



Having further demonstrated the function of 

 the bark, it goes further to confirm your position, 

 ]\Ir. Editor, together with that of your corres- 

 pondent, that orchardists should never whitewash 

 their fruit trees. 



Your correspondent "L. W.," on page 430 of 

 N. E. Farmer, Vol. 9., remarked in the first 

 paragraph, that, "The orchardist should avoid all 

 sorts of washes that leave a coating upon the 

 bark, no matter what they are, nor what is claimed 

 for them by charlatans or empirics." In the 

 last, he says, "Dr. Harris and Mr. J. Buel may, in 

 former times, have recommended whitewashing, 

 but it was with reference to destroying insects, 

 without reflecting upon the injury done the trees, 

 or, perhaps, if so, in view of two evils, choose the 

 less." In reply to these remarks, "C. A. L." says, 

 "I hold that it is not empiricism to advocate the 

 utility of whitewashing trees ; L. W. may call 

 the late Mr, Downing, Judge Buel, Dr. Harris, 

 Dr. Fitch, &:c., 'charlatans' for favoring this prac- 

 tice, but the reader will be at no great loss in de- 

 termining who best deserves this title." As the 

 question from L. W. fully exonerates him from 

 the charge of his accuser, he entirely concurs in 

 the concluding remark, that the reader will be at 

 no great loss in deciding who deserves, nor in 

 discovermg who really wears "the title ;" for "by 

 their fruits shall ye know them." 



To check the increase of bark -lice, Dr. Harris 

 enumerates the following remedies : birds, inter- 

 nal parasites, minute ichneumon flies, wliitewash, 

 potash, or a pickle of salt and water. 



A. J. Downing says, "The best wash for the 

 stems and branches of fruit trees, is made by dis- 

 solving two jrounds of potash in two gallons of 

 water. This is applied with a brush — one, and 

 at most, two applications, will rid the stem of 

 trees of the bark-louse, and render it smooth and 

 glossy. It is far more efficacious than white- 

 washing, as a preservative against the attacks of 

 insects, while it promotes the growth of the tree, 

 and adds to the natural, lively color of the bark.** 



