CORRESPONDENCE 



139 



these two kinds of roots would not have grown to 

 maturity without the commingling of thtir cells and 

 organized substances, as well as colors. As in the 

 case of the misletoe, specimens of which, growing on 

 pcVsinimon, chestnut, and oak, we have examined 

 with a good microscope, nothing but juxtaposition is 

 necessary between congenial cells for both to live 

 and perform their appropriate functions. In budding 

 and grafting, such cells are brought into contact — 

 nothing more. When a parasitic plant fastens itself 

 upon another and extracts its nutriment, like rust, 

 smut, moss, and lichens, it simply places its own cells 

 iu contact with those of the suffering plant ; and the 

 process may be regarded as natural budding. The 

 same law which made the white and red beets adhere 

 closely together, in the experiment of Dr. Macle.a.n, 

 causes the red fungus called " rust " to bdhere firmly 

 to the stems of wheat plants as they approach matu- 

 ity. The matter elaborated in the cells of parasitic 

 olants diflPers widely from that formed in the adjoin- 

 cells of the foster-mother. The fungus, called 

 ' smut " in wheat, transforms the entire seed (starch, 

 ;luten, and albumen) into a black, foeted mass of 

 pores, every one of which may propagate its kind. 



Important as are the vital processes carried on in 

 «ils, the distribution of the raw material wrought 

 mto wood, sugar, starch, oil, gluten, and other nitro- 

 ^nous compounds, by means of continuous tubes, is 

 iqually indispensable in [all vegetable developments 

 tbove the cryptogamic families. Vessels in plants 

 tad animals appear to do nothing more than trans- 

 «ort various substances from one part of the system 

 to another; they do not assimilate nor decompound 

 fee fluids or semi-fluids which they contain. If any 

 hanges take place within them, they are chemical, 

 •ot vital, like the formation of bile in the liver, or 

 rastric juice in the stomach, or of sugar in the cells 

 ■f the beet. Why a lachrymal cell secretes tears, or 



renal cell urine, no one knows. 



Fluids pass through the walls of cells during their 

 ealtliy action, whether in animals or plants, but the 

 mction of each appears to be entirely independent 

 f all others. It may, however, be varied and modi- 

 ed liy a change of circumstances; and wise culture 

 I the case of plants consists in so changing the sur- 

 ninding circumstances as to improve the growth 

 ad quality of all natural fruits, seeds, roots, tubers, 

 nd blossoms. To understand the vital and chemical 

 ,ws by the operations of which all agricultural and 

 orticultural plants attain a higher development, one 

 lUst study their anatomy and physiology, and the 

 roperties of the alimentary substances on which | 



they subsist Because we can not learn all the mys- 

 teries of nature as displayed in the vegetable king- 

 dom, it does not follow that we should attempt to 

 learn nothing. Much is already known, and infinite- 

 ly more is knowable to reward future observations 

 and researches. Under the most auspicious influences, 

 plants grow with wonderful rapidity, and yield great 

 returns to the cultivator. Hence, every element 

 which can influence the production of new cells and 

 new vessels in plants, whether it is heat or cold, mois- 

 ture or dryness, sunshine or shade, sand or clay, Ume 

 or potash, demands careful investigation. No one 

 wants poor, stunted crops, yet few are wilhng to learn 

 all they can of the true causes of small and unprofit- 

 able harvests. If farmers and their sons could look 

 into the circulating tubes of maize, wheat, and oats, 

 and see how innutritions and watery is the food drawn 

 from a badly tilled soil, and then examine the condi- 

 tion of their stables, sheds, barns, and yards, where 

 rich manure is lost by the ton, the wholesome rebuke 

 would lead to a speedy reform. Superficial observa- 

 tion and downright carelessness are the two greatest 

 evils in agriculture. The microscopic cells in the 

 forming seeds of corn, wheat, rye, barley, oats, and 

 potatoes would elaborate an incalculable amount of 

 starch, oil, and gluten, with which to feed abundantly 

 all mankind, if this great subject could only receive 

 proper attention. As it is, many thousands suffer 

 from the want of food in cities, and the land is every 

 where made less productive as population increases. 



LICE OK CATTLK, 



Mr. Editor : — I have been very successful in re- 

 moving lice from cattle by the use of sulphur, given 

 in doses of from one to three teaspoonfuls, and from 

 once to three times in two weeks, according to age 

 and circumstances. The blood of the animal, upon 

 which the vermin subsist, becomes impregnated with 

 the sulphur, or some property contained in it, and the 

 consequence is, I have seen legions of thgm clinging 

 to the hair and dead, as you, no doubt, have seen 

 gra-sshoppers sticking to a thistle, or some other ob- 

 ject, after a severe frost in the fall. M. G.iRNSEY. 



MiddlEburgh, N. Y. 



[The above preventive is valuable by reason of its 

 simplicity and ease of application. Facts like the 

 above constitute the basis of inte^igent farming and 

 keeping of stock. — Ed.] 



Yeomen in leather doublets may be of more worth 

 than lords in velvet robes. 



