64 ON MANURE. 



bone about a foot below the surface, and about four 

 feet distant from the stem of a vine. Tlie hollow 

 part which had contained the marrow, was open at 

 both ends. On examining it I found that a root of 

 the vine had traversed the surface of it, in a direct 

 line from one end to the other, throwing out an im- 

 mense number of small fibres, which covered its en- 

 tire convex surface. On a closer inspection, and 

 tracing the course of the root, it appeared, that when 

 it had reached the end of the bone, instead of push- 

 ing straight forward into the soil, it had turned down 

 over the single thickness, entered the hollow part, and 

 was returning, through the inside of the bone, towards 

 the same end at which it first came in contact with 

 it. The bone was very thick, and though it had 

 been in the ground seven years, it presented scarcely 

 any signs of decay. It was so completely enveloped 

 in fibres, that no further examination could take place 

 without putting the health of the vine in jeopardy. 

 This vine is also a Black Hamburg, and for many 

 years past it has annually produced both fruit and 

 current year's bearing-shoots, of the very finest de- 

 scription, although the soil in which it grows is far 

 from being a rich one. The fact of the root clinging 

 to the bone, and making a retrograde movement 

 through the hollow part of it, rather than push for- 

 ward in to the soil, is conclusive as to its decided pre- 

 ference of the former to the latter; and the surprising 

 nnmber of fibres which, in both of these instances, 

 were absorbing nutriment through the medium of their 

 spongioles, or newly-formed extremities, clearly shows, 

 that whole bones deposited in. the soil in their fresh 

 and entire state, furnish to the roots of vines for a 

 long period of time an extraordinary supply of food 

 of the richest description. 



I have stated these circumstances in detail, because 

 such facts are worth all the theories in the world. 



Horns and hoofs of cattle^ or the parings or shav- 

 ings of them, may be classed next to bones in point of 

 value, while their effects last, but their duration is not 



