442 A CENTURY OF SCIENCE 



given space in the Journal. Plant-physiology received 

 a good share of attention either in short notices or in 

 longer articles. Such titles appear as, the respiration of 

 plants, the circulation of sap, the excrementitious matter 

 thrown off by plants, the effects of certain gases and 

 poisons on plants, and the relations of plants to different 

 colored light. One of the most important of the notes 

 is that in which is described the discovery by Robert 

 Brown (19, 393, 1831) of the constant movement of 

 minute particles suspended in a liquid, first detected by 

 him in the fovilla of pollen grains, and now known as the 

 Brownian (or Brunonian) movement. The heading 

 under which this note appears is of interest, ' ' The motion 

 of living particles in all kinds of matter." 



One side of botany touches agriculture and economics. 

 That side was represented even in the first volume of the 

 Journal by a study of * ' the comparative quantity of nutri- 

 tious matter which may be obtained from an acre of land 

 when cultivated with potatoes or wheat." Succeeding 

 volumes in this series likewise present phases which are 

 of special interest regarded from the point of view of 

 economics ; for example, those which treat of rotation of 

 crops and of enriching the soil. Probably the economic 

 paper which may be regarded as the most important, in 

 fact epoch-making, is the full account of the invention by 

 Appert of a method for preserving food indefinitely 

 (13, 163, 1828). We all know that Appert 's process has 

 revolutionized the preservation of foods, and in its mod- 

 ern modification underlies the vast industry of canned 

 fruits, vegetables and so on. There are suggestions, 

 also, as to the utilization of new foods, or of old foods in 

 a new way, which resemble the suggestions made in these 

 days of food conservation. For example, it is shown 

 that flour can be made from leguminous seeds by steam- 

 ing and subsequent drying, and pulverizing. There are 

 excellent hints as to the best ways of preparing and using 

 potatoes, and also for preserving them underground, 

 where they will remain good for a year or two. It is 

 shown that potato flour can be made into excellent bread. 

 Another method of making bread, namely from wood, is 

 described, but it does not seem quite so practicable. 



