48 Experiments on Plants in Charcoal. 



goniums and roses we also noticed, and a variety of mis- 

 cellaneous plants. 



In the open garden the lateness of the season had effaced 

 its greatest beauty. The cool nights had destroyed the 

 brilliancy of the verbenas, petunias, roses, &c., and we 

 only regretted that our visit had not been earlier or later, 

 that we might have seen the attractions of the garden, or 

 the still greater splendor of the green-house. 



(To he continued.) 



Art. II. Experiments on the Cultivation of Plu7its in 

 Charcoal. By J. E. Teschemacher. 



I PERCEIVE in the horticultural papers received by the 

 last steamship, that there is an animated discussion on the 

 value of charcoal in liorticuliure, and that Mr. Robert 

 Rigg, an excellent chemist, has proceeded so far as to 

 publish a book, with the extraordinary assertion that car- 

 bon is a compound body made of plants. Assent to this 

 proposition cannot of course be expected from chemistry, 

 in its present state ; but we do not know to what strange 

 discoveries the searching inquisitiveness into the laws of 

 nature, of the present age, may lead. 



Having made various experiments on the action of char- 

 coal, for the last two years, I have concluded to add my 

 share to the discussion. 



The first view I took of the value of charcoal in horti- 

 culture, arose from the arguments on the different powers 

 of well rotted and of fresh manure ; my prejudice from 

 constant practice being rather in favor of the former. And 

 one of my imaginary reasons for this prejudice, (for proof 

 was not to be expected,) was that the carbon of the vege- 

 table part of the old manure was reduced by fermentation 

 and complete decomposition {combustion, Lieblg) to the 

 finest possible state of comminution, such as is totally im- 

 possible to imitate by the most laborious mechanical pul- 

 verization. In this finest of all states, carbon, if used at 

 all by the living vegetable, could be most easily appro- 

 priated. My experiments were, therefore, all made with 



