Experiments on Plants iji Charcoal. 49 



finest pulverised wood charcoal I could procure, such as is 

 used in making gunpowder : 



1st. I planted a young, thrifty plant of Daphne odora in 

 this charcoal altogether ; in 12 months it was alive, the 

 leaves quite yellow. On examining the roots they had not 

 in the least increased or altered. I then repotted it in loam 

 with one quarter charcoal and watered with a very weak 

 solution of nitrate of soda ; in four weeks the leaves had 

 become of a dark blackish green, and the plant was be- 

 ginning to push vigorously. 



2d. I planted a fine root of Fuchsia fiilgens, with a stem, 

 in charcoal alone. It immediately began to vegetate ; the 

 leaves were, however, extremely diminutive and soon 

 dropped off; the flowers appeared also diminutive and 

 finally dropped off likewise just after opening. It then, with 

 the others, went to rest ; but to my surprise, in August it 

 again began to vegetate and went precisely through the 

 same process as in spring — others \vhich were by its 

 side remaining dormant — after this it went again to rest. 



3d. I potted several seedling camellias in one quarter 

 charcoal, one quarter old manure, one half loam ; these 

 grew with great luxuriance, and the color of the foliage 

 was dark, healthy green. 



4th. I potted several young pelargoniums with various 

 quantities of charcoal, never exceeding one quarter, often 

 very much less. In these the effect was the same, both 

 coming very near to the luxuriance and size of foliage of 

 those treated with Guano. 



In August last, I made up my mind to re-pot and top 

 dress a large number of exotic plants, of various kinds, 

 many of which were in a bad state from neglect ; of these 

 the chief number were camellias. I made up a compost, 

 consisting of about two thirds Roxbury fresh loam, and 

 one third a compost, chiefly consisting of old manure ; to 

 this I added about one fortieth part of charcoal, and had 

 the whole very carefully and intimately mixed ; with this I 

 operated. In September, when I thought the earth had 

 got well settled round the roots, I began to water, every 

 Saturday, with water in which Guano had been mixed, in 

 the quantity of about one ounce to ten gallons. 



I was perfectly astonished at the alteration which ap- 

 peared in about four weeks, in the general health of all the 

 plants — it seemed to me like magic : and many who visited 



VOL. X. — NO. II. 7 



