22S General Notices. 



tlie spruce forests disappear, and the prevailing trees are oaks, which 

 towards the south become gradually less abundant. — [Botany of the Voyage 

 o/H. M. Ship Sulphur, in Card. Chron. 1844, js. 70, 71.) 



Condensation of Carbonic Acid by Charcoal. — The cells of wood-char- 

 coal have a diameter of about 1-2400 of an inch, and if a cubic inch 

 consisted entirely of cells, their united surface would have amounted to 

 100 square feet. By experiment, it can be shown that the cells constitute 

 5-8ths of the whole cubic contents of the charcoal ; and allowing for the 

 space occupied by the charcoal, the actual surface of the cells will be 

 about 73 square feet. When charcoal is plunged into carbonic acid gas, 

 it absorbs into its cells not less than 56 times their cubic contents at the 

 ordinary temperature and pressure, and consequently the gas is condensed 

 to 56 atmospheres. But according to the experiments of Addami, car- 

 bonic acid liquifies under a pressure of 36.7 atmospheres, and we are 

 hence compelled to conclude that above one third of the carbonic acid 

 which is condensed on the walls of the cells is in the liquid state. — Poly- 

 technic Mag., in Card. Chron. 1844, p. 71.) 



How to preserve the vitality of Seeds in long Voyages. — Bottles carefully 

 sealed, and thick brown paper packages are generally employed for their 

 preservation of seeds, and are kept in a cool and well aired room. But 

 although this preserves them very well from insects, yet the advantage 

 does not appear to extend farther. In the beginning of May, 1843, Mr. 

 McGall was induced, from the evenness of the temperature there, to put 

 a bottle of onion seed, carefully sealed, which had arrived at Bermuda from 

 Madeira, in the beginning of February, into the bottom of a cistern of rain 

 water five feet below the surface of the earth. The cistern was cased with 

 roman cement, and had a free circulation of air above the cement, about 

 seven feet from the bottom. On the first November, about the usual time 

 of sowing, this bottle was taken out, and its contents sown, together wiUi 

 those of four other bottles of the same package, which had been kept in a 

 cool warehouse during the summer, and of three others. In all cases the 

 seed came up more or less ; that in some of the bottles to tlie extent of 

 about a fifth part, others of about a tenth, but in some scarcely at all. 

 The seed, however, Avhich had been kept under water, came up regularly, 

 and four or five days sooner than the others ; the plants were strong, and 

 not more than a fifth part of the seed failed. The seed in tliree of the 

 bottles looked pale when opened, and several seeds were chipped or 

 broken ; the fourth bottle, in comparison with that taken out of tlie water, 

 seemed equally fresh, though very few seeds sprung. It is no doubt pos- 

 sible tliat some of the seed was not good when first imported ; but be that 

 as it may, the seed kept under water came up as quickly as new seed. 



This is a new, and we think an important fact ; because, if further ex- 

 periments confirm Mr. McGall's experience, it may possibly be found that 

 the best plan for seeds on board ships bound to distant countries is, as 

 Col. Reid has suggested to us, in bottles plunged in ships' tanks, where 

 they may be exposed to a more uniform temperature than can be other- 

 wise secured. This information is worthy of consideration by importers 

 of seeds.— [Card. Chron. 1844, p. 83.) 



To grow Campamda p^p-amidalis. — I either sow the seeds, or pot cut- 

 tings from the old roots, in leaf mould and sandy peat ; as soon as they are 

 strong enough I pot them off into 60-sized pots, (our No. 1 ,) regularly shift- 

 ing them into larger sizes, as the plants require them. When tliey have 



