No. 129.] 533 



west, and by the slope to the south a roof of glass 20 feet wide. 

 Under the glass are trellises of strained galvanized wire \ inch 

 size placed one foot from the glass, and one foot apart to which 

 the vines are trained at two feet distance from each other. The 

 heat of the cattle keeps out the frost. He is building another 

 100 feet long. The vines and plants have luxuriated. 



Raising Hyacinths. — ^Two glass vessels are used adapted to 

 each other, so tliat the flower is seen in one glass, and the roots 

 or another flower in the other, so that the Dutch and English 

 florists have exhibited double glasses, in the lower one of which 

 a hyacinth is in full bloom in water and the upper one in the air. 

 Hyacinth and Narcisses grow best in colored glasses. 



Luminous Plants. — Potatoes kept in a cellar in a growing con- 

 dition, sometimes become so luminous that one can read a book 

 by them. The Dictamnus albus, common in Germany, spreads 

 about it in dry summer evening>, an atmosphere which, on the 

 touch of flame, burns with a blue flame. Some plants emit spark- 

 ling light, such as the flower marigold, Indian cress, sunflower, 

 and the polyanthus. Some rhizomorphous plants give out a calm 

 steady light. The milky juices of some plants are very luminous. 



Respikation of Vegetables. — They imbibe perhaps as much 

 oxygen at one time as tliey part with at another, and decaying 

 plants contaminate tlie atmosphere infinitely more than they pu- 

 rify it, as is proved by growing plants in glass cases, where, al- 

 though there may be more oxygen by day, and carbonic acitl by 

 night, yet a general average is maintained. Many tribes of plants 

 also imbibe nitrogen. It is so with most of those which give out 

 a foetid odour, as the Chenopodium olidum, or stinking Guose- 

 feet — all the cabbage tribe — the toad-stools and other fangi. 



[London Farmers' Magazine, March, 1852. London Fanners' Club, Feb. 2, 1852.] 



GuANo. — The superiority of the Peruvian guano over all other 

 is now fully established. It is not likely that any other locality 

 will be discovered producing a guano of so high a value. First, 

 it must be where there are large shoals of flsh to make food for 

 the birds. Second, it must be far from the usual haunts of men, 

 or else the birds would be frightened. Thirdly, it must be on a 

 coast where rains are unknown.^ otherwise the ammonia will be 



