THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



181 



but it is different with all the higher 

 plants. Seeds soaked in a solution of 

 arsenic will not germinate, and buds to 

 which it has been freely applied will 

 not expand, while the roots and young 

 shoots of plants immersed in it perish. 

 It lias been stated in the pages of the 

 Horticulturist, I think, that only the 

 leaves of the potato can be destroyed 

 or the petals of the apple blossom, 

 while the tubers in the one case, and 

 the fruit in the other, remain unscathed. 

 But this is only partially true, and 

 what truth there is de{)ends entirely 

 upon the circumstances of the applica- 

 tion. The metal arsenic is insoluble in 

 water, and so long as it remains insol- 

 uble it very likely would be harmless 

 to plants. But it is freely soluble in 

 the alkalies, potash, soda, and ammonia, 

 lime and other earths, as well as acids 

 resulting from decomposition of vege- 

 table matter ; all of which are more or 

 less abundantly found in every variety 

 of soil, and so soon as it is reduced to 

 tlie solvent condition it is then readily 

 taken up by the roots of plants, especi- 

 ally by those of the coarser vegetables, 

 the potato, cai*rot, paranip, etc. Simi- 

 larly, also, in applying solutions of Paris 

 green to the apple blossom, it is not 

 only tliat the petals are destroyed, and 

 this itself may be no small matter, but 

 the poison may be absorbed by the 

 fruit, or find its way into the ovary by 

 the pistils, and in this way, if no greater 

 mischief results, those who have a fancy 

 for chewing the seeds of the apple may 

 some day find themselves attacked with 

 S3'mpton)S of arsenical poisoning. 



Thei'e are other sources of danger 

 besides, such as the contamination of 

 drinking water, in wells, springs, 

 streams, etc. But I fear that I have 

 already occupied too mucli of your 

 limited space, and therefore will not 

 pui'sue the subject any further at pres- 

 ent. ■ Yours truly, C. 



Durham, June, 1887. 



iPloluers. 



CARE AND CULTIVATION OF LILIES. 



BY HERMANN SIMMERS, TORONTO, OXT. 



(?y"i^ the last issue of the Horticultur- 

 ■^X^i ist the subject of the principal 

 ^^ finer varieties of Lilies was 

 S[)oken of. There are many other 

 varieties much more beaxitiful than 



LILTUM TENUIFOLIUM. 



those mentioned which I could write 

 about, but they would be useless to 

 the amateur, as I have frequently ex- 

 perimented with them and have found 

 them unsuccessful, not only in winter- 

 ing them, but also in persuading them 

 to flower, even with the greatest care. 

 If any amateur would like a description 

 of any varieties that I may not mention 

 I would cheerfully answer any such 

 questions through the columns of the 

 Horticulturist. By far the most genei-al- 



