132 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Mar. 2, 



tildes of the spores of Fungi floating in the air, after a 

 great Fungus season, which induced a diseased action of 

 the lungs; still the numerous facts which have been 

 brought forward of the effect which these bodies produce 

 on animal tissues even of the higher tribes, seem at least 

 to intimate that their effects, even as regards the human 

 fcame, may be of more importance than is generally 



suspected. 



Tneir effects on plants are too evident to be denied, 

 however difficult it may be in many cases to understand 

 the phenomena which are presented to our notice. The 

 contemporaneous but independent discoveries, however, 

 of Leveilh' J'.nd Corda as to the penetration of the myce- 

 lium of the Fungi, which produce rust and mildew, into 

 the tissue of the plants, and its presence in those tissues 

 before the actual appearance of the Fungus externally 

 (discoveries which were in part anticipated, perhaps, by 

 Dutrochet in his M Observations on Moulds," and by Bal- 

 samo as regards Botrytis nivea, Martins, a species which 

 originates beneath the cuticle of the common Shepherd's- 

 purse, but finds its way through the stomata without 

 bursting the outer integument), have removed some of 

 the difficulties which are connected with the subject, and 

 will doubtless lead to a more accurate knowledge than at 

 present exists respecting it. These phenomena are 

 indeed in some cases so puzzling, that Hartig in the case 

 of those Fungi which prey upon the woody fibre, and 



Unger as regards those which are more connected with 

 the softer cellular tissues, have considered them, in 

 accordance with the notions so prevalent with German 

 Botanists as to the production of the lower orders of 

 plants and animals, as absolute transformations of such 

 tissues; an opinion exactly parallel to that of Dutrochet 

 on the development of the globules of milk into a mould, 

 and of Balsamo of the transformation of the particles of 

 the fatty substance of caterpillars into the B otrytis. 



We shall have occasion hereafter to advert to the 

 opinions of M. Unger, which the discoveries of Corda and 

 Leveille have shown to have been put forward with a very 

 imperfect knowledge — doubtless from want of a good 

 modern microscope — of the real structure of the produc- 

 tions he was considering. The importance, indeed, of 

 these discoveries cannot well be overrated, not only as 

 regards the questions which arise of a more purely 

 scientific nature, but in all considerations of the mode in 

 which plants are attacked by parasitic Fungi, and the 

 remedies which may be adopted against them. It is far 

 from improbable that Unger may be again induced to 

 take up the subject, and if so, we may be sure that it will 

 not be without some interesting results, for it is very far 

 from being exhausted. Within the last few weeks Dr. 

 Montague informs me that he has made some observations 

 on the development of the spores, which bid fair to be 

 of much importance. Of these a slight intimation has 



been given in the 

 last Number of 

 Naturelle." 

 published. 



It 

 diseases 



e article Cryptogamie, published in the 

 the M Dictionnaire Universel d'Histoir. 



A fuller version will, I doubt not, soon be 





is proposed, as part of a series of papers on the 

 les of plants, to give as far as possible in a popular 

 form, accompanied occasionally by illustrations, an account 

 of those maladies which arise from the influence of Fungi 

 This will, I hope, prove so far interesting, as to elicit 

 many important observations from practical persons 

 whose attention perhaps may not have been called closely 

 to the subject, and remove from some minds the pre- 

 judices which have so long prevailed respecting the origin 

 of these diseases. I cannot make any pretensions ta 

 novelty or original research, but the object in view will be 

 to point attention to such points as may be most likely to 

 instruct and interest. 



The most convenient course will be, with a view to 

 avoid unnecessary repetition, to take the noxious Fungi 

 in systematic order, commencing, however, with those 

 which arc lowest in the scale, though in this point of view 

 the most important. I shall, however, first state briefly 

 the effect on plants of other cryptogamie productions 

 which would perhaps not easily be included in any other 

 division of the series ; and then, as prefatory to the main 

 subject, give a very concise sketch of that class which is 

 to occupy principally our attention. — M. J. Berkeley. 



PLAN OF WARMING A PINERY AND PITS, BY HOT WATER FLOWING IN GUTTERS; 



Without any Fermenting Substance being used. 

 As Executed by Mr. FOSTER, Gardener to the VISCOUNT DOWNE, Btv.MVCBaoucn Hall, near York. 







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PLAN SHOWING THE ^GUTTERS IN THE PINERY AND PITS. 



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PLAN OF PITS. 



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Explanation of Plan $ Section ~ 



AAA Gutters 6 in. wide and 19 

 in. deep, built of brick lined 

 with Roman cement, to warm 

 the air of the house, also to 

 moisten the atmosphere when 

 required, by removing the slate 

 covers. 



BBB Gutters upon which the 

 Pines are planted without pots ; 

 they have also 4-in. upright 

 pot- pipes, with movable plugs, 

 for steaming, marked C on 

 the Plan, All the gutters are 

 covered with thin blue slates 

 steam tight. This house having 

 been erected late in theautumn, 

 there is sufficient moisture 

 without removing any slates 

 or plugs. 



DDD Concrete, without lime, 

 to allow the heat to pass 

 into the earth above. 



EEE Valves to the pits, now 

 open, showing Nos. 1 and 2 

 being heated. 



FFF Valves, now shut, shewing 

 Nos. 3 and 4 not being heated. 



GG Stones into which the iron 

 pipes are fitted, with flanges, 

 water-ti^ht. 



PLAN OF PINERY, showing the situation of 6o Pines placed above the Gutters ; also the Plugs for steam. 



Referevcbs.— The heat at the roots of the plants 6 inches below the surface of the pit is 95°. The heat of the air of the house from three cutters, without any flue is ^,». ~~ 

 Of the Pines placed m the house, some had shown fruit, sort.e were showing, and others not | of those that had shown I neve? si w am- make s i^ the season ; 



those that have shown since planted have come up remarkably strong; those plants that have not shown have maite »^ 



from 60° to 65' 



