194 Miscellanies, 



made in the day time, and that the result might be different in the 

 night, the following trials were made. 



Plants of Euphorbia, Mercurialis, Senecio, Sonchus, and Cabbage, 

 were placed, in the morning, in a large vase into which chloride of 

 lime was introduced. The roots of the plants were immersed out- 

 side the vase. The quantity of chlorine disengaged was far from be- 

 ing sufficient to affect the vegetable tissue. In the evening the plants 

 had not suffered, and the odor of the chlorine was natural. The 

 same plants, without any addition whatever to the chlorine, were all 

 faded the next morning, after having passed the night in the chlo^ 

 rine, except the cabbage, which had resisted its action. The odor 

 of the chlorine had disappeared, and in the room of it, a disagreeable 

 acid odor was manifest. The experiment was several times repeat- 

 ed, with an increased quantity of chlorine, and with the same result ; 

 and the plants which during the day supported a strong atmosphere 

 of chlorine, were always v^dthered in the night by a smaller dose. 



Nitric Acid. — With the vapor of nitric acid, introduced in the 

 evening, the plants were found withered in the morning, some of the 

 leaves being browned by the action of the acid. When the experi- 

 ment was commenced in the morning, although some of the leaves 

 were browned, the others were not withered. 



JViirous acid gas. — Appeared to be a violent poison to plants, 

 and killed them in the night by very small doses. Nevertheless, by 

 day they were not sensibly altered, though the disengagement of gas 

 was abundant. 



Sulphuretted hydrogen. — The same result precisely. Plants left 

 in it during the night were all withered in the morning, although they 

 were not in the least altered in the light. 



Muriatic acid gas. — The same results. The plants do not perish 

 by day, even when there is gas enough to brown one or two of the 

 leaves. They are entirely dead in the morning, leaving the peculiar 

 odor before mentioned. Cabbage is still an exception. 



It appears then, that several gases are injurious to vegetation, but 

 that their action is exerted only in the absence of light, as M. De 

 Candolle had foreseen. — Idem. 



5. On the Distillation of Bread. — Finding it announced in the 

 English Journals, that alcohol is distilled from bread during the bak- 

 ing, and may be collected by condensing the vapor, M. Lejeune 

 and B. Moneuse were induced to repeat the experiment. Having 



