On iJie Excretory Functions of Plants. 229 



rugged slovenly paths, such as would disgrace our common 

 farmer's gardens. Nothing, however, can be more beautiful than 

 the view of Paris and its environs from the higher parts of Pere la 

 Chaise; and some of the tombs individually are exceedingly im- 

 posing and grand. How much it is to be regretted that a finish 

 is not given to this interesting place by removing and thinning 

 the overgrown and crowded trees, and planting others more 

 appropriate ; filling up the hollow paths, and giving some of 

 them a fresh direction ! In short, it ought to be under the 

 management of a committee of taste, rather than left to indivi- 

 dual caprice. 



Calverfs 'Nursery at Bouen. — From Paris I returned by 

 Rouen to Dieppe. This makes a pleasant variation ; for the 

 roads from the coast to Paris are all dull and uninteresting. 

 My object in visiting Rouen was to look at the nurseries of the 

 rose-growers there, more particularly at that of Calvert, about 

 which some little controversy took place some months since in 

 your Magazine. Mr. Calvert was not to be found ; but one of 

 his workmen walked round with me — not to show me roses, how- 

 ever, for there were none to show, and a bill was up at the gate, 

 " To be let; " indeed, the place seemed to want a fresh tenant, 

 for it looked desolate enough. Mr. Calvert, jun., who speaks 

 broken English with great volubility, said that his father was 

 going to leave for England, and that he intended commencing a 

 nursery near London. I believe that he is now agent for the 

 purchase of carriages in England for Louis-Philippe and the 

 royal family of France ; but has met with a great misfortune in 

 the transit of one, which, for a time, has clouded his prospects. 



Sawbridgewor/h Nursety, April 4. 1836. 



Art. II. On the Excretory Functions of Plants. By Judge Buel. 



I HAVE read with much interest an account of some experiments 

 relative to the excretory habits of plants, and can readily believe 

 that they throw off those portions of their sap, or those matters 

 that are taken up by their roots, which are not suited to their 

 wants ; yet I cannot subscribe to the deductions which have been 

 drawn from this discovery in reference to agriculture; though 

 these opinions are sanctioned by De Candolle, and seemingly 

 adopted by Roget, in his Bridgcwater Treatise. The deduction 

 is, that plants of the same species cannot be grown successively, 

 and successfully, in the same soil, 07i account of the noxious or 

 ■poisonous excrementitious matters "dohich are deposited there by the 

 Jirst crop. I think this an error, and that we have abundant 

 facts in the New World to disprove the hypothesis. 



