244 



THE GARDENERS* CHRONICLE 



portions 

 certainly 

 fully ref 

 small 



These experiments are their roots were in the good soil, but which when 



nuiuuer oi sans wuicii weie eiupjuycu, *» -a 



difficult to attempt to draw any general conclusion 

 from them. As far, however, as they go, they serve 

 to indicate that the salts of the alkalies are more 

 readily absorbed than those of the earths, such as 

 lime; and also that the compounds containing 

 muriatic acid are more freely taken up than those 

 containing other acids. 



In experiments of this sort it is necessary to select 

 •uch salts as cannot in any way react chemically on 

 each other, giving rise to what is termed double de- 

 composition, as in that case the results of necessity 



•value. 



compncaieu, anu ui comparatively nine 



In some of the cases described by Saussure, 

 mis cannot possibly take place ; thus, for example, 

 he found that when a solution containing equal 

 parts of muriate of soda and sulphate of soda was 

 used, the plant, in the time that it absorbed seven 

 grains of the sulphate, had taken up 20 grains (or 

 nearly three times as much) of the muriate. This 

 is a remarkable fact ; because neither whilst in 



state 



way act on each other; it is plain, therefore, that 

 the difference, which is considerable enough, must 

 be chiefly traced to the muriatic acid. The same 

 general result was also obtained on comparing 

 together the muriate and sulphate of potash ; whilst 

 the roots absorbed 10 grains of the latter salt, they 

 took up 17 of the former; in this case also, there- 

 fore, the effect of the muriatic acid was that of 

 causing the plant to take up more of the alkaline 

 base. The interest of these experiments is still 

 further increased by the fact that when the points 

 of the roots were cut off, the effect in question 

 ceased altogether, the distinction between the two 

 salts no longer existed, and they were then both 

 absorbed in precisely the same proportion. These 

 facts have been attempted to be explained in the 

 supposition that the various saline substances render 

 the water more or less viscid, or at least to a slight 

 degree impair its fluidity ; an explanation certainly 

 not altogether satisfactory, because if such were the 

 case, the same effect would be observed on filtering 

 •dine solutions through ordinary filters, made of 

 fine blotting paper, whilst- i« r**KHr «~ ~-a juie— 

 ences can be discovered. 



Lucy hum mticaacu tu <% Certain oi£c, <*uu. nau nicie- 



fore pushed their roots beyond the limits of that 

 soil, immediately became unhealthy, and soon died. 

 Direct experiments, also, in which various poisonous 

 matters have been imbedded in the soil, in the im- 

 mediate course of the roots, have proved the same 

 fact ; the roots continued to grow, just as though the 

 poisons were not placed before them, and did not 

 cease growing until they absolutely came in contact 

 with the deleterious matter. 



The consideration of these facts, aided by further 

 experiments, might probably lead to valuable infor- 

 mation respecting the use of certain manures, and 

 the effects of particular substances, such as the 

 superphosphate of lime, on the formation of roots. 

 If plants absorb the various substances presented to 

 them, whether hurtful or beneficial to their growth, 

 with such different degrees of facility, and if par- 

 ticular substances in the first instance act by causing 

 an increased development of roots, it becomes a 

 question of some interest to determine what rela- 

 tion exists between the absorption of different 

 forms of the same substance, all of which are more 

 or less favourable to the growth of plants, and the 



*£C*~t~ —^— J._ - _ J - „ j 1_ - M : i • *• • Tin . * 



Imperial Pleasure GiS? GL EaNivT 

 or pleasure gardens wJ&^The ^ 

 distance from c* *-. . cft We for rt,. n^J** 



magnificent or worthy T^ ■* 5 

 capital itself. Two ^ tT^ Z 



ice. 



the public are 



«** 



called by a name signifybiV* «S*4. £* 

 eicht. mil«. a. — o. *k y m 5 the can-*. -.-n *«k 



* 



eight miles from St PetwS I ^'"W 

 On the way there is at2" ff^'c 

 fine collects of portraits ofifA^? 

 m Europe, in the year 775 the ^ !R 

 Tsarskoe-Selo can be «£, t * 



of its magnificent golden^m^ ■ «W 



by Catharine, embellished b T E Il?***S 

 marknblefnr ta; mm • ■>. Wizabeth -j-* 



^ 



tecture; the most preciou suW ^^ 

 particular, have been lavishk Z "i" T> ■ 

 jn the interior, a magnXn^fe*^ 

 three halls, ornamented reswcX ^^ 

 pearl, amber, and Chinese la? ^ Wlth 



ii a ft den ?> wh *h were re 



i 



t 



pla 



Wh 



The absorption of saline substances by plants 

 vanes considerably even between individual plants 

 of the same species, evidently depending on some 

 special condition, not indicated by the circumstances 

 of the experiment; but it likewise varies verv 

 greatly between plants belonging to different species. 

 Ihe observations of Saussure, and also the more 

 recent experiments of Daubeny, seem to show prettv 



Z Y ,* f ♦L 18 P ° Wer -° f abso; P ti011 is quite S 

 £T* 0f < 1 6 Ve ^ tion of «* Plant, and that it 

 oes not follow, either that the substance most 



tfe ^r he <t fl h 1 Which is most beneficiS to 

 the plant, so that the latter will retain in its system 



that substance which it most freelv absorbs! I™ 

 feet it comes to this, that though plants absorb 



Jaciiitjr, yet it does not appear that ih* v J» « ;« 

 any 



-w* ^«««.^ 1V) bft«uu ooiv- ui ^/iiv/o^/iivii^ av/iu Willi;!* 15 



most soluble in water is also the one most abun- 

 dantly absorbed by plants ; and further, whether 

 the compound of that acid most freely taken up, 

 produces the greatest effects in increasing the forma- 

 tion of roots. The facts recently brought to light 

 with regard to the absorption of ammonia, and the 

 decomposition of the various salts of that substance 

 by the soil, seein to explain why those salts for 

 the most part act in so uniform a manner on grow- 

 ing plants, very little more benefit being produced 

 by the use of the phosphate or nitrate as manure, 

 than by that of the sulphate or muriate. We have 

 long been convinced, from the results of a great 

 number of experiments on the use of saline manures, 

 that the salts employed in many cases undergo 

 important chemical changes, either in the soil or 

 in the organs of the plants themselves, after the 

 absorption of the salts. 



The presence of alkaline nitrates in plants will 

 serve as an illustration of the matter to which we 

 refer. It is well known that under certain circum- 



jxtent, 





surprised 



fn~ t? • 0I mar b[ e, artificial l»u 



mg Russian mountains, Turkish ^ 



pyramids, obelisks, a Chi™*. !m.J 



,n *% fc 



commeaofci 







stances, a considerable number of plants contain a 

 notable quantity .of nitre, which may not only be 

 detected in them by chemical tests, but likewise 

 is plainly evident on burning the dry leaves ; they 

 hiss and sparkle like touch-paper. This is the case 

 with a great number of plants, but Tobacco, Lettuce 

 bunflowers, Borage, Carrot, and Potato are generally 

 referred to ; they do not, however, always contain 

 nitre, and the exact kind of soil, or other conditions 

 requisite, are not well known. Even in the same 

 soil, and growing side by side, two similar plants 

 may be gathered, the one containing nitre, the other 





none. 



plants, were considered to prove that S,? 



SI tST Z ^ LZ ^th?Sg h oTby a 

 the roots, hurtful and unnecessary substances • hnt 



S^JUS? quite dki7aci fromTe '-£ 



to S s e oSr on na and t°lf ^ T dit !° DS m ° St faV0 ^ble 

 fete tha? *W ^ he CX ? Ct P rfnci Ples which regu- 



iaie mat absorption, are in fact «tfn t~ v. • s ,- 

 gated. Practically, however though lr,A 'T^' 

 circumstances the . rooTrf \ S * nde \ ord }™ry 

 the substances presented to & ■ S6em to a > sorb 

 their chemical and phvsical nron^ pro P,? rtio ? to 

 in the ratio of their $1^?% T ^„ th ™ 

 has well shown, there is .JSi ^h™™ 1 ',*™?™ 

 consideration 





Even stronger cases still are on record, for 

 it has been found that plants purposely manured 

 with mtre contained none of that salt, though there 

 is little doubt that they must have absorbed a 

 portion of it from the surrounding soil ; whilst 

 other plants which were manured with some salt 

 containing no nitric acid, such as common salt, or 

 sulphate of soda, did contain nitric acid. Perhaps 

 the most curious case of all, is the presence of 

 nitrates in plants which have been manured with 

 sulphate or muriate of ammonia ; in such instances, 

 the nitric acid must be derived from the oxidation 

 of the ammonia probably in the soil previous to its 

 absorption by the plants, but possibly after it has 

 been so absorbed. Whether or not this may be the 



Ztl \ 1S P r Uy CCTta ? n that the salt of ammonia 

 Se aetfl 6 f 7 P reviousl y decomposed, either by 

 the action of lime or some other powerful base 

 which took fro mjt the sulphnrico rmuriati^ ^acid!' 



We understand that some of the growers of Pelar- 

 goniums complain that the prize" offered by the 

 Horticultural Society are not sufficient to defray 

 their expenses. Upon this we may remark that the 

 S" *? B* 'J* the «™ - were offered ft 



.,. J 8 ' ob fbsks, a Chinese villageTtl^ 

 with a fine collection of horned animaS fcjS> 

 and other objects of a simUar 80rt S« k 

 throughout the grounds, with a profuit^ 

 imperial ; and, as if to render the STL" ^ 

 complete, there is a little town tc to 



conquest of Tanrida, and a charmit,, „„»„, 

 invaluable statues. 6 ^ ■"* 



The houses in the kitchen garden oecapv*-. 

 yards of ground covered with fruit trees whilst 

 but not yet thoroughly acclimatised : these - 

 all covered over in the bad season. 



The flower garden, separated from the d!m» 

 grounds by the walk which leads to the afe 

 irregular in form ; it is under the care of If. MaU* 

 a pupil of M. Silvin, a French gardener, celebtej t 

 his Roses. At the time of our visit, the coDeetn 

 flowers was fine and beautiful. 



The houses are lined with Fuchsias and P |«U 

 capensis ; the latter plant, with its numerous uxl t* 

 tiful blue flowers, has a remarkably fine eht;L 

 Markevark uses it for decorating the palace ; Me 

 the flowers are expanded, 10 or 12 stems are m d 

 placed in a pot, where they take root, and in ta (hi 

 fortnight there is a beautiful head of flowere. 



The largest plants in the greenhouses are the Im 

 nobilis, the stem and crown of which vill vtObc 

 comparison with the best Orange trees at VenA 

 Ixora, the rival of Hydrangea, for its brilliant ok 

 colour, and Gardenia, which is grown in tie sp 

 earth ; all these plants attain a considerable size. 



Lastly, we may remark, as deserring noinfc 

 collection of old Roses, en quenmilk, four or fin ;ii 

 in height, and worked for the most part by cleftpij 

 close to the ground, and on stocks a little sotele 

 our wild stocks. Masson's Report. 



BRITISH SONG BIRDS. 



(Cage Bieds, No. 10.) 



No. XXVI. — When you remove your n 

 the purpose of bringing them up by hand, ■*"■ 

 take the nest with them. They are usedtoitj«» 

 the short time they will remain in it (being ap|J 

 old when you take them away), it will ""fj: 

 enough for your purpose. Remember and beW 

 vour vounp charge : for vou stand towards »»■» 



Wherever there are birds, there 



cents in loco parentis. «.-: 



— " iost assBiwlP 



ice. it is next to an unpuson/ility to *^ 



pests out, and thev poison all they touch. **~ 

 - - UL *- . «nm«>v of the rooo ,» 



be mice. 



impossi 



w „^* ^,.w* v , » ^j narrowly , # - - 



whenever you see a hole, nail over i 



zinc. 



themsel 



So cunnine are these vermin 



that they 



Jk* 



actually iouna wiem i 

 They have raised the 



% 1 1 * i , 1 



the food 



tb* 



tuny ensconced 

 back was ta»«i- 

 their I* * 



sorption of n»fiir«;"T*"f*T |W1 ' ulIlliy on tne ab " y6ar; f nd ^ ut one P erson then complained of th« 



namely? the development and ""*%" X pknts > IZT\' ^V* 7 ^ erence is that th^mberof 

 That excellent n&?L!^ JF °. wtl ? of th ? roots, fe? I* b f e r show » this year in A and B i s i 2 Ld 



sown so that tllr!!™' 1 * vuuu Uiai WDen seeds were 



the direction of the S soil ' S' 7 ^f «"* in 

 as soon as they enteric *. I^Z^f ^7 

 remark that the re are limits tolhtpCTndTh 5 

 the roots of plants continue to crow and Sli ' 

 even thongh by so doing thev nLffiL . a ° V -i 

 into one whic/is absol^pSnoT U^ it 



a good superficial soil, which flonrishJL Vl!!- n 



9 instead of 6. 



hJl* Sh ? Uld not have ima gined that this would 

 have made any material addition to the coTt of 

 transport, and the small addition would we should 



fThv s » isir js jh c ^i d 



hardly need tell my readers what was "**,,,# 

 so discovered. Suffice it to say that they ■»«" . 

 and that I myself personated the witnesses, j««^ 



and — executioner. , abrtefa** 



We will now turn our attention to tne °^^ 



canaries in Cages. This is a study, not ont) ^^ 



fin to speak, but very instructive,— tor } ok p 



Iheir' teens in particular. jT^f^ 



* 



particular. ii "" , i^o* 



learn many !««*«*£» 



fnr Ivir 4i^ ^ 1 ," V1C ^^"Compensated Knowing. J^un many » «^ ^^.nfftnifl* 



and Li* re g Qla t'on, under which nurserymen consideration of the domestic economj ^f am 



andpnvate growers exhibit indenendentlv n7S me to "think :» and such thoughts hare 



smallest «*» t «u.«i, w^^-- 



teaches us, if we be apt scholar 



knowing. Full many a 



prove profitable 



and private growers ^mQ^^TTli 



, much ***L 





In a pair of canaries, well mwcu , ^ 

 ioh tn ftilmJre. from the very time i^ ^ ^ ^ 



i 



There will be between tnem u«v — - &s3 entiv» - 



medals U^i^fiT^S? ^^ l ° S e l«e voice - No P uUin S tW ° "fti £****£ 

 expense to which thev maX^ at M *™ nts there ^Lll^^i 



incurred in Crtl? 7 ^ PUt bl * ond what was faring of malice. The sun **«^£ 0o^ * 



wrath 



dark 



