AunrsT 18. 18K8. 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



185 



It is the same when we use a series of circles and so 

 obviate the use of the numbers below the line. 



To represent the last named compound of nitrogen 

 and oxygen there would have to be two circles with 

 X included and five with 0, thus : — 



® ® © © © © © 



With each lettered circle the atomic weight is 

 implied though not expressed. 



Lavoisieb. 



Reference has been made above to the paper by 

 Guyton de Morveau in 1782 on chemical nomen- 

 clature. When the wealthy Lavoisier turned his 

 vivacious intellect, yearning apparently for something 

 important to do apart from politics, to the discoveries 

 of Black, Cavendish, and Priestley, he soon put 

 himself in communication with various workers. < >ne 

 day each week he threw open his laboratory, where men 

 of such active thought as Laplace. Monge, Berthollet, 

 and Fourcroy used to meet. Priestley, when in Paris, 

 told them of his discovery of dephlogisticated air. 

 Lavoisier was not long in repeating the experiment, 

 and it remains a deplorable fact for his scientific repu- 

 tation that he spoke afterwards of having made the 

 discovery about the same time as did Priestley. With 

 Guyton de Morveau he was in correspondence. 

 Everything in Paris was being " reformed " (except 

 morals). Lavoisier determined to be the reformer of 

 chemistry. His system was essentially that of 

 oxygen and its compounds. In the new nomen- 

 clature, in which De Morveau so helped him, this 

 was the leading idea. He worked hard and published 

 much, and made chemistry really a science con- 

 sistent with what was then known.* His work made 

 farther work more rapidly possible. It raised ques- 

 tions for experimenters. Though his system has 

 been so modified it may be said to be supplanted, 

 orach of the nomenclature still lingers. The 

 "reforms" in the State had passed from one 

 stage to another, till, on May 8, 1704, Uitoycn 

 Lavoisier was guillotined in accordance with the views 

 of the then rulers — " La BepuUiqut n'n pas besoin 

 ■n(s:" Seventy years later (1864) an official 

 publication of his works in four handsome quarto 

 volumes, was commenced, and in these his writings 

 can be conveniently referred to. The description of 

 app iratus and methods in use in his time is especially 

 interesting. W. 3. M. 



(To be continued.) 



Forestry. 



Notes ox the Longevity or Coniferous Tree 

 Seeds. —Loudon says European Larch seeds will not 

 germinate after they have been a few months out of 

 the cones. Our experience proves that they will ger- 

 minate perfectly well eighteen months, and passably 

 wel| thirty months, after leaving the cones. The 

 belief seems to be general that White Pine seeds 

 become rancid and will not germinate after the first 

 season. Our experience proves that they will ger- 

 minate thirty months after leaving the cones. 



I think further experience will prove that the seeds 



* In the paper describing his researches on fermentation 

 Lavoisier enunciated the principle that the weight of the 

 products of any chemical change arc equal to the sum of 

 the weights of the products taking part in that change, 

 and that hence chemical changes car, be expressed by equations. 

 The fact lies at the root of the *• new chemistry,"— new from 

 the period in which he lived as distinct from the pre-Dalton 

 period, and chemists still use equations in expressing the 

 changes. For example, calcium carbonate au.l hydrochloric 

 acid give carbon dioxide, water, and calcium chloride. The 

 equation is written thus : — 



CaCO s +2HCl = C0 2 +H., O+Ca CI. 

 since it expresses these facts. The combining weights are of 

 Ca, 40, and of C 3 [C, 12, O. U taken three times, i.e., 48], 60, 

 together 100. Then 2 H CI [H, 1, CI. 355, together 36b ; the 

 large 2 means twice this] 73. Thus the sum of the weights 

 100 and 73 is 173. Then on the other side of the equation we 

 have CO, [C 12 and O IS taken twice] II, H. O [H 1 taken 

 i trice, 2, and O. 16] 18, Ca CI, [Ca 40 CI 35-5. taken twice, 71] 

 111, and the 44, 18, and 111 together make 173. The sum of 

 the weights on each side of the equation is the same. Experi- 

 ment by weight lir-t shows what has taken place, and the 

 equation expresses it. 



of Colorado Conifers, and seeds of coniferous trees in 

 all dry climates, will preserve their vitality still 

 longer. We had a sack of Pinus ponderosa seed from 

 which we sowed five years in succession, and, to all 

 appearance, they germinate the fifth year as well as 

 first. Seeds of Pimea pungens and Pseudo-Tsuga 

 Donglasii have germinated with us, apparently, as 

 well the third year as the first. I regret that we had 

 not seeds to try the experiment longer. 



Practice has changed wonderfully during the last 

 half century in this direction, and now, instead of 

 keeping seeds in the cones, they are taken out as 

 soon as the cones are gathered and dried, yet some 

 writers on forest subjects still recommend the seeds 

 in the cones till time for sowing. But how can Fir 

 seeds be kept in the cones ? The cones fall in pieces 

 as soon as the seeds ripen. They will hold together, 

 it is true, if collected before the seeds are ripe, but 

 in that case the cones will become mouldy and injure 

 the seeds. There may be a few species of Pines 

 which will keep longer in the cones than out, such 

 as Pinus Banksiana, P. contorta and P. tuberculata, 

 which hold the hard, dry cones on the trees for many 

 years ; but these are kinds which are seldom, if ever, 

 used, and of litte value. The white and many other 

 Pines, the Sprulces and Arbor-vitais hold the cones 

 on the trees for a short time after the seeds have 

 ripened, but they shed all the seeds as. soon as they 

 are ripe, in August. September and October. I do 

 not see how the seeds can be benefited by being left 

 in the cones after they have ripened, nor how they 

 can be kept as safely in cones as in bags. 



It is fortunate for the forestry of this country that 

 seeds of forest trees can be kept for years in this 

 manner, otherwise a succession of plants could not 

 well be kept up, for forest trees do not produce seeds 

 every year, even when the seasons are favourable. 

 In the year 1884 I scanned the White Pine trees 

 closely from the head of Lake Michigan to the New 

 England coast, thence frem Rhode Island north to 

 the Canada line, thence through the Adirondack 

 Mountains, along the Black River, and into the 

 White Pine regions in Pennsylvania, and saw no trees 

 producing cones. We then sent a collector up into 

 northern Wisconsin and the Michigan peninsula, but 

 he found that the trees were not producing seeds. It is 

 often the case that when forest trees fail to produce 

 seeds in one part of the country theyare abundant in 

 another locality ; but in this case the only exceptions 

 I heard of were one locality in the Lower Provinces of 

 Canada, and the cultivated trees west of Lake Michigan. 

 What is true of the White Pine is measurably true of all 

 other forest trees, and now, when so much is written 

 on the subject of forestry, it is surprising that so 

 little is written on this branch of the subject. Even 

 if the seasons are all favourable one can hardly 

 expect a crop of White Pine seeds oltener than 

 once in three years. One year is needed tor the 

 blooming of the male and female flowers and the 

 fertilising of the embryo cones, the next year for 

 the growth of the cones and the perfecting of the 

 seeds, which draws so heavily on the vitality of the 

 trees that they require the third year to recu- 

 perate and form blossom-buds to continue the 

 blossoming the year following. Wherever I had 

 an opportunity to examine, as in New England, 

 or the Adirondacks, and in the Pine belt in 

 Pennsylvania, I found the trees all well set with 

 embryo cones, and our collector reported the same 

 for the region south of Lake Superior, and as these 

 enibryo cones were already fertilised, we were certain 

 of a crop of seeds the next autumn. Of course, new 

 seeds are safer and better than old seeds, and will 

 germinate quicker. We make it a rule to sow old 

 seeds thicker than new, and either to sow them 

 earlier, or soften them by soaking before we sow 

 them. Rohcrt Douglas, in " Garden and Forest." 



Fruits Under Glass. 



Pikes. — Plants which are colouring must receive 

 careful treatment as regards watering. They must 

 not be kept too wet, neither must they be kept too 

 dry ; these two extremes must be specially guarded 

 against this sunless season. Give ample air during 

 the process of ripening, to induce high flavour. 

 Should more fruit than is required turn in, the 

 suckers may be detached from the plants, and the 

 plants with the fruit can be removed entire to a dry, 

 cool room, where they will keep in good condition 

 for a considerable time. Most of the winter fruiters 

 will now have passed the blooming stage, and should 

 receive every enconragement to swell their fruit. 



Give them frequent waterings with weak manure. 

 This should be varied, as a plant is found to thrive 

 better on a change of diet. A little weak guano, 

 the drainings from a stable or dung-heap, with 

 occasional applications of Thomson's manure, will 

 be found to answer the purpose. Maintain a genial! 

 moist atmosphere amongst the plants by damping 

 the surface of the plunging material and paths. A 

 gentle dew from a fine-rosed syringe may be given 

 when the plants are being shut up, and a temperature 

 of 95° may be run up, when sun-heat can be 

 secured in the afternoon. When the pinery has been, 

 closed for the day the night temperature should not 

 be allowed to fall below 75°, and when the morning 

 presages a fine day, let the fires be kept at the lowest 

 point, and air should be admitted early, and in 

 small quantities, increasing with the sun's power. 

 When full air is on, the house should stand at 

 85°. Plants which are intended for special treat- 

 ment in January should now be allowed to rest by 

 keeping the temperature a little cooler and drier. 

 The plants should also receive less water at the 

 roots. The stock of successions should be kept at 

 high pressure in order to get strong plants before the 

 sun's power declines. Never was there a season 

 when shading was more necessary than the present, 

 as there has been no sunshine for several days in 

 succession and when it did appear it was generally 

 for short periods at a time. This is more injurious 

 than steady sunshine and the shade should be run 

 down whenever the sun appears, and be removed as 

 soon as it becomes obscured. 



Suckers which were recommended to be detached 

 and potted last month will be ready for a shift into a 

 size larger pots towards the end of the month, as 

 they would be likely to start prematurely if allowed to 

 remain too long in the sucker pots. Shade slightly and 

 keep a moist atmosphere to establish them. Let the 

 night temperature be kept at 75°. When firing is 

 necessary do not syringe too heavily overhead, rather 

 have recourse to damping the surface of the bed and 

 paths. 



Vines. — Vines from which the crops have all been 

 cleared may now have the top and bottom ventila- 

 tors kept open night and day. Frequently syringe 

 the interior, to keep the foliage clean and healthy. 

 In such a sunless wet season the mulching ol outside 

 borders may be dispensed with. Young Vines which 

 are to be started in January for the first time as 

 fruiters, if the wood is nice and brown, may have all 

 the lateral growths cut out to throw all the vigour 

 into the buds for next year. This should only be 

 done up to the length it is intended to fruit them, 

 which may be half or third way up the rafter, 

 where the ieader was pinched. The renewal of early- 

 Vine borders may now be undertaken where the 

 Grapes have been cut, or are perfectly ripe, as this 

 will give the Vines ample time to make fresh roots, 

 while the foliage is still healthy and vigorous. 

 Commence 6 feet from the front wall of the vinery, 

 by raking out a trench sufficiently wide to allow for 

 proper working. Prick out all the soil from the 

 roots, being careful not to damage them more than 

 can be helped. When all the soil has been removed, 

 the drainage must be overhauled to see that it is in 

 proper condition. Any defects here must be remedied, 

 else all subsequent operations will be in a great 

 measure nullified. If the soil to be nsed is of a heavy 

 character, a depth of 2 feet 9 inches will be enough' 

 for an outside border, but if of a light, porous nature, 

 then 3.V feet may be allowed, but roots at such 

 a depth'as this are not such feeders of the Vine as 

 those which are closer to the surface, and in contact 

 with the air. When all is in readiness, commence to 

 fill in the border by placing a layer of turf, grass-side 

 down, and proceed to fill up the border. The roots 

 should be laid out evenly over the surface, which has 

 been made sufficiently firm by treading at a foot from 

 the surface. A mulch of dry straw or a rough 

 litter should be put over the top to retain the 

 warmth in the border, but the temperature should 

 not exceed 85°. The Vines will be all the better 

 for a shade placed over the glass and frequent 

 syringing during the process. 



" When the Grapes are ripe the temperature must 

 be kept cool, but a little heat in the pipes should be 

 given during dull wet weather. This season late 

 Grapes will have to be largely ripened by means of 

 fire-heat, as on manv davs there is no sun to assist 

 them. Endeavour "to get all late Grapes pushed 

 forward this month, as they do not make rapid pro- 

 gress after the middle of September. Assist them 

 with weak manure where it is necessary to water the 

 borders. Pinch out lateral growths before they rob 

 the Vine of any virtue which should be transmitted 

 to the fruit. W. M. Baillie, Luton Hon. 



