HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF LONDOV. 



343 



muriatic acid diminished the increase in weight by 27 parts, but 

 in darkness by 282 parts, thus making those in light appear to 

 increase the most. A similar effect in various degrees was caused 

 by dilute solutions of phosphate of soda, muriate of soda, carbo- 

 nate of soda, sulphate of magnesia, carbonate of ammonia, and 

 pure water, in all of which agents seeds increased most rapidly in 

 the dark ; whilst of those in solutions of nitrate of soda, sulphate 

 of soda, muriate of ammonia and muriatic acid, those in the light 

 increased most rapidly. It was evident however, that this rapi- 

 dity of swelling was quite independent of subsequent growth, for 

 those which increased most rapidly at first soon stopped, and but 

 few grew particularly well. Other beans were made to germi- 

 nate in water, then planted in ordinary earth, and watered with 

 dilute solutions of various salts, so that each plant received one 

 grain of salt per day ; great differences were observed in the 

 effects produced by different salts, such as nitrate of potash or 

 soda, sulphate of magnesia, phosphate of soda, common salt, &c. 

 according to the age of the plant ; checking the growth of the 

 pLnts when they were young but increasing their vigour when 

 old or full grown. It was evident that the effect of some salts 

 such as common salt, nitrate of soda, and some of the salts of 

 ammonia, was principally if not wholly produced after their 

 absorption by growing plants, while sulphate of magnesia, phos- 

 phate of soda and many others were decomposed in the soil, and 

 influenced its texture even in minute quantity. Upon these how- 

 ever and the other points now under investigation, I forbear to 

 speak more particularly until my experiments are in a more com- 

 plete state. 



June 13, 1842. 



E. SOLLY. 



