204 



iarknen Ponfg. 



produce. Surely then there is evident cause for 

 the exhaustion of flowering, especially when we 

 take into consideration the rapidity of the process 

 as compared with the length of time through which 

 the seed is perfecting. That the blossoming is very 

 exhaustive, that in it are expended most rapidly the 

 life-forces of the plant, we have numerous proofs. 

 Thus the effects of profuse flowering on very young 

 trees is well known. 



Further, in the flower we have a rapid oxidization 

 of carbon, or in other words, a destruction of the 

 bone and sinew of the plant ; which is proven not 

 merely by the evolution of carbonic acid gas, and the 

 taking-in of oxygen by the blossoms, but by the heat 

 given ofl" from the flowers, — an indisputable proof 

 that there is a more or less rapid burning up of car- 

 bon in the flowers themselves, strengthened as it is 

 by the inte;esting results of the experiments of 

 Garreau, Vrolik and De Vriese. Thus, the latter 

 Savans found that the increase of temperature was 

 much more marked w. en the plant blossom w^as 

 placed in oxygen, than when it was in the air, and 

 that all evolution of heat ceases when it was placed 

 in nitrogen or carbonic acid, — or in other words 

 when it was deprived of oxygen ; while M. Garreau 

 showed that the well-known periodical increase and 

 decrease of temperature in the blossom was accom- 

 panied by a similar increase and decrease in the 

 amount of carbonic acid evolved. 



The rapid abso ption of cold water by the root 

 from the soil, the constant evaporation from the 

 foliage, the facility of radiation and conduction from 

 the wide spread open blossoms, with various co-acting 

 circumstances, cause so rapid a loss of heat from 

 ordinary flowers that the increase of temperature is 

 only sensible to the very delicate instruments, such 

 as the thermo-electric pile ; but when there is a mass 

 of flowers on a den'-e spike or spadix, shut up as it 

 were in a spathe, the heat developed is more mark- 

 ed. Thus, in some of tropical arums, a difference 

 of 10 or 12° ha=? been noted between the outer air 

 and the immediate vicinity of t^e flowers. 



To sum up, in conclusion, it seems most probable 

 that iveakness of the sexual organs is the cause of 

 the sterilty of the Duchesse, and that thi< weakness 

 is dependent upon excessive blossoming, If this be so, 

 the indication is evidently to check this excessive 

 flowering. Of the best practical way of meeting 

 such indication, it would be presumption in me to 

 off'er you any suggestion. 



SULPHUR ON GRAPES. 



BY MR. GEORGE THOMPSON, CLEVELAND, TENN. 



I did not intend to reply to Mr. Miller, of Newark, 

 N. J., but he appears determined that I shall. I 

 wrote to you, giving my experience with sulphur 

 in preventing mildew, and red spider on grape vines. 

 I neglected to state that it was a cold grapery that 

 I had reference to, and although Mr. Miller finds it 

 so easy to grow sup'^rior grapes without sulphur, 

 there are a great many grape-growers that cannot 

 accomplish that feat in a cold house, neither do I 

 think he can ; and if he can, what does it profit the 

 readers of the Month!}/, unle.-.s he gives us his mode 

 of practice. In his two letters i here is not one word 

 that we could get instruction from. What was the 

 use of them>? There was nothing but sounding 

 Mr. Miller's praises from first to last; and I think 

 ought to be paid for as advertisements. And, Mr. 

 Editor, I thii.k if you will make enquiries of the 

 owners of all the cold graperies you are acquainted 

 with, you will find that they have difficulty in grow- 

 ing grapes, either from red spider or mildew, unless 

 they use plenty of sulphur. 



I was called on to examine two cold graperies 

 last summer, and the evil in both cases was mildew, 

 and you must remember that more than half of the 

 owners of cold graperies do not keep gardeners, so 

 that the fling at Mu hroom Gardeners was uncalled 

 for; and besides if a gentleman choose to employ a 

 man to milk his cows, and take care of his horses, 

 and work in his garden, and then call him his gar- 

 dener, that is none of our business ; for it is well 

 known that he can always have his choice between 

 different classes of gardeners; for my part I am tired 

 of listening to the complaints of professional gar- 

 deners, against what they call mushroom gardeners ; 

 let every man stand or fall on his own merits. I 

 think, Mr. Editor, you settled that question last 

 year in one of your leaders. In this connection I may 

 also state that some of the leading Horticulturists 

 around Cincinnati are not what you may call " blue 

 apron" gardeners, never served an aprenticeship, 

 but commenced alter spending years at other busi- 

 ness, and some of the best places near Cincinnati 

 are filled by men who never worked a day in a gen- 

 tleman's garden in Europe and stepped into the 

 place when first-class gardeners left. 



[There is much force In Mr.Thompson's remarks, 

 being himself one of the best professional gardeners 

 in the United States, he is able to comprehend the 

 question from a pract cal point of view. In regard 

 to the sulphur question, the gardener who never 

 has occasion to use it is a favored man. Mildew is 

 I not the result of bad management in a great many 



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