goethe’s essay on the metamorphosis of plants. 
365 
which can be spared ; never to remove the foliage till its vitality has ceased ; the greatest 
care in stirring the surface soil with a fork — abundance of pond water on light soils during 
the swelling of the fruit ; and the planting a patch of all the kinds annually. Such is an 
epitome of a practice which has been in our own case most successful, and such results we 
believe those who follow our advice may themselves attain. 
In the first part of this paper we made some remarks on the properties and uses of 
various kinds of this useful fruit. With reference to that enumeration, it may be observed, 
that the object was to give a useful selection from our own practical experience, rather 
than to give a long list of .varieties which are of little value. It is hoped that the hints 
which have been given may prove useful to the numerous class of amateur readers of this 
periodical, for whose benefit, rather than that of the practical gardener, they are respectfully 
offered. 
HOOTS OF TREES FILLING UP THE TILES IN DEEP DRAINS. 
By Mr. William Tillery, Trentham. 
Some of the deep drains in the garden, here, were completely stopped, by the roots of 
trees getting into the tiles. This was about eight years ago : and the object of the 
present communication is to make known the plan I then took to prevent them from getting 
stopped for the future ; which, up to this time, has answered perfectly. In all the 
deepest drains here, there are shafts placed at certain distances, to see how they run ; and 
this no doubt (from the quantity of atmospheric air circulating in them) enticed the roots 
of trees to go so deep. One drain about 12 feet deep, passed near a large Walnut tree, 
and when opened, I found that 20 feet of the tiles were completely filled up with matted 
fibres, so that very little water could ooze through them ; another Walnut tree, at least 
30 feet from this drain, had likewise reached the tiles. This drain after being cleared 
and relaid, was covered over the tiles with a three-sided trunk made of thick oak slabs, 
Kyanised, opposite to every tree where there was any danger of its roots getting in. The 
slabs were nailed closely together, and made wide enough to leave some space clear all 
round the tiles, and 2 feet of old lime rubbish mixed with brickbats, was put over the 
trunk. 
Walnuts, Ashes, and Elms, are the trees mostly to be guarded against, when drains 
must be brought in their vicinity ; but some shrubs, such as the Barberry, and Lilac, and 
so on, will find their way into the tiles at the depth of 4 or 5 feet, as I found out in opening 
a choked-up drain last year ; even a horse-radish root was traced to the depth of 4 feet in 
the same drain : this shows the danger of making drains near to trees and shrubs, unless 
some special care is taken to keep the roots out. 
GOETHE’S ESSAY ON THE METAMORPHOSIS OF PLANTS. 
( Translated from the German by Edward Ortgies). 
(Continued from Page 349). 
VII. Of the Nectaries. 
5 1 . Quick as the transition of petals into stamens may be in many plants, we still 
shall have to observe that nature cannot always achieve this at a single step. She very often 
produces intermediate organs, which in shape and function approach nearer to one part or 
the other, and though these formations are greatly varied, they still may be collected under 
one definition, as forming “ slow transitions of the petals into stamens.” 
52. Most of those differently formed organs which Linnaeus termed nectaries, may 
he comprehended under this definition ; and we find here again occasion to admire the 
