EXTRACTS — HORTK LLTURE. <3o7 
semi-transparent, somewhat mealy, juicy and acid, without much flavour or 
sweetness. Crown rather large, leaves numerous. This is rather an inferior va- 
riety, not worth growing to any great extent. Hort. Trans, vol. i. part 1. 
On the Use of Camphor in Horticvlture. Camphor is dissolved in al- 
cohol until the latter is saturated ; the alcohol is then put into soft water, in the 
proportion of two drops to half an ounce. Withered or apparently dead plants, 
put into this liquid, and allowed to remain there from two to four hours, will re- 
vive, if they have not been completely dead before being put in. — M. Droste. 
Priiss. Gardening Societi/. 
On the Propagation of Vines. Cuttings are made from one foot and a 
half to two feet in length, and all the buds removed from them except one at the 
upper extremity. The shoot is then laid in the soil, to the depth of six inches, 
the end hea\-ing the bud being brought up to the surface. A vigorous shoot is 
made in the first yeai- ; and the second year, the plants if not removed, will bear 
fruit. — M. Fintelmann, ib. 
On the Diseases of Plants. — The roots of plants may be wounded by 
instruments used in working the ground; from the attacks of subterranean ani- 
mals, such as moles, rabbits, mice, and a whole host of insects : the last of which 
injure roots chiefly in the larva state, by devouring the minute rootlets, and when 
in great numbers the fibrils often suft'er in a great degree, being either broken by 
those which undermine for shelter, or eaten by others, and thus the plants are in 
a great measure deprived of their wonted supply of nourishment. The fibrils of 
roots are often broken, among plants of the pine tribe, by being violently shaken 
by the wind &c. and although none of the roots appear above ground, or even 
when the soil is scarcely broken around them, they suddenly decay, being deprived 
of nourishment, by the loss of the tender fibres; after wounds of roots, many 
trees remain apparently stationary in growth for a time, engaged, however, in 
forming roots according to the loss sustained. The operation of cutting, or lay- 
ing bare, roots of trees, to force them to become fruitful, is only an apparent ex- 
ception to the foregoing remarks, for the production of fruit in such cases, must 
be considered as the first step towards decay, it depending not so much on a full 
supply of nourishment, as on a state of maturity necessary for the purple. 
Treatment. — When the roots have been attacked by insects, endeavour to^rc- 
stroy them ; the most approved solution is lime w^ater and tobacco water, poured 
upon the ground over the affected parts ; even unslacked lime has been dug in 
with advantage. To entrap the wire-worm (Elates segetis) Sir Joseph Banks re- 
commends slices of potatoes to be buried where they abound, and frequently ex- 
amining the baits and destroying such as have collected on them. When a plant 
happens to have its roots lacerated, these ought to be protected from extremes of 
heat and cold ; the ground in the neighbourhood should be kept moderately 
moist; if possible the plant itself shaded; and whatever else may be found con- 
ducive to its health, should be resorted to, to induce the formation of new roots. 
Gangrene of Roots. — This occurs often in roots, and is of two kinds, — 
wet and dry gangrene. An example of the first kind occurs frequently from too 
mvxch moisture, accompanied with cold weather and a bad soil, or in consequence 
of the succulent nature of the parts in which it occurs. It is frequently found 
in " house plants," when these have been officiously indulged with too much 
water. Dry gangrene in roots is similar to that in the stems, and is noticed un- 
der that head. — 
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