CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS. 
333 
chemical properties, he proceeded to describe 
the most remarkable of those found trouble- 
some in dwellings, under the following heads : 
— (1.) Fungi infesting timber. Not only the 
Merulius lacrymam and Polyporus destruc- 
tor, but any fungi found on decayed trees, 
were capable of producing dry-rot. From 
small white points there radiates a filamentous 
substance, parallel with the surface of the 
timber ; this is the spawn of the fungus ; it 
soon gains strength, and penetrates the inter- 
cellular passages of the wood, and thus disin- 
tegrates the timber. Mr. Sidney suggested 
that the development of these fungi might 
depend on the condition of the sap in the 
wood. The experiments of Dutrochet on the 
growth of fungi in acid and alkaline solutions, 
tend to elucidate the phenomena of dry-rot. 
Whatever may be the efficacy of Kyan's prin- 
ciple, much might be effected by instituting 
experimental research into the best times for 
felling trees ; spring appears to be the worst 
season. — (2.) Fungi infesting the culinary 
department. Bread is attacked by a Peni- 
cillum,, as well as by two or three other moulds. 
The French troops experienced great injury 
from bread thus poisoned. The fungi attack- 
ing meat are chiefly, according to Mr. Sid- 
ney, Agarics in a rudimentary state. Peni- 
cillum glaucum is, however, found destroying 
salt provisions. — (3.) Fungi infesting cellars. 
These are probably Polypori and allied fungi, 
in various stages of growth. When pressed 
into a state of sufficient consistency, these 
form excellent tinder : none of them will grow 
where rock-salt is present. Fermentation is 
generally attended by the growth of molecular 
spores. Both the yeast and vinegar fungus 
are mere states of Penicillum glaucum, the 
mode of their growth being modified by the 
peculiarity of the medium in which they are 
developed. Mr. Sidney noticed the following 
experiments, made to ascertain whether the so- 
called vinegar-plant was able to produce fermen- 
tation : — Four equal quantities of sugar and 
water became acidified in the following order, 
— a, when containing washed fungus ; b, con- 
taining yeast ; c, containing fungus unwashed ; 
d, when left to itself j in all these cases Peni- 
cillum, glaucum at length appeared. — (4.) 
Fungi infesting store-rooms, &c. These 
situations are chiefly infested by Penicillum 
glaucum ; its growth is said to be prevented 
by any essential oil. Sugar is attacked by 
Torula sacchari. Fruit is subject to several 
fungi. It is remarkable that the brown mat- 
ter on attacked apples and pears has been 
found to produce potato disease by inocula- 
tion. Mr. Berkeley's recent experiments on 
Bunt, show that fungal disease may be propa- 
gated by the mere grumous matter in spores. 
— (5.) Fungi attacking boohs and object- 
glasses of telescoj)es. The former are hairy 
fungi ; the latter the small Penicillum grow- 
ing on the particles of dust which insinuate 
themselves into the glass. — (6 ) Fungi attack- 
ing wardrobes, and the contents of the dairy. 
Under this head Mr. Sidney referred to the 
Penicillum as appearing on leather, and to 
the Torula as infesting cheese. The specu- 
lation of the convertibility of milk globules 
into fungi was noticed as an unsubstantiated 
hypothesis. 
Thinning out Peas. — The principle of 
thinning crops as one means towards securing 
perfect growth is indeed commonly recognised, 
but too seldom acted on. In no culinary 
crop, perhaps, is this remark so well illustrated 
as in the case of garden peas. If we look at 
a crop of peas when they are just vegetating, 
we shall, in almost every case, see the plants 
standing thickly together, forming then, in 
their embryo state, an unbroken line. And 
they are generally allowed to grow on without 
any alteration in this respect. In nine cases 
out of ten, two-thirds — often more — of the 
seed sown is wasted, and the crop is thereby 
injured. All the larger growing kinds of peas, 
therefore, which are grown to supply the 
summer and autumn crops, should be kept 
thin, both by sowing fewer seeds than is usual, 
and subsequently thinning out the plants if 
necessary, so that the plants may stand clear 
of each other ; the largest varieties may be 
thinned to three or four inches apart, the 
smaller ones to two inches. The plants, too, 
instead of being allowed to run up to a great 
height, should be topped once or twice to 
make them bushy. If these two points of 
practice are attended to in conjunction with 
each other, the pea crops would be found to 
furnish successive supplies in much better 
condition than is now often found to be the 
case. 
Epacrises. — The habit of these plants is 
to produce long annual shoots, which, if left 
untouched, would soon render the plants un- 
sightly. During the younger stages of their 
growth, these shoots should be frequently 
topped so as to form bushy plants ; this should 
be continually done, as they grow two or three 
inches in length. When the plants have 
attained a moderately large size, however, this 
topping must not be followed up too rigour- 
ously, or the strength of the bloom will be 
destroyed, as well as the characteristic beauty 
of the plant. At this stage, however, the 
plants must by no means be left to themselves, 
or they soon get out of form. A severe 
annual pruning in of the long straggling 
shoots should be practised, and this may be 
done as soon as flowering is past : they then 
again form moderately strong shoots, which 
are furnished almost throughout their whole 
