December 16 , 1880 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 547 
a single battery, the addition of other batteries being made to the 
fabric adds an accumulated force to the combination, and thus 
constitutes the full-grown plant a compound battery. About ten 
years subsequent to Galvani’s discovery of galvanism Volta found 
out that by combining with the preceding other pairs of metals 
in a particular manner—namely, in alternate series—an increase 
of power could be obtained, almost to an unlimited extent; 
hence the distinction, which is a most important one, between 
galvanism and voltaic electricity is that one is a single circuit, 
whilst the other is composed of any number of pairs of elements 
above one. Galvanism, however, which is the fundamental stage 
in tbe latter, is not restricted to the metals, but appertains very 
generally to almost all bodies in Nature. Thus it has been obtained 
from the opposition of two different gases—from a combination 
of blood and muscle ; whilst by the use of very delicate instru¬ 
ments a so-called current has been detected between the pith of 
X T 
a tree and the alburnum or newly forming growth taking place 
between the wood and the inner layers of the bark encircling it. 
We have in this fact a most indisputable proof that an electric 
agency is at work between the unstainable portions and those 
which receive the dye ; and it is also a well-known circumstance 
that electro-chemical decompositions invariably take place in a 
direction at right angles to, or, in other words, transversely through 
membranes from one side to the other, and that these latter are 
not the slightest impediment to the passage of electrolysed ele¬ 
ments ; and hence it is that fluids are passed into and out of 
plants, not through any apertures or openings, but electrolvtically 
—that is, by “ endosmose ” and “ exosmose,” which in reality is 
the same thing. It is the general belief that membranes have 
ome sort of power of forming other substances, and hence they 
are styled “ formative ” and “ pracformative,” &c., according to 
their supposed action. This, however, is altogether unsupported 
by any known fact, and is only a mere fanciful speculation handed 
down from the darker ages, and has no foundation whatever to 
rest on ; but, on the contrary, it can be shown practically that 
they are mere mechanical boundaries of limitation between the 
two opposing electro-chemical forces by which they are produced, 
so that they are thus entirely passive, as much so as the shell of 
an egg. As this is an important fact that hurls a deadly blow at 
the fundamental basis of existing physiological views of both 
animal and vegetable life it will require some more confirmatory 
evidence than mere assertion, and this the following experiment 
will be found to supply. 
Fig. 96 is a vertical section of a glass vessel half filled with 
white of egg, and having a flat piece of ivory, G, at the bottom for 
the two platinum electrodes, E and F, from a small Smee’s battery 
to rest upon. After a time the albumen assumed the forms repre¬ 
sented in A and b ; but it will be seen by fig. 97 that the divisional 
line c G between the electrodes in fig. 96 is a vertical section of 
a membranous wall extending quite across the vessel in fig. 97 
(which latter is a surface view of fig. 96), so that we have here a 
diaphragm electrically formed at the spot where the two opposing 
forces meet. These, meeting halfway in the direction d d, are 
deflected at right angles, and so carry with them and extend the 
albuminous wall transversely in both directions. There are also 
several other effects illustrated here that are explanatory of 
various so-called vital actions that will be hereafter referred to.— 
W. K. Bridgman, Norwich. 
BRUSSELS SPROUTS. 
That there is a great diversity of opinion respecting the best 
mode of cultivating Brussels Sprouts must, I think, be generally 
admitted. Excellent results are frequently secured by different 
modes of procedure; but I think with your correspondent, 
“ G. O. S.,” at page 503, that not only in the point he specially 
there raises, but also as to the best time of sowing and planting, 
the experiences of some of your numerous correspondents, large 
growers in various parts of the country, would be advantageous to 
the amateur and professional gardener. It little matters how 
select the number of vegetables required may be, or how small 
the means at command for culture, this always stands first in its 
class. My usual practice is to make two distinct sowings, the 
first with the spring Cabbage ; and instead of planting in autumn 
with the Cabbage as is generally done, the plants are pricked out 
somewhat thinly under handlights, or in a cold frame, protected 
from the most severe frosts. Frames are to be preferred, as a larger 
number may be more readily protected. During winter the land 
is selected, deeply trenched, and heavily manured, and the plants 
after receiving the necessary hardening by being left for some 
time fully exposed, are transferred to their permanent quarters. 
From these we can gather abundantly at any date after August 
should they be required, and frequently early sprouts are much 
relished after a long supply of the summer vegetables. Up to the 
new year we obtain a heavy crop of well-formed sprouts, during 
which time the tops are cut and much appreciated at the table, 
and without any apparent injury to the plants, which are picked 
over again in early spring and destroyed. 
The second sowing is made from the last week in March to the 
first week in April, as the weather and state of the land permit. 
The seeds are sown in drills 2 feet apart, and sufficiently deep to 
allow of the drill being half filled with burnt vegetable refuse, as 
wood ashes, on which a little red lead is dusted to prevent the 
ravages of both mice and birds. When the plants are sufficiently 
large they are thinned to 2 feet apart, and grown in this manner 
they experience no check as in the ordinary way. From this sowing 
we have now some fine crops. The stems are a dense mass of hard 
large sprouts from the soil upwards. From these the tops are 
not taken, as it not unfrequently happens that the edges of the 
leaves and sometimes the whole top become injured by the 
weather, and they are not so remunerative as in the case of the 
first sowing ; but in order to supply a succession of tops through 
winter the thinned plants are saved, pricked out on a piece of 
spare land and planted after the second early Peas, a foot apart 
each way. These are more hardy from being less succulent, and 
the tops are invaluable as winter greens.—J. W. Silver, Farnley 
Hall Gardens, Otley, Yorlts. 
In reference to “G. 0. S.’s” question on page 503, relating to 
Brussels Sprouts, I think the following may not be out of place in 
your valuable Journal. The question raised by “ G. O. S.” is as 
follows :—To produce the best of Sprouts ought the crown of the 
plant to be cut out or not ? Having had some experience in 
growing vegetables, I think I can prove to “ G. 0. S.” and your 
readers generally, that it is best to let the crowns grow, as by 
cutting them out the plants are liable to decay. For instance, if 
you cut the crowns out and the winter be severe, there is no pro¬ 
tection for the sprouts, and the plants are very liable to be killed 
by the frost. Then, again, with rain, the continuous exposure of 
the cut surface during wet weather would cause decomposition. 
But supposing the plants are not killed by the frost or rain, the 
sprouts might be more plump, though the quantity would be con¬ 
siderably less, as by cutting the crowns out the sap has no outlet 
except to the sprouts, and as soon as these are removed 
