172 
THE ENGLISH OAK IN AMERICA.—TORNILLO OR SCREW-GRASS. 
There appears to be a natural tendency in the 
human mind to sketch imaginary pictures, instead 
of troubling itself in tracing realities. If we enter 
a steamboat or hotel, it is much if we do not see 
some head hungup phrenologically mapped; we 
can not look at a paper, but we observe advertise¬ 
ments of a lecturer who talks about some epilep¬ 
tic, or cat-aleptic ladies, to prove mesmeric phe¬ 
nomena ; and what is worse, a large audience 
looks on and sucks in the whole as established 
truths. Several attempts have lately been made 
by .chemists of more or less celebrity, to run into 
unsupported theories, which require to be kept in 
check by the more sober portion of its followers. 
Boullay, an European chemist, observed some 
few years since, a black or dark-brown substance 
which exuded from the bark of the elm, to which 
he gave the name of ulmin. It is very sparingly 
soluble in water, but readily soluble in solutions 
of the alkaline carbonates, tie found its constit¬ 
uents to be carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and 
termed it ulmic acid. He considered it identical 
with the brown matter of vegetable mould, and as 
contributing materially to the nutriment of growing 
plants. Several chemists of the day pursued this 
subject and made rather a plausible theory from 
Boullay’s discovery. It will surprise no one that 
Liebig should take it up, and pursue it with his 
usual transcendental energy; for even the acute 
and accurate Berzelius gave it credence for a time, 
but soon acknowledged his error. 
There is no mistake in supposing that carbon, 
hydrogen, and oxygen, contribute very materially 
to the nutriment of growing plants, for we know 
that the greater portion of all plants are composed 
of said elements. Nor is there any difficulty in 
supposing the exuded substance contained an acid, 
as almost all the known acids found in the vegeta¬ 
ble world are binary, or tertiary compounds of 
those three elements. 
So far as I have read Mr. Dana’s Muck Manual, 
he has founded the chemical portion of his work 
entirely on the now exploded theory growing out 
of Boullay’s discovery. 
I shall renew this subject in a future essay, and 
review Mr. Dana’s work more in detail. 
Wm. Partridge. 
THE ENGLISH OAK IN AMERICA. 
A correspondent in the American Agriculturist 
for April, seems disposed to throw the English oak 
into disrepute in this country, and recommends in 
its stead, the Turkey oak ( Quercus cerris,) and 
the Tauzin, or more properly the Pyrenean oak 
(Quercus Pyrenacea.) It is to be regretted that 
any such ideas should have been brought before 
the public, as the English oak ( Quercus robur,) is 
far superior to either of the other species in point 
of utility, hardihood, or picturesqueness of appear¬ 
ance. Yet the Turkey oak is a very desirable 
tree, both on account of its rapid growth and sym¬ 
metrical form; and the Pyrenean oak well de¬ 
serves a place in collections, from the beauty of its 
foliage and the singularity of its fruit. It is doubt¬ 
ful whether the latter is suited to our northern 
climate, as it does not ripen its acorns even in Brit¬ 
ain, and besides, its leaves do not appear till three 
weeks later than those of the British species. It 
is also objectionable on account of its slow growth 
and the running of its roots near the surface of the 
ground to a considerable distance, and in throwing 
up numerous suckers. The Turkey oak, however, 
is a vigorous, growing tree, with an upright stem 
and a regular head; but neither its twigs nor 
branches have that tortuous or massy character 
which are so much admired in the British oak; 
nor is its timber so strong and of so great durabil¬ 
ity when exposed to the alternations of moisture 
and dryness. Like other trees of rapid growth, 
it soon arrives at maturity, and does not subsist so 
long as the English species. It is particularly 
adapted to our western prairies, where a rapiti 
growth is desired ; and for the information of those 
who may wish to make the experiment, I would 
inform them that acorns may be obtained at the 
London nurseries for $2,50 a bushel, and young 
seedling plants from $2,50 to $10 a thousand. 
Plants may also be had at the Flushing nursery 
for 50 cents each. 
As was stated in the Agriculturist for February, . 
the English oak is perfectly hardy in our climate, 
which has been proved by Mr. Derby; and when 
grown to any magnitude its timber is more val¬ 
uable for ship-building than that of any other kind 
of oak, with the single exception of our southern 
Live-oak. As an ornamental tree, it is scarcely 
surpassed in picturesque beauty, and its history, as 
connected with the civilization of mankind, and 
the associations connected therewith, are sufficient 
inducements alone to cherish and perpetuate it. 
B. 
TORNILLO OR SCREW-GRASS. 
Having noticed in great abundance on the plains 
of California, a wild grass of the leguminous spe¬ 
cies, which, for its great superiority over all other 
grasses in that country as a source of nutrition 
to animals, condensed into a small compass, and 
widely disseminated, I have considered well wor¬ 
thy of notice in your journal. By the inhabitants 
of that country it is recognised as the tornillo or 
screw-grass . It is scattered all over these plains, 
but in the greatest abundance on the gentle eleva¬ 
tions of table-lands, between the rivers and creeks; 
the tall grass of the low lands gradually merging 
into this plant as the ground rises between creeks— 
the geographical character of the country. When 
fully matured, it acquires an elevation a little 
greater than that of the buffalo-grass of our west¬ 
ern prairies, and is also similar to it in the general 
appearance of the leaves, and mode of distance at 
which they are given off from the root; the leaves, 
however, are broader at the base, and though rap¬ 
idly tapering, are not waved , nor so numerous; 
there being but about about six from a single root 
stalk, which latter is prolonged into the seed- 
stem, eight or ten inches long, and terminating in 
a round, spiral-shaped head or pod, one inch long, 
and one quarter of an inch in diameter, and con¬ 
taining from ten to a dozen round and slightly com¬ 
pressed seeds, about the size of a split pea, and 
possessing a flavor very much like that of a bean. 
