412 
ARSENIC IN THE SOIL AND PLANTS. 
in 1846 it appears some of the wool was carried to Bradford. 
I recollect a gentleman of the name of Dennison coming to 
the meeting of the Association for the Advancement of 
Science, who endeavoured to convince the association of the 
importance of the wool. Upon one occasion he brought six 
of the animals to the association, but notwithstanding all 
that was done the alpaca wool was neglected, and much of 
it was lying and spoiling in a cellar, until an enterprising 
gentleman, named Titus Salt, bought the whole, and suc¬ 
ceeded in laving the foundation of one of the largest enter- 
prises in this country, and thus conferred a blessing upon his 
own country as well as the countries from which the animal 
can be obtained. The length of this hair renders it of con¬ 
siderable importance for mixing with the mohair and goat’s 
wool. I would mention that there are four of these animals 
very distinct in form, as may be seen in the llama, the 
alpaca, the vicugna, and the guanaco. The vicugna yields 
very tine hair, which is not very much valued, but the al¬ 
paca yields a kind which is highly prized. I have men¬ 
tioned the advantage of acclimatising other animals. There 
is no difficulty apparently in Australia, though where they 
have attempted here rot has seized them, because of the ten¬ 
derness of the feet. A few months ago several alpacas were 
secured, somehow or another, and sent over to Australia; 
whether they have arrived there and are flourishing, 1 know 
not, but that is an experiment which ought to be encouraged, 
for we know not how much it may extend our manufactures. 
ARSENIC IN THE SOIL AND PLANTS. 
At the last evening meeting of the Royal Dublin Society, 
held on the c 2d th of May, Dr. E. IF. Davy communicated the 
results of some further experiments he had instituted on the 
subject of the absorption of arsenic by plants, both when 
that substance was directly applied to their roots by watering 
the soil with a solution of arsenious acid, as well as when dif¬ 
ferent artificial manures containing that substance (as they 
frequently do) were used in the ordinary manner as fertilising 
agents. 
" Dr. Davy first referred to the numerous attacks which had 
been made on his former experiments on this subject,which ap¬ 
peared in the ‘Pharmaceutical Journal, 5 Gardener’s Chronicle,’ 
and other scientific periodicals. Thus, one gentleman, Mr. 
E.S. Kensington ,of Dartmouth (see ‘Pharmaceutical Journal, 
