2§0 
THE  BUBAL  MEW-YOBKEB, 
OCT.  U 
♦ 
HEADY  MADE  FOOD  FOE  PLANTS. 
Kciejjoe  and  SciontistB,  are  BnppoRcd  to  aasiat 
agriculturista  in  obtaining  useful  information 
as  well  as  those  occupied  in  other  industries. 
The  chemist,  mineralogist  and  geologist  are 
working  In  fields  where discoverleH  are  constantly 
being  made  which  may  bo  turned  to  v.aluable 
account  by  the  tillers  of  the.  soil,  and  we  may  add 
that  the  farmer  is  well  aware  of  this  fact,  lienoc 
•he  looks  to  these  men  for  light  upon  subjects  in 
which  ho  is  especially  interested. 
That  there  arc  men  niakiug  these  branches  of 
Science  a  specialty  who  would  not  scrujile  to  de¬ 
ceive  others  for  a  consideration,  cannot  bo  de¬ 
nied,  but  we  arc  pleased  to  say  that  they  are  the 
exceptions  to  the  rule.  Occaioonally  however, 
some  real  or  su))posed  scientist  niakos  a  ludi¬ 
crous  mistake  and  it  is  frequently  the  case 
that  it  18  difllcuH  to  determine  wliotber  it  was  in¬ 
tentional  or  the  result  of  ignorance,  and  it  is 
in  this  rather  unsettled  state  of  mind  that  we  find 
ourselves  in  examiiiiug  the  claim.H  of  Prof.  J.  D. 
Wir.soN  of  Baltimore  >Id.,  in  regard  to  the  value 
of  diatoms  as  the  food  of  plants.  It  is  well 
known  that  the  immense  bods  of  fossil  diatoms 
found  in  varioua  parts  of  Uie  world,  have  at¬ 
tracted  the  attention  of  scientists  who  have 
endeavored  to  utilize  them,  and  in  a  measure 
they  have  bccu  successful,  but  Prof.  Wilson 
Las  of  late  put  forth  claims  as  to  their  value  as  a 
fertilizer,  or  as  we  may  term  it,  “  reatly-made  food 
for  plants,”  which  are  simply  astoimding  to  any 
one  who  knows  the  rudimentary  prmcijdes  of 
chemistry  or  vegetable  physiology ;  in  fact  ho  has 
HO  overshot  the  mark  that  the  mciost  tyro  in 
either  of  the  above  named  branohcH  of  science 
will  be  enabled  to  detect  his  blunder,  if  we  call  it 
by  no  worse  naiac.  Strange  as  it  may  seem 
however,  the  Professor's  lucubrations  have  been 
published  iu  sucli  respectable  Joui’uals,  ns  Kil- 
liman’s  American  Journal  of  Science,  (London), 
aud  also  admitted  to  the  pages  of  the  Monthly 
Microscopical  Journal,  (Loudon),  without 
scarcely  a  comment,  either  as  an  indorsement  of 
theories  advanced,  or  a  criticism  uixui  tliem  ; 
consequently  we  are  inclined  to  think  that,  if 
such  scieutifto  journals  can  bo  hoodwinked  into 
publishing  sucli  statemonta  other,  and  less  able 
poriodicalH,  may  also  do  the  same,  and 
that  many  convei’ts  may  thus  ho  made 
to  a  very  ridiculous  theory,  wliich  may 
be  summed  up  in  a  few  words,  to  wit I’ro- 
fessor  Wilson  claims  that  the  “silica  of  Grasses 
arid  oOuT  plants  is  carried  up  a.s  Pialoms,  or 
olfuT  siliceous  grains,  and  not  in  solution  or  as 
soluble  silicates,''  or  to  put  it  iu  less  scientific  but 
plaiuer  language,  that  tlie  stems  of  plants  are 
built  of  diatoms  as  a  boy  would  build  a  cobhouse, 
there  being  no  dissolving  of  elements  in  the  pro¬ 
cess. 
But  the  farmer  may  ask  where  is  he  to  obtain 
this  wonderful  diatomaccous  or  infusorial  earth 
which  will  supply  the  ready  prepared  materials 
to  make  wheat,  oat,  and  rye  straw,  aud  just  here 
we  will  lot  out  the  secret  of  the  above  wonderful 
discovery  of  Prof.  Wilson.  There  is  a  largo  bed 
of  tliis  precious  earth  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
Chesapeake  Bay,  owned  and  for  sale  at  a  uei  tain 
price  per  ton,  and  right  hero  we  c.an,  to  use  a 
homely  phrase  “  account  for  (he  milk  iu  that 
cocoa-nut." 
But  lost  the  readers  of  the  IIuk.vl  New  Youkeu 
ahould  fail  to  appreciate  this  “  great  discevery,” 
we  have  procured  a  copy  of  the  original  illustra¬ 
tions  of  the  wonderful  diatoms  Ac.,  which  Prof. 
W.  found  in  Col.  Kcnkel's  sti’aw,  gi'own  on  this 
now  celebrated  infusorial  oartli,  found  on  the 
shore  of  Chesapeake  Bay.  For  the  aoi'ompaiiy- 
iug  illustration  we  are  indebted  to  that  wide¬ 
awake  and  invaluable  montbly,  the  Joiumal  of 
Microscopy  of  this  City,  edited  by  the  widely 
known  Scientist.*  Mr.  John  Puin. 
But  we  will  ipiote  a  few  extracts  from  Prof. 
Wilson's  own  lottoi'.s  in  regard  to  his  discovery. 
In  a  letter  to  Messrs,  tr.  A  K.  1’oi'lexn,  he  says ; 
“Li  making  these  iavestlgutious,  thorough 
precautions  wore  observed,  to  cleanse  the  straw 
from  all  acxiidental  impiU'ities  by  washing  and 
gentle  friction,  not  sutlioieiil  however,  to  destroy 
the  epidermis.  This  was  to  profit  by  Ehreiiberg’s 
experience,  aud  investigation  of  dust  showers, 
which  ho  has  found  to  contain  some  infusorial 
forms.  The  orgiuiic  matter  was  then  removed 
by  the  prescribed  methods,  aided  by  my  omi  ex¬ 
perience. 
My  labors  have  been  amply  reivardcd  by  one 
of  the  most  enchanting  views,  that  has  ever 
fallen  to  my  lot  to  behold  thi-ough  twenty  years 
of  varied  scientific  investigations.  When  the 
epidermal  silicious  coating  was  adjusted  iijion 
tlio  field  of  the  microscope,  some  thirty- six  forma 
of  the  diatomaccic,  which  I  have  carefully 
sketched,  were  observed  (see  wood  cut  magnified 
300  diameters),  where  perfect  disintegration  has 
been  jiroduced.  When  the  structure  to  a  great 
extent  i.s  retained,  the  marvelous  interlacing  of 
these  forms  present  tlicmselves,  sometimes  side 
by  side,  at  other  times  overlapping,  showing  with 
what  vigor  and  regularity  nature  performs  the 
dictates  of  her  laws. 
This  iiivostigalion  is  final.  It  overthrows  ail 
theories  that  have  over  been  advanced,  tliat 
silica  enters  into  plant  structure  iu  combination 
with  the  alkalies,  the  alkaline  earths,  or  the 
earths  jiroper.  Chemloal  investigation  led  me  to 
tliis  conclusion  some  months  since,  now  confirmed 
by  that  of  the  microscoiie.  A  new  era  has 
dawned  upon  the  scienco  of  agriculture.  By 
close  observation  and  strict  scientific  investiga¬ 
tbo  peculiar  way  wbicli  has  given  to  this  form 
the  specific  name  paradoxa  .'  For  this  diatom 
to  have  passed  through  a  bath  of  nitric  acid,  and 
come  out  iu  the  condition  figured,  would  have 
been  almost  as  great  a  miracle  as  the  passing  of 
Shadraeh,  Jlcsheeh  and  Ahcwl-nego  unscathed 
througli  the  fiery  furiiaeo  of  Nehuchadiiczzar. 
8o,  too,  we  find  a  calcareous  foraminifer  figured 
at  p  under  the  same  circumstances !  Verily  this 
is  such  a  view  as  has  not  ‘  fallen  to  the  lot  ’  of 
ordinary  microscopists  to  behold — either  in 
twenty,  or  in  four  times  twenty  years.” 
FORMS  OF  DIATOMS  FOUND  IN  COL.  KUNKEL’S  STRAW. 
M:.A.GN1ICIKU  UOO  niANIKXKUS. 
tion,  neic  infonnation  will  be  brought  to  light  to 
reward  the  tiller  of  the  soil  for  his  time,  labor 
and  capital.  *  k  n  *  •  These  microscopic 
investigations  show  the  absence  of  other  fonus 
of  silica,  tliat  is,  in  grauular  partidcs  iu  the 
(Kuukol)  straw,  they  being  entirely  replaced  by 
diatoms.  Tliis  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  tlio 
diatom  is  the  more  acceptable  for  asHiuiilation 
and  when  sulficient  infusorial  remains  are  jircs- 
ent,  replaces  any  other  divided  form  of  silica." 
And  ho  endeavors  to  impress  his  readers  with 
the  trust-w'orthinoss  of  his  observations  by  the 
following  self-gratulatory  sentence : 
‘‘  I  look  upon  this  aiipllcation  of  vegetable 
silica  to  fertilizing  puriioscs  as  the  most  impor¬ 
tant  adaptation  of  mattci*  for  the  reproduction 
of  vegetation  that  has  ever  been  discovered.  It 
is  tlio  first  step  in  a  new  direction,  rationally 
conceived  and  judiciously  carried  out*,  a  now 
impetus  to  the  study  of  plant  physiology  will  be 
given,  aud  demonstrate  that  moro  than  a  hetero¬ 
geneous  mixture  of  elementary  bodies,  and  their 
otunpounds,  is  i-oqnired  for  tlio  production  of  the 
croiis  hc-neficial  to  the  requirements  of  man.” 
Now  all  this  is  certainly  grand  and  beautiful  if 
we  could  only  believe  it.  but  hero  comes  the 
editor  of  the  Journal  of  Microscopy  aud  knocks 
down  that  cob-house.  Ilcav  him  : 
“  A  single  glance  at  the  engraving  to  wliich  he 
so  confidently  refers  is  suflicieut  to  convince  any 
microscopist  that  Professor  P.  B.  Wilson  never 
saw  ‘  upon  the  field  of  his  niioroscopo,’  under 
the  circumstances  which  ho  has  doscribed,  the 
objects  which  he  has  delineated.  This  is  a  bold 
assertion,  and  a  sevwe  accusation,  but  the  proof 
is  simple  and  iiniinpoachahle. 
“  Bearing  in  mind  that  tliese  organisms,  as  fig¬ 
ured,  have  been  obtained  by  destroying  tlio  or¬ 
ganic  matter  with  nitric  acid,  we  find  BacillaHa 
(Pig.  j)  figured  as  it  exists  only  in  the  living 
condition— the  I'rnstules  being  joined  together  in 
After  such  instances,  the  numerous  minor  fea¬ 
tures  which  are  utterly  irreconcilal  le  with  facts, 
and  which  lu-e  found  in  tliis  plate,  may  bo  safely 
jias.sed  over. 
We  may  look  w  ith  complacency  on  the  Moon 
Hoax  of  liocko,  and  the  extravaganza  of  Dr. 
Neiilcnz  aud  his  discoveries,  effected  by  means 
of  an  objective  of  195  1-10°  of  angular  aperture, 
for  thcavjenx  d'esjtrii  were  harmless,  and  tended 
only  to  create  a  little  amusenient.  But  such  a 
fabrication  as  the  present  is  of  a  much  moro 
serious  character,  siiico  the  hard-cariiod  dollars 
of  tho  fanner  aro  paid  out  on  the  strength  of 
these  80 -called  scientific  investigations,  and  so 
obvionsly  and  domoustrably  erroneous  are  they, 
that  it  must  briug  a  blush  to  the  check  of  every 
scieutitio  man  iu  tho  country,  when  ho  reflects 
that  Billiaiau's  A/.iCrican  Journal  of  Scie^ict  and 
Art — n  journal  which  claims  to  be  the  foremost 
scientific  authority  iu  America — should  have  lent 
its  aid  to  the  iiropagatioii  of  such  nonsense. 
Bmoe  writing  the  preceding  article,  wo  have 
submitted  an  imjiresidon  of  tbo  engraving  ac¬ 
companying  iTof.  Wilson’s  ai  ticlc  to  one  of  our 
ablest  (liatouiLsts,  aud  requested  him  to  note  for 
us  tho  names  of  tbo  “some  tJiirty-si.\  forms  of 
tho  diutomacoie  which  he  (Prof.  Wilson)  has 
carefully  sketched."  The  following  is  his  reply : 
“  *  *  The  miserable  wood  cut  shows  a  mix- 
tiu-c  of  marine  and  fresh  water  diatoms,  sponge 
spicules,  a  little  of  the  silicious  cuticle  of  the 
straw,  and  a  foramiuifer.  Only  one  fi  nm  belongs 
to  the  Virginia  deposit,  with  wliich  Kuiikel’s  field 
was  fertilized  (.^,)— and  which  is  exclusively 
marine.  That  one  form,  a,  is  possibly  aside 
view  of  Biildulplrin  tridndula  of  Ehr.,  tlioiigh  it 
is  much  moro  in  front  view.*  Figures  2,  b,  g,  i, 
w,  and  possibly’  1.  m.  y,  are  portions  of  the  sili- 
cious  cuticle ;  c  is  a  front  view  of  a  Ci/inatopleura, 
fresh  water;  d,  a  Benlicnla,  fresh  water;  e, 
Oijchtella,  brackish ;  f  and  v  are  some  vegetable 
remains  ;  h,  probably  a  sponge  spicule ;  k  and  t 
are  side  and  front  views  of  a  DialoineUa,  or  pos¬ 
sibly,  and  perhaps  more  likely,  a  Mastogloia, 
mai-ino  or  fresh ;  n  is  a  fragment  of  7,  3,  EpWtr 
emia  ocellala,  fresh  water ;  o,  uncertain ;  p, 
foraminifer,  (ifotahna.’)  marine ;  q  and  s,  side 
and  front  views  of  (^ym-rlra,  fr.agnieiits,  marine 
or  fresh ;  r,  fragment,  I'ront  view  of  j.  which  is 
side  view  of  Bacillaria  parndora,  marvellously 
cai’ricd  up  in  connected  series  through  the  cell 
walls,  but  not  dissolved,  being  vegetable  silic.T, ! ! ; 
(u)  is  probably  a  Sindrella,  fresh  water  ;  x,  y.  z, 
1,  10,  6,  5,  4,  are  doubtful;  8,  portion  of  a  Tes- 
Si’la,  or  po.sBibly  of  a  Tabellarki." 
(fbe  Cwbcn. 
i'  i 
CUCUMBER  NOVELTIES. 
There  is  a  general  impression  that  all  of  the 
commonly-cultivated  varieties  of  Cucumhers  aro 
good  enough,  and  that  thei’o  is  little  chance,  or 
need,  of  improving  them  by  selection  or  by  tho 
intrcHlnction  of  foreign  sorts.  Tho  Early  Frame, 
White  Spine,  etc.,  being  prolific  and  easily  grown 
w  ithout  tho  nso  of  frames,  are  raised  year  in  and 
year  out— and  any  possible  difference  between 
them  aud  foreign  novelties  in  favor  of  tho  latter, 
is  thought  so  unlikely  to  occur  that  few  are  wil¬ 
ling  to  purchase  new  seeds  at  a  high  price  and 
dovoto  laud  and  labor  to  oxporiment.s  which 
Iiromiso  so  little. 
There  is,  however,  as  wo  have  ascertained 
during  the  past  season,  room  for  improvement 
and  probabililioa  of  iniprovenicnt  wliich  have 
rendered  oiir  own  expcriuieuts  well  worth  the 
time  and  labor  bestowed  upon  them. 
The  season,  as  our  readers  know,  has  been  dry’, 
80  that  the  following  results  should  be  deemed 
rather  the  least  than  the  mo.stthat  can  bo  said  iu 
favor  of  tho  varioties  tested. 
Green  Broluic — The  pleasing  tale  is  told  of 
this  Cucumber  that  it  is  tho  offspring  of  fifty 
years’  seloclion  whether  by  one  Ciiciunbor- 
struck  iiidii  idiuil  or  by  tho  younger  members  of 
the  family  continuing  tho  selection  cominonced 
by  their  parents,  is  not  slated.  Think  not  that 
we  are  ii’onical.  So  far  from  us  is  the  wish  to 
belittle  the  creditableness  of  this  statement  that 
wo  pubhsh  it  as  a  rare  inslaoco  of  unselfish  per¬ 
severance  and  assiduity- in  such  little  things, 
too,  from  which  stoiiiiing  rcvelation.s  could 
scarcely  have  been  dreamed  of  and  which,  had 
they  been  lavished  ni>ou  sometliing  besides  a 
Cucumber,  might  have  carved  au  eiuluring  name 
that,  with  Huxley,  TYNnai-L  and  Dmiwin  would 
bury  itself  in  the  gratefiilest  recesses  of  tho 
grateful  hearts  of  men. 
This  Cucumber— this  Green  IToURc  Cucumber 
— has  an  origin,  too,  worthy  of  the  palms  bestow  ed 
uiKiii  it  through  fifty  years  of  selection,  progres- 
siou  and  evolution.  It  has  been  handed  down  as 
a  natural  cross  between  tho  Green  Cluster  and 
Long  Green,  and  ngaiii  crossed  (a  •*  Derivation 
Hybrid,"  you  see)  with  the  White  Bpine.  I’er- 
fection  in  form  and  quality  thus  secured,  as  wa.-i 
BupposCHl,  ‘‘the  growers  found  tliat  some  hills 
were  more  prolific  than  others  ;  and  by  keeping 
tbeso  for  Seed  hills  and  saving  tho  first  and  most 
perfect  Cucumbers  only  for  seed,  the  bearing 
qualities  were  gradually  so  much  improved  that, 
with  good  care,  au  acre  will  produce  200,000  and 
more  pickles.”  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Uic 
exact  number  an  acre  will  product)  is  not  given, 
since  our  own  experimeiits  nism  a  small  scale 
will  not  allow  of  an  arithmetical  computation. 
Besides-  and  it  is  a  circmiistance  to  discourage 
tho  most  sanguine— tho  laboy;  of  creation  and 
fifty  years’  selection  all  reverted,  iuour  ground.s, 
so  entirely  to  tho  rude  first  princiiiles  that,  were 
it  not  for  tho  stakes  and  labels  marked  "  Green 
Prolific,"  we  should  never  have  known  this  Cu¬ 
cumber  of  so  liigh  an  ancestral  name,  from  one  of 
its  unassuming  paiciits— tho  White  Bpine ! 
Khiva  NET'rKU. — Those  who  do  nut  care  much 
for  Oucumbora,  and  who  do  care  much  for  orna¬ 
mental  Gourds,  wi'l  lil;ely  enough  ho  deliglitcd 
with  this  novelty.  As  a  Cui'iunlx  r,  except  for 
those  who  relish  seeds  and  a  flesh  that  if  uot 
exactly  tender,  is  exactly  tough,  the  Khiva  Net¬ 
ted  is  a  failure.  But  as  an  oruamoutal  Gourd  it 
is  a  surpasiung  succes.-! — the  gre.ater  in  that  we 
find  wo  have  cultivated  a  thing  to  tickle  the  oj)- 
lic  (which  we  did  not  -seek),  in.stead  of  ii  thing  to 
tickle  the  gustatory  iiorvo  (which  w  o  did  seek). 
Thoy  grew  to  the  estate  of  Cucumbers  early 
and  were  produo  ive  until  the  drought,  to  wliicii 
they  aro  tiuickly  susceptilile,  killed  tho  vines. 
The  shape  of  this  Cucumber  is  short  and  thick, 
the  skin  is  smooth,  first  green,  next  light-browm, 
then  reddish-brown — cracking  all  over  iu  the 
middle  stage  and  showing  a  light  color  undcr- 
iioatli,  thus  forming  the  fine  netting  which  makes 
the  name  appropriate,  liussian  Netted  is  less  a 
novelty,  having  been  grown,  to  a  limited  extent, 
for  several  seasons.  The  Cucumbers  are  uot  so 
large  as  the  Khiva  Neited  (averaging  four  ineht-s 
long),  though  of  tho  same  form  and  color.  They 
were  more  productive,  and  continued  to  bear 
