THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, January 20, 1857. 277 
means of escaping, not readily by the stone walls, but very 
easily by the boarding under the soil. Ammoniacal gas 
passes through the pores of wood much quicker than com¬ 
mon air or other gases do. Liebig states, Organic Chemistry, 
page 86, that ammonia, “when in a volatile state, is in a 
great measure lost before it can be imbibed. When fixed, 
ui the state of salts, its volatility is overcome, and not the 
smallest portion of the ammonia is lost to the plants, for it 
is all dissolved by water and imbibed by the roots.” From 
the quantity of carbonic acid gas evolved with ammonia 
during the continued fermentation of the materials, car¬ 
bonate of ammonia must be abundantly formed. This 
smelling salt every person knows is very volatile; but it 
will be in great measure absorbed by the moisture of the 
soil as it ascends into the latter. It has been proved that 
water is capable of absorbing 780 times its bulk of ammo¬ 
niacal gas. 
It was stated that the water employed was spring water, 
nearly pure. Unless distilled, no water is perhaps absolutely 
pure, since it always dissolves more or less of the substances 
with which it comes in contact. The water near Paris owes 
its hardness to the presence of gypsum. This circumstance 
may be of some importance as regards the Pine-growing at 
Meudon. “ Gypsum (sulphate of lime) and other sulphates 
convert the carbonate of ammonia into the more fixed sul¬ 
phate, which remains in the soil till absorbed by the roots ” 
(Turner’s Chemistry, page 1250). It is impossible to say 
how much water the beds of peat soil may have received in 
the course of the summer, neither is the proportion of sul¬ 
phate of lime which it holds in solution accurately known. 
For an approximate calculation it may, however, be assumed 
that the quantity supplied would not be less than that of 
X’ain which would fall on an equal surface out of doors, say 
two inches in depth per month, or six inches in three 
months : this, during the latter period, would give 9350 lbs. 
for a bed fifty feet by six feet. If we, then, estimate the 
proportion of sulphate in the Avater to be only one two- 
thousandth part, we shall have in the above quantity of 
water upwards of four pounds and a half, which would fix 
double the quantity of ammonia applied to xvheat crops in 
the garden of the Society, and Avhich produced the remark¬ 
ably dark green, luxuriant foliage which many will recollect 
having there seen in successive seasons for some years past. 
Ammonia, hoAvever, in any form, in solution with water, 
produces luxuriant dark green foliage. 
From what has been stated it appears evident that the 
large Meudon Pines feed chiefly on the products of de¬ 
composition, supplied by fermenting materials in a capacious 
vault below the peat soil, in which they are planted. 
The Peach-trees at Meudon are trained on the same 
principle as the Vines at Thomery, the shoots being trained 
upright from the upper sides only of the horizontal branches. 
Each tree has two such branches, extending, one right, the 
other left. The distance of the tiers formed by the horizontal 
branches of the different trees is about two feet and a half. 
The young shoots, trained uprightin summer, are shortened 
to less than a foot in length at the winter pruning; and 
Avhilst they bear fruit in the following summer, a shoot for 
succession is trained from the base of each; or, if a shoot 
spring still closer to the horizontal, it is preferred. The 
trees are planted four feet apart, and are furnished witli 
excellent bearing Avood. —( Horticultural Society's Journal.) 
Bees Fed on the Bottoms of Sugar casks. —Lately 
there was some discussion in these pages respecting the 
proper food for bees; and, in looking over some of my old 
correspondence with Dr. Sevan on that subject, I lit on the 
following notes. That good apiarian says, “ Your remarks 
respecting coarse sugar are, I think, Avell founded, for I 
remember an apiarian friend complaining to me of haA’ing 
lost families of bees for several years, though he well fed 
them. On investigating the matter closely I found that an 
ill-judged economy had led to the use of the bottoms of 
sugar-casks. No doubt the bees died of dysentery.” He also 
observes, “As respects many of those families Avhich haAn 
undergone deprivation this season, no doubt feeding must 
be had recourse to. In my oaaui apiary I find not only those 
but most of my swarms of the current year require it. How¬ 
ever, a hundred Aveight of honey is well purchased by half 
a hundred Aveight of sugared ale.” As the season advances 
weak bees should be fed, and the hives kept Avarm and dry 
to encourage the growth of the brood, on Avhich further 
success depends. In feeding let the remarks of Dr. Bevan 
not be lost sight of.—J. Wighton. 
BERBERIS TARVIFLOIIA. 
Presented to the Horticultural Society Avhen a small 
plant, about three years ago, by Messrs. Lee, of Hammer¬ 
smith, Avho Avere not aAvare from whence it came. 
Leaves about one inch and a half long and three quarters 
of an inch wide, glaucous on the upper side, clear green 
on the under, Avith from three to five spreading spiny teeth 
near the end. FloAvers as deep a yelloAv as those of B. dulcis, 
in a feAV-floAvered raceme as long as or a little longer than 
the leaves, unusually small in the genus. 
A small hardy evergreen, Avell suited for planting in situa¬ 
tions where neat and choice shrubs are the objects required. 
It flowers freely in May.— ( Horticultural Society's Journal.) 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
CLIMBERS FOR POLES. 
“Would you have the kindness to inform me, through 
your answers to correspondents, Avliether a climbing Rose 
or Wistaria Avould do for a bamboo pole? Perhaps you 
Avould guide me as to the most suitable, and as to the time 
of planting and soil adapted for them.”—T. J. Watson. 
[The answer to this question depends, first, on Avhat part 
of this kingdom the bamboo pole is to be set up. AnyAvhere 
in England north of London we Avould not recommend a 
pillar Wistaria. Secondly, Avliat is the inquirer’s taste ? 
which plant does he desire to cultivate? If this bamboo 
pole is to be set up in the plains of Devon, or some such¬ 
like plain, where a pillar Wistaria would grow and bloom as 
Avell as a pillar Rose, which of the two Avould you prefer ? 
We Avould select the Wistaria, and prepare a border for it as 
we would for a Grape-vine in every particular; Ave Avould travel 
one thousand miles to find a Wistaria Avorth planting. It 
