330 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER A AD COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 22, 1859. 
chemical, or actinic rays, may have considerable influence. 
M. Nicephore Niepce, as long since as 1820, announced as a law of 
Nature, that “ Light acts chemically upon bodies; is absorbed 
by them, combines with them, and imparts to them new pro¬ 
perties.” In the year just passed, his nephew', M. Niepce de Saint 
Victor, has shown that this law is applicable to our cultivated 
soils. Earth taken from a considerable depth being spread in 
darkness, produced no change upon paper washed over with 
chloride of silver placed above it. The same soil was then 
exposed to sunshine, one half of its surface being covered by an 
opaque body. Being taken into a dark room, and a similar piece 
of paper held over it, all that, part of the paper over the half of 
the soil which had been quite exposed to the sunshine became 
darkened ; but that half of the soil which had been shaded, pro¬ 
duced no such effect.— {Annul. Acadamie des Sciences ). 
This demonstration of the absorption and retention of the 
sun’s chemical rays, suggests an explanation of the advantages 
derived by the exposure of all parts of a soil to atmospheric 
influences, by trenching and ridging. The actinized surface-soil 
turned down by the spade, may have an influence upon vegeta¬ 
tion more than we appreciate. 
A seed placed in a situation where it is supplied with the de¬ 
sirable degrees of heat, moisture, and air, begins immediately to 
enlarge in size. This is occasioned by its absorbing moisture, 
which, passing into the cotyledons, causes their immediate increase 
in size. The rapidity of this process is remarkable, and warns the 
gardener from disturbing the seed after it is once committed to 
the ground. A few choice Peas, from which to raise stock, being 
sown, accidentally, in ground devoted to another crop, were 
removed after twenty-four hours, and were not again committed 
to the ground for some days. Not one of them produced a 
fruitful plant, and only two or three vegetated. 
This is in no degree surprising, because in the majority of 
healthy seeds cultivated in our open ground departments, the 
embryo will be found swollen within three hours; within six 
hours the radicle will be perceptible ; in from one to six days 
the radicle will have burst the integuments of the seed ; within 
from two to seven days the plantlet will have similarly escaped; 
and in from four to twenty-four days perfect roots will have been 
developed, and the leaves appear above the surface. 
Moisture, as already stated, is absorbed, and causes the im¬ 
mediate enlargement of the parts of the seed; and this moisture, 
tthough it will and does penetrate through the surface of the 
enteguments, yet is chiefly imbibed through thehilum or scar. It 
{passes to the cotyledons, causing their enlargement, and setting 
in motion their elaborating powers for the nutriment of the radicle i 
and plantlet; for, if they' are removed, or if they have been injured 
by insects, the seed does not germinate ; and if they are removed 
even after the radicle is developed into a roof, the plant’s vegeta- j 
tion ceases. 
No sooner has the radicle escaped from the seed’s integument, , 
than it immediately proceeds to elongate in the direction of the , 
matters most promotive of the future plant’s growth. If the seeds 
of Carrots, Parsnips, Beets, and other fusiform-rooted plants are j 
sown in a soil with its surface richly manured, and its subsoil 
deficient in decomposing organic matters, the plants will have 
forked and abundant lateral roots, keeping within the fertile surface 
soil. On the other hand, if the surface-stratum is only moderately 
rich, but some manure is trenched in with the bottom spit so j 
as to be about sixteen inches below the seed, the l-oots will strike 
down straight to this superior source of nutriment. 
From the same cause the roots of orchidaceous plants, grown 
upon wood only partially charred, will be found to have their 
roots clamber up, and around, and along the wood, but always 
■ directing their courso most numerously towards the charred 
^portion. Again, the seeds of the Misletoc placed upon the under 
surface of a bough, always have their radicles grow upwards to 
{penetrate the bark, and thus secure to themselves the moisture 
without which they could not exist. Lastly, if seeds of plants 
iloving a fertile soil be sown along the partition, dividing a vessel 
unto two portions, of which one portion is filled with rich earth, 
mad the other with sand, though both portions are equally moist, 
equally loose, and equally warm, all the radicles will direct their 
course into the fertile soil. 
These facts, with many others, all demonstrating that roots 
. travel in the direction where the most acceptable food is pre¬ 
sented, overturn, beyond all controversy, Mr. Knight’s hypothesis, 
that the descent of the root is a consequence of the laws of 
gravitation ; for these laws will not explain why roots will grow 
sidewise, and even upwards, if their best source of nourishment 
is so placed as to require it—gravitation could only influence 
them to a downward direction, and in a fluid medium. To 
maintain that the laws of gravitation will make the tender radicle 
of a Beed pierce the hardest soil, appears to be a self-evident 
absurdity.—J. 
{To be continued .) 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
A Spring Catalogue of Choice Flower, Shrub, Tree, and 
Vegetable Seeds, by Butler and McCulloch, Covent Garden, 
London, is one of those bulky pamphlets that are becoming com¬ 
mon among nurserymen and seedsmen, and contains a great 
quantity of very useful information respecting the numerous 
subjects which it enumerates. The cultural notes are very good 
and practical; and as a whole the thing is well got up. 
Catalogues Nos. II. and III., bg Bass and Brown, Seed- 
Growers and Nurserymen, Sudbury. The former of these con¬ 
tains florists’ flowers and stove plants, and the latter vegetable 
and flower-seeds. Both are full of useful remarks, which will be 
of service to growers. 
A Priced Catalogue of Stove, Greenhouse, and Hardy Fxotic 
and British Ferns, grown for sale by Bobert Sim, Nurseryman, 
tf'e., Foot's Cray, Kent. This is a truly admirable catalogue, 
and contains such a list of Ferns as we never before saw offered 
for sale. Sixty two pages of closely-printed matter, enumerating 
and minutely describing 818 species of Ferns : it is not only “ a 
priced catalogue,” but a useful volume. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Sai.t ix Son. [J. Robinson ).—To detect it, pour some sulphuric acid on 
the soil, and then hold a cork, dipped in a solution of ammonia, over it. 
If there is much salt in the soil, a white vapour will appear about the 
cork. Iron hotbed frames are not so good as wooden. Their weight 
renders them cumber some. Their great expansion and contraction by heat 
and cold; their being hotter in sunshine and colder in incloment weather 
than wooden frames, render these last-named preferable. 
Height of Trees (X. V. —If you arc acquainted with the use of the 
graduated scale and compasses, and can take an angle with the quadrant 
and plummet, you can easily ascertain their height, without measuring; 
hut we cannot explain the mode without a drawing. Any schoolmaster 
will show you how to proceed. 
Books ((?. X.). —There is no better hook for your purpose than Hr. 
Ivenip’s "IIow to Lay out a Gardenand the best companion you can 
have for cultivating it is “ The Garden Manual,” published at our office.— 
A Constant Reader will never be able to make anything of the "Introduction 
to Botany ” he inquires about. We would recommend him and A Suscriber, 
who wish to obtain a knowledge of that science, to study the subject from 
1 ]enfrey’s “Elementary Course,” or Balfour’s "Outlinesof Botany;” both 
are clear and concise, and quite unlike those {iinji-pliilosophie compilations 
from the abstruse treatises of the German schools. [Philo). —You will 
find a very good account of the Bordeaux wines in Cocks’ “ Bordeaux : its 
Wines and Claret Country.” [Kate). —We believe there are several 
manuals of flower painting, hut we do not know anyone in particular; 
refer to your bookseller. 
Mineral Destroyer of Snails (J.). — We have no further information 
on the subject; hut will inquire. 
Renovating Tvrf [ IF . It . S .).— You may sow vonr Clover seed now. 
We have just been sowing Crested Dog’s-tail and fine-leaved Feseue, for 
the same purpose, on a chalky soil. We have reason to think that Sep¬ 
tember is the best time for sowing grass seeds. 
Skeleton Leaves [L. Lucas). — We have repeatedly published the 
tedious mode by long soaking in water, and we know of no other. 
Ashes for Plunging [Cinders). —They are better than common soil for 
the purpose of plunging potB of seeds and plants in. 
Podolian Beehive [J. S.). — Wo arc sorry onr experience will not 
enable us to assist you with-advice in your project of stocking a beehive 
“ four feet deep and twenty-four inches broad,” and are rather inclined to 
the opinion, that you would do w isely in turning your attention to some 
more promising speculation. At all events, we cannot recommend any 
attempt to drive the bees " in the month of May, from a hive on the point 
of swarming.” As regards the mode of uniting families in the swarming 
season, almost any of the hooks on hoes will give you the necessary in¬ 
structions. 
Opening Ventilators (A Country Subscriber). — The simultaneous 
opening of the ventilator-lights was only suggested by Mr. Beaton. The 
greenhouse he wrote about is not so ventilated, as all hothouse-builders 
know and practice the simultaneous movements ; and as gardeners cannot 
build their own houses, of what use would it be to go to the expense of 
engraving a sketch of it! The extra expense of the simultaneous opening 
of such a house, forty feet long, by Mr. Macrostie, is from 30s. to 50s., 
according to the value of the materials used. Your best plan is, to hinge 
the lights to the ridge, whether you open by single lights, or tbs whole 
by one pull. Y'ou need have no fear about the wind having move power 
on the one than on the other. 
Cyclamen yernum (A. B.). —Your Cyclamen is Colon, and thousands 
arc in a like fix. It is very questionable if there is a true Cyclamen 
vernum on sale in Kuropc. Of all the men who have given drawings and 
descriptions of any of the Cyclamens, Robert Sweet was, undoubtedly, the 
best gardener, and, therefore, the most likely author to be practically 
in the right. His description and figure of rernum show it to be stronger 
