366 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 15, 1859. 
Scotch Firs, or two-year seedling Spruces, the ground around 
the roots is filled with the excrement. In the Scotch Fir it 
assumes a white colour; in the Spruce it has a yellow colour; 
and in both is fibrous. I have found in practice, that, in sowing 
seed-beds, or transplanting trees into lines, Larch sown or planted 
after Spruce have nearly doubled the size of those planted after 
Larch at the same time, and from the same lot of seed or seed¬ 
lings.”—( Gardeners' Magazine , vi., N. s.) 
Professor Johnston, from a series of deductions founded on 
chemical analyses, concludes by stating that they satisfied him 
“ that the roots of plants do possess the power of excreting some 
of the substances which are held in solution by their sap on its 
return from the stem ; and which, having performed their ofllces 
in the interior of the plant, are no longer fitted, in their existing 
condition, to minister to its sustenance or growth. The excretory 
power is not restricted to the emission of inorganic substances. 
Other soluble matters of organic origin, also, are permitted to 
escape into the soil—though whether of such a ldnd as must be 
injurious to the plant from which they have been given out, or to 
such a degree as alone to render a rotation of crops necessary, 
neither reasoning nor experiment has hitherto satisfactorily 
shown. All that we know with certainty is in favour of the 
opposite view. Mr. Gyde watered Bean plants, till fully ripe, 
with water containing the matter excreted from the roots of 
Beans ; and these plants were slightly better in appearance than 
other Bean plants watered during the same time with rain water 
only. The excretions of the Bean’s roots, therefore, do not 
seem to be injurious to the Bean.”—( Transac. Highland Soc. 
1845. Johnston's Lectures on Agricultural Chemistry.) 
Liebig is clearly of -opinion that the roots of plants throw out 
excrements. He says, “ The experiments of Macaire-Princep 
have shown, that plants made to vegetate with their roots in a 
weak solution of acetate of lead (Goulard's extract), and then in 
rain water, yield to the latter all the salt of lead which they had 
previously absorbed. They return, therefore, to the soil all 
matters unnecessary to their existence. Again : when a plant, 
freely exposed to the atmosphere, rain, and sunshine, is sprinkled 
with a solution of nitrate of strontia, the salt is absorbed; but it 
is again separated by the roots, and removed further from them 
by every shower of rain which falls upon the soil; so that, at last, 
not a trace of it is to be found in the plant.— ( Daubeny.) 
“ When bulbous plants, such as Hyacinths, are allowed to grow 
in plain water, this gradually acquires a brown colour. It, there¬ 
fore, cannot be denied that excrements are actually given off by 
plants, although, very possibly, they do not produce them in 
the same degree. Through the expulsion of these matters unfitted 
for the plant’s nutrition, yet containing a large proportion of 
carbon, the soil receives again with usury the carbon which it 
had, at first, yielded to the young plants as food in the form of 
carbonic acid. The soluble matter thus acquired by the soil is 
still capab e of putrefaction, and then furnishes renewed sources 
of nutrition to another generation of plants : it becomes humus.” 
—( Liebig’s Chemistry applied to Agriculture, Sfc., 3rd Ed.)—J. 
(To be continued.) 
NOTES ON NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 
Acacia prominens, A. Cunn. Nat. ord., Leguminosece. Native 
of New South Wales.—Habit erect, moderately compact, branch¬ 
ing copiously. Branches slender, somewhat angtdar, smooth 
green. Phyllodise (leaves) numerous, alternate, linear lanceolate, 
acute, frequently falcate, mucronate, and upon the margin near 
the base bearing a prominent gland. Inflorescence in short 
axillary racemes. Heads of flowers solitary, or in pairs, with 
spreading, smooth pedicels, based by minute brownish bracts. 
Calyx divided into five diminutive segments. Corolla small, com¬ 
posed of five ovate, erect petals. Stamens numerous, short. 
Style rather longer than the stamens, supporting a single stigma. 
This species attains the height of eight or nine feet; and with 
judicious management of stopping and tying, may be furnished 
with flowering shoots from near the base to the top. It is, 
however, from its size, better suited for conservatory decoration, 
than being tenanted in the ordinary-sized greenhouse. It blooms 
profusely, and long in continuance in the spring months. Seeds 
are the best means of propagation. 
Stttartia pentagynia, L’Herit. Nat. ord., Ternstrosmiacece. 
Native of Carolina and Georgia.—A freely-branching, deciduous 
shrub. Branches round, smooth, and reddish on the younger 
portions. Leaves alternate, ovate, acuminate ; veins prominent ; 
t margin Berrated, and often red. Inflorescence axillary and 
j solitary. Calyx deeply divided into five oblong, lanceolate, ex- 
! ternally red segments. Corolla consisting of six round, concave, 
\ undulate, and crenate petals. Stamens united in a short tube. 
Filaments subulate, spreading. Anthers round, orange colour. 
Germen ovate, five-angled, hairy. Pistils five, free, subulate, and 
somewhat decurved. 
A very useful and rare hardy deciduous shrub. The flowers 
are large, white, and richly produced in July and August. It 
prefers a moist, rather than a dry soil, with a good deal of vege- 
j table matter contained in it, as from peat or leaf mould. Usually 
j propagated by layers.—S. G. W. 
FRUITS and FRUIT TREES of GREAT BRITAIN. 
(Continued from page 341.) 
No. XV.— Bergamotte d’Espeben Pear. 
We noticed ( March 1), a pear which we recommended as one 
of the best for late winter use; and this week we add another to 
the list, even better. It is one of those excellent sorts raised by 
Major Esperen, of Malines, which will, the better it is known, 
establish itself as a permanent favourite. 
Fruit slightly fragrant; above medium size, two inches and 
three-quarters wide, and two inches and a quarter high, and true 
Bergamot shape, even and regular in its outline. 
Skin coarse, at first of a dark-green colour, covered with large, 
brown russet dots ; but, as it attains maturity, it assumes a dull 
greenish-yellow hue, and the numerous large russet dots become 
grey; sometimes, on the side that has been exposed to the sun, it 
assumes a faint orange tinge. 
Fye small and open, with a dry, rigid, horny calyx, of no 
regular form ; set in a pretty deep, wide, and even basin. 
Stalk three-quarters of an inch long, stout, and somewhat 
fleshy at the insertion, and placed in a small, narrow cavity. 
Flesh yellowish, fine-grained, quite melting, very juicy, and 
sugary, with a pleasant aroma. 
A most delicious late pear, coming into season from about the 
middle of February, and lasting till April. A fit successor to 
Winter Nelis. It was raised from seed, about the year 1830, by 
Major Esperen, of Malines. 
PINE CULTURE ON THE PLANTING-OUT 
SYSTEM. 
Various are the structures in which Pines are grown. Some 
are grown in houses under Vines ; others are grown in pits, and 
removed from thence to the fruiting-liouse or stove, which is 
attended with a great deal of labour and expense, and, moreover, 
