become a universal language, in which the facts that are observed in their art, may be so clothed, as to be intelligible to all ages and nations.” If it were true, which it is not, that the cultivation of the soil has not improved during the last two thousand years, though some have argued for such an untenable opinion, yet, supposing it to be true, such an argument ex ignorantia would avail nothing against the possibility of improvement. Does not every cultivator of the soil know that some ground will grow luxuriant crops, such as a second piece of ground, though manured without limit, will never equal? All that he can say is, that "the ground does not like those crops;" but the chemist can teach what constituents are deficient, what noxious ones are present, which, in less incorrect language, causes the crops not to like the soil. I am perfectly willing to grant, and to lament that facts justify the admission, that chemistry has not been brought to the illustration of the agricultural arts so successfully as to many of the arts of manufacture; this is in a chief degree owing to the insensibility of cultivators in general, but not entirely so. It partly arises from the great difficulty and intricacy of vegetable chemistry; "if the exact connection of effects with their causes," says Kirwan, "has not been so fully and extensively traced in this as in other subjects, we must attribute it to the peculiar difficulty of the investigation. In other subjects, exposed to the joint operation of many causes, the effect of each, singly and exclusively taken, may be particularly examined, and the experimenter may work in his laboratory, with the object always in his view; but the secret processes of vegetation take place in the dark, exposed to the various and undeterminable influences of the atmosphere, and require, at least, half a year for their completion." But such difficulties are only so many powerful reasons for increasing the labourers in this field of science; and when these have gone on collecting observations and facts, some master mind will arise, in an age perhaps not very distant, and render the whole more luminous, by arranging them in the magic order of system. The second prejudice to which I shall advert, is that which considers chemical experiments cannot be tried without expensive apperatus, a prejudice to the full as futile and baseless as the preceding. To demonstrate this, but one fact need be stated. The late Dr. Henry of Manchester, whose experiments were so numerous and so varied, so intricate yet so accurate, was at no period of his life in possession of a wellfurnished laboratory, or of nice and delicate instruments of analysis or research;" but his ingenuity" was especially dis played in the neatness and success with which he adapted to the purposes of experiment, the simple implements that chance threw in his way." (Quarterly Journal of Science, &c., vol. viii. p. 17.) If to make experiments in nearly the whole range of chemistry required no paraphernalia of apparatus, much less does it require such for the analysis of soils, to which I shall in this place confine my directions for the attention of the horticulturist; not that such alone is desirable to be pursued by him, but because, in the present state of chemical knowledge among the cultivators of the soil generally, it is absurd to expect that he would pursue some of its most intricate researches. There is no field of science in which lie hid at present more brilliant objects for examination, none that will redound more to the fame of their discoverer, none that will be more generally beneficial to mankind, than that which embraces agricultural and horticultural chemistry. It is yet in its infancy, but the day will come when every cultivator will prepare his soil for each crop, in a more scientific way than at present manifested in one unvarying course of culture. The day will come when manures will be distributed in greater variety and with more discrimination, than stable manure and chalk are at present by the load; and when science confirming him in the judicious application of manures, and the necessity of a clean course of cultivation, will, at the same time, demonstrate that even dùngs and composts may be selected and compounded with beneficial discrimination; that economy is not misplaced in regulating abundance; and that, though chemistry can never supersede the use of the dunghill, the spade, the plough, and the hoe, yet it can be one of their best guides, can aid them in their objects, can be a pilot even to the best practitioner. (To be continued.) ART. IV. Vegetable Physiology, with a View to Vegetable Culture. By M. W. HERTZ, of Stuttgard, now in Kew Gardens. Sir, VEGETABLE physiology being one of my favourite sciences, I always took a great delight in reading any thing belonging to it; and as the germination of the seed particularly attracted my attention, I was very anxious to make myself in some degree acquainted with the phenomena and changes which take place during that process. I found in the Horticultural Society's Transactions (vol. i. p. 217.), a truly philosophical description of the processes of the infant plant; and in your Encyclopædia of Gardening, in Willdenow's Physiology, and in Decandolle's and Sprengel's Principles of Scientific Botany, this subject is treated of more circumstantially. However, in all those books I did not find that any particular experiments were made on the mutilation of the germinating plant; but all the authors agree that, if the cotyledons are cut off, the young plant decays and perishes, and that they are to be regarded as the mammæ of the animals. Fabroni, however, asserts that one and even both cotyledons may be cut off, without materially damaging the growth of the young plant. One of these so different opinions must necessarily be wrong; and, to ascertain the truth, I made several experiments, which I am going to communicate to you at length, and which, if you think them worthy a place in any one of your excellent Magazines, are very much at your service. I think it not necessary to make an ample explanation of the construction of the seed, as every body may find it described in any of the books above alluded to, and in the Encyclopædia Britannica; but I will only confine myself to the account of my experiments, which will call forth, perhaps, a more physiological pen than mine. I chose the common kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgàris) for the subject of my mutilations, because I considered it the best adapted for any purpose of that kind, and I sowed some of them in small pots. As soon as the cotyledons made their appearance above ground, I cut off one of them, and found that the young plant continued to grow, though it evidently weakened it very much, and its growth was but slow, in comparison with another bean whose cotyledons I left untouched, and it wanted some time to recover itself from the sustained loss. Another plant I deprived of both cotyledons, at the same time and under the same circumstances; and the plant ceased to grow, though it continued to be alive for nearly a week afterwards. I examined the plant, and found almost the whole radicle in a dry state, and the death of the individual was therefore unavoidable. Similar experiments were made with the garden bean (Vicia Faba), and the same result followed. I was now perfectly satisfied that the young plant cannot grow without the presence of one or both cotyledons, and that they prepare the first nourishment for the germinating seed. My next experiment was to try if a young plant, when deprived of its roots, can continue to live. For that purpose, I separated the radiculum of a Vícia Fàba carefully from the cotyledons, and found, to my great surprise, that the young plant continued to grow, although it suffered apparently a great check, and a new set of roots began to make their appearance. This experiment sufficiently showed me that the young plants have the power of renovating their roots, as long as the cotyledons are left untouched. I was now desirous to know what effect it would have on the life of the individual, if the caudex ascendens were cut off. To gratify my desire, I deprived a Vícia Fàba of its caudex, which was about 2 in. high, and two little caudices shot forth, out of the corners of the cotyledons, one of which took the lead, and grew fast, but rather weakly; and, on nearer examination of a bean, I perceived two buds, one in each corner of the cotyledons, which our wise Creator did certainly make for no other purpose but that, if the first grown caudex happen to be destroyed by birds or other animals, another should rise in its place, and supply the loss of the first. But, in the last case, the roots grew to an uncommon size, and filled the whole pot. After all this, I turned the cotyledons of a germinated kidneybean downwards, and the roots upwards, and, in a short time, the roots inclined towards the soil, and showed an inclination to resume their former position; and I have no doubt, that if I had continued my observations on it, I should have found the roots to take hold of the ground again, and turn the cotyledons upwards: but my experiment was limited to the question whether the plant can continue to be alive when in this position, and I found the bean, after a lapse of a week, in the same state of health as when I first planted it; which shows clearly that the cotyledons are able to absorb moisture through their veins, for the nourishment of the plant, also when its growth is already advanced. The determination whether this last phenomenon of the root's inclination towards the soil can be called instinct, or whether it is a mere process of gravitation, I must leave to you and to your readers, who are abler physiologists than myself. one of Should these experiments be thought deserving a place in your publications, I shall be highly gratified. I remain, Sir, &c. Kent, Sept. 30. 1828. W. HERTZ. ART. V. On the judicious Division and Employment of Time, especially addressed to Young Gardeners. By JUVENIS OLITOR. Sir, AFTER glancing over the several propositions which, in the Gardener's Magazine, are suggested for the improvement of young gardeners (many of which merit considerable attention, and, no doubt, among the more spirited class, will not only draw forth a feeling of gratitude, but, it is trusted, will excite them to a diligence and assiduity equally praiseworthy on their part), I find extant in the desiderata one which may be considered of too great import not to be included in the list of those already brought under notice. I mean the judicious formation of a chronometer, which is the only preventative I know for that fatal intruder, procrastination, which, in so many instances, is allowed a place in the society of the class above mentioned. I know nothing so well calculated to accelerate the studies of the young gardener, as a proper disposal of his leisure hours in something like a systematic way. It is in consequence of such an oversight that so many grovel in a degree of mediocrity, notwithstanding their several exertions. I do not mean to charge them with a total neglect of application (from such individuals I would preclude the name of gardener); but I am aware of a prevailing error, which ought to be extirpated with all possible speed. I trust a hint or two is all that is necessary to obviate the procedure I intend pointing out. It cannot be denied that many young gardeners ardently pursue the various literary topics necessary for a competent knowledge of their profession, but in such an erratic manner, that their progress is not only retarded, but rendered in a great measure abortive. When any particular department is in pursuit, it is generally without restraint, until some novel attraction fall under their cognizance; when, all of a sudden, their old companion must be retrenched by the new intruder, long ere an adequate acquaintance has been formed. Thus time flies on, until something else presents itself necessary to be laid hold of, and also is grasped with the same unbounded limit; when it is necessary, in a certain degree, to suppress, or totally to lay aside, those formerly followed after. That such a system is practised, if a system it may be termed, many must confess, although none so able to judge of its demerits as those who have practically felt its bad effects. almost impossible here to establish a rule by which a reformation as above stated is to be effected: that must be a discretionary point with the young gardener himself, which must |