The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-08-16
GrOwingsPIants Without Earth.

GrOWingsPlantS Without Earth.
From MAI and Eapress.
To his new occupation Alfred Du-
mesnil brought all those habits of
thought and investigation which had
distinguished his studies, historic
and aesthetic. He was ambitious to
follow in the path of the men who
had sought the secrets of nature.
To cultivate plants without earth
had long been the dream of chemists;
after years OF patient study the gar.
dener of VascUuil has discovered a
means of giving continued lite and
nourishment to plants, without their
being brought in contact with the
soil. All he does is to wrap their
roots up in some moss to which he
has impaired this life-giving power.
This "tertilizing moss" is not only
capable of affordlng nourishment to
all kinds of vegetable life, but will
do so indefinitely.
Since November, 1880, the date at
which his researches proved success
tnl, he has constantly been testing
his process, and has never found the
least interruption in the vegetative
functions of the plants subjected to
its influence; on the contrary, winter
and spring plants have b!ossomed
with vigor he has never seen in his
garden. With the shelter OF glass,
hellebores taken up at the end OF Nc
vember and the middle Of December
have remained two and a half to
three months in blossom. Other
plants, primroses, daisies, violets, au-
riculas, have not only been in bloom
tor three mouths, but have thrown
4 out new buds.
At Vascnuil we saw plants loaded
With blossoms which had been in the
tertilizing moss for weeks. The pub
lie IN Rouen and Paris have during
the past year had frequent opportu-
mites of beholding again and again
the process in full operation in the
exhibitions OF flowers and vegetables
which NJ. Dumesnil has gwen.
1t is manifest that this discovery
will indefinitely increase the facilities
for the floral decoration of interiors.
There is scarcely any kind of vessel
in which the plants cannot be arrang-
ed Since nj. Dumesnil perfected his
discovery, he has lad all kinds OF or
binary flowers blooming in baskets
containing the fertilizing moss. On
the occasion of any tete, even Christ.
mas, his tables have been covered
with protusion of spring flowers,
and he has boon ahle de4ora. q his
pTohtJo the. owner, Wnere there is a
market Tor il. II is easily and cheaply
gathered, requiring no packages, and
bears handling aud transportation
well. Tel. lunches year per hill Is
fair estimate for the yield of a
good plantation. This would give
over 4,00e lunches per acre. Many
OF these VIII contain over 100 fruit.
1t is a iavorite food in tropical coun>
tries, and always i'll demand at the
seaport towns Tor shipment. There
are some Pr ople, no doubt, who live
on bananas alone; but 1t is not rob.
able that any amount of work can
be got out OF dozen OF that fruit a
day. Southern Florida and some OF
the islands on it's coast have proved
to be suitable and profitable tor the
culture of the banana, and instances
are mentioned where the receipts
have been over $4,000 per year from
single acre, including some plants
sold. The southern part OF Caliior-
MIA is also said to be well suited TO
its growth. These are the only parts
Of the United States where is can be
grown successfully In Louisiana
1t requires two years to perfect itself,
and, without winter protection, sell
dom natures It's fruit.