New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-03
CONTRIBUTIONS NOTES AND QUERIES.

CONTRIBUTORS NOTES AND QUERIES.
INHERENT views have lately been presented in The
rpryE IN reference to the ability Of Leaves Of plants
=, absorb uater or watery solutions During the last
.wantv.fye years or so Duchartre's conclusions
srom a series of experiments made by him were
.ccented by vegetable Psychologists to the effect
.hot leaves we're entirely unable to receive moisture
otherwise than through their stems from the trunk
and roots Practical gardeners could not help
doubinp The correctness of this doctrine, for they
saw air plants living and growing year after year in
,no;st warm. still air without any connection with
the soil or with water, their everyday summer OBJ
ssrvation showed the refreshing effect OF sprink-
ling of water; or deposit of dew upon Tagging
leaves; and they knew that even food could be
riven IN that way il in complete solution, as Oy
sprinkling with soot-water as advised by ). 4, D;
Tor chrysanthepums. And plants are easily Killed
Inv APPLYING brine or other poison IN solution over
their leaves. Careful experiments lately made by
the Rev. L. Henslow have demonstrated that
Duchaftre omitted some condition IN his tests ana
that leaves are really capable OF absorbing water
or its vapor.-lW.
.Master Arthur Wrights plea for swallows
might. as you say, to be generally needed.
II this farmers boy could be provided with some
good books about birds to supplement his intel
gent observation with full and accurate infor-
nation concerning their names. habits, migrations
etc, his notes. as he grows older, would become of
much value. The " facts " in natural history have
been largely gathered from just such observations
rs are here recorded. Among the volumes 10 which
such young man should have access we may name
Coues's Birds of the Northwest"; Wilson's
American ORTHODOXY; "New-Engand Bird
LIFE lCoues and Stearns; Studeps Birds of North
America and Baird, Brewer and Rldgew ay 5
"Lsnd Birds" though the two last-named are
somewh hat expensive -lCharles Aldrich.
In building a cellar pall Of cobble stone,
broken stone or gravel, there should be trench
underneath it with clean gravel. This trench must
have little fall OF grade to it to carry off any
water. In building the wall the material must be
absolutely clean. ANY clay, clayey loan or loan
will prevent the chemical action OF the cement, ana
an artificial stone will not be formed About three
parts of clean sharp sand to of hme If the lime
long as will be wanted. The cements manufactured
in Opondaga, Cayuga or Madison counties are good
as any in the world for this purpose. All OF the
locks on the Erie Canal were built with Onondaga
cement. There are many structures that nave
stood in central NewYork for more than fifty years.
and bid fair to stand for 500 Homer d. l.. Sweet
Although at first blush it seems like LAYING hold
of the wrong end to drag a log by the top, even a
smoothly trimmed one little consideration shows
that the log, being in degree conical, or wedge
shaped, must 60 easiest with the small end fore
most We should see this at once If attempting TO
propel a sharpened iead-penci along sandy or
dusty surface.-lShelah.
1t has been suggested that the heavy rains at
the period of apple bloom last year the cause Of
lack OF fruit Trees and varieties that bloomed late
after the rains bore we'll 1t seems not improbable
that heavy rains at such times might wash OF the
pollen grains, destroy their .-lProfessor
A. j. Cook.