BEER-DRINKING PLANTS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 173, 21 July 1876, Page 8

BEER-DRINKING PLANTS.

[From the 'Bochester Express.'] AttY one who is interested in plant culture, more particularly window gardening, cannot fail to have observed how beautifully climbing and flowering-plants, and more especially the ivy and rose geranium, always look in the larger-beer saloon windows. No matter what the exposure of the window or whether it be of large or small dimensions the plants it contains invariably present an appearance of such thrift and luxuriance as to cause the envy of the observer, and evoke the query as to the cause of the phenomenon. Accordingly, while passing by a saloon window the other day, the plant stand of which was more than ordinarily beautiful, we determined, if possible, to solve the mystery. An ivy, which climbed Up the window in a wealth of foliage and thence was trained along the wall and reached nearly to the centre of the large room, was our first object of investigation. Approaching a rubicund Teuton, with a well-developed forecastle, and persuasion distilling from his mildly curling lips, we asled him, after tossing off aschoppen of beer, "How is it your plants always do so nicely — this ivy, for instance, which was only one quarter its present size last summer ? " "Ah ! mein freund, I tell you," was the reply : " I put mein plants in big pots to start mid, den I always give dem blenty light, and every Wednesday und Saturday I feed dem mit beer — from a half glass to a pint, according to de size of de plant — de hops in de beer make him fat. I change mein soil every five or six months, and de cigar smoke in de ealoon keeps de bugs away." Here, then, was the solution. We were aware that beer was fattening to many persons, but it was the first time that we had ever heard of its fattening plants. The ivy in question was started from a slip a year ago only, and on measuring it was found to be a trifle less than twenty-four feet long. In addition to the main leader, which was remarkably thick and covered with leaves and small side-shoots, were three other shoots, varying in length from ten to fifteen feet, and apparently hurrying to catch up with the leader. The growth of the plant did not appear at all forced, but, on the contrary, healthy and natural. Other plants. ,in_ the, window were of equally remarkable growth. To all those who have been unsuccessful in house culture we commend the above diet. The stimulating properties of ammonia and liquid manure as applied to growing plants are well known ; wine diluted with water is also used in some parts of Germany where the article is cheap, but for a sUady diet we are inclined to the belief that beer and cigar smoke will carry off the palm.