14$ ON THE NATURALIZATION OF PLANTS. 



pleafures, from the introduction of exotics derives its principal 

 fupport; and certainly whatever tends to facilitate this amiable 

 fludy is truly deferving of the attention of every philanthropic 

 mind. As all botanifts cannot have an opportunity of ex- 

 amining plants in their native foils at proper feafons, it is there- 

 fore only by tranfplanting and cultivating, they can become 

 acquainted with the productions of diftant countries; and to 

 cultivate them with fuccefs we mult derive our information 

 principally from the plants tbemfelves : each has certainly a 

 peculiar character, which were we truly acquainted with,, thofe 

 tedious experiments with each newly acquired fpecies, which 

 now nearly exhauft the patience of all lovers of plants, would 

 be no longer necefiary ; gardening might then boaft of being 

 eftablithed on fcientific principles, and would then never adopt 

 rules contrary to what nature dictates. 



Nor will the, fcorning truth and tafte, devote 

 To ftrange and alien foils, her feedling ftems j 

 Fix the dark fallow on the mountain's brow, 

 Or to the mofs-grown margin of the lake 

 Bid the dry pine defcend. From nature's laws 

 She draws her own : nature and flie are one. 



Mason's English Garden, B. Ill, line 226. 



By our prefent imperfect knowledge of the phyfiology of 



plants, we are neceffitated to accept of every affiftance within 



our reach : and plants being fo immediately connected with 



every modification of the atmofphere, meteorology, which has 



hitherto been conlidered as an object of curiofity, is a fource 



from which we may derive much ufeful information. 



The mean heats Heat being found to increafe or decreafe nearly in a regular 



of different ch- progreffion, according to the degrees of latitude, if the latitude 

 mates confider- r _ » ' . b . . . h . , , , .... 



ably govern their or the place where a plant is round be known, by conlulting 



vegetation, ]yf r , Kirwan's table of the mean annual temperature of dif- 

 ferent latitudes *, we may find whether the temperature nearly 

 correfponds with our own. Or, fuppofing the mean annual 

 temperature of Dublin, lat. 52°, equal 50 of temperature, by 

 adding one for every degree of latitude fouthward, and fub- 

 trading one for every degree of latitude northward, we have 

 the temperature correctly enough for our purpofe. For thefe 



* See an eftimate of the temperature of different latitudes by 

 R. Kirwan, Efqj page 17. 



2 calculations 



i 



