DOMESTIC NOTICES 



531 



less the plants are well watered they will be like- 

 ly to be thrown oul by the frosts of winter. Per- 

 haps in milder latitudes and a n 09 soil, 

 autumn planting may prove satisfactory. 



By the practice of allowing the plants to run to- 

 gether, it becomes necessary to thin them in the 

 spring, after (he first crop; and by keeping them 

 free from weeds and grass, the second crop will 

 be quite equal to the first one. The third crop 

 from the same beds lias proved less abundant; but 

 I have charged this to the growth of grasses 

 among the plants, which it is more difficult to pre- 

 vent in my soil than to plant a new bed. I am, 

 moreover, of opinion that not more than three 

 good crops can be obtained from the same spot, 

 without breaking up and cultivating in some other 

 way. 



If these observations are' worth giving to your 

 readers, they can depend upon them as reliable; 

 and whoever has hesitated to cultivate this deli- 

 cious fruit, let him take courage when he sees it 

 may cost no more than to cultivate an equal ex- 

 tent of radishes or onions. The soil if well plough- 

 ed and moderately manured, will be all that is re- 

 quisite; but he must recollect, that freedom from 

 weeds, and moisture in the soil, is very essential 

 if he will produce large and fine fruit.* 



I have in progress another experiment with fall 

 and spring planted strawberries, and should the 

 result be of any interest I will give it to you on 

 some future occasion. 



In the experience detailed above, I do not pre- 

 tend to offer an infallible mode, but only to give 

 the result of a simple course, with little labor and 

 expense, which, from an experiment disastrous in 

 its commencement, has resulted so satisfactorily. 

 Yours, An Albany Subscriber. March, 1850. (A 

 sensible, practical article. Ed.) 



Horticultural Criticism Criticised. — Mr. 

 Editor : It is frequently the fate of those who 

 are actively engaged in the laborious operations of 

 horticulture, to be blamed for failures, without 

 being praised for success; to be censured for 

 casualties which they could neither foresee nor 

 avert, and to have their records of hard-earned 

 experience on questions of practice, on which no 

 law of literature forbids public discussion, con- 

 temptuously satirized by men whose pride, hu- 

 mor, interest or inclination may lead into the in- 

 discriminate criticism of subjects beyond their ca- 

 pacity. 



When an individual erects a tribunal of censor- 

 ship, in a country where the Boience and art of 

 horticulture are ye! in their infancy, and almost 

 alienated from each other, he requires to be read 

 with caution and scrutiny, by all who are inte- 

 rested in the subjects of his critique ; and it can- 



•A gentleman u ; ( fruit-grower, informed the 



writer thai tl e largest and finest st had ever seen 



were grown a from the ilope above which i;>- 



where the plants grew, and keeping it constantly wet. 



nol be regarded as anything short of anwan 

 ble egotism, for any person — whether be be a 

 practical horticulturist, or a profound experimen- 

 talist — to assert this thing to be ri^bt. or that 

 thing to be wrong, merely on his own opinion, 

 without advancing one jol or little of argument, 

 experiment, or fact, to show whereon be founds 

 his assertion] for it is well known, that an igno- 

 rant critic may often espy a blemish, when his 

 own mind is not sufficiently enlightened to dis- 

 cover a beauty. But such critics can neither di- 

 minish the stability of a principle by their cen- 

 sure, nor increase it by their praise. 



In these days of free inquiry, the mere opinion 

 of any man, is taken for just what it is worth, 

 and its worth is generally estimated in proportion 

 to the strength and clearness of" the facts upon 

 which it is founded] hence, ,-m opinion, unsupport- 

 ed by facts, is justlv regarded as worth nothing at 

 all. The science of horticulture is just boirinning 

 to emerge from shadowy vagueness; and at this 

 time, we are in particular danger of beincr led 

 astray by opinions and whimsicalities — of follow- 

 ing absurd practices, and copying bad models; 

 and if censorship is to be assumed by any one, let 

 it be impartially applied. The condemnation 

 which is clearly required, ought not to be with- 

 held for any contingent advantages, much less 

 from pure regards of personal favor. Any per- 

 son who brings forward his experience, for the 

 benefit of his brethren, does so at the hazard of 

 condemnation or approval. He necessarily places 

 himself before the tribunal of criticism. But who- 

 ever criticises him, should do so by deductions, 

 analogy, or facts; and not by vague, bombastic 

 and empty assertions. 



I think it will be admitted, by all who are ac- 

 quainted with the practical operations of horticul- 

 ture, that the only satisfactory' way of proving 

 the value of any system, or course of practice, is 

 by a series of experiments and counter-experi- 

 ments. We may sometimes be induced, on first 

 observations, to reason ourselves into conclusions 

 that are clearly absurd ; and if such conclusions be 

 given to the world, and passed without reprehen- 

 sion, or perhaps indiscriminately praised with 

 others, which it may please the caprice or fancy 

 of the critic to cxtcd, then the literature of horti- 

 culture becomes the banc of its practical progress; 

 and on such literature, criticism falls without ef- 

 fect. Nothing can be more desirable in our hor- 

 ticultural literature, at present, than well di- 

 rected criticism, applied impartially and unspar- 

 ingly, both to theoretical and practical writings; 

 not only for the purpose of exposing and rectify- 

 ing errors, bnt also for improving our practice, 

 and consolidating our systems. 



Few reflecting minds can fail to perceive that 

 our horticultural literature is at present under the 

 Rhadmanthean control of despotic opinio nism. 

 Like the "Scotch Reviewers," a self-opinionated 



tribunal of Censorship, vainly attempts to stille in- 



oiptent principles and practices in the bud, except, 



