MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT-TEEE BOEDERS. 207 



It has been reserved for modern gardeners to appreciate the 

 importance of the temperature of the soil in connexion witli the 

 growth of plants. I mean of the temperature of the soil, being 

 in advance of that of the atmosphere. Mr. Reid, of Balcarres, 

 " found that in a cankered orchard the roots of the trees had 

 entered the earth to the depth of 3 feet ;" and he also ascertained 

 " that the average heat of the soil, at 6 inches below the surface, 

 was 61°, at 9 inches 57°, at 18 inches 50°, and at 3 feet 44°." 

 Surely, then, when we take into account the manner in which 

 the earth's surface is heated by the sun in the native countries of 

 the fruits which British gardeners cultivate, and when we under- 

 stand the advantages which the comparative bottom heat confers on 

 trees, in causing early and advanced root action, moderate growth, 

 and early maturity of the wood, at the same time endowing them 

 with protective properties by diffusing through their air-vessels 

 that temperature which the surface-roots absorb, it cannot but be 

 wise practice to adopt shallow platforms of good sound loam on 

 well-drained bottoms impervious to the descent of roots. Such 

 has been my practice — such the plan advocated by one of our most 

 skilful gardeners, Mr. Errington, gardener to Sir Philip de Grey 

 Egerton, Bart., M.P. By such means, in almost all situations, 

 fruit-trees may be made to flourish and yield fruit " after their 

 kind." 



There is another advantage which these impervious bottoms 

 secure to us, viz. the most perfect command of the roots ; and 

 I tkink there are few who in this age would hold this to be un- 

 important. For my own part I conceive that the roots of every 

 fruit-tree should be as much under control as the branches. 



Of late years there has been practised by several very intelli- 

 gent men a system of covering the surfaces of borders with 

 concrete, thereby excluding the rain-water from percolating, and 

 preventing, to a g-reat extent, the admission of air. I am quite 

 willing to admit that in certain places, where the situation is low, 

 the soil tenacious, and the locality subject to an amount of rain 

 exceeding the average, it may have been wise to make provision 

 to prevent the saturation of the border by excess of rain ; but as 

 a general rule on light soils, or those of a medium quality, it does 

 not appear to me that such a proceeding is either ivarranted by 

 ■practice or supported by scientific theory. 



If it be true that " the water which plants obtain from the soil 

 contains those saline and gaseous matters which plants want," 

 surely it cannot be in accordance with the established data on 

 which the universally recognized improvements of modern horti- 

 culture and agriculture are founded, to exclude the rain-water 

 from penetrating the soil. The advantages derived from drain- 

 age (the basis of all cultivation) are due to the removal of the 



