CLIMATE AND SOIL 143 



CLIMATE AND SOIL 



The situation of Oxford is low and watery, the neighbouring meadows 

 being overflowed, close to the garden, after the autumnal rain, so that 

 the dews and heavy morning fogs will scarcely -allow the plants of hot 

 climates to attain perfection. DILLENIUS in 1742 or 1743. 



Horto [nostro] insigne damnum attulit gelu superioris anni insolitum 

 quod omnes Galliae Narbonensis, Italiae, Hispaniae et Africae citerioris 

 plantas, quae nobiscum aerem liberum ferunt et in solo plantatae erant, 

 pessumdedit DILLENIUS to Haller, Dec. n, 1740. 



Knowing how closely climatic conditions are connected with 

 success, or the reverse, in horticulture, Dr. Daubeny com- 

 menced a Meteorological Record of observations made in the 

 Garden and at his Laboratory. This record is still kept at 

 the Daubeny Laboratory, and some of the means have been 

 published in the " Report of the British Association " for 1891 

 and in the " History of the Daubeny Laboratory " in 1904 so 

 that it is unnecessary to go further into the matter here. 



The effect of weather on the growth of garden plants has 

 not yet been studied with any great accuracy of detail, 

 although the more general effects are perfectly well known 

 to all successful horticulturists. 



And the same is true of the soils. No one knows better 

 than Mr. Baker what our Oxford soil will and will not grow, or 

 what ingredients it is necessary to add to it to make it grow 

 a particular species of plant ; but it is very probable that no 

 chemical or bacteriological analyses have been made of it 

 since Dr. Daubeny attempted the former in the middle of 

 the last century. 



