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perience, not to trust to the first warmth of spring, 

 while the flowers of the European trees are often 

 killed by the late frosts." 



I read this passage to my uncle, and asked 

 him if these plants did not seem almost to have 

 instinct ? 



He smiled, and said, <c I can give you another 

 remarkable fact. The wild potatoe, from Val- 

 paraiso, flowers in the garden of the Horticul- 

 tural Society in October, which you know is 

 the spring of South America. All these curious 

 circumstances are manifest proofs of the wisdom 

 of Providence, who has impressed on plants and 

 animals the habits proper to the situation in 

 which he placed them." 



I afterwards asked my uncle if the American 

 fruits were very late in ripening, as the blossoms 

 are so long kept back by winter. 



" No," he said, "the summer is very warm, 

 though the winter is long and severe ; and, as 

 animals become more sensible to heat, after 

 being previously exposed to cold, for the same 

 reason that your hands glow on coming into the 

 house after having been rubbed with snow 

 so vegetables seem to be excited to a greater 

 degree of energy by the previous intense cold. 

 Vines, in grape-houses which have been exposed 

 to the open winter air, become forwarder and 

 more vigorous than those which have been kept 

 shut up in the house. In the northern latitudes, 



