THE IMPORTANCE OF DEEP CULTIVATION. 



So many of our ideas of the science of cultivation have' 

 come from our study of English works on gardening, that we 

 naturally and implicitly follow them, without ever reflecting 

 upon the circumstances of our position, in another and remote 

 hemisphere — with a drier atmosphere, — a clearer sky, — a 

 brighter sun, — a warmer summer, — and a colder winter; — in- 

 deed, a climate so ditferent that scarcely a species of the 

 natural vegetation of one country is found indigenous in that 

 of the other. 



With such a marked difference, therefore, in the products 

 of the New world from that of the Old, should our mode of 

 cultivation, our entire routine of the practice of gardening, be; 

 guided by the rules and systems laid down for the latter ? A 

 little reflection will, we think, decide that they should not : 

 for while we admit that we are largely indebted to the works 

 of English writers for much or a greater part of our knowl- 

 edge in the art of cultivation, and the improvement Avhich 

 has been the result of such information, we still believe^ 

 that a greater degree of advancement might have been made 

 had we taken into consideration the character of our climate 

 and the influences which its difference exerts upon vegetation,. 

 and modified our practice in consequence of such variation. 



That our American climate does affect to a greater or less 

 extent the physical character of our people, appears to be 

 the general opinion of those who have studied the subject to 

 any extent. A learned Swiss writer, whose remarks we had 

 occasion to notice in our last volume in connection with this 

 subject, has stated that there is '' something in the climate of 

 the country unfavorable to the high development and vigor of 

 the human organization." But whether this is true or not is. 

 not our purpose now to discuss ; the conclusion we arrived 

 at, however, was, that our American climate does injuriously 

 affect foreign varieties of fruit when growing in our soil, and 



VOL. XXI. NO. III. 15 



