196 



hardier than the parent tree, through whatever 

 succession of progeny thus formed. Dr. M'Cul- 

 loch doubts the truth of this assertion, and Mr. 

 Street has found that " plants obtained from 

 cuttings are hardier than seedlings ; the roots of 

 the former seem to possess more ability to resist 

 severe weather ;" his experience is very con- 

 siderable, and his opinions merit our attention. 

 Mr. Street always plants cuttings, if they are 

 well rooted, in preference to seedlings. The 

 vine is almost always propagated by cuttings, 

 and but few will assert that grapes are not more 

 frequently ripened in the open air now than 

 formerly. 



I have alluded above to the acclimation of the 

 zizania aquatica, or Canadian rice ; and, upon 

 the same principle, jiumerous productions of 

 other climes are now cultivated in our open 

 fields, and may in time be applied to useful and 

 profitable purposes. The phormium tenax, or 

 New Zealand hemp, now employed for produc- 

 ing the strongest cordage used in the navy, par- 

 ticularly on the New Holland station, has long 

 grown in the open air in the counties of AVater- 

 ford, Cork, Limerick, Louth, Wicklow, and Dub- 

 lin. During a period of thirty years, it has only 

 suffered once or twice in the extremities of the 

 leaves, from the most severe frosts. Six leaves 

 give an ounce of dried fibres, which it is calcu- 

 lated will exceed per acre the produce of either 

 flax or hemp. It may be observed, however, that 

 the separation of these fibres from the matter of 



