Book II. IN DIFFERENT CLIMATES. 113 



scenes for exercise or recreation, it will be found to vary, not only with the climate, but 

 with the surface of the country, and the habits and manners of society. 



Sect. I. Influence of Climate, in respect to Fruits, culinary Plants, Flowers, Timber-trees, 

 and horticultural Skill. 



519. The gardening of every country must vary according to the climate; and the 

 practice of the art in one country cannot be applied to any other, unless that other greatly 

 resemble the former in climate. " Useful hints," Neill observes, '< may no doubt be 

 occasionally drawn from observing the modes in other countries. But it is scarcely 

 necessary to remark, that in warm climates the practice must differ very widely from that 

 which obtains in the temperate or the cold. In the former, the plants which require to 

 be fostered in our stoves, either grow spontaneously, or are cultivated in the open fields, 

 while the greater part of our common pot-herbs refuse to flourish in sultry regions. 

 Again, the far northern countries of Europe, Sweden, Norway, and Russia, possess 

 peculiarities of climate : snow covers the soil throughout the winter, and the summers are 

 uninterruptedly bright and warm. Even in Britain, such is the difference of climate 

 between the favored countries of the south-west of England, and that part of the island 

 which lies to the north of the Cheviot Hills, that the same rules cannot be applied to both, 

 without very considerable modification. The horticulture of the north of France, of 

 Belgium, Holland, and Denmark, may, in general, be considered as approaching to 

 that of South Britain ; and these countries may frequently afford mutual lessons to each 

 other, each availing itself of the other's discoveries, and adopting its improvements." 



520. The finest climate for fruits, according to Sir William Temple, is that of Assyria, 

 Media, and Persia. " Those noble fruits, the citron, the orange, and the lemon, are 

 the native product of those noble regions, and though they have been from thence trans- 

 planted and propagated in many parts of Europe, yet they have not arrived at such per- 

 fection in beauty, taste, or virtue, as in their native soil and climate." " The reason of 

 it can be no other than that of an excellent and proper soil being there extended under 

 the best climate for the production of all sorts of the best fruits ; which seems to be from 

 about twenty-five to about thirty-five degrees of latitude. Now the regions under this 

 climate in the present Persian empire (which comprehends most of the other two, called 

 anciently Assyria and Media,) are composed of many provinces, full of great and fertile 

 plains, bounded by high mountains, especially to the north ; watered naturally with many 

 rivers, and those, by art and labor, divided into many more and smaller streams, which 

 all conspire to form a country, in all circumstances, the most proper and agreeable for 

 the production of the best and noblest fruits. Whereas, if we survey the regions of the 

 western world, lying in the same latitude, between twenty-five and thirty-five degrees, 

 we shall find them extend either over the Mediterranean sea, the ocean, or the sandy 

 barren countries of Africa ; and that no part of the continent of Europe lies so southward 

 as thirty-five degrees ; which may serve to discover the true reason why the fruits of the 

 east have been always observed, and agreed to transcend those of the west." " Persia," 

 Chardin observes, " is the first country of the world for beautiful and superb flowers, 

 properly so called." The same observation will apply to the whole of India ; but it is to 

 be observed, that the flowers of these and other hot and dry countries are less odoriferous 

 than in such as are temperate, and have a comparatively moist atmosphere. Moisture is 

 favorable for conveying all odors, or, at least, for strengthening their impression on the 

 olfactory nerves. 



521. The most suitable climate fin- culinary or herbaceous vegetables is one temperate and 

 moist ; and in this respect Holland, England, and the more temperate parts of France 

 and Flanders are before the rest of Europe. Sir William Temple, who lived much in 

 Holland and the adjoining countries, says gardening, in his time, was there in the greatest 

 perfection. The second country in Europe for culinary gardening and flowers, appears 

 to us to be Lombardy ; and considering that it is highly favorable for fruits, it may, as 

 already observed, be considered the most propitious country in Europe for horticulture 

 and ornamental gardening. There appear to be also corresponding situations in America, 

 China, and New Holland, especially in the latter country which may one day become a 

 second America. Wherever the fruit of the gooseberry and strawberry, and the bulb of 

 the turnip and the head of the cabbage attain a good size, there the climate may be con- 

 sidered highly favorable to the growth of kitchen-crops, most kernel-fruits of Europe, 

 and florist*' flowers ; but a warmer and drier climate is required for the richer stone- 

 fruits, and most of those of the torrid zone. 



522. The most suitable climate for timber-trees, when durability is an object, is a dry 

 and rather elevated region. The resinous tribe produces the best timber in cold moun- 

 tainous regions in every part of the globe. The oak, the chestnut, and the mahogany, 

 delight in strong soils and moderate temperatures, such as skirt the bottoms of mountains. 

 In general, no species of timber is found to be durable which has been produced in low, 

 moist, warm situations. ^ 



