150 THE CANAIilAN IlOirricrLTUHTST. 



all from tlie one near the groun 1. The reason for this is, that tlie 

 light and warmth tell first upon the excitable buds at the extremities 

 of the tree, and therefore the sap is set into an accelerated motion that 

 lies nearest to them. The gentleman ^^•ho first made this discovery 

 came to the conclusion tliat in the spring the sap of trees descended 

 instead of ascending, Init he forgot that the moment the buds l)egin to 

 expand they draw the sap from the parts nearest to them; tliis causes 

 the sap just ])eyond to push u]3wards to supj)ly the place of that taken 

 up l)y the buds, and as the buds increase and expand is this absorption 

 increased, and the circle of motion enlarged from the buds downwards. 

 Were it not true that the sap is constantly ascending, we should 

 lose all our evergreens during the ver}^ first winter, for the evaporation 

 that goes on in winter from their leaves would soon season the wood 

 of the tree were it not made good from the roots below ; and hence it 

 is that some evergreens are killed by a severe wi- ter while they are 

 small, which would survive without injury had they attained to a 

 greater size ; for, being small, the roots have not penetrated to sufficient 

 deptli to reach below the frozen ground, and consequently cannot 

 draw from the frozen earth in sufficient quantity, nor with sufficient 

 rapidity, to supply the waste by evaporation ; whereas when larger 

 the roots will have penetrated quite below the reach of frost, and will 

 be able to draw from tlie soil sufficient moisture to supply the loss. 



TOMATOES. 



Messrs. John A. Bruce & Co., seedsmen, of Hamilton, give con- 

 siderable attention to the testing of the different varieties of vegetables, 

 and after thorough trial find in their experience that Hubbard's 

 Improved Curled Leaf is the earliest. It is small compared with many 

 of the later sorts, and the plant is of a dwarf habit. Next to this they 

 place the Early Conqueror, which is of good size, and very uniform in 

 shape. Then the General Grant, a firm fleshed, bright crimson, pro- 

 ductive variety, for the main crop ; and after it the Trophy, for a later 

 variety, one of the largest and best flavored of them all. These four 

 sorts, ripening in the order named, they consider the best market sorts. 

 We have found the General Grant very productive, .and to ripen its 

 fruit rapidly after it once begins to come in. 



