THE 



GARDENER'S MAGAZINE, 



MARCH, 1827. 



PART I. 



ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. 



Art. I. On the Culture of North American Plants, including 

 Ferns ; founded on Observations made during a Journey 

 through Canada, and some of the Northern States of the 

 Union, in the Years 1817, 1818, and 1819. By Mr. John 

 Goldie, of the Monkwood Grove Nursery, Ayrshire. 



Sir, 



At the request of my friend Mr. Mackay, of the Clapton 

 nursery, I send you a list of a few of the plants that I have 

 observed in my journey through Canada and some of the 

 United States of America, with an account of the soil and 

 situation in which they are generally to be found in their native 

 country. Although North American plants are for the most 

 part grown in bog earth in this country, yet I consider this 

 soil as by no means indispensably necessary for their successful 

 cultivation, since I have found that they will do equally well 

 if planted in a mixture of vegetable mould and sand. The 

 soil in North America is not exactly similar to our bog earth, 

 being chiefly composed of rotten wood and leaves, which forms 

 a fine rich mould, in which the most of plants will grow ex- 

 tremely well. In the forests, where the trees are of a large 

 size, there are very few vegetables of any description to be 

 found below them ; so that the surface-soil is almost wholly 

 produced by the decayed trees and branches which are blown 

 down by the wind, or which fall by age, and the annual fall of 

 leaves. One thing that I consider requisite for the successful 

 cultivation of these plants is, to afford them a proper degree 

 of shade, since, in their native woods, a great many of them 

 are completely excluded from the rays of the sun. Any person 



Vol. II.— No. 6. k 



