Advantages of a Reserve Garden. 345 



plants will, I think, agree with me, that it is desirable, on many 

 accounts, to get out the more hardy kinds of Eviceas, Epacridese, 

 Cacteae, CaxneWiece, and the New Holland tribes (of course with 

 some exceptions to each); provided some kind of guarantee can 

 be given, that they can be protected from the injury arising from 

 excessive rains, and also from the discolouring effects of the 

 scorching and unbroken rays of the summer's sun, and also 

 from the injurious effects of stagnation of water, and from the 

 workings of the earthworm. 



I am aware that some of our very best cultivators of the above 

 tribes are against setting them out of doors at all; amongst 

 the rest, Mr. M'Nab, if my memory serves me faithfully, is of 

 this opinion ; and such authority is certainly of the very highest 

 character : however, I can only say that, although I know very 

 well that the jEriceae, and, in fact, all the above-named tribes, 

 may be kept in most excellent health in-doors; yet the wood 

 made in-doors is, after all, very different in character, generally 

 speaking, from that made out of doors, at least in most plants 

 with which I am acquainted. This arises, in my opinion, from 

 the out- door plants having a greater quantity of light in the 

 aggregate, and also from a more perfect circulation of air, 

 tending to produce shorter-jointed wood, — a pretty good cri- 

 terion of the principle of fructification. Let any one observe 

 the change that takes place in healthy Cacteas soon after they 

 are placed out of doors, say in July ; the pale green of their 

 foliage is progressively changed into a brownish or purpUsh hue; 

 and the axis of the frond, in the old speciosus, I have frequently 

 observed to turn quite purple ; indicating, as I imagine, highly 

 increased secretions from the descending sap, or true blood of 

 the plant. Their buds, also, soon become stouter and more 

 woolly ; the whole plant gets more compact, and almost, or quite, 

 ceases to elongate. It is a fact, I think, and one of some im- 

 portance in this argument, that the interior of hot-houses, 

 whether of wood or metal, is always inferior to the natural 

 climate in respect to light; I mean as to the average. A hot- 

 house, for aught I know, may be quite equal during a hot sun- 

 shine, but at other times, I make no doubt, considerably inferior ; 

 and, however some men may dislike theories, I suppose they 

 will admit that light is the chief agent in fructification. However, 

 assuming that any of the above tribes must be put out in the 

 summer, a place should be provided for them ; and for that 

 purpose I should recommend some beds in the reserve ground 

 to be so prepared as to receive a slight shade in excessive sun- 

 sliine, and also to prevent the depredations of the worms : and 

 if the plant cannot be shielded effectually from the heavy rains 

 of summer, care should be taken, by careful drainage, that the 



Vol. XI. — No. 64. c c 



