70 Virgin Soil, 



nourishing sap continually flows upwards in the woody body, 

 and the formation sap cannot flow backwards on account of the 

 interruption in the bark by the ring-cut ; the root formation is 

 therefore much more easily effected. Even plants the most difficult 

 to strike succeed very well by this operation, particularly when 

 plunged in heat. Several other kinds of cuts and twists are 

 used with plants of quicker growth, with equal success. Plants 

 that are in pots, and sunk in a bed, are not so desirable for 

 this manner of propagating; as the more vigorous growth of 

 those planted in the free soil tends greatly to the success of 

 the operation. Plants the branches of which are too stiff or too 

 brittle to be bent down must have half-pots fastened lengthwise 

 with wire to the most suitable part of the branch ; but this 

 method can only succeed when the earth in the suspended pot 

 is continually kept moderately moist. 



Art. IV. On Virgin Soil, and on the Origin of Soils. 

 By J. Wighton. 



Some persons might think that what is commonly called virgin 

 or maiden soil was primitive earth ; but this is not the case. In 

 general it is soil of recent formation from animal or vegetable 

 remains, with a small portion of sand, or whatever may happen 

 to be the subsoil. That got from rich pasture land is considered 

 the best; but how it came by the title of virgin I cannot say, 

 except on the supposition that, formerly, it was believed that 

 primitive earth was the best. Indeed, the following extract from 

 a writer in the Gardener's Gazette shows that there is still such 

 a notion. He says : " All soils are formed from the debris of 

 rocks, and will, if left to themselves, deprived of the action of 

 the air and roots of plants, have a tendency to consolidate, and 

 return to the state of rock again. Another benefit of new soil 

 is, that, as the disintegration of the rock proceeds, new alkalies 

 are set free from the stone as the decomposition goes on." The 

 writer, 1 think, falls a little into error: all soils are not from the 

 debris of rocks; that which produces vegetables is not; in short, 

 the greater part of the crust of the earth, commonly called 

 mould, is from vegetable remains; and, although stirring ren- 

 ders it fit for vegetation, without stirring there need be little 

 fear of its again becoming rock. With regard to alkalies, I 

 hardly know what an alkali is, but I guess it to be that which 

 constitutes manures ; and if it resides in rocks, why not have 

 them ground for manure ? I have nothing to state in favour 

 of getting manure from ground stones, except that I know it 

 can be got from limestone; but, on the contrary, formerly, in 



