354 THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. [No. 12 



a very bad woman, particularized many of her imperfections; and, 

 affecting to warm with his subject, threatened to throw his book at 

 her brazen face, advising all the rest to hold down their heads lest he 

 should hit the wrong one. But lo ! they alt held down their heads — 

 there was not an imperfect woman amongst them — no, not one. With 

 us it is just the reverse — show how a few of us are far behind the 

 age, how we may improve ourselves, how good situations are in- 

 jured by "bad mismanagement," and we each apply it to ourselves. 

 PFeare of that "sham" set — we won't stand it. Sir, you are a very 

 bold man, you not only try to mend our manners and better our 

 ways — crushing our defective members with as little feeling as a sur- 

 geon lops off a broken leg — but you presume also to give those gen- 

 tlemen a hint who expect their gardeners to "do up everything," 

 repair old errors, restore old neglects; renovate, in fact, a killed-up 

 place — without affording them reasonable means to effect it. How 

 very rash ! How do you know but that employers are like N the 

 others, and each fancy that you are pointing to him. But that is 

 your look out. You say there are some indiiierent gardeners, and 

 some unreasonable employers. May your endeavors mend them — you 

 speak of Heaths, and why don't we grow them like we have seen 

 them at Chiswickl I will tell you, sir, if you will allow me. It is a 

 well known fact that the Heath has been tried and tried again, and 

 again by many first rate gardeners and has hitherto failed — without 

 examining the matter it has been set down that the climate is "too 

 hot for them." Certainly there is a great difference in the climates 

 of London and Philadelphia. The mean temperature of the hottest 

 month in the former being about 644°, while the latter is considered 

 at 77°. But although there is that great difference in favor of the 

 climate of London, there is not so much difference between this and 

 the Cape of Good Hope — the native country of the Heath. The 

 mean temperature of the hottest month there is about 74°, so that in 

 so far as mere temperature is concerned we are nearer to its natural 

 state than the London grower is. Why the mean temperature of the 

 whole year at the Cape is figured so high as 66°, or higher than the 

 mean temperature of the hottest month in London, by a degree and-a- 

 half. Mere temperature then has nothing to do with the failure to 

 grow heaths in America. It arises from the fact of our sticking to 

 the London system of management, fit only for a London climate. — 

 Why, the "Horticulturist" informed us last summer that he saw no 

 Heaths in England in general collections better than Breckenridge 

 grows them at Washington. If only one experiment is successful, it 

 shows that our "hot climate" is no obstacle, the thermometer at the 

 Cape of Good Hope is said to be frequently as high as 100° in the 

 •2 shade, and 1 doubt whether it ever exceeds that at Washington. I had 



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