104 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



and to give tliem as mucli ligat as possible till half-blown, 

 and as little as possible after — tlie only way to bring out 

 the coloiu'S^ which depend on oxygen gas obtained from 

 the air, and to keep them from fading by losing their 

 oxygen gas when it has been produced. 



These principles, however, though generally applicable, 

 are by no means imiversally so ; and it would be as ob- 

 viously inconsistent to prescribe general rules for the 

 cultivation of flowering or other plants, as it would to say 

 that all descriptions of animals require one and the same 

 quantity and quality of food. In both cases it is well 

 known that the objects vary as much in the measm^e and 

 description of food they respectively require, as they do 

 in size, shape, or appearance : and without some general 

 or particular knowledge of their peculiar constitutions or 

 habits, they cannot be kept alive, much less in a healthy 

 condition. Animals, however, being furnished with instinct 

 or reason, can reject any food which would be pernicious 

 to them; but plants having no such faculties, when sub- 

 jected to any improper treatment, invariably perish if that 

 treatment is persevered in; so that it is of much greater 

 importance that their nature should be fully understood, 

 and their habits accurately ascertained. It is very inter- 

 esting and beautiful to observe their power of adapting 

 themselves to circumstances : but this power has certain 

 limits, beyond which it utterly fails. 



Some flowering plants requii^e a highly nutritive soil, 

 others again succeed best in an extremely poor one : many 

 gi'ow and flourish in great perfection in a very diy or sandy 

 soil, while for some a damp, adhesive, and retentive soil 

 is necessary; a few seem to delight in a shaded situation, 

 still the majority produce a gi^eater abundance of fine 

 flowers when they are fully exposed to light ; a slight 

 protection is necessaiw for many in the winter months, but 

 others endure severe frosts with perfect impunity. Under 

 these circumstances, a few vague and general directions 

 would, at best, be futile and useless : and to enter 

 minutely into the subject, would occupy more room than 

 a work of this size and price would allow ; therefore, it 

 has been considered best to pass lightly over the less 

 valuable sorts, and those which requke only the ordinary 



