24 On inuring Tender Plants to our Climate. 



done so, had they passed through several generations by 

 being raised from British seeds. 



Is it not then worthy a trial, as we find that plants raised 

 from suckers or cuttings do not grow hardier by time, and as 

 the experiments on Zizania points out the road, to sow the 

 seeds of these and such like tender shrubs as occasionally ripen 

 them in this climate. Fourteen generations, in the case of 

 the Zizania, produced a complete habit of succeeding in this 

 climate, but a considerable improvement in hardiness was 

 evident much earlier. 



In plants that require some years to arrive at puberty, four- 

 teen generations are more than any man can hope to survive ; 

 but a much less number will in many cases be sufficient, and 

 in all, though a complete habit of hardihood is not attained, a 

 great progress may be made towards it in a much less time ; 

 even one generation may work a change of no small import- 

 ance; if we could make the Myrtle bear the climate of Middle- 

 sex as well as it does that of Devonshire, or exempt our laurel 

 hedges from the danger of being cut down by severe frosts, it 

 would be an acquisition of no small consequence to the plea- 

 sure of the gentleman, as well as to the profit of the gardener. 



Old as I am, I certainly intend this year to commence 

 experiments on the Myrtle and the Laurel : I trust, therefore, 

 it will not be thought presumptuous in me to invite those of 

 my brethren of this most useful Society, who are younger 

 than I am, and who of course will see the effect of more ge- 

 nerations than I shall do, to take measures for bringing to 

 the test of experiment, the theory I have ventured to bring 

 forward, I hope not without some prospect of success. 



The settlement lately made at New Holland, gives a large 



