ON ACCLIMATIZING PLANTS. 
299 
Cherries. — Remove the nets from those 
trees from which the fruit is gathered, and give 
the trees a good syringing in the morning. 
Protect Morellas from the birds, after having 
laid in a succession of young wood, as with 
Peaches. 
Currants. — Net these over as they ripen, 
and cover those close up with nets which are 
wanted to be kept. 
Figs. — Lay in the shoots close to the wall, 
and give all the light and sun possible : attend 
to directions at p. 261, for shortening the 
shoots, &c. 
Gooseberries. — Both fruit and bushes may 
be still assisted by judiciously shortening the 
side shoots : protect the best sorts with nets, 
and some of the Warrington and other good 
keeping sorts should be covered most carefully 
with mats or nets, for prolonging the season. 
JPeaches.— The finer sorts may now be in- 
creased by budding : for routine management 
see p. 262. 
Plums. — Lay in a succession of young wood 
in the old trees, as the fruit from young wood 
is better than that from the old spurs. 
Pears. — Remove the breast wood and take 
off all the bad shaped fruit. 
Strawberries. — See that those rooting in 
pots (for forcing) do not want for water ; de- 
pend chiefly on Keen's seedling. Make nur- 
sery beds for new plantations ; the sooner this 
is done the better ; protect with netting those 
which are ripening, and attend to gathering 
those intended for preserving, in dry weather. 
Vines. — Stop the main shoots and keep 
them thin, and closely nailed in ; remove all 
laterals, thus concentrating the strength of the 
plant in the wood, for next season, and in the 
fruit of the present. 
ON ACCLIMATIZING PLANTS AT BIEL, 
IN EAST LOTHIAN. 
We are so convinced that plants cannot be 
acclimatized, that we never read about it 
without thinking of the hopeless task of wash- 
ing the blackamoor white. The climate, sail, 
and circumstances, may be altered to suit the 
tree, but not the tree to suit the climate ; and 
so it will appear to any one who reads even 
the best papers on the subject. The following, 
for instance, is from a high authority, Mr. 
Street, who was gardener to the Honourable 
Mrs. Hamilton Nesbitt. He says, from his 
cwn experience, (writing in 1826) : — 
" I liud that poor, dry, and shallow earths 
and declivities are particularly well adapted 
to preserve, many plants through the winter 
season. The quicker the superabundant fluid 
passes away from their roots, the better. 
When excess of rain or moisture and severe 
frost happen, nearly together, plants generally 
suffer much more than by dry frost. If the 
situation of the plants be dry, frost does not 
hurt them so soon as if it be wet. Many kinds 
of plants certainly can endure a more uncon- 
genial climate or situation than their native 
place of growth. I also find that plants ob- 
tained from cuttings are hardier than seed- 
lings; the roots of the former seem to possess 
more ability to resist severe weather, I there- 
fore plant out cuttings, if they are well rooted, 
i in preference to seedlings. Several kinds of 
plants endure our winters much better while 
they are small, than when they become large. 
By keeping some plants short of food, it helps 
to preserve them in the open air. My 
past experience has convinced me how little 
moisture many plants require. Many kinds 
of smaller plants, if they are sunk in their pots 
in the open border, with the hole at the bottom 
of the pot left open, will endure the winter, 
which they would not if turned out of pots. 
I have sunk in the open borders, in their pots, 
Ononis natrix, Hypericum balearicum, Teu- 
crium fruticosum, Convolvulus Cneorum, and 
Mesembryanthemum uncinatum; and by this 
method, and by laying a little sand, or sandy 
gravel, over the surface round their stems, 
these plants survived the sharp winter frost 
without any other protection, and continued in 
good health. 
"Under-draining is another advantageous 
practice. Some small drains, which convey 
the water from the water-pipes attached to the 
roof of the house at this place, cross a border 
about eight or ten inches under the surface. 
Over these drains, and by their sides, I planted 
out with success several reputed green-house 
species at several periods. In 1810 I planted 
Lycium afrum, native of the Cape of Good 
Hope, over a drain under a south wall, which 
is six feet high, and trellised ; the plant is 
covered in winter two mats thick ; it thrives 
remarkably, being nine feet high ; and it 
flowers freely, in some years producing seeds. 
Over this same drain I plantedLavatera triloba, 
a native of Spain ; it endured the three last 
winters well, flowered freely, and produced 
much ripe seed ; this species has endured the 
winter for the same period in several other 
places ; last j'ear I collected more than sixteen 
ounces of its seed. In the same place, several 
years ago, I planted Camphorosma monspeliaca 
in its pot ; it thrives well, and flowers freely 
without protection. Lychnis coronata, a Chi- 
nese plant, was planted out four years ago, it, 
thrives remarkably well, and flowers freely ; 
I have seen four fine large flowers expanded 
on it at thesame time. Gnaphalium Strechas, 
of the south of Europe, was also planted out 
some years past in its pot ; it thrives well, 
and flowers most abundantly ; it ripens seeds, 
and endures great drought. 
