THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
31 
HORTICULTURAL OUTLINE. 
AN OUTLINE of the first principles of Horticulture, 
by John Lindley, F R. S. &c. &c., Professor ol Bota- 
ny in the University of London, and assistant Secre- 
tary of the Horticultural Society. 
PREFACE. 
It has long been thought by intelligent men, 
that it would tend essentially to the advance- 
ment of horticulture, it the physiological prin- 
ciples upon which its operations depend lor 
their success, were reduced to a series of simple 
laws, that could be readiiy borne in mind by 
those who might not be willing to occupy them- 
selves with the study, in detail, of the complica- 
ted phenomena of Vegetable lite. 
The importance of these laws is so great, that 
there is not a single practice of the gardener, 
the farmer, or the lorester, the reason of which, 
it it relates to the Vegetable Kingdom, can be 
understood without a knowledge ot them. 
It has happened, indeed, that many very in- 
teresting facts in Horticulture, Agriculture, and 
Arboriculture, have been discovered fortuitous- 
ly; and that improvements in them still con- 
tinue to be occasionally the result ot accident, 
but it cannot be doubted that these discoveries 
or improvements would have been long antici- 
pated, had the exact nature ol the laws from 
which they necessarily result, been earlier un- 
derstood. 
There can, moreover, be but little mental in- 
terest in w'atching the success ol operations of 
which the reasons are unknown, compared with 
that which must be felt, when all the phenome- 
na attendant upon practice can be foreseen, their 
results anticipated, or the causes of failure ex- 
actly appreciated. 
It muse also be manifest, that, however skil- 
ful any person may become by mere force of 
habit, and by following certain prescribed rules, 
which experience has, or seems to have sanc- 
tioned ; yet that much more success might be 
expected, if he acted upon certain fixed princi- 
ples, the truth of which has been w^ell ascertain- 
ed, instead of following empirical prescriptions, 
the reason of which he cannot understand. 
It is not, however, to be understood, from this 
last observation, that rules of cultivation are to 
be neglected because they cannot be physiolo- 
gically explained. On the contrary, the mere 
fact ot a given mode of culture having been fol- 
lowed for a length of time by persons deeply in- 
terested in the success of their operations, and 
of much experience, ought to give it very great 
authority; for it is well known that there are 
many important facts, the reason of which is 
either extremely obscure, or altogether unintel- 
ligible. This may be owing either to the de- 
fective state ot our knowledge of the exact na- 
ture of many of the phenomena of life, or to the 
great difficulty of appreciating every ciicum- 
stance connected with the fact m question, or to 
constitutional idiosyncrasy, from exceptions to 
the ordinary laws of nature, and baffle ail phi- 
losophy. 
It is in the writings of Vegetable Physiolo- 
gists that is to be found what is known of the 
relation of Botany to the cultivation of Plants; 
but it is always so mi.xed up with other matter, 
that an ordinary reader is unable to tell what 
bears upon HoVticultute and what upon other 
subjects. I am not aware that there is at pre- 
sent, in any language, a work exclusively de- 
signed to separate that part of Vegetable physi- 
ologv, which relates to the Science of Cultiva- 
tion, from what appertains to pure Botany, or 
to other subjects; nor can I learn that such an 
undertaking is in contemplation. 
I am, therefore, induced to lay the following lit- 
tle work before the public ; first, by a persuasion 
that it is better that the attempt should be made 
imperfectly, than not made at all ; and, second- 
ly, bv the very favorable reception that has been 
given to a few hasty ideas upon this subject, 
which I ventured to sketch out for a work pub- 
lished some months ago. 
The following propositions are prepared upon 
the same plan as tho.se of an elementary work 
upon Botany originally drawn up for the use of 
the Botanical class in the University ol Lon- 
don. 
A similar object has here also been kept in 
view. My intention has not been to write a 
work on the philosophy of Horticulture; but 
simply to point out in the briefest manne.'", con- 
sistent with clearness, what the lundamental 
principles ot that Philosophy have been ascer- 
tained to be. 
The application of these principles has been 
necessarily, in all cases, very concise; but there 
will be no disadvantage if the work acts as an 
exercise of the reasoning powers, as well as a 
guide to practice. 
It may, perhaps, be thought that several points 
have been omitted, which it would have been 
desirable to introduce, such as the influence 
upon vegetation ol electricity, manures, pruning, 
training, and the various modes of grafting. 
But it is possible that a little consideration 
may shovv that these subjects do not strictly 
come within the scope of the following pages. 
In the first place, a distinction must be drawn 
between the Art and the Science of Horticul- 
ture; the former teaches the manner, the latter 
the reasons of cultivation ; and it is to the latter 
only that these propositions apply. Secondlv, 
the plan of this sketch excludes everything that 
is merely speculative, or that is incapable of 
being reduced within certain fixed principles. 
Electricity is a power of which we know al- 
most nothing certain, with reference to vegeta- 
tion ; it many things have been written about it, 
it must be aamitted, at least, that very little has 
been improved. 
The same may be said of manures; the the- 
ory of their action is explained at paragraphs 
19, 262, and 266. 
Pruning and training are a part of the art of 
cultivation, dependent upon a great variety ot 
physiological laws, the brief explanation ol 
which is ihf object of this woik. A few hints 
upon the subject will, however, be found in 
chapters III, IV, VI, and VIII. 
The various modes of grafting are also a part 
of the ^72 of Horticulture; and are deduced from 
laws explained in the XlVth chapter. 
To conclude; the reader should above all 
things bear in mind that he ought not form his 
opinion upon any point from the mere conside- 
ration of ons or two isolated propositions, but of 
the whole of the phenomena which it is the ob- 
ject of the following pages to explain. For he 
will find that the vital actions of plants are so 
dependent upon each other, and of so complica- 
ted a nature, that, while the whole can only be 
understood by a study of the parts, neither can 
any of the parts be exactly understood, without 
a knowledge of the whole. 
(To be conlinued.) 
SUBSOIL PLOW AND PLOWING. 
Allow me for a moment to ask your attention 
to the subsoil ploio, with which I presume you 
are but little, it any acquainted. Although 
known for years in Europe, and in some parts 
of our own country, I am not aware that it has 
been much used in this county. It is made to 
follow in the furrow’ directly after the common 
surface plow, loosening and moving the earth 
to the depth ol six or eight inches below’ the first 
furrow, without bringing any part of it to the 
surface. The advantage to be derived from 
such loosening is, that the superabundant moist- 
ure settles down to the bottom ot the lurrow, 
and there is a constant operation of the atmos- 
phere, which gradually converts it into produc- 
tive soil. It thus produces all the benefits of deep 
plowing, without the disadvantage of the admixt- 
ure of an undueproporiion of unproductive ingre- 
dients inthe soil. The soil thus moved will afford 
space for the extension of the roots or fibres of 
the plants, so that in seasons of drought they will 
be less likely to fail. And the ultimate conse- 
quence will be, if the land is properly manured, 
an additional depth to the soil, —say instead of 
6 or 7 inches, there will be found 10 or 12 inch- 
es. For root crops, and many others, such an 
alteration mu.st be of great value. Where this 
process ot subsoil plow’ing has been tried for a 
number of years successively, and the subsoil 
has been gradually mixing with the upper soil, 
the whole has been lound so completely changed 
as to be capable of producing crops that could 
not before have been cultivated to any advan- 
tage. 
iVlr. Phinney, of Lexington, to whom the 
agi icultural community are under great obliga- 
tions for his numerous and well conducted ex- 
periments, particularly those in the manage- 
ment of grass lands, first brought the subsoil 
plows into use in this vicinity, about three or 
four years since. The pattern then used has 
been much improved by different manufacturers 
— some specimens of which have this day been 
exhibited and tiied. Mr. Phinney, who has 
used tnis plow on many acres ot his own farm, 
informed me that the productive quality of his 
soil, for many crops, had been increased fifty 
per cent, by its use. On a question ot practical 
cultivation, there is no man’s opinion more 
worthy ol regard. — Mi\ Proclor's Address. 
[The follow’ingnote is appended to the above :] 
In a recent letter received from Mr. Phinney, 
he says: “ I have used the subsoil plow sorne 
three or four years, and such is the estimate in 
which I hold this important implement, that I 
should consider it a great piece of improvidence 
to put in a crop without first subsoiliug the 
ground. The character of our soil and dimate 
are both such, being subject to the extremes of 
wet and dry, as to render the use ol the subsoil 
plow ol more essential benefit here than in En- 
gland, ana if 0 ae-half iho effects from its use, 
said to be produced in that couniry, are realized 
here, no farmer should be without a subsoil 
plow. The substratum with us, is either hard 
gravel or clay. Both are greatly beaefiited by 
the use of this plow. In case ot too much wet, 
the redundancy of water is absorbed by loosen- 
ing the subsoil — when too dry, the plants can 
find support by being enabled to extend their 
roots deeper in search of moisture. Our crops, 
particularly our potatoes and other root crops, 
as they are called, olten suffer from droughts 
that almost invariably occur in our climate in 
August or .September. A failure of these crops 
is oftener owing to this than any other cause. 
Without resorting to the test of experiment, can 
any rational farmer doubt that this obstacle to 
the productiveness of our soil, may be, in a 
great measure, overcome by loosening the sub- 
soil. In our old fields, which have been culti- 
vated for many years, with the use of no other 
than the common plow, an under crust has been 
formed by the travelling of the oxen and move- 
ment of the plow for a long time, at a few inch- 
es below the surface. This is generally so 
hard as to be impenetrable by the roots of plants, 
and hence the necessity of breaking this crust 
by the subsoil plow’. A soil having close 
and hard gravel, or a stiff clay bottom, 
may perhaps derive equal benefit from the use 
of the subsoil plow. Most of my observations, 
with regard to its beneficial effects have been 
upon the former, having but little land w’ith a 
clay bottom. The objections to deep plowing 
that exist in the minds of some farmers, cannot 
apply to subsoil plowing, inasmuch as the poor- 
er part of the soil is loosened, but not brought to 
the surface.” 
Guinea Goose. — This is the largest of the 
goose tribe which has fallen under our notice; 
it is of the size of the swan, and it often weighs 
more than 25 pounds. We haye now in our 
possession one pair w’hich we purchased for a 
gentleman in South Carolina, which will weigh 
in common ordinary condition, over 20 pounds 
each. We once ow’ned a gander that weighed 
24 pounds. They are a noble bird, quite orna- 
mental about the premises, and add much to 
the scenery, particularly if a sheet of w’ater be 
near. When floating on its surface they have 
a stately majestic appearance, and in their move- 
ments they much resemble the swan. They 
have a low, hollow, coarse voice, unlike that ot 
any other variety, — Bement’s Poulterer's Comp. 
