46 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
Muriiculturai i>utlL e. 
AN OUTLINE of th? first principles of HoRTlCCLTtTRE, 
by John Lindley, F K S &c &c., Professor ol Bota- 
ny in the University of London, and assistant Secre- 
tary of the Horticultural Society. 
(CONTINTjED,) 
L— GENERAL N.\TURE OF PLANTS. 
1. Horticuluire is ihe application of the aris 
of cultivaiion, inuliiplication, and domestica- 
tion to t.ne vegeiable kingdtmi. Agricul-iure 
and Ai'boriculuire are branches of Hurticul- 
utre. 
2. The vegetable Ringdora is composed ol 
living beings desiiune ol sensation, with no 
power ot moving spontaneously from place to 
place, and called plants. 
3. Plants are organized bodies, consisting ol 
masses ol' tissue that is permeable by fluids oi 
gaseous matter. 
4. Veg'dabie tissue consists ol minute blad- 
ders, or tubes adhering by their contiguous sur- 
faces, and leaving interujediate passages where 
they do not touch. 
5. Tissue is called Cdhdar when it is com- 
posed I'd minute bladders, which either approach 
the figure ol a sphere, or are obviously some 
modification of it, supposed So be caused by ex- 
tension or lateral compression. 
6. When newly formed , it is in a very lax 
state, and possesses great powers of absorp- 
tion ; pr bably in consequence of the excessive 
permeability of its membrane and the imperfect 
cohesion ol its cells. 
7. Cellular tissue, otherwise called Parenchy- 
ma, const! tales the solt and brittle parts of plants ; 
such as pitch, pulp, the spaces between the veins 
of leaves, the principal part of the petals, and 
the like. 
8. Succulent plants are such as ha-ve an ex- 
cessive development o! the cellular tissue. 
9. It may he considered the most essential 
kind of tissue, becau-se, while no plants exist 
wiihout it, many are composed of nothing else. 
10. Tissue is called Woody Pibre when it is 
composed of slender tubes, which are conical 
and closed at each end, and placed side by side. 
11. W oody Fibre i.s what causes stilTn ess and 
tenacity in ceriaiii parts ol plants^ hence it is 
found ia the veins ol' leaves, and in bark, and 
it constitutes the principal part of the wood. 
12. Vascular 7 tssite, is that in which either 
an elastic, tough thread is generated spirally 
within a tube that is closed and conical at each 
end; or rows of cylindrical cellules, placed end 
to end finally become continuous tubes by the 
loss of iheir ends. 
13. Tne most remarkable form of vascular 
lissue is the Spiral vessel, which has the power 
ol unrolling with elasticity when stretched. 
14. Other kinds ol vascular tissue are inca- 
pable ol unrolHog, but break when stretched, 
15. Spiral vessels are not found in the wood 
or b.trk, and rarely in the roots at plants. 
IG. "Vascular tissue of oiher kinds is confined 
to the root, stem, veins of leaves, petals and 
other pans composed of leaves. It is notlbund 
in bark. 
17 The common office of the tissue is to con- 
vey fluid air, and not to act as the receptacle of 
secretions. 
18. Cellular tissue conveys fluids in all di- 
rections, absorbs with sreai rapidity, is tire first 
cause of the adhesions th.at take place between 
coniianous parts, and is the principal receptacle 
of secreted mailer. 
19. Adhesion will take place at all liraes du- 
ring the growing season, when the cellular lis- 
sue of two ditferent parts, or of two riillerent 
p.ants, i.s k"pl for some time in contact; but as 
none but tissues of nearly the same na'ure will 
adhere, grafting and budding, which are caused 
bv the adhesion of contiguous parts, can only 
take place either between different varieties ol 
the same species, or between nearly related 
species; and even then only when the c-orres- 
ponding pans ol the scion or bud, and the stock, 
are placed in contact 
29. ''/oodv hire contains fluid in the direc 
tion of its length, gives siiiTness and flexibility 
lo the geiierol .'y.^iem, and dcis .-.s a prut ciiuii 
U) spiral and other delicate vessels, 
21. Spiral vesseis con vey uxygenaied air, 
22. Other vessels probably conduct fluid when 
young, and air when oM. 
23. Asihe bodies ol which all Tissue is com- 
posed are perlectly simple, unbranched, and re- 
gular in figure, having when elongaied, their 
t wo exireuiiiies exactly alike, they are more or 
less cafiable of convey ing gaseous mat’er or flu- 
id.s in any direciion: and, consequtnilv, a cur- 
rent may be reversed in them without incut-ve- 
nience; hence, inverted cuttings or stems will 
glow. 
24. All parts of plants are composed of tissue, 
whether fbey be soft, as rulp, or hard, as the 
bonv lining ut a peach. 
25. With regard to Horticultural opera- 
tions, ihe pans of plants should be considered 
under the heads of Root (II); Lenf-buds 
Leaves (V); Flov^ers {V [)■, Sexes (VII); Fruit 
(Vlll)y and S«etZ(lX.) 
IL— ROOT. 
26. The Root is the pan that strikes into the 
earth v. heii a seed begins to germinate and 
which afterwards continues to lengthen beneath 
the soil. 
27. It is also the part which is sometimes 
emitted by the stem, for the purpose of absorb- 
ing nutrition I'rom the aimosphcrey as in Ivy, 
Air-Plants, Vit es, &c. 
28. iTiUdisiinguished Irom the stem by the 
absence ofleaves in any slate, ol regular leaf- 
buds (iV); oT evaporating pores, or stomata 
(131); and of pitch in Exogenous plants. 
29. Therefore, such undergroand bodies as 
those called Tuber (61) ia the Putatoe, Bulb 
(96) in the Onion; ana solid Bulb or Cormus 
[61) in the Crocus, are not roofi;. 
30. The office of the root is to absorb food in 
a fluid or gaseous state, and also to fix the plant 
in the soil, or to some firm support. 
31. The latter office is essential to the certain 
and regular performance of the former. 
32. it is not by the whole of their surface that 
roots absorb food; but only by their young and 
ncwlv I'ormed extremities, called Spongioles. 
33. Hence the preservation ol the spongioles 
in an uninjured state is essentia! to the removal 
of a plant from one place to another. 
3-4.' A Spongiole consists of very young vas- 
cular lissue (12), surrounded by a very young 
cellular substance, (5). 
35. h is thereioie' one of the most delicate 
parts of plants, and the most easily injured. 
36. Hence whatever is known loproduceany 
specific deleterious actioti upon leaves or stems, 
such as certain gases (298), and mineral or ve- 
getable poisons, will produce a much more fatal 
effect upon the spongioles. 
37- These organs have no power of selecting 
the f'ooil, but will absorb whatever the earth or 
air may contain, which is sufficiently fluid to 
pa.^s through the sides of their ii.ssue. 
38 So that it the spongudes are developed in 
a medium which is of an unsuitable nature, as 
they will still continue to absorb, they cannot 
lail to introduce rn-itter which will prove either 
injurious or fatal to life, according to its inten- 
siiv. 
39. This may often explain w'hy trees sudden- 
ly become unhealthy, without any external ap- 
paieiit cause. 
40. Planis have the power of replacing .spon- 
gioles by the formation of' new ones: so that an 
individual i.s not destroyed by their loss. 
4L Bill this power depend.s upon ihe co-ope- 
ration of the atmosphere, and upon the special 
vital po ier of the species. 
42. If ihe atmosphere is so humid as to hin 
der evaporation, spongioles will have time to 
form anew, but if tne atmosphere is drv, the 
loss by evaporation will be so much greuer 
than can be supplied by the injured routs, that 
the whole system will be emptied of fluid beiore 
the new spongioles can form. 
43 This is the key to Transplantation, (XV.) 
44. As the roots are destitute of leaf buds, 
(i V,i and as leafbuds are essential to the mul 
tiplication of an individual, (108,) it should fol- 
low trial louuts can nevir be em|iloyed lor the 
I urpose ol muliiplicaiiun. 
45. Nevertheless, roots, when woody, have,, 
occasionally, the power of generaiiag adventi-^ 
tious leaf buds, (I V,) and when this is the case, 
they may be employed lori.he purpose of multi- 
plication ; as those of Cyttonia, Saj'onica, &c. 
46. The cause of inis power existing in some 
specie.s, and not in others, i.s uijknow n. 
47 It is therefore a powe- that can never be 
calculated upon ; and r. hose existence is only 
to be discovered by accident. 
48. Although roots are generated under 
ground, and sometimes at considerable depths; 
yet access to a certain quantity of asmosjheric 
air appears indispensable to the healthy execu- 
tion ot their functions. This is coaslanily ex- 
emplified in planis growing in the earth at the 
back ol an ill-veniilaied lorcing-house, where 
the roots have no means of finding their w’ay 
into the earth on the outside of the house. 
49. It is supposed by some that the introduc- 
tion ol oxygen into their system is as indispen- 
sable to them as to animals. 
50. it seems more probable that the oxygen 
ol the atmosphere, seizing upon a certain quan- 
tity ot carbon, forms carbonic acid, which they 
absorb, and feed upon. 
51. It is at least certain that the exclusion oi 
air from the roots will always induce an un- 
healthy condition, or even death itself. This 
may be one ol the reasons why stifl, tenacious 
soils are so seldom suited to the purpose of the 
cultivator, until their adhesiveness has been de- 
stFovea by the addition of other matter. 
5^ Spongioles secrete excrenaer.iitious mat- 
ter, which IS unsuitable to the same species al- 
tervviirds as food ; for poisonous sutistances are 
as latal to the species that secrete them as to 
any other species. 
53. Bui to other species the excrementitious 
matter is either not unsuitable, or not deleterious. 
54. Hence, soil may be rendered inifiure (or, 
as we inaccurately say, worn out) for one spe- 
cies, which will not be impure lor others. 
55. This is the true key of the theory of rota- 
tati nof crops. 
56. This also may serve to explain in part 
why light soil is indispensable to many plants, 
and heavy or tenacious soil suitable to so ie«': 
lor in the lormer case the spongioles will meet 
with little resistance to their elongation, and 
will consequent!) be continually quilting the 
place where their exeremen litious matter is de- 
posited; while in the latter case, the reverse 
will occur. [To be eonlinued.] 
A Fact for the Curiods — A. W. Palmer, 
ofCheam, in Surrey, England, tried a veiy stri- 
king experiment resi ecting the production of 
wheat In July, 1841, he put one grain of 
wheat into a common garden pot; in August 
he divided it into lour plaiit-^, and in three weeks 
again divided these mil) tw elve plants; in Sep- 
tember, these twelve were di v ided into tbirty-two, 
which in November were divided into filly ; and 
lie then placed ihenr in the open ground. In Ju- 
ly, of 1842, twelve ol them had failed, bat the 
remainder of them were healihy'. On the 19ih 
ol August they were cut down, and counted 
1972 stems, with an average of 50 grains to the 
stem — giving thus the increase ol 98,600 grains. 
Milk. — Milk i.s a perfect food for a growing 
animal, containing the curd which is to form 
the musrles, the butter which is to supply the 
lat, the phosphates which are to build Ufi the 
bones, and the sugar which is to feed the resjii- 
ration. Nothing i.s wanting in it. The mother 
selects all the ingredients ot this perleer food 
from among the u.seless substances which are 
mingled in her own stomach with me food she 
ears — she changes these ingredients chemically 
in such a degree, as to present them to the young 
animal in a s ate in which it can niosi easily, 
and with least labor, employ them for sustain- 
ing its body- and all this she begins to do at a 
given and appointed moment of time. How 
beaoiiiul, how wonderful, how kindly provi- 
dent is all this!— 
