4 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[October 3. 
salt, and acetate of lime, they absorbed the two first 
named, but rejected the latter entirely. 
From the foregoing facts, without arguing that they 
demonstrate sensation to exist in plants as acute as that 
possessed by the higher or more perfect classes of 
animals, yet they certainly are satisfactory evidence that 
plants probably are nearly as seusient as the zoophyte, 
or even as the polypus and the hirudo—animals that 
may be cut into pieces, and each section become a per¬ 
fect individual; animals whose heads may he taken off 
and grafted upon other bodies; animals that maybe 
turned with their outsides inwards, and yet without any 
apparent inconvenience. If plants he endowed with 
sensation of the most limited degree, it explains the 
cause, throws light upon the prevention of many dis¬ 
eases that affect those which are the object of cultiva¬ 
tion ; warns the tiller of the soil from the late perform¬ 
ance of many of his operations, and teaches him gene¬ 
rally to he less violent in his practice. If a grape vine 
he pruned too late in the spring, the bleeding or effusion 
of sap has been known to he so violent, that the tree has 
died from absolute exhaustion. Stone fruits, if severely 
wounded, are frequently destroyed by the inroads of a 
disease resembling in all its characteristics the cancerous 
affections of animals; and we have known a whole crop 
of wheat affected with a swelling of the stem or culm, 
evidently caused by an extravasation of the sap from its 
ruptured internal vessels, owing to the roller being 
passed over the crop when of a growth somewhat too 
forward. Moreover, if plants possess sensation, it throws 
light upon the operation of manures, especially of those 
containing ammonia, but we must defer our consider¬ 
we have now to recommend the same principle applied 
to pits for general purposes. Whether heated or not, 
we do think, that every amateur should possess a pit or I 
two with a north light; such things are, indeed, uncom¬ 
mon, but that does not disprove their utility. 
Our reason for recommending such a pit for ordinary 
or for general purposes are as follows :—First, since the 1 
great improvements in the manufacture of glass, we are 
persuaded that many inexperienced persons, or those 
who do not keep a regular gardener, suffer very con¬ 
siderably during bright and warm periods, by a too 
intense heat during the middle of the day ; suffer more 
indeed than they are immediately aware of. A north 
light pit then, with as flat a roof as possible, will prove 
a self-protector. There will also be found a degree of 
compactness and a facility for conducting operations 
attached to such a pit, not possessed by our sharp¬ 
angled lean-to pits — to borrow a phrase not strictly 
applicable. Again; the ventilation of such a pit will 
be effected with much greater ease, with more precision, 
and with less danger of deranging or soiling the dresses 
of our lady amateurs : we would not have the lords of 
the creation suppose, that we write only for them. We 
feel strongly, that, in conformity with the well known 
gallantry,-which all our astute neighbours on the Con¬ 
tinent accord to John Bull, one half—and to use an 
Irishism, the biggest half—of our labours should be 
directed to our lady amateur performers; from the wife 
of the true English cottager all the way up to Her most 
gracious Majesty the Queen ; for we happen to know 
that The Cottage Gardener has found its way within 
the halo that surrounds Royalty. Well, then, it is either 
a lady’s pit or a gentleman’s pit—or even a lucky cot¬ 
tagers—who happens, as our good friend Beaton would 
perhaps say, in glide braid Scotch, “ to he getting end¬ 
ways." We must now beg permission to give a sketch, 
for we fear a written description would scarcely suffice, 
and we are unwilling to risk a misunderstanding, for 
such is a grievous affair. 
ation of this until next week. 
We thus prominently draw attention to our having 
announced on the first page of our last number, that 
we purpose to devote a space to an announcement of 
the plants any one is willing to exchange for other 
plants. We are confirmed in our resolution by the 
following letter, since received from a clergyman :— 
“ Would it be foreign to the design of The Cottage 
Gardener, or prejudicial to the interests of the nurserymen, 
if you were to allow a small space in your columns in which 
your readers could give a list of desiderata which might be 
supplied either by professional gardeners or by amateurs ? I 
hope I am not guilty of any presumption or impropriety in 
making this suggestion. I do so, because I often throw 
away scarce plants when I am parting them, and it really 
grieves me to do so; and I sometimes lose plants which 
I find it difficult to replace. Last year I moved almost the 
whole of my collection; the operation took up more than 
two months, and I think several cart loads of plants were 
thrown upon the dung-liill; many of them were probably 
scarce, as my collection is a very old fashioned one." 
THE FRUIT-GARDEN. 
The Horticultural Structures of the Amateur: 
Pits and Frames.— At page 304, we adverted to the 
old fashioned houses with north lights, and which were 
but badly superseded with modern acute angled lean-to’s; 
It will be seen by referring to this sketch, that it 
may be applied to almost any purpose, from a mere 
liybernatory (place for winter protection), to the cul¬ 
ture of the pine-apple. Cucumbers or melons would 
be quite at home in such a structure ; and those 1 
who merely wanted to winter their pot plants, might 
employ it the whole spring and summer in this way. 
The pit, according to the sketch, is very narrow ; this is 
to adapt it to the culture of early melons or cucumbers; 
for in case of its being employed in that way, it would 
be necessary for the two linings to act somewhat in 
concert; there is, however, no other reason why it should 
be confined to the precise width of the sketch; for by 
making it wider, and by introducing a board lengthwise 
