128 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION, June 2 , 1807. 
THE CHARACTER AND INFLUENCES 
OF THIS SPRING. 
I do not mean to aver that wo have had a most 
extraordinary spring on the whole, but that we have 
had a very awkward one to deal with, and when old 
practicals, in the full sense of that word, are puzzled, 
where shall the novice he found ? Let me, then, point 
to such peculiarities as have presented themselves. 
The main questions are these: what has it been to fruit 
trees? what its effects on the soil? The latter considera¬ 
tion concerns almost equally vegetables and fruit. To 
say that we have passed through a blciclitfoo) n wiuto , as 
the gardening folks in my earlier days used to say, is to 
tell folks, perhaps, of what they already knew. Although 
there have been somewhat low temperatures at times, say 
from 3° to 8° of frost—such has been the case here— 
yet I do not think that blossoms are much injured, 
excepting those of the Apricot and Peach. These, I fear, 
will be all but a failure. The chief feature in this case 
has been that the frosts were accompanied with much 
dryness in the atmosphere, and the amount of humidity 
present in frosts very frequently'determmes the degree 
of mischief to the vegetable world. I before spoke 
of the prevalence of easterly winds. This is quoted in 
round numbers, for they have danced about occasionally 
on each side of the eastern point; but an experienced 
gardener knows these winds by the smell, if 1 may use 
the term. And, indeed, I may say the same as to heat; 
the more experienced a man is in his profession the 
less he requires a thermometer. But one thing may 
be here adverted to, as concerning dryness in the air 
during March and April. In the midst of all our 
grumbling how few consider the benefits derivable 
from this purifying affair! The soil, day by day and 
hourly, is exchanging the stagnated moisture of a long 
winter for the constantly increasing air heat of a 
returning spring; and not only air heat, but the 
renewing effects of the gaseous matters which the air 
is known to contain. I never saw a more striking 
illustration of these great facts than of late, especially 
in Potatoes. I had only planted them about ten days 
before they were peeping through; and 1 may say the 
same as to several seeds recently committed to the soil. 
Surely it is plain to trace the cause of this. Those who 
have hitherto thought lightly on the subject of ground 
heat will do well to give such things a closer con¬ 
sideration. 
The same as to our various vegetables. Lettuces, 
Cauliflowers, Cabbages, &c., although they looked very 
blue or bronzy during the “ blackthorn winter,” yet let 
there be but a zephyr from the south-west and a night’s 
soft rain, and behold the whole garden becomes a 
hotbed. My Vine borders have actually cracked with 
contraction consequent on the evaporation produced 
by the dry condition of the air; and I rejoice that 
they have done so, being assured that every fissure 
affords facilities for the entrance of warmed air. Indeed, 
I was so much more assured of the benefits derivable 
from an accession of ground heat, as far as a gardener’s 
plans can facilitate it, that I pared the surface of the 
borders, and swept them clean afterwards, and I have 
no doubt that I have thus acquired more ground 
heat to the later Vines; indeed, they very plainly show 
it by an increased amount of luxuriance. As to our 
fruits in these parts I venture to predict a good season 
in general, unless we have an unusual amount of insect 
enemies. Apricots are much complained of, and Peaches 
have suffered considerably. I never knew the foliage to 
assume such a reddened and stunted appearance as it 
did through April. One feature I may note concerning 
Apples, Pears, Plums, and Cherries—the blossom, or 
rather, the corolla itself, has been of unusual size. This 
is probably owing to two causes combined—the partial 
rest of last year and retarded development. Apples are 
a most abundant show, and no wonder. Last year they 
may be said to have rested, and their repose will neces¬ 
sarily have filled their systems with material for future 
crops. By the by, this resting, although not productive 
of much rental, is of more benefit on the whole than 
may be commonly considered. Indeed, if it were not for 
an occasional-rest many trees would make a premature 
old age, and produce fruit small, insipid, and a pernicious 
tax on the trees which had to sustain them. 
I may here observe as to Plums what extraordinary 
counties Cheshire and Shropshire are for Damsons. I 
conducted gardening operations for six years on Wim¬ 
bledon Heath, near London, some thirty-five years 
since, and I have both planted Damsons and known 
them planted in various parts around the metropolis, 
and in the best of soils, but I never saw such Damson 
trees as are now within pistol-shot of my inkstand. This 
is a singular fact, and I should like to know if any expe¬ 
rienced reader of The Cottage Gardener can account 
for it. Until others do I must attempt a solution of the 
mystery, for in my opinion it is of much importance to 
ascertain these things. I have always found that the un¬ 
ravelling a mystery of this description is a key to open 
other little difficulties. We all know that in most 
agricultural questions all the talk is about manures, 
tillages, subsoiling, &c. How seldom do we hear talk 
of atmospheric matters! And no great marvel either. 
The one is under command, the other in a great degree 
uncontrollable. This, however, admitted, we must not 
allow ourselves to be hindered from going further into 
the question. To come to the point, the Damson is 
known in hot and dry summers to assume a foxy hue; 
in other words, to become a prey to the red spider, and 
pitiful they look under such circumstances. A dry 
atmosphere always favours the red spider. Cheshire, or 
at least the Damson district, is, as all the world knows, 
a great cheese county, no doubt in great part owing to 
the general humidity of the atmosphere ; and this, I 
think, is the key to Damson success. 
We are at least assured that it is not a question of 
soil. Our nurserymen about London can cultivate the 
most difficult subjects from all parts of the globe, and it 
would be strange indeed if they could not make a com¬ 
post for the Damson. I have seen in these parts Damsons 
thriving in clay soils, in others of a peaty character, and 
in light, sandy loams ; in fact, plant them where or how 
you will, they succeed. But I must escape from this 
somewhat digressive affair and return to my subject. 
In considering the influences of the spring on vegeta¬ 
tion let me turn for a moment to in-door affairs—our 
glass houses. All the correspondence I have had with 
gardeners laments freely over the cloudy character of the 
past spring as to forcing. Herein is the great puzzle of 
gardeners: they can obtain sufficient heat, air, and air 
moisture, but they cannot command light; but so much 
improved is the modern management of hothouses, that 
little harm accrues under such circumstances beyond 
retardation. This is a high recommendation of British 
gardeners, and very frequently astonishes their pro¬ 
fessional brethren who have the advantage of the 
brighter skies of some parts of the Continent. Be it 
remembered, however, that they occasionally have a 
greater amount of dryness of climate, together with a 
higher degree of radiation, to contend against; conse¬ 
quently they are forced to employ stronger measures of 
an artificial character to counteract extremes. 
Garden vegetables have been exceedingly slow in 
their movements, and, as Mr. Robson recently observed, 
they have encountered an unusual host of enemies. As 
for small seeds, as they are commonly called, such as 
Radishes, Carrots, &c., there will be many a faulty crop ; 
but, strange to say, the Gooseberry buds escaped the 
hungry birds this spring in an unusual way, at least 
