277 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. EuuuuAitr 1, 1S59. 
■which the branches are vegetating, the effects are equally, 
though differently, disastrous. The supply of sap is too much 
diminished in quantity, and the edges of the leaves consequently 
die, or the blossoms fall, or disease attacks some part of the fruit, 
according to the nature of the plant, or the stage of growth 
in which it occurs. The shanking in Grapes appears traceable to 
this cause. 
A soil abounding in superfluous water is always colder than a 
soil of similar constitution that has been well drained. The 
reason for this is obviously, that the same quantity of caloric 
which will heat the earth 4° will only heat water 1°; or, to 
use the language of the chemist, the capacity for heat of water 
is four times greater than that of the earth’s. In everyday 
experience, we see the low lying, and, consequently, the 
wettest portions of a field, are always thoso on which the 
evening mist, or fog, first appears; for at one season of the year 
it becomes colder than the air, and the atmospheric moisture 
always precipitates first on tho coldest surface. At other seasons 
of the year, evaporation from the wettest portion of a field is the 
most abundant; and, at those seasons, mists are formed by the 
temperature of the air being much below that of the earth, and, 
consequently, condensing its watery exhalations. The greater 
the difference of temperature, the denser is the mist, the con¬ 
densationbeing more complete. 
When the season for sowing arrives, wc may fearlessly com¬ 
mit our seed to the ground whenever it is in good working con¬ 
dition ; although, by observing the coincidences of Nature, we 
may prejudge when late sowing will bo as efficient as early sow¬ 
ing, in producing forward crops. 
The attempt to attain knowledge on this subject is not new; 
for, nearly a century since, Ilarald Barck and Alexander Berger, 
in Sweden, made many observations directed to this object; and 
in later years, Stillingtiect and Martyn have done the same, in 
England. 
Tho first-named of these botanists thus expresses himself upon 
the subject:—“ If botanists noted the time of the foliation and 
blossoming of trees and herbs, and the days on which the seed 
is sown, flowers, and ripens; and if they continued these observa¬ 
tions for many years, there can be no doubt but that we might 
find some rule from which wc might conclude at what time 
grains and culinary plants, according to the nature of each soil, 
ought to be sown; nor should wc be at a loss to guess at the 
approach of winter; nor ignorant whother we ought to make 
our autumn sowing later or earlier.” 
M. Barck would derive his intimations from the vegetable 
tribes alone ; but we think the other kingdoms of organic nature 
might be included—as the appearances of certain migratory birds, 
and the birth of certain insects. Eor example, in the East of 
England, it is a common saying among gardeners,—confirmed by 
practice,—“ When you have seen two swallows together, sow 
Kidney Beans.” 
This synchronical rnodo of regulating tho operations of the 
cultivator of the soil is no modern suggestion; but the efforts of 
Barck, and his successors, have only been to find such indications 
in our northern clime that would be of the same utility, and 
similarly admonitory os others adopted by the ancients in more 
sunny latitudes. Thus, Hesiod says, “ If it rain three days 
together when the Cuckoo sings, then late sowing will be as good 
as early sowing ; and in another place, when snails begin I o move 
and climb up plants, cease from digging about Vines, and take to 
pruning.” 
That our operations may be made justly synchronical with 
certain appearances in nature, is supported even by our present 
limited knowledge. “it is wonderful,” says Mr. Stilling-fleet, 
“ to observe the conformity between vegetation and the arrival 
of certain birds of passage. I will give one instance, as marked 
down in a diary kept by me in Norfolk, in the year 1755. ‘ April 
16th. Young Figs appear; the 17th of the same month the 
Cuckoo sings.’ Now the word koickvI; signifies a Cuckoo and 
the Young Fig, and tho reason given for it is, that in Greece they 
appeared together. I will just add, that the same year I first 
found the Cuckoo Jloicer in blossom, tho 19th of April.” 
“ Linnaeus says, that the Wood Anemone blows when the 
Swallow arrives. In my diary for the year, 1755, I find the 
swallow appeared April 6th, and the Wood Anemone was in blow 
on the 10th of the same month. He says that the Marsh Mary- 
gold blows when the Cuckoo sings. Accordingly, in my diary, 
that flower was in blow April 7th, and the same day the Cuckoo 
sang.” 
Then, again, whatever may be the character of the season, 
whether it be unusually cold, or preternaturally mild, the same 
order 
pr evails in the leafing of plant 
s :— 
1 . 
Honeysuckle 
19. 
Marsh Elder 
2. 
Gooseberry 
20. 
Wych Elm 
3. 
Currant 
21. 
Quicken Tree 
4. 
Elder 
22. 
Hornbean 
5. 
Birch 
23. 
Apple 
6. 
Weeping Willow 
24. 
Abele 
7. 
Raspberry 
25. 
Chestnut 
8. 
Bramble 
26. 
Willow 
9. 
Briar 
27. 
Oak 
10. 
Plum 
28. 
Lime 
11. 
Apricot 
29. 
Maple 
12. 
Peach 
30. 
Walnut 
13. 
Filbert 
31. 
Plane 
14. 
Sallow 
32. 
Black Poplar 
15. 
Alder 
33. 
Beech 
16. 
Sycamore 
34. 
Locust Tree 
17. 
Elm 
35. 
Ash 
18. 
Quince 
36. 
Carolina Poplar 
This invariable simultaneous change, this consistent adherence 
to the same order of time, seems to demonstrate that the same 
circumstances, the same variations of cold and moisture endured, 
produce this general similar effect: they make all plants delay 
or accelerate their leafing to the most favourable time for vegetat¬ 
ing. It seems to follow, therefore, that if it be found one year 
that the best Potato crop was obtained by planting on the 15th 
of March, being the first day the Gooseberry-leaves opened, 
and that the following year the leaves of the same tree did not 
open until the 7th of April, that in such case the Potato planting 
might be delayed until then; for, as M. Barck observes, “No 
one can deny but the same influences which bring forth the 
leaves of trees will also make grain vegetate, and no one can 
justly assert that a premature sowing will always and everywhere 
accelerate a ripe harvest.” 
We beg to explain, that our illustration by Potato planting 
is a mere assumption, and that we do not intend to advance 
that tho leafing of the Gooseberry and Potato planting ought 
to be simultaneous. We only throw out the suggestion for 
others to confirm, or to refute by observation and experiment, 
adding only thus much, that Mr. Stillingflcet, one of the most 
careful of Nature’s observers, says, that in his tune “ the prudent 
gardener never ventured to put his house-plants out until the 
Mulberry loaf was of a certain growth.”—J. 
CTo be continued .) 
THE NEW ZEALAND RUNNING BEAN. 
The following are tho particulars rolativo to this Bean, fur¬ 
nished by Mr. (Juthill. He received it from Mr. J. Woeinald, 
who gives this as its history :—“ Two years ago, I had a friend 
staying at my house, who had been travelling nearly all over New 
Zealand, lie, knowing I was fond of plants, especially anything 
that was rare, brought me over several sorts of seed ;“ and I have 
many plants in my hothouse at this moment, which are very 
curious ; and I cannot find any other party in this neighbourhood 
who knows, or has seen anything like them. Amongst the rest 
were four Beans, similar to the one 1 sent you. The gentleman 
who brought the seeds over for me has since gone back again, and 
he told me how he came by the Beans. He was in the very 
centre of New Zealand, on an expedition, and was passed by the 
native chiefs to different districts, when he met with a French 
missionary, who asked him if he had tasted the said Bean. Ho 
had not. lie then had some, when he pronounced them very fine 
(the natives nearly consider them their chief vegetable) ; and ho 
put about a dozen in his pocket, and gave me tho four I allude to 
(they are only common in the centro of the Island amongst the 
natives, and are not known in Auckland). I put them into pots, 
in the hothouse, the spring before last, and then transplanted 
them out in the garden. They were very prolific, and last year 
I had the produce sown at the same time as tho Scarlet Runner ; 
but the produce was quite equal, if not more, and the taste of 
them is far finer, being more tender and richer in flavour.” 
Mr. Cutlnll says :—“My own observations while growing here, 
last summer, were, that it grows tall and strong, leaf large, and 
heart shaped, droops at sun-set, pinky white blossom, a great 
bearer, pod size of Scarlet Runner, but more tender and richer in 
flavour, not having the strong rough flavour of the Scarlet 
