382 
principles, which he truly said cannot be neglected with impunity. Some 
who mowed the leaves off their strawberry plants contended that they 
raised crood fruit, and that the beds were aefain covered with leaves be- 
fore winter. “Rightly considered,” Lindley said, “the reproduction of 
leaves was one of the worst consequences of the mowing, for if we in¬ 
quire into the history of the formation of these new leaves, we shall find 
that they are produced at the expense of organizable matter, previously 
lodged in the roots of the strawberry plants, that matter was lodged 
there by the leaves which the mower destroyed, and was intended by 
nature for the food of the leaves, and fruit of the succeeding year* 
Being expended in the production of autumn leaves, the store of food of 
the leaves of next spring is by so much diminished. The leaves in Au¬ 
gust, when they are commonly mowed, are dark green, healthy, and vig- 
ourous, they are then collecting the organizable matter, which is wanted 
for the crop of next year, and that matter they are slowly depositing in 
the roots. Up to this time (August) they have not done much in this 
way, for at first they were occupied with their own organization, and 
then were called upon to feed the fruit. It was only after the fruit was 
gathered that they began to collect and seed down into the roots in any 
considerable quantity the organizable matter, or true sap wanted for 
another season. By mowing them off, the gardener stops this essential 
operation, and it is physically impossible for him to do so without detri¬ 
ment to the future crop.” 
It has been said that the elaboration of the crude sap of plants depends 
upon the action of light or leaves; all plants, however, do not require 
the same amount of light and heat to enable them to grow in a healthy 
condition. Some flourish beneath the sun of the tropics, others thrive 
only in temperate climates, while some seem most at home near the re¬ 
gions of perpetual snow. And in the same climate some plants seem 
better adapted than others for particular situations; the mountain tops, 
woods, valleys, and rivers having each their peculiar flora. It is a com¬ 
mon remark that European gardeners do not at first sufficiently consider 
the difference between the climate of the United States, and that which they 
have been used to, and are thus liable to make serious mistakes by placing 
their plant houses, and by fixing upon sites for gardens as they would do 
in England, for instance, exposed to the sunny south. The light is brighter. 
