JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
27 
January  13,  1898. 
the  present  darkness  may  be  illumined  ?  Darwin’s  observations  upon 
twining  plants  lead  to  the  inference  that  they  possess  in  a  distinctly 
perceptible  degree  the  faculty  of  feeling.  This  we  may  admit  in 
noting  how  the  bine  or  tendrils  of  certain  plants  grope  blindly,  as  it 
were,  for  an  object  of  attachment,  such  object  only  re(iuiring  to  be 
brought  in  contact  with  the  sensitive  tentacular- like  growth  than  it  is 
at  once  appropriated,  pretty  much  the  same  as  the  cuttlefish,  whose 
instinctive  sensibility  certainly  goes  no  higher  in  the  scale  of  intelli¬ 
gence  in  those  cases  where  it  has  been  known  to  grip  in  its  tentacular 
embrace  the  anchor  hanging  from  a  yacht  and  retain  its  grip  until 
dismembered. 
With  the  plant  sensibility  to  touch  is  apparent,  for  the  growth, 
whose  spiral  tendencies  have  hitherto  Iain  dormant,  at  once  displays 
its  inherent  power.  Tendrils  of  the  Vine  illustrate  this  in  a  marked 
degree,  sufficient  as  it  is  to  overcome  the  tendency  of  most  vegetable 
growth,  particularly  that  of  twining  habit,  to  an  upward  direction, 
the  tendril  being  able  to  perform  its  functions  on  a  horizontal  wire, 
and  to  which  every  semi-revolution  has  of  necessity  a  downward 
inclination.  Should  the  tendril,  however,  in  its  course,  meet  with  any 
appreciable  decline  below  the  horizontal  plane  it  will  double  back  unon 
itself  and  travel  the  easier  road.  More  delicate  observation  has 
revealed  a  sensibility  to  touch  in  plants  of  a  totally  different  habit — 
the  Oxalis,  for  one.  Results  of  investigations  into  this  phase  of  plant 
life  by  Morren  and  Ilofmeister  have  been  confirmed  by  Darwin.  This 
is  quite  apart  from  the  very  pronounced  examples  afforded  by  such 
plants  as  the  Mimosa  pudica  or  the  Dionaea  muscipula,  whose  sensi¬ 
bility  can  be  favourably  compared  with  many  of  the  lower  types  of 
life  in  the  animal  kingdom,  and  even  with  some  of  a  higher  grade 
whose  insensibility  to  pain  disproves  the  theory  that  they  “  in 
corporal  sufferance  find  a  pang  as  great  as  when  a  giant  dies.” 
In  proof  of  the  latter  and  in  disproof  of  the  c^uotation,  we  have  the 
experience  of  the  entomologist  Haworth,  who  in  catching  a  dragonfly 
accidentally  severed  the  long  abdomen  from  the  rest  of  the  body,  and 
presenting  a  fly  to  the  mutilated  insect,  it  was  immediately  seized 
and  devoured ;  a  second  fly  being  treated  in  the  same  manner.  The 
dragonfly  upon  being  set  at  liberty,  in  Mr.  Haworth’s  words,  flew 
away  with  as  much  apparent  glee  as  if  it  had  received  no  injury.” 
One  is  inclined  to  digress  with  remarkable  examples  in  which  the 
heart,  brain,  and  stomach  have  been  removed,  whilst  life  has  existed 
for  months  after,  but  sufficient  has,  perhaps,  been  adduced  to  show 
that  we  place  too  high  an  estimate  upon  sensibility  in  the  animal 
tingdom  to  the  depreciation  of  plants,  which  are  voiceless  to  express 
any  feeling  they  may  have ;  and  which,  of  course,  ordinary  obser¬ 
vation  says  they  have  not.  This  remains  to  be  proved. — Tnvicta. 
(To  be  coi\tinued.) 
FAIR  DEVON. 
^Continued  from  page  509.) 
Cider  production  was  no  doubt  the  chief  object  in  view'  when  most 
of  the  older  Devonshire  orchards  were  planted,  but  as  that  industry 
has  declined,  and  the  fermented  juice  of  the  Apple  has  ceased  to  be 
the  popular  beverage  it  was  in  former  times,  the  plantations  have 
lost  their  importance  in  the  eyes  of  farmers  or  occupiers  of  the  land. 
Dr.  Bull  of  Hereford  has  traced  back  the  origin  of  the  greater  portion 
of  orchard  ))lanting  in  England  to  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
when  Continental  wars  stopped  the  importation  of  foreign  wdnes,  and 
it  became  “  an  object  of  national  importance— a  patriotic  duty — to 
encourage  the  home  production  of  cider  and  perry.”  Knormnus 
quantities  of  th's  beverage  were  made  which  were  consumed  in  a 
correspondingly  liberal  manner,  for  the  workmen  were  allow'ed  prac¬ 
tically  as  much  as  they  could  drink,  which  is  said  to  have  been  in 
many  cases  I5  to  2  gallons  each  per  day.  Indeed  “experienced” 
cider  drinkers  are  even  now  pointed  out  to  the  curious  in  such  matters, 
who  are  capable  of  disposing  of  2  gallons  in  a  day.  If  the  decline  of 
such  habits  were  the  only  matter  in  connection  with  the  failing  of  the 
Devon  orchards  there  would  not  be  much  to  lament;  but  while  in 
the  early  days  only  varieties  having  a  reputation  for  special  qualities 
w'ere  planted,  in  later  years  many  worthless  seedlings  have  been 
allowed  to  take  th(  ir  place,  until  we  search  in  vain  for  the  Apples 
which  were  once  so  celebrated.  For  example,  the  Coccagee  w'as  at 
one  time  as  celebrated  in  Devonshire  for  producing  the  highest  qualify 
of  cider  as  the  Foxwhelp  has  been,  and  still  is,  in  llemfordshire,  but  in 
my  journey  I  did  not  succeed  in  finding  a  single  specimen  of  the 
variety  wdiich  was  known  to  be  true.  It  is  procurable  from  a  few 
nurserymen,  but  is  little  known  amongst  the  farmers. 
Good  cider  is,  however,  still  made  in  Devonshire,  and  though  I 
tested  many  brands  that  were  undeniably  poor,  a  few  were  excellent, 
and  quite  equal,  in  lU}’’  estimation,  to  the  light  wines  of  France  and 
Germany.  In  really  first-rate  condition,  cider  is  both  whole.some  and 
pleasant,  but  the  liquid  ordinarily  sold  to  the  public  under  that  name 
is  simply  a  libellous  counterfeit.  If  some  enterprising  business  man, 
with  plenty  of  capital  at  his  disposal,  could  discover  a  new  and  taking 
title  for  cider,  could  produce  a  high  quality  brand,  and  advertise  it 
largely,  there  might  be  a  fortune  in  it,  even  in  these  times. 
The  remark  of  my  travelling  companion  has  led  to  rather  a  long  and 
rambling  letter,,  but  it  must  not  be  conchided  without  a  word  respect¬ 
ing  the  great  charm  of  Devonshire,  its  varied  and  picturesque  scenery. 
Certainly  it  is  one  of  the  most  distinct  and  delightful  of  our  English 
counties.  It  has  not  the  ruggedness  of  Derbyshire,  yet  one  can  find 
all  the  wildness  desired  on  dreary  Dartmoor  and  amongst  its  towering 
“  Tors,”  while  the  succession  of  hills  and  valleys,  with  the  rich 
luxuriance  of  vegetation,  everywhere  provides  abundant  attractions  for 
the  lover  of  Nature.  As  a  holiday  resort  it  is  not  surprising  that 
“  Fair  Devon  ”  has  gained  so  much  fame,  and  thousands  of  those  who 
annually  seek  the  attractions  of  other  lands  might  find  in  this 
charming  county  all  that  the  most  exacting  can  desire.  To  the  horti¬ 
culturist  it  also  presents  abounding  inteTest  in  the  numerous  fine 
gardens  and  collections  of  trees.  Even  in  searching  for  the  wild 
plants,  especially  the  Ferns,  many  a  pleasant  day  could  be  spent. 
A  popular  w'riter  (a  Devonian)  says,  “  We  have  found  Blackberries 
in  some  of  the  valleys  that  would  compare  favourably  with  the 
Mulberries  of  many  favoured  climes,  and  the  Raspberiies  of  the  most 
carefully  tended  garden.  Passengers  sitting  on  the  top  of  the  coach 
have  gathered  wild  Raspberries  in  hedgerows  fine  enough  to  excite 
the  envy  of  many  a  market  gardener  in  the  Midlands,  some  of  the 
southern  counties  too.”  I  was  not  fortunate  enough  to  see  any  of 
these  wonderful  productions,  but  what  I  did  see  (perhaps  even  more 
remarkable)  shall  be  described  in  another  contribution. 
That  fruit  is  grown  successfully  in  Devonshire,  visitors  who 
explore  the  beautiful  valleys  which  extend  along  the  boundaries 
of  the  counties  of  Devon  and  Cornwall  in  the  direction  of  Plymouth, 
are  afforded  very  surprising  proofs.  The  charmingly  picturesque 
River  Tamar  winds  its  way  to  the  sea  through  deep  valleys,  the 
hills  on  each  side  rising  to  a  considerable  height  and  extremely 
steep,  at  some  places,  in  fact,  almost  precipitous.  A  large  portion 
of  these  slopes  is  occupied  with  Oak  copface  or  Fir  plantations, 
but  extensive  areas  have  been  cleared  at  intervals  and  are  devoted 
to  a  very  different  forna  of  cultivation.  The  first  time  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  travelling  through  the  Vine-growing  districts  of  France 
and  on  the  borders  of  Switzerland  or  Italy,  no'hing  impressed 
me  more  than  the  height  and  steepness  of  the  .‘ilopes  clothed  with 
Vines,  and  therefore  subjected  to  the  art  of  the  cultivator.  In  some 
ca'es  it  seemed  almost  impossible  that  men  could  work  on  land  at 
such  an  angle,  or  that  strong-rooting  plants  like  ihe  Vine  could 
obtain  sufficient  hold,  for  one  would  expect  the  soil  to  be  washed 
away  as  fast  as  it  is  formed.  It  is  true  the  Devonshire  slopes  cannot 
equal  either  in  height  or  steepness  the  approaches  to  the  alpine  regions 
of  the  continerit,  but  there  are  portions  of  the  River  Tamar  district 
which  in  these  characters  are  not  surpas.sed  in  England.  ' 
Strawberries  may  be  seen  flourishing  in  many  different  soils  and 
under  very  different  conditions.  I  have  had  them  on  heavy  land 
but  slightly  removed  from  clay,  and  I  have  had  plantations  on  soils 
of  the  other  extreme — namely,  those  nearly  approaching  to  sand,  in 
which  it  would  never  be  expected  that  these  plants  could  grow  in  any 
degree  satisfactorily.  Yet,  making  allowance  for  the  different  behaviour 
of  some  varieties,  profitable  crops  have  been  had  from  both.  It  has 
been  more  than  once  recorded  in  this  Journal  what  exceptional  success 
has  been  obtained  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Virginia  Water  in  the 
cultivation  of  Strawberries  on  what  appears  at  first  sight  to  be  little 
more  than  a  sand-bank.  The  soil  of  the  Devon  and  Cornish  hills  is 
not  so  light  as  that,  but  it  is  in  many  ]  laces  much  lighter  than  would 
be  regarded  generally  as  favourable  to  Strawberries,  yet  there  they  are, 
not  in  a  few  hundreds,  but  in  many  thousands,  covering  spaces  varying 
from  a  few  square  yards  up  to  20  or  even  30  acres.  That  the  plants 
are  thoroughly  at  home  is  evinced  by  the  fine  healthy  foliage,  and 
more  substantially  to  the  grower  by  the  abundant  crops  produced. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  the  extent  of  land  under  Straw¬ 
berries  in  the  neighbourhood,  but  there  are  certainly  some  hundreds 
of  landholders  almost  entirely  occupied  with  their  cultivation.  Many 
of  the  smaller  growers  do  all  the  work  themselves,  with  the  aid  ot 
their  families,  and  some  additional  help  at  fruit-gathering  time  ;  they 
even  occupy  themselves  during  the  winter  in  the  manufacture  of  the 
punnets,  and  the  boxes  employed  for  packing  the  latter  in,  thus  saving 
a  few  shillings  in  their  expenses.  One  successful  worker  informed  me 
that  they  can  purchase  sufficient  chips  to  make  a  gross  of  punnets  for 
Is.  6il.,  but  if  they  buy  them  ready  made  they  cost  2s.  6d.  per  gross. 
As  the  larger  growers  require  many  thousands  of  these,  the  local 
manufacture  of  the  punnets  is  quite  a  home  trade  for  winter. 
The  punnets  are,  however,  different  from  those  we  are  accustomed 
to  see  in  the  London  markets  or  the  northern  towns,  which  are  supplied 
