The absorption of moisture, and consequent enlargement of the cotyledons of a seed, is followed by another change in them. Oxygen gas is absorbed, and carbonic acid gas is evolved, the starchy nature of the seed being completely changed-it usually becoming sugary, though sometimes it attains acidity --but in every case its components become soluble in water, more liquid, and adapted to the nutriment of the embryo plant. The quantity of oxygen absorbed by seeds differs in every species, but they entirely agree in emitting it all again in the form of carbonic acid; it is absorbed, therefore, for the purpose of diminishing the seed's carbon.

The seeds of beans and lettuces absorb the onehundredth part of their weight of oxygen, to enable them to germinate; purslain, onion, and radish seed, the one-thousandth only; and the weight absorbed is always proportionate to the weight of the cotyledon.

The fact of carbonic acid being extricated, aids to explain why germination proceeds more slowly in clay soils, and in soils rolled firm, even under otherwise favourable contingencies, than it does in porous, well-pulverised soils. Not only does the atmospheric air get to the seed in the former soils with more difficulty, but in these the carbonic acid emitted, during germination, is confined in immediate contact with the seed; and M. Saussre found that carbonic acid, almost in any proportion, retards the commencement of germination.

That the atmospheric air is that mixture of oxygen and nitrogen gases which is most favourable to the due progress of germination, is proved by the experiments of M. Saussure; for he found that seeds germinating in it always absorbed a portion of the nitrogen, but which they did not do if the proportion of oxygen was increased.

These facts hold out some beacons worthy of being attended to, as guides for the operation of sowing. They point out that every kind of seed has a particular depth below the surface, at which it germinates most vigorously, as securing to it the most

appropriate degree of moisture, of oxygen gas, and of warmth. From a quarter of an inch to two inches beneath the surface appear to be the limits for the seeds of plants usually the objects of cultivation; these, however, must vary for the same seeds in different grounds and countries. The depth must be the least in clayey soils and dry climates. Sowing should in general be performed in dry weather, especially on heavy soils, not only because of the greater saving of labour, but because it prevents the seed being enveloped with a coat of earth impermeable by the air, "which," says Sir H. Davy, "is one cause of the unproductiveness of cold, clayey soils." Perhaps the time at which any ground may be raked with the greatest facility, is as good a practical criterion as any, to judge when it is most fit for sowing. In general, if clay does not predominate in its constitution, a soil rakes best just after it has been turned up with the spade. If clay does predominate, it usually rakes with most facility after it has been dug two or three days, and then immediately after a gentle rain. But it is certain that the sooner seed is sown after the soil is dug for its reception, the earlier it germinates. In the droughts of summer, water is often required to newly sown beds. Such application must not be very limited or transitory; for, if the soil is only moistened at the immediate time of sowing, it induces the appearance of the radicle, which, in very parching weather, and in clayey caking soil, we have known wither away, and the crop to be consequently lost from the want of a continued supply of moisture.

PURSUING Our plan of inserting such answers, editorially, as we consider generally interesting, though called forth by a correspondent's particular inquiry, we do so, in the present instance, relative to the mode of heating a small pit.

A correspondent, siguing himself "P. T. R.," writes thus:

"I have a four-light pit, 18 feet by 5 feet, and now heated by linings of dung. In this pit I am growing cucumbers, and succeeding pretty well; but several inconveniences present themselves. First, I have to buy the dung, which has to be fetched some distance. Secondly, the time, trouble, and expense of often stirring it are objectionable; and, thirdly, the appearance is bad. By what means can I obviate these inconveniences, without much expense? I have an Arnott's stove; can that be made applicable? or, what other plan can you recommend, and what expense will be probable in making the alteration you advise?"

Now, to those queries we reply that, though dung is dirty, troublesome, and expensive, Arnott's stove would not be much better. Heating by hot water would be cleanest, least troublesome, and the cheapest in the end. A small boiler, supplying a tank

below the bed, and that again covered with open rubble beneath the soil, such as that described by Mr. Fish, in page 337 of last volume, would answer admirably; only that the sides of the pit would prevent the necessity for having the strong wooden box, though the slender inner one had better be retained, so that it might have a dry, or moist atmospheric heat at pleasure. The tank, too, would be large enough if 2 feet wide, and 6 inches deep; and, instead of wood, might be made of brick and cement, the bottom consisting of a layer of bricks, and then thin tiles laid in the best cement; the sides of two courses of bricks, laid flat, in cement; the division of a brick edgeways; and then covered, if not with slabs, with the best rough roofing-slate. Such a boiler would probably cost about two pounds; the lead piping, to connect it with the tank, something more than that sum; and the bricks, and cement, and slates, the bricklayer would at once tell the cost of in any locality.

A second plan would be to form a chamber, by placing a bottom, with slabs of slate, across the bed, and runnning some hot-water-pipes through the chamber below, covering the slate with rubble, and leaving part exposed, at the back and the front, for atmospheric heat. Two four-inch pipes would be sufficient for this purpose; the cost of which, without fixing, would be fully two pounds more; and then the slate would have to be calculated.

A third plan-and, perhaps, the cheapest-would be to have two three-inch, or even two two-inch, pipes for bottom-heat, and the same for top-temperature, with the means, by stop-cocks, of using either only two pipes, or all of them, at pleasure, those pipes, intended for supplying bottom-heat, being surrounded to a depth of at least fifteen or eighteen inches, with clickers, stones, brickbats, &c., below the soil in which the cucumbers are to be grown, with tubes left so, that by pouring down water moisture, may always be secured. The same plan may be adopted with the second system, instead of a chamber. Here there would be no expense but the boiler and pipes; and the latter may be procured, according to their size, from 8d. to 1s. per foot.

THE FRUIT-GARDEN.

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HORIZONTAL AND FAN TRAINING. We are minded, by a correspondent or two, that a few remarks on the above were promised so long ago as June-it is getting high time the promise was made good. Our observations must, however, be brief; for other matters press, on account of the advancing season; and, indeed, we would not willingly give any undue amount of importance to modes of training on which so little of the fruitfulness of trees depend, as compared with summer pruning, the due preparation of soil, &c. We will dismiss all considerations of the comparative or ornamental appearance of the two modes, and confine ourselves merely to eligibility, based on a permanent fruitfulness.

The chief advantage of the horizontal mode would

seem to lie in the fact of its having a tendency to equalise the light in a superior degree. This it does, for every portion of the shoots possess an equal chance in this respect. A main leader is carried up perpendicularly, from whence the side branches are carried at right angles to the main stem. These, of course, must be equi-distant at all points; and whether clothed with spurs or young shoots, all possess an equal chance of light. Not so the fan system; the shoots here, in the main, by radiating from one common centre, are of necessity much more crowded in the centre than at the extremitieshence the great tendency in peach and nectarine trees, badly managed, to become naked; and hence the tendency, also, in the lower wood to be more infested with the earliest aphides of the season, which here meet with a snug hatching-place; whilst, farther on in the season, they will as readily infest the extremities.

Thus far, then, the balance would appear to be in favour of the horizontal mode. We must, however, suspend our judgment awhile, and see what other bearings the question has. First, then, any damage that occurs, or decay of any portion of the tree, is much easier, and more speedily repaired, under the fan system than the horizontal. Indeed, in the latter case, if one of the side shoots of an established tree should canker or die, two or three years will pass before the blemish can be made good, and the defect will attract double the notice of any such in the fan mode, inasmuch as the whole tree bears a much more methodical impress. For peaches, nectarines, and apricots, therefore, we consider the ordinary fan mode far superior, inasmuch as they are peculiarly liable to accidents in the principal shoots; and the objections which we, in candour, urged against the fan mode, are anything but insuperable: good management will, at all times, overcome them with ease.

The plum might be subjected, perhaps, to a horizontal system, for the wood of plums is of a tolerably permanent character; but it would be difficult to point out the advantages. Cherries are rather too unruly in their wood to apply the horizontal mode to; and, therefore, we apprehend it is more at home with the apple, and the pear, than with our other fruits: for the latter, indeed, we should not hesitate to recommend it, more especially as it offers unusual facilities to the amateur of continually introducing new kinds, even on a single tree; for nothing is requisite but to graft on any portion of any one of the horizontal branches, and when the graft grows, to tie it down on the main shoot, instead of attempting the old and fallacious mode of pruning for spurs. The graft in the latter position merely occupies the place of the young spray of the shoot; and, in this way, a score of grafts, if necessary, may be introduced on a single bough.

On the whole, therefore, our advice is, be content with the old fan mode, or some modification of it, for general purposes; and to those who are about establishing the pear on walls or gables, choose the horizontal, in order to be able to introduce grafts of new kinds with facility; for, in our opinion, before many years have passed away, many of our pears, now considered worthy of cultivation, will be discarded altogether, and either another race, or pears hitherto placed in an inferior gradebecause ill understood-will assume a higher position. The immense quantity of pears on the quince which have been sent through the country of late

by Mr. Rivers, and some others, will, in a year or two, set the quince stock question at rest; for, if any real advance be made this way, it must assuredly be through the medium of the stock and the platform question, perhaps, in combination.

PEAR-PRUNING.-And now we have been drawn into observations on pears, it will, perhaps, be well to finish our paper with hints to pear pruners; for spring is at hand, with its usual pressure of business.

Everybody knows that our gardeners of the old time had but one method of pear pruning; they must be "spurred back." As to asking the reason, "they would give no man a reason on compulsion "-not they. Such would seem to involve the loss of a serious amount of liberty, not altogether compatible with the British character. However, spurring back was adhered to with reverential awe-and no wonder, the memory of their time-honoured grandsires was fairly woven into the question. Nevertheless, time, who wears holes in the hardest rocks, drew aside the sombre veil of prescription, covered with the dust of ages, and folks began to rub their eyes anew. It was now discovered that gardeners cannot manufacture spurs by the pruning knife, although they can excite a vast amount of shoots. Hence arose, if not an aversion to, at least a jealousy of the knife; and those beautiful-looking systems of winter pruning, which used to adorn the pages of the clever Mr. Loudon, have, we conceive, been used by the butterman long since. Our reason for taking the liberty of joking on so serious a matter is, that we may disabuse the minds of amateur cottage gardeners, and others-who have not watched these things so closely, or for so many years, as we have done from the fallacy of depending on spruce modes of pruning for producing fruitfulness. would rather divert their attention to the three great cardinal points in all fruit culture:-namely, root control, selection of stocks, and summer pruning.

We

And now, as to pear pruning, we have before, in THE COTTAGE GARDENER, alluded to what we have called the "tying-down system." By this we mean the reserving many of the annual shoots at the winter pruning, and tying, or otherwise fastening, them down on the old wood. Pears, say they, bear best on the two-year-old wood; be it so, then let us take care that some of the annual shoots reach two years. We have before repeatedly advised (when discussing summer pruning affairs), that all the shortest-jointed, and early-ripened wood should be left; and now, when the knife must, of necessity, be passed over the trees, in order to correct the omissions of the past summer, let us again advise that every short-jointed shoot, with plump eyes or buds, be tied down to the old wood; not more, however, than one, or at most two, at a given point; and thus proceeding from the root-stock to the extremities, to clothe the wood from end to end. Where this plan is adopted, all barren-looking spurs may at once be cut clean away, unless they give promise of bloombuds. The hobby, however, must not be ridden too hard: still preserve genuine fruit spurs with the utmost care. Under this system let there be no spurring back, as it is called, of young and grass shoots, in order to create spurs. Such, we know, may sometimes be generated; but it is the exception to the rule. By this tying-down mode, when established, plenty of natural spurs will be produced; and, moreover, the tendency to produce "breast wood" will be lessened exceedingly,

R. ERRINGTON.

THE FLOWER-GARDEN. HARDY CLIMBERS.-I make a break here, in my description of hardy climbers, and the different purposes to which certain kinds of them may be applied, to describe, and very earnestly to recommend, a certain way of establishing strong varieties of them in groves, in thickets, or on the margin of woods, so as to cover whole trees from the top to the bottom, to festoon between tree and tree, or to form an impene- ! trable barrier, in imitation of the twining plants which entangle the "bush " or " jungle" in warmer latitudes. Or, if that is out of the question, let us say to clothe some two or three old trees in the corner of the gar den, of which naked limbs are anything but beautiful, during the winter season; or even that old ash, whose surface roots monopolise the whole space within their reach.

Those who have never tried the experiment, can form but a little idea of the difficulty of establishing climbers, or any plants whatever, in the immediate vicinity of, or among, full-grown trees. No sooner is a pit opened, filled with good soil, and a thrifty plant of any ́kind inserted, than the roots of the established trees take possession of the fresh soil, and literally suck all the goodness out of it, before the roots of the young plant have time to extend beyond a few inches; and, in a season or two, the young climber, instead of reaching half way up the trees, is dying by inches of sheer starvation. Indeed, without some contrivance to overcome the difficulty, it would be easier to cover all the houses in London with roses and honeysuckles, than half the trees on an acre of land in the country. Yet, what is more picturesque than to see long festoons of climbers waving down from the boughs of some old favourite tree? How rich the clusters of the Glycine sinensis would look hanging over the lofty boughs of a holly-tree, or some other evergreen of great height! They would appear doubly charming when backed by some good screen of leaves; and so with most flowers which appear before the leaves like those of this Glycine.

Now, there is no more real difficulty in rearing a Glycine, or any other strong climber, against a tree, than there would be in establishing the same plant against the wall of a cottage; except, indeed, what was due to the difference of temperature; and all that is necessary to effect this, is to exclude the roots of the tree from all share in the soil newly-laid for the young plant, and that, too, for the first half dozen years or more. Indeed, the climber should be fullgrown before the roots of the tree could have access to its bed, as I can state, from my own experience, that unless that is provided for at first, the experiment must fail, for I have seen the plan tried and failed ten times over.

Some of the best things in the world to carry out this experiment is a set of old tar-barrels, as they last many years when sunk in the ground at the foot of the trees against which it is desired to establish the climbers; and no one need be afraid that plants will not grow in old tar-barrels, or in new barrels, or tubs tarred over on purpose to secure them from wet or damp. All flower-gardeners use tarred boxes every year to grow fancy things in. I have many such in use at Shrubland Park, and I never found that the tar was injurious to the plants. I have also tar-barrels in use, not for climbers, but for plants much more delicate.

Well, then, each tar-barrel is to be bored in the bottom with five holes, one in the middle and four at equal distances all round, and the bung-hole must be

stopped very tight. Then open a hole large enough to allow the barrel to be put in down to the rim ; then push it down, that the bottom of it may make a mark in the bottom of the pit, pull it out again, and make the hole a foot deeper in the centre, scooping out the earth till you come near the mark made by the bottom of the barrel, but that you must leave entire for the barrel to rest on; and when you put it into the pit again, there will be a hollow under it a foot deep. The reason for this is, that the five drainage-holes may lie over the void space, both to facilitate the drainage and to prevent any of the roots of the trees outside from poking in through one of the holes, or rather through all of them, as I once found to my great vexation.

I once put an old herring-barrel down for such a purpose, and left the bottom of the pit quite flat and solid under it, not dreaming that roots would enter by the drainage-holes, but they did; and I really believe they could be enticed to go up to the very top of the tree itself, by heaping barrels or any tubs over each other, and filling them with soil.

The first thing to put in the barrel is a quantity of lime-mortar, rough cinders, or brick-bats, for a good drainage, as the young plants must be copiously supplied with water during the summer, for the first three years at least, for nothing tends to push out climbers so fast as good and regular watering at first; not that they would require to be watered oftener-once a week or ten days would be often enough. Whenever a climber looks unhealthy, or is much attacked with insects, the cause is generally sure to be at the roots; they are not active enough to keep up that supply of sap which is necessary to sustain a rapid growing one. Indeed, no hardy plants in the open ground require half so much water as climbers, and, therefore, the borders, or boxes, or tar-barrels, for them, ought to be particularly well drained. Any kind of old barrel or cask would do for this work, provided it be sound enough to last seven or eight years, and that no holes, or open slits between the staves, are left for strange roots to get through; and by the time the barrel is rotten, and the climbers fullgrown, the latter will be able to contend with its foster-parent for nourishment.

About six years ago, I had occasion for 22 guards of this kind, to grow specimens of scarlet geraniums in, in a situation where it would have been impossible to manage them in any other way; and the carpenter, who works for the garden, suggested that elm wood boxes would last longer than any other kind of wood buried in chalky soil. I believe he was right, as I cannot perceive that six years' use has had any effect on them. The way he made them is so simple that I shall endeavour to describe it, as that sort of guard would answer as well as the old tar-barrels, and may be had more convenient in many places. The wood was sawed into strips or staves, four inches wide, and half an inch thick; and then cut into 20inch lengths, that being the depth required for the boxes to grow the specimen geraniums in, and they were 22 inches in diameter, and made without bottoms, only as so many cylinders. D. BEATON.

[We have to apologise to our readers for this abrupt termination. Our able coadjutor had not completed his communication, when he sustained the most severe of domestic losses. This will silence his pen for awhile, but a short time, we hope, will restore his equanimity; and literary employment will be one of the best secondary supports to which he can have recourse under his bereavement.-ED. C. G.]

ROUTINE WORK.-Owing to the continued frosty weather, most operations in this department must be viewed rather prospectively. Much may be done indoors, to forward labour afterwards, by getting sticks, tallies, pegs, twigs, crocks, pots, &c., all in a state of readiness. It always infers bad management to be obliged to have such things attended to in fine weather; more especially if a man can at any time be seen potching the ground, and attempting to work in unfavourable weather, when his health, and the true interests of his employer, as well as the dictates of humanity, require that he should be provided with labour under cover. In the smallest garden suitable employment may thus always be found, if a little forethought be exercised; and, in attending to these matters in a wet or frosty day, the men are more happy and cheerful than if they were doing nothing; for idleness is foreign to the nature of our Saxon race-a fact, by-the-by, which has some bearing upon the mischief and evil-doing existing in society. We are so much in the habit of associating the love of flowers with all that is gentle and kind, that we feel convinced such observations are next to thrown away upon the bulk of our readers who possess flower-gardens, because their own benevolence of heart would at once prompt to the course we humbly indicate. But, as we know that the noblest, and yet kindest and gentlest breathing of all philosophy, has not suitably influenced the hearts of many of us, to whom its claims have been addressed, so we fear there may be some-a very few-who love, or affect to love, their flowers, who may yet feel more of the selfish than the benevolent towards those who assist in their cultivation; and to those we would urge the adoption of the same course, by that which is dear to most peopletheir own interests-for considerable experience enables us to state, that to obtain the utmost activity and energy from a man in fine weather, his comfort must be attended to when that weather is wet or stormy.

There are many things, however, which can be appropriately done out-of-doors in frosty weather, if not excessively blusterous-such as exposing the soil, turning composts, charring thinnings and prunings, burning weeds, with scourings of fences, and even clay, all of which are valuable for any, but especially for stiff, soil in flower-gardens; and in making the now iron walks a highway, on which all such charred and burnt materials, and manure-when deemed necessary-may be wheeled to their respective positions.

ROSES.-There are none of the family but like a fair supply of manure, to bring their flowers to perfection; and, if not done before, it may be thrown on as a top-dressing in frosty weather. Some of the tenderer Tea-scented and China kinds would be all the better if such dressing were allowed to remain, as a mulching, about their stems, during the winter. In some cases, a layer of moss would be required in addition; and then some spruce, or laurel boughs, should be stuck round them, to shelter the head of the plant; though, in such circumstances, if the head should be injured, the plants will flower strongly from shoots thrown up from the bottom buds. Such kinds, against walls and other fences, in addition to mulching, should have their stems and branches thus protected with evergreen twigs; and, even if neglected previously, it will be advisable to do so, before they are suddenly thawed. Such tender kinds and other half-hardy plants, that require more protection than mulching with dung, or moss, and sticking some boughs among them-should be

taken up in the autumn, and put in, by the heels, in light soil, under a shed; if with a north aspect all the better. A little hay, or other litter, thrown over the stems, when very cold, would preserve them all right until planting time in March or April. Pruning any thing of this nature must be avoided, with the general stock, which, if not cut in the autumn, or in mild weather, should be deferred until the buds are beginning to break in the spring; and all the tender kinds should never be pruned until that period, as thus, not only is their safety better secured- -a cut in winter being an unpropitious opening for allowing moisture and cold to penetrate-but at that period many nice little shoots, of but an inch in length, may be obtained from the cut off parts, which are just the very thing for making nice little plants quickly, when inserted in a mild bottom-heat, and their little leaves kept from flagging, by a close atmosphere, and dustings from the syringe. But there are many strong-growing, robust kinds that may be pruned at any time, as freely as you would prune a gooseberry-bush; and among these-because, comparatively, little pruning is wanted-we would class the most of the hardy climbers that cover trellises, and are fastened to stakes, or allowed to clamber over dead and living trees, almost at their will. Here the pruning consists chiefly in shortening the main shoots-thinning them out where too abundant--and shortening to a spur, or removing altogether, the small spray that had flowered the previous season, along with all dead and decaying matter. Any tying might be done in the middle of the day, or even left to a future occasion; but the thinning and pruning part could be done as comfortably in frosty weather as at any other time, and even more so, for there would be hard standing for the feet, and the hands might be comfortably ensconced in gloves-one of the few occasions, however, in which a gardener has any use for these muflling appendages.

FLOWER-BEDS. Where these are planted with bulbs, or annuals, for an early display, little can be done, except to mulch the former, and protect the latter with branches, with a mat thrown over either occasionally, in extreme cases. Were we to use

annuals to any extent for this purpose, instead of sowing, or planting them out in autumn where they were to blow, we should prefer transplanting them in patches, from a reserve garden, in March. This practice would enable you to give the beds intended for them-as well as those beds which remain empty until they receive their summer and autumn bedding-out plants-frequent turnings, and deep stirrings, during the winter. If this is done in frosty weather, many injurious enemies will receive their death blow. This deep-stirring of the soil will well repay you in the following season, as it will alike prevent your plants from shanking off with an accumulation of moisture, and save you much trouble in dry weather, so far as the use of the water-can is concerned. It matters not whether the plants you use root deeply, or merely carpet the surface of the soil with their fibres; in either case, the deep stirring of the soil of the bed will allow the redundant moisture to escape, and guarantee the raising of a considerable supply from beneath, by means of evaporation and capillary attraction in the hottest weather. It is a mistake, however, to suppose, that in advocating this deep stirring, we wish you to turn down your surface soil, and bring up to the surface, from the depth of a couple of feet or so, the soil found there. This would just be doing what some farmers on a

large scale may have done once in their lifetime; and, consequently, ever afterwards became-and with their experience to support them-firm adherents to the scratching four or five inch depth system, beyond which they would deem it next to sacrilege to go. From repeated dressings-from even the handsful of prepared compost, put, year after year, round at least the smaller of your bedding-out plants-the surface-soil of your beds must become ameliorated, whatever be its natural constitution. Instead, therefore, of bringing up an understratum to the surface, as you might do in an old deep-soiled kitchen garden, it is better to mingle only a portion of the under soil with the upper every year. For this purpose, and also to effect this deep stirring, a sufficient opening should be taken out to enable you to dig deeply, or even pick the under soil, and then the surface-earth may be laid in ridges upon the surface again. It is improper, in all cases where much nicety is required-and more especially in such flower-beds which you wish, as soon as possible, to be comfortably warm-to bury at any great depth frozen earth; but the turning of such surface ridges on a frosty day would be attended with the greatest benefit; for, after all, frost is the best and cheapest of all pulverisers and clod crushers.

Secure your plants in pits and frames, and do not be in a hurry to uncover them. Be on the lookout for fermenting material; for cutting-striking time will soon be here. R. FISH.

GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW

GARDENING.

PROTECTING, &C.-Thick and thickening have been the inquiries lately, as to the best means of heating pits, greenhouses, and hothouses; for Mr. Frost arouses attention to many things that should have been thought about before the trees were stripped of their foliage. But the protecting of glass, by means of external coverings, is a subject that with many is ill understood, and worse practised. Those who have made the subject matter of inquiry, cannot always act according to their convictions of what is right. Many, who take a pride in their gardens, would rather burn more fuel than be annoyed with the sight of any protecting medium whatever placed over their glass. Sometimes a provisional grant of a hot-water pipe is obtained by some of us, upon the condition that no risk of breaking glass, or taking the shine out of paint, is to be encountered from mats or hurdles! Now, with a proper command of a heating medium, it is an easy matter to keep up the requisite temperature even in very cold weather; but we contend there is more injury occasioned by doing so, than would have been effected by smaller fires, in connection with either partial or general covering. This injury is apt to take place from two causes : first, the increased temperature from fire-heat-it matters not in what shape applied-will either dry too much the atmosphere of the house, and thus the plants will be deprived of their juices, so as to endanger the drying up of their tissues; or, secondly, if means are taken, in such circumstances, to communicate moisture to the atmosphere, in proportion to its increased temperature, then the apparent rate of growth will be more a mere extension of what the plant previously contained, than an assimilation of fresh material to its substance. In cold, dull weather, with moderate fires, and suitable outside covering, there would neither be a drying of the stems of the plants, nor yet an encouragement to growth, when