Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-01-10

horticultural Ta!laclss.

ITS many ir.- -. pas ms -5, THAT IA WA
ter the sap u trees De- uls and remains ID
the rlCta4 AIS /. the l4Ids that perme1Ic
the Ignk .u. head oI p -re-, could he forced
into SD narrow compass AZ the roofs, auC
kept there .or months az @ time And this
fallacv I= generally coupled with that other.
that il spring the -ap IS in rapid motion iu
the ROOFS before il begins O. SOW Do the
bIaucats. B0.L Of these errors seem % haFe
been accepted even by SO accurate writer
as the late Albert Barnes. who in comment
ing on the parable Of the ~ tree when II
1t puts forth its leaves, saws . " hen the
iuices return from the roots into the branches,
and the buds swell and burst
Now the truth is that the sap Is IN motion
IN all living parts Of tree, and at all timer
Of the year except in intensely cold weather.
when, as il Is well known. II IS either frozen
or comparatively a. rest. The only dltfer
ence is, that IN spring there Is more of It
than at any other season, as the absorption
BY the roots has not wholly ceased during
winter. and there Is no loss by evaporation
OF changes into woody fiber by initiation ,
lust because there are no leaves ID winter u
affect either OF course under these cyuIi-
tiops sap accumulates. and there viii be ar
unusual flow Of 1t in the spring, as witncs-
the effect of tapping sugar maple trees III
that season. IL Is at the eXtrCmItIcs OF the
branc es, where light and warmth first come
and by which the buds are excited that the
sap is first put in motion 70 swell and de-
velOpe these buds. To supply the vacuum
thus caused, the sap pushes upwards and it
motion quickens wUh their advancing expan
sion. But without going farther into this
theory well supported by facts-the entire
fallacY Of this descent Of the sap into the
roots Of trees. is clearly shown by the f'et.
patent to every one in the country, thai
trees felled in the fall or winrer-of which
the willow il a notable example-0ften send
on shoots in spring, and that a mild spell
of weather in water will give a rudy glow
a bright vermilliOn blush. to the twIgs of the
peach tree, even when the ground j. frozen
to a cousiderab depth.
Another iallacy is, that the constitution o
a plant can be permanently altered by what
is called acclImatiZ alton. The ia.lacy le-
in presumlDg that the mere fact Of plant
from hot climate being grown in the open
air, is proof of C ange IN the nature Of tac
plant, whereas it IS only proof Of it, powe5-
of endurance. In accImating a plant. tie
only problem to be solved, is to test its de-
grees of hardihOOd that done, its place can
be assigned, whether among hardy plants. Or
sue as are too tender for our climate. The
fact Of plants once considered tender being
found nardy. does not prove that they ac-
ouired this quality, or that their nature il
changed in the least. 1t only proves
what before we were ignorant of-their ln-
herent capabilities Of endurance. Hence al
attempts to make tropical plants adapt them
selves 10 our northern latitudes, are vain {.
Given tropical climate and presto Tie
thing Is done Goblet became euamOrei
when in this country OF an Indian corn crop.
and on his return 70 England did all be-
could by pen and pillow, to introduce Its CAL
tivation But alas the hot suns of our sum
mers were not there. In place 0i them were
dali spells Of weather for most Of the grow
ing season, and the corn crop under Britis
skies was failure.
The highest authorities, Lirdlev I'm tH
Old Country, and Downing in the Ncn
agree in SAYING that shC pith oil al pract.e
knowledge in the treatment of Eaii handy .
tropical plants, is to place them in =ae. g r
ditiOns a. involve the least change and Cha
change the most gradual. it viii often =
found that where there IS no protection.
plant under q south wall OF q south west Que
viii perish while in q northern III NORTH
eastern aspect II VIII live The ne u,y.
being 50 greatly excited as the other, is C.u
sequeDtly nev r subject TO so great changes
The plant placed 10 the coolest place. hayin
10 sun to act upon its frozen juices, thaW
gradually, whilst that which is subject % tn
direct operation of warm sun. which oltc
follows a frost, is very suddenly acted upo
and dies. Hence it Is that grape vines peac
trees and oth er half hardy plants get thrguE
the winter on the shady side of buildings
walls in safety, whilst these in open place
and unprotected by any covering lose a par
or the whole Of their vitality Conqrt
qdti0nGiist.