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superior climate, cannot fail in its effects. There are
better figs, and more of them in Guernsey, than in
Jersey; but the reason is, that the fruit is but little
cultivated in Jersey. The superiority of Jersey, is
seen in the cultivation of the melon, some species of
which, are raised without glass in Guernsey; but the
roinana, which requires greater heat, is not so successful
there, as in Jersey. Well-sized orange trees
growing in the open air, are seen in Guernsey; but
to produce fruit, they require the shelter of a wall;
and in winter, the protection of mats. But indeed,
if the success of the orange, and of many other fruits
and flowers of southern latitudes, depends more upon
the absence of winter cold, than upon the presence of
great summer heat, there is no reason why tliese
should not be successful in the Channel Islands.
During the two winters that I passed in them, there
was no weather that in England would be called
winter weather. I have experienced much greater
cold, and seen the thermometer much lower for days
together, in the most southern parts of France, and
even in the south-east of Spain, than I have ever felt
or seen in Jersey.
Dr. Maculloch states, as a fact of some importance,
the naturalization in Guernsey, of the canna indica, a
native of very w'arm climates; and which has become
so thoroughly habituated to the climate, as to prove
a weed in the gardens which it has occupied; and
upon this, he makes the following sensible remarks:
“ Abundant experience,” says the doctor, “ has shewn,
that the propagation of a plant, by cuttings, or offsets,
has little or no effect in changing its constitution;
and the instance above cited equally shews, that the
seed will produce a hardier progeny, which, in time,
may possibly be habituated to bear all the range of
temperature which the globe affords. To carry this
speculation, however, into practice, it is evident, that
in most cases, the attempt will be unavailing, if the
transition is violent. Yet it is probable, that in the
immense number of untried plants, many might be
found, which, like the canna indica, would even bear
a change as great as that now mentioned. But to
pursue this system of naturalization with any great
hope of success, it would be necessary that the transition
should be more gradual, and that the transplantation
should be carried from a hot climate through
some intermediate one, to our own less genial shores.
The peculiarity of the climate of Guernsey would
afford us ground to hope, that it possesses many of
the requisite properties ; and that it would form a step
required in this experiment. These considerations
should stimulate us to make trials, whicli, in their
results, may possibly prove useful, as well as ornamental.
Many of the fruits which are now too tender
to bear our climate, might thus be made to produce
seeds, which should give us products equal in goodness
to the original, and of a hardier character. It is not
unlikely, for example, that a variety of melon from
seeds produced in Guernsey, might be taught to grow
without the aid of glass, in England. Perhaps even,
the caper, or the orange, might be naturalized through
the same medium. That process which has naturalized
the canna indica, might go far to put us in possession
of many other desirable objects, at least in cases when.
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