IT is with no small degree of pleasure, that minds seeking truths turn over the pages of the Horticulturist, and catch those beautiful gems evolved by free discussion. It agitates thought, which is the beginning of wisdom. The mission of this valuable journal we conceive to be, the development of a higher plane of thought, that will practically and scientifically work out a higher and better system of cultivation. It is with much interest and pleasure that we read such articles.

Good culture should be the ambition of all who have the care or charge of vegetable life; but how this is to be effected is what we are inclined to speak of.

It appears to our mind clear, from an established law in nature, that vegetable life and its organism is the product of the constituent elements of the soil, springing into existence under favorable atmospheric influences. Combined with this law, we have another, - the law of reproduction. Hence, we have a fruit tree organized, constituted, and designed, to produce fruit. Here we are brought to a stubborn fact - that, as the tree is designed to produce fruit, and that under our special care it is abortive, - we do not understand its good culture. The fact that this tree has produced a plentiful supply of good fruit, proves also that it can do it again under the same circumstances. Why should I be dissatisfied with that beautiful piece of machinery, - its mal-working, when through my inexperience I clogged up its working joints and axles with an improper oil? If it is true that a tree is produced from the constituent elements of the soil, and that in that soil has flourished and produced good fruit for a season or two, and then dwindles away - does it not prove that that plant has extracted from that soil the very elements requisite to its being? Who among us, as gardeners, will say that deep ploughing, plenty of rotten manure, weeding and watering, etc, are the only requisites for good culture? This does not always yield the desired results.

Here we have no pears; there we have grapes, but those that should be black are red; again, those that should have swelled off fine, have shanked off nearly altogether. What are the conclusions generally drawn from these observations? First, my trees are a failure; and in the second place, my vine border is wrong, drainage is wrong; or, I will try a good ringing. But let us look at the border - it has been well-drained, we thought, but still the vines don't do; so we will drain a little more. We are got to work at the border, and find in the bottom over two feet of broken stones - a perfect filter, supplied also with plenty of main-drains, to carry off the filterings. Well, do you see any roots? Yes, plenty, hanging like a lot of parasites among the stones; their appearance reminds me of an English fox hunt. It was a bagged fox, and the hounds had been on short diet some time, consequently desperately hungry; however, the fox was released from the bag and the hungry hounds after him. After a long and wearisome chase; there was a desperate rush for the brush - in a few minutes more and the dashing horsemen were plunging one after the other among the dogs on a great heap of stones, but the fox was gone! - had popped down a drain/

This vine border was similar. The material compound took some time before it was in a fit condition for the hungry roots, and when it was, it was like the fox - popped down the drain; and the roots, similar to the hounds, got a splendid chase for nothing.

How often is it the case, we look anxiously on a beautiful bunch of grapes, feeling confident within of carrying off the prize at some society's rooms, when lo! just as we expect to get the sugar placed in the fruit, we often get the vinegar! And this occurs with the best of our horticulturists who consider themselves good cultivators; and to remedy this, fly to the borders to drain again for shank. If Mr. A. wishes good sweet coffee for his breakfast, and has but two spoonfuls of sugar, how ridiculous it would be for him to attempt to sweeten a gallon with that amount of sugar. This shows how very little we know of what we pretend to know a great deal.

Whoever has studied the vine and its diseases, so called, knows that shank is an effect produced only in a certain development of the plant, and that it is almost instantaneous in establishing its identity. That beautiful purified compound stream, ever flowing in accordance to the law of capillary attraction, has supplied the cellular tissue with its requirements; but has nothing more for the berry. Its collectors have taxed their prescribed region, and collected every cent; nothing remains but bankruptcy. Often these collectors burst their prescribed bounds, sympathy, affinity, and attraction are so strong; and we arc often wonderfully amazed to find these collectors out of bounds; going through our gravel walks, apparently leaving our very nice drugged mess that we have formed for them, unnoticed.

Before gardeners can call themselves good cultivators, they must possess a combined practical and scientific knowledge of the constituent elements forming the wood and fruit of plants generally. Science teaches and experience proves, that the elements that produce the one do not develope the other.

You never expect fruit from a monster wood-producing tree. We have perfection in this department, and all others, when the equilibrium is manifest. How to gain this equilibrium and maintain it, is a knowledge we as gardeners should possess; and not find fault with a tree and its fruit, or no fruit, because we do not understand how and when to supply the proper elements of fruitfulness.

We must be guarded, and not confound the development of cellulose, with that of the gum. If we find that it is the phosphates which in a great measure develope the former, we may also find the potassic salts to determine the latter.

A knowledge of these elements, when and how to use them, and in what they exist, so that it can be profitably and practically put into use, is what we require to make us good cultivators. We must possess the knowledge that gives the power to say I will, and then the I can'ts become obsolete.