TRANS ACTIOXS. 351 



state of things, I forbore interfering with them in the way 

 I had originally proposed. The end was, that, for the most 

 part, instead of heads, I had nothing but gigantic overgrown 

 masses of leaves, with huge stalks extending up through 

 them to much more than the usual height. A very few 

 heads were formed, but taking the crop together, it was the 

 worst, except for the benefit of my cow, that I ever raised 

 of this kind of vegetable. 



The explanation that I put upon these results, I get at 

 thus. The end of the growth and fructification of plants, 

 is the perpetuation of the race by the production of seed. 

 The remarks and instructions of botanists seem to show 

 satisfactorily that the flowers, the immediate organs of the 

 reproductive process, are but metamorphosed leaves, (at 

 least of such plants as these, the phenogamous or phanero- 

 gamous as they call them.) For the proper changes to 

 take place seasonably and well, it seems to be necessary 

 that there should be only a limited supply of nutriment and 

 stimulus furnished to the plants otherwise they will go on 

 developing a superabundance of leaves with little produc- 

 tion of fruit or attempt at fructification. Like other indi- 

 viduals that arc too well nourished, they become selfish, 

 and are occupied only with themselves and their own ag- 

 grandizement, and do not look out for posterity. Tliey 

 seem as it were, to have too much vitality and to presume 

 on it too much. 



It has been observed that a plant, growing in a sterile 

 soil not otherwise unfavorable to it, will, though small and 

 stinted, abound more with flowers and fruit, than one of a 

 much more luxuriant growth in a richer soil, as if it had a 

 consciousness of its own danger of perishing for want 

 of sustenance, and was using its utmost eflbrts to provide 

 for the perpetuation of its race. 



The proper remedy for this too great luxuriance of 

 growth is a diminished supply of nourishment. Hence 

 gardeners frequently practise on trees, that grow strongly 



