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Natural hiflorians remark, that in the production 

 of noble animals, nature afts with a kind of dignified 

 oeconomy, but that meaner births are laviflied in 

 profufion ; and that, of all produftions in nature, in- 

 fects are the mod numerous. It may be remembered 

 that about fifteen years ago, when the curl was moft 

 fatal, there was a general alarm for the confequences 

 that might arife from infects. Almofl: every bufh 

 teemed with their nefts. Printed papers were fent 

 from London, and difperfed in the country, recom- 



now moft liable to this difeafe, it is, probably, becaufe infecJls frequent 

 dunghills, and are from thence carried into the ground. Mr.HOLLiN s 

 informs us, that potatoes planted on land which has been pared 

 and burnt will not curl. Yet, paring and burning is allowed to be a 

 vfry great forcer of vegetation. May not the a(5lion of the fire, or 

 the effluvia arifing from burnt vegetables, prevent infetfls from har* 

 bouring in land fo prepared ? 



Some gentlemen of great abilities, but who, probably, have not had 

 opportunities of judging from their own obfervati»ns, or from fadls, 

 feem to have become converts to Mr. Hollins's argument, by ana- 

 logy, of florifts having, \>y forcing produced double flowers, which are 

 barren. It may well be doubted, whether the tuberous root of the 

 potatoe would fuffer, were this aiflually the cafe. Like other roots it 

 is formed, and arrives at a confiderable degree of perfe<£lion, before 

 the feed is generated; which, in this vegetable, we find, is not necef- 

 fary to propagate the fpecies. 



I have never feen a fingle inftance of a double flower in a potatoe ; 

 where, fo far from the ftamens being forced into petals, we find the 

 five anthers invariable clofed together; which is a diftinguifhing mark 

 of the Genus Solanum, of Linnaeus, to which the potatoe belongs. 

 Curled plants have all the appearance of weaknefs and poverty, in- 

 ftead of luxuriancy; fome of them fo much fo, as fcarcely to put forth 

 ?ny corol, or flower at alU 



mending 



