On the Cultivation of the Poppy. 345 
logy, which is the only mode until we can obtain facts, ap- 
pears to favour the negative of the question; not’only as 
there is no immediate correspondence in the qualities of 
these two parts of the same vegetable, but as many experi- 
ments have proved that by checking the growth, or weak- 
ening the vegetative powers of onc part of a plant, they are 
increased and improved in another. 
. Desirous of obtaining some information concerning this 
interesting subject, I sowed, in the year 1804, about halfa 
lug of garden ground with the white poppy seed; and when 
the beads were. advanced to a sufficient state of maturity, I 
scarified the external surface of one portion of them with a 
penknife, suffering the others to. remain entire; and though 
the exudations were very considerable, there was no per- 
ceptible difference in the colour; taste, or size of the seeds; 
excepting where the incisions passed through the whole in- 
tegument, which frequently happened from. the imperfec- 
tion of the instrument, and my inexpertness. The seeds 
which lay nearest to the openings were discoloured by the : 
admission of external air, but the taste of the. seed was got. - 
injured. #. 
This little experiment served to convince me that the steds'* a 
of the poppy are peculiarly grateful to birds, rats, and mices” 
The first ‘dexterously made large holes in the lower surface’ 
of the ball, through which the seed fell to the ground; and 
they thus materially injured a considerable portion of my 
crop while it was standing; nor were the latter less destruc- 
tive, when the poppy heads were spread ‘upon the floor of 
the summer-house in order to dry them. I was, however, 
\indemnified for this Joss, by observing, that not a single in- 
stance of mortality presented itself to evince the noxious 
quality of the seed. 
If future experiments should prove that both objects 
be pursued by the same. culture, scarcely any plan can be 
devised. which would prove equally profitable to the culti- 
vator, and more beneficial to the community. 
I am not so sanguine, gentlemen, as to expect that 
any person, upon reading the above account, will ummedi- 
ately resolve to cultivate the poppy to a great extent, as an 
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