SECT. V. OF PROPAGATION. 59 



is, that feeding plants (in private gardens) are neglected 

 in fome meafure, or deftroyed by birds, and come to 

 little at laft. Perhaps they are not faved from proper 

 plants. It is a particular bufinefs to raife feeds for fale, 

 and (generally) they are befl had from thofe whofe pro- 

 vince it is to deal in them : befides, confider farther, 



Againil our own feed, there is this to be obferved, 

 that it is a received maximta procure feeds of efculents. 

 from a different foil and fituation, or at leaft to change 

 them, as being apt to alter or degenerate, if repeatedly 

 (own in the fame place. It is proper, however, for 

 private perfons to fave kedfometimes, in order to fecure 

 that ol any particular fort, that it is judged may not 

 be got fo true and good. Yet here perhaps the bufy 

 bee or wind- 1 may interfere, and difappoint expecta- 

 tion ; for if there is any thing of the like kind in a 

 neighbouring garden, thefe inftruments may carry the 

 Farina of that to our charge, and contaminate it, fo 

 as to produce a fpurious offspring, which is very fre- 

 quently experienced in the cabbage tribe. Now this 

 cannot in a great degree happen with thole who raife 

 feed in extenfive pieces of ground qccupied with the 

 fa me fort of vegetable. 



Seed of vegetables mould be faved from .fine forward 

 plants, fecured from rocking about, when they get 

 tall ; guard them agamft birds, gather them regularly 

 as they ripen, left they fried and are loft, and keep 

 them dry. Flowers, it may be proper to fave the ked 

 of, and it is little trouble. The forts may thus be 

 better depended on, and the fmall quantity wanted of 

 each kind makes it hardly worth while to buy, if ws 

 can raife them ourfelves, or get them of a friend; no 

 fmgle flowers fhould be fuffered to grow in a garden 

 where there are double ones to bear feed, as larkfpurs, 

 and holyhoch, for the Farina of the Angles tranfporU 

 ed by bee or wind will fpoil the feed of the doubles. 

 Such fingle flowers fhould be taken up as foon as ever 

 difegvered to be fo. It fhould be a rule iwflowrjeeds 

 Dg in 



