CHAP. II.] RUTA BAGA CULTURE. 145 



one half of the seed that is sown. But, if seeds 

 be buried so deep, that they do not even vegetate, 

 then they do not die ; and this is one cause, 

 though not the only cause, of our wondering to 

 see weeds come up, where we are sure that no 

 seeds have fallen for many years. At every 

 digging, or every ploughing, more or less of the 

 seeds, that have formerly been buried, come up 

 near the surface; and then they vegetate. I 

 have seen many instances in proof of this fact; 

 but, the particular instance, on which I found 

 the positiveness of my assertion, was in Parsnip 

 seed. It is a very delicate seed. It will, if 

 beat out, keep only one year. I had a row of 

 fine seed parsnips in my garden, many of the 

 seeds of which fell in the gathering. The ground 

 was dug in the fall ; and, when I saw it full of 

 parsnips in the Spring, I only regarded this as 

 a proof, that parsnips might be sown in the fall, 

 though I have since proved, that is a very bad 

 practice. The ground was dug again, and again 

 for several successive years ; and there was 

 always a crop of parsnips, without a grain of 

 seed ever having been sown on it. But lest any 

 one should take it into his head, that this is a 

 most delightful way of saving the trouble of 

 sowing, I ought to state, that the parsnips 

 coming thus at random, gave me a great deal 

 more labour, than the same crop would have 

 given me in the regular way of sowing. Besides, 



PART. I. L 



