Chap. V. POT-HERBS, j 1 1 



nearly of the fame fize, viz. five or fix Inches in diameter, towards 

 the top, or thickefc part ; which was much larger than any in the 

 kitchen garden. 



" The carrots were taken up the 8th of November. My gardener, 

 who, when he fowed them, would have betted all he had in the 

 world, that the crop would not be worth the digging, was afloniflicd 

 at their fize. They were from 1 8 to 20 and 25 inches long, and 

 from two and a half to three and a half and four inches in diameter, 

 and weighed from 25 to 30 and 33 ounces each. 



** The fcorzoneras throve well, and their leaves were very large : 

 till, on the 17th of Auguft, when I had not feen them for a week, 

 I found them totally changed, their leaves withered, and hanging 

 on the ground. Upon opening a furrow on one fide of them, to 

 lay their roots bare, I found them entirely covered with fmall white 

 llugs. I filled up part of this furrow with foot, in hopes that its bit- 

 ternefs would drive them away. For fome days, there were much- 

 fewer of them, and the plants feemed to recover a little flrength : 

 but their enemies returned in fo great numbers, that they foon de- 

 ftroyed them all, a very few roots excepted, which, notwithftanding 

 the injury they had received, were larger at the end of fix months, 

 than thofe in the kitchen garden were at the end of nineteen, 



" Befides the great advantage already mentioned, which all thefe 

 plants had over thofe of the fame kind in the kitchen-garden ; they 

 had two others, well worthy our attention. In the firft place, they 

 were much more tender and delicate, and their flavour higher and 

 more pleafing to the palate : and fecondly, they required much lefs 

 time to boil them, than thofe rai'ed in the kitchen garden, I do 

 not impute this folely to my not ufing dung : the new hufbandry had 

 likewife its fliare in this improvement ; the juices of plants being 

 certainly moll: perfedl in ground that is often ilirred ; the fun and air 

 have then an eafier accefs to the plants, and keep them found ^ 

 and the dews penetrate to their roots, as deep as the mould is fuffi- 

 ciently loofe. I am perfuaded that the perfeftion of thefe plants, 

 was entirely owing to thefe caules. To have raifed them in beds, 

 and given them the fame culture as wheat receives, Avould have been 

 but an imperfed; experiment, had I not likewife banifhed the ufe of 

 dung. This laft point vv-as abfolutely necefTary, in order to know 

 with certainty v^hat earth alone is capable of doing, when managed 

 according to the principles of the new huibandry. 



"In 1753J I repeated my experiments on the fame plants, viz. 



cabbages. 



