ON BREEDING AND RAISING VEGETABLES. 11 



" But to come to the point : the lily being a* 

 " flower more generally known than any other, 

 " and the generative parts being large and ex- 

 " posed, I shall from thence endeavour to explain 

 "the method which nature makes use of, to 

 " impregnate the seeds of that and every other 

 " plant ; and by which means the several species 

 "of vegetables have been continued to the 

 "world. 



" The flower of the lily has six leaves or petals, 

 " which are set upon the summit of the foot-stalk, 

 " marked a in the figure ; they serve to guard 

 " the parts of generation from the injury of 

 "the weather, and as they are no other use, 

 " that I know of, so it is not necessary that I 



