AMERICAN GARDENER. ?Z 



As to beans, peas, and many other things, there 

 cannot easily be mistake or deception. But, as 

 to cabbages, cauliflowers, turnips, radishes, let- 

 tuces, onions, leeks, and numerous others, the 

 eye is no guide at all. If, therefore, you do not 

 save your own seed (of the manner of doing which 

 I shall speak by and by,) you ought to be very 

 carefurasto whom you purchase of; and, though 

 the seller be a person of perfect probity, he may 

 be deceived himself. If you do not save your 

 own seed, which, as will be seen, cannot always 

 be done with safety, all you can do, is, to take 

 every precaution in your power when you pur- 

 chase. Be very particular, very full and clear, 

 in the order you give for seed. Know the seeds- 

 man well, if possible. Speak to him yourself, 

 on the subject, if you can ; and, in short, take 

 every precaution in your power, in order to avoid 

 the mortifications like those of having one sort of 

 cabbage, when you expected another, aud of 

 having rape when you expected turnips or ruta 

 baga. 



TRUE SEED. 



129. But, besides the kind> there is the gen- 

 uineness to be considered. For instance, you 

 want sugar-loaf cabbage. The seed you sow 

 may be cabbage : it may, too, be sugar-loaf y or 

 more that than any thing else : but, still, it may 

 not be true to its kind. It may have become 

 degenerate ; it may have become mixed, or crossed, 

 in generating. And thus, the plants may very 

 much disappoint you. True seed is a great 

 thing; for, not only the time of the crop coming 

 in ; but the quantity and quality of it greatly <k- 



