AMERICAN GARDENER. /9 



140. There can be no cross between a cabbage 

 and a carrot ; but there can be, between a cab- 

 bage and a turnifi ; between a cabbage and a 

 cauliflower nothing is more common ; and, as to 

 the different sorts of cabbages, they will produce 

 crosses, presenting twenty, and perhaps a thou- 

 sand, degrees, from the Early York to the Savoy. 

 Turnips will mix with radishes and ruta-baga; 

 all these with rape ; the result wiU mix with cab- 

 bages and cauliflowers ; so that, if nothing were 

 done to preserve plants true to their kind, our 

 gardens would soon present us with little besides 

 mere herbage. 



141. As to the causes I pretend not to dive into 

 them. As to the "affectionate feelings" from 

 which the effect arises, I leave that to those who 

 have studied the " loves of the plants." But, as 

 to the effect itself I can speak positively ; for, I 

 have now on the table before me an ear of Indian 

 Corn having in it grains of three distinct sorts ; 

 WHITE CORN, that is to say, colour of bright 

 rye-straw ; YELLOW-CORN, that is to say, colour 

 of a deep-coloured orange ; SWEET CORN, that is 

 to say, colour of drab, and deep-wrinkled, while 

 the other two are plump, and smooth as polished 

 ivory. The filant was from a grain of White- 

 Corn ; but, there were Yellow, and Sweet, grow- 

 ing in the same field, though neither at less than 

 three hundred yards distant from the white. The 

 whole, or, at least, the greater part, of the White-* 

 Corn that grew in the patch was mixed (some 

 ears more and some less) in the same way ; and 

 each of the three sorts were mixed with the other 

 two, in much about the same proportion that the 

 White-Corn was. 



