336 IMPORTANCE OF REGISTERS 



certain degree. Now, if he only go by the almanack 

 in fixing his time, or if he only avail himself of the 

 first fine week after the usual time is gone by, 

 nothing of this sort will be taken into account : 

 but if he know that the same conditions of soil 

 and atmosphere, which are requisite for his pur- 

 pose, are also requisite for bringing into flower 

 or leaf any particular plant, he cannot be far out 

 in his reckoning, if he wait for the first appear- 

 ance of such plant to guide him in his operations. 



(4.) It is not improbable that some natural phe- 

 nomena might be found, in every month in the 

 year, calculated to assist in indicating the fittest 

 time for undertaking all the principal operations 

 both in the field and garden. Of course the selec- 

 tion of them must be made with great care, and, 

 as we before said, should be the result of many 

 years' patient and accurate observation. It would 

 be necessary with this view to take down the 

 exact date, over a long period of time, at which 

 such operations are now carried on ; together with 

 that of the first occurrence of the most obvious, 

 and at the same time most characteristic pheno- 

 mena, in regard of the indication they afford of 

 certain states of weather or advances of season. 

 By afterwards examining the results of those oper- 

 ations, and noting the time at which the most 

 successful appear to have been conducted, it may 

 be found, on looking back, what natural phe- 

 nomena first showed themselves just at that pe- 

 riod, or were coincident with the time selected. 

 Something has been already attempted in this 



