234 



Horticulture. 



Vol. V. 



Horticulture. 



We copy the following observations from 

 the " Silk Grower ;" they contain valuable 

 information on the choice of, and raising 

 seeds, with their cultivation ; alike calculated 

 to interest those who garden, either for plea- 

 sure or profit. 



" On propagation and cultivation in ge- 

 neral. — In order to have good vegetables, 

 herbs, fruits and flowers, we must be careful 

 and diligent in the propagation and cultiva- 

 tion of the several plants ; for although nature 

 does much, she will not do all ; and he who 

 trusts to chance for a crop, deserves none, but 

 generally gets more than he deserves. The 

 propagation of plants is the bringing them 

 forth, or increasing and multiplying them; 

 and this is effected in many ways ; by seed, 

 by suckers, by layers, and by cuttings ; but 

 almost all plants, from the radish to the oak, 

 may be propagated by the means of seed, 

 while there are many which cannot be pro- 

 pagated by any other means ; and to this 

 latter mean, I would confine my present ob- 

 servations. Cultivation must differ, in some 

 respects, to suit itself to certain differences 

 in the plants to be cultivated ; but there are 

 certain principles and rules which apply to 

 the cultivation of all plants; and it is of these 

 that I now propose to speak. 



" First ; It would be absurd to incur the ex- 

 pense and trouble of preparing land, without 

 attending to the seed which we intend to sow. 

 The sort, the genuineness, the soundness of 

 this is a matter of great moment, if we wish 

 to avoid mistake and loss ; for what a morti- 

 fication would it be to have late cabbages, 

 instead of early ones ! As to beans, peas, 

 and many other seeds, these cannot easily be 

 mistaken, but with the seeds of cabbages and 

 cauliflowers, leeks and onions, and the tur- 

 nips of different species, the eye is no guide 

 at all. If, therefore, you do not save your 

 own seed, you must be careful of whom you 

 purchase ; and even although the seller be a 

 person of probity, he may himself be deceived ; 

 but all you can then do is, to take all the 

 precaution in your power when you purchase, 

 by being particularly full and clear in the 

 order you give, to avoid the vexation of 

 having one sort of seed for another — winter- 

 cabbage, for instance, when you expect sum- 

 mer plants, and rape for turnips. 



" Second ; But, besides the kind, there is 

 the genuineness : the seed which you sow may 

 be cabbage, and it may be, as you wished it 

 to be, the sugar-loaf variety ; but it may have 

 become degenerate, mixed, or crossed in ge- 

 nerating ; and thus you might be disappointed. 

 True seed is of the first importance, for not 

 only the time of the crop coming in, but the 

 quantity and quality depends much upon it : 



you may have plants, but unless the seed be 

 true, they will not be what you want. Aa 

 to save the true seed of individual species ig 

 not an easy matter, you must sometimes pur- 

 chase ; and if you find a seedsman that does 

 not deceive you, stick to him ; not forgetting, 

 however, the possibility that he also is liable 

 to be deceived. It is a good plan, when you 

 find you have purchased the true seed, to 

 furnish yourself with sufficient for the number 

 of years that such seed will keep. 



" Third ; The seed may be of the right 

 sort — it may be true — and yet, if it be un- 

 sound, it will be much worse than useless; 

 you will have lost your labour, your money, 

 but, what is much worse, in all probability, 

 the proper season, which cannot be recalled ; 

 nevertheless, there may be other causes for 

 the seed not germinating — it may be chilled 

 or scorched in the ground — be put in too 

 deep, or too shallow, or may be eaten by in- 

 sects or worms, or sown at an improper sea- 

 son — all these things must be well examined 

 into ; the unsoundness may arise from many 

 causes — unripeness, blight, mouldiness, and 

 age, are the most frequent; but I know of no 

 seed, if fresh and sound, that will not sink in 

 warm water, while that which is unripe, 

 blighted, mildewed, or old, will all prove 

 light, when tried by warm water, and will 

 therefore swim. Put, then, a quantity of seed 

 into a glass tumbler, with warm water, and 

 watch the event. The seeds of cabbage, 

 radish, and turnip, will, if good, go to the bot- 

 tom at once ; cucumber, melon, lettuce, en- 

 dive, and some others, require some minutes, 

 while the seeds of parsnip, carrot, and some 

 of the winged seeds, require rubbing in the 

 water before they will sink ; count, therefore, 

 a number, and try them in water, observing 

 the proportion which sink to those which 

 swim, and you will be able to form an esti- 

 mate of its value. The seeds of beet and 

 mangel-wurzel are contained in a shell ; the 

 best way to try their soundness is, to cut thera 

 through with a knife, and judge of their fresh- 

 ness by the whiteness of their flour ; if that 

 is dark-coloured, the seed is not good. But 

 by far the safest way is, to try it by sowing ; 

 this might be done in a common flower-pot; 

 sow in very rich mould, and keep the pot in 

 a warm room, watering it pretty plentifully ; 

 count the seeds, when sown, and count the 

 plants when they generate, and you can 

 ascertain to a nicety ; but this trial should be 

 made ten days before the time when you 

 intend to sow, 



" Fourth ; The saving of seed. Where this 

 can be done, it should never be neglected, 

 and there are many kinds that can be saved 

 without the least difficulty. In the selection 

 of the plants and roots from which to save 

 seed, it is by no means necessary to choose 



