58 LIFE OF 



everything who can put their hand to everything, and give 

 a sound philosophical reason for what they do. He is one who 

 can discern rottenness in church and state, as well as canker 

 in a fruit-tree, and can fathom both. He can see the traps 

 set for the people, as they are closely analogous to those in- 

 genious ones he sets for the blackbirds that come to devour his 

 fruit. He soon introduced us to his garden, which we were 

 most anxious to see. We found no display nothing for show 

 all was perfectly simple and business-like, and full of experi- 

 ment. Various modes of culture were in progress with every- 

 thing ; and reasons were given for commencing every experi- 

 ment. 



" Were we to attempt describing all that we noticed in a 

 garden at which, on account of its plainness, those who regard 

 show and display would turn up their noses, it would be pro- 

 per to think of writing a volume. We will therefore conclude 

 by stating that Mr. Knight has not yet subscribed to the theory 

 of the rotation of crops derived from the experiments which 

 showed that plants deposited excrementitious matter; the 

 theory being that, while such matter is useless to the plants 

 that reject it. other plants are nourished by it. Further ex- 

 periments are wanted to elucidate this curious subject ; and no 

 one has better means to confirm or overset the theory than 

 Mr. Knight." 



The simple means by which Mr. Knight effected his earliest 

 and most important discoveries have been already mentioned ; 

 and Sir George M'Kenzie correctly describes the appearance 

 of the garden at Downton, at a period when Mr. Knight had 

 for many years possessed the power of obtaining whatever 

 would have facilitated the most extensive application of his own 

 theories to practice ; but it was still characterised by the same 

 simplicity. In his own mind were combined, probably more 

 than in that of any other person who ever lived, the qualities 

 of a physiologist and a practical gardener ; and whatever suc- 

 cess attended his horticultural operations resulted from his 



