APRIL. 81 



tion upon the foliation of trees, published in the 

 Amcen. Acad. vol. iii. informs us, that the illus- 

 trious Linnaeus had, in the most earnest man- 

 ner, exhorted his countrymen to observe, with 

 all care and diligence, at what time each tree 

 unfolds its buds and expands its leaves; ima- 

 gining, and not without reason, that his country 

 would at some time or other reap some new 

 and perhaps unexpected benefit from observa- 

 tions of this kind made in different places. 



As one of the apparent advantages, he ad- 

 vises the prudent husbandman to watch, with 

 the greatest care, the proper time for sowing ; 

 because this, with the Divine assistance, pro- 

 duces plenty of provision, and lays the founda- 

 tion of the public welfare of the state, and of 

 the private happiness of the people. The igno- 

 rant farmer, tenacious of the ways and customs 

 of his ancestors, fixes his sowing-season gene- 

 rally to a month, and sometimes to a particular 

 week, without considering whether the earth be in 

 a proper state to receive the seed, from whence 

 it generally happens that what the sower sowed 

 with sweat, the reaper reaps with sorrow. The 

 wise economist should, therefore, endeavour to 

 fix upon certain signs whereby to judge of the 

 proper time for sowing. We see trees open 

 their buds and expand their leaves, from whence 

 we conclude that spring approaches; and ex- 



G 



