Bacon as a Gardener. 113 



then known among us, or at least in 

 Shropshire, the great long yellow carrot, 

 the great short carrot, and the wild carrot ; 

 of which the last was worthless for culinary 

 purposes. We cannot help observing that, 

 besides his devout preface and the prayers 

 which wind up his Instructions, he lays stress, 

 in common with most, if not all, of the old 

 school, on an observance of the planetary 

 conditions essential to the successful growth 

 of crops. But he quaintly intersperses 

 ordinary rules for sowing or planting with 

 pious sentiments and even objurgations ; 

 for, in speaking of the vendors of bad 

 seed, he denounces them as Caterpillars, 

 declares them worthy of execution, avers 

 that the Almighty God doth behold this 

 monstrous deceit, and trusts that He will 

 either turn their hearts or confound their 

 proceedings. 



So saith the mild and meek pastor. If he 

 had only known it, his little book would 

 have been infinitely more agreeable without 

 this theological bitterness and invective. It 

 is so far a gain that in the concluding Prayers 



8 



