324 OBSERVATIONS ON VEGETABLES. 



with a small triangular harrow, drawn by one horse, and 

 guided by two handles. This occurrence brought to my mind 

 the following passage : 



ipsa 



Flectere luctantes inter vineta juvencos. 



Georgic II. 



Hops are "diecious plants : hence perhaps it might be 

 proper, though not practised, to leave purposely some male 

 plants in every garden, that their farina might impregnate the 

 blossoms. The female plants, without their male attendants, 

 are not in their natural state : hence we may suppose the 

 frequent failure of crop so incident to hop-grounds.* No 

 other growth, cultivated by man, has such frequent and general 

 Failures as hops. 



Two hop gardens much injured by a hail storm, (June 5,) 

 shew now (September 2) a prodigious crop, and larger and 

 fairer hops than any in the parish. The owners seem now to 

 be convinced that the hail, by beating off the tops of the binds, 

 has increased the side shoots, and improved the crop. Query, 

 Therefore, should not the tops of hops be pinched off whe'n 

 the binds are very gross and strong ? 



* The various mechanical contrivances by which Nature has enabled 

 plants to diffuse their seeds, are matters of common observation, and that 

 of the violet is not the least remarkable. The seeds of this natural order 

 of plants are contained in a capsule of a single loculament, consisting, 

 however, of three valves. To the inner part of each of these three valves 

 the seeds are attached, and remain so for some time after the valves, in 

 the process of ripening, have separated and stood open. The influence 

 of the sun's heat, however, causes the sides of each valve to shrink and 

 collapse ; and, in this state, the edges press firmly upon tjie seed, which, 

 from being before apparently irregular in its arrangement, comes into a, 

 straight line. The seeds, it may be remarked, are not only extremely 

 smooth, polished, and shining, but regularly egg-shaped ; so that, when 

 pressed upon by the collapsing edge of the valve, it slides gradually down 

 the sloping part of the seed, and throws it, with a jerk, to a considerable 

 distance. 



There is another beautiful contrivance in the violets, (violacece,) well 

 worthy our cidmiration. Before the seed is ripe, the capsule hangs in a 

 drooping position, with the persisting calyx spread over it, like an umbrella, 

 to guard it from the rain and dews, which would retard the progress of 

 ripening; but no sooner is the ripening completed, than the capsule 

 becomes upright, with the calyx for a support. This upright position 

 appears to be intended by Nature to give more effect to the valvular 

 mechanism for scattering the seeds, as it thus gains a higher elevation (in 

 some cases more than an inch) from which to project them ; and will give 

 it, according to the laws of projectiles, a very considerable increase of 

 horizontal extent. Eii. 



