VEGETABLES. 87 



149. As plants approach their seed-time, their prin- 

 cipal effort seems to be concentrated upon the one 

 object of maturing seed. With many plants, espe- 

 cially "svith the cereals, I suppose it to be a well- 

 known fact, that this function is sometimes performed 

 better than their previous growth would lead one to 

 expect, at others not as well — that the growth is not 

 to be taken in all cases, as a measure of the fruitful- 

 ness. If the fruitfulness exceeds the growth, we may 

 safely conclude that the ground is better supplied with 

 the requisites for maturing seed, than with those for 

 promoting growth. If the growth exceeds the 

 fruitfulness, we may suppose the contrary to be true ; 

 provided in both cases no other cause appears, by 

 which the disparity can be accounted for. The causes 

 for the failure of crops in their last stage, are undoubt- 

 edly various. Sometimes it is attributable to the sea- 

 son ; the early part of summer being favorable to 

 luxuriant growth ; the latter, unpropitious to the ma- 

 turing of the seed. Oftener, I believe, it is owing to 

 some mismanagement. With regard to the corn crop, 

 I have always thought that the putting of a little stim- 

 ulating manure in the hill, without thoroughly pul- 

 verizing and enriching the whole field, was precisely 

 adapted to produce a large growth of stalks with little 

 corn. I should anticipate that the effect of such manur- 

 ing would cease at the wrong time, not solely from the 

 exhaustion of the manure, but because it was confined 

 to one place, instead of being diffused through the 

 soil. Corn roots do not curl down under the hill ; 

 they spread over the field as widely and as deeply as 

 the ground has been prepared to receive them. Why 



