2.56 Botany. 
led to remark to several persons the probability that the ai 
tumn would be later. For the same reason I made the 
same remark last autumn. In both cases the remark was 
verified by fact. ‘The promise of God, “ that seed-time 
and harvest shall not cease,” and the douse “let the 
earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the 
fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind,” while they are not 
inconsistent with the failure of harvest and fruit in a partic~ 
ular place, or with the extinction of some species of vegeta- 
bles, seem to authorize the general expectation that the 
fruits will be matured, and that when the time of flowering 
is later, the season will be adapted to the state of the race 
As we have earlier and later antumns, it is at least worthy of 
observation, whether the time of flowering of the later 
plants does not correspond to them. Botany might, per- 
haps, be then applied to another practical advantage. ‘The 
plants would be very easily known from their being late im 
flowering. 
If it be truc that the cooler part of the season is more fa- 
vorable to the vegetation of the above plants, as the differ- 
ence in the time of their flowering seems to indicate, there 
is an obvious reason why their flowering should take place 
earlier in a cooler, than in a warmer summer. A similar 
reason will doubtless account in part for the well known 
fact, that if the flowers of the annual plants be cut off, new 
shoots set for flowers, and acinally blossom also ia much 
less time. The difference in the temperature, from that 
naturally adapted to them, appears to change their course 
of growth and to bring their seed in less time to maturity 5 
so that the plants appear to adapt themselves to their situa- 
tion, and the season, in order to perfect their seed. 
The preceding facts may seem to throw some uncertain- 
ty upon the results of observations made for the purpose of 
ascertaining the climate of different piaces from the time of 
the flowering of plants. In places not very remote, how- 
ever, the results would not be affected in a given year. Ob- 
servations for one year, would not evidently be sufficient, if 
the places were distant. A series of observations for as ma- 
ny years as would be required to effect the same object by 
the thermometer would be necessary. -In addition to this 
there inust be more uncertainty in the results, if the places 
be not remote, when the sn aller and annual plants are se- 
