28 
March. them up in a (Pea, fprinkling on the SEA 
———— Warer at Times as the Heap is made up. 
f 
Let our Gardener keep ftriétly to the Direétion 
we give him: Sea Water muit be us’d; and if he 
fancies common Salt made into Brint is the fame 
Thing, he will deceive himfelf. Sea Water contains 
other Ingredients befide the Salt : the Bittern with 
acid, and an abforbent Bafe, and with this there is 
a bituminous Oil; great Affiftants to Vegetation. 
This juft Obfervation is. laid down in ail its 
Force by Dr. Home, an Author in whofe {mall 
Traét * we find more Knowledge than in many 
Volumes before publith’d, and to whofe Merit we 
are ‘proud to give this Teftimony; having feen 
the Doétrine sacfieae d by repeated Experience. 
Let this lie to mellow. 
Obferve what Plants flower ftrongeft, and 
mark one of them for Seed; there will be a fufi- 
cient Quantity from a fingle Head. Let it ftand 
till the Seed-veffels are perfectly harden’d, then 
‘cut it off entire, and lay it on a Shelf cover’d 
with Paper, and: having a Ledge of Paper alfo 
to prevent any of the loofe Seeds falling off ; here 
and fpread loofe upon the Shelf to prepare for 
their Sowing. This is a Thing not enough un- 
derftood or confider’d. | 
When Séeds are put into the Geoniga without 
this hardening, their pulpy Subftance rots before 
they can fhoot ; but when they are thus prepar’d, 
the Principle of Life in the Eye juft begins to 
operate, before the Moifture brings on the de- 
ftructive Fermentation. 
Nature proportions the F irmnefs of this Sub- 
ftance, in every particular Plant, to the Principle 
of Life in the Bud. When that is flow of 
Growth, ‘this Subftance is more hardly mellow’d ; 
when it is quick, this gets it juft Confiftence 
fooner: but, with this Preparation, hardening 
in the Air is always intended. 
In the Courfe of Nature, Seeds remain in ae 
_ Hufks a long Time, many long after the Plant is 
dead; its dry Stalk yet fupporting itfelf erect ; 
and when the Wind fhakes them out, they fall 
only on the Surface of the Ground, where they 
are not fo immediately moiften’d. We often fow 
them too haftily, and ufually bury them too deep, 
There is the more Need of this Caution therefore 
of drying them. 
_ Thefe Principles are univerfal : we take fuch 
Opportunities as occur moft fitly for relating them ; 
and the Gardener is to underftand them, in gene- 
ral; not alone of the particular Subject. 
In this Inftance, the Seeds will be well ‘dry’d 
toward the latter End of /ugu/?, and they fhould 
then be fow’d in fuch a Manner as will give the 
Gardener Opportunity of managing them at his 
Pleafure, with regard to Sun and Shade. 
Let a Couple of Boxes be nail’d up of sbboh 
Boards, fix Inches deep, and four Foot by three 
in Extent. Mix up as much of the Compoft as 
will fill thefe Boxes, with one fourth Part its 
ge), A COM PL MIAIT: (BO.DOY Be 
which it abounds, is compos’d of a vitriolic, | fpread them equally and not too clofe. 
‘ 
Poe 
fa 
open to the South, and allow them all. the 
into Ufe, let a Part of the Garden be chofen 
Quantity of middling Sand. It muft be either March. 
River Sand, naturally clean, or Pit Sand, walh’d = 
by pumping on it till the Water runs off 
clear. 
Mix thefe very well together, and fill the two 
Boxes; make the Surface fine and level, and 
{catter on the Seeds. Take a calm Hour, and | 
Sift over thefe a quarter of an Inch of the 
Mould, and lay fome Pieces of Buthes over | 
them lightly, to prevent Accidents. 
Set the Boxes in a Place where they may have 
the Morning Sun. fix Weeks; then place them 
Warmth that can be: and when F rofts fet in, 
cover them with a common F ‘rame, {uch as is — 
us’d for Hot-Beds. In the milder Days raife the | 
Glaffes ; and when the Earth is too dry give 
gently a little Moifture. . 
In Spring the young Plants will appear, to 
remove the Bufhes ; but continue the Boxes under: 
the Frame till all Danger of Froft is over;. then . 
fet them out in a warm Place: keep the Surface 
carefully free from Weeds ; and now and. then al- 
low_a little Moifture. | 
As Summer advances, the Boxes muft be 
mov’d again, and fet where they have only the _ 
Morning Sun. 
In Auguft. following, refrefh the Roots with a 
Covering of a Finger’s Breadth of the Compoft 7 
all this Cigie trellowing for Ufe; and defend: 
them from the Frofts. ba a 
The fucceeding Auguft is the Time for planting 
them out; and now the Heap of Compoft comes 
that has a South-Eaft Afpeét, and Jet the Earth. 
of a Border be taken out; fill the Place with the 
Compoft; lay the Surface _ level, and. draw 
Lines lengthways, at four Inches Diftance, and | 
crofsways at three. | | | 
The Bed will thus iy: mark’d out. into long 
Squares : in the Midft of each open a Hole with 
a Trowel, broad enough, and two Inches deep ; 
lay up the Mould at the Edge. 
This ready, fift the Earth in the Boxes, and 
feparate the Roots without injuring them. Plant 
one in each Hole; and draw in the Earth care- 
fully over it. 
At the Approach of Winter hoop over the 
Bed; and in hard Weather cover it with Canvas. 
In Spring clear the Ground of Weeds; and dur- 
ing Summer, at Times, water it. At Autumn 
Gift on fome frefh Compoft half an Inch, and de- 
fend them during Winter, 
This is the whole eae mE and the Trou- 
ble of it will be very well repaid. The fifth 
Spring will fhew their Flowers; and from the 
fame Seed there will be White, Flefh Colour, 
Crimfon, Blue, tel and Violet, in all the 
Finges,.. 
Let the fineft. be mark’d; er at the End of 
Auguft following, let a ie Bed of common 
Mould. be prepaid for the Reception of the 
others. 
#6 Dela Oo eee fa? eo he et noe ee eee oo 
i Principles of Agriculture and Vegetation.” “Vhe Effay which obtain’d the Prize of the Edinburgh Society. 
in 
