2 



foreign settlements, or at home: in which case, 

 there is no ti ne to be lost ; as tropical seeds in 

 genera], are so very liable to lose their powers 

 of vegetation by reason of the transition from 

 warm to cold climates, combined with the length 

 of time which commonly intervenes between 

 their gathering, and arrival with us, especially 

 if they have been exposed to damps; on that 

 account they should be sown as soon as they 

 arrive, at least a part of each parcel. Much de- 

 pends on the state of the seeds when received; 

 East and West India seeds generally arrive with 

 the regular fleets, as indeed do those from the 

 Cape of Good Hope, and all the South Sea Is- 

 lands, for the most part by the Eastern and China 

 ships ; so that one may in general be prepared 

 against their arrival. As early spring is un- 

 doubtedly the best time for sowing, a few weeks 

 delay may in some instances be adviseable. If 

 received late iu October, or November, I should 

 certainly wait until January, or perhaps Febru- 

 ary } unless it evidently appeared they would not 

 keep out of the earth so long a time in a vege- 

 tative state ; such as can be sown before August 

 have a good chance, to acquire sufficient strength 

 of growth to carry them through the winter 



