135 



1 began to suspect that the latter growth of the stolone^s, 

 (that is, the end of the string-,) was inferior in quality to 

 the part nearer the root, and that the addition to its length 

 made in the very late season, was weak and watery, adding 

 to the quantity of crop, but that in very late, cold, and 

 moist weather, saccharum was not formed. 



Nor was this all we suffered ; for I had reason to believe 

 that the saccharum, already formed in the early parts of 

 the season, was much dissipated by lying long in the damp 

 mat, in the winter months. 



Hence arises a most important question;— i. e. at what 

 precise period do the stolones cease to gain, and begin to 

 lose saccharum? 



I took much pains to solve it this season, and think I 

 can safely pronounce that there was no loss of sweetness 

 before the 10th of October; of course, that our HAY mowed 

 before that time suffers no deterioration. 



My condemnation of irrigation as applied to florin is 

 decided ; its use as a green food, for at least some part of 

 the winter, not so desperate ; the question is still in some 

 sort ope?i to future amateurs, and cultivators of florin: 

 should my own knowledge on the subject become more 

 complete, I shall communicate it. 



My friends who practise house feeding, think my con- 

 demnation of the use of florin in this way too decided, 

 and are confident that by cutting the sward a week before 

 use, shaking it out, and when aired a day, putting it in 

 lapcock, though it may not then be quite dry, yet that it 

 makes excellent food, until Christmas; — I believe they 

 are right, but I thought it incumbent on me to state my 

 own failure. 



The third instance in which I was obliged to abandon 

 a practice that I had recommended to the world, is that 

 of deferring to mow a part of my florin until spring. 



