. 168 
THE CULTURE OF OX ALLS CRENATA. 
does he mean to say that it will produce tubers after the tops are 
destroyed by frost, or is his meaning this, that the small tubers which 
are formed before the plant is destroyed will after that period continue to 
grow and produce c< a good supply of tubers ? ” He says it is the habit 
of the plant to produce its tubers late. Undoubtedly it is. He says some 
small tubers were planted in the open ground in April which produced 
upwards of twenty each at the end of December. Now he does not say 
whether he took them up as soon as the plants were destroyed, or 
whether he had any frost at all; neither what sort of soil he planted 
them in, but only that if I put them in about the beginning of April, 
and dig them the latter end of December, I shall “ doubtless find a 
supply of tubers.” 
The other writer on the subject (p. 86) says, that manure is not 
required, the poorer the soil the better, “ as they will be very luxuriant 
the first five or six years.” Now, how does he come to that conclusion ? 
is it from experience, or is it only from supposition ? The latter I 
should think to be the case, as it is not that number of years since it 
came to this country. And again, he says it is u not an early vegetable, 
but will become earlier in the course of Jive or six years” I should 
like to know how they will be earlier the seventh year than they 
will be the fourth, or how they will be more luxuriant the fourth than 
they will be the seventh. He says the manner of culture very much 
resembles that of the potato —that may be. Allowing, for argument, 
that is so, supposing he takes a potato of any sort, late or early, and 
plants it at a certain time for five or six years ; I ask him, will it be any 
earlier (or, I should have said, its produce,) than when he began to 
plant it ? It is nonsense to talk about changing the nature of a late 
potato into an early one, or vice versa ; the habit may be changed by * 
being forced, or earlier planted, or even the season may be so favourable 
as to produce its tubers a fortnight sooner, aided by a good soil and 
situation. I do not mean to say, that potatoes, forced or grown under 
favourable circumstances, will, in the year following, be another fort¬ 
night earlier. No, I say that the season may aid to an early maturity, 
so that we cannot possess an early variety without raising new varieties 
from seed. So it is with the Oxalis ; it is late in producing its 
tubers, and will continue so till new varieties be raised from seed ; 
he says to earth it up with poor dry earth mixed with lime rub¬ 
bish. Now, if it be such a poor vegetable it is not worth the trouble, 
far less the expense of earthing and mixing, and further adding poor 
soil to that already impoverished, or, as one would say, not possessed of 
the proper stamina. He says, to cause the plant to swell the tubers, 
as soon as the flowers drop off, the stems must be taken in the hand and 
