779. To preserve Flower Seeds.—Those who are curious about saving flower-seeds must attend to them in the month of August. Many kinds will begin to ripen apace, and should be carefully sticked and supported, to prevent them from being shaken by high winds, and so partly lost. Others should be defended from much wet; such as asters, marigolds, and generally those of the class Syngenesia; as from the construction of their flowers they are apt to rot, and the seeds to mould, in bad seasons. Whenever they are thought ripe, or indeed any others, in wet weather, they should be removed to an airy shed or loft, gradually dried, and rubbed or beat out at conveniency.
780. Easy Method of discovering whether or not Seeds are sufficiently ripe.—Seeds, when not sufficiently ripe, will swim, but when arrived at full maturity, they will be found uniformly to fall to the bottom; a fact that is said to hold equally true of all seeds, from the cocoa-nut to the orchis.
HINTS TO FARMERS.
781. There are some things that all farmers ought to know.
Sheep put into fresh stubble are apt to be killed by eating too much grain.
A bare pasture enriches not the soil, nor fattens the animals, nor increases the wealth of the owner.
One animal well fed is of more value than two poorly kept.