328 N. H. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



just removed. These are ia the best possible relations to 

 air, moisture, &c., for germination. Why is it, then, in 

 many cases, that these seeds lie dormant and the seeds of 

 quite different plants germinate in their stead ? 



The second question is, Where do the seeds that produce 

 so different a growth come from 7 



I have an answer to these questions in my own mind, the 

 result of some thought and some reading, which I will offer 



1st. The principal reason why, when one forest growth 

 has been removed, another of a different kind appears, is, 

 that during a growth of the same kind, for many years on 

 the spot, the elements that enter into this peculiar growth 

 are much exhausted. Every farmer knows that a continual 

 cropping of the same land with corn, even with full manur- 

 ing, is not considered good policy, and that after one crop 

 has been upon the soil, something different does better. So 

 in the natural growth of the wood. After an old growth 

 has been removed the soil is not adapted to a repetition of 

 the same crops — elements adapted to a different growth 

 predominate in the soil. If, then, there are present seeds 

 of a kind adapted to the wants of the soil, such seeds will 

 germinate in advance of those of the growth just removed. 

 That there are such seeds in the soil, lying dormant, yet 

 ready to germinate when a proper opportunity occurs, the 

 commonest observation will testify. But where do these 

 seeds come frcm 7 



2d. This is our second question. It is questioned, 

 " whether the soil retains seeds through a long series of 

 year, or the latent power of creating them, or whether they 

 are scattered in fitting localities at fitting times by myste- 

 rious agencies, arc questions too nice for us to answer." 

 It is not a long time since these three sources would have 

 been all admitted by naturalists, at least so far as to admit 

 two sources of origin for plants and animals. A distinguish- 

 ed German Naturalist and Physiologist, writing, twecty-fivo 

 years ago, says, " it has been shown that a number of vcgc- 



