Q 



32 N. H. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



garden strawberry would hardly surpass tliem — the flavor 

 of the -wild strawberry is unsurpassable. 



Now from what source did these plants originate ? 



When ashes are sown upon almost any field, whence comes 

 the white clover plants that have, perhaps, never been seen 

 before ? We have but one answer to these questions, name- 

 ly, that they originate from seeds that have been lying dor- 

 mant for a great length of time. 



If asked, whence came those seeds, we can only say that 

 they were deposited on the spot by some previous plants of 

 the same kind, or else were moved there by some chanfre of 

 the surface soil, from some other spot at some previous 

 period of time. 



Let us briefly consider these two propositions. 



1st. It is highly probable that a great number of suc- 

 cessive growths of plants and trees have at different times 

 covered the earth. Geology teaches us that for a long pe. 

 riod before man and animals found place upon the earth, 

 trees and plants were flourishing. The earlier plants were 

 very different from those T\hichare found now. Especially 

 is this true of those of the temperate zone. But we have 

 reason to think that plants similar to those now seen,, ap- 

 peared just prior to the creation of man. "While the surface 

 of the earth was assuming its present aspect and becoming 

 fit for the residence of man, many years probably passed 

 away, and generations of plants similar to those now cov- 

 ering the soil, arose, flourished, died, decayed, and were 

 succeeded by others. Since the creation of man the same 

 has been taking place. If we are to judge by what wo 

 ourselves see, different kinds of vegetation have alternated. 

 A growth of one kind has covered the ground, lias deposited 

 its seed and has passed away, to be succeeded by another 

 variety. This last in time giving place to the first. 



2d. After seeds have been deposited in this wav, chanires 

 in the locations of land and water, or of the surface soil, 

 have taken place, which have prevented the germination of 

 those seeds for a time. 



