16 



■must ever make the agriculture of the Atlantic States the greatest in the world, 

 placing its leading products beyond the reach of rivalry, our farmers will give 

 us their cordial approbation, which so often they have bestowed on these re- 

 ports. 



But in this peculiar climate of the Atlantic States they will see also the cause 

 of our successful production of Indian corn, a crop which for 18C3, in the loyal 

 States alone, Avas worth $278,089,609, and which in 1864, in amount, was 

 530,581,403 bushels. Elsewhere it must be raised by irrigation, for in all other 

 countries having sufficient heat, a dry and wet season prevail. And whilst ad- 

 miring this climatic blessing, what American but feels still more inflexibly de- 

 tei-mined that a country so blessed shall never be paralyzed by disunited and 

 warring governments? ^ 



THE PRODUCTION OF FIELD SEEDS. 



The Department orAgriculture is constantly distributing seeds, and under the 

 action of the Patent Office in past years large numbers have been sent to every 

 portion of the country. But how very iaw of these have proved a valuable 

 addition. The causes of this failure should be investigated, for they are obvious 

 to all who have given the subject an examination. It is the object of this ar- 

 ticle to make such investigation, and to prescribe a mode of producing seeds 

 which will not only sustain those common to our country from deterioration, but 

 i-ender useful the new ones distributed by this Department. 



1. The causes of deterioration. — Climate, soil, and cultivat'on are the chief 

 agencies in the production of vegetation. The first, regai-ded as tropical, tem- 

 perate, and arctic have given plants and forms of vegetation peculiar to them- 

 selves. The sugar cane belongs to the tropics, and the potato to the temperate 

 climates ; the one flourishes best in the warmest portions of the tropics, the 

 other in the cooler parts of the temperate regions. Advancing from the first 

 locality nortliwards, the sugar cane gradually deteriorates, and from the second 

 locality southwai-ds, the potato is governed by the same law. At certain 

 points these plants cease to be remunerating crops, and at certain other points 

 they will not grow — no acclimation will cause them to do so. When a plant 

 can barely be made a profitable crop, the seed from it so rapidly degenerates 

 that the crop from it is worthless ; but seed brought from a latitude Avhich best 

 suits the plant will there produce a paying crop. These laAvs of climate cannot 

 be changed. 



Soil has similar laws. The sweet potato is groAvn best in a sandy, dry soil, 

 with a long growing season. The Irish potato delights in a loamy soil, and a 

 short growing season. To a certain extent, plants can be grown in soils not 

 naturally adapted to them, by the ameliorating influences of cultivation. 



From this brief statement we see that climate and soil have their conditions, 

 and that cultivation can modify, but not overcome them. 



Again, cultivation, especially when given with a strict observance to those laws 

 of vegetable production that govern the improvement of each plant, can ad- 

 vance the plant much beyond its condition, as seen in its natural state and 

 natural climate and soil. The potato is one of the best known instances of the 

 wonderful power of cultivation upon the natural state of a plant. 



Here, then, we have three agencies constantly operating on our farm plants, 

 and as these are observed or disregarded will be their advance or deterioration. 

 For instance, the wheats of Great Britain have a long season in which to grow 

 and mature, and a temperature of climate that is mild and regular compared 

 with that of the United States. Its climate is regularly moist, whilst ours is on 

 the extremes of dry and wet. These diffin-enccs unfit the wheats brought from 

 Great Britain for our climate, unless by cultivation the maturity of the plants 

 is hastened. Last year the Department distributed one of the best English 



