GEOGRAPHY OF PLANTS. 501 



ration that tlie seed be taken from a different field, but tbat grown on a soil of 

 different quality is to be preferred, and if from a different climate, but not widely 

 diverse, it is found that the product is increased in quality and in quantity. 



English-grown seed when sown in Ireland generally comes to maturity ten 

 days or two weeks earlier than the native grown seed. In general, plants 

 propagated from seed produced on a warm, sandy soil will grow rapidly in what- 

 ever soil the seed is sown, and plants from seed produced in a stiff, cold soil are 

 late in growing, even in a warmer soil. On limestone soils, which are often 

 heavy, wheat-seed, the product of sandstone regions, generally succeeds best. 

 The experience of a Kentucky farmer shows that seed-wheat obtained from a 

 northern locality has failed with him, owing to late ripening and consequent 

 injury from rust. The experiment was tried with three varieties of northern- 

 grown seed, and with the same result in each case. When wheat from a 

 southern locality was sown by the same experimenter, his crop ripened early, 

 was free from rust and disease, and improved in sample over the original ; while 

 the main crop, in the same district, was ruined by rust and other diseases. 

 This experience was corroborated by the result of four seasons of growth ; and 

 the southern-grown seed, because of its early ripening, is rapidly superseding 

 all the later wheats in the district referred to. The kind of wheat introduced 

 from the more southern region of Tennessee, or, perhaps, northern Alabama, 

 is the "Early May," which, though small, possesses superior flouring qualities, 

 and is now the ordinary wheat of some northern counties of Kentucky, where 

 it does not deteriorate, but improves in quality. The controversy that was 

 originated by the introduction of the Tennessee " Early May" wheat into north- 

 ern localities appears to have settled into the belief that the selection of southern- 

 grown, early-ripening varieties is judicious where it is necessary that the grain 

 should attain early maturity. To escape the rust so destructive in the loAver 

 valley of the Ohio and Mississippi, and the midge, that ravager of the late 

 ripening wheats in western New York and New England, early ripening sorts 

 have been successfully introduced, none, it appears, with better promise of use- 

 fulness than the "Early May," wherever the soil is sufficiently protected by 

 snow during the winter in more northern districts. The experience of judicious 

 formers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Hampshire, testifies to the 

 early ripening properties and valuable milling qualities of this variety, of which 

 may be found ample proof in the pages of that excellent agricultural journal, 

 ''The Country Gentleman," vols. XIV to XXII. 



The " Mediterranean" is an early ripening southern wheat, which it is said 

 was introduced in 1819 from Genoa, Italy, by John Gordon, of AVilmington, 

 Delaware. It is still an early ripening and very valuable wheat, adapted to 

 many districts where the more tender vai-ieties subject to the attacks of the 

 Hessian fly, midge, or the rust, have rendered resort to this kind necessary. 

 The introduction of the Mediterranean has proved an invaluable boon to many 

 districts. Many other valuable kinds, noted for early maturity, &c., are of 

 southern origin. The Rochester, or original White Flint, is said to have been 

 of Spanish origin. The Turkish White Flint is not affected by fly, rust, or 

 midge. The China or China Velvet wheat ripens at the same early date as 

 does the "Mediterranean;" as also does the Malta, or White Smooth Mediter- 

 ranean. The " Early Japan" wheat, from seed brought by Commodore Perry, 

 is also from a warmer region than our own, and ripens early. So valuable has 

 this variety been deemed by one growei', that he asserts that had Commodore 

 Perry brought many bushels, it would ere this have paid the expenses of the 

 expedition from the increased productiveness through early ripening and adapta- 

 tion to the wants of the country. 



All attempts to ripen whe^t early by sending further north for seed have 

 signally failed, says a Kentucky farmer. The experiment of sowing Canada- 

 grown wheat in Pennsylvania resulted in a ripening of the crop two weeks 



