LOCALITIES BEST SUITED FOR MATURING SEED. 573 
full variety of seeds is attempted to be grown in any one district either 
here or in Europe, some crops will be a complete failure and many par- 
tially so, for we might as well attempt to “ acclimatize” the white bear 
of Iceland to the jungles of Africa, or the Bengal tiger to the forests of 
Norway, as to perfectly develop the seeds of oats in our Southern 
States, or the seed of maize in Northern Europe. Still, we find these 
attempts are made and will be made by inexperienced cultivators of 
seeds, resulting not only in ultimate failure to the grower, but also 
seriously injuring those to whom such undeveloped:seeds are sold. 
When seeds are grown in a latitude unsuited to their development, 
such seeds will invariably perpetuate weak progeny. A marked 
case in point is the oat, a grain requiring a iow temperature for perfect. 
development; hence the superiority of the Scotch or Irish oats over 
those grown in the hot and dry summers of the United States. The 
average weight per bushel of Scotch oats may be given as 44 pounds, 
while the average of oats grown in the United States is about 32 
pounds per bushel; yet we find that if Scotch oats weighing 44 
pounds per bushel, when sown in the Middle States under favorable 
conditions, deteriorates to 40 pounds per bushel the first season from 
the imported seed; that product again sown they will stiil further dete- 
riorate to 35 or 56 pounds per bushel, which again being sown the third 
year falls down to the normal condition of the American oats, say 30 or 
32 pounds per bushel. These facts suggest the query whether it would 
not pay-our farmers to import their seed oats in order to get this improved 
‘quality. In my opinion there is no other way to do it, for no matter 
how careful the selection of seeds is made, deterioration will take place 
when the crop is grown under circumstances uncongenial to it. <A life- 
_ time spent in the practical study of horticulture, which is close akin to 
agriculture, has forced me to the conclusion that there is no such thing 
as acclimation of plants. The maize of the American continent resists 
all attempts to bring the crop to full maturity in the climate of Great 
Britain, while the oat (Avena sativa) gives comparatively abortive results — 
when grown in our semi-tropical summers. Hundreds of instances in fami- 
’ ‘lies of plants grown for their fruits, flowers, or seeds, could be given to show 
that whenever any attempt is made to change characteristics incident 
to their natural origin, no perceptible advance is ever made. Weall know 
that attempts to acclimatize the fig, the olive, and the orange tree in the 
open air in any locality where the thermometer falls below zero, the 
complete destruction of the trees would be the result unless artificially 
protected. This resultis marked and complete, and is universally known 
even te such as have not made these matters a special study. But 
every cultivator of large experience knows that the same rule runs 
through all grades of vegetation, and that the hardening or acclimatiz- 
ing of plants has not advanced, as far as the records go. We remember 
when the Chinese Wistaria was grown only in our greenhouses; now itis 
seen everywhere as a hardy vine; but it was in ignorance of its hardy 
nature that it was ever protected, for it was equally “hardy” the day of 
its first introduction as it is to-day. 
The garden and farm seeds in general use in the United States, I 
have said, are mainly grown here, though some are better grown in other 
countries. I will briefly state the localities so far found to- be best’ 
suited to the greatest development of the different kinds, and the sources 
from which seedsmen draw their supplies. Iam indebted for much infor- 
mation on this subject to Mr. William Meggat, seed-grower of Hartford, 
Conn., who has given this subject special study for the past twenty 
years. 
