ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 21 
as our American farmers receive and plant the packages 
sent to them by the Patent Office at Washington, often- 
times ignorant and skeptical as to their value. It chanced 
that into the hand of M. Robert, Director of the Marine 
Gardens at Toulon, were confided a few seeds of the 
sorgho, and he being an intelligent and enterprising gen- 
tleman and a careful observer, was desirous of knowing 
if, indeed, the plant would bear out the assumptions of its 
endorsers. He planted the seeds with care, but, to his 
chagrin, but one single tiny sprout appeared above the 
sround; and from the interest which he took in it, it is 
to be supposed that he continued its cultivation, and fol- 
lowed it through the phases of vegetation with no little 
apprehensions against the chances of failure. His labors 
were rewarded by a plant of good size, strong and vigor- 
ous, from the roots of which sprang up six rattoons or 
suckers. The seeds attained a complete maturity, and 
were distributed to the Agricultural Comice of Toulon. 
SALE OF SEEDS TO VILMORIN, ANDRIEUX, & CO. 
A gardener of Hyéres, who had received part of these 
seeds, planted them with care, and the next year gathered 
eight hundred seeds, which were sold to the house of 
Vilmorin, Andrieux, & Co., seed merchants at Paris, for 
eight hundred francs! ‘They had now come into the 
hands of men fully sensible of their value, capable both 
by education and opportunity of investigating their worth, 
and determined to make them available to the public. 
The seeds were planted by the senior partner of this 
house, the illustrious M. Louis Vilmorin, and numerous 
