VITALITY OF SEEDS. 25 



ON THE VITALITY OF SEEDS-REMARKS ON 

 PLANTING, Etc. 



" And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding 

 seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed 

 is in itself, after his kind ; and God saw that it was good." 



A seed, when duly considered, shews forth the infinite 

 wisdom, power and goodness of the Almighty. As it was 

 in the beginning, so it continues to be, true to its original 

 creation, never diverging or degenerating from its true 

 character. New varieties are produced from seed, and 

 great improvements attained by the skill of the cultivator ; 

 but the properties of the plant remain, and have so re- 

 mained for six thousand generations of annual plants. 

 Wheat never has, nor ever will turn to chess, as some 

 most ignorantly and persistently affirm to be the case. 

 Nor do potatoes ever grow upon the roots of the Gilly- 

 flower plant. While conducting the New England Farmer 

 many years since, a gentleman from Maine sent me a 

 sample of potatoes, which he assured me were generated 

 and produced, (not from seed) but originated and grew 

 upon the roots of that plant. He called it " the Gilly- 

 flower Potato." It was in vain that I attempted to show 

 him the impossibility of the thing, he was certain this was 

 the origin of the potato ; and what appeared strange to me, 

 was, that he found those who sustained him in the theory 

 that new species of plants might be produced by chance, 

 and that a potato might originate on the roots of the 

 Gilly-flower. 



It is interesting to notice the great diversity in various 

 species of seeds, in their shape, size and mode of scatter- 

 ing or spreading themselves abroad. The most minute 

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