THE NEW EARTH 



Alongside the same plant was a pot filled 

 with soil of precisely the same character as 

 that used in the first pot, taken from the worn- 

 out land. It had not been cunningly fed by 

 the chemist in order to coax it up to thrift. It 

 had been given no advantage, either, in point 

 of moisture, heat or sunshine. Precisely the 

 same kind of seed had been planted in each 

 case. But the plant in the second pot was 

 beautifully green, where the other was a sickly 

 yellow; it was tall and strong, where the other 

 was stunted and weak; it was thrifty and 

 respectable, while the other was lean and 

 shiftless, a very beggar among plants; it was 

 hastening on to a fine harvest, while the other 

 was lagging behind on its way to a withered 

 immaturity. 



The only difference between the two was 

 that around the seeds of the one plant, when it 

 was placed in the pot, was sprinkled some 

 earth, plain, simple dirt, brought from another 

 state, slightly different perhaps, in physical 

 characteristics, possibly ground a bit coarser in 

 the ice-mills of the past eons, possibly a trifle 

 darker in hue ; but, to all intents and purposes, 

 a bit of similar dirt. 



