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therefrom, and exerts a greater influence upon it * 

 apparent in all the different stages of plant-life 

 than is generally known. This will be further 

 apparent from the remarks of the Canada Farmer 

 on " The Selection and Change of Seed" : 



" This [selection of seed] is a matter of primary import- 

 ance to the farmer, for, however -well he may manure and 

 cultivate his land, his labour will be but thrown away if 

 he neglects to obtain clean and sound seed of the most 

 approved varieties of whatever crop he intends to grow. 

 It is the opinion of many practical men that the crops of 

 most kinds of grain will deteriorate when confined to 

 selection of seed grown on the same farm, or even the 

 same region of country, for many years in succession. 

 Others maintain that, by always selecting the best seed 

 from the crops grown on the farm, and taking particular 

 care to have only such as is plump and well-matured, the 

 quality will improve from year to year. We think there 

 is truth on both sides. We have known a farmer to sell 

 off the best of his grain and reserve that of inferior quality 

 for seed, remarking that, small as it was, it would grow, 

 and that, he thought, was all that was necessary. Such 

 an idea is a common but erroneous one, as, although 

 plant will be produced from inferior seed, it will be 

 wantiug in the healthful vigour that is the characteristic 

 of one grown from a plump and well-developed seed, 

 which contains not only a large and strong germ, but 

 also a full amount of the plant-food requisite to support 

 that germ until the young rootlets can eliminate food from 

 the soil for the support of the plant. 



" It is the want of a proper appreciation of this fact 

 that leads many to imagine that a change of seed, even 



