492 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 TYPE—SPECIES— VASIETY. 



The word Type is frequently used in science. 

 ft stands for an abstract notion, and is not readi- 

 ly understood. It is that image which we form 

 in the mind, made up of all the traits that are 

 common to a genus, a species, or a group of any 

 kind. Every person forms such a type in his 

 own mind. It may be more or less accurate. It 

 is the idea that springs up at the mention of the 

 word man, or bird, or grass, without the men- 

 tioning of the particular man, or bird, or the 

 kind of grass. We have in the type all the hab- 

 its that are common to all the individuals of the 

 group, leaving out peculiarities ; as in all men 

 there is a common form distinguishing them from 

 all other animals, notwithstanding they differ 

 greatly among themselves in height and propor- 

 tions and cast of countenance. No one individ- 

 ual has all the traits of the ideal image in per- 

 fection. What horse is a perfect horse accord- 

 ing to the standard we have in our minds ? But 

 when one species embodies most the traits of the 

 genus, we speak of it as the type of the genus. 

 The eagle may be said to be the type of the bird. 



Species has been defined to be "primordial or- 

 ganic forms." By this we understard the origi- 

 nal characteristics of the first created individuals 

 which by a law of nature have been transmitted. 

 Each species comprehends all the individuals 

 which may have descended from one original. 

 The characteristics of many plants and animals 

 have been modified by circumstances of climate 

 and cultivation, producing variety; but nature 

 has carefully preserved the type of the species, 

 and when left to themselves in their native place, 

 the individuals take on their primordial forms 

 The following facts are important : 



1. Species may be modified indefinitely by cir- 

 cuipstances — producing varieties. 



2. One species cannot be changed into another. 



3. No continuous progeny can be produced by 

 the mingling of two species so as to form a new 

 species. 



The first of these facts is the one of the most 

 practical importance to the agriculturist. Al 

 most every plant he cultivates and every animal 

 he uses is a variety or variation from the origi- 

 nal type. 



There are two questions concerning varieties 

 which it is important that every farmer should 

 be able to answer in respect to every species of 

 plant and animal with which he has to deal. 



1. How can valuable characteristics lie pro- 

 duced? 



•2. How can they be preserved and transmit- 

 ted ? 



The fleshy root of the beet, the compact head 

 of the cabbage and the large tubers of the pota- 

 to'have, doubtless, been produced by cultivation. 

 That is, by placing the plant in good soil, fertil- 

 izing it and tilling the ground. 



Every species needs especial and peculiar treat- 

 ment to develop in it desirable properties. In 

 general, horticulturists and florists understand 

 this better than farmers. There is much useful 

 knowledge in existence upon this point which 

 ought to be systematized and diff'used. New va- 

 rieties of potatoes, apples and peaches, are pro- 

 duced by planting the seeds ; but the result, so 



far as I know, is a chance — no one can tell what 

 kind of cultivation of the seed will give a potato 

 of desired and definite qualities. There is prob- 

 ably much to be discovered on this point. 



But when we have an individual of good qual- 

 ities, how can those qualities be preserved and 

 transmitted ? 



We do it in the apple by grafting, in the cur- 

 rent by cuttings or layers, in the potato by plant- 

 ing the tubers. In each case the new plant 

 springs from the bud, and may he considered a 

 multiplication of the old plant. New individu- 

 als are produced only from the seed. 



In the animal kingdom the case is full as im- 

 portant, but the object is not so easily accom- 

 plished. 



There are, however, laws of propagation in the 

 animal kingdom which successful breeders un- 

 derstand, and which are very reliable. No one 

 can see the results of the experiments of Mr. 

 Paoli Latiirop, of South Hadley, without being 

 convinced that it is possible to combine and ren- 

 der permanent in one variety of cattle, the most 

 desirable characteristics. This can be done only 

 by avoiding, for many generations, the blood be- 

 ing tainted by that of individuals of degraded 

 qualities. M. 



Wilhraham, Sept., 1859. 



HAMPSHIRE, FRA.NKr.IlSr AND HAMP- 

 DEN SOCIETY, 



The last annual meeting of this society was 

 held at Northampton, and brought together one 

 of the best exhibtions of neat stock in the State. 

 The Short Horns are the favorite stock in the 

 Connecticut Valley. Their fertile pasture lands, 

 and rich intervales afl'ord them the means of 

 bringing this stock to a higher degree of perfec- 

 tion than is possible in less favored lands. Many 

 noble oxen were exhibited, w;eighing from 4000 

 to 5000 pounds per yoke. Of such cattle, their 

 owners may well be proud. When such cattle will 

 spring from the soil, the smaller breeds, the Jer- 

 seys, and the Ayrshires, stand but a small chance. 



The Address, by Dr. G. B. Loring, "unfolded 

 the true picture of New England Farming Life,'' 

 with much beauty and eloquence — and indicated 

 a more correct appreciation of the subject than 

 the highly-colored, but untruthful limning in the 

 pages of the Atlantic. The paper of Mr. Gren- 

 NELL, on sheep culture, is of much value and in- 

 terest. We notice that the East Hampton Far- 

 mers' Club "added much to the exhibition by the 

 fine collection of vegetables presented by them," 

 and also by the exhibition "of the plates of ap- 

 ples, most of them of the choicest varieties," An 

 award of ten dollars was made by the Club to en- 

 courage future eft'orts. East Hampton has acquir- 

 ed much celebrity for its fine fruit. The Farmers' 

 Club in that town is a very efficient one, and has 

 done much to promote fruit culture, and thereby 

 add to the prosperity and reputation of the town. 



The last paper in the report is an interesting 



