IN THE UNITED STATES, 193 



qualities, with or without wool, in sheep, Bakewell, 

 Cully, Berry, and EUman have shown that domestic 

 animals, in the hands of the farmer who understands 

 the principles of breeding, are as clay in the hands of 

 the potter, to be moulded and transformed at will. 

 The records of Smithfield market — the most decisive 

 evidence that can be produced — prove that the aver- 

 age weight of cattle and sheep has increased one third 

 within less than half a century. Not less beneficial 

 have been the results which have ensued from atten- 

 tion to improved or new varieties of seeds. The most 

 valuable kinds of wheat, barley, oats, and other grain 

 in Europe, and of maize or corn in this country, have 

 been the result of careful selection and long-continued 

 cultivation. Col. Le Conteur, of the Isle of Jersey, 

 who has paid more attention to wheat, and instituted a 

 greater number of experiments in regard to the ])lant, 

 than any other man living — having devoted about 

 twenty years and ample means to the pursuit — states 

 "that the only chances of having pure sorts was to 

 raise them from single grains, or single ears ; and that 

 the improvements he had njade in this way had amply 

 rewarded his labor, as the produce of his crops was 

 increased from an average of about twenty-three to 

 twenty-five bushels an acre to about thirty-four ; and, 

 since he had raised wheat from single ears, or carefully 

 selected sorts, he has increased his crops to between 

 forty and fifty bushels an acre." Many of the best- 

 known kinds of wheat, barley, and oats, now grown 

 in Europe — and some of them have been successfully 

 introduced into this country — have been produced 

 from single ears or heads of grain, selected by observ- 

 ing men for some valuable qualities they appeared to 

 possess. Such was the origin of the White Kent and 

 Whittingham wheat, the Chevalier, Annat, and Stains 

 Barley, and the Potato, Hopetown, and Dun oat. In 

 this country, we need only to refer to the justly-cele- 

 brated Baden corn, which, by persevering selection^ 

 17* 



