FIELD AXD GARDEN SEEDS. 333 



are catalogued by seedsmen, and perhaps nearly as many more 

 of seeds of flowers ; affording" a field so vast in extent that I 

 can designate by name but a few of the most important. 



Concerning the cereals, much interest is manifest. In 

 wheat, it is said, Mr. Hallett commenced the strain of his 

 original pedigree wheat in 1857 by selecting an ear measur- 

 ing four and three-quarters inches in length and containing 

 forty- seven grains. In four years, by careful selection and 

 cultivation, his finest ears measured eight and three-quar- 

 ters inches in length, containing one hundred and twenty- 

 three grains, being a gain of nearly twice the length of 

 head, and more than twice the number of grains. The 

 second year he obtained ten ears to the stool, and the fifth 

 year of trial fifty-two ears to the stool ; being a marked 

 experiment in careful selection accompanied Avith good 

 cultivation. 



Perhaps no grain is grown upon a wider range of latitude 

 or in greater variety than is corn. Corn of apparently the 

 same variety differs under even slightly varying conditions ; 

 soil temperature, moisture and other influences tend to mod- 

 ify and change, to almost infinite variety. Many farms, 

 where selection of seed and uniform cultivation are pursued, 

 produce and develop distinct sorts, under conditions pecu- 

 liar to each. 



Oats and rye are equally susceptible to good husbandry 

 and careful selection of seed. 



But no more marked changes have occurred with the cereals 

 than are apparent in the class of vegetables in use for domes- 

 tic purposes and feeding animals. The potato, the sine qua 

 non of the vegetables, grown in a latitude quite extensive, but 

 favoring the northern and cooler sections of the country, 

 within my recollection has been most wonderfully improved 

 in quality, although diminishing in quantity of product. 



In the retrospect of the potato culture, it would seem that 

 different sorts have their day and generation, and then, from 

 some cause not satisfactorily accounted for, seem to run out 

 and disappear, although there are some exceptions ; for ex- 

 ample, the Shenango, or Mercer, so popular fifty years ago, 

 is still successfully grown by some careful cultivators. 



The tomato, within the last forty years, has perhaps under- 



