382 Ever-sporting Varieties 



Any inequality from this cause will increase 

 the difference in the size of the young leaves, 

 augment the inequality of their production of 

 organic matter and for this reason go on in an 

 ever increasing rate. 



Rain and spraying, or on the other hand dry- 

 ness of the soil, have still greater consequences. 

 The slightest unevenness of the surface will 

 cause some spots to dry rapidly and others to 

 retain moisture during hours and even some- 

 times during days. 



Seeds, germinating in such little moist de- 

 pressions grow regularly and rapidly, while 

 those on the dryer elevations may be retarded 

 for hours and days, before fully unfurling their 

 seed-leaves. Days after heavy rains these dif- 

 ferences may be observed to increase continu- 

 ally, and in some instances I found that plants 

 were produced only on the wet spots, while the 

 dry places remained perfectly bare. From this 

 the wet spots seem to be the most favorable, but 

 on the other hand, seeds may come to germinate 

 there too numerously and so closely that the 

 young plants will be crowded together and find 

 neither space nor light enough, for a free and 

 perfect development. The advantage may 

 change to disadvantage in this way unless the 

 superfluous individuals are weeded out in due 

 time. 



