THE CHOICE AND QUALITY OF SEED. 19 



with the writer of the article in his opinion that agricul- 

 tural societies have made a mistake in confining their 

 attention exclusively to the encouragement of superior 

 breeds of animals, and in neglecting the encouragement of 

 the raising of new varieties of the vegetable produce of the 

 farm, on the successful and productive raising of which, 

 the existence of the animals so much depends. 



9. As regards the choice of Seed and its quality, it 

 certainly is remarkable how little care is in general exer- 

 cised. It seems indeed to be but stating a truism when 

 we say that the labour of cultivation is altogether lost if 

 we use seed which cannot be fruitful, or that which is 

 diseased. The axiom in farming should never be lost sight 

 of, ' as the seed sow the crop,' and the further axiom, that 

 we lose all our labour in preparing land if we commit to 

 it seed which will bear the minimum of produce, or what 

 is worse, bear none at all. Although what we have said 

 as to the importance of having good seed if we require 

 good crops is evidently founded upon correct principles, and 

 is indeed the creed of the enlightened portion of the agri- 

 cultural community, nevertheless, that a contrary opinion 

 is held by some will not be wondered at by those who 

 know how uncertain a thing agricultural practice is, and 

 how far removed from the position of a fixed science agri- 

 culture is. But it is, however, difficult to believe that one 

 writing to an agricultural paper should give advice to 

 others, based upon such a principle as this, ' if you desire 

 to reap a first-rate article you must sow a second-rate 

 article,' Evidence is then offered in support of what is 

 called the ' truth ' of this extraordinary opinion, but into 

 which we do not care to go. The writer has been taken 

 in hand, and, to make a bad pun, ably handled by the 

 well-known writer, " The Old Norfolk Farmer," of whose 

 reply we have only space to give the following : " But 

 to be consistent," the correspondent " should carry his 

 principle out a I'outrance, as the French would say. Thus 

 in selecting his breeding cattle and sheep he must reverse 

 the practice of great men, and choose the most ill-shaped, 



