THE WHEAT CTJLTTJEIST. 



257 



in a few years. On the contrary, if the seed be selected 

 every season with the same care that the originator of 

 the Weeks wheat observed for a decade of years, gen- 

 erations unborn wonld cultivate the same varieties that 

 om- fields now produce, without the least deterioration 

 in either yield or quality of grain. 



FoiTHEE Testimoxt OX Degexekacy. 



I herewith copy the following suggestions from the 

 " Independent :" " If there were an inherent tendency in 

 wheat to degenerate — as many people afiirm there is — 

 how is it that no signs of degeneracy are manifest, so 

 long as a well-established variety is cultivated well, from 

 year to year, and kept by itself ? Xo farmer was ever 

 heard to complain that his ' wheat appears to be run- 

 ning out,' until after there has been great neglect in sav- 

 ing the seed. 



" Clean, pure, and well-ripened seed is sowed on tlie 

 best soil for many seasons, after which, many farmers 

 become indifferent about then- seed, often sowing that 

 kind of grain which is nothing more nor less than a 

 hybrid. Mediterranean wheat — which is usually a red 

 variety — and the various kinds of white wheat, are 

 often thrashed together. The good, the poor, the well- 

 matured, and half-ripe and shrunken kernels, all go into 

 one bin; and such grain is used for seed. ]^sow, as 

 wheat will sport and hybridize when growing in close 

 proximity, how can we expect, with any degree of con- 

 fidence, that good grain will be produced by very infe- 

 rior seed ? 



" In producing new varieties of strawberries and Irish 

 potatoes, a certain kind is often cultivated for several 



