Improvement of the Plants of the Farm. 
109 
most three. After that time, wheat turns smutty if grown longer on the 
same soil. Corn merchants are accused of putting little bits of chalk in 
samples of seed-corn to give the idea that they were grown on chalk." 
Professor Fream, writing from the chalk at Downton College, 
sajs— 
" We think change to be desirable, and to do better for us the second year 
than the first. 
" The only object with which it was done is that it is considered, on the 
whole, to improve the prospect of the crop." 
The best stocks of barley in the district have been obtained 
from Scotland and Norfolk. 
Professor James Buckman says of occasional changes, that 
in Dorsetshire seed from othe* localities is found to be more 
productive. In bad climates corn deteriorates, and frequent 
change of seed is more desirable on that account. In the neigh- 
bourhood of Aspatria, Cumberland, seed is brought from an 
early district, and it is thought better to change the seed pretty 
often, if not every year. 
Still further north, Mr. Melvin, Bonnington, reports the 
custom of changing seed, " with the object of keeping up the 
produce. The idea prevails that most varieties, especially of 
wheat, require to be changed from an earlier district for the 
above reason. There is another reason, as at seed-time it is only 
the wheat grown in the earliest district which has become suffi- 
ciently dry for sowing. Wheat continuously sown in the 
Lothians, 150 feet above the sea-level, rapidly deteriorates in 
quality and quantity of crop. On the sea-level in East Lothian 
this is less perceptible." 
Foreign seed of vetches should come from cool climates ; and 
it is the common practice to change the seed of the rye-grasses 
from a cooler district. The vigorous habit acquired by the 
potato in the climate of the north is notorious, and, on the con- 
trary, the comparatively tender habit of the wheat of our southern 
counties unfits it for the climate of Scotland. 
A Yorkshire correspondent says — 
"A marked difference is seen in the potato plants from Scotland, the first 
yearns growth being large in top, irregular in the size of tubers, and later in 
coming to maturit}'. The second year's growth are less in top, regular in 
size of tubers, and earlier to mature. We frequently see, if again planted, a 
marked deterioration. Wheat and oats from the south I have usually found 
to mature earlier the first year, but to crop better the second." 
I believe that M, Rimpau's reply to my question on this 
subject is as true of other countries as of Germany, and that 
