112 
Improvement of the Plants of the Farm. 
that it seems impossible to expect the seedsmen to enter largely upon that 
kind of work. Indeed, my opinion is that the duty of the seedsman is to keep 
pure and true all the varieties of useful plants already known, and to propagate 
them so as to meet the wants of the public. This task is quite heavy enough, 
especially if we add to it the care of testing all the new kinds introduced every 
year, in order to propagate and distribute them when really of some worth. I 
think that the division of work can be introduced with great advantage here, 
and consider that it is very wise in the seedsman not to enter too freely the 
lists for the raising of new kinds. In the first place, such an attempt would 
take much time and care that can be spent to better purposes ; and besides, the 
raisers of new varieties are in most cases unduly partial to their novelties, and 
the temptation to introduce them to the public indiscriminately would be 
particularly hard to resist for men who periodically publish trade-lists, and 
who can rely upon a large body of customers. 
" The man who devotes the whole of his time and skill to the improvement 
of one kind of plant is likely to succeed better than he who has so much on 
his hands already, and this is so far the case, that even now most of the new 
varieties oflTered by the great seed firms are very good strains raised by some 
skilful gardeners, the exclusive property of which is purchased and paid for 
dearly by the firm. 
" It would be a very good thing for the public and for the seedsmen them- 
selves if a larger nimiber of gardeners and amateurs devoted their time to the 
raising of new kinds upon a methodical plan, as Mr. Laxton has done for peas, 
beans, and tomatoes, and ilr. E. Fenn for potatoes. 
"K you can induce some farmers or country gentlemen with leisure at 
command to take the same kind of work in hand with respect to the plants of 
the farm, I think you will have rendered the public a great service. Only you 
must insist forcibly on this fact, that no work requires more than this a cool 
judgment and a critical eye, as it must be always home in mind that every 
novelty is not a gain, any more than everything that glitters is gold, 
" With best assurances of regard, 
" I am, dear Sir, 
" Yours very truly, 
"'HeXRY YrLMORIK." 
In this capital letter we may find an argument for botanical 
gardens and experimental or trial-grounds, such as that at 
Chiswick for horticultural purposes. 
M. Vilmorin commenced the cross-fertilisation of cereals at 
Verrieres, near Paris, ten years ago, and some of the new kinds 
have been fixed in type, and are now in the course of trial in 
comparison with the older varieties. Improvers happily are not 
afflicted with the vanitas vanitarum temperament ; but it may 
encourage even the sanguine to know that M. Vilmorin con- 
fidently anticipates the success of undertakings such as theirs, 
believing, as he does, " that none of the plants of the farm have 
attained as yet, or will attain very soon, the highest possible 
degree of perfection." That English farmers agree with M. Vil- 
morin, we may learn from the general curiosity and interest they 
exhibit at all markets in the yield and quality of the several 
varieties of wheat, barley, or beans, old or new. They may 
