Importance of Good Seed. 397 
upon it as worth all the others as a means of educating the great 
mass of farmers' sons, of the rising generation. This idea of 
carrying agricultural instruction into common schools, is not 
talked upon here, as being new by any means, for the subject was 
broached and written upon years ago, by men eminently engaged 
in the cause of agriculture. 
After all the means which are being used at the present day for 
the promotion of agricultural improvement and emulation, it will 
depend entirely on the individual efforts of the farmers themselves, 
and their sons, whether they succeed or not. Every one has got 
to use personal and untiring efforts themselves, or they cannot 
expect to advance in their calling. 
It cannot, and will not be expected, that farmers' sons will 
seek for aid and emulation in their calling uncared for, or unin- 
structed. For this digging out of ones own brains, all the privi- 
lege he is to possess of his own business, is not the thino-. 
No, the young farmer must have instruction, he must have 
the means placeil in his hands, he must see before him some- 
thing to induce him to. emulation and improvement. But he 
must remember too, that after the means are fairly within his reach, 
it will depend entirely on his own efforts whether he profit by 
them or not. All that we can say is that we earnestly hope for 
the best. 
Derby, CL, July 1848. 
IMPORTANCE OF GOOD SEED. 
BY S. REED. 
No one who has attentively examined a growing crop, can have 
failed to notice the difference in the vigor of different plants on 
the same square foot of surface. Some will start with a full broad 
leaf of a dark green color; others with a narrow one of a pale 
green or yellow and sickly hue. During the early period in the 
growth of these plants, the difference will increase, and a large 
full head will crown the one, while a short shrivelled one will be 
all that can be yielded by the other. For this difference there 
may be many causes. I think it better to confine the examination 
to the early period in the growth of the plant. After it is a few 
inches high, causes, obvious, yet entirely beyond our control, 
will continue and increase the difference. The powers of life in 
one, being in greater activity, and more fully developed; its 
vessels are sent out on longer excursions, and nourishment gathered 
from a greater distance, even from the very threshold of its neigh- 
bor's dwelling. Like the stronger animals, it not only takes the 
