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ime without any change, they are at this time better than they were at 
the first. 
“ His eorl y P eas were Procured from London in the year 1/56, and 
though they have been planted on the same place every season, they have 
been so far from degenerating, that they are preferable to what they were 
then. The seeds of his asparagus he had from New York in 1/52, and 
though they have been planted in the same manner, the plants are greatly 
improved. 
It is more particularly complained of, that potatoes degenerate when 
they are planted from the same roots in the same place. At this Mr. Cooper 
says, he does not wonder, when it is customary with farmers to sell or 
consume the best, and to plant from the refuse; whereas having observed 
that some of his plants produced potatoes that were larger, better shaped, 
and in greatei abundance than others, he took his roots from them only; 
and the next season he found that the produce was of a cjuality superior to 
any that he had ever had before. This practice he still continues, and finds 
that he is abundantly rewarded for his trouble. 
u -Mv* Cooper is also careful to sow the plants, from which he raises his 
seed, at a considerable distance from any others. Thus, when his radishes 
are fit for use, he takes ten or twelve, that he most approves, and plants 
them at least one hundred yards from others that blossom at the same time. 
In the same manner he treats all his other plants, varying the circumstances 
according to their nature. 
“ About the year 1a friend of his sent him a few grains of a small 
kind of Indian corn , not larger than goose shot, which produced from eight 
to ten ears on a stalk. They were also small, and he found that few of 
them ripened before the frost. Some of the largest and earliest he saved, 
and planted them between rows of a larger and earlier kind, and the produce 
was much improved. He then planted from those that had produced the 
greatest number of the largest ears, and that were the first ripe, and the next 
season the produce, with respect to quality and quantity, was preferable to 
any that he had ever planted before. 
“ The common method of saving seed-corn by taking the ears from the 
heap is attended, he says, with two disadvantages; one is the taking the 
largest ears, of which in general only one grows on a stalk, which lessens 
the produce; and the other is taking ears that ripen at different times. 
“ Many years ago Mr. Cooper renewed all the seed of his winter grain 
