a 
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ness tried some doctored seed, and found that 
not above 1 in 100 grew, and that those which 
did vegetate died away afterwards; whilst about 
80 or 90 per cent. of good seed usually grows. 
The seed so treated was sold to retail dealers in 
the country, who of course endeavoured to pur- 
chase at the cheapest rate, and from them got 
into the hands of the farmers,—neither of these 
classes being at all capable of distinguishing the 
fraudulent from the genuine seed. Many culti- 
vators in consequence diminished the consump- 
tion of the article; and others were obliged to 
pay a higher price to those who had skill to dis- 
tinguish the mixed seed, and who had integrity 
and character to prevent them from dealing in 
it.” Similar infamous adulterations, no doubt, 
are occasionally practised on other seeds ; and 
as constitutional defects and diminutions of vi- 
gour and losses of vitality also occur from the 
operation of natural causes and from inadverten- 
cies in treatment, farmers and gardeners ought 
never to risk a crop upon the sowing of seeds 
about which there can be the slightest doubt till 
they have first put them tothe test. The colour 
of seeds, though a popular mark of goodness, isa 
very misleading one, and ought to be appreciat- 
ed, never as any index whatever of vitality or 
vigour or other intrinsic properties, but merely 
as an adventitious enhancer of market value. 
The figure of a seed, in a certain degree, is a 
fixed character of species or variety, and yet, to 
a considerable extent, is determined by soil and 
climate,—insomuch that comparative sphericity 
is promoted by warm and early situations, and 
comparative elongation by cold and late ones. 
Large size, too, is generally owing to the soil,— 
yet is likewise a sign of ripeness. All seeds of 
home-growth set apart for sowing ought to be 
the ripest individuals of the most vigorous plants, 
and may easily be obtained free from admixture 
with the less ripe ones simply by slightly beating 
or lightly thrashing the plants. 
Annual or biennial farm plants, when cropped 
through a series of times from seed grown on one 
field or on fields of one character as to soil and 
situation, are liable to degenerate somewhat ana- 
logously to domesticated animals who are bred in- 
and-in; and they experience corresponding invi- 
goration from renewals of seed either by importa- 
tion or by hybridizement. “ Where domestic 
seed is relied on, it is proper to change the seed 
from the heavier to the lighter parts of the farm, 
and vice versa, if there be much difference. On 
clay farms, in general, domestic seed may be safely 
used for some time; but with a view to prevent 
degeneracy, it is an excellent practice to sclect 
from the growing crops the ears which are the soon- 
est ripe, and which are of the plumpest quality ; 
by this means, those husbandmen who devote 
themselves in a peculiar manner to this object 
can not only supply themselves, but can always 
command a much higher price than others, by 
selling the grain raised upon their farms for seed, 
‘growing, even in a warm soil. 
either among their neighbours, or to be sent to 
other districts. A change of seed is in general 
to be recommended, as founded on rational prin- 
ciples. Every species of grain has a climate 
adapted to it, where it flourishes, where it grows 
to perfection, and where it never degenerates. 
In a country where wheat grows naturally, as in 
Sicily, seed dropping from the mother plant ar- 
rives at perfection, though neither the seed nor 
the soil be changed ; but as wheat is not a native 
of Britain, it has here a great tendency to de- 
generate, more especially in the more northern 
districts,—and it degenerates rapidly if the seed 
be sown, year after year, where it was produced. 
Nor is it sufficient that the seed be taken from a 
different field ; it ought also to be taken from a dif- 
ferent soil, and froma different atmosphere. Far- 
mers on the borders of Lincolnshire make a con- 
siderable advantage by purchasing their seed 
wheat from the Fens; and they find the change 
useful, and at the same time save in the price. 
In Flanders, they never use the grain or seeds 
grown on the lands to be sown, nor regard the 
additional expense attendant on the purchase of 
seed that is heavier and more healthy; their flax 
seed they bring from Riga or Memel, and their 
potatoes from Brabant. The Farming Society of 
Ireland, by its premiums, introduced the habit 
of sowing seed imported from England; and by 
this means the quality of the Irish grain is greatly 
improved, and the samples of corn now produced 
for sale at the Irish, would not disgrace any 
English market. Besides preventing a degene- 
racy in the quality of the grain, the crops of the 
farmer, by a judicious change of seed, willsooner | 
reach maturity,—an object in many cases of the 
greatest moment. English grain, sown in Ire- 
land, generally comes to maturity ten days, or 
even a fortnight, earlier than the native seed 
under similar circumstances. It is well known 
that a change of constitution in plants, originat- 
ing from the situation in which they have been 
placed, is commonly transmitted to their off- 
spring. Plants propagated from seed, produced 
in a warm sandy soil, will therefore grow fast in 
whatever soil the seed is sown; and plants from 
seed produced in a cold stiff soil, are late of 
Hence the ad- 
vantage of changing seed from a warm to a cold 
soil; for though seed from a warm soil will not 
grow so quickly ina cold soil as in a warm soil, it _ 
will, however, always grow more quickly than seed 
from acold soil. The quantity also will be in- 
creased. From anexperiment made by the celebrat- 
ed Lord Kames, it would appear that the produce 
of changed seed exceeds that of old seed, at the 
rate of nearly 26 per cent. The farmer, how- 
ever, ought not to alter his seed while it gives 
him fair and reasonable satisfaction, unless he 
has every reason to be convinced that better can 
be obtained by a change. It is proper to add, 
that in two cases it has been found expedient to 
change the seed from an inferior to a superior 
SS 
