Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-01
They Are All Grasses.

To he Editor 0fhe DisDucn:
Falnoctial storms, changes of moon.
divining rods for finding water. oats turn;
ing 10 chess. etc, will never down
though philosophy demonstrates (appar-
ently) the folly of the discussion every day
i'm the wear, and every year in the century.
/ say demonstrates Apparently" for 1t is
an old adage. and the truth of this saw
you cannot, Mr.. Editor, gainsay. that
where there ia so much smoke there
must be some fire." And truly IN this
day man must be cautious indeed who
will assert that anything is impossible.
Now. do not positively take the attrma-
tive on the question: Will oats Cor wheat
turn to cheat, but there are some expert
ences in plhnt-ralslng that present almost
as great exceptions to the like producing
like" axiom in vegetable law IA would
the fact that cheat would come from oat
seed. and ] write this merely 10 ask the
explanation of these facts that | mention
in connection with the subject IN hand:
First. throw out in tho ash-heap the re-
fuse from your dining-table, including the
seeds of the very finest specimens OF to-
matoes in existence, and IN the spring
you will have hundreds or thousands or
the most thrifty aud beautiful tomato
plants that can be conceived of. far more
healthy and stocky than any that YOU can
buy from the propagation. Set out one OF
these plants in a rich piece of ground and
it will grow as If 1t meant to cover an
acre. Ii will bear, perhaps, bushel OF
tomatoes about the size of plum
"suuashy," and without solidity or flavor.
Why ACain-take the seed OF the finest
Automatic pippIn or Tompklns County
King apple and cultivate them 10 bearing
trees and they will produce apples OF varl-
GUS kinds. Take the worst of these fruits
,,rAHraa anrlGa from tnAIn. Gull
tiyating downward. till at last you RAISE
an apple in the hedge-row, green always
fully hard enough for bullets and not
much larger. and of the proyerolal KIND
that would give raZorback hog perma-
pent lOckiaw if he tried to eat them. The
original crab IS nearly as different from
the choice varieties above named as chess
Is from oats Both Of the apples are ap-
pies. you will say. to which 1t may De re;
piled that oats, chess and wheat are al
grass. QCIsN nAbE'
Replying to the above we would say
one plant taken from hundreds or thou
sands" of the same kind should not be
considered an index of the others One
swallow does not make summer" There
NAV have been Of the rest many kinds OF
superior quality, yet the majority may
nave Deen luIcFiDI. vi LOib"bP-o Nh''"
are several hundred varieties yet thoy are
divided by botanists into but three spe-
cies. Of which tho cherry, above alluded
10. is one. and perhaps tho most widely
distributed. The same also with fruits.
The seeds Of apples, being numerous are
capable Of producing many kinds. IL IA
natures way Of making varieties. Selec-
ton, standardization, grating, cultiya-
ton, favorable exposure, genial climate.
and fertile soil all aid IN the improvement
and development Of unpromlsing yarie-
ties. Apples. plums and peaches retain
their individuality, however inferior IN
quality. Likewise wheat, oats, chess, and
maize. although of the order graminIae /;
also potatoes, tomatoes. peppers aud
tobacco, although of the order soda
naceae. And God giveth 1t body a. it
hath pleased him, and to every seed his
own body