The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-03-20

blight, mildew, rot, etc.
do not wish to be understood that
changes of seeds are undesirable, for
you are all familiar with it's advantages;
but the change should not involve con-
ditions. too dissimilar. Just as cattle
and horses derive great good from change
of pasture, so, also, is it true that much
is to be gained by a judicious exchange
or interchange of seeds. AS your di-
rector limited yesterday, this course is
more essential with certain things than
others. Thus wheat has been grown for
twelve years in New York, upon the
same land, without change of seed,
without deterioration in quality or
quantity; but you can not do it with
potatoes. Gardeners exchange seeds
with their neighbors in order to keep up
the standard OF their products. Seeds
men keep several farms, distant from
each other, differing in soil elevation
etc., to enable them to take advantage of
this and other principles.
We now have seen how to test the
specific character of plant. If it will
reproduce its kind from seed, we know
we haye the original species. This law
is used to test the validity of species.
Most of you have doubtless seen pee
ullar from of corn from which it is
claimed our present varieties have
sprung. Many such have been prod uced
[ saw one last summer in Florida.
Each grain was enclosed in long, stout
husk, and they were loosely set on the
cob, giving it very curious appear
ance. The late Prof. Asa Gray once
tested such a form and found that it
reverted back to the same form as that
discovered in the ancient tomb Of the
Incas in Peru, and not materially unlike
some of our present varieties, proving 1t
TO be freak or monstrosity, not even a
variety. The origin of our corn Is wrap
ped in mystery, though it Is undoubt-
eddy native of this continent. A wild
form has recently been found in South
ern Mexico, which Prof. Bailey, of Cor
nell, believed to be the original, and he
has named it Zea Gamma, from the long,
sharp, dog~tooth like kernels which
characterize it. The ears are quite
small and form in clusters.
The conclusion we are driven to then,
is this: The simple process of stirring
the soil is but small part of the work
of farmer who would succeed in this
age of sharp competition, over produc-
ton, under consumption, and knowl-
edge and advancement all along the line
Times have changed, and farmers and
fruit growers must change with them or
get outstripped. "Book learning has
now become an essential to success in
this as we'll as all other avenues of re-
munerative employment. This is the
reason the tillers of the soil 5000 years
ago failed to achieve the results of to-
day in the same products now grown.
When the limit of their intelligence and
the natural productiveness of their soil
was reached, improvement ceased.
From the foregoing facts we are led to
believe that the limit to improvement
in the valuable properties of our Guilt
waited plants is only to be attained in
the ability of the soil to properly nourish
them. Therefore the most perfect re-
suits are to be obtained by supplying the
needed food in high grade fertilizers, so
compounded as to produce certain
definite results, as DR.. Van Slyke has
stated: and these must be SuDDlemented