We know of no subject on which we can more profitably offer a few observations at this time of the year than that of raising fruit from seed. We are every year ransacking foreign countries for new varieties; we are not satisfied with what we have, and we never shall be. It is in the nature of man to seek for novelties: and it is well, on the whole, that it is so. We shall not say a word against this, but we wish to commend to people's attention the abundant means which nature has placed within our reach to produce new varieties here, at home, on our own soil.

Shall we neglect these ? We hope not. There seems, fortunately, at the present time, a disposition in the public mind favorable to the improvement of home resources in a gardening sense, and the raising of seedling fruit is certainly one of the most important. Just enough has been already done to show what we may do, and afford us encouragement to proceed. Dr. Kirtland's cherries, Dr. Brinckle's raspberries, and many varieties of strawberries, all of much merit, are recent additions to our lists of fruits, raised from seed in the simplest manner, without any regard to the niceties of hybridization; so we can count up fifteen or twenty first rate American seedling pears, and every locality can boast of its favorite and peculiar seedling apples, some of which, and indeed many of which, have a national reputation, all grown from chance seedlings.

Now, in fruit-growing it is of the highest importance that every man cultivate 6uch varieties as are best adapted to his soil and climate. One of the great problems which pomologists are at present endeavoring to solve, relates to this very point. As botanists have divided the surface of the earth into zones of vegetation, each of which is characterized by a peculiar flora, by the prevalence of certain trees, and shrubs, and plants that flourish there, and there only; so in fruit-culture it is believed necessary to map off this great country of ours, embracing such a variety of climate, into pomo-logical zones, in each of which certain fruits will succeed better than elsewhere. On this pomological chart, which our American Pomological Society, if it live and thrive, will one day appoint a commission to draw up, we shall see clearly defined the exact limits of successful cultivation of our Bartletts, Seckels, and Virgalieus; our Newtown Pippins, Baldwins, and Spys; and this will certainly be a most interesting and valuable map.

But it may be a long time yet before it is completed, or before we shall have collected the great mass of facts and statistics which the execution of the work will demand.

* From the Genesee Farmer for July, 1858.

Meantime, we must urge upon fruit-growers, both professional and amateur, every man or woman, every boy or girl, who can obtain seeds of fine fruits, to plant them and rear them into bearing trees. We think it scarcely admits of a doubt but that this is the true way - we had almost said the only way to obtain varieties completely adapted to all local circumstances; we can read this plainly in the history of nearly all our native fruits. As a general thing, their culture is most successful in the region of their origin. Some, like certain genera of plants, are confined to narrow limits, beyond which they do not appear to prosper; others admit of a greater diffusion, and adapt themselves to a greater variety of circumstances.

We find the most forcible illustration of this in the case of northern and southern fruits. The Fameuse, Pomme Grise, and some other apples of the north, are best in the coldest latitudes, and fail as they go south, until they become worthless before they reach the Mississippi. So with southern fruits, like the Rawles' Janet, Tewkesbury Winter Blush, etc., that succeed only where the seasons are very long, and are entirely worthless in the north, where the spring opens about the first of May, and autumnal frosts come as early as the first of October. We believe the Porter and Baldwin are no where so good as in Massachusetts; the Newtown Pippin is best on Long Island and the Hudson; the Spitzenburgh in New York, etc.

Aside from the unquestionable facts of the case, it is clearly natural that this should be so. A variety springing up from seed in any given locality, is, in the course of its production, endowed with a constitution and habits adapted to that locality in a particular manner - just as men are more at home in the climate and mode of life of their native country than in any other, and are, in a measure, proof against local diseases that strangers would immediately fall victims to. This is all in strict conformity to the wise, harmonious laws, that regulate and govern all nature, animate and inanimate.

Now, we are an impatient people - a "fast" people, to use a current term - and we are quite loth to embark in any thing that does not promise immediate results. Our young men greatly prefer hazarding their lives for the chance of securing a lump of California gold to working a fortune patiently but surely out of their paternal acres. To such people, raising new and fine fruits from seed, where perhaps not more than one in ten thousand may be a prize, is a slow business, and any thing we may say will probably fail to convince them that it is not quite so slow as they imagine. But we shall try, nevertheless.

Suppose, for instance, we wish to produce some seedling strawberries; we take the finest berries of the best kinds we can procure; they must bo perfectly ripe; we either wash the seeds out of the pulp, or we crush the berries, and spread out pulp, seeds, and all, to dry. We then sow either the clean seeds, or dried pulp and seed, in light earth, and by autumn we have nice plants. These we protect during winter with a covering of leaves, and the next spring we plant them out into beds. The following season they will bear, and we will be able to see whether we have gained a prize or not. Raspberries, Currants, and Gooseberries, are managed exactly in the same way, and will fruit in the same time. This is not a tedious process. Three years, or four, enable us to arrive at some results with these small fruits, and very important fruits they are. Now it would take as long as this to raise a colt fit for market; and a first rate new Strawberry, Currant, or Raspberry, is worth two or three good colts at least, and it might be half a dozen.

Peaches are easily raised from seed, and come quickly into bearing. Every one knows how to raise Peaches from seed. The fresh pits may be transferred at once from the pulp to the ground, and in three or four years it will yield fruit Pears and Apples are more tedious; but there is a way to manage these to obtain early results. Suppose, now, in 1853 we collect seeds of the finest Apples and Pears; as we take them from the fruits we place them in sand or earth until we have done collecting; we then plant them in fine, well prepared earth. Next spring they will grow, and in the autumn of 1854 we shall have yearling plants. While yet in leaf we select the most promising subjects - such as show in their features the greatest degree of refinement; then, instead of waiting for these to bear, which would not happen for ten years perhaps, we bud or graft them into bearing trees - dwarfs, if we have them - and in two years cr so we will fruit them. Plums and Cherries are managed in the same way.

Now we think that no reasonable person who has patience enough to wait for the ordinary seed time and harvest, could call this a very tedious process. Aside from the advantages which it offers, the raising of seedling fruits is full of instruction and intensely interesting, as every one can testify who has given it a trial. We shall have more to say on this subject hereafter.