p. 15 | RAPID GROWTH

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jun 28, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 26.

RAPID GROWTH.

MINNESOTA is a great state for the production of wheat. It all came from one grain of "Fife Wheat" planted by a son of Scotland. In 1881 he sowed one grain of wheat, and had twenty-two stalks, yielding five hundred and sixty grains. In 1882 he sowed five hundred and sixty grains of wheat and had a harvest of one-fifth of a bushel.

In 1883 he sowed one-fifth of a bushel, and reaped a harvest of seventeen bushels, or 1,020 pounds. In 1884 he sowed seventeen bushels, and reaped a harvest of seventeen acres of the finest wheat. In 1885 he sowed one hundred bushels of wheat, and reaped a harvest of 2,800 bushels, or four carloads of fine wheat! In four years one grain of wheat had increased to 2,800 bushels, filling four cars in shipping to the market.

But the wheat had to be buried and die, before it could be reaped and carried, singing, home to the granary or sent to the market. Our Lord obeyed this law: "Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit."

He was the "grain" from heaven, and He died, and was buried; but out of that death will come the great harvest of souls that "no man can number," sharing His life and glory, when the divine harvest is reaped. We can only live by dying, reign in glory by being buried, save life by losing it, and have all things by giving up all.

"He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me"—even unto the death.—Selected.