Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-09-20
AGRACUAYU RAA.
From the New-England Farmer.
COLLECTING SEEDS.

selecting seeds from the earliest, most
vigorous and thrifty plants. Even wheat
tor seed has been picked from the field
by such single heads as were most for
ward, vigorous large and filled with the
most plump aud sound berry; and in
that way gradual improvement of the
kind may be introduced. If we were
about TO purchase garden seeds, we
should wish to be informed in what
neighborhood or fraternity of other vege-
tables they grew. Different sorts Of
plants OF the same or different species,
inparl to each other their respective
qualities. Thus il the genuine ruta baga
grew near the common turnip, or turnip
cabbage, the seeds of the former will
have IN part the peculiarities of the lat
ter, and pice versa. If mangel wort
eel root, intended for seed, has grown
near plant of the common kind OF beet
which has likewise gone to seed, the
seeds oil each plant will partake in some
degree OF the qualities Of the other.
You should never save seeds fro m such
Water-melons, musk-me lons, squsshes,
encumbers, pumpkins, gourds, &c. as
have grown near each other, unless in
your crop from such seeds you would
like to have melons which have some
what OF the flavor OF squashes, cucum-
bers which taste a little like pumpkins,
and pumpkins not much sweeter than
gourds. There can be no cross be-
tween ca66agge and carrot; bu,
there can be between cabbage and
turnlp; between cabbage and a cauiI-
flower nothing is more common, and the
different kinds Of cabbage will produce
crosses presenting twenty, and perhaps
a thousand degrees from the early York
to the Savoy. Turnips will mix with
rape; the result will mix with cabbage
and caulif1owers; so that if nothing were
done to preserve plants true 10 their
kind, our gardens would soon present Us
with little besides mere heritage. To
save the seed OF two sorts of any tribe,
in the same garden in the same year
ought not to be attempted; and this is ii
that makes it difficult for any one man
to raise all sorts OF seeds good and true.
Seeds should stand till quite ripe,
should then be gathered when dry. Il
w., III threshed or shelled any mos ure
remains attached to them, they should
be dried in the sun or near fire. They
are best kept in room where there is
occasionally at least, fire in the winter.
They are most securely kept in the pods
or Oh The stalks but this is sometimes
announcement and often mpracticable, un.
less 1t be tor such as are very valuable,
very curious and lie in small compass
Mr.. Goblet says thai great care is ne
cessary to avoid the use Of unrlpe seed
\" Even in hot weather, when the seeds
would drop out, if the plants were lett
standing, pull or cut the plants and lay
them on a cloth in the sun ill the seed
b. all ready to fall out; for if forced
fire IN the pod the seed is never SO good.
Sc cd will s row if gathered when they are
green as grass, and afterwards dried
in the sun; but they do not produce
plants like those coming from rifle seed.
tried some years ago, fifty grains OF
wheat, gathered green, against fifty ga
thered ripe. Not only were the PLANTS
of the former feeble when compared
with the latter; not only was the pro-
duce of the former two thirds less than
the latter, but even the quality Of the
grain was not half SO good. Many Of
the ears had smut, which was not the
case with those that came from the
ripened seed, though the land and the
cultivation were ir both cases the same"
Other writer's advise not to reap wheat
infected with smut till fully ripe and per-
fectly dry, and. according to Mr. c.
wheat intended for seed should in all
cases be allowed to become quite ripe
before it is reaped.
A writer whose observations are quo
ted with appreciation in the Complete
Farmer" an English work Of authority,
says, +" never thresh the sheaves which
are to supply me with seed till just when
I want to make use Of it. have no
ton that the seed keeps better in the CO.
vering nature has given it, l mean the
chaff, than it would,do without il, and /
am pretty certain it sprouts sooner in
the ground, the husk or bran being pre-
served in tcnderer and more yielding
state than it would be were it exposed to
the open air." Ifnew seed is to be pre-
terrsd to old, (which We believe 70 Be the