Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-12-22
VOL. XVIII, NO. 1852.
The Influence of the Seed upon
the Product.

yiculture Partique" 1t will be read with
interest, and we doubt not corroborated by
the experience of many Of our readers.
Seeds which have not acquired their full
development, aud all the qualities Of the
species they represent, generally yield but
weak products. There may Be exceptions,
but the facts which shall cite appear very
conclusive.
Seeds that are incomplete for want Of
maturity cannot produce complete types
Do we not find similar results in animals
that are too young or too old A bull, a
COW, horse, whose members are incom-
pletelv formed cannot impart what it does
not possess. A decrepid animal, too--can
it inipart what it has lost! | think not.
Dogs of breed whose tails have been cut
for many generations are born without tails.
/ have had pigs in a similar condition.
Cows without horns produce similar calves.
In gardening, we obtain plants deprived
Of certain organs; Others which have them
in abundance, and which end in producing
varieties. Thus eschalottes which have
been too long sown near onions, yield no
longer any seed, aud become useless. For
the same reason, some varieties of potatoes
have ceased Towering, because we take
them up for long time before the period
Of Towering. Seed taken from flax and
hemp Of great hight, but not having acquir-
ed their full maturity, yield very small pro-
ducts; and it we continue to harvest it be-
fore il is fully ripe, the plants will 60 on
diminishing in yigor and hight to such an
ext Mt, that after some years our flax and
hemp seeds will be transformed into dwarf
species.
Colaz, of the large kind, which was har-
vested before its complete maturity, in order
TO avoid losing the seed, diminish in hight
after few years. If afterwards we allow
these degeneraied species to attain MATURE
IL, we shall restore their size by degrees,
until they reach the point from which they
had declined. We may therefore diminish
or increase in size the breeds of animals and
species of plants, by applying foF produc-
ton, individuals that have acquired all
these qualities, and are capable OF transmit
ting them; or else, by taking othersIrnp
feet, and unable to impart what they do
not possess.
Twelve or fifteen years ago, trefoll sown
in one of my fields, after presenting in au-
tumn the finest appearance, disappeared in
the spring. The leaves shriyelled up, the
stalks did not rise, the major part of the
plants dried, and we've attacked with spe-
cies of decay | attributed this disease al
first to the state of the soils, then to the
temperature in short, two or three or foul
other causes more or less likely; but the
bad quality of the seed did not occur to
my mind.
Some years later harvested, before its
full maturity, some rye that | had sown
for forage, and which, not being able to
consume it in proper time, was kept to
make bands. 1t was cut while yet green
| bat tins grain, in appearance ripe, had prob
ably no. acquired that degree Of perfection
indispensable for reproducing its species
I sowed this we in order to obtain forage
in the spring. 1t came up well, and exhlb-
tied good vegetation at first; then the
| foliage became yellow and wasted, and the
soil became so denuded, that | found il
necessary to plough it up to replace it r7ith
| another crop. Many causes were alleged
| for it, but the true one remained still I'M
known. Last year, however, in a field o.
three hectares, which had borne a fine crop
of beetroot, sowed in April, barley and
clover. In two thirds of the field clover
seed Of middling quality that had been
taken from my rigorous plants but the
heads had not II ened il uniform man
ner. In the other part, sowed seed per
fectlv ripe, and the best quality.
At the time of harvest, after having
cleared the field Of cereal crops, the clover
was fine throughout, and the field presented
a uniform aspect. As the clover was high
enough to be mown, it was cut for forage
in October, and it maintained its fine APP
pearancs until December Towards that
time many IF the stools Of the clover in that
part where we had sown the bad seed dried
up; then others; and at last, in tina spring
there remained Of them only few tufts,
here and there; the rest had either died
out or were so poor, that we could no long
err reckon upon chem; they seemed to have
been pierced by insects. The stools, pro-
ceeded probably from the refuse seeds, still
subsisted, and yielded middling crop, be-
ING few in number; the second cutting was
rather better, but still it was ineagre. In
that part in which the good seed was sown
| retained good crop of forage, cut green
and the second cutting was very tine, very
thick, and seemed of a different species.
In view of this fact, | recollected my ilrs'
pasture Of trefoil and rye, and ofsome SOW
/ ings of wheat, which had the same result
When farmers come to me for seed Of my
large beetroots, in order TO have them O.
/ the same size on their farms, say to them
.Dung well and plough deep, ald You vii
have them as fine with any other seed. -
Tn the meanwhile, / have often been assur
ed by them that they have sown my seed
and Others less ripe, and the beetroot pro
ceeding from them appeared not to be o
the same species.
! win not go SO far as to say that every.
thing depends upon the seed; for gooc
aasd committed To bad soil. or one badly