Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-04-21
Changing Seed.

to among farmers that by changing seed
10 larger and better crop IS obtained, aud a
k. such change is often costly and trouble
,t some, it is well to consider its propriety
e The farmer who adopts this method be
d comes careless in the cultivation of bi
y crops and saving seed his grain soor
d becomes combination of all grains BIZ
d potatoes and corn al )lors and sizes. Ant
e as a change of seed is bis remedy, he i:
!. ready victim to the seller of new varie
? ties, or the patron of the shrewd and
successful farmer, who by careful hus-
bandry has pure seed of good quality and
high price.
One reason urged is that seed raised
upon one kind Of soil and sown upon one
quite different, causes a more bountiful
harvest. Now as for variety of soil most
any New England farm will give that
variety clay, sand, wet and dry. But if
we may trust the teachings of science, all
plants are composed Of certain elements,
which do not essentially change and the
soil Astounding in those elements will
produce an abundant crop if other cir
cumstances are favorable. If your soil
will produce good oats, seed of your own
raising will collect its proper nutrition,
as well as the cattle of your own raising
will eat the grass of your pastures. 1t
seems to be true also, that plants should
become accustomed TO locality and are
sensitive of a change. With this view the
nations establish farms and gardens where
foreign plants can be acclmaled, and by
this means the number of useful vegela-
bles are constantly increasing, and some
exotics are becoming hardy, and rare
plants becoming common. Now without
dwelling upon the fact h a grapes,
sorghum, tobacco, and cotton, are gradu-
ally extending toward the north, we can
refer TO corn as grain especially affected
by change Of location, and if farmer
fails Of saving his own seed he should get
it from place very similar to bis own.
If corn is brought from a northern region |
or high lands, it will mature early and |
be smaller then the original; if brought
from warmer climate, or lands near a
body of water, to high land, the stalks
grow unusually large and mature the
seed very late if at ALL BY moving the
seed the distance of one mile from the
river valley or lake shore, will often so
fleet the growth Of corn as to disappoint
he expectations of the farmer upon the
ills. One farmer, advocating changing
eed, told me that by changing seed oats,
lis crop matured a week or ten days
EARLIER than bis former kind sown near
", but it so happened that the new seed
vas of an earlier variety--"White Po-
and, very different in many respects.
There are many varieties of all the veg
stables and animals, useful to man, and
It is desirable to know the characteristics
Of each variety, and after gaining such
knowledge change may be often bene-
fetal and desirable, but further than this
where is the benefit? + it not reasona-
BILE TO suppose that the farmer who fails
with one variety will also by the same
bring disgrace upon the
next he tries ? Does chance ever bring
Improvement or perfection? 1t is per,
haps similar class of farmers that talk
OF worn out lands and who change farms
Tor the same reason they change seed,
because they are run OUT 1t is hard
10 believe our Creator intended man to
live on land which score of crops would
render barren, and when such result
takes place it is preferable to accuse man
Of folly rather than his Creator.
u. e. JAMESON.
Irasbnrgh, April 10Th, 1865.