The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-04-03

1t is hardly necessary to inform the expert
enced farmer and gardiner of the value of
good seeds. They know that unhealthy
plants produce poor seeds and poor seeds
prodnce poor plants. The wise and careful
cultivator always selects his seed from the
best specimens. 1t is known to him who has
made the subject study that our cultivated
plants are mostly derived from those that
originally grew in wild state. Wise selec-
ton and careful culture have improved and
made them useful to man. The intelligent
cuturist is aware that those vegetables and
plants which have been raised from higher
state and improved by cultivation have con-
slant tendency to deteriorate and go back in
to their original condition: hence the necessi-
ty of selecting the best seeds and the most
vigorous and healthy roots to keep what has
been gained and to make still further i'm
provements.
If a plant be removed from the natrr raj
sci and climate its deterioration is likely to be
more rapid, and in faw years it will find its
original level, if proper and intelligent care is
not bestowed upon it. The general belief is
and we presume it is a sound one-that
seeds produce more abundantly when brought
from colder to warmer climate, or from
poorer to more fertile soil. Common sense
teaches these lessons; and yet many cultivat-
ors act as if they had not profited by such
teachings. There is another thing the cult
vator must do in order to preserve the good
qualities OF plants. 1t is well known fact
that different varieties of the same species or
families are liable to mix or hybridze, if they
are planted near each other, and this mixing
generally destroys the good qualities of ALL
They must be kept at proper distances from
each other. When the different varieties
blossom at the same time they are sure to
mix if not wisely separated, and even then
the winds will often carry the pollen quite a
distance and sometimes the industrious hon
ey bee will lend his aid and distribute the
pollen much farther, so that with the utmost
care and attention plants and vegetables will
sometimes become mixed OF hybridized. In
dian corn furnishes strong example of the
mixture of varieties which is more readily
seen than in many other grains, grasses,
plants or vegetables.
A writer in the Country Gentleman says
that in searching field of wheat rye, oats or
barley, a few stacks may be found that bear
heads the grain of which varies in some res
poets from the rest of the crop. These, if
selected and saved separately and planted
and the best of this product saved for future
planting, and such selection and careful cul
ture continued for a term of years, will sue
ceed in establishing valuable new varieties.
| If this philosophy holds good, the cultivator
can readily and clearly see how important is
| the work of selecting seeds. In selecting the
best seed and continuing to plant it, corn can
be very much improved, but time and pa
tience are necessary to complete the work.
The potato belongs to different class and
is not liable to change by mixture. This
vegetable is raised from the tubers or ewes
and not from the seed. 1t is merely an en-
larged underground branch, and the eyes
answer the same purpose as buds on the
branches OF the apple tree or the grape vine
in dormant state, so that new varieties OF
mixtures can be no more produced from
planting the tubers than new varities of ap.
pies can be had from grating the scion into
different stock. New varieties of potatoes
can be raised from the seed in ripe potato
balls; but seldom are there two of a kind
produced from seed of the same plant. In
this way many new varieties have been rails
ed and some of an excellent quality. Rev.
Mr.. Goodrich, by great labor, perseverance
and expense has improved the potato and
produced several new varieties of great ex-
cellence. The early Goodrich is much sought