Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1869-08-26
Saving the Fest Seed.

subject, says the New 1oIA o""' "HiNi
contained some valuable hints to farmers.
He said:
con many of the best wheat producing
farms of our country the soil yields only a
| light crop of grain where the product
might be fifty bushels of fac wheat per
acre. with the same expense of cultivation
and harvesting, were the operation of the
tiller of the soil all conducted in accord
ance with the laws of the vegetable king
dom. Let us dwell on a single thought
touching the seed. 1t is utterly impOssl-
bic 70 reap a bountiful crop-even when
the soil is all right-if the seed is not per-
feet or thoroughbred. IL is quite as prop
er to speak Of thoroughbred seed Of any
kind as to allude to thoroughbred animals
as the highest degree of perfectibihty Is
attained, i'll either case, by conducting the
operations incident to propagation in strict
conformity to established laws. We have
what are termed thoroughbred horses,
neat cattle, sheep and swine, whose an
cestry can be traced back from dam to sire,
or from sire to sire, for a longterm Of years ;
and every individual in the long lineage
will be characterized for the peculiar
quality of transmitting to his offspring,
with satisfactory certainty, those points Of
excellence which represent that peculiar
breed. So, for example, when a farmer
has a variety Of Indian corn which pro-
duces, from year to year. and ears kerr
nails Of uniform size and color, and among
which not a single red ear, blue ear, or an
ear. bearing mixed grain can be found for
many successive seasons he has a variety OF
thoroughbred corn, the seed OF which VIII
Weld a crop in abundance, just in proper
ton to the condition of the soil, making
due allowance for a yield within the pre-
scribed laws of limitation. And the same
is true Of wheat, oats, rye, and barly. If
a farmer would raise forty or fifty bushels
of fine wheat per acre, one hundred OF oats,
eighty of barley, and sixty of rye, where
now the yield is by no means satisfactory,
the important step will be to secure tho
rough-bred seed. But a supply of such
seed cannot be obtained in a single season.
The labor and careful cultivation requisite
to the production Of a variety of wheat
that will yield a bountiful crop Of plump
grain, all true to its kind, will be found
nearly equal to the productions Of a new
and valuable breed of domestic animals.
But improvement in seed grain OF all
kinds is a subject of tra~nscendent impor-
lance to every tiller Of the soil. And
there will be no more favorable o%pportuni-
ty to during all the year, in
this latitude, than the present harvest.
When we 90 into a field of golden grain,
nearly ready for the harvcsters, we can
ususually see that Dame Nature has al
ready commenced improvements In the
seed for the future crop. There seems to
be a concentration Of the energies of GER
tain plants to develop a more perfect varie-
tv. Instead of deterioration, natures eff
forts always tend to more complete de-
velopment.. There is an ear Of wheat, for
example, or of barley, or rye, OF a panicle
of oats, each of which is earlier, larger,
plumper and faircr than the ears al around
it. If allowed to grow until ihe crop is
fully ripe these seed heads will be dead
ripe. and in some instances will;have fall
en- to the ground. The largest and best
kernals of those heads have been develop
ed by an effort of nature with direct refer
cncc to the production Of a thoroughbred
variety of grg1n and if those. ears are
gathered with care, and the seed planted
in a genial soil, and all bastard heads be
culled out for a few seasons, and an effort
De made to establish a variety of grain
with unusually large heads and plump kerr
mails, possessing the important characters
tic of great prolifcacy, the efforts Of the
tiller of the soil will be so consonant with
the laws of the vegetable kingdom that he
will have the satisfaction of seeing not only
two ears of fine grain appearing, when
now only one is produced, but they viii
be much larger, heavier, and far better i'll
every respect than the miserably inferior
seed that is relied upon for the crops of
our country. American farmers lack faith
in the production of thoroughbred seed Of
any kind. Therefore, they continue to
plow and SOW, reap and NOW in that same
old channel where their fathers trod, when,
with a little care in raising better seed.
their crops of all kinds might be doubled.