Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-02-26
THE CHRONICLE.
GAINESVILLE, FRIDAY, FEB. 20, 80.
sKLECfION AND CHANGE OF SEED.

SELECTION AND CHANGE OF SEED.
This is a matter of primary i'm
portance 10 the farmer, for however
well he may manure and cultivate his
land, his labor will be but thrown
away If he neglects to obtain clean
and sound seed Of the most approved
varieties, Of whatever crop he intends
to grow. It is the opinion of many
practical men, that the crops of most
kinds of grain will deteriorate when
confined to selection of seed grown
on the same farm, or even the same
region of country, for many years in
succession. Others maintain that by
always selecting the best seed from
the crops grown on the farm, and
taking particular care to have only
such as are plump and well matured,
the quality will improve from year to
year. We think there is truth on
both sides.
We have known farmer to sell
of the best of his grain and reserve
that Of inferior quality for seed, re-
marking that, small as it was, it would
grow, and that, he thought, was all
that was necessary. Such an idea is
n complete but erroneous one; as,
although plant will be produced
from an inferior seed, it will be want
ing in the healthful vigor that is the
characteristic of one grown from q
plump well-developed seed, which
contains not only large and strong
germ, but also full amount of the
plant food requisite to support that
germ until the young rootlets can
eliminate food from the soil for the
support of the plant.
II is the want of proper appre-
citation of this fact that leads many
to imagine that change of seed,
even between near neighbors, is Of
great value.
Thus, farmer who does not take
the trouble to select his seed wheat
from the best portion of his crop
when growing, and to separate and
reserve it for future use, or who new
or frees his seed from the presence Of
chess, cookies, or other noxious weeds
before sowing, finds great advant-
age in obtaining seed of the same va
riety from a neighbor who has the
reputation of growing good crops,
and who has q nice, plump, clean
sample of seed grain for sale.
In such a case, the advantage gain
ed is ascribed to change, when in re-
atty it is due to selection.
But, on the other hand, varieties
of grain, grasses, ETC., having origi.
mated, or become common in one par!
of the country, and their introduc.
ton to another portion of the same
or an adjoining country, proves Of
signal advantage to the cultivator Of
tie soil, for time Of least. \ far.
mer who takes an agricultural jour
nal often reads in it an account Of
some new variety of grain, as YET
unknown, except in some distant To-
cality. He sends for small sample
perhaps a few bushels, sows it, ant
soon discovers that it possesses some
quality that gives it superior advant
age over the varieties that have usu
ally been grown in his neighborhood
His neighbors find out this fact, ant
then comos a rush to him with
"Please let me have some seed of tina
new kind of wheat you grew las
year. 1t is just here that we fine
the benefit of change, which is tn
discarding of one variety, for tn
purpose Of giving place to anothe
and better variety of the same article
and it would only be fair that thu
person who introduces and tests tn
qualities of any new variety Of ccrea
should have sort of patent right t.
make som ething ovt Of his enterpris
and outlay, by charging II hi CHE
price for the seed he grows than tn
ordinary price Of the commonl
grown sorts of the same article
i Canada Farmer.