The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-12-07
selection CT Seeds.

1t the farmer and gardener would only
devote little time to saving seeds for
another year, they would surely find it
protitably spent The ancients paid great
attention to this branch of husbandry.
Virgil tells us:
I've seen the largest seed, though viewed with care
Degenerate, unles the industrious hand
Did yearly Gull the largest.
Columella and Ceslus, ancient Roman
writer's, strongly recommended the selec,
ton Of the first and finest ears and heads
Of all kinds Of grain. Some of US, in this
highly civilized nineteenth century can
be taught a lesson from these fathers OF
agriculture for all Of us know farmers
who viii sow oats, rye, wheat, corn and
barley. without carefully selecting the
heaviest bcads,and the largest ears, thereby
increasing the quality and weight of the,,r
crops
In the cultivation Of peas, tbs 1-ood eff
tests Of . selection OF pods foc seed. are
very evident: by saving onIv the first
pods which ripen, tho, oea has been
brought TO a much cerlier maturity, and
II may safety be serted that three weeks
have thus bo'..a gained,
Inc iar cost potatoes of The finest kind
shoui'. now be carefully selected and put
Y" ~ IN barrels headed up tightly. Kept
IN this way they Will come out fresh and
upHrinkled.
Tomatoes are much finer and mature
earlier, If we select those which riper first
and perfectly smooth; and by continuing
thls practice from year to year, they can
lie raised rs smooth as apples, and weigh
ing from half a pound to a pound. My
Trophies this season, were particularly
fine, smooth and large, and as meaty as g
piece of beetsteak, each tomato containing
but very few seeds. The skins deal of
without scalding them, and their flavor Ii
unsurpassed by any other varieties.
Tomato, cucumber, squash and melon
can be readily cleansed from fiber and
pulp, by mixing sand with the seeds and
rubbing them we'll in It; then wash IL
several waters, strain through a scivc, and
vour seeds are clean and re dy to dry ii
the sun. Without sand, 1t Is almost I'M
possible to cleanse some kinds Of seeds
Tomatoes will vegetato easily the second
year, after that time they are not reliable
Melons, cucumbors and squashes i'm
prove hy age, and tho older the seeds the
s1ore prolific are the vines. Corn anC
wheat, etc, do not lose their virtues. Sect
has been planted which was found in the
Egyptian cmbalmed mummios and it ha!
been yegetated aud ripcned well.
Parsnip seed are worthless after Tho
{irst year, SO it is well TO leuye plant il
she ground in the spring, and as abundan
supply Of seeds can be obtained from il IL
ahe autumn Carrots, teets, caulifow err
and oabba &c, are biennials, not blossominf
until the second year, and unless som,
particular kinds are desired, IL is as wei
to purchase seeds from the seedsmen, bu
if we will carefully select the larges
specimens, and plant them down another
season, we shall have good seeds for ih'
next year.
There is also great choice in savin!
flower seeds; though if the amateur
gardner desires 70 have the handsomes
Astors, BaIsams, Stocks aud Zmnias tina
can be raised, it is best to depend on tht
seedsmen for the rarest varieties.
In saving any kind of seeds, only tn,
hanisomest flowers should be set aside TO
the purpose, and their stalks should b
tied around with yarn or Irvine to distin
guish them from the common kinds; it i
better TO leave but two or three flowers OF
one root, breaking off all buds and flower
and sending all the strength Of the plan
into the heads dcs red for seed.
4 writer upon Horticulture in 1856
says: In choosing seed, the best seed i
the most weighty; and is had from tn
lustiest and most vigorous stems" aud h
tells the fowerists of the day to leave onl,
few flowers on a plant for seed, an
pluck off all surplus stems. The Chimes
could be our teachers In these matters
for the Emperor issues an edict command
ing that only seed of remarkable siz
and weight should be selected and i'm
perial hands it is said, are sometimes oc
cupied IN the selection of very CHI eice va
rieties. We must admit that the Chimes
surpass US in agriculture and Horticulture
According to Chinese traditions, tn
Tree Peony has been cultivated for four
teen hundred years, and there are nearl,
three hundred beautiful varieties, which
they cherish with as much affection as tn
Dutch bestowed upon their turnips.
"A word 10 the wise suffices y thu
runs an old proyorb, and unless cur far