Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-12-24
'LE NO 2s5l cLEARFEID Pa WEDNESDAY DECEMBER "a 1873
NEW SERIES--VOL. Is, NO. !

u report comes back TINT the analysi
0 has detected no essential difference ir
0 the respective samples. perhaps !
the learned professor had been inform
. ed Of the purpose Of the required an
: alysis, he might have been able L
have detected difference, which ir
: fact had no existcnce,) Our frenc
being sensible man, for the frs
time recognizes the fact that as in the
animal so in the vegetable kingdom
there exist different types of the same
species, and that for the purpose Of
propagation judicious selection is ni
: essential in the one case as in the 9th
er. Acting upon that conviction he
promptly determines to turn over a
new leaf in his farming programme
, aud instead of obtaining seed from
the general pile, which has been pick
ed without any discrimination, be
: marches TO the field ut the commence.
ment of the picking season, and hav-
ing previously determined by close
observation the type to be preferred,
he proceeds TO pick only such bolls as
are fully developed and well matured.
To render his work in this new pro,
gramme perfectly thorough, he uses
great discrimination and selects very
closely, so that at the termination of
the picking season he finds that he
has gathered only one hundred pounds
OF cotton from field Of perhaps one
hundred acres. But he is not dscour-
aged by tho smallnsss of bio aooumu-
lalion; he knows that this hundred
pounds will yield him two bushels Of
seed, which will plant n patch of two
acres at least; and his experience has
taught him the extraordinary pro.
gressive increase cf all seed plants
He is therefore satisfied with the re.
suit, remembering that il is only the
beginning of good work.
But just here our farmer friend, ad-
verting to the fact that all the phe-
nomena occurring in the rearing of
animals also occur in the rearing of
plants, justly concludes that TO pre-.
serve his seed from degeneration, and
to keep it up TO its original standard
of excellence, it will be necessary 10
give 10 the parent stock an ample
supply of nutritious food, so as 10
keep it in good condition and impart
to it that healthful vigor SO essential
to successful propagation. To accom-,
plish that end he resolves to establish
a permanent seed-patch," and forth
with commences the collection and
application of fertilizers, domestic,
(and, If need be, commercially until
he brings it up to tho production of
two bales Of lint to the acre. In this
patch, located somewhat remote from
the balance of the crop il practicable,
he deposits his two bushels of selected
seed, chops it out into lunches of
three or four in place as soon as tho
plants have put forth the third leaf
carefully Avoiding the bruising of the
plants left; and when il has put forth
its fourth and fifth leaves, thins il out
by hand TO stand of one in the hill,
taking care to leave those stocks
which exhibit the most vigor and
greatest tendency TO bulkincss of
form. The after cultivation is thor
ough and judiciously applied, the
plants advance rapidly to maturity,
and about The Ist Of July it is topped
to insure development and maturity
TO the upper bolls. From these two
acres our farmer finds himself tho
possessor of four bales of lint, and at
least one hundred and twenty BUSH
els Of selected seed, TO be used in tho
planting of the ensuing crop.
But his work does not end with the
first years selection, for he has dis
covered the presence Of intrudors in
his agricultural sanctum. Tho burly
but fruiuess gentleman and the attitu-
dinizing dancy before referred to have
again put in an appearance and they
must be gotten rid Of He therefore
enters upon another selection from
his "sced-patch," and repeats it from
year to year, until he has effectualy
/ fixed the type of the original stock,
and bis heqrt is gladdened each revol-
wing year by the evidence that his la.
Dor has not been uselcssly expended
in the cultivation Of barren interlop-
crs, but that each plant generously
responds TO bis efforts, as a prolific
fruit bearer, and amply repays him
for his toll and patient painstaking. -
The "seed- patch" and "annual selec-
ton" become permanent institutions
in bis agricultural programme, TO be
handed down to his posteriy as an
Inheritance more valuable than eva
neseent gold. This is the programme
Of plain, practical agricnlturist,
who is not afraid Of the ridiculo of
being denominated q mere "theorist,"
or "pow-light progressionist," aud it
is urgently commended TO the earnest
consideration and adoption of every |
member OF this association
Having consumed so much time and
space on the subject of cotton, am
admonished of the proprioty Of being
as brief as possible on the other h,-"Sti |
Of the subicct-cofn. Indeed, il
might suffice TO say that all the prin.
ciplcs announced in regard to the sue
ccssful growing of cotton hold equal.
y true in regard TO tho production of
this much moro important staple.
desire TO emphasize tho words "much
moro important" in tho face OF those
who hold the doctrine that it is moro
romunerative to apply our entire la
Dor TO tho production Of cotton and
rely upon tho tecming granaries of
tho West for supply OF that inds-
pensable article, A moments renec-
ton will show the fallacy of that doc
trinc, the prevalence of which, 10 only
a moderate extent, has already large |
ly contributed to tho existing dcprcs-
sion throughout the entire cotton belt
This doctrine is now acted upon to
only a limited extent, but should il |
ever obtain universal arceptation tho
consequence would be the production
of large surplus Of cotton at the
expense of an entire destitution of
corn, thus depressing tho price of the
former aud corresponding!y enbapc-
ing the price of the latter. How such