Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-01-15
agricultural
Growing and Selecting Seed.
BY FOSTER, OF CABOT.

ReGd before me FHTHteTS h6et'ng dt u
session of the Stale Board Of agriculture
hciI ut Est Montpelier, January :, 1871
In growing English grain and hoed
crops good soil is desirable, thorough til
Iage necessary, and good seed indispensa-
bic. 1t is not little strange that Il matter
of such vital importance rs the quality OF
the seed should be so often neglected.
Probably there is no improvement con-
nected with farm operations that will pay
50 large a profit for the time expended rs
this We can hardly estimate the annual
loss to the farmers of Vermont in this di-
rection
will give a single Illustration. A
gentleman moved into Iar5hticld and
brought with him some seed wheat. His
neighbors induced him to SOW Il bushel of
a variety they were raising. He sowed
bushel Of each variety side by side upon
the same kind Of soil. At harvest one lot
gave him five bushels, the other fifteen.
making 4 difference of twenty bushels per
acre in quantity, with probably Il CORES
pondin@ difference in quality
The labor of cultivating and harvesting
a poor crop is Just about the same rs of
GOOD one. At u time like this, when farm
inr i Il very close business, we should
look well to the details. ANY method not
too expensive that will increase Our crops
is not beneath our notice. . As We SOW, so
shall We reap We do not gather grapes
from ;horns nor figs from thistles" The
truth Of this l. practically demonstrated
upon every farm in Vermont each year.
In other words the kind and quality of the
seed determines the kind and quality of the
product.
This matter is Just rs perfectly under
the control of the farmer Is is the produc-
ton of particular desirable characteristics
in animals do not mean that the first
trial will be Il success, bat there will he an
Improvement, exactly proportional to the
care and skill of the person attempting it.
Like produces like We accept this
principle in the animal world; let us do So
in the vegetable and we have Il safe guide.
But some one inquiries the cause ofthe de
crease per acre of our annual products, and
the alarming increase of foul weeds and in
sect enemies | reply, The iniquities of
the fathers are visited upon their children,
Our dav of reckoning has come in this
matter II this is not satisfactory, since
this is Il day of tea parties and centennial
celebrations. 90 back with me hundred
years. What do we find? The soil was
rich in all the elements of plant food,
implements for cultivation then in use;
but rs the soil grew less fertile, farm
implements were improved and new ones
invented. thus preserving the equilibrium.
But how about the seed? 1t is doubtless
true that upon the introduction of new
varieties f f;lrm products farmers eXer-
ci~cl much care in the raising and selection
of seed Indeed they were under the
necessity of growing it rs the seed bust
ness rs now developed was unknown.
The grain was threshed with II fail and
carefully famed or winnowed, thus secur-
ng a better quality of grain than we get
now. Upon the introduction of the thresh-
ING mill revolution was wrought i'll grain
growing not favorable to Improvement in
the quality of the seed. First, we got all
the small and imperfect kernels; second,
we threshed different kinds of grain in
The same barn, thereby getting them
mixed; third, it was not we'll cleaned ;
fourth our ftn-mills, for the most par =,
went out of use and were allowed to run
down; AMI last, but not least, our shiftless
ncighhor, il we had one, was sure to send
us his kind regards in the shape of cookie
india wheat. or something more lasting.
While / would not discourage the Use of
labor saving machinery, | would recon-
mend the plan of top thrcshing some of
the best grain for seed Most farmers
admit the necessity of more care in the
selection of seed, but their actions say Il
little more sleep, a little more slumber. ="
and spring finds them dipping into the
comm bin which contains II sample of
almost everything but pure clean seed.
A little observation and reflection will
show us some of the bad results If SOW
ing small and imperfect seed. 1t lacks
vita ity, makes n small feeble growth of
straw and head, does not fill well, is later
in getting ripe, in short, is i'll just the con-
dition to invite diseases like rust, blast or
smut, while repeated sowing only aggra-
Yates the evil, until we begin to talk about
bad luck, unfavorable seasons, etc and
finally conclude it has run out and we
must change our seed.
Fat cattle never get lousy. 1t is the
poor, weak animals that are troubled in
this way. Let us take hint from this,
and keep our vegetable products strong
vigorous and healthy. and thus protect
them from parasites.
If anv one doubts the correctness Of this
theory, let him try this experiment: Let
him screen some wheat and SOW both kinds
separate for five years. taking the poorest
of one and the best of the other each wear
The result of this experiment l need not
predict. How many farmers do this in
effect | leave you to answer. We all
desire TO improve, but i'll this matter of
seed there seems to be two methods in use
among farmers. One is to change the
seed when it IS run out, the other is to
select the best to prevent its running ont.
While l do not object to changing seed. as
we are quite likely to get it of some one
more careful than ourselves, it is impor-
tant that we get at the truth in this matter.
as we are not likely to undertake any
improvement until we are convinced of its
necessityt
If changing seed is not the only plnacea
for all the ills referred to above, or the best
one, farmers ought to know it. Happilv
we are not without some facts bearing
upon the case. Asa Alden, of Calais, has
raised the same variety of corn upon the
same kind of soil for forty years | do
not learn that he intends to change his
seed until he has tested it more thoroughly.
Judge Pcarcc, of Calais, has raised the
same variety of potatoes for forty years by
selecting his seed in the fall from the best
specimens. He has also raised his own
seed of all kinds for twenty years. | need
not add that he always has one of the
best, III not me pest garden III Washington
county. Do not tell me that it would be
too much trouble for you, when one who
wa so unfortunate in early life as to lose
leg has set so good an example
NJ. S C. NJ. Fisher, of Cabot, have
raised the same kind of oats upon Their
farm for twelve years, with Il manifest
Improvement Alvah Elmer, of Cabot
has raised the common oats upon his farm
for twenty years. In favorable seasons
they weigh from thirty-tiye to tn rtv-six
pounds per bushel. He has passed through
all the oat fevers, including the Norway.
without an attack, and now furnishes seed
oats to his neighbors. Mr.. Elmer uses I:
good fan-mlll TO screen out the small seed
l.. C. Fisher of Ca OF, does not remember
when any herds grass OF clover seed has