The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-02
SEED WHEAT.
AN IMPORTANT QUEsTIoN-vIEws OF
HON. GEORGE GEDDIs.

AN IMPORIANI QIESIlON-NIENS VI 1aE
HON. GEORGE GEDDIS.
The following reply to aquestion asked by
citizen of this state, by Mr.. George Gedds,
appears in the New York Tribune. The
matter is one of vast Importance to the far
mers and the country just at this time. Mr..
Geddis volunteers some views on the mar
ket that may be taken with caution, and he
is disposed to be little sharp spoken. Yet
Mr.. Geddis is an intelligent man, whose
opinions are apt to be correct. The princi-
pal value of the letter. however, is in re-
gard to seed wheat. Every paper in the
state should copy it now: l am asked by T.
II. Collins, of Psoli, Orange county, Indiana,
if wheat shat has become more or less musty
and widowed is suitable for seed, and he
particularly asks me to answer through the
Tribune, as he says thousands of other far
mers are in like condition unto himself: and
be describes his own case by saying, 1.-The
wheat crop of this county was about one
OF that has rotted in the
shock, and the remaining two
! thirds more or less musty and mildewed."
This is a sorrowiul statement, and by no
means pleasant to read, for it indicates hard
times for wheat rsisers, not only in the 10
cality OF the writer, but over vast terri
tory that usually grows the best winter
wheat. Hard times for farmers means hard
times for merchants and everybody else.
The loss of a crop Is like taking away power
from the great motor that gives life and
strength to the whole machinery. The for
eign demand for wheat, that even the news
papers will acknowledge as soon as the
spectators have secured all they want, if
we only had full crop, would have given
activity to all branches of business. IT we
only had $4,000, 900 bushels of wheat to ex
port at 81 per bushel, the $l00,000,000
the other side of the ocean
would give business men and capital
lists the very much needed contidence-and
every branch of business would feel the i'm
pulse-and the cry of hard times would die
out. But there Is really but little if any
surplus-and the attempt of newspapers to
make out that the injury to the crop
during harvest is really but little, is but the
talk OF buyers who have the means OF
handling these organs OF public opinion
much more effectively than any body OF
wheat growers can-even If they are or
gained in'o oranges. There is really very
| little sound and good winter
: wheat in the country of this years growth
and having exported 100000 bushels in
, 1874 and 5000 600 in 1879, there can not re
' deficiency of this year. make these sng
gestiOns that farmers may be led to lOOH
over the matter, and in the hope that they
! may receive the benefits of the liberia
! prices that wheat is certain to bring before
! another harvest, if spectators aud
GAMBLERS IN GRAIN,
who buy and sell millions daily, and wht
! never own enough for their own bread o
! real wheat, if such influences are not allow
ed to make prices. return to Mr.. Collins
question, and reply that nothing but abso
!, lutte necessity would lead me TO SOW dam
I aged wheat. 1 would as soon think of rails
ing colts from heavy, ring-boned, spawned
used-up parents. Musty seed will not grow
10 ncsf ha-< -
2 NOW or bin. Seed-corn is perhaps NOR
7 likely to be injured than seed wheat. once
y lost planting of corn by using seed tina
u had been for a short time in a bin. 1t wa
: in good merchantable condition for grind
ing, and we had no thought that it had heat
Cd at all but 1t did not grow. On one occa
}. sion we had pile OF wheat heat very lit
:, tie on the barn floor, which We had intendet
= for seed. Before sowing, tests were made b,
9 placing soil in pan, and planting In it
h known number OF kernels to test the ques
o ton ton OF vitality: A very large percentag
Q able circumstances. Many years ago W
IF had harvest so wet (rain fell eleven sue
q csssive days, when the wheat was in jus
t. the condition to spropt) that there was n
2 sound wheat to be had, and we were forces
II to SOW seed that was "grown." Man,
a farmers made tests on this sprouted wheat
?. and it was found that it had sufficient vi
II tally to grow, and of necessity il was use(
t for seed, and did SO we'll that many person
,; thought the sprouting in the field did it n
c injury. In this they were probably mis-
5 taken, but it was a point that could not
70 determined with absolute certainty eithe
Q way. Thus we have proved, as we think
, that mere
sPRoUTISG OF THE KERNEL
!. is not fatal to the seed, but heating to an
Il considerable entent, either In the NOW O
It in piles of threshed grain, is ruinout
= 1 strongly advise my brethren of the pillow
It handles never to SOW inferior seed of an
IS kind Of grain If they can avoid so doing, bu
B. TO select the very best they can, withou
Is much regard to cost. Seed wheat should
?, graded-that is, the small kernels should
Re perfect ones, and only the he, best sown. Th,