The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-07-25
FARM TOPICS.
Selection of wheat for Seed.

SelecllOn OF nnSa LOT Seeus
There is a reason why the production
of grain in the Western States has not
reached the perfection which has attend
ed the growing of stock. The farmers
have not considered the importance of
good parentage, nor have they given
any attention to the matter of selecting
commensurate with the Importance of
our grain crops. This season there will
be an immense yield of wheat. The
price will be very low, and to the farmer
who gets but fifteen bushels per acre
there will be scarcely any profit, and
even his labor will be poorly paid for.
On the other hand the man who secures
thirty bushels per acre will have the
margin of whatever this extra fifteen
bushels will bring him, less the extra
cost of handling, which will be very
slight. His extra yield is worth more
to a farmer in wheat than in root or pO-
tate crops because the expense attend
ing the gathering and marketing is
very slight addition on account of the
increased yield, and be the price ever so
low the extra yield is nearly clear gain.
This margin, to be sure, depends
largely upon character of soil and quail
ity of tillage, but very important ele-
ment is often lost sight of, and that is
the pedigree of the seed. The man who
would consider another demented to put
a valuable COW in herd containing
scrub bull, even if there be in the herd
never so good bulls of her own kind,
because of the losing chance, accom-
plishes this same piece offolly each year
with his wheat crop. He takes the rye
but leaves the kernels produced from
roots bearing one stalk and short
head with these from roots bearing
fifty stalks and long heads. 1t is a
well-established fact that single head
of wheat away from all others does not
fill well--in other words, a crop is pro-
duced in a field of wheat largely by
Decentralization. The importance,
then, of having seed from stalks well
fertilized-that is, fortified by the male
element of good heads from good roots
becomes an important matter. This
can not be consolidated in wheat as
perfectly as in cattle and horses, but it
can be so far managed as to create
tendency toward better seed with each
generation, and now is the time to be-
gin.
Select first from the largest stool, be-
cause the chances are that with good
many heads together the fertilization
was from the same plant, and as the
plant itself is good one, in choosing
from it the promise is for a good re-
oOino fhrorcrh What
field, in little while one can secure
the cream of the field, which, if planted
by itself another year, and perhaps the
short heads and poor roots taken out.
will certainly give a quantity of seed
that will increase very materially the
produce of an acre. Every farmer can
not go at work upon crossing wheat
artifcially with success. This requires
peculiar knowledge and skill, but not
one but can by using his best judgment
in selecting increase the value In three
years of his crop of wheat by twenty-five
and perhaps fifty per cent. This is no
theoretical estimate; it has been tested
and found to work.
We wish also to suggest in this con-
nection that, in preparing for grain
show at the State and county fairs, let
a good bundle of the grain be shown,
not single handful OF dozen heads,
but generous bunch, showing head
and stalk in connection with the cleaned
grain. This is a good work for the
boys; perhaps by so doing the atten-
ton of others may be drawn to this
matter of selection, and thus good in
fiuence go out from this simple work
Fairs are for the education of the peO-
pie in all matters that promise to in
crease production and benefit the farm
er. Here is a chance to drive a wedge.
Detroit Free Press.