The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-10-18
NO. 40.


New England Farmer.
The American people, as a class,
are restless, ever changing race.
and this mania for change among
the farming population is one of the
greatest obstacles to the rapid i'm
provenent OF our farm products. Ii
is popular theory with great many
farmers that, by changing their seed
every few years, they can increase
the yield of their crops. Some of
them believe that the PANE seed
planted OH different soil will do bet
ter than il replanted on the farm on
which il grew. Others believe that
by mixing seeds that have beell grown
seperstely the profits may be in
creased. l have no faith in either
doctrine. believe the fret to bs
wholly an error, and that the second
is but little better. The only true
way to improve seed is BY high cnl-
ture and careful selection, yearly,
from the peculiar type desired. Aud
this practice must be continued On the
the same soil and under the same
management for y long time. II IL
utterly useless to think OF making
any permanent Improvement in =
species Of plants, by mixing Or ex
changing seed. believe any crop
which 10 suited to the soil or climate
Of . particular iarm NAV he grown
and improved for an indefinite length
it there is careful selection VI seed
for planting every year, and ii all
the elements OF plant food which il
needs are abundantly furnished in
soluble form. and the coil is kept
mellow and free from weeds. In
deed, seed will usually do better, with
good management, II planted on the
same iarm for number Ut years.
because Il becomes acclimated and
adapted to the soil Of that fas,n.
Early rose potatoes, for instance,
grown from the same seed TO start
with, will assume different charac-
tcristics after being grown OH diff
fcrent farms, for = number OF years.
ln some instances they will change
SO as to appear to bc different varis.
ties OF potatoes, yet each variation
will be best suited to the farm Oh
which it had been grown.
Ii, from bad management, or from
any other cause seed has run out 50
as not to produce maximum crops,
it is most desirable to buy better
seed and start again, but can not
conceive OF mutual gain by IN ex-
change Of seed OF the same variety;
what one would gain the other would
surely lose. ! believe in thorough
bred seed, as we'll as thoroughbred
stock, and that good breeding will
tell in either care. Some Of our
varieties Of grain and vege-
tables have been produced by re-
peated selection for q term OF years
0t the best specimens, Of o peculiar
type, until Q pure bred variety was
produced. George Gecdes, in the
New York Tribune, after referring
10 the wonderful possibilities ia this
direction, says: IL believe that there
is vast field tor improvement ia our
seed grains that has not been o,su-
pied as it shonld be, and that there is
n the method suggested room for AZ
decided improvement as has been
made by the famous improvers Of the
breeds Of domestic aniinals."
To the enthusiastic farmer who
loves his occupation, and is farmer
because he can derive more pleasure
and profit from the farm than trvm
any other business, there Is good
deal OF pleasure in this eystein OF
selecting the best seed and trying to
improve It every year--a pleasure
which can not be derived from con-
Iinual change.
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