The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-03-10
for the ,farnler.
GARDEN AND FIELD SEEDS.

Duriua the lour winter evenings, the farmer
I,anIJ I,,ok over his stock of field aud garden
s,.cds and promntIv make rood any deficiencies.
II is not a good plan to wait until spring is at
hand. and planting time actually arrived, before
attending TO such matters; but many do "a, and,
in CONSEQUENCE. suffer losses which they can i'll
afford. A few postage stamps invested in seeds
mems catalogues. will afford the farmer many
hours of pleasant and instructive reading, and
he can hardly look over one of these publications
without finding one or more as,fuI hints, to-
,cthar with descriptions of new and valuable
seeds that he may desire to add to his collection,
however large and complete it may be-
He will also find that a list of seeds made out
with deliberaton will be far complete and
satisfactory than one hurried oil just before or ut
planting time, in spring. If there few or
many sorts to be purchased. see that the list is
sent in early while the scotsman is not busted
with orders then he can, and generally Will, be
more careful in selecting, packing, and shipping
the goods Another advantage in making pur
chases of seeds, weeks months in advance of
the time they actually wanted for use, il
that they can all be tested, and should any prove
10 be old and uusounh, they can he exchanged,
or others procured in time for Use. 1t is not diff
iicut TO test seeds in advance, and if all would
do il, many losses and disappointfnents might he
avoided. few boxes or flower pots filled with
sand and kept in a warm room, will answer well
enough for testing the terminating powers of
most garden or field seeds. IL the farmer has no
sand or soil handy, some cotton, wool, pieces
of sponge placed in n shallow dish of water,
will answer almost as well. The seed may be
laid on top, and kept moist and warm for n few
days, when, if there is any life in them, sprouts
will soon appear, and this is all that is needed TO
ascertain if they will grow when planted out in
good soil. 1t is always well to count the num-
Der of seed tested, in order TO know what pro-
portion are good; then it is easy to determine
whether they should be sown thickly or thinly
i'll the field or garden.
II farmers would always do this with their
clover seed, corn, beans, and similar seeds, they
might avoid many a sad failure, caused by SOW
ing old and poor stock, which Is always dear at
any price. Perhaps too, If more of such expert
ments were conducted, those who depend upon
seedsnen for their annual supplies might learn
why il is that some afford to sell 80 much
cheaper than others; not that We think that any
of Our leading seedsmen would knowingly cheat
their customers, but some are more careful than
Others i'll selecting their stock, and throwing
away old seeds. SeedsInen are very much like
other men, and dislike TO east aside stock that
has cost them money, if it can be worked off
safely, and not injure their trade or reputation.
But the farmer should not stop his expert
ments when he has finished testing the seeds he
has purchased, but 60 on until his own stock has
been fully tried, even TO the seed corn saved the
past season. 1t is not always certain that seeds
of ones own saving escape injury during the
winter, and while they may appear TO be all
right, their terminating propensities are per-
haps injured, If not entirely destroyed. Many
farmer has planted corn of hisOwn saving, which
has failed to grow, though Just why il failed, he