Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-08-03
The farm aud fireside.
IMPROVING WHEATs by SELECTION.


am certainly greatly indebted to you for
the very hattering editorial made upon an
extract of my essay "Cross breeding, and Hy-
bridization of wheats," in the last issue of the
R,ral Press of May 9th. If may be allow
ed, will add word suggested bya remarkyou
make in closing your editorial, viz. "Wlie
our richer grain growers are importing new
varieties from all parts of the world,'' etc.
1t is the prevailing opinion among farmers
that ''impOrted" wheats will do better than
any of the native or acclimated standards,
which opinion is true in most cases, when the
| imported is compared with their own. But
when the farmer selects his seed wheat with
as much care as he does his seed corn and
gives it any reasonable amount of attention,
he will find all impOrtatiOns far in the back
ground In three years ninety-nine hund-
redths of the farmers will permit their seed
wheat to retrograde at least ali eigth and even
fourth, whereas, if half us much care rs
neglect should be bestowed upon its improve
ment by selection alone, not one would ever
import to procure better seed.
Importations should never he made except
! for two purposes--fOr experimental work and
a supply where no seed is to he had in the coun-
try. 1t takes two years to make il wheat No.
| | and pure bv' selection, and 3 to 10 to make
a successful hybrid. The mere operation OF
crossing one wheat upon another to produce a
new variety can he learned in Il very short
time; but the knowledge required to select
varieties with proper elements, that they
when combined, may produce an offspring
better than either parent, both for the field
and the mill, is something very few attain.
1t is not necessary for the farmer to obtain
this knowledge; he can and should, however,
Of SSr,yNr
ment by selection.
For ten years, and more, have found wheats
made upon the soil where they are to be raised
far better in every respect than any others,
native or imported. AN now improving all
your California varieties, and find, after two
years, they improve so materially that youl
own farmers cannot recognize them in She;t1
or shelled. take the liberty of sending you
few samples es-numbered-for your farmers
to "guess on" They are sent just as they
came into my room from the thresher they
have not been recleaned nor graded in the
least-only improved by selection for two years
have sown and they are growing NIGEL,
now-this spring lSl different varieties the
seed of which | obtained from every country
in the world and from many islands. Many
receive are winter wheats, which | have con
verted into spring oats. Of all the samples
received, not one was as good or begun to be
as good as the very poorest | now have. The
wheats that are nearest those have improved
came from Oregon.
ItoOk with me thirty-threev varieties to Wash
iogton last January. They were analysed by
the chemist and found to he ''the best he had
ever received or tested" would very mucl
like to have your Prof. IIilgard see the anal
ySes and my wheat, too.
have not written this letter for publication
You may, however, when the opportunity pre-
sents itself, extract some portions of it. We
have lust had three inches of rainfall-an un'
precedented occurrence.-A. E. BLOUNT, ca.
Jorni0 State agricultural College.
BUTTERMILK.-FOr summer beverage
there can be nothing more healthy and
strengthening than buttermilk. 1t is excel
lent for weak and delicate stomachs, and fal
better as a dinner drink than coffee, tea OF
water aud, unlike them, does not retard, but
rather aids, digestion. n celebrated physician
once said that if every one knew the value OF
buttermilk as a drink, it would be more freely
partaNen of by persons who use other beVer
ages so excessively and he further compared
its effects upon the system to the cleaning out
of stove that has been clogged with ashes
that have sifted through, filling up every crew
ice and crack, saying the human system is
like the stove, and collects and gathers refuse
matter that can in no way be eXterminated
from the system so etfectually as by drinking
buttermilk 1t is also Il remedy for indiges'
tion, quiets and sOothes the nerves, and is very
somnolent to those troubled with sleep}essness
Persons who are fond of buttermilk never tire
of singing it's praises, while those not fond OF
it never weary of wondering how some people
drink it. So far as possible, people should
overcome their aversion and learn to use it for
healths sake One gentleman here is so fond
of it, that he will drink three glasses and then
eXclam earnestly, as he sets his glass down,
s'That's food and raiment both" While an
other enthusiast made the statement that
where the liver has become lifeess from tor
pidity and inaction, and is too dead to per-
! form it's functions, buttermilk will cause a
new one to grow in. Whatever exaggerated
statements may have been made concerning
buttermlk, it's medicinal properties cannot be
overrated, and it should be more freely used
by all who can get it. In churning the first
process of digestion is gone through, making
it one of the easiest and quickest of all things
to digest. 1t makes gastric juice and con-
tains properties that assimiate, with no wear
upon the digestive organs.
FARMERS AND POULTRY.-FarmerS have
plenty of room and land to spare on which
fowls may be kept to advantage Cheap houses
! can be built on the premises to Shelter a hun
dred or two birds, that will give them fresh
eggs in abundance Ito Use in the household or
sell for CASH in the right season. There is
very little labor to be performed in the proper
care of a few score of nice fowls during the
breeding season. And a very large per cent
age upon the cost and keeping all told, is the
natural and certain return there may he real
;o,I TO a f.r q lu uruaD
scale, where this business is conducted us it
should be. Why, then, should not our farm
ers avail themselves Of this plainly remnnera-
tive adjunct upon their premises There is
more money in good poultry raising consider
ing it's cost by one-half, to be had annually
than can be- realized from pigs and sheep, on a
farm. And yet the latter are fed and housed
and bred everywhere to the entire neglect, al
most of fowl stock. Our farmers will do well
to look into the merits of this thing. Good
fowls of any of the improved breeds may now
be had at a reasonable price, and we sincerely
recommend the matter to the careful consider
alton of those who have the facilities at hand
to rear good poultry at remunerative rate,
who have neglected this well-laying branch of
rural economy.
WATERING HORsEs.-There is certain
want of common sense and humanity, in the
habit many persons have of watering horses
three times daily. The only reasonable aid
sensible or prudent plan to pursue, is to give
the animals water according to their real
wants. This is different matter from CIV
ing it to them capriciously or according to
their fancy. If we give way to the latter, we
will find the animal becomes as cunning us a
monkey, and will play the old soldier at every
opportunity, pretening to drink and making
lo1io tf nd cl,rinl