Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-06-29

Il FARMERS would, IN inc long run
be the gamers if they would eacl
year gather with the grain cradle ant
thrash by hand with fail on a clear
barn floor, sufficient wheat for seed
selecting the best growth in theil
fields, and letting it stand until per
fectly ripe, taking that which seems
to be earliest in ripening.-Breeders
Gazette.
To do this much toward securing
better seed is better than to do moth.
ing. But will it not be better yet to
take little more pains and trouble,
and secure far better results ? Let
US suggest a plan which, though
somewhat more troublesome than the
above, is not beyond the reach of any
active, wide-awake farmer in the
country-and will be certain, in the
long run, to repay many times its
cost: During the cutting of the
wheat, or the hauling in, or both, Sc
lect a number of the finest and ripest
heads, sufficient to make bushel or
more of cleaned grain. The job is not
nearly so formidable as it looks on
paper, and can be easily accomplish
ed. Selected in this way, it will be
of the very best of your crop, and
free of all foul seeds-absolutely
clean. A little extra pains in thresh-
ing and cleaning it will keep it so.
Now select an acre of the best wheat
land on your farm, give it fair coat
of stable manure, and after thorough
preparation of it by early blowing,
and repeated harrowings and rolling,
make it still better by the broadcast
application of 250 pounds each of
bone dust and some one of the best
superphosphates. Harrow it well,
and on this drill the wheat early
enough to secure a good stand before
winter. This will furnish you next
years seed, and from it should be
selected the finest and best for seed
patch for that year, and so on. All
this involves some extra work and
care, we know, but not a great deal,
and is amply repaid. You must have
your seed flom some source, and the
acre thus carefully treated will, in
all probability, furnish more grain
for this purpose than any one acre of
your regular crop, which can be
saved for market. The little addi-
tional pains-taking will result in
very great improvement in the quail
ity of your seed, to be transmitted,
in turn, to the entire crop of the fol-
lowing year. This is not mere theory,
nor is it written by "fancy farmer"
nor a "city editor" for the purpose
of filling up his paper. 1t is advice
given to busy and practical farmers
by one Of the busiest and most prac-
tical among them, and does not 90
one whit beyond what he practices
himself In fact, it is simply reia-
tion of our own methods, and is
written Immediately after thorough
ly going over our own seed patch of
three and half acres, and pulling
out the punches of rye which by
some mischance put in their unwel-
come appearance. The wheat sown
was supposed to be perfectly clean,
and the appearance Of the rye is no
evidence against this, as the seed,
may have been in the ground. Pos
sibly an occasional bunch of cackle
may show itself in the same way.
When it is in bloom, and easily seen,
we shall again go over the piece, very
carefully pulling any that may be
found, and thus expect to have seed
for next falls sowing, which shall
be fully matured, full of vigor and
vitality, absolutely free from all foul
ness. There is nothing in oil this
which may not be easily put in prac-
tice by every thorough-going farmer
in the land, and we are quite safe in
saying that If the practice were uni.
versally adopted, millions of dollars,
in the aggregate, would be annually
added to the profits of the wheat
crop of the country. Begin now, by
making the selection of some of the
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