Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1882-10-05
PRESERVATION OF SEED.

w. D. Philbrck, in the Neap ENGLAND
Farmer, writes: .". %" ~.."
The season for the ripc,ng of seeds be-
ing at hand. a few words about their selec-
ton, preparation anH preservation will be
acceptable to those NOT familiar with the art
of raising them. ".#
.''En The first place. only the best specimens
of. each kind should be saved and all inferior
ones rejected this is easy enough with such
plants as squashes, rncnmbers. tomatoes,
melons. etc. care being useh only to save
thu earliest. taireSt and most perfect spec-
mes. The seed should he allowed TO ripeu
thoroughly before taking it from the fruit.
which will require some weeks with sgnashes
after taking them from the vine; tomatoes
are itared in the sun for few days, and
melon sceds may be ,aken directly the melon
is iii ,o eat; seeds yot this nature, having a
6"Siy pulp. are a>,aliy cleanedby allowing
then, 10 terment in water for day or two.
when the pulp will easily wash off. after
which the seed is spread upon q sheet in the
Sunshine 10 dry. Sometimes the fermenta-
ton is allowed to 60 too far and the seed Is
spoiled, hence some care and experience are
needed to clean seed in this way and some
persons prefer to wash the seed directly
from the pulp without fermening. This in
sures good seed, but it is amost impossible
to make il perfectly clean without ferment-
ing. -"0
The seeds of the squash and all vines
easily mix with others of the same family
in the neighborhcod, SO that when a variety
be planted quite remote from any Others OF
the same family. The mixing is done BY
the bees, who carry the pollen from tloMrt
to flower, often quarter of mile. 1t j.
quite difficult To grow good squash seed
near pumpkin field for this reason, aud
not more than one kind of melon or cucum-
ber can be grown in the same field, and have
seed pure.
Tomatoes. corn and beans mix less read
lily, but should be kept separate by some
rods when pure seed is required.
Seeds off the vines keep longer if moi
allowed to freeze they will preserve their
vitality tive or six years, if kept in a warm
dry place. A closet near chimney is
good place, and since mice and rats are very
fond of such tldbits as melon seeds, it will
be advisable to lock them up in a tin chest
or other rat proof arrangement. know of
nothing so provoking as to find some paper
of ioice seed all shelled out by the mice just
at planting time, when it is often iapossi-
BILE to replace it, and when delay is always
vexsatious and expensive.
"When saving seeds OF beets, cabbage.
turnp, ETC., those who are most particular
reject all but the seed grown on the leading
stem Beet seed is cleaned by threshing,
sitting and picking over to get out the sticks
L. varies much in size, and should be separ-
ated by sieve in order to have it run evenly
through the seed drill, for it is the most
troublesome OF all seed to sow evenly.
.Seeds of all kinds keep best in dry
even temperature. When to be kept in large
lots they may be put in bags and hung from
the ceiling of the room, to keep them from
the mice Most seeds are good for from
two to five years. If carefully kept; onion
seed, however, is very inferior after the first
wear. and worthless after the second. When
old seed is to be used, it should be tested by
sowing a counted lot in hot-bed or other
suitable place, and counting the number of