Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-10-04

Dailu Kennebrl 3ournal.
A Talk on Seeds.

About the first thing to be thought of il
one contemplates planting crop or gar
den is the seed. What kind of seed am l
going to plant? Is it true to nameP viii
it all or at least a large percentage of it
germinate These are questions which
every farmer or gsrdeaer should ask him.
self before putting any seed into the
ground, and if. after due investigation.
any of the seed which is about to be plant
ed does not appear satisfactory in every
respect it should be discarded and thrown
away. One may make his land black
with dressing and bring it up to the high:
est state of fertility possible, vet if infe-
rior seed is planted. crops will give
poor returns and much labor will
be wasted.
1t is fact which cannot be successfully
denied that a very large percentage of the
seed placed upon the market by certain
dealers. will not germinate, and it is not
unusual to find much that is not true to
name. We do not hold, by any means,
that all seedsmen are unscrupulous. for
there are many reliable ones. vet it is a
great temptation to them to mix old seed
which is past terminating with that which
is fresh, and thereby increase their profits.
That this is often done there can be no
doubt, and it is cheat which is difficult
to detect. Several years since seed bought
from dealers was tested in New York and
so per cent of it found to be spurious
Taking these facts into consideration, il
would be well for farmers to have some
other source of obtaining their seeds other
than from the dealers alone. In short,
they should raise part of their seed them
selves, especially the seed for the plant
ing of those crops which are specialities
with them. To do this is comparatively
easy matter. although of course ii
would be impraclicable to raise
on a farm all of the many varieties
enumerated in the catalogues and keep
them true to name.
As this is the season when crops and
seed are ripening, perhaps few hints in
regard to selecting and harvesting seeds
would not come amiss. Cucumber. melon,
squash and tomato seed should all receive
about the same treatment. As soon as
ripe the fruit should be opened and the
pulp with the seed removed and placed in
a vessel where it should be allowed
to ferment from two to three davs.
after which the seed must be thoroughly
washed out of the liquor and placed on
shutters to dry. Turnip seed must be
gathered early in the morning to avoid
shelling out Onion seed Is hard to sepa.
rate from the heads and requires a good
deal of threshing. Beet seed should be
harvested and the stalks cut before the
seed gets too dry.
All seeds have much brighter appear
ance when harvested as soon as ripe, than
when allowed to be weather-beaten.
Hence, while all seeds should be fully
matured, il is also important to gather
them as soon as ripe. The threshing of
seeds must be carefully done, to avoid
breaking with the fail and grinding un-
der foot. Washing should be done in the
early part of clear day, that the seeds
shall not be long wet with water. lest some
may sprout and hence be spoiled.
In growing seeds from roots it is best to
make several cuttings, as the seeds ripen
unevenly. Roots for a next years crop
can handily be selected now, and stored
in the cellar apart from the main crop.
None, other than the finest specimens
should be chosen. Never shave the tops
of beets off too close, for if cut off snug
the roots will decay and will not sprout
in the spring. Different varieties OF the
same genus of vegetables, must not, as a
rule, be grown contiguous to each other.
for they will mix.