West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-03-15
FARMERS ITEMS.
Care in Selectin g Seed.

From an article under this head,
in the Examiner and Chronicle, by
G. F. Needham, we take She follow
ing, which farmers will do we'll to
note: 4 x
Then, too, why are our melons so
very poor? The answer is obvious
pains are not taken to save the best
seed Here is case in point.
Some years since a Mr.. Hunter re-
ceived from abroad some choice mel
on seeds. These were planted, and
only the largest and best of the
melons were reserved for seed. For
more than twenty years this mode
of selecting has been carried on.
The result is not only the very
finest of fruit, but the seed sells
readily for three dollars per pound,
while common seeds are a drug at
fifty cents, and dear at that price.
saw not long since a stalk of
Indian corn bearing ten good ears.
Of course this thousand per cent
increase comes from selecting the
seed; at first from a stalk bearing
two good ears, then from one bear
ing four, and SO on, until the grand
result was reached.
/ have so often heard farmers say,
eff l can get one good ear on each
stalk | will be satisfied" Such
farmers are not very particular as
to what they plant, and will buy
the corn they want to plant from a
neighbours crib. How can the crop
be otherwise than poor? Is not
this one reason why growing corn
has become SO poor and unremun-
crative business
In a similar way seed wheat may
be improved, Winnow and screen
100 bushels of wheat until you get
one bushel of the largest and
plumpest grains. Do this for sew
eral years, and you will have seed
that will yield a hundred-yes, a
thousand fold!
Mr.. Daniel E. Rogers, President
of the Western New York Farmers
Club, said recently that sheep have
always been his principal stock,
for he knows there is profit in them
There is no stock, he thinks, that
will stand so much neglect and
keep on so short allowance of food
as sheep. What he receives from
his sheep is mostly profit, for he
makes them work for their living
in cleaning up the fallows in sum-
mer, and working up the straw and
chaff from the wheat in winter 81
like the Sheep" he added, "for they
helped me out of trouble when I
most needed it by clearing off the
mortgages on my farm, and left me
an Independent and happy man"
Every garden, says Libby's Foaoer
Garden, should have a clump of
lilies. They are easily cultivated,
and require but little attention
The bulbs should be planted five or
six inches deep, and covered in the
fall with coarse manure. The fol-
lowing varieties are recommended
as desirable: Aurotana, the famous
gold-banded lily from Japan; Cam
didum, the old common white, but
still one Of the best Broaonii, trum-
pet-shaped, rich purple on the out
side, cream-white within; La1aci-
foliun album, white; Rubrum,
white and red; and Enimium a
large white flower of exquisite
shape.
The following figures give some
idea of the wide use already made
of commercial fertilizers in this
country, the of use which is sure to
be largely increased in the near flu
ture: In Georgia the consumption
of fertilizers in 1881 was 1852, AGA
tons: in North Carolina, over 3d.
600 tons in Virginia, 10000 tons J;
in Pennsylvania, over $4,000 tons
in New Jersey, over 10000 tons; in
New York, over $4,000 tons; in
Ohio, Is, 900 tons in New England,
more than $4,000. The annual
consumption in the Atlantic and
Middle States is estimated at not
less than 100000 tons.
In the year 1879 there were S,763
sheep, valued at s97, PIT, killed by
dogs in Ohio, and 23,625 injured,
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