Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-11-10
Seed Wheat for the South.
Cor. Southern World.

Inc notion has long prevailed that
Southern wheat growers should, by all
means, get seed wheat from a northern
climate-at least every three or four
years. The notion is based upon the
assumption that wheat is more at home
and reaches greater perfection in the
North than in the South. Admitting,
for the moment, that the assumption is
true, let us see if the fact furnishes any
real argument in favor of Northern
seed for Southern wheat fields. 1t is
well known that the chief obstacle to
growing wheat in the South is its la
bilty to be destroyed or greatly injured
by rust. 1t is equally well known,
from observation and experience, that
the occurrence of warm, moist weather
at certain stage of the crop, seems to
greatly favor the development Of rust.
In our sea coast counties it is next to
impossible to grow crop of wheat,
owing to the prevailing moist, warm
atmosphere and soil. Rust almost in
variably destroys the crop, whenever
any effort is made to produce it. In
the bill country Of Georgia, the Caro-
linas, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee,
as well as in more northern States, the
general surface is more elevated and
the air is drier. Hence we find that
wheat is much less subject to rust and
very fine crops are frequently grown.
The result is probably more owing to
the greater dryness of the atmosphere
than to any other cause since the
weather is equally as warm during
wheat harvest in the North as it is IN
the extreme South. In the Gulf States
we find it impossible to control the con-
dition of the air as to moisture, but we
can measurably control the tempera-
ture by inducing earlier npening. To
do this we must have a variety of
wheat that will mature very quickly.
This fact is we'll understood throughout
the South. There is a practical limit
to early sowing to bring about early
ripening, since if sown too early in the
fall the fly will be likely to destroy it.
We are therefore shut up to variety
of seed that may be sown about the
first of November, or about the period
of the first killing frost, and which will
develop rapidly and mature early in
the spring or summer. Our wheat
must be cut within six or seven months
after seeding. The question then is
where to look for seed that will meet
this condition. In New York or Ohio
wheat is sown in August or September
and the harvest occurs in June or July,
the crop occupying the ground about
ten months. 1t is well known that
plants of all kinds are greatly affected
by habit, so that any plant that has
long been accustomed by force of cir
cumstances to occupy certain perioC
for its full development will not prompt
ly change this period when surrounded
by different circumstances. Wheat il
no exception to the rule, and we fine
that when Northern seed wheat tina
has been in the habit-so to speak-o
requiring ten months from seeding tim'
to harvest, will not readily conform tt
the Southern allowance of only sever
or eight months. Hence we SHOULD
expect a field of wheat in Georgi
from Maryland or New York seed, t
ripen later than a field sown at tn
same time with Southern grown seed
We conclude, therefore, that South
ern seed wheat is better for our us
than Northern; and that by part
of reasoning we should look to tn
countries south of us for new and earl
er varieties of wheat. But there is al
other reason why we should go Sout
for seed. In countries where rust
the great enemy to be feared, local 81
lection of seed will always be mad
with reference thereto, and there wi
be illustrated the principle of the "sur
vival OF the fttest."
If it was desired to colonize the re
gions near the North Pole, reason an
observation would teach us to draw re
cruits from Sweden or Canada, rattle