Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-20
OF pure water and clean food they will
soon be able to take care Of themselves.
sam. A. Cook.
-Hid,edy, near NiIledgeriile. Ga.
Comparative Yield and Weight of Eggs
Improvement OF Vegetables.

But for the continued efforts of enter.
1 prising seedsmen and hOrticulturists our
vegetables would gradually deteriorate
and revert to the original varieties from
which they were produced. Farmers ard
gardeners who do not make speciality of
Improvement can form no estimate of the
time, patience care and labor required
in the production of new variety, nor
of the numerous failures that occur be-
fore the variety is deemed worthy of a
place among others.
The tomato, which nearly rivals the ap-
pie in smOOthness and firmness, was al
most despised half century ago; but the
Trophies, Acmes, Projections and Para
CONS of to-day are esteemed as the most
valuable of our garden vegetables. Mr..
I Livingston, VINO gave us the Acme. Para
gOn and Perfection, began his work of
improvement thirty years ago, and, alter
selecting seed from the choicest for ten
years, was hut little nearer the accom-
plishment of his purpose thar when he
began; but he did not despair and made
new experiments, finally determining to
select his seed from the smallest but best
formed and SmoOthest specimens. He
was led to adopt this plan by observing
mat the small specimens were uniformly
OF better quality than the larger. Hay-
ing gained quality he gradually increased
the size, and with one good variety as a
foundation he had less difficulty i'm Origi-
mating others. He was compelled to grow
his tomatoes at a distance from inferior
kinds, for large number of failures arise
from overlooking this precautiOn in saving
seeds. The efforts of Mr.. Livingston eX-
tended over period of thirty yea, 8, with
no patent to protect his improvements.
and yet the value of his efforts to the far
mers and gardeners cannot be estimated.
Had every farmer been as determined as
he in perleCting crops of vegetables and
fruits the value Of our agricultural pro-
du:tions at present could not be COM
puted.
The value Of the wheat crop Of this
country has been increased millions Of
dollars by the patient selection CT Il few
choice heads of wheat annually bY Mr.
FultZ, Of Lancaster county. PennsyIva-
na-nOt that the Fultz wheat is at pre-
sent more extensively cultivated than any
other, but it opened a new era in wheat
selection and Improvement, and laid the
foundation upon which our varieties of
wheat have been elevated to the highest
standard of excellence and prOliticness.
In like manner the careful selection Of
seed corn has made possible the heavy
yield Of 100 bushels or more per acre.
Gregory, wi his close AMI constant
attention to the work of vegetable I'M
prOyement, gave us the Hubbard squash
and Marblehead cabbage, while Rogers,
with mis- annual new varieties OF grapes,
and Goodrich, with his experiments at
potato improvement, have been of inVal-
uaDle service to the country. LawtOn.
with so insignificant a fruit as was the
blackberry at the time he began his eX-
periments, opened a new field in fruit
growing. Had it not been for patient and
persistent efforts, after many discourage
ments, we would not to-day possess the
Bartlett pear, Crawford peach, Concord
grape nor Sharpless strawberry. The
Acme, Paragon and Trophy tomatoes
would be unknown but for careful selec-
ton, and we would have no Early Rose,
PeachblOw, Snowflake and Peerless pota-
toes but for repeated and persistent eX-
peTimeuts.
Every farmer is in duty bound to per-
form his share Of the work of improve
ment. Ii each would strive to make bis
crops superior by care and judgment in
selection, the chances OF better varieties
would be increased in proportion, with
the advantage in their favor of what may
be termed the ''chance success of dis
covering Il vegetable here and there far
superior to any others known. A wide
field is open to farmers in this direction
PhilddeiDhid Record.