The Arizona sentinel., 1886-08-21
SAVING SEED.
Timely Hints to Those Who Desire to
 Have Good Crops Next Season.

Timely Hints to Those Who Desire to
 Have Good Crops Next Season.
 We think it well to call the attention of the readers to the need of being care ful to save good seed for another sea- son. The carelessness of preserving seed is a notorious fact. While it is well-understood fact that like in the vegetable world practically produces like, in thousands of cases, seed is just as likely to be saved from poor as from good specimens, and then the seed that is gathered is not we'll taken care of. The result is disappointment in the next years crop and finally the conclusion is reached that the particular variety was run out with the grower, and he goes to the expense of buying fresh seed. It is very likely, too, that such men do not properly plant and care for the crops-for carelesSneSs in one direc- ton is pretty apt to imply carelessness in all directions-and then he planes the scotsman. But the scotsman, it may be, does not always sell as good seed as he should, and even a careful grower will be disappointed. It is better to save our own seed, if we will take the pains to make careful selection, for then we will know precisely what we have, and may reasonably expect that we will get what we want another year. Itis folly to save the seed of weak plants. By what process of reasoning can we expect strong plants from the seeds gathered from such plantsP Seed has natural tendency to degenerate, and that ten dency must be combated, and it can be combated only by making careful selec- ton. Some seed plainly shows that it has no permanence of characteristics. We plant it and it produces something that in some marked particular is not what we expected. Now it is folly to replant such seed. Unless the plant it produces is perfect, seed from the plant can not reasonably be expected to give satisfaction. It often requires many years of selection-b breeding, some call it. to invest seed with permanence of char acteristics. The term pedigree has been attached to seed, and not inappro- priately. If variety can be clearly traced back through the different stages of its origin, its history may add much to the degree of esteem in which it is held.
 The carrot is frequently referred to to show what care in the selection of seed will do and what carelessness in the same direction may result in. If the seed of carrot is not carefully pre- served it will actually turn into weed, and though plants in general will retain their distinctive character under neglect much better than the carrot will, still there is an unmistakable tendency to degenerate. In the selection of seed, too. we should have an eye to early ma- turity. The plants that mature the earliest are the ones from which the seed should be selected. 1t is salways de- sirable. too. that fruit and vegetables should be as nearly uniform in ap- pearance as it is possible to have them. A very considerable de- gree of uniformity can be ln- sured by selecting seed from the plants that are uniform. There is very great carelessness frequently in this particu- lar. Even in selecting such common seed as corn there is so much careless ness that several varieties are often mixed, to its detrlment as a salable commodity.
 Productiveness is a matter that no one need be told should be regarded. A productive plant, as we'll as pro- ductve variety, should be the one selected for seed. Certain trees are more fruitful than others which seem to be equally as favorably situated, and everything points to the conclusion that such trees have within themselves superior productiveness. The same is tue of plants. Now this difference can not be explained, but the demon strated fact is before us, and the best we can do is to recognize it and select our seed from the best It is not unfre- quently tbe case that the difference in yield is attributed to other causes, when as matter of fact the difference in the quality of seed is the sole cause. 1! Let us prepare to save good seed this season. Western Rural,