River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-12-09

BOOKS FOR THE FARM HOME.
IL would he impossible, Of course, to lay down
any rigid rules in regard to the amount or quail
ty Of the reading matter which should find a
place in the farmers home. That must depend
in part upon circumstances and in part upon
individual tastes. The means Of majority OF
those VINO derive the In sole income from farm
land will aot admit Of extensive libraries much
less OF rare and costly bound books 1t is vain
also to expect in library necessarily 50 re-
stricted any number of the profounder and tech
meal works which are designed more especially
for specialists and men OF scholarly leisure.
One thing. however is certain, to amount and
quality, that a few books, of sound, wholesome
character are more desirable than rOomful Of
the weak and insipid stuff that goes in the name
( OF literature. The best books are just as cheap
in these days the worst ones, and just as cast
{ Is obtained. When for a dime one may puT-
/ chase play of Shakespeare, or a poem of Mil
4 ton, and for the sum of one dollar may obtain
4 possession Of the entire works OF Plutarch and
johnson. there is no manner Of excuse for re-
stricting ones mental diet TO patent medicine
/ almanacs or thin and washy stOry-papers. 1t is
better, cay, to have very cheap books, IL they
are good than TO have none at all, but it is bet
ter still, when the purse viii admit Of II, to have
I books which are soidly bound in stout, durable
I covers books which may be read again and
again. lent aud borrowed without danger Of
falling to pieces or wearing out. Al hooks
which are really worth buying and reading are
worth keeping, worth handing down to ones
/ children from generation to generation. The
world will never outgrow Goldsmith and Scott,
4 or Longfelow and Bancroft, and no mistake
can be made in laying in a stock Of such reading
which shall endure for more than one life time.
CROP IMPROVEMENT FROM tEcTED SEED.
During a recent trip to the state experiment
station at Geneva, the importance Of greater
care in the selection OF seeds for crops, was
forcibly brought to mind by the result OF eX-
periments made with wheat and potatoes, where
by great improvement in yield has been made
by repeatedly selecting the best and most proif-
ic seed With all products grown on the farm,
there appears to be room for improvement by
greater care in selecting seed. Florists ant
seedsmen are greatly in advance Of farmers IN
this elton, having brought flowers and veg
etables ~ a state Of great improvement simply
1 by SEED selection followed carefully through q
/ term Of years There is no reason why farmers
generally should not exercise the same care in
selecting seed for our staple farm crops.
At the state farm. a variety OF wheat obtained
from a neghboring farm, which averaged AZ
| kernels to the head, improved by sci citing
during tie ensuing five years to an average nf
| ~ kernels to the head. Similar results have
been secure with potatoes. simply by saving
the best tubers from the most prolific hills for
| seed. These results demonstrate the impor-
| lance of care in selecting seeds. 1t is possible
/ that greater improvement may be made with
potatoes and other products through the pro-
| cess of selection above referred to, than by
I means of producing seedlings from old varieties.
A variety Of potato will not "run ont'' or deteri-
CRATE if care is exercised in selecting the tnbers
| to be used as seed: but on the contrary, il APP
pears that il may be tins improved. The same
i true Of all products, and who can estimate the
! increase in production that would result from q
| uniform system Of seed selection followed by
the farmers througout the cOuntry?-G. 4
/ Jr, IN Country Gentleman.
| ors