The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-08-14
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 Il
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 well 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 20 the expense of buying fresh
seed. 1t is very likely, too, that such
men do not properly plant and care for
the crops-for carelessness in one dircc-
tion is pretty apt to imply carelessness
in all directions-and then he
blames the scotsman. But
the scotsman, it may be,
does not always sell rs good seed as he
should. and even careful grower will
be disappointed. 1t is better to save
our own seed, if we will take the pains
to make II 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 plants? 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
replant such seed. Unless the plant it
produces is perfect, seed from the plant
can not reasonably be expected to give
satisfaction. 1t often requires many
years of selection 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 isalways do
sirable, too, that fruit and vegetables
should be as nearly uniform in ap-
pearance rs it is possible to have
them. A very considerable de-
gree of uniformity can be in
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 rs corn there is so much careless
ness that several varieties are often
mixed, to its dctriment as a salable
commodity.
Productlveness is matter that no
one need be told should be regarded.
A productive plant, rs we'll rs 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 productiyeness. The same is
true of plants. Now this difference
can not be explained, but the demon
stratcd fact is before us, and the best
we can do is to recognize 1t and select
our seed from the best, 1t is not mfre.
quently the case that tho difference in
| yield Is attributed to other causes,
when rs matter of fact the difference
in the quality of seed is the sole cause.
Let Ms prepare To save good seed this
season. - Western R,lru.