The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1886-09-17
SAVING SEED.

Have Good Crops Next Season.
We think it well to call the attention
Of the readers to the need of being care
full to save good seed for another sea-
son. The carelessness of preserving
seed is q notorious fact While it is
well-understood fact that like in the
vegetable world practically produces
like, in thousands of cases. seed is just
Is 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 to 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 direc-
ton 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 as 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 q careful selection, for then we
will know precisely what we have, and
may reasonably expect that we will get
what we want another year. tits folly to
save the seed of weak plants. BY what
process of reasoning can we expect
strong plants from the seeds gathered
from such plantsa Seed has a natural
tendency to degenerate, and that ten
dency must be combated. and it can be
combated only by making careful selec-
ton. Some seed pla' nly 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. 1t often requires many
years Of selection-breeding. some call it
70 invest seed with permanence of char
acteristics. The term. pedigree has
been attached to seed, and not inappro-
priately. II q 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 10
show what care in the selection of seed
win do and what carelessness in the
same direction may result in. II the
Sod 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 il an unmistakable tendency to
degenerate. In the selection Of seed,
too, we should have an eye to early ms
turity. The plants that mature the
earliest are the ones from which the
seod should be selected. It is always de-
sirable, too, that fruit and vegetables
should be 8 nearly uniform in ap-
pcarance as it ID possible to have
fhem. A very considerable de-
erce 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 g corn there is 30 much careless
ness that several varieties are often
mixed, to its detriment IS salable
commodity.
Produetiveness Is . matter that no
ono ned Be told should be regarded
A productive plant as well IS . pro-
ductive variety, should be the one
selected for seed. Certain trees ere
more fruitful than others which seem to
b equally - favorably situated. and
~vsrvthinv pointa 70 the conclusion that
- tres have within themselves
superior productiyenesa The same d
frne q plants. Now this difference
EN- not b explained, but the demon
strstsd fact Il before us. and the best
Ne can do 10 to recognize it and select
eur ssed from the besk Il ID not unfre-
ouently the case that tho differences in
yield b attributed to other causes,
vhen q matter Of fact the differences
| = tie quality Of Sod is the sole cause.
Let - prepare to save good soed- thu
aoason.-Wsetes~ Rsrek