Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-08-05
SAVING SEED.

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
full to save good seed for another sea-
son. The carelessness of preserving
seed is notorious fact. While it is a
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 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 drec-
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 a careful grower will
be disappointed. 1t is better to save
our own seed, if we will take the pains
to make a careful selection, for then we
will know precisely what we have, and
may reasonably expect that we will get
what we want another year. 1t is 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 Il 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. 1t often requires many
years of selection- breeding, some call it
to invest seed with permahence 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 always 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 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 as corn there is SO much careless
| ness that several varieties are often
| mixed, to its detriment as a salable
commodity.
/ Productiveness is Il matter that no
one need be told should be regarded.
A productive plant, as well Us pro-
ductive 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
true of plants Now this difference
can mot 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. 1t is not unfre-
ouentlv the case that the difference in
Weld is attributed to other causes,
when as a matter of fact the difference
in the quality of seed is the sole cause.
Let us prepare to save good seed this
season. Western Rural.