The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-31
InproVinC Seeds.

Improving Seeds.
Many farmers, Says the american Agri-
culturiSt. are too much given to buying
novelties in seeds. 1t may be advisable to
change seeds occasionally, out the constant
changing of varieties from season to season,
in the hope of getting perfection, is as alb
surd as it is expensive. No judicious poul-
tryman will charge from Plymouth Rocks
to Leghorns one year, 10 Langshans the
next, the Red Caps the next, and so on
through the catalogue, simply because he
successfully reads about tAe fine perform
ances Of these breeds or secs them in gor-
geous array at the county fair. He first de-
| termineS what he wants chickens for
whether for eggs or flesh, market or home
use-and after careful investigation selects
the breed best suited to his purpose, adher-
| ing to them year after year, culling and
| improving, until he builds up strain of his
own which suits him better than any other
strain of that or any other breed. The wise
breeder of cattle or horses pursues the same
method; why should it not he best for the
farmer in the matter Of seed? The variety
of corn which produces such mammoth
| y
and skepticism, was built up by judicious
culling, improving and selection.
| [ know Texas farmer who has succeeded
in establishing variety Of oats which yields
enormously in his particular locality. l
| know others who have each done the same
with corn, cotton, peas and Irish potatoes
In each of these cases good, healthy va
riety was first selected, which, from close
and intelligent observation, gave promise
| of desired results. Then, besides the main
crop, there was special seed plat planted.
| This seed plat was cultivated like flower
garden. and only the best plants selected
for another years seed plat. BY repeating
this process for few years, eliminating I'M
| desirable and encouraging desirable ten
| denotes, the variety was established and be-
came famous.
In the improvement of corn, for instance,
there should be seed plat sufficiently remote
| from the main crop to prevent interpolleni-
cation. 1t should receive the most careful
and prudent ltivation-presuming, of
course, that the ground is naturally or arti-
fcially fertile, and adapted for corn. Be-
fore the tassels appear, go through the corn
and remove the topfrom all dwarf or IN
promising stalks. When the ear begins to
! form, go through again and mark all we'll
| fTuited stalks or those which make the near
est approach to your ideal. At maturity
make third selection rejecting all marked
stalks which have fallen short of the re-
| quired attainment And when the choice
ears are finally gathered, there should be
still another selection CT the best. These
''refiued" seeds may be planted the next
year in another seed plat and the same pro-
cess of selection repeated This, continued
for few years, will soon establish a variety
which VIII suit your purpose better than
anybody's mammoth" or ''prolific."
Meanwhile careful selection of seeds for
TIE main crop will have kept it up to at
least an average yield, and the surplus of
the seed plat will go directly into seed for
the main crop or into the bin, without the
/ slightest loss.
This is troublesome, of course, but it
pays. Any intelligent farmer-and no
other kind will succeed-may build up
| standard varieties which will suit his eli
mate, soil. purposes and market demands
better than high-priced seeds which he may
| buy from remote sections of the country,
end which may have been grown under con
ditions unknown or impossible to him. He
may develop early varieties, or varieties
suited to any particular purpose. 1t is all
| a matter of intelligent obser walton and
painstaking attention. Besides filing his
own seed orders and getting something
which suits him exactly, the farmer who
follows this plan will find his seeds in de-
mand throughout the neighborhood. county
or state and it is not at ell improbable that
| they will become source Of considerable
revenue. But better than all, he begins to
see the opportunities for improvement and
to fall in love with the operations Of ma
ture. From plodding toiler he becomes an
enthusiastic cultivator; from blind clod
hopper he becomes wide-awake farmer.
then to one he will soon begin to improve his
stock, mend his fences. brighten up himself,
make his family more comfortable, and in
every way develop into better man and
better citizen. There is no shadow of doubt
that he will make more money-and that is
what we are after.