The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-03-05

II
flue, curing fairly successful, but poo
|. judgment and q sleepy dor't car
r disposition can seldom succeed, an
II then circumstances will do it for hin
Vi These remarks apply, Of course, I
J, line crops in the house.
!, Yours very truly,
D CREED M. BIRD,
Carpenters Post Office,
Putnam County, w. Va.
How to Improve Old Varietis,
OF Tobacco Seed and De-
i vel0p New Ones.
i 1 trust may 10 pardoned for re,
counting some of my experience in
the tobacco-seed business, By way q
! illustrating the subject under discuss
sion.
Passing through a field Of tobacco
more than 30 years ago, which was
under the management OF an over
seer, Mr.. Vim. I. Terry, a man Of
more than ordinary intelligence and
success as q tobacco planter, | noticed
q number Of singular. looking seed.
heads on some Of the largest and
best-deyeloped plants in the field.
with round, bunchy tops, bearing
fewer and larger capsules than usual
differing from anything Of the
kind / had ever seen -hsfose--snd 4 |
inquired Of Mr.. Terry what caused
the peculiar, compact, punched an.
pearance OF the seed-heads and ex.
iraordinarily large capsules, and be |
informed me that these seed-heads |
were trimmed early in development |
OF all the lateral thyrsi, leaving only |
three or fur at the crown TO bloom |
and bear capsules, and that the ends
Of these thyrsi were clipped of all
blooms appearing after the 6rst Of
September. thus presenting none but
perfect capsnles, fewer than usual in
number, punched on the crown thyrsi
Is before described.
A START IN IMPROVEMENT.
My mind at once took in the. sra.
'ionale' OF the practice-a selection OF
he best plants for seed-stocks, and.
" pruning the thyrsi as described,
hroWing the whole force of the seed
'lants into the formation of fewer
nd larger capsules, bearing seeds OF
igher vitality, with more certainty
{ reproducing the peculiar good
uality o,the parent seed -plants-and I
applied at once TO Mr.. Terry for
ONE Of bis tobacco seed thus grown.
'hich he kindly furnished, and the
uperior crop grown therefrom during 7
Ne next year gave practical and un- g
listakable evidence Of the utility of .
lr. Terry's method Of growing 10.
acco seed, and / have been practic. .
% il ever since, adding from time 10 {
me improved methods Of my owr. 9
they were developed by experience. J
rHE NEW AND IMPROVED METHODS =
ere based 6rst on CONTIGUOUS sele,- I,
ons for seed stocks, the earliest -
ost vigorous, and best.shaped plants, a,
wing leaves Of the incest form and =
lest hbres, and with strict reference 4
the development Of qualities which = =
ould best adapt them 10 the popular n,
pes. Then, in order 10 carry selec. = :,
jns 10 its highest limit, the earliest. r, r
rgest, and best-formed capsules a,
re carefully selected from year TO n
ar, as stock seed for growing seed !. =
ants; and then crop fertilizing the : I
Iest varieties BY hybridization, 81
th reference 10 uniting In the by. - -
id the best qualities inherent In the Il.
rent varieties and breeding out the -
jectionable one; and. lastly, i'm ys
ovement Of the new varieties By 60. =.
,tion carried on through select - -
ants. and the earliest formed and ~
q capsules on them for use on the
cd farm.
The aboye~described methods, car.
d on through q series Of years.
ling the earliest and best capsules
IN selection Of $4,000 seed stoks -,
use as propagating seed on the w
Tco tobacco-seed farm, have i'm.
rted TO Raglandis seeds qualities u,
ich are unexcelled In all the essen. ~
! repuisites of fiirst-class seed for