St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-09-09
FARMER AND PLANTER.
SEED DEVELOPMENT,

S66O OeveSOU eNus
lions Must 30 Favorable fer Its Prodnc
tion.
have never believed in the theory ol
small samples to propagate good varie
ties. have never found the best re
suits to come from what is known q
''seed potatoes" My experience with
all vegetation is. a with the animal
kingdom. the most mature. well-devel.
oped stock produces the best result
This is not only experience. hut il IL
common sense as well as philosophy.
We do not select the ''scrawny." de
formed. ill-shapen COW. hog or horse
to produce for MS the animals we are
to mature for use. Nor the ugly. i'll.
shapcn twig to make for Ms . beat
tiful. wcll-grown tree. Why then
should we take long. small. slim
sweet potato. like rat-tail file. to
grow fine crops of tubers. or small,
shrivclcd grains of wheat, oats or corn
10 make perfect specimens of these
crops?
No. let ms change these ideas and re-
pudiate them as false and hurtful. and
expect perfect crops only from perfect
seed.
There are certain conditions 10 be
followed to grow perfect seed.
First The seed used, of course, 10
produce them, we have already argued,
should be as near perfect rs may be OBJ
tanned.
Second. They should be planted in
suita bic, fertile soil.
Third. They should be we'll and
properly fed and titled.
Fourth. They should be perfectly
mature and fully ripe.
Fifth. They should be gathered un.
der favorable conditions and properly
housed and cared for until needed.
The conditions for vegetable growth
are quite the same as for animal. How.
ever, perfect the animal when dropped,
it can be dwarfed and made perfectly
useless, II improperly or scantily fed.
So with perfect seed put into poor soil.
devoid Of plant food in itself
or having it scantily furnished
to it. II is highly important.
therefore, to know the elements
that enter the growth and develop.
ment Of plants. and to know how much
of these elements can be found in the
given soil and how many of them. and
how much Of each kind must he sup
piled by the farmer. Hence. scientific
men are constantly giving to MS the
analysis Of plants and suggesting or
naming the proper food elements for
their growth and development. Such
is valuable for s,iccess,
and I fear not properly appreciated by
those for whom il is prepared.
Again, I can not believe that an inn
mature seed. devoid Of any given ele-
ment. can furnish that element to the
seeds grown from it. This accounts for
the dcgcneracy among our crops. just
as weakness naturally comes from
animals that are themselves deficient
in vital force, until the generations alb
run out and the family diea
have been astonished at the methods
Of some farmers in housing their crops.
Cotton seed, from which the succeed
ing crop is to be grown. arc gathered
damp. and after ginning, are
thrown into large heaps and al
lowed to go through . sweat, just rs
hurtful 10 their vital force as any
damage that can come to them in their
growth and maturity. Quite a good
deal the same management is given all
other kinds of seed.
The crops on the farms are now ma.
turing. Seed may not have been grown
for the special purpose Of maturing =
crop. Let me suggest that
we at least begin this improvement
now and;select from all crops the seed
crown uhder the xRpst favorable con.
iitiOns dnd give them better care and
fntion the next season.-Cor
Cultivatof.