Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-10-24
SOME FARM TOPICS.
USEFUL IMPORTATION FOR THE
TlLLERS OF THE SOIL
Saving Seed Grain-Poor Prepara-
tAon and Poor Yields-GettinKG Grass
On Poor Land-COttonseed Feeding q
Farm Notes

am as much a believer In pedigree
seeds as | am in pedigree stock, and l
see no reason why Il farmer cannot es-
tablish and maintain superior strain
of grain, just as we'll as he can Of
stock. The breeder of stock who
would pay no attention to the mating
of his animals, and who, once in two
or three years, would change his stock,
could never attain to excellence and
establish superior herd. l believe
that there is no other method by which
at so small a cost we can increase the
yield of our crops as by the careful
selection Of seed. This process is much
easier with corn than with other
grnins, because first the proportion OF
seed is so small that bushel of corn
under favorable conditions will pro-
duce 800 bushels or more. And then 1t
Is easier to select ears of corn of the
type desired than to select small grains.
All improvements must be the result
of careful and persistent selection; and
by this method we can establish al
most any type we desire. l was a
scotsman for over twenty years and
learned much Of the methods by which
new varieties are established. Once I
found an ear of blood-red sweet corn,
something l had never seen before. /
planted it where it could not mix, and
half the produce was white and the
other half every shade Of red from the
deepest to light pink. l kept OH at
this selecting, gradually breeding out
the light color. and at the same time
establishing the form of ear and grain
l desired, until, at the end of six or
seven years, l had established n fixed
type and superior variety of sweet
corn. Personally attend to the selec-
tion of your seed corn. fixing on
standard and working up to it. Make
the selection early in the fall before
there Is possibility of damage from
cold and cure thoroughly by fire heat.
Always save more than you expect to
need, so that in case Of loss by frost,
cut-worm or any cause you will have
enough to replant with. 1t is well to
use scales as you select and weigh ears
frequently and occasionally shell an
ear and weigh the cob. 1t IL easy to
esta ablish q variety that will shell out
ordinary corn. Pat said, at is not
the biggest calf that makes the best
veal" and the scales will show that
1t is not the biggest ears that weigh
the most l have no doubt that In n
few years Of careful selection of seed
corn 20 per cent can be added to the
yield by this alone, and at no cost but
a little care and cultivation, and the
exercise Of good judgment. The selec-
tiOn and improvement of small grains
must be done by thorough cleaning
| and by selecting your seed from the
best portion of the field and going
through and cutting out any rye, chers,
cookie or any other obnoxious plants.
I have made it rule when I wished
to test a new variety of small grain to
buy but single bushel. If 1t proves
unsuited to the soil or climate this is
more than enough, and II you decide
that 1t Is an improvement you will
have enough seed to SOW quite a field.
You cannot form a safe judgment as
to the merits Of new variety from
one years test. As conditions vary
greatly, l would advise several years
test of new variety before you dis
carded one that has given satisfaction.
There Is no doubt that by thought and
care all of our grains can be improved,
but too many farmers fail to give this.
Waldo +. Brown In Prairie Farmer.