The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-04-05

afforded. Get those best adapted for
the work to be done, use them properly
and thoroughly, and then take care OF
them. The last is about as important
as the first.
1t is Of the greatest necessity to have
the land well plowed, fertilized and
cultivated, and unless this work is
properly done but Indifferent results
can be expected.
But equally important is it to get
good, clean, pure seed. Without this
there will be more or less Of discour-
agement, failure and loss. The best
seed Of the best varieties should be
sought for and if possible obtained,
even if at a considerable increase in
price over that which is poor, ordinary
or fair.
All OF the other work mentioned
may be performed in the best manner,
but il inferior seed is used the results
cannot fail of being far from satisfac
tory. The securing of good, reliable
seed is a matter that should concern
every farmer. Many new and pestifer
GUS weeds and plants are making their
appearance here on the farms at the
East. and very likely in other parts of
the country as will. Some of these are
Of foreign parentage and others are
natives Of different parts Of the United
do Of
and are being scattered broadcast over
the country from the grain and grass
seeds that are being purchased and
sown. It becomes farmers to be very
careful in the selection of seeds that
are to be purchased, in order to get the
purest and best possible. Reliable
seedsmen should be able to meet this
demand for pure, clean seed, and such
should be patronized from truly the
most economic motives in the end.
Occasionally the farmer vii be bene-
fted in getting new varieties Of seeds,
or even in obtaining the same variety
from a different location and soil, but
it will hardly be profitable to go into
this business on too large a scale, max
ing an experiment station of the farm.
Let the stations do this kind Of work.
Now I think the farmer can main
tain and even increase the productive
ness of his corn, potatoes and grains, by
pooper care in selecting and grading.
Take oats, for example. For years
we have had the best of success in OBJ
tanning good seed by running the grain
through a tanning and grading mill,
that removes the small and imperfect
grains, as well as foul stuff If there is
any. By this process only the plump
est and most perfect grains are sown,
and as a consequence the result is
large and uniform growth of straw,
we'll filed with heavy quantity Of
grain.
Since preparing seed in this way, I
have noticed that these crops were re-
markably free from weeds, which at
tribute to this practice.
Potatoes for seed should be selected
at digging time while the tubers are
lying on the ground, choosing from the
hills that produce the largest number
of the most perfect specimens, as farm
ers cannot have failed to notice there is
great difference in this respect in
different hills or parts of the field.
The same variety of corn has been
kept up to a high standard OF merit by
iudicious selection and care from year
to year for generations. The careful
reading of star dard agricultural pub
lications, will be Of much help to the
farmer in planning and carrying for
ward his work on the farm to the best
advantage.