Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-02-03

ard that a better acquaintance with
them viii aid the farmers Of be
state ii solving the problem Of seed
heat selection with which they are
confronted, we adopt this method Of
dissemination.
SELECTION OF SEED.
1. Light, shrunken or weak seed
Of any kind should never be sown il
i full yield is desired. tt makes 10
difference how the injury 70 the seed
Is brought about. whether by bot
winds. wet weather, frosts, animal or
vegetable parasites, burning IN the
stack Oh bin, or any other causes. II
inferior seed be snwn a good crop
cannot be reasonably be expected.
2. The best and only safe varie-
ties for the practical farmer to SOW
for bis main crop in any given local
itv are those that have proven them
selves adapted To that locality or 0
some other locality having like o n
dttious Of soil and climate. The
quality Of the seed should be the
same as that desired in the crop.
This seed should have been produce
ed under conditions Of soil and cir
mate as near as possible like the
most favorable conditions that a
reasonably be- expected 70 obtain IN
tle locality where the seed is to be
sown.
8 Continuous growth of wheat on
the same kind Of soil or under like
climatic conditions does not cause
degeneration, but on the contrary. If
proper care is taken in culture, and
seed selection, and the seed kept
pure, wheat grown for a long term
Of years in any locality should be
come, with each added year, better
adapted to the conditions peculiar I o
that locality. A change OF seed from
one locality to another often results
in serious losses, as il takes some
times several years to a
seemingly slight change in environ
ment. Importation of seed from a
Distance should be resorted to only
when it IS impossible to obtain suit
able seed near homo, or when some
new variety is 10 be tested, which
latter should always be done on a
small scale at first.
4. Each farmer should aim to
grow his own seed, first beginning
with some standard variety and then,
by improved methods of culture and
careful selections Of seed, strive to
constantly improve the quality of his
grair without change Of seed. A
small reserve OF seed should be kept
over each year to gnard against the
possibility Of a failure to produce
any first class seed for the succeed
Ing crop
If, owing to q failure o observe
any Of the above named precautions,
the farmer finds himself without suit
able serd grain. he sleould at once
take steps to secure such, since he
cannot afford 10 SOW inferior seed. Ia
maAlng selections Of new seed he
should not allow himself ! o be inn
posed upon by anyone having any
new or untried varieties for sale.
Neither should he be tempted TO
any extensive experiments with even
the standard v~arieeties that have
come from localities differing very
widely from those prevailing in his
own. But he should insist upon
pure, first-class seed CT standard va
riety, that lie knows has been grown
in about his own latitude.
Probably a considerable reduction
10 eos Of seed and transportation
could be bad by corporation be
tween farmers and elevator men.
l. is possible that there IS still a
considerable quantity Of good, home.
grown seed wheat Of both the Fife
aud Blue stem varieties in the
northern and western parts Of the
state which could be secured by the
corporations Of the grain buyers
throughout the state.
TESTING SEED.