St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-11-18
FARMER AND PLANTER.
SEED CONTROL STATIONS.
Work Of the Department Of Agrlcul-
ture that Can Not he Underes-
tinated ny the Farmer.

Il
| tinated NY the Farmer.
| The fact ID not as widely known as
It should be that the department OF ag-
riculture has in successful operation
one Of the most complete systems for
the inspection and terminating tests
| of seeds now in existence. The crca-
| tiOn of this desirable section of lepart-
mental work arose from the fact that
| the ndulteration OF seeds and the sale
q. those of low vitality had ls.comc so
general that the total amount OF losses
annually incurred was serious tax
| nror the agricultural interests IT the
| nation. -.=r
Seed-houses of long standing and
honorable reputation have been much
injured by reason of the sales made hy
disreputable firms. Buyers Of seeds.
unlike those of testing was introduced,
been obliged to accept without qucs-
tinn the variaus kinds of seed offered
| for sale.
If farmers would inform themselves
as 10 the degree of purity and vitality
which higlr-grade seeds should have,
and then insist upon the scotsman
gyaranteening his seeds to have sini-
liar or at least specified percentage
of pure, vital seeds, they would find it
expedient to supply these, and that.
ton.without adding much TO the former
prices.
The specific guarantee system Of
selling seeds is now very generally
adopted in European countries, and has
practically driven low-grade seeds
from their markets. The honest and
competent seedman will agree to sell
his seeds on their real merits, and will
guarantee their purity and vitality nn-
der proper restrictions as to the meth
od of testing and competency and dis
interestedness Of the tester. Seedsmen
who will not do this are not worthy OF
patronage.
The busy farmer too often fails to
examine the grains, grasses, forage or
garden seeds that he purchases, to de-
termine either their freedom from foul
weed-seeds or their terminating quail
ty. The result of such Indifference on
the part of the purchaser is that ex-
pensive losses are incurred which could
and should have been avoided by lit
tie care. All purchasers of seeds are
directly interested in their actual
terminating power. Numerous causes
affect their vitality. They may have
been immature At the time OF gather
ing, been improperly stored. subjected
to the ravages of insects or otherwise
injured. The only safe plan is to test
their vitality before planting.
While practical farmers are fully
aware that the character and quality
OF the seed used tends directly to gov
ern the excellence and yield Of the
product, nevertheless the purchase OF
seed is too often delayed until the
time for planting, when there is no
time to learn it's origin or to test its
vitality. In such cases the selection
that is made is not based upon the in
dividual merits of the seed, but upon
its appearance only. The plan of pur-
chasing seed a month or moro in ad-
vance of the season for planting is the
wiscst one. This would allow of
microscopic examina.ing test OF
given number of seeds what proportion
of the seed would grow.
The breeders of fine stock are fully
aware that the profit from the business
depends largely upon such careful
hree ding that the special merits of any
named breed will be reproduced by ju-
dicious mating. Heretofore much more
atte ntion has been given to the selec-
ton of breeding animals from which
tlocks and herds are to. be produced
than is given to the seed OF our most
important crops. Neither plants nor
animals are always exact reproduc-
tions of their immediate parents, but
in the main do inherit and transmit
the combined characteristics OF their
more remote ancestors in both male
and female lines. For this reason it is
of vital Importance that the farmer
should know AZ definitely rs possible
what are the inherited good and bad
quality of the seeds he intends to
plant. Without good seeds the most
profitable results can not be secured,
for however coed the cultivation, it is
partly thrown away by the use of inn
perfect seed. AS well may one expect
to get a thoroughbred animal from
scrub stock. A plant as well as an ami
mai must be both well fed and well
bred to become what it should he.
Pedigrces Of desirable kinds and
strains of seed are well worthy of rec
ord, and these should be carefully
kept. Why should not seed be selected
as much by the record as the character
of the seed itself? The sowing of clean,
good seed means saving of much I'M
ncctssary labor. Why SOW weed-seeds
TOR the privilege of eradicasing them.
o. plant those of low vitality and in
fcrior quality to subsequently harvest
a non-paying crop?
Not long since one of the lesding
wheat growers in Maryland utterly
failed in obtaining good stand, as
the germ OF the grain had been de-
strcyed in tho field before the crop was
tire she'd The wheat was to all ap-
pearances in prime condition when
procured for seeding, and no test of its
terminating quality was deemed
necessary. The little time that would
hs,e been required to test the vitality
of the seed and to determine what per
cent of the grain would grow readily
and produce stro.ig plants could not
have been employed more advantage
onsly. While it . true that the seeds
grow upon the farm under ordinary
conditions pertai zig to the harvest
ing OF them and their subsequent care
are rarely liable to be deficient in good
terminating quality, yet in many Sec
tens of the country where sudden and
extreme changes from heat to cold oc-
eur when tIe grain is il an unusually
moist conditioa the germ is often