The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-31
KOtlCS TO inQulr6rS.
SELECTING SEED IN THE FIELD

SELECTING SEED IN THE FIELD
In reply to an inquiry in another place.
I gave some suggestions in regard to
selecting seed corn in reply to 'T. NJ.
d. wish to emphasize, If possible the
Importance of making careful selections
OF seeds of all farm crops every year.
In this way every farmer may secure and
perpetuate the very best types Of every
kind OF crop grown on the farm. 1t is
we'll to leave the business of hybrldzing
| and cross breeding to professional horti-
culturlsts AMI nurserymen; but the far
mer should habtually practice the care
full selection OF his seed corn, seed cot
ton and other crops that are produced
annually from seed grown at home. 1t
is not sufficient to simply select from
the corn crib the best looking, soundest
and largest ears of corn That is all right
if no effort has been before made But
the proper time and place to make the
selection is at or before harvesting time
and in the field
In selecting in the field one is almost
compelled to rely entirely the judg
ment of the eye, but there Is a way 10
verify such judgment by an appeal to the
steelyards ANA half bushci.
The cotton harvest is now a hand and
now is the time TO commence the work of
Improvement by selection. before any
bolls have been harvested The plan Is
this: Go over a body Of the best cotton
YOU have and select say ten or twenty or
thirty or other multiple of ten of the
stalks that in your judgment ale the
best, according to your ideal or notion
o. what is best. Os course the main
ic tp
prolific type. other considerations being
secondary Now set a tall stake by each
OF these selected stalks. or tie a piece
Of white cloth or white paper bag
over the top Of each stalk, and tag each
with shipping tag and consecutive num-
Der Provide also Il cloth or stout paper
sack large enough 10 hold the entire
product OF single stalk and number
( these Bags to correspond 10 the numbers
given to the stalks Provide also a small
paper bag large enough to hold ten
bolls or less one of these to go with
each larger bag.
Having the stalks thus selected and
marked beforehand you need not be in a
I hurry about picking the cotton from
them. Wait until several bolls have open
ed on each stalk. The work should then
commence Select from each stalk the
very best bolls. according to the judy
ment of the eye, say two four five or
ten. or even one only. OF course this
selection is not necessarily made ana
certainly not completed, when picking
over the first time Note the number oc
bols selected for the little bag. Put
the remainder Of the bolts in the large
bag. noting also the number of bols thus
gathered Continue the process until
fes. nj liner
ed. At the close Of the harvest you
will now have On large bag FOR each or
the selected ten. twenty or other num-
ber Of stalks containing al the product
Of the particular stalk and a register Of
the total number of boils represented:
~ Il smaller bag incosed in the larger,
containing a small known and recorded
number Of the choicest bols from each
of the selected stalks
Now weigh the product Of each etalfl
and ny a simple calculation you get the
number Of hols per pound The actual
weight Of tho product OF each stalk Will
give the comparative productiveuess Of
each stalk BY this time it is probable
that YOU may reject altogether all but =
half dozen or less of the stalks originally
selected You may evea Gull out until one
stalk alone shows very decided SUI
periority in the more essential points of
merit Possibly there may be several
stalks al this stage that may be so nearly
balanced that ginning test viii be neces-
sary. This is the most tedious and
troublesome test But If the bolls that
were put in the small bag were kept sepa-
rate Gas may be easily be done by wrap
ping each In piece of paper the ginning
Of one or two bolls may be done with the
fingers. and thus determine the yield OF
lint per hundred weight Of seed cotton.
So al the last the selection will have
specimens of the lint of the most prolific
stalks. which may be tested by a textile
expert Having reduced the selection down
to the best stalk and having all the seeds
from that stalk and the seeds from two
or three or more Of the best bols the fu-
ture work is plain. The bulk Of the seeds
from the whole number of stalks may be
planted Ito themselves" next year to
supply seeds for a much larger area the
third year. The seeds from the few bolls,
from the best stalk should be planted to
themselves under the most favorable con-
ditions possible and the process of seloc-
ton be repeated the next year, and so on.
1t is not expected that every farmer
viii t;l1e the trouble to go through with
ALI the above details. Perhaps one out Of
a thousand may do so: while many others
will adopt only The general features Of
the plan. But I am confident that an in
teligent effort in the direction indicated
will be followed by beneficial results.