The Colfax chronicle., 1904-11-19
FARMER AND PLANTER.
CONSERVING SEED VITALITY.
All Seed should he Thorouxbly Rav-
ened and Care should he
Taken In Storing.

observing men arc coming to realize
the importance of good seed. Where
once a certain farmer was satisfied to
go to his crib and sort out some corn
In the spring for planting, he now 30
iects his corn in the fall and carefully
cures 1t through the winter, having it
In the best possible condition when
the fields are ready for the planter.
10 be sure only small percentage of
The farmers of the country are observ-
ing this care, but we believe that the
humber is gradually increasing each
year.
With every farm crop there is an op-
portunity to use great care In select
Ing and sorting all seed.
Even after the seed has been selected
there is need of care. We do not pre-
tend to assume in this article to tell
jilst how this care must be given, but
there are certain general qualities that
may be aimed at in order to insure
hrst-class seed. In late bulletin is
sued by the bureau of plant industry
OF the department of agriculture at
Washington particular attention Is
given to several essential points, to-
gether with results that have been Sc
cured by observing them. These may
be summarized as follows:
/. The first factors determining the
vitality of seed are maturity, weather
conditions at the time of harvesting
and methods of harvesting and curing.
IY1u frrro o<SI oPt h
ering usually germinate readily. but If
stored they soon lose their vitality On
the other hand. well-matured seeds,
harvested under favorable conditions,
are comparatively long-lived when
properly handled.
3. The curing Of the various seeds
Is Of the utmost Importance, and great
care should be taken to prevent ex-
cessive heating, otherwise the vitality
will be greatly lowered
4. With special precautions and
treatment, there is no question that the
life Of seeds may be greatly prolonged
beyond that which we know at present,
though never for centuries, as is fire.
quently stated. Cases so reported can
not be taken as evidence of the longev-
lty of seeds.
5. II is known that seeds retain
their vitality much better in some Sec
tons of the country than Others. The
part which climatic influences play in
the vitality of seeds is of much more
Importance than is generally supposed.
6. Experiments have shown that
moisture is the chief factor In deter
mining the longevity of seed as they
nre commercially handled Seeds stored
In the dry climates retain their vital
ity much better than when stored in
places having a humid atmosphere.
q. The deleterious action Of moisture |
Is greatly augmented If the temperature |
be increased. Not infrequently is Vi
tality destroyed within a few weeks or |
months when the seeds are stored in
warm, moist climates. If stored in a
dry climate the question of temperature |
within the normal range is of little |
moment.
8. II the storage room for seeds /
could be kept dry and at the same /
tune cool the conditions would be al |
most ideal for the preservation of vi
tality; but the difficulties to be over
come in order to secure dry and
cool storage room render this method
impracticable
9. Seeds that are to be sent to coun-
tries having moist climates should be
put up in air-tight packages. Expert
mends have shown that by the judi
cious use of bottles and parafined
packages seeds can be preserved prac-
tically as well in one climate as in
another.
TO- OF a series of experiments the
average loss in vitality of seeds kept
in envelopes in ''dry room" was
21.19 per cent; trade conditions"
1858 per cent; basement" 42.2S per
cent while the loss in the case of seeds
stored in bottleswas only sos, 1892 and
451 per cent. respectively. -
IN brief, the essential factors in Sc
curing good seed are full maturity. i
thorough curing and dry, cool quarters
lor storing. g.-Drovers' Journal