The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1905-03-03
SEED III
Prof. ClIilcOtt Gives Some
Points on Good Seed

soil and the air. The farmer accepts
this definition as far as it goes, but it
does not 60 far enough to suit him.
He demands something more before
he is willing to pronounce any seed
"gOod seed" The additional require
ments that the farmer exacts are that
the seed come from a good individual
plant that has behind it a long line of
good ancestors. Nor is this all: he
wants to know that this long line of
ancestors has been raised under con
ditions of climate, soil, and culture
like those that future generations will
have to meet. In short to the intelli-
gent farmer ''good seed" means pedi-
greed and acclimated seed, as we'll as
live. vigorous, plump seed. In other
words, he judges seed grain by the
same standards that he does live stock
for breeding purposes.
Stock breeders have been quicker to
grasp the significance and Importance
of vitality, vigor, prepotence, pedigree
and environment than have grain
raisers: but, as a matter of fact, they
are of at least equal Importance in the
selecting of grain as compared with the
selection of breeding animals. And
the matter of environment or acclim-
atization is of ven greater Importance
with grains than with animals: for
animals may be protected against
changed environment by artificial
means while plants must, when grown
under farm conditions, contend with
climatic and soil conditions as they find
them. Hence, the greater Importance
| of securing acclimated seed.
Having now arrived at a satisfact-
DRY definition of what "gOOd seed" is,
it becomes manifest hat every good
farmer who has been farming in any
given locality for any considerable
length OF time, has. or ought to have,
plenty of good seed on hand, and that
his future course is plain. He should
keep the seed he has and by continual,
careful selection and good methods Of
farming strive to improve it from year
to year.
But, unfortunately, the problem is
not always SO simple as this. In some
instances, farmers have been SO un-
fortunate as to have started with an
inferior variety or strain, or one not
adapted to the locality. In other
cases the farmer has been tempted to
discard his time-tested variety and has
been induced to invest in some highly
dt UlcNN z ICti OIL iCtA
offered for sale by some seed man at
fancy prices, only to find that it was
not adapted to his conditions and that
it soon iran out" Some farmers
have, by c~arless and slovenly methods
Of farming and seed selection, allowed
what was once good seed to deterio-
rate or run OUT Occasionally the
Experiment Station, or some pro-
gressive farmer, is able to develop or
introduce into a neighbOrhood an en-
tirely new strain on variety of grain
that is better adapted to local cOndi-
tions than any formerly grown there.
The introduction of macarOni wheat
and winter wheat in this state by the
Experiment Station is a case in point.
Then, again, it is too often the case
that the farmers crop is STRUCK by
some disease or accident that leaves
him at harvest time without any good
seed for next years crop, The rust
of last season is a case of this kind.
For the above reasons it is very
evident that the selection of some new
variety or strain of seed wheat for a
foundation stock is, and is likely to
remain. a live One among farmers, at
least until much better methods are
generally adopted by them as a whole.
What, then, IS the farmer to do, who
finds himself with only very badly
shrunken seed for next years crop:
This is a difficult question to answer,
even when all the factors of the prob.
lem and their relative values are
known: and without this knowledge
definite answer is impossible. | will,
however, attempt to give some genera.
rules for solving this problem.
First, examine it's past record. How
long has it been grown in the immedi.
ate vicinity? Has it yielded vel
when conditions were fairly favorable:
Has it deteriorated or improved? /
it has deterior ated, was it because O
faulty methods of selection and farm.
ing? Is it a pure variety or strain
or is it badly mixed? Has it as gooC
a general record as any in the neigh
%borhood? If a frank investigation o.
the above points show that it has along
and favorable record or pedigree be.
hind it, the next step should be to see
how much it a be improved by rigiC
cleaning. A good tanning mill il
necessary and not difficult to obtain
A good man to run the tanning mil
is absolutely indispensable. Almos'
anyone can u a tanning mill, bu'
very few a u one SO as to get the
very best results. 1t requires a fal
higher order of Intelligence than car
usually be secured for a dollar and {
half a day. If there is any part O
the farm that requires the very best
Judgment and mechanical skill thu
farm affords, it is the cleaning of see(
grain. The grain should be rur
through the mill several times, ant
when as complete a separation al
possible has been effected by this
means it is a good plan to secure {
broadcast "cyclone" seeder, attach {
crank so it can be run by hand, set i
up in the middle of a large room will
a tight floor and run the grain through
it. The grain will be ''sown' over thu
floor and the heaviest kernels will b.