The Crittenden record. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1904-1907, 1906-07-27
some POINTERS
FOR FARMERS
Uncle Sam InStruCtS Tobacco
Growers
MUCH DEPENDS ON seed
Too Many Seed Plants Should Not
Be Turned out In One
Field.
SHOULD BE IN DIFFERENT PLACES.


made before the plants are topped,
says A. ID. Shamel, Of the United
States Department of Agriculture,
and the most successful selections can
only be made after study of the crop
from the seed bed TO harvest. II is
necessary to study the plants in all
stages Of growth to judge of their fit
ness for the parentage Of the future
crops. In order to fully determine the
value Of the plants, it is advisable to
follow the leaves from the separate
plants, through the curing shed and
compare the cured leaves from the
selected plants. This plan Of exama-
nation Of the product Of the seed
plants is extremely important, and this
test Of the seed plants is unusually neg
lected. The leaves from the seed
plants are not ordinarily Of as good
quality as the leaves from the plants
that have been topped, and this fact
must be kept In mind during the com
parison Of the Tobacco in the ware
house.
In mstsng seleciioszl Of seed plants
Il is desirable to run over the entire
field and mark the best plants for a
second examination. This preliminary
selection can be made just before top
ping. but il should not be done before
the plants are pretty well developed,
so that the type Is determined. A
second selection should be made before
the flowers begin TO open. The best
plan for making such studies is TO fol-
low some regular outline Of points,
such as are used in the plant breeding
records Of the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture. In this way
definite data is secured as to the actual
condition Of the plants, which can be
kept for use when the leaves are COM
pared in the warehouse. The number
Of desirable leaves should be noted.
and in counting them only the leaves
usable for manufacture should be eoun-
ted.
The size Of the leaf can be pretty
accurately determined by measuring
the middle leaf Of each plant. The
length should be measured from the
tip to the point Of attachment Of the
leaf 10 the stalk. and the width meas
urcd at the widest point Of the leaves.
The number Of suckers Is easily re-
corded and the time Of ripening Of the
leaves should be kept, in order to
throw some light on the time Of ma
turity and the comparative earliness
Of the plants. In addition to these
notes final record should be kept Of
the quality Of the cured Tobacco.
The number Of seed plants to De
saved for seed depends upon the size
Of the Tobacco fields for which they
are expected TO supply plants. Each
seed pod contains from 5000 TO 1900
seeds. and as there are from 80 TO l50
pods TO every plant the average seed
plants produce from 10000 to 10000
seed. IL can be seen that In view Of
the large number Of seed grown by the
seed plants Il is necessary to save but
a few plants In order TO secure enough
to set out a large field.
For a field Of ten acres a dozen
plants Is all that Is necessary to save In
the hcld. and after the examination Of
the cured plants Il IS necessary to save
only the best two or three plants for
seed purposes for the following season.
Where only two or three seed plants
are saved Il Is desirable to save the
seed in separate samples and divide
the seed bed into two or three sections,
sowing each section with the seed
from one seed plant. The seedlings
from each section should be set out In
separate portions Of the field, so that
the field is test Of the Transmitting
power Of the individual seed plants.
The selection Of seed plants for the
next year can be made from the sec.
ton Of the field in which plants arc
most uniform and Of the most desir.