Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-10-20
Seed Selection.


uncommon among the farmers of York
county, the practice is by no means as
common as it should be and there are
but few cases in which it is carried to
lengths that bring all the advantages
that are to be reasonably expected.
The rule with a great number Of
small farmers is to just plant seed.
Too often they fail to inquire even
whether the seed are thoroughly sound.
The question as to whether the seed is
from the healthiest plants or fruits, or
whether the seeds are selected from the
best specimens Of given crop, in the
most perfect stage of those specimens,
is considered by many: but to these
matters many others pay absolutely no
attention.
The value of perfect seed in the pro-
duction of perfect crops is a circum-
stance that is at once apparent to all
who give the matter even casual OBJ
servation. Almost every one is aware
that it is unreasonable to expect good,
strong, healthy plants from unhealthy
seed, and knowing this it is strange
that anybody should be willing to take
any risk as to the quality of their
seeds.
Take the matter of cotton seed for
instance. There is a general belief that
the quality of cotton seed is deterior-
10 hpn1nSp
Of the fact that such heavy propor-
ton of the best seeds go to the Oil
mills. 1t is fact that in the long ago,
before the oil mills became so common
and cotton seed was largely regarded
as a waste product, there was even less
attention to seed selection that there
is now. Then the planter depended
more than anything else on the expe-
dent of planting a large quantity OF
seed, and making the selection as be-
tween the sprouted plants after they
were up. The same custom is follow
ed now; but because such a large per
cent Of best seeds go to the mills, the
quality of those left for planting Is not
so good. At least that is common
theory and because it is so reasonable,
we have little doubt of it's correctness.
1t is very we'll understood that all
the improved varieties of cotton that
are in such demand in this country
are the result of long, painstaking dis
elimination in seed selection. 1t is not
generally appreciated that these re-
suits could be just as easily secured by
almost any intelligent farmer; but this
is a fact. Unfortunately, however, in
stead of devoting attention to the mat
ter himself, the average farmer and in
deed most farmers above the average,
prefer to buy seeds from the other fel-
low. And the worst part of it is that
after they have bought an improved
variety of seed they deliberately refrain
from any effort to keep the variety up
even to it's original standard, when 1t
is so easy for them to keep the i'm
provement going on indefinitely.
Discussing the question Of seed corn
selection with the editor the other day,
York county farmer, who gets along
very we'll comparatively, said that 1t
was his habit to select for seed, the
best ears in his crib after he had been
feeding from the crib all winter and
spring. He admitted that it would be
much better to select for seed the very
best ears to be found in the field at
gathering time; but somehow he had
never done that.
If the full facts were made plain,
it would be found that the tremendous
agricultural progress that has been
made in this country during the past
thirty years has been due as much to
seed selection as to better cultivation
and fertilization; but unfortunately
most of this progress has been the
work of a small per cent Of the farmers
who have not even had the intelligent
corporation of the great majority.
Intelligent seed selection is some
thing that can be accomplished at
minimum of expense. There is very
little trouble attached to it either, and
if all the farmers would give it their
attention there Is hardly any way or
estimating the tremendous advantage
that would result to the whole country.
But the prettiest part about this matter
is that no individual farmer has TO
depend upon all the others. There Is
good thing in it for him whether any
one else pursues the same lines OF not.