Connecticut western news., 1909-09-30
FARMERS LOSS
 FROM POOR SEED
SUBJECT OF VAST IMPORTANCE

Is Practically Treated in Dept. of
 Agriculture Year Book by 4. E.
 Woods, Assistant Chief, Bureau of
 Plant Industry.
 The losses resulting from poor seed fall within five principal categories: CD Seed not acclimatized or adapted to con- ditions, (2) seed of low producing efficiency, (3) seed of low vitality, (4 adulterated seed and weed seed, and (5) lack of trueness to type, or unbranded seed.
 SEED NOT ACCLIMATIzED ETC.
 The importance of natural variation and differences in climate, in relation to agricultural production, has never been fully realized. As far as they are ale, plants vary and adjust themselves to environment. Under natural conditions only those survive which can modify their habits of growth so as to make a successful resistance to destructive in- fuences and propagate their kind. The rest die. The longer a species or variety grows under given set of conditions, the better each generation becomes adapted to grow and reproduce under those conditions. Those individuals which are less we'll adapted, are there fore more vigorous.
 When man enters in as a factor he may, and usually does in Q considerable measure, interfere with these natural adjustments. He selects individuals and cultivates them for some natural peculiarity, and as result intensifles these features; but unless he follows na- Vure's methods and destroys the plants that are not best adapted to his condi- tions and requirements he soon gets a great mixture of individuals, good, bad, and indifferent, and oultivates them all together, receiving poor returns for his labor, and preventing. because of the natural crossing that may take place be- tween them and the less desirable plants, the progressive development and im- provement of the better individuals.
 On the other hand, if he selects for propagation the individuals that give the best results under his peculiar COD. ditions and prevents their crossing with tue less desirable sorts, he soon develops d strain of high efficiency and produc- tiveness for those particular conditions; bat, like nature, he must continually select the good and consistently destroy the bad, or eventually lose all and see the variety run out"
 Selected seed of crops grown under severe limiting conditions will as a rule give good results the first year when grown under conditions less severe. The second generation, however, begins to vary and break up, and unless careful selection is practiced the crop soon be- comes very unsatisfactory. For this reason many southern farmers think that they must each year get certain kinds of seed from the North, whereas from the variations occurring in their own fields they might easily breed or select strains much better adapted to their conditions. Ibis is true of practi cally every important crop.
 When seed is taken from regions where limiting conditions are less severe to regions of greater severity, the crop may be killed outright. with no return. or marked variation may result the first year. A uniform strain of tobacco taken from a tropical or subtropical locality to one of the north temperate tobacco re- gions at once breaks up into fifteen or twenty distinct strains. By careful selection any one of these may be grad ually fixed and adjusted to the new con ditions if crossing is prevented. Corn, cotton, and other crops behave Tn the same way. These variations and adjust ments result not only from climatic changes. but also from soil changes, such as tho nature and concentration of salts in ths soil, its physical condition, and the like.
 blbthSG AAloSSR PNotS oA@N SANNAA destroy large numbers of individuals, leaving only the more resistant plants If these are saved resistant strains can be developed. The great value of the struggling plant here and there that es- capes some great epidemic or some cold wave, drought, or unfavorable soil con dition should be appreciated and its seed saved. Many valuable adaptations have deen secured in this way.
 The great importance of selecting and growing seed under she conditions un- der which the future crop must be grown is now apparent Careful experiments and the experience of careful growers have abundantly demonstrated the truth of the facts presented. Seed breeders and growers especially must give atten- ton to these points.