Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-03-26
The Pure Seed Special.

AAO
We started for the depot last Satur'
day to note what might be said or
done but when near the depot we
were informed that the special had
gone westward before 1890, the time
1t was advertised to be here.
These ''pure seed specials" may DC
lots OF good in other places but Lin
coin county has never got any 1nsplr'
alton or education from them so far.
The best takers on the ''road' can't
tell much in ten or fifteen minutes
even in a hall, where people are seat
ed and in position to give proper at
tentlon to such matters. We find no
fault with these seed specials and
they may even do much good, but
talk from a scheduled train will never
accomplish what is necessary to edu-
cate farmers concerning pure seed
and proper methods Of ground Gull
ture unless the individual farmer
takes up the matter at home and
studies out what is necessary to Sc
cure better and larger crops.
The LEADER has always main
tanned that successful farming is a
scientific profession and improved
methods and bigger crops have prov
en- this proposition to be correct. The
LEADER for the past nine years did
all it could In a modest way to arouse
interest in improving the corn crop,
and we have reason to believe that
much good has been accomplished in
this direction. The corn contests
have convinced the most skeptical
that there is yet something TO learn
about successful corn growing.
The ewspapers OF a county are n
proper mediums of education in all
matters that may benefit the public
and by continuous agitation a
arouse interest. In this way the
question of pure seed and improved
methods can. be brought before a
farming community, and by discus
sion, the benefits can be presented to
all who desire improvement. Local
papers can do more to arouse a proper
interest in improved farming and
pure seed than any other system Of
education known.
Each farmer must decide this queS-
tion from his own standpoint if he is
convinced that there is oOm for i'm
-provement. First, he must take up
the question Of pure seed, and enough
has been written on this to convince
every man that pure seed is the foun-
dation for good crops. Next he must
decide on the ground in which he de-
sires to plant corn. oats, wheat, bar
ley, etc, and then determine the
question of soil cultivation for a seed
bed. These questions must be con-
sidered in relation to seed and all
must be studied out before seed time.
The question of animal breeding was
settled many years ago, and now we
are face to face with the question of
pure seed. Newspapers may pound
away until their type is worn out and
little good will come unless the in
dividual farmer takes up the matter
and determines that the best of
everything is none too good, and that
is just what every farmer in Lincoln
county must do and do now Don't
wait until seed time to hunt for seed
and seed time Is near.
Each farmer can figure out when he
looks w his ripening grain where
he failed at seed time and how labor
and time and expense failed to pro-
duced desired results barring the ele-
ments. A year of failure on the farm
means a serious loss to the renter or
poor man, while a year of success
means much to renter or n Sue
ces means careful preparation and
steady advance.