Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-08
By Chas A. While
OF the Georgia ApricuI-
tural College.

nature OF the seed itself
In view Of this, how important il
is that one knows that he is dealing
with a reliable firm when he buys
from seed house. If the firm is hon
est but ignorant. how unfortunate for
the buyer
One of these days no person will be
permitted to grow and market seeds
who has not first passed a rigid ex-
animation TO determine whether OF not
he knows how to produce good seed,
and, second, no seed viii be permitted
TO be sold the quality of which is not
known TO be backed by right cultivation
and care. of course, there is no way
Of knowing how much the loss to the
farmer annually occurs by reason of
having been sold poor seed when he had
a right to expect good seed.
When the difference in the yield OF
good seed and bad is equal to so per
cent, as it often is, what a public ca
lamity! Poor seed needs not only to be
guarded against for the sake Of the
planter, but for the public at large,
which looks to the planter for a food
supply.
Plants Bred From Disease.
Not only are seed to be provided which
are high in yielding quality, but one OF
the very interesting features of plant
Improvement is that the better the plant
the more it resists plant disease and in
sect dangers. Professor s. NJ Balm. Of
the University Of Tennessee, found that
red clover had come to be almost a COM
plete failure in that State, by reason Of
disease known as anthracnose Of
clover
Starting with few plants in patch
that had resisted the disease. he bred
from these. Each season he subjected
the patch to the disease. even to spray
ing the plants with spores Of the dis
ease, saving out of each patch those that
resisted the disease. Thus each year he
increased his disease resistant seed I'M
til now 1t is being grown quite widely
over the State
A similar work has been done with
reference 20 anthracnose in cotton by
Professor r ]. II. DeLoach director Of
the State Experiment Station Of Geor-
gia. similar work is being done with
reference TO black root and wilt by Pro-
fessor e. L. Worsham, State Entomolo-
gist Of Georgia. In other lines, but by
the same process, plants are being bred
away from disease by right selection.
What with plant breeding and plant
selection, no magician will have ever
worked greater wonders than the men
who are taking care Of the plant life Of
the country.
These modern wizards are men whom
farmers sometimes are inclined to look
upon as bookworms, theorists, potter
ers, impractical adventures; but it Is
these who are doing more farming than
the farmer, who create bigger crops
than anybody else, who save the plants
from the greatest loss.
Needs Legislative Support.
When the Legislatures are called upon
for an appropriation for these workers
In the colleges and laboratories. these
lswmaking bodies viii not be asked for
money that viii go further toward con-
ferring real public welfare. In the
South, where the Investigation of farm
ing is the paramount issue and where
there is a constant thirst for Informal
ton as TO how TO do this and that other
thing to get out of the single crop bond
age and the AFFECTIONS Of the bon weevil
it would be no less than a shame not to
provide an the men and means neces-
sary TO render the required assistance:
also TO provide for carrying on the ex-
periments and investigations for soil and
plant Improvement, and for training
young men for agricultural leadership at
the institutions Of learning devoted to
the cause.