The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1913-03-21
To The Farmers
OF Tennessee
BY Capt. T. F. Peck, Com
missioner of Agricul-
ture.
Selecting Good Seed.

the question of where to obtain
seed for the next years crop The
scientific farmer has long 40 learn
eel that it does not pay to plant any
kind of seed bought at any place
possible. In the paragraphs follow
Ing few Of the points that deter
mine & Cd seed will be taken up in
such manner as to enable the
farmer to know how t. tell good
seed.
Ia tie first place vitality must he
considered Old seed, that IS, seen
Il OF grown the previous year, vii
usually germlnate to certain ex-
teut and grow, but good results can
never be expected from such seed
Usu lily the pla is weaker and
slower in growt1; especially is tn IS
true of garden crops. and some of
the smaller cereals. Corn will grow
about as we'll when two or three
years of age as new seed, and very
little difference can be note ! in its
vitality, but nevertheless its use is
not to be recommended. In con
nection with age do not o to the
other extreme and purchase seed
that is not mature, due probably to
being harvested too early or to bad
weather conditions, A rainy season.
when grains are in the shock or ripe
"a the field will often causet re seeds
10 swell or even sprout Such SEEDS
when planted can never pr ,duce as
strong plants as if they had been
harvested and threshed while IN the
dry condition Evsn after harvest
ing grains, especially corn, they
NAV be damaged by too cold wealth
4r, when not thoroughly dry. caus-
ing the kernels to shrivel and de-
crease greatly in vitality 1t is al
ways advisable to test all kinds of
farm seeds, even though they were
grown at home and good care taken
of them. Lustre is another splen-
did indicator of vitality: old and
dead seeds always have a dull ap-
pearance. Other conditions being
equal, always select as plump seed
as possible. The reason for this is
Manifesto plant in its early stage
of growth must live on plant food
stored up ia the seed, and neces-
sarily plump seed contains more
food, allowing a more vigorous
growth. The weight of given
amount of seed is usually a good
indicator Of its vitality-the heavier
the seed the more desirable it is
Always beware of diseased grain,
being careful to avoil especially
the striking smut or any seed that
is mouldy or has a scabby outside.
In speaking of purity we refer to
trueness to name and freedom from
weed seed and inert matter. Some
seeds always contain weak seed,
particularly is this true OF small
kinds such as timothy and clover.
In purchasing these il is simply
matter Of choosing the best Of the
evils. Avoid introducing new kinds
of weeds onto your place. Either
raise your own seed or buy from a
nearby ,neighbor when possible.
Before making a purchase be sure
YOU are buying from a TeilaDie DEAL
er. one whom you are certain will
give you the grade and variety that
YOU pay for. ;ly
Another point to be considered in
buying seed is its breeding, not
meaning necessarily that it should
have a pedigree, but that it should
have been improved through select
ion. About the only practical and
cheap way to do this is for the farm
er to raise his own seed. Take for
example corn; buy some extra good
seed from a reliable corn grower
near by, plant perhaps an acre and
from this start, select enough seed
for the whole crop the following
year. While the ear is still on the
stalk go over the acre and pick out
the desirable stalks. The following