Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-08

pIoNihs ILant LIE Dy man save Oy tins
method.
Enough has been discovered about
the benefits of cross breeding to have
induced the United States Bureau Of
Agriculture to advise planting the
hybrid for the field crop; that is. TO
produce a single crop. A hybrid. OF
course, is a cross between two varie-
ties. 1t has been long recognized as
a principle that the mixture Of vsrie-
ties adds at least Temporary strength
and development to the offspring Bur
bank has developed from two species
Of the english walnut a tree of extra
ordinary size and productivity
But while the hybrid crop IS good,
the hybrid seeds are not. AS previous
ly indicated, there is a strong tendency
for the hybrid TO split up and revert to
original types. Good producing seed
must be obtained in another way. The
seed stock must be kept pure and
strong. 1t can be kept pure by keeping
It removed from similar crops. It can
be kept strong by selecting only the
best seed.
The farmer must, therefore, return
to the original strain each year to OBJ
tain a foundation for good yield. Ii
is for this reason that the plant breed
er maintains his we'll cared for seed
olats where only the pure strain is de-
veloped. 1t is to these plats he must
80 each year to get a potentially strong
seed to mix with another potentially
strong seed from another such plat to
btain a heavy yielding hybrid.
Doubtless many farmers have won
dered why they have not obtained big
Yields by planting seed obtained from
field of heavy yielding grain. The
explanation is that the seed taken from
the field were hybrids What he actual
ly gets from hybrid seed in the way
Of variety of corn, is doubtless surpris
ing to him.
Farmer Can Grow Pure seed.
1t is an easy matter for a farmer to
grow his own seed and thus be sure
that he is not getting a weak hybrid.
Having obtained what can be reason
ably expected to be pure strain. he
should pursue the plant-to-row method
that is, plant each row in his seed
plat from grain obtained from a single
ear or head. ..........
Before planting he should be. sure
hat he is putting into the ground seeds
that are vigorous. He can determine
this by conducting terminating tests
can plant these in a sand box, apply
moisture ana observe how many OF the
eed planted terminate. If nearly 100
per cent Of the grain terminate, the
ear is not discarded. Only those show
the best termination should be re-
served to plant in the seed plat Some
breeders go further and investigate the
rootlets that first develop and discard
even good terminating ears that do not
also show good root development.
Having ascertained which are the
good ears, the next step OF the seed
breeder is to plant each ear to a row
% as to keep check on the history and
accomplishment of each ear All this
can be done with little trouble by the
farmer. Breeders favor detasseling
every other stalk Of corn in a breeding
plat before it has pollenized itself
Other Plant as Fertilizer.
This leaves the stalk to be fertilized
by another plant. which Is considered
to make for stronger breed than when
self fertilized. When the gathering
time comes only those ears which have
grown on the detasseled stalks are
taken for seed to be used in planting
he seed plat the next year. The ears
from such stalks which are not re-
served for future seed plats, together
with those from the stalks not detas-