Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-29

| the educational authorities Of the
State carry TO the boys In practical.
simple form The boys are told how
10 determine the best seed
Without planting strong seed, Of
course, the corn-club boy is not III
the race.
Seed Selection Necessary.
Such as have been careless about
selecting good seed can never win
though he have the richest land and
put on il all the fertilizer that can
possibly be used Nothing can make
up for the shortage inhcring in the
nature OF the seed itself.
In view Of this. how important IT
is that one knows that he is dealing
with a reliable firm when he buys
from seed house. II the firm is
honest 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 rigid eX-
animation TO determine whether or
not he knows how to produce good
seed and. second. no seed will be per
mitted 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 80 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 II resistg plant
disease and insect dangers. Profes
sor S. NJ. Balm, of the University Of?
Tennessee. found that red clover had
come to be almost a complete failure
in that State, by reason OF a disease
known as anthraCnose Of clover.
Starting with "a few plants in
patch that had resisted the disease, he
bred from these. Each season he sub
iected the patch to the disease, even
TO spraying the plants with the spores
Of the disease. saving out of each
patch those that resisted the disease.
Thus each year ne increased his dis
ing grown quite widely over the State
A similar work has been done with
reference TO anthracnose in cotton by
Professor Il. J. II. DeLoach, director
of the State Experiment Station Of
Georgia. A similar work is being
done with reference TO black root and
wilt by Professor Il. l.. Worsham
State Entomologist Of Georgia. In
other lines, but by the same process,
| plants are being bred away from dis
ease 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,
potterers, impractical Adventures
| but II is these who are doing more
farming than the farmer, who Gre
ate bigger crops than anybody else,
who save the plants from greatest
| loss.
Needs Legislative Support.
When the Legislatures are called
upon for an appropriation for these
workers in the colleges and laborato-
ries these lawmaking bodies win not
be asked for money that will go fur
| Their toward comforting real public
welfare. In the South where the d.
yersification OF farming is the para
mount issue and where there is a con-
slant thirst for Information as to how
| TO do this and that other thing to
get out Of the single crop bondage and
! the affections OF the boil weevil. il
| would be no less than shame not
| to provide all the men and means
| necessary to render the required as
| sistancc, also to provide for carrying
on the experiments and Investigations
| for soil and plant improvement, and
| for training young men for agricul-
! tural leadership at the institutions OF
! learning devoted to the cause