The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-17
ARKANSAS SEED TO
STATE FARMERS
Special Meeting To Be Held
in Little Rock to Promote
New Ideal.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Dec. i7.-Ar-
kansas grown seed for Arkansas farm
ers will be discussed at a special meet
Ing of farmers, business men and state
employees, who will meet in the Little
Rock Chamber of Commerce building
at 1890 am. Dec. 10. The meeting has
been called by James J. Ryan, of Kerr,
president of the Arkansas Crop I'm
proVement association, an organization
which was formed at Little Rock last
February during the meeting OF the
| Arkansas Livestock association by 70
representative farmers all over the
state. Twenty nine prominent farm
ers. representative business men ana
state employees, who are interested and
who can give material assistance IN
| formulating q plan to aid the farmers
| in securing good seed, have been asked
| to attend the conference In Llttle ROCK
I'VE can do what Michigan and other
states are doing with this proposition
says Mr. Ryan, "At the present time
| the Arkansas farmer has no assurance
| that his purchases OF seed are good
and the loss to the state each year from
poor seed Is enormous, The tendency OF
| the farmers, seed men and all OF US
has been to walt for the other fellow
to do something, Nothing has been
| done and Il Is time that we get to-
gether and standardize seed in order
| that we may stop this yearly waste,
There Ia a distinct need for seed
Improvement, Of all reg crops eTowa a
! In Arkansas" says i. w Osborn, head
Of the agronomy department. of the Uni
versity OF Arkansas, who is secretary
| treasurer Of the association There
are practically no farmers in the state
who have been actively engaged In the
commercial production OF tleld crops
seed for any length of time. Arkan-
sas needs dependable growers OF seed
corn. seed grain, logumes and cotton
seed within the state. An organization
OF seed growers cooperating with the
state agricultural experiment station is
needed TO multiply and MAINTAIN the
puritv of improved varieties, Such an
association OF actual growers who will
work with the crop specialists VIII aid
| In standardEing the varieties grown
| within the state In this way the pur-
chaser OF seed will know what he is
| getting.
The Real Seed Issue.
$50 much confusion exists at the
nresent time with respect to the seed
| question that 1t Is almost Impossible
to be certain of the purity and quality
OF variety unless one goes TO seed
breeders outside the state, For in
stance, visited seed concerns IN one
Of The larger Arkansas cities who were
selling Burt oats and found at least
| fontr different sorts selling under the
same varietal name, with corn there
Is frequently as much dltference be-
tween strains OF variety as between
varieties themselves
The majority q seed used III, IN Al, Ar;
kansas AZ the present time Is native
soad IN no snecial variety. A great deal
OF this seed Is from stock purchased in
the Northern states within the last few
wears and lacks In soundness. Quite .
large amount OF seed planted Is adapted
native seed which would be o,tGa quite salts IT'S
factory II little more attention wa'
given 10 selection. Only few farmers
n the state have given careful atten,
ton 10 selecting seed through period
aaytloned strains which, II known
Could well displace much OF the seet
~ ed at the present time, Is the opin'
ION of Mr.. Osborn,
THE seed corn situation Is cited al
illustrative OF the complex'ty and un'
certainty OF the Arkansas sssu s,.ua
lion, Texas seed men supply large
| quantity OF seed to Southwest Arkan
sas, q little comes from Louisiana an'