The log cabin Democrat., 1921-12-13
AGENT DISCUSSES
 SEED SELECTION IMPORTANT 10 FARMERS Change in Climate Units Northern Bred Seed for SOuth-AdvOcates
 Standards Adopted.

Editor Log Cabin Democrat:
 Seed, Webster says, "is substance
 from which new plants or animals are
 produced" And as w. J. Bryan once
 said in speaking of a grain of wheat
 which he held in his hand, "a seed
 has an invisible something which is
 capable of reproducing itself a thous-
 and times in one season and in short time, feeding thousands of
 hungry people,
 The chemist can analyze the seed and tell of which elements it IS con- posed and in what proportion each is to the other elements in the compound, and if student of biology, he can point to the embryo plant, lying dor mant, waiting for the warm sun rays, air and moisture to bring to life. Here is the part which will grow down into the earth, forming root, and this part will grow up and into a stem. But no chemist with all the ! help of the science of botany or bio- logy, in the elaborately modern equip ped laboratory of the larger institu- tions can take these same elements and mix them into a substance from which new plant will come.
 The primary object of all plant life is to reproduce. And by far the greater part of all plant growth dies down when this is once accomplished.
 Plants unmolested by man make selection. The result is the survival of the fit, and often this is not the most economic plant for man. By his guiding hand in seed selection, cross pollination, environment and the discovery of mutations properly con- trolled, many plants have ndergone remarkable changes, the corn and ap 1,!ie being yer ystriking examples. Il
 There are many seed farms in var ous parts of the United States which make a speciality of breeding seeds for sale. In many instances the en- vironment under which these seed are produced is as foreign to the .'ocallty l in which they are firally planted as l it is in distance of miles from the seed house to their seed bed
 It is a well known fact that northern corn planted in the south will pro- duce very small stalk and mucn smaller ear. This variation exists with different degrees for different seed.
 Today with the complex diseases and insects which the farmer must fight, the change from one climate to anoth- ar is not the least consideration in buy ing seed. While in North Carolina last year we saw acres of cotton ruined by the red spider and were told that a splendid start of this spider might be had through planting seed. l
 Tie p..n.lE. psnE .;;.. .;ci. worm of Texas and Louisiana is as easily spread into other countries by seed from irf-.re, I, areas. Many states are prohibiting the shipments of seeds from infested states altogether,
 The old adage that "f you would be well served, serve yourself" holds doubly true with seed. You ward off disease and pest and you may breed up better strain suited to the local l conditions of our county.
 Communities should adopt a given variety of corn and cotton and from this save their seed Then it would be possible to keep strain pure and not until then will it be possible.
 Government records show that by coloring cottonseed of bale and then