The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1921-06-23
sOu IMPROVEMENT is MEANS
OF INCREASING CROP YIELDS
Growers Must Observe Closely to
Determine Best For His
Locality
SHOULD SELECT THEIR SEED
Extension Crop Specialist, State Col
ieet Of Washington
avLeoNARp HEoNAUER

Good seed is one of the easiest ways
of increasing crop yields and adding to
the profits of crops grown. All field
and garden crops can be made hettef
by using high quality seed.
No grower should be satisfied until
he is convinced that every crop varie-
ty which he grows on his farIn. Is the
best for his soil and climatic cond1-
lions. Some varieties will do well
under certain conditions but under an
other set of conditions some other va
riety may be more successful ana de'
sirable. To determine the most deslr-
able, one needs to observe closely the
comparison as to yield. quality and
general adaptability Of varieties grown
in his locality. The Experiment Station
is of great benefit in helping to de-
termine the varieties that should be
grown in the different sections. Every
rover should make an effort to secure
varieties that have good quality and
are able to show high production.
1t is not enough that growers should
select seed simply to hold to we'll
adapted variety. but the seed OF that
variety may and should be improved
through proper care and selection. Ev-
cry grower should improve the seed
of the variety which he has chosen.
This improvement should come thru
proper care and selection. II seed Is to
be improved it must have care. No
live stock breeder would expect i'm.
provement in his herd or flock unless
he was willing to give them the very
best care. The producer Of high-Quali.
ty seed needs to do the same. He must
look after his fields to see that suffi-
cient fertility is provided to supply
the needs of the crop that normal
growth may follow. The state of cult
walton must be such that an ideal seed
bed may be secured; SO that plant food
may be regularly liberated during the
entire growing season: and SO that
weeds will not interfere with the grow
ing crop nor cause lowering Of the
quality of the threshed seed by being
mixed with it.
Every lot of seed should be abso.
lutely free from weed seeds. 1t is i'm
portant that seed does not contain
mixtures of other varieties or other
kinds which in themselves are not me-
cessarily weeds, but will lower the
quality of the product very materially
by their presence. So long as variety
mixtures are permitted in a field
where seed is being grown, no high
standard of seed production can be
reached. 1t is important to keep the
seed fields free from mixtures of ev-
cry kind and description and allow
nothing to grow except the one
straight variety.
Use Increase Plots
The next step in seed improvement
is to select the very best part of the
field, as the portion from which the
choicest seed is to be taken. This can
be used as the seed for an increase
plot for the coming season Where
one can devote the proper time to
seed improvement, 1t is exceedingly
helpful to select a number of the very
best and highest producing plants
those conforming to a desirable type
and use their seed Tor an increase
plot. BY using such system 1t is pos
sible to keep a variety purs and add
something by way OF Improvement
thru selection.
Practically every community in the
state has the possibility of producing
high quality farm or garden seed.
Some sections can produce garden
seeds, some potatoes, others legume
crop seeds, while still others the seed
grains and forage plants. These seed
crops are not only to be grown for
use by the grower himself but the sur
plus of his production could easily be
disposed Of to the benefit Of other