Among plants, as among animals, there are different breeds to be
found, some mean, some middling, and some quite superior. The
intelligent grazier, or raiser of cattle of every sort, selects the
finest animals he can find for breeders of his future stock; and
in this way he experiences a wonderful improvement in its value,
whether the stock be of horses, neat cattle, sheep, or swine. The
same precaution should be observed by the agriculturist in the
selection of the seeds of different plants which he cultivates--he
should constantly select his seeds from the finest breeds of plants
of every kind. In some cases such selections are attended with more
trouble than with others, but in all cases it is a matter of the
utmost importance in the improvement of crops. Some general rules
for such selections shall now be pointed out.
For _Indian corn_.--Search for such stalks as bear two ears, at
least, and take the largest ear of each stalk for seed, rejecting
the grains on both ends. Pursuing this practice will, in a few
years, increase the corn crop at least one third.
_Wheat, Rye, Barley, &c._--Search among the sheaves for the
largest and best filled heads.--Sow the grains taken from these by
themselves, and when the product is sufficient for seed, sow of
this selected stock only. Repeat the selection about every six years.
_Flax, Hemp, &c._--At the time of pulling the crop, select the
longest stalks to be found, sow the seed of these separately, and
the product will probably afford seed sufficient for the next year's
sowing. Repeat this, as before mentioned.
_Carrots, Beets, Turnips, &c._--Make yearly selections of the
largest and most perfect roots, for bearing a supply of seed for the
ensuing year.
_Pumpkins, Squashes, &c._--Select such plants as bear the greatest
_number_ or the greatest _quantity_ of pumpkins, or squashes,
&c.--take the _largest_ of the produce of each plant, and
after opening them, the quality for _sweetness_ of each can be
ascertained. Select your seeds for the next year's crop, from the
sweetest of the collection.
_Cabbages._--Preserve the stalks for seed, which bore the largest
and finest heads, or leaves, according to the sort of cabbage.
_Apples, Pears, &c._--No selections from the seeds of these, will
insure the same sorts of fruit as those from whence the seeds
were taken. The finest of these fruits are only to be obtained by
ingrafting. It is however said, that by taking the seeds only from
the south sides of such apples or pears, as grow on the finest of
these fruit trees, varieties of young trees will be afforded from
such seeds nearly equal to those from whence the seeds were taken.
_Peaches, Plums, &c._--Make your selections from such trees as bear
the finest fruit, and from that growing on the south side of the
trees. If you wish to make the young stock of fruit earlier than
that of the parent tree, make your selections of such peaches or
plums as ripen first, and these will always be found on the south
side of the tree.
For preserving the germinative power of seeds, let them be mixed
with a due proportion of sugar.
There is, in most cases, perhaps in all, a very essential advantage
to be derived from a change of seeds, or bringing them from one
part of the world to be sown in another. Sufficient attention has
not, however, been paid to this matter to enable us to ascertain
what changes prove most beneficial; but in making them, regard
must doubtless be had that the seeds be taken from climates not
too widely dissimilar. In bringing southern seeds to be sown in
northerly climates, the danger is, that they will want sufficient
time for ripening, and in pursuing the reverse of this, the crop may
ripen so early as to be, on that account, lessened in its products.
In raising seeds of plants of which there are different species,
it is essential that the seed plants be placed so far apart as to
preclude any danger of the pollen of the one being carried by the
winds to the other; for if an intermixture of breeds take place,
a degeneracy of the plants must ensue, by mixing the valuable
qualities of each. In the _Brascia_ tribe, for instance, there
is one species denominated cabbages, of many varieties, and are
valuable for their heads or leaves; another species is the common
turnip, of several varieties, and valuable for its bulbous root;
and another is the Swedish turnip or Ruta Baga, whose principle
excellence is its bulbous stalk. The effect, therefore, of an
admixture of these plants, must be a diminution of the bulbs of the
two latter, and an increase of foliage, while the cabbages would
lessen in the heads and leaves, with a proportionate augmentation of
stalk and roots.
[_Plough Boy._