A CHANGE OF SEED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1754, 20 May 1913, Page 10

A CHANGE OF SEED.

REQUIRED AT FREQUENT INTERVALS.

There lire varied opinions as to the ailvisableness of changing seed, but most farmers adopt tho practioe of getting new seed, even if it is only from an adjoining farm. The fact that crops run out if a farmer keeps on using his own seed continuously .(says Professor Primrose M'Connell) is one of 'the phenomena that luive never yet been explained satisfactorily. New varieties are always being brought out by improvers, but many of them tend to die out after a year or two, and have to be resuscitated, as it'were, by bringing in fresh seed again—in other words, a variety runs out. Againslt this there is the fact that the continuous selection from the best crops is ono of the methods of improving any particular variety, and in this way a crop can bo regenerated, and sonic of the best varieties of corn have been brought into existence in this way. Notwithstanding this, there is the fact that perpetually growing the same class of seed ou tho same farm tends to depreciation in the value of tlio crop. Most fanners have found out that change is good, and if any particular variety has been found to do .better than others, then it is wise to go back to tlio same source when regeneration is required. As a.rule, it is a good plan to get,seed from a better soil anu climate than ones.own. In tho case of the corn crops, however, it has been found that 'the heavier grain peibushel is not always Hie best to sow tor raising a good crop. Ono of tho anomalous things that one finds in fanning is that the small-sized seed .vluch is silted out of tho bulk is found to _be heavier per bushel and will actually give the best crop sometimes. Possibly tins may be duo to the fact that the kernels in the small grain are very often as large as those .111 the larger grain-Wie difference in size bein" really due to the difference ill tho size of tho glumes or chaff scales. In any ca'-'e, however, it is a good plan to fresh seed at frequent intervals, and to have a change from one to antfther to find out which is the best one to adopt for future use. A. farmer might select seed from his very best crop and preserve it for seed purposes, and thus lotlow a scheme of regeneration m a small way.