CHANGE OF SEED.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 95, 4 May 1876, Page 7

CHANGE OF SEED.

What r we^jtnoi-y^of the advantages arißin^fr^&^^ the *cesult ; ol^^^s^fcg:The early^ experimeii^||g^ by science, '^oi^p^ll^c^rli-agi^at' seed ff r^tS^pß i^Sf^^t^^ u t rJ change dc*J||ai-^^ ductiveness.e^ for the se^g^^^l^gglsSed, it wil^^^^l^f-^^^f^ll^jatyg-. a^S^^^^^^^ffi

upon by all who have jjßxperiiaented on the subject, These, are, first, that the practice" is' unquestionably productive' of beneficial results; second, that the changing of cereals should be pretty frequent* ' arid * always from an earlier and warmer climate, and from -lighter to a heavier soil. ' I'liird, that the plumpest, heaviest, and best nourished grains .should !r ,ftß ( selected foi; Jcei^eal ! seeds, and that turnip, .mangel, and other similar seeds should *be ob-tained-irom the best .developed transplanted bulbs. Fourth, that plant diseases are sometimes .developed from the seed, andrtherefore the introduction of fresh seed;*ma^ be one means of prevention. Fifth, that the variation in cereuls which^^^nature~pi«M_ts to us are hereditary, and proceed on a fixed principle. Alt ia found that of the three cereals— wheat, oats, and barley— pats require - changing most frequently,'! wheat next, and that barley stands longest, without deterioration/ Seed should be obtained, if possible, from districts proved to, be peculiarly adapted for thp growth <>l„the particular kind; required, lor in tais way a more vigorous plaptia secured. Robustness of character for the future plant is largely ensured by , the : seed having stored within it a full supply of the food required during germination. It is one of the gravest mistakes to use light, cheap, and badly screened grain for seed. .It will- be found,- in the long run, the most expensive practice , inAevery respect. The best seed should be obtained, regardless of the extra, shitting for two per bushel, and in addition to the original cleaning, it BhoulC be subjected to a thorough screening =on the farm before, mowing, so that everything in the shape of light g|aln {and weed .seeds may be completely separated; It "will pay to annually set apart a plot on the farm for the growth; of seech By selecting a quantity of the heaviest grains of wheat j ior instance, and sowing them thinly in well prepared soil, a sufficient quantity of first class seed may. be obtained either for home use, sale, or exchange. There is nothing to prevent every farm having a nursery for the growth of pedigree seed, the production of -which by the few who have tried it has proved the most remunerative of all tillage operations. Mr Mechi, the English agriculturist, during : the! reading of a recent papery ;saia;->--" J^br thirteen years -I have grown ilalleu's pedigree wheats and evfiry yefcr; have had extraA sized heads i and r yield, and so long as this continues I shall buy fresh seed each year, at £5. jßspjßir; : .Xou see here before jdu nay best head (ll rows; on a side) ;ia,^;year;l^7o. 7 You see a photograph of ISTl's- beßt head (12 rows on a;6ide); also ltf?3, r l4ro#s on a^de^aW^w4^ead^4>f~lß74>with> 15 oift, a side^ ( J have even reache4 16 rowsV ~ Tlie bunches of heads 'liis^ played are 1874 iflalletfe's.red^ Hunter's white, Hallejt's pedigree golden drop, and on my pw>r clay land they produc^/^sixr C |md^«even per acre. You also see a sample which has been kept ia '■_ bag -since- last 7 August, "^noVyou .see 105 he^ds grooving on, one root* on which* more than 8660 grains were growing at once. ■ Wow, if I had not -;^ bpu^ht~new seepA; since; 1870, I; should Jiave£onlyillj:bws on. a £ide7instead of 15 and 10 now. growing. 1 must here call attention to the maxim, 8 Sow^ lialf "the usual s quantiTies one moßtb earlier, and -expect t two quarters extra.' From its great tillering power it is ableto- occupy double the space of ground,ibUt it requires) more time to do it Most of yoii will buy -a good bull or ranf^ font a pjjsdij|rpe in corn, pays better^, also, jn a lecture to tie Dorchester Farmers' Club, said: — "He was convinced^ the best seeds were as essential in securing > excelience'ia plants .as, were the best stock for producing" :: &oo<l' animals." The pedigreefprinciple should be • takeri^advantage ot jhy^ Australian farmers, to propagate' varieties of ' seed which are. discovered ttf^B&eßs* special" peculiarities suited J tdlqc^ ';' ihus/ for instant uni^u^ly prolific^^h of •wheat have been found intact after the disastrous effects^ of a shaking hot wind, and; ih a"sinnia¥ way ; stray ears have been found standing and prosperous amid surrounding disease. 'These heads should be 'selected,'" and from the seed carefully . planted ; new and valuable varieties, <&w\& be ,It may be mentioned that potatoes supply the exception to the rule relating to the change of seed from an earlier i-to?^ later .cuV trick" In thisrespect potatoes are- <exU: actly^ the reverse tifwheat^ . and' 'should • invariably 7be/'chang , Hed -from -later to r an^eariier -district.- — Potatoes--also-re--qnirel jfreqUent ' change, every . second j o^ii^os^a^^ d should Mfroro jVpobrar L i&&in£\ifaikQ)\si — ' Melbourne, L6adeEi , i /* •^ a-;r : v