SEED SELECTION ' 131 



In selecting seed one should give attention to its weight, 

 plumpness, and lustre. Heavy seed is best, because it has 

 more material packed in it for the young plant than a light 

 seed. Shrivelled and light seeds should not be used if better 

 can be had. They will probably grow all right, but the plants 

 from them are not likely to be so thrifty. The importance of 

 using the fanning-mill to get the heavy and plump seed can 

 easily be seen. By liistre is meant the appearance of the 

 seed, whether it is fresh or dull looking. New seed always 

 has a fresh, shiny appearance, while old seed has lost its 

 freshness. If one compares clover seed three years old with 

 fresh seed the meaning of lustre and its importance are easily 

 understood. 



Home-grown Seed. — Crops which have been grown in the 

 same neighborhood for several years have become used to the 

 climate and soil and their seed, if carefully selected, will usually 

 give larger crops than seed brought from a distance. Corn is 

 a crop that cannot be changed very far without bad results. 

 Sometimes if corn is taken but a few miles and planted on 

 different soil it will not give a good crop. Most farm crops 

 do not "run out," as the farmers say, but potatoes and oats, 

 if not carefully selected, do seem to lose in quality and yielding 

 power, in the warmer climates, and new seed from northern 

 places will give a larger crop. If new seed is to be obtained 

 it should be obtained from some northern point, or from a 

 point east or west. It will not do as a rule to bring seed from 

 the south to the north, because it is used to a longer season of 

 growth and will not ripen at the right time. 



Testing Seed. — After what has been said above it seems 

 clear that the farmer should use great care in selecting his seed 

 for a new crop. Small seeds like clover and timothy should 



