CHAPTER V 

 THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD SEED 



The matter of good seed is one of great impor- 

 tance to the grower of broom-corn, since the quality 

 and uniformity of the brush is dependent upon the 

 quality of the seed as well as upon the character of 

 the soil. When the crop is harvested for the brush, 

 the seed, removed by the scraper in the preparation 

 of the crop for market, is useless for planting be- 

 cause of its immature condition and its low germi- 

 nating power. 



The farmer who is engaging in broom-corn cul- 

 ture in a new locality should secure seed from sev- 

 eral sources, and plant each lot of seed in a sepa- 

 rate patch located some distance from any other 

 broom-corn. It is necessary that these test plots be 

 placed some rods apart to prevent the cross fertili- 

 zation of the plants during the flowering period and 

 the consequent mixing of the different varieties. 

 While in the blooming period the plots should be 

 harvested, leaving in each a few choice plants to 

 mature seed. The different lots of brush should be 

 compared, and the superior plants growing upon the 

 plot producing the best brush should be allowed to 

 ripen and produce the seed for planting the follow- 

 ing season. This will enable the grower to judge 

 as to the adaptability of the different strains to his 

 locality and will give him the assurance that his 

 seed came from none but good individual plants. 



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