HOME-CKOWN BEET SEED. -29 



seed branches or stalks from one beet do not all ripen 

 at the same time, consequently cannot all be harvested 

 at once. This necessitates going through the field and 

 cutting by hand all ripe seed stalks, which are care- 

 fully laid away and allowed to ' season ' in the shade 

 and are afterward threshed. It requires a second and 

 third cutting before all the seed is gathered. After 

 threshing, the seed is passed through a special machine, 

 which removes all bits of dirt, sticks and blighted 

 seeds, leaving only the full plump seed to be sacked 

 for use. 



"The germination is carefully tested early in the 

 spring, before any seeding is done, by planting in a 

 hothouse several lots of loo seeds that are taken with- 

 out any selection whatever and represent an avera.Qe of 

 the whole. A careful watch is kept of the process of 

 germination and a full record made of the date ot the 

 appearance of the first plant or plants, the number 

 appearing each succeeding day up to and including the 

 twelfth day from date of planting, and finally, the total 

 number of germs resulting from each loo seeds. The 

 average germination of Lehi seeds for the past season 

 was 96 per cent, with 218 germs, over two germs or 

 plants for each seed. Such seeds can be safely guar- 

 anteed on going into the hands of beet growers. Any 

 haphazard or unscientific methods in the production of 

 seed would immediately be followed by disastrous 

 results, for high-bred plant life, like 'high-bred' animal 

 life, will degenerate very rapidly unless preserved with 

 intelligence and skill." 



This last assertion is very true, and the future suc- 

 cess of the Utah beet selection will depend upon these 

 very facts, as previously mentioned. The whole issue 

 may appear very promising for a few years, but when 

 once atavism asserts itself, the first warning that some 

 thing must be done is reached. Sugar-beet-seed selec- 

 tion depends upon many very difficult problems, and 



