EVERY FARMER A PLANT BREEDER 89 



in the manure. Then you spread that manure over 

 any or every field ; the result is more and more 

 weeds, every year, everywhere. 



Moreover, grass and grain seed, if selected as is 

 ordinarily done, run down, get poorer and poorer, 

 and in time often get quite choked with weeds. 

 This ought to be stopped. There is no compromise. 

 There is no excuse for a compromise. Nothing 

 will do so much in cleaning a farm of weeds as a 

 good fanning mill. Through its use a man can 

 soon breed up his crops. This will yield better 

 and be of better quality; and this kind will give 

 him a reputation in the community for having seed 

 or grain that is worth a good price. The fanning 

 mill, therefore, is worth many times its cost to 

 every farmer. 



BREEDING UP THE FARM CROPS 



It is a mistake to attempt the improvement of 

 a crop in several directions at one time. The task 

 is too big to undertake, even though you are able 

 to devote much time to it. Limit your efiforts to a 

 few important characters, and steadfastly follow 

 those lines. When these improvements become 

 fixed and staple, other less important lines can be 

 started. 



It does not require much money or much labor 

 to work in this way in crop improvement. What 

 is expended is certain to come back shortly. Or- 

 dinarily it is to find the heavy yielding strains that 

 we are after. Equally important is the plant's 

 ability to withstand disease. A disease-resisting 

 crop is more certain ; the seed from such a strain 

 is more valuable, and therefore an aim in that direc- 



