Sept.  1,  J896.] 
Supplement  to  the  “ Tropical  Agriculturist." 
219 
If  wool-growers,  horse-breeders  and  dairymen 
were  to  select  their  stock  in  the  haphazard 
manner  that  many  farmers  select  their  seed  grain, 
giving  no  subsequent  attention  towards  selection 
and  improvement,  it  goes  without  saying  that 
several  specialities  for  which  our  stock  are  be- 
coming famous  would  deteriorate  in  quality  with 
far  greater  rapidity  than  it  has  improved  in  the 
time  spent  in  establishing  the  present  standard 
of  excellence.  Careful  natural  selection  and 
breeding  are  absolutely  necessary  in  every  branch 
of  husbandry.  By  no  one  is  the  want  of  selec- 
tion and  improvement  more  severely  felt  than  by 
tlic  grain-grower.  Every  year  the  difficulty  of 
obtaining  good  seed  is  increasing.  Wheat-growers 
will  bear  this  out.  Varieties  true  to  name  are 
almost  impossible  to  obtain.  Good-looking  seed 
is  sometimes  purchased  under  the  impression 
that  it  is  of  the  variety  desired,  but  when  the 
crop  matures,  the  seed  turns  out  to  be  a mix- 
ture of  perhaps  half-a-dozen  different  varieties. 
Perhaps  not  two  of  these  varieties  ripen  at  the 
same  lime.  With  a mixture  of  this  kind  an 
average  ripening  is  impossible,  and  a decreased 
yield  the  inevitable  result. 
Why  should  the  farmer  depend  uj)on  the 
retailer  for  his  supply  of  seed  grain  ? Every 
farmer  should  make  it  a point  to  grow  his  own 
seed.  If  lie  has  to  purchase  he  should  endeavour 
to  personally  inspect  the  crop  while  growing,  so 
that  he  can  satisfy  himself  not  only  as  to  its 
purity,  but  also  as  to  its  yielding  capabilities. 
A change  every  third  or  fourth  year  will  be 
quite  often  enough.  It  does  not  take  long  to 
grow  a sufficient  quantity  of  grain  for  seeding 
purposes  for  the  whole  farm.  The  main  thing 
is  to  begin  properly.  By  carefully  selecting  the 
best  sample  of  grain  it  is  possible  to  obtain  seed 
possessing  a producing  power  of  fully  50  per  cent, 
greater  than  under  ordinary  circumstances.  Plx- 
periments  in  this  direction  have  borne  out  the 
truth  of  this  statement.  “Like  begets  like,” 
and  when  we  are  so  careful  in  the  matter  of 
constitution  and  vigour  in  the  animal  kingdom 
why  shou’d  not  similar  watchfulness  be  displayed 
in  the  selection  of  seed  grain  ? 
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