1008. 
311 
THE HIGHEST BRED SEED. 
Can the Common Farmer Afford to Buy It? 
The talk that is often heard from some farmers at 
agricultural gatherings in criticism of high prices for 
seed would give the impression that low prices for 
their seed would be so much of an object they would 
make quality a secondary consideration. But a prac¬ 
tical experience of more than 30 years in growing 
vegetables for market lias convinced the writer that 
about the poorest trade a farmer could make would 
be to take the gift of any seed that was only a slight 
grade below the very best quality, provided he could 
buy the very best at any price—even an exorbitant 
one. The relative cost of the best possible seed to 
the value of the matured crop is so small a per cent, 
that quality—yes, the highest quality—should always 
be required of your seedsman. One should know his 
seedsman to be not only an honest man, but one who 
understands all the ins and outs of seed growing, and 
is careful to buy his seed of only such growers as are 
thoroughly reliable. One of our neighbor market 
gardeners bought from a reliable seed firm in Boston, 
years ago, beet seed of a specific variety and from this 
seed raised four different varieties of beets, which, 
of course, were not very salable, being so mixed. He 
made complaint to the seedsman, who assured him 
that the seed “was grown by one of the most promi¬ 
nent agriculturists in Massachusetts, a member of the 
State Board of Agriculture At that moment of this 
conversation this “prominent agriculturist”—the grower 
of that beet seed, came into the seed store and the 
seedsman introduced the grower of the seed to the 
complainant and remarked that he was making com¬ 
plaint about some beet 
seed grown by him for 
the seed firm. The 
grower turned to the 
complaining truck 
farmer and asked, 
“What is the trouble 
with the seed?” He 
replied, “I bought it 
for such a variety of 
beets,” naming the va¬ 
riety, “and I raised no 
less than four different 
kinds of beets.” That 
prominent member of 
the State Board of 
Agriculture and seed 
grower replied, “I did 
not know that there 
were but two kinds of 
beets.” The proprietor 
of the seed store be¬ 
came “wrathy” at that 
confession of ignor¬ 
ance, and took him to 
the desk, opened a seed 
catalogue and showed 
him a list of more than 
a dozen different kinds. 
He knew only a table 
beet and mangel or cow beet. Of course he did not 
even know that the different varieties would mix if 
grown near together when seeding. 
Not a few pretty good farmers, and fairly intelli¬ 
gent, have not the slightest idea how different 
varieties of plants mix. Often good farmers come 
into my cucumber house, and remark, “Why, you 
keep bees in here?” “Yes.” “Well, what do you 
mean by that?” “To pollenize the blossoms, else 
we would get no cucumbers in a closed house.” “Well! 
well! I never knew that before.” And how can 
farmers understand and appreciate the wide difference 
in yield and quality of the high-bred corn (or any 
other seed for that matter) above the seed taken 
from a field where fertile and earless stalks of corn 
are growing close side by side? 
One of my neghbors in Maine when I was a boy 
raised 125 bushels of shelled corn on a single acre 
of ground. I helped husk that corn. Probably not 
every growing stalk had an ear of corn on it. Of 
course most of those stalks had two or three ears. 
Hut there is a wide difference between a yield of 
“thirty fold” and “sixty fold,” and a still larger dif¬ 
ference between “sixty fold” and “a hundred fold.” 
On a large acreage, like those western cornfields, what 
an immense difference in not only quantity but quality 
from high-bred seed. The estimated extra cost of six 
cents per acre for high-bred seed corn is perfectly 
insignificant when set against the immensely greater 
yield and finer quality. In 1891 I had to pay $9 per 
ounce for the best cauliflower seed. But I would 
lather pay twice that an ounce for that best quality 
than take the gift of only a slightly lower strain of 
cauliflower seed. No farmer, large or small, can 
affoid to plant any but the best possible strain of 
seed to be had. If he cannot himself breed the seed 
THE RURAb NEW-YORKER 
up to its highest state of perfection, he can afford to 
pay such a price for such seed as will compensate 
those who do breed it up to that high state of per¬ 
fection. This is true in regard to all kinds of 
seed used on a farm. s. H. R. 
Worcester Co., Mass. 
PLANNING THE HOME GROUNDS. 
Grading and Planting. 
The diagram, Fig. 134, shows the plan of my home 
grounds. I would like some help in (he way of suggestions 
as to what plants and flowers to put out in little driveway 
circle; also how to go about leveling off grounds; how 
much working and cultivation to give; what seed to sow 
for lawn? Should any shrubs be put out? You will 
notice that driveways, walks and lawns are only as we 
propose them as yet. Can you suggest anything better as 
to lay-out, also as to width of walks and driveways? 
Remember we are very busy in working season on farm. 
Our strength is limited, help scarce and high. But we 
have four good horses, plenty of good tools, and some 
gumption. I would very much like estimated cost in dol¬ 
lars of doing this work if we had to hire it all done; 
also cost of taking care of same afterward. j. a. h. 
New York. 
As you do not give present levels and slopes of the 
plots to be graded we have no idea of the amount 
of soil to be moved, and therefore cannot give esti¬ 
mates in money or labor. With two available teams 
and suitable help the job should not be a formidable 
one. In grading small areas about dwellings no spe¬ 
cial appliances or engineering talent is needed. The 
owner should have in mind about the effect he wants, 
and with a team and scraper or a few men with 
shovels and wheelbarrows he can soon bring it 
about. In grading off knolls or high places the top 
soil should be kept together, then the subsoil moved 
out and filled in the lowest depressions. When some¬ 
thing like satisfactory grades are established the whole 
surface may be roughly but deeply plowed, a liberal 
dressing of manure, ground bone or fertilizer 
sprinkled over the most barren places, and the top soil 
brought back and evenly distributed. After harrow¬ 
ing, raking or otherwise fining the surface and 
bringing it to true and final grades, grass seeds, con¬ 
sisting of equal parts by weight of Kentucky Blue 
and Red-top may be carefully sown, at the rate of 
four or five bushels to the acre, followed by a few 
pounds of White clover, if the latter is liked. Rak¬ 
ing the seeds in and rolling if the weather is dry, 
complete this part of the work. 
The walks and driveways are scarcely as wide as 
convenience would suggest. For best results they 
should be dug out at least 20 inches deep and filled 
in with cinders or small stones to provide drainage, 
and crowned with gravel, which should be well rolled 
down. The walks most used may with good advan¬ 
tage be finished with bricks or cement. 
As to flowering plants in driveway circle, nothing 
would give a more brilliant show under ordinary 
cultural conditions than scarlet geraniums; either 
General Grant or Alphonse Riccard varieties would be 
suitable. Strong plants should be set about 14 inches 
apart about the first of June. Dark-leaved Cannas, 
such as Black Beauty or King Humbert, would also 
be effective. They should be planted two feet apart 
in early June. Other desirable constant blooming 
plants are Ageratum, Phlox Drummondi, Petunias 
and Verbenas. All are readily grown from seeds. As 
the grounds are already well provided with good- 
sized shade trees there does not appear much oppor¬ 
tunity for shrub planting. Room might be found 
for such fine species as Forsythia, Spirjea Van Hout- 
tei, Althaea or hardy Hydrangea, and a fine lilac or 
two. 1 he shrubs should be kept together in beds 
rather than planted singly for an agreeable effect. 
A tree or two of compact Norway spruce or Nord- 
mann’s fir, very hardy evergreens, might be introduced 
to relieve the bare Winter aspect. 
THAT SOUTHERN HAY FARM. 
How It Was Handled. 
A friend who has read the statement of that 25-acre 
hay farm in South Carolina (page 8), is very emphatic 
in his criticism. 
“I don’t believe it!” 
Now this man will have to fight it out with the 
United States Government—and we have found that a 
large proposition. The facts are found in Farmers’ 
Bulletin 312, which should be read by every southern 
farmer. The farm referred to is located in Cherokee 
Co., S. C., owned by Dr. D. S. Ramseur, who under¬ 
took to show what one man with a good mule can do 
on 25 acres. The soil varies from a pebbly clay to a 
sandy loam. Manure is used annually at the rate of 
six to eight tons per acre. This manure comes from 
a cotton-oil mill where steers are fed on cotton hulls 
and cotton-seed meal. The work is done by one man 
and horse—that is, this man does enough outside work 
to pay for the extra help required in haying and baling. 
No regular rotation of crops is followed. For ex¬ 
ample, during the Winter of 1905 there were 18 acres 
of Winter oats and seven of Crimson clover. In the 
Spring of 1906 three 
acres of Crimson clover 
were planted to corn 
and four acres of clover 
and 18 of Winter oats 
cut and cured for hay. 
As soon as this hay was 
cut the 22 acres were 
broadcast to cow peas, 
which were cut and 
made into hay, after 
which the land was 
seeded to clover and 
Winter oats again. 
Clover was also seeded 
in the three acres of 
corn. Of course this 
particular system could 
only be used in the 
South, where Winter 
oats succeed. These 
oats are seeded in deep 
furrows 15 to 18 inches 
apart. When seeded 
in this way the oats 
are less likely to be 
thrown out. Cow peas 
are seeded from May 1 
to June 25. Most of 
the Crimson clover is 
seeded in August and September—never later than 
November 1. In sowing cow peas the sod of Crim¬ 
son clover or oats is plowed and fined and six pecks 
of cow peas broadcast and harrowed in. The bulletin 
gives the following statement of receipts for the 25 
acres: 
7 acres of Crimson clover hay, 3,500 pounds per 
acre, at $1.25 per hundredweight. $306.25 
18 acres oat hay, 3,000 pounds per acre, at $1.25 
per hundredweight . 675.00 
22 acres cow-pea hay. 3,000 pounds per acre, at 
$1.25 per hundredweight. 825.00 
3 acres corn, 66.66 bushels per acre, at 75 cents 
per bushel . 150.00 
3 acres corn stover, 2 tons per acre, at $15 per 
ton . 90.00 
Total income .$2,046.25 
Total cost . 521.90 
Net income .$1,524.35 
In many parts of the South the greater part of the 
hay is brought from the North. We have paid even 
higher prices than are here quoted in Florida. 
Cabbage Maggots.— A few years ago, having two 
acres of early and 25,000 late cabbage plants nearly 
ready to set, I discovered one day in June that both 
had been attacked by maggots. Having had some 
experience in the use of carbon bisulphide in the de¬ 
struction of insects and animals, ranging from bed¬ 
bugs to woodchucks, I decided to try it on the mag¬ 
gots. Procuring two gallons of the liquid, a pepper- 
sauce bottle with nozzle attachment and a dibber, I 
went to work. Inserting the dibber two or three 
inches from the plant stem and extending it ob¬ 
liquely under the center of the roots I poured in 
about a good teaspoonful of the liquid, quickly clos¬ 
ing the mouth of the opening. When I came to the 
bed of late plants I performed the same operation in 
about every six or eight inches square of the plant 
bed. The result was that while those plants that had 
previously wilted died, no more maggot work was 
seen. The maggots had all fallen asleep. 
Pennsylvania. i. a. thayer. 
