| Show i Seed Sown Determines Crop I The farm crop or home garden plants you grow can be beno beno no better than the seed you sow County Agent L L. Darrell Stokes reminds home gardeners garden garden- ers and farmers liE HE POINTS out that seeds are simply dormant plants When provided with moisture and warm temperature they sprout and begin the cycle of plant growth and development Favorable climate and good goodsoil goodsoil soil with adequate moisture and fertility permit the plant to grow and produce to its maximum potential However Lows Louis A A. Jensen Utah State University extension extension exten exten- sion agronomist explain e d that whether you JOU are growing garden peas for their tender tastiness delicate pink petunias for tor their beauty or alfalfa for nutritious cattle feed the plants plant's potential is by the parents liE HE SAYS well guided scientific plant parentage has provided provided pro pro- vided a wonderful selection of plants for our every purpose Scientists and others have I searched the world over for new and different kinds of plants and certain disease resistance resistance re- re and other qualIties needed in plants produced here Trained plant breeders are arc continually making crosses and selections by the thou thou- sands TheIr work has made it possible for you to buy superior superIor super super- seed and grow just about whatever you want whether it be for beauty or food or feed NOTE TilE THE story of Ranger alfalfa Its development to meet certaIn conditions is an example of the Ule kInd of work and care that has gone into high quality seed of every kind you buy atthe seed store For many years alfalfa had been the leading forage crop in the West producing high yields of nutritious feed A successful dairy industry was built with It as as the principle feed Then a new disease appeared appeared ap ap- in alfalfa fields known as bacterial wilt It killed plants and reduced yields Yet there seemed no practical w way y I Ito to control it until plant breed breed- I ers era finally fou found d strains strains' of alfalfa al alfalfa al- al falfa that were resistant to the disease SINCE THESE strains were inferior in other respects they were crossed hundreds of times with other varietIes that were superior in those char char- The offspring of these crosses were tested and observed Finally after many years of such painstaking work the plant breeders developed a anew anew new superior variety that was wilt resIstant winter hardy and l high gh in yield and quality They named it Ranger and released it for use Jensen notes that many sim similar sum sum- ilar filar stories such as the development development de- de in Utah of Cach Cacho and Wasatch wheat to solve a serious smut disease problem lem could be told to illustrate improvements which scientists have made with m many ny of our cultivated plants Now we benefit from their work We can get seed of improved varieties varieties va- va for practically every purpose he saId |
