The principle of seed selection was simple: sowing the best quality seeds provided the best quality crop. The strength of a crop was affected by the seed from which it was grown and through seed selection a farmer could develop a crop free of disease that offered a more profitable yield. The farmer had to take the time to select only seeds from the most healthy and strong plants in a crop, removing the small, withered, discoloured or inferior seeds. Selecting the seed was usually simple: the best seed was the heaviest, and would therefore be found settled on the very bottom of the grain on the threshing floor.
