AMERICAN SEED GROWING
Cheap Seeds the Most Expensive
GUY ELLIOTT MITCHELL
growing of farm lies idle and he “curses
en seeds may be cc
important of icul
tries, for unless the q
i intai the
iminished
re
ity, s
iorated in qual
g crop
ud.
reat m
seed business is
a promis
the car-lo
which he
producing capacity
deteriorates, in
most succe
tities of see
what cauti
bu
amount
ry inferior seed from some ot
nsidered the | has -
indus- | whereas the fa
f the seed | was
is
me and deter-|
that if applied to kinds of seed.
a whole, the loss would |
¥ buyer is particu
the
uan
years ago, |seed buyer, practiced by
thus sHown
simply pe vise and pound
foolish
This can be said
Or
2 it is
ve
that they wil
1e), and unl
y observant
Tricks of Some Dealers.
Another method of
{ who never expect to do bus
ond time with the customer, is to
him outright the c
fine f
the Ur
Then came a great demand fo
y were
States.
A Field of Seed
Lettuce.
Parsnip Growing
For Seed.
California Scenes.
a
=
”
=8
»
4
J
SONI
SAT
gw. Fett JT
LTS zy
=r ESTE
are
1
ato-
tate some of the vastes
e world are found, where the
s over unbroken rows, miles in
extent, at least as far as the eye can
reach. If all this industry should cease
for a year and the farmer and gardener
became dependent for the succeeding
crop on the seeds which he.would him-
self save during the year, the shrinkage
in production throughout the country
would amount to tens of millions of
dollars,
In the Olden Times.
Of course, in the early days each
farmer saved his own seed; possibly he
exchanged seeds with one or two neigh-
bors or friends. At that time there was
little competition in farming, the produc-
tion of the farm was used mainly for
the support of the family, and the farm
supplied practically all the necessities
and even the luxuries of life.
The earliest seed-farm in the United
States is believed to have been started
by David Landreth, the originator of
the present big seed house. This was
before the Revolutionary war, on a
small farm, now included in the city
of Philadelphia. It is estimated that
over 250,000 acres, including land in
probably every state in the Union, a:
now devoted solely to growing s
crops, and some of the largest growe
plant annually as high as 2,000 acres.
Get Good Clover Seed.
The advantage of securing good ger
minating seed is manifest. Take for
instance clover seed which is sown on
wheat-stubble in the spring. It is al
ways possible to secure it at 50 cents or
$1.00 per bushel below the market price
quoted by the reputable seedsmen.
What is the result of using such seed?
It must be considered a foregone con-
clusion that such seed is poor, worth
even less than the reduced price. at
which it i1s offered. The land has been
prepared for pasture or hay, some of the
fertilizer used on the wheat crop still
remaining in the soil for the use of the
clover and timothy, and the grass and
clover seed is sown to become the de-
pendence of the farmer for his hay
crop. He buys cheap seed; 30, 40, 5
or 60 per cent. of it is an adulteration
of seed which has been killed or is old,
dead or weak clover seed. The re-
mainder is good, fresh seed. If he buys
this seed, likely putting off purchase
until the eleventh hour, and uses it
gthout testing its germinating qual-
ties, he may be lucky if he gets half a
stand In other words, half his land
t ‘seed |
{
Rocky Ford seed. At the
cantaloupe season various
could be seen going over the Rocky
Ford cantaloupe patches and disem-
boweling immature and frosted canta-|
loupes for their seed. This seed, it is |
true, was genuine Rocky Ford canta-|
loupe seed, and it would probably ger-
minate 95 or 68 per cent., but it is ob-
vious, its sale as first-class seed was an
imposition. Nevertheless thousands of’
packages were annually foisted upon
seed buyers.
So if you are going to buy seed, and
buying seed to a greater or less extent |
is advisable, not to say necessary, it!
becomes a foregone conclusion that it
pays to buy good seed and therefore to |
know from whom you are buying.
The Government Seed Business,
The Agricultural Department is busier
than usual sending out millions of pack- |
individuals
ages of free seeds for Congressmen. It |
(should be understood that this free seed |
distribution, while carried out by the|
Secretary of Agriculture, is no scheme |
of his, but is a Congressional affair, pure |
and simple. In every session there is|
one or more bills introduced abolishing |
what has been termed by more than one
of many different
expensive early
an easy
ler to
3 it may]
jnever occur to him that he has been
{It is for thi
| wisest farm
Re at ZAIN Pe
system whe
vho wants to
ituents has an opport
ittle package of
ti st of voters
a yea for fre
If somebody v
ith this big
that the Secretary of Agric
purchase in open market r
seeds of grazing and forage plar
the same and publish the names ©
sons selling adulterated
So extensive is the seed business in
S€eas.
the United States that many seedmen go |
| to an enormo
{each year cata
{varieties offered {
expense in publishing
| Home Tests of Seeds.
The Departm
| der t
of Agri re in or-
0 determine for
o aid :
Iv e the
ble if |
near a
be leit
defrauding the
ap seedsmen
iness a sec-
SEED LETTUCE AND ONIONS IN H
€ res
verybody,
lar seedmen.
is one of great ma
of course,
d hou
iterate the
utable firms take gr
| that their seeds are not only
{good ger
name. The old
each grower to
original
crop may not appreciably
second year, the crop 3
will show a marked fa off in yield.
reason that some of the
send regu-
1 for seed.
always carry a
novelties and new
cribed in an ex-
tremely attractive It is well
enough to try these novelties, but it is
ood advice to consider them as such
and have the main crop to fall back
upon from the standard or well-tried
varieties which have stood the test of
years.
An examination of many of the seeds
of common vegetable and forage re-
veals the fact that an immense amount
of poor seed is sold to American farm-
ers and gardeners. Farmers as a rule
are responsible for this condition, since,
as has been said, many of them buy the
cheapest seed in the market and trust
entirely to luck for it to produce the en-
tire crop. Such seed is dear at any
price, and is withal one of the principal
source of the hosts of bad weeds which
are to be seen upon many farms.
For the last few years there has been
a constantly increasing outcry against
larly considera
The seed cata
Congressman the free seed farce, and
speeches have been made annually de-
riding the practice, showing that it is
unnecessary and unprofitable and a
waste of public money; yet when it
comes to voting for a measure which
Flower Seed Growing is an Extensive Industry,
the seeds sold by unscrupulous dealers
and with it a demand for legislation.
Congress and a few states have passed
laws regulating the trade in seeds. The
Secretary of Agriculture under an Ac
of Congress has authority to, and does,
EAD
open irom time to
A om in wi
by tl seedmen
1 whether or not the
This is done
that i
A HUNDRED ACRE RADISH FIELD.
these growths are
and kept for re
is from
November to March, and often April,
when enormous quantities of seeds and
bulbs pass through the buildings first in
giving the many
1 Hi :
| by the Nitrate Propaganda, New
| 273 Bradford Building,
2 are THE BEST
| } THAT CAN BE CROWN
: If you want the choicest vegetables or most beautiful
cers y id read E’S FARM ANNUAL FOR 1906,—s0 well known
Bee : se re DE It ismailed FREE to all. Better send your
ddress TO-DAY W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA.
15: OW TO BUILD AN
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Brooder plans
ER
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itt yone can do it.
Incubator 22d Brood er Sup-
ite for b
PLANS " mx SHEER CO, |
Illustrated
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Also fine illustrated catalog of
FREE pest 57 Quincy, IL ; |
1 fertilizers and how to use them, entitled
Foobp For PLANTS,” is being dis uted
York.
A post card with your address will
bring you a copy free.
Nitrate Propaganda, Asdcrsoa Building, NewYork
we will send this mag:
also as a premium a
ction
collection of flower seeds, %0 varieties, FR BE E
Order to-day.and be sure to getthem in time for plant
WOODLAWN NURSERY, MALDEN, ASS
is the title of Our New Catalogue for 1906—the most beauti-
‘ful and instructive horticultural publication of the day—
186 pages—700 engravings —7 superb colored plates—
7 duotone plates of vegetables and flowers.
To give this catalogue the largest possible distribution, we make the Dbllowing liberal offer
Every Empty Envelope
Counts as Cash
To every one who will state where this advertisement was seen
entloses Ten Cents (in stamps), we will mail the catalogt.z, and also s
, our famous 50=Cent ** Henderson *’ Collection of sec
acket cach of Giant Sweet Peasy Giant F Pan:
Radish; in acoupon envelope, , when emptied
ccepted as a 25-cent ~~ ~h payment oa any order
ssdupeard
w
amounting to $1.00
35 &37 CortianeT ,
ST. New York CiTY.
THEY ALL WANT IT!
Patent Egg Separa-
Every H «
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Bakery,
in fact
Dr
ntly separates
nd white, nota
cle of the latter
ing in the
r. Does not
3 Made
from solid piece of
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Sample 10 cents.
fected me
and enables you to breathe easily,
chin large stomach and fat hips. P
their patients to take wy treatment an
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outline of my trestment; it will be sent e. a
HENRY C. BRADFORD, M. D.,
KANCY SUPPLY cCO.,
20 East 224 Street, Kew York City.
Box 215, Washington, D. C.
Agents wanted for these and other goods.
Write for circulars and terms.
large sacks and later in smaller pack-|
ages by mail and express on their way |
to the progressive American agricul-
turist.
A —
P.eserving Strict Silence.
In Korea the women, on their wed: |
ding day, will not open their mouths |
to peak, no matter what the tempta- |
tion or provocation. |
Sometimes this silence is continued |
through the first week of married life. |
Although no such custom exists in|
the Western world, extraordinary cases |
arz not wanting. In the early forties
a New York lady unaertook, for a
wager of $150, to remain mute during
the month of her married life. |
Her new-made h—sband, who, natur- |
ally, was not in the secret, was so much
incensed at his bride’s behavior, that
he left her before her task was com-
pleted, only to return later when ap-
prised of the real reason for this un-
natural silence.
On one anniversary of their wedding |
day a Brussels couple quarrelled so
bitterly that the wife, in a passion,
vowed that her husband should never |
again hear the sound of hér voice, She |
would there and then have left the |
house, but her now penitent husband
implored her not to desert him. To
that extent only did his entreaties pre |
vail, for she kept the letter of her oath |
and never in her spouse's presence |
did she unloose her tongue.
An Austrian woman, whose husband
was in hiding from the authorities, in.
advertently betrayed his whereabouts |
to a neighbor, who was secretly in the |
pay of the police. As a result, he was |
taken, and received a term of imprison.
ment.
So much did his wife take to heart
this misfortune, which had been |
brought about by her gossip, that she |
resolved for the remainder of her life |
to remain mute. She would not make
an exception even in her husband’s
favor, for, although she received him
on his release with the utmost affec-
tion, she maintained an obdurate
silence till her death, three years later,
Cordial Foreign Relations.
Mrs. O'Riley—And are yez on spakin’
terms wid Mrs, Zylonski.
Mrs. Murphy—Av course I am. She
called me a thafe an’ I told her she
was another.
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By H. D. Hemenway.
This suggestive little bock is a practical manual of school gardening for both
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B
to mae the following
SPECIAL OFFER.
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The GARDEN MAGAZINE is finely illustrated, and is the finest magazine cf
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should be sent at once to H. D. Hemenway, Hartford, Connecticut.
This offer may be withdrawn at any time.
ONLY ONE LIFE TO LIVE
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