Nebraska advertiser., 1856-08-16
From tho Country Gentleman.
THE KTTCHEN GARDEN,

IMPROVING VEGETABLES BY CARE IN
SAVING THE EED.--It has been beauti-
fully written that "a wild carrot acct
dentally found in cultivated ground,
refuses to run to seed, but employs
itself in building up a root stouter
than any carrot had before. The watch
full eyes of a gardner remark the
change; the changeling, still a sprout,
flowers at last; its precious seeds are
saved, and committed to still richer
ground. Nine-tenths of the seedlings
run back to the Wild form-your carrot
is but an intractable gentleman after
all-but a very few prove obedient to
the will of man, shake off their savage
habits, refuse t fower until the second
year; meantime spend their autumn
and winter in the further enlargement
of theirroots, then rise up into blossom
invigorated by six months additional
preparation, and yield more seeds, in
which the fxity of character, or if YOU
will, the habit of domestication, is still
more firmly implanted. And thus
begins the race of carrots" Here we
have the one idea sought after of in
creasing the size Of the roots, trans
forming a dry sticky substance into
material fit for food. Other parts are
improved or altered in the same way.
Most vegetables owe their present state
to a similar process, either accidentally
performedby culture or assisted by art.
Vegetables of the same kind. as
peas, ripening at diferent seasons, we're
all obtained by selecting a few pods
which showed symptoms of earliness.
and sowing them BY themselves, the
same culled over again until a fxitv of
character was secured. Let any one
try the experiment of picking over d
quantity of peas or beans for the very
largest, andsow, with an equal u@uanti-
ty of the smallest perfect ones that
can be found of the same kind, and
mark the difference of each's produce:
and they viii need no further proof of
what care will do in s~eed9saving.
Another thing too which should not
be forgotten, is that if it is wished to
save seed of any particular kind pure,
others of the same family should not
be in flower near at the same time, or
the busy bees, or a watt Of wind, will
Illustrate the design by reproducing q set
of mongrels.
Especially is this true Of the Gucaw-
6tacee, or cucumber family. SeeIhow
many forms different exhibitors will
produce under the same name at our
fairs in squashes and pumpkins, SO
much so that it is extremely difficult
to see the true Boston Marrow squash.
It is entirely owing to their being
fertilized by other and in this case very
inferior kinds. Very great care is
necessary in preserving any of this
kind Of plant pure, which should not
be lost sight of when selecting the
fruit it is intended to save the seed
from. It is we'll known that the smooth
tomato thougha good deal smaller than
the uneven kind will often come, is
earlier, and preferred for the table
through its being solid, and there is nc
reason why a smooth solid kind, equal
in size to the rough, could not be pro
!, duced, n dswhich would be an acuuisi.
t ton. 1t only requires care and perse.
J verance in s~eed-saving, on the prin.
ciples above enunciated. Who vii
! enter into the subject with spirit? There
is nc use in continually being Deepen
/ dent on other countries for new things
; when the principles Of obtaining then
, lies at our W door, with a climate
5 second to none for obtaining the mos
/. perfect seed. 1t would be hard to say
t that there is not yet even many a wild
. plant, which with the proper treatment
might be made to minister to mans
| comfort. E. SANDERS.