The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-10-04
seed Saving.

y very popular error in connection
with vegetable culture, says the Garden,
is that OF saving seed from growing crops
that are intended to supply the wants
of the household, under the impression
that such a proceeding is economical.
A greater fallacv could scarcely be in
duigt d in, more especially with regard
to crops that continue to furnish sue
cessiOnal gatherings for any length of
time, as, for instance, vegetable marrows,
cucumbers, kidney and runner beans, etc.
1t is by no means rare occurrence to
find some of the earliest and finest pro-
duce left for seed, whereby the fertility
of the plants is brought 10 an abrupt
termination, as the formation of seed is
far more exhaustive in its effects than an
unlimited number of blossoms or pods, up
to the period of the maturity of the
seed.
In the case of beans of the kidney or
running sections, it is the pod that fur
nishes the edible portion; also with veg
etabIe marrows and cucumbeTs, the
| seed vessel or covering is at its highest
state of excellence as food before the
| seed commences to draw on the resources
| OF the plant; and in proportion as they
ara more or less carefully removed will
| be tie duration of period in which sue
cessionaI gatherings will be produced. l
always gather all such crops at regular
| intervals, according to the season and
| the rapidity with which they attain de-
velopment, and should any of the produce
become too old, from having escaped
/ obst rvatiOn at previous gatherings, it is
! pulled off and thrown away, as very
small quantity of seed-pods is sufficient
to arrest the successiOnal development OF
the crop.
When it is desirable to save seed of any
select stock, it Is by far the best plan to
set row, or a portion Of one, according
to the quantity required, specially apart
for seed, and not gather any produce from
them, drawing out any plants that do
not appear true. By this means one may
greatly prolong the season of production
in comparison with which the +rifing
cost is little or nothing. If any one L
skeptical of the power of seed-POds il
arresting the production of successive
crops, let them select two rows of sweet
peas, and gather the blossoms of one row
az fast as fully expanded, and allow the
Others TO mature the seed; the lattel
will cease blooming and be thoroughly
exhausted and dried up by the time thu
see1-pOds are ripe, while the former viii
continue growing and producing fresi
blooms until checked by frost.
1t is of course not practicable to pursue
the same plan with peas grown for TIT
table, and the only way to secure a con
Iinuous supply of peas is by successiona
soWi 1gs. But scarlet runners will con
, tinue bearing the whole season equalE
as well as vegetable marrows or cucum
, bers, il well attended to in the matter O
moisture at the roots, and, above all, il
preventing any portion of the produc
from going to the seed. The saving o
the seed of vegetable crops is also an i'm
pOrtanu matter as regards future crops
, tor a careful selection will eventuall
, produce good strain, as will indiscrimi
/ n te seed sowing eventually deteriOrat
the most select stock in existence. FrOI
car full observation, seed saving and vege
8 table growing are, as a rule, both NOR
satisfactory and Temunerative when cal
a ried on as totally distinct operations.