The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-01-20
AGRICULTURAL.
Culture of Vegetable seeds.

At the annual meeting Of the Connecticut
State Board of Agriculture, held last month
at Norwalk, CT, j. j. Gregory of Marblehead
the ell-known scotsman, delivered lecture
on the Culture of Vegetables" of which
the following is an abstract:
The hrst thing to produce good seed is that
the ground should be in good condition, and
manurlng liberal. Including herbs, there
are about seventy species of seeds grown in
Inc United States, many of which are nearly
alike. OF these species about 400 varieties
are found In the catalogues of the seed deal.
ers. OF these seventy species, less than
twenty enter into the consumption of the
people. Of this number of species, about half
are imported. The finest varieties of celery
are grown in this country, also of cabbage.
The largest varieties are grown abroad, such
as the Drumhead, and are grown for stock
exclusively. Some vegetables are American
exclusively. OF these the greatest number of
varieties are corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers,
there being about forty of each. Squashes
are also purely American vegetables.
In no country in the world are vegetables
raised in such abundance and variety as in
this. The man with a garden can here
'live like king" Seed growers have many
things to fight against. Seed peas are not
grown with good success, owing to bugs, ex-
cept in Canada. The best varieties of pota-
toes are grown just north of the apple zone,
in Vermont and Northern New York. The
bulk OF the choice seed imported comes from
France and Germany. Some choice seeds
ounce has been paid for choice cucumber
seed. Some kinds of seed require special
study to produce them. The foreign seeds
are mostly sold by agents who reside in this
country, and travel from place to place.
The statistics of seed growing are very
hard to get at. 1t is mostly confined to the
Eastern States. In the New England States
most OF the tomato, squash, and choicer
seeds aie raised. In New York about 5000
acres are devoted to raising seed peas, and
$50 acres to the finer seeds. In New Jersey
and Pennsylvania about 1000 acres are used
in seed-growing, and the same in Massachu-
sets, Rhode Island and Connecticut are de-
voted to the smaller seeds. Around Boston
the finest kinds of vegetables are grown, and
New York is supplied with its earliest cucum
bers from this place. Experience has much
to do in growing pure vegetables. The run
ming squash is better grown in New England
than anywhere else.
Seeds are annual and biennial. OF the
last, some are very hard to protect thro ugh
our winters. The first thing in seed-grow-
ing is to get the plants set out early, so as to
mature as soon as possible. The yield per
acre is always very uncertain. In the seed
business in this country, the grower and
dealer are usually two different persO ms,
which is risky. Many seeds are sold TO deal
ers which are the tag end of crop. The
consignment of seeds by growers to retail
dealers in boxes has demOralized the bust
ness. The dealer has no responsibility, and
often the same seeds are offered for several
years. What the seed-grower owes to the
public is to select the right kind OF seed and
grow it well, as "like produce like"
1t is the business of seedsmen to keep the
right sorts OF seeds constantly before the
public. 1t is not possible TO grow seed pure
in large lots; therefore the different varieties
should be isolated, and grown with care.
There is tendency in all vegetables to go
backward. The public should give the seed
dealer fair credit for honesty. He is often
blamed for the misdeeds of the grower.
Some of the means used in testing seeds for
vitality are defective. Parsnip seeds, for ex-
ample, two years old are good for nothing
ifsprouted In flannel cloths they may show
life, but if planted out of doors, will fail.
Onion seeds over two years old are uncer-
tain, except under favorable circumstances.
Some seeds require cooler temperature to
vegetate than Others. In planting seeds the
ground should always be well packed over
them.
The best way 10 dry small seeds is in the
sun, in sacks. Corn is not as much endan.
gered by high temperature as other seeds.
The use OF sleeps on seeds to produce bet
ter growth is not reliable, though there is
evidence that for some plants it is an excel
lent thing. Considerable discussion was
called out by this lecture in relation to farm
ers growing their own garden seeds, but it
was the oninion they could better afford to
buy.