Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-06-16
SEEDS.
Vitality and Methods of Planting,
McKeespOrt, Pa.

Correspondence of Southern World,
Walking with neighbor the other
afternoon in his own garden, he showed
me his growing crop of beets and beans,
and his tomato plants in the cold frame,
and complained of the bad stand he
had of all these plants. Many missing
places were in the rows Of beets, and
his beans were few and far between.
His complaint was directed toward the
seed and all the blame laid upon them.
But when inquired where he bought
his seed, found that they came from
the same source that my seed were
bought from, and at about the same
time. No doubt they were of the same
lot; but in my garden | had perfect
stands, and found no cause OF complaint.
Inquiring to learn the cause, | became
satisfied that my friend had perpetrated
the wrong in almost every case Of COW
ering his seed too deep, and thereby
lost his stand, and unjustly blamed the
seed and the seed dealer.
If | accepted my own experience as
proof, | can freely say that | believe
the common complaints about bad seed
are nearly always unjust. | have very
rarely indeed had cause to condemn
any seed that | have bought in my ex.
perience of twenty years. Such fail
ures as | have occasionally made | have
often been able to trace to causes within
my own control, or, at least, not charge.
able to the seed. | believe that the
seed trade that has grown to such great
proportions, South as well as North,
is, in the main, well and intelligently
conducted, and | mean honestly when
| say intelligently; for it is very plain
that systematic dishonesty in seeds
would be suicidal. No dealer could do
well at it, His business would be
quickly destroyed. Cheating might
pay at almost any other business better
than in selling seeds. Dealers that
have continued ten or twenty years, or
more, in business have lived in the
main by selling good seeds, not bad
ones. Moreover, staple seeds are
cheap enough, and it is not difficult to
keep fresh stocks nor is there much
inducement to sell defective seed, since
reputation and trade would be DESTROYED
by it.
There is an impression in the mind;
of many that seeds two years old OF
more are necessarily bad or defective.
This is not the case. The great multi
tude of people who buy seed and pre-.
tend to do gardening, know really little
about it; and the complaints are more
readily made by the ignorant. There
are many tables published of the vital
ity Of seeds, showing how many years
each kind of seed may be relied upor
to germinate properly. | have never
tested these tables, of course but, 81
far as my observation goes, they arr
correct, and for the present it is enough
to say that | have only found thes
seeds bad after one season: Parsnips
satisfy, onion, pepper, egg plant.
find beans fail very often after on
year, because they are not protecte,
from weevil. If they are well KEEP
they are good for two years, perhap
more. Tomato seed are good two years
. II well kept, and even Il third year
had fair success with them. Beets
4 cabbage, mustard, tunip, will kee
four or five years under proper cond
ton; but the German or Scotch kal
is one OF that tribe Of vegetable seed
that is not certain except in the fir
year. AT best it is difficult to germ
! nate, and requires more moisture tina
Others of its kind. Corn is certainl
good ifwell kept for two years or NOR
:, All the class OF melons, cucumber
is squashes, pumpkins, are good sever