The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-11-21
THE . SEED BUSINESS.
How 1t IL Conducted in the United States
Interesting Suggestions.

now 1t is Conducted in the United States
Interesting Suggestions.
Although farmers are deeply inter-
ested in the seed and plant business,
yet they know very little about the way
in which it is carried on. At times
there are complaints made by farmers
and gardeners who are disappointed in
their seeds, and for want of knowing
how the business is conducted blame
may easily be cast upon innocent par
ties, or indeed may attach to the pur-
chaser himself instead of to the seller
or grower of the seeds. In running
over q list of the seedsmen in the
United States and Canada we find about
one thousand five hundred who are
recognized as regular dealers in q mer-
camille sense; that is they make
special business of selling seeds. Of
these about one hundred are growers
of seeds as well as purchasers and sell
ers, producing in part the seeds which
they sell and buying direct from farm
ers who make special business of
growing ON contract for them other
Kinds which they do not grow them
selves. Some few of these seedsmen
are large importers, one of them alone
often purchasing in one year as much
as forty thousand dollars worth Of
cabbage seeds alone. The importa-
ton of seeds is necessary part of the
business because there are some plants
which thrive best and produce better
-. ali
stance, field beets and mangels in Eng
Sand, sugar beets in France and Ger
many, caulifower and cabbage seed in
Germany, tuberose bulbs in Italy and
Southern France, oats in Ireland. and
Scotland, and other seeds in variety
from every corner and end of the
earth, which is ransacked for novelties.
The production of seeds and bulbs is
y business of great extent. One
prominent scotsman cultivates over
six hundred acres; another has much
greater area of land under cultivation,
having farm of about forty thousand
acres In Illinois, where oats, corn, and
other staple seed crops are raised. One
prominent florist grows gladioluses in
large fields, and one of the largest
sights is to see his crops in full bloom.
But by far the largest quantity of
seeds sold is grown on the contract
system by farmers who have special
opportunities and abilities for the
business. One farmer known to us
grows every year about forty acres of
evergreen sweet corn for one seed
house, and under such circumstances
that there is no possibility of any mix
ture with other kinds. This is an i'm
portant point with seed growers and
dealers who are anxious to secure per-
feet purity in their seeds as we'll as
soundness and healthfulness. The
growers of seeds almost always-and
always should-test the quality of the
seeds they grow by terminating them.
The seedsmen are careful in making
contracts TO provide that all seeds
grown for them should be subject to
thorough tests, and throw around their
business every possible safeguard and
security. 1t may be comforting to
farmers to know that, as rule, the
persons upon whom they depend for
the goodness of the seeds they are OBJ
liged to purchase are honest and con.
scientious, and conduct their onerous
and laborious business with the most
scrupulous care to secure good seed.
At times circumstances occur which
will confound the wisest and the most
cautious men. Some seeds, the pro-
duct of q crop grown in an unfavorable
season, will either fail or will produce
poor and imperfect plants. We have
known cabbage and carrot seed grown
in very dry year, to produce plants
which run to seed the same year the
seed is sown, and thus become annual
instead of biennial. Thus at times no
amount of caution and provision will
secure imperfection. Some seeds too,
as carrots, soon lose their power of
termination, and when an unfavorable
season happens there are two difficult
ties to encounter, upon one or two
others Of which the farmer is almost
sure to be struck.
Farmers have often been advised to
grow their own seeds. They might as
wells become their own doctors and
tailors or shoemakers as do this. 1t is
special business. One kind of seed
alone may be grown upon farm in q
large quantity, at much less cost and
with far greater certainty than a
small quantity could be grown, and a
farmer who would undertake to grow
either his field or garden seeds would
find load of work and care upon him
greater than that of all his farm be-
sides, and with little probability OF
securing good quality or purity in the
seed he should grow.-Hefary Stewart,
IN NJ Y Times.