The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-22
A NATURAL HOT-BED.
The Only Place Where the
Caulifiower Seeds.
DOWN ON FlDALGo ISLAND.
Puget Sound Cabbage Seeds Will Be
Famous the World Over-Big
Yield OF seed.


only place in America where the canii-
flower has grown to seed outside of a hot
bed is on FidaIgo island. The entire sup
ply of this seed until late years came from
Erfurt, Germany. Some experiments
have been made in California. and seeds of
this relative of the cabbage have there
been produced. but not without the aid of
the hot-bed. The extreme difficulty of the
successful production of this seed makes it
very expensive, the retail price ranging
from $50 to $36 per pound.
The successful production of seeds of all
plants OF the cabbage tribe is perhaps the
most difficult of all vegetable seeds. This
family requires peculiar conditions of soil
and atmosphere, together with great skill
and care in the grower. The principal
supply of cabbage seeds has been imported
from France, Germany and England.
while in this country there has been a linn
tied supply produced by the seedsmen of
Long Island. The originator of the cab
bage and caulifiower seed production on
Puget sound is A. G. Tillinghast, of La
Conner. About eighteen years ago he
commenced the cultivation of cabbage
seed, and his experiments have succeeded
in making Puget sound seeds known
throughout the world.
Owing to the opposition of the large cor
porations controlling the trade of these
seeds in the East, Mr.. Tillinghast found it
hard and uphill work in introducing the
Puget sound product.
The wholesale dealers and the Long
Island seedsmen fought him, making it
necessary to deal directly with the growers.
This was expensive and required time. He
gave away thousands of pounds of seeds,
and sent seeds to many of the state expert
mental stations. After years OF expert
menting and persistent work introducing
them, the superiority of Puget sound seeds
became recognized, and they are now
famous all the world over. The planters
now pay higher prices for our seeds, and
the Eastern seedsmen reluctantly acknowl-
edge that they are as good as Long Island
seeds, while orders for them have been re-
ceived from Germany and France.
The November, 1883, bulletin of the Ohio
experimental station contains the fol-
lowing:
Given the same qualities in both cases. the
Puget sound cabbage and caulifower seed is
more desirable than Eastern seed because of the
greater vig0r Of the plant grown from it. If the
Puget sound growers exercise sufficient care in
growing their stock, cabbages and caulifower
seed from that locality will become recognized
rs the best in the market.
The report was made after experiments
with the seed at this station for over ten
ten years. Several years ago Mr.. Tilling-
hast observed cauliflowers grown to seed
on the ranch of William March, at March's
Point, Fidalgo island. He reported this to
a Long Island scotsman, and in 1882 they
succeeded in getting Mr.. March to try the
experiment of growing caulifiower seed.
Nbon orSvx dad Co..
five years Mr.. March has produced an av-
erage OF 200 pounds of cauiifiower seed per
year. Cabbage and caulifower are descend
ents of the wild sea cabbage which grows on
the shores of England. tits sea plant and
requires humid sea atmosphere for the
development of its seed. The atmosphere
of the islands of Puget sound is better
adapted for its culture than that of any
other locality yet found, and the time is
not far distant when it will be an impor-
tant product of the Puget sound basin.
Mr.. Tillinghast formerly owned a ranch
at Padilla, on the Swinomsh fiat. He is
now living at La Conner and is preparing
to re-embark in the seed growing business.
He has established several ranches on the
lower Sound in the cultivation of seeds.
Experiments In cabbage seed growing have
been tried on Puyallup and White rivers,
but not with the success of those on the
lower Sound. The best success has been
just opposite the entrance of the straits.
Great care is required in the cultivation of
the cabbage for seed.
To prevent mixing but one variety can
be cultivated in a neighborhood 1t re-
quires two years to produce seed crop.
The heads are inspected during the fall of
the first season, and only those of unmis-
taxable quality are allowed to seed, and
the inferior heads are cut for market. 1t
is necessary that the heads be inspected by
person thoroughly understanding the
business. There is nothing in the seed to
determine the quality of the cabbage, as in
the case of grain. If inferior heads seed,
the seed will produce an inferior or worth
less product, and the buyer will lose a
years crop and the seed-grower his reputa-
ton. All growers agree that our cabbage
seeds come up stronger and make more
vigorous and better plants than any other
seed. These are very important qualities
in seed, as the product depends largely
upon the strength and vigor of the plant
during its early life.
The seed business of Puget sound is vet
| in its infancy, but the success that has at
tended every experiment demonstrates
that it can be here de veloped to become a
great and profitable industry, giving en-
ployment to thousands, ana making Sc
attic the great future seed market of the
world.
Fine Hon Prospo.f.