Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-05-19

| nc aSt quarter OF century has
done more for tho seed industry II
America than all the previous years
OF It's existence. In that time seet
growers have not only produced more
than half the seed used In this coun
Try. as compared with II much smaller
percentage in former years, but they
have demonstrated the fact that we
have sufficient diversity OF climate
and soil to grow in profusion any
seed which Is now imported.
! Most OF the seeds in the United
States arc produced in California
where, in the Santa Clara valley
there a1a is one farm alone containing
The variance in the amount OF
seeds produced to the acre by diff
fcrcnt plants is very great, rs some
vegetables Will give 200 pounds &c
| the acre, and others 1000 or 3.UOl
pounds. A conservative average Is
| 500 pounds to the acre. Flowers run
this yield. Sweet peas, which seed
more freely than any flower, some
times produce 5000 pounds to the
ncre-n ton and half of seeds. The
double pctunia, which is known to
seed growers as the "shycst seeder,''
will sometimes fail to yield Il pound
to the acre.
Petunia Seed Expensive.
This inability of the double petunin
to hold its seed makes it very valu-
able. It's retail price Is $40 an ounce
or $1,120 Il pound. 1t is worth more
than ten times its weight In gold.
This seed is much finer than gun.
powder and almost as fine as cook
ing flour. 1t is almost impossible to
distinguish the separate seeds, ana is
tho most expensive kind handled by
any dealer. The cheapest seeds sold
hy the pound nrc those OF the beet
and mustard. which cost only five
cents Il pound, In plentiful seasons
sweet peas sometimes sell for seven
cents pound.
There Is great difference in price
between the seeds of an unnamed
variety of flower or vegetable, and
Iaumo so-calcd novelty" which
growers have produced from the gen.
eric plant. These novelties arc pro.
duced in various ways, by selection,
by crossing the seeds, and they are
sometimes developed into distinct
vegetable families, though S3S varie.
ties of vegetable seed are now sold
by retail dealers.
Many New Varieties.
Each grower produces his own va.
riations on the original AZ yegeta
bles, and the number of new varieties
Is constantly increasing. With flow.
ers, the work is ensler and the scopo
wider. There are 107 generic flower
families to start with, and enterpris
ing growers have rung the changes
on their seed until the number OF
| flower varieties now solid is incalcu
/ liable.
Some vegetables lend themselve
to variations more readily than 9th
ers. There are "a varieties OF let
tuce and 80 kinds of onions. Beans
cabbage. corn and tomatoes appear
In tho catalogues under % and &c
different names. Mustard is about
the only vegetable that has remained
untouched by the ambitious seed
growers. Up to the present time one
| kind of mustard has sufficed for all
/ our needs.
Sweet peas have sc divisions and
over 800 subdivisions. In California
where almost all the flower seeds are
grown, one farm of 500.acres Is given
up to the production of sweet peas
alone. The total production yearly is
about $35O,000 pounds, and even when
this amount is augmented by the
yield from smaller farms it Is almost
Impossible to meet the demand.
Sweet peas are the most popular
flower in America for home gardens
except the natturtlums, and even
these cannot always complete with
the sweet peas.
Sweet Peas Supreme.
Where country air and sunshine
abound sweet peas hold unrivaled su.
premacy, and nasturtiums are in use
for window boxes and scant back
yard must do duty for the flower
lover.
Pansies are also n popular favor,
lite though their price is sometimes
high enough to be prohibitive. Tho
ordinary varieties. well selected, are
not more than $25 n pound. hut some
of the big velvety ones. rarely col.
ored, sell for $50 pound. Most of
the flowers which are produVd from
seed are sold in little five.cent mack.
cts. the amounts varying with the
value of the seed. There are about
100000 OF these sold in The United
States every year.
In California almost all the actual
labor of planting and harvesting seeds
Is sdone by Chinese and Japanese
men. The overseers are Americans,
bnt little seeds are slowed away by
deft Oriental fingers, to the tune OF
endless Oriental chatter.
One big Chinaman in California has
had phenomenal success growing
sweet peas and producing new vari.
cites. He has more new colors and