The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-06

| United States, though still much that is
used for gardening Is imported. The
Of all the vegetables, as it is the most
difficult to obtain. Its wholesale prico
is fl3 pound. Next to this in value
are the hjgh-gr varieties of beans.
which cost $3.50 and 50 pound.
Central Michigan and Western New
York produce almost all the bean seed
used in this country. One locality IN
Michigan produces $1,000 bushels yearly
and the New York output doubles that
number. Potatoes and corn arc sold
so extensively that no estimate can be
made OF the amount produced each year.
Two million pounds of turnip seed goes
INTO American soil every season. but
most of it is imported from England.
One million pounds of radishes are
planted here, 0nc"tenth of which is
raised IN California and the rest in
Europe, OF the million pounds of seed
onions which the annual crop demands,
California yields 100000 pounds, and
more than half the million pounds of
cabbage seed used in our crops is grown
In our own soil.
When 1t is remembered that q little
scent package of cabbage seed will
make two hundred plants, too many
for single garden, and that each
pound viii supply fifty gardens, the
enormlty OF these figures will be real
lzed. Of course, many of the seeds
which are sold do not produce vegeta-
bles, as they are prevented by in
Sects, impurities of soil. and climatic
hardships, but if every seed sent out
by the seed industry of America full
hlled ITS mission every man, woman
and child in the United States could
have at least one square meal a day,
regardless of the beef trust.
Corn-growing for seed purposes has
made great strides in this country. and
more of 1t is sold than anv other kind
An instance Of Mother Earth's kind
ness to the corn grower is shown in the
experience OF prominent seed grow
CT IN Ohio. Thirtv-6vc years ago he
had one acre of land and So. He in
vested the 50 in seed corn His profit
Tor his first year work was only SIS, !
but now he produces yearly 100000 |
bushels OF corn, and has become indie |
pcndcntly rich. John Rankin, Mis-. |
souri farmer, plants $1,000 acres Of |
corn AT q time. using rs much corn for |
us seed as an eastern farmer would |
harvest in one season He sends ont |
ships hls corn in the fall by the train |
load instead of the carload Not long |
ago single ear Of prize corn, of the |
Reid Yellow Dent variety. was sold nj
auction at the Iowa State college for !
81 30 This was nj the rate of SS. $50 |
Il bushel, which is tho world 5 highest |
price for sccd-corn
Almost all the choice kinds Of TO-
mAtoes are the result of the patience |
of y. w. Livingstone, who discovered |
in Il bed OF ordinary tomatoes one |
which was susceptible of treatment to !
enlarge it and enrich its flavor He !
saved the seed Of this accidental toma- I
90, and wear after year rcplauted The /
seeds obtained from the children and (
of his original find. un- I
I'll II is difficult to find in one s salad !
q tomato not descended from this dis. |
coyery OF Mr.. Livingstone.
Flowers furnish equally rs interest.
ing instances. One of the most notable |
seed achievements of recent wears Is J
the work of Reverend w, Hichks, the
secretary of the Roval Horticultural !
society IN England. who produced the
Shirley poppy from bed of common
IN his garden, he saw one edged with
white He marked it, obtained its seed.
and planted 1T the following wear. The
edge of white had grown deeper, and
after many years of experimenting he
had IA bed of poppies whose white edge
had worked into the center, making the
petals Il pale pink, and in one plant.
pure white. After several years more
he turned the black center n pale vel.
low and now the ghostly Shirley poppy
stands as a monument To his in6nite
patience and care
But seeds are not ALWAYS SO carefully
Every element in nature
has had hand IN II. nj one time or an
other, and strange flowers are even now
growing on our coasts as result of
n long Journey ON The breast of the Gulf
stream. or n gallant race with the
north wind, The haphazard career of
The thistledowu, which is resown by
any passing breeze, has been the theme
for many a poet Birds have carried
seeds undigcsted in their stomachs for
miles and miles, even into different
states. Many little northern blossom
has appeared in the south with no nos
sihle explanation for its presence but
that it had been carried there bv a
flock Of migrating birds.
''The Children oF tbo I1,,;..,