The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-01-25
SENDING FOR THE SEEDS

beautiful catalogs, telling OF the won
derful possibilities of the home vege
table and the flower garden? Really
certainties is the better word, instead
of possibilities,for the descriptions
OF the catalogs are in no uncertain
tone, and the pictures, particularly
the colored ones, are quite inspiring
if not actually hypnotizing. The seed
houses understand human nature and
how to get hold OF susceptible people
and persuade them to buy seeds in
the confident expectation OF produc
ing show plants with a minimum o!
labor and without very much regard
for the food requirements of the
plants.
1t is the regular habit of certain
unimag inative newspaper writer's and
| jokesmiths to begin work about this
time on the romantic dreams in the
seed catalogs, leading those who are
SO weak as to regard them seriously
into the belief that all seed growers
Or sellers, are unmitigated fakirs
And some of them are, but it Is not
difficult to select the reliable ones
that have been in the business for
many years, and that have done
much to earn the gratitude of the
people for the new plants they have
originated or bred, or have at least
introduced to the attention OF the
public.
All of the many great seed
houses have striven each year to pro-
duce as many new plants as possible,
experimenting until they felt they had
perfected something valuable and pro
duced seed enough to make start.
These novelties are always very high
priced and exceedingly profitable to
the seedman, not only for the actual
profit on the sale of the seed, but for
the advertising they give his name.
The humble gardener who has bred an
improvement upon some standard
vegetables. or produced something real
ly new and that will give good returns
under average treatment, is heartily
welcomed by she millionaire scotsman,
for of such is the kingdom Of success
in the business. No seedman can grow
all of the seed he sells, nor can he
<sonfine himself TO his own discoveries.
Seed cannot be grown all in one place
and any seedmala WHO advertises, as
some do. that all his seeds are grown
under his own. supervision, by him, ON
his own farms; is simply lying and he
shoaId be avoided. He is probably
buying the cast off seeds from: some
reliable house that does not sell last
years seeds. AS tlisne are tricks IE
all trades, SO there ;pre many in ttDz
seed business, and this is one of Them
Every seed house has stock left over
at the end of the season. and THIS is
often disposed of at srifling price to
snme, Less Eespoasibla house, too BIZ.
sold next year as FRESH seeds. The
gnOd name OF some of tiifs great seeiS-
men Isl one OF their most valuable:
assets, and they do nothing TO chance
it's loss. But Tadish sect is grown III
France, aauIif1ower in Dearnark, cati-
ba,1e in Connecticut. Long Island,
France and Germany, amt SO on, eanfI.
in. the place where the best results
are secured Cheap seesas should eK-
cite suspicion and it. ~ generally
agreed by the best authorities thatlttie
ho1ue> gardener cannot' afford to try to
raisss his. owR seeds S}ael raising is
q, bushes requiring special care and
training and the man, willis undertakes
to, Save, his OWL; seeds will usually
frtS himself with a. pour, garden in
few years, with some very prompt
failures TO- start with, Celery, onion,
cauifower, cabbage amt squash. seed
must be of the best, ans naust also corn
and beets, beans and pazsnips, lestuce
ami peas, it good results are expected.
OM seed, or that which has, been
g1own under bad conditions, issIlighty
Iocr economy The, cost of THE seed
is such small part Of the Investment
in the garden that. nD gardener can al
ford to buy any but the very best he
can get, and it will pay him to taEe
some trouble to find out what is best
and where to-, get ill.,
Study the seed cataloss, then check
their statements: with your own ex-
periences and those OF your neighbors,
and with the, books and periodicals
that every progressive gardener be
he amateur. or" professional, is sure
TO have. Buy your, seeds early,
so you get what you want of the best.
Plan your garden, correct the mis-
takes OF last year as far as you can
and prepare to make others-and
learn to profit by them. If you have
never made a gaNden before, let us