The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-15
URGE SAVING OF
GARDEN SEEDFOR
SEASON OF 1918
Prices Next Year Expected
To Be AS High AS
They Are Now

Owing to the very large demand
for garden seeds this spring there Is
very small surplus in the hands of the
seedsmen at the present time. conse-
quent1y the prices for seed next year
will be fully as high as this season.
Therefore special effort should be
made by each grower to save enough
seed to supply part, If not all, his
needs for next year.
Bean seed is easily saved as fol-
lows:-Select and designate, by stakes
or colored cloths or strings. the best
and most productive plants;-do not
pick from these choice plants for snap
beans, but save the pods from it. In
this way you will be more liable to
have good seed next year. In any
case beans which are to be saved for
seed should have clean healthy look
ing pods. Do not save seed from pods
which show brown spots of the most
troublesome disease, Anthracnose, or
as it is commonly called Bean Rust
Sometimes the only way to select
enough clean seed will be to go over
the bean rows carefully and pick only
those pods which are free from the
trouble. Pods for seed should be
picked as soon as they are dry but
before they have become .discolored
and spotted. Spread the pods in the
attic or any other dry room until they
will shell out easily. The easiest way
to shell them is to place them in a
cloth or burlap sack and them whip
them out with a stick. Empty the
material into box, shake out the
pods, and then by pouring the beans
from one box into another out where
the wind will blow the dirt away, the
bean seed can be cleaned very easily.
Sweet corn can be saved by select
ing the first good ear for next year s
crop. Save those ears for seed which
grown on plants which produce two
ears. Mark the ears you are going to
save for seed with cloths or twlne so
none of the family will pick it for eat
| ing. When the husks are nearly dry,
| break the ears from the stalk. pull
back the husks and hang the corn up
to dry, under cover away from birds
| and mice. After it is thoroughly dry.
several weeks, it may be she1leG and
put away in Jars or boxes until next
season. One good ear will supply
seed for moderate sized garden.
| If your seed corn is mixed; that is,
has different types Or colors Of kernels
on the same cob, discard those kerr
nels which are not the varieties which
| you wish to grow.
If your beans are so far along that
| you cannot save the entire crop from
certain plants save the best beans
from good sized, well shaped speci-
mems, which ripen first. One Of the
| easiest methods is to scrape the seed
| and juice into a glass jar and when
this sours or ferments then it Is q
| simple matter to wash the seed by
| pouring water into the jar, stirring
| allowing the seed to settle, pour off
| the top, repeating until the seed Is
clean, then spread on a paper on dish
to dry. It is not necessary to put the
! whole tomato into the, Jar. just the
pulp and seed.
| Cucumber and melon seed can he
soufed and washed in the same man
ner It is not necessary to sour
squash to obtain the seed, although Il
/ may be done II desired. Usually they
may be picked out fairly clean by
hand.
/ Lettuce. One good plant may be al.
/ lowed to go to seed and it should PRO
duce enough seed for family use
When most of the seed is ripe, or the
! white down" is sowing, the whole
plant may be pulled and laid on pa
\ pers in the attic, or placed in a large
4 paper sack, to dry. Later. rub the
seed out by hand.
| Beets, turnips, carrots and other
root plants seed only the second year
The plants are allowed to attain full
size and stored in cellars or pits over
winter, then they are set out mex
spring and the seed stalk develops
from the root set out. Hence it is
1 impossible to get seed for early plant
ling from any of these crops now
growing.