Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-14
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW
" Samuel Armstrong Hamilton

by Samuel Armstrong Hamilton
During the early years of the seed
business the purchase of seeds by
the masses was a gamble. The seeds
men in those days did not know any
thing about the seeds they sold and
1t was always n case of "let tho buy
er beware" Those were not the days
or ethical business methods: at that
Tune seed dealers We're not organized
and their business was not special
lied as 1t is at present.
j question IL there is any business
man selling comm odities to the pub
lie who gives as exact value to his
customers as does the modern, first
class scotsman. He does it because
1t Is right-the good ones; and the
others must, because the stringent
laws protect the purchaser of seeds
against imposition.
One of the reasons why such good
value for the money Is given by the
up-to-date scotsman is because he
is able to do 1t by means of his pri-
Vate testing grounds, which in the
case of some of Philadelphia's fa-
nous seedsmen rank as experiment
There Is no scotsman who grows
all his seeds. The conditions are
against it. There is a certain section
of country in which some seeds ma
ture better than in others and the
seedsmen have them grown there
by contract; the seeds of each veg
etable are grown in that section of
the country, or abroad, where the
fsNr. I,
However, the scotsman still has
control of the growing of the seeds.
even If he does not do it himself.
His contract protects him and when
the crops are in bloom his experts
go on the ground and go over the
fields, pulling out all "rogues" they
may find. A rogue in a seed crop is
one variety, or u different species,
growing amid a lot of another kind.
The ripening and curing are also
done under supervision and the
greatest care is taken that these
things are done properly. 1t is not
to be assumed that Seedsmen do not
grow any of their seeds. as some of
the crops do their best in their own
localities, and these are the only ones
they grow at their home grounds.
in the growing of the seed crops,
new varieties are thoroughly tested
out under contract and in their own
trial grounds. y generous sample of
seed is tested for trueness to name.
That means to discover whether the
seeds have become mixed, or wheth-
er the variety has become fixed. OF
is sporty" 1t must show a high
percentage true to name before any
reliable scotsman will introduce a
new kind.
In addition to all this the seeds
man further protects his customers
by termination tests, instituted to
acertain the percentage of good
seeds to a designated number. This
can be told only by terminating a
certain number, in many cases re-
peatedly. If the termination tests
show a low percentage, no reliable
scotsman will put them on the
| market.
The beginner is advised to grow
such varieties of certain kinds OF
vegetables as he can ascertain will
do we'll in his vicinity. If there be
no one at hand from whom you
can obtain this information. use
some of the well tried older sorts
as these are sure to do we'll in the
| largest number of localities.
On the other hand, you must con.
slider the purpose for which the
crops are to be used. For instance
| if your tomatoes are for canning foI
winter, plant BurpSe's Matchless OF
Ponderosa, but if for slicing, try
Earliana or Stone. For a salad to-
mato, Chalk's Early Jewel is good
For a summer slicing cabbage, plant
Early Wakefield or Winningstadt
but for a winter, or kraut cabbage
use Drumhead. Roundhead or Stone
head, or other large heading sort.
A study of good seed catalos
will enable you to decide many
points needed in the course of the
seasons work, as the information
they contain is compiled with a
view to being of service to their
readers to enable them to decide just
which varieties will best suit their
purposes.
When you seeds have been re.
ceived, study carefully the directions
on the package, which are given in
general way to suit the largest
number of circumstances. But they
may not be of service to you in
your location and soil. Study this
out in the light of this series of ar
ticles which is based on your own
local conditions.
l find that many persons do not