Newark post., 1918-09-18
Save Garden Seed Now

Save Garden Seed Now
Saving seed from the home gar
den--a practice that was the rule
in earlier times--is the cheapest
and best way of insuring a supply
for planting next spring, Saving
garden seed is an emergency meas
ure; the supply is limited, yet
thousands of people had gardens
this year and last year who never
raised them before. There is but
one general principle, say garden
specialists of the United States
Department of Agriculture, under
Lying the production of good vege-
table seed, and you probably know
it: Save seed from the best plants.
Seeds should not be gathered until
maturity, the specialists add, and
should be properly dried, placed
in suitable containers, carefully
labeled, and stored in a dry place
where insects or mice can not get
at them.
Even if the scarcity of seed does
not emphasize the Importance of
saving a supply from the home
garden, there are advantages to be
gained by the latter plan. The Sc
lection which the gardener gives
his seed plants, while not greater
than that which the seed grower
gives his seed stock, IS often bet
ter than can be given 70 the seed
that is placed on the market. The
plants selected also will be the
ones which succeeded best under
the local environment. Well-ma-
tured seeds, if properly stored,
with the possible exception of
those of parsnip and onion, should
retain their vitality from to 10
years, and for this reason it lis
urged that an abundant supply be
saved, for if it is not all planted
next spring, it can be laid away
for the following year.
Mark Good Plants
Very little care is required to
save seed for home supply. With
plants like beams and peas, which
are gathered for food before the
seeds are mature, a few of the fin
est plants should be marked and
the seeds which they produce al
lowed to ripen completely. In max
ing such selections it is best to
choose plants alike in varietal
character and earliness. Never
save seeds from plants That nave
suffered from disease attacks. In
selecting sweet corn for seed, Sc
lect the best and earliest ears
mark them and allow them to ma
ture on the plant before they are
harvested. The ears should De
dried immediately after harvest
ing and stored ''on the cob In
saving cucumber and squash seed
select and mark fruits of desirable
character while in the usable stage
and allow them to remain ON the
vines until fully ripe, then remove
the seeds and spread them out tt
dry before storage. In selecting
tomatoes and potatoes FOR seed the
vigor, productiveness, and free
dom from disease in the plan
: should be taken into considera
tion.
| Seeds which have been grown
and carefully saved should be wei
labeled and stored, or all the pre-
; vious labor goes for nothing. Clotl
bags are the best containers fo.
large seeds, such as peas, beams
and corn. They should be useC
also for larger quantities of small
seeds, but for smaller lots, pape
envelopes, made at home or pur
, chased, are most desirable. Ordin
airy letter envelopes are fairl.
, satisfactory but usually are no
gummed so as to close completely
and if handled carelessly, small
f seeds may sift out of them.
Correct labelling is of paramount
importance. Every envelope o
. container should show the kin
, and variety of seed, the date, in
y Guiding month and year when ha1
q vested.