Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-08-06
HOME GROWN VEGETABLE
SEEDS ARE PRACTICABLE
Knowledge of Seed Production Habit
Necessary

Under normal conditions the cost
of seeds to plant home garden is
ANAL compared with the value OF
the product, but a slight saving and
work of much interest will follow
the home production of this COM
modify. Seed of as good or better
quality than that purchased on the
market may in this way be secured,
provided always that the grower un-
derstands the peculiarities of each
of the vegetables.
Vegetable crops may be divided
into two classes with respect to their
general habit of seed production:
The ANIMALS such as beans, spinach
and lettuce and the biennials as
cabbage, carrots, etc. Seed of the
first group can be produced in one
year while the second class requires
two years for the completion of the
growth cycle.
Pollination Problem Prominent
Seeds are produced by the garden
crops only after the fertilization of
the blossoms. This process consists
of the fusion of the ovule of the
pistil and the nucleus of the pollen
grain from the anther The import
ance of this process lies in its being
necessary for the production of seed
and in the desirability of keeping
varieties pure. Some plants COM
plete this process of fertilization be-
fore the flowers open and so avoid
the danger of crossing between va
rieties, but the great majority of the
vegetables naturally cross pollinate
and, therefore, must be protected if
varieties are to be kept pure. The
most practical method of affording
this protection is to grow but one
variety of each kind of such plants.
A Brief Biennial List
Cabbage. Pull heads and store in
pits. Set our early in the spring.
Varieties must be carefully protect
ed from cross pollination-not closer
than one mile apart. Will cross
with collards, kale and kohlrabl too.
Select only firm, typical plants.
Parsnip. Leave in ground over
winter. Guard against crossing
Protect from aphis and other pests.
Carrot. Select large typical roots
Pit, or leave in ground if winters
are mild, Cross pollinates. Seed
stalks may need support.
Onion. Select few good, smooth
bulbs of variety desired. Plant
about three inches deep, early in
spring Crosses. Cut before the
seed skaters.
Beans. Select healthy plants bear
ing a large crop. May save seed
from several varieties as there Is
little danger of cross p llination. AL
low to mature fully but pick before
the seeds shatter.
Lettuce. Leave few OF the best
plants or heads in the row. Crosses
Pull whole plant when seed begins
to shatter and hang up in a sack tc
mature.
Peas. Similar to beans.
Radish, early. Pull the best mature
roots grown in early spring. Trim
off outside leaves and replant, plac.
ing the crown one inch below the
surface of the soil. Slip sack over
the top when the seed begins tt
ripen. Crosses readily.
Spinach. A dioecious plant-tha'
it the pollen and the ovules are pro-
duced on different plants. Leave
good typical plants. Harvest wher
seed begins to shatter. Crosses.
Tomato. Select perfect fruits
from the best producing plants
Scrape out the pulp, wash clean in
water and dry on paper Varieties
cross.
Quantities needed for home sup
ply of seeds will be about as fol
lows; Bean, feet of row. Beet
plants; cabbage. plants; carrot
plants; cucumber, fruit; egg
plant, l fruit; lettuce, plants;