Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1921-03-15
Seed Catalogues.

About this time OF year the farmei
and gardeuer-yegetsble, flower and
landscape-spend hours of time in scan
ming the pages of seed catalogues, which
pam phlets generally contain not only a
list of seeds but trees, shrubs, plant,
and bnlbs ss we'll.
The seedmen In their catalogues show
knowledge of human nature uosur
passed by men OF any other calling, and
take advantage of the weaknesses oi
mankind 10 an extent unequalled BY
mos, exploiters of the race.
Sometimes the writer believes the
multifarious shades of printers ink now
in use were evolved from primary colOrs
because of the insistence of plant vend-
ers to make their improvements and
b. brids excell anything that could be
conceived as coming from the laboratory
Of nature.
The combinations of color they can
put into a representation of some
common vegetable or fruit-a beet or
tomato for instance-would turn Van
Dyck or Rubens green with envy, and
40 distend the abdominal region of the
observer by anticipation as to give him
acute indigestion. Perhaps 1t is we'll.
when one buys the seed, picks out a
favored spot in the garden, gives 1t an
over-stimulation of fertilizer and pro-
duces-well, just common specimen Of
fruit-perhaps, to repeat, 1t is we'll for
ones health, but It can't be for ones
temper. The drop Is too sudden and
precipitous.
Florists, or rather those who deal in
cut flowers, have methods of immersiDg
the severed stalks of blossoms-say plain
white for instance-in aniline dyes so
they will absorb the colors and produce
flowers of unheard of hues-black pan
sizes or green carnations and one knows
not whst-but the artists of the seed
catalogues don't have to 60 to that
trouble. They can produce unusual
colors as readily as those we are &C.
ausinted with and associate with certain
flowers.
Nevertheless, no matter how many
times one has been .stung" he or she
peruses at this time of year the seed
catalogue a good deal more regularly,
persistently and with more faith than
they would the Bible.
Faith, you know, according to the
small boy, Is believing what you know
is not so, and that Is about the only res
son one can give for spending so much
time over seed catalogue.
But one would not prevent their publ
cation. Oh, no. There is satisfaction
In looking at them and admiring the
ingenuity of the originator and artist
and sometimes one really finds some
thing that can be admired while grow.
ing and satisfy the inner man when
grown.
Originating new varieties Of vegeta
bless, fruits or flowers, Is a fascinating
work and interesting to those looking
on. One can watch the increase of fruit
size by selection and speculate on how
much bigger and better any one of us
might have been II some Burbank had
got hold of our ancestors and caused
them to exercise little sugenic care.
II Burbank and men of his kind can
take tho seeds out of a watermelon or
the spines of q cactus, nobody knows
what could be done with human being
IL some such man bad tried.
The surgeon can ease US of warts,
buniops or tumors, but so far be has
been unable to free MS from self1shness
or bad temper, or make US forget to
grow an appendix, even II Its use is
lost art.
Let the good work 60 on, even II tax.
ing the choke out OF q ohokecherry
would destroy its piquancy and leave 1t
only an insipid little red berry. Taking
the sting out of human tongue might
have the same effect, but many people
might like to see II tried.
So we can enjoy the seed catalogue in
its season. Being made fool of hun
dred times more or less won't make any
difference when the undertaken gets us.
AQUARIUs.