Evening star., 1928-02-18
Continued from Seventeenth Page)

the handicap Of inferior seed. Oi
course. price is not an invariable index
to quality, as oftentimeS poor seed Is
sold at high prices. but 1t Is true that
high-grade seed is not sold at bargain
rates because of the greater cost OF
production. AS much as we would like
to indorse the neighborhood grocer or
hardware merchant. neither can be
recommended as source of seeds for
the home garden It is true indeed that
plenty of fine gardens have been pro-
Guced from such seed. but an element
OF chance is brought in greater than
one should incur.
Cheap seed IS often old and low IN
percentage of termination or has been
produced with little or no care as to
| truenesS to type or name. Fortunately
| there are many reliable American seed
dealers. all of whom are only too glad
| to send catalogue upon request.
| These old established firms make seed
growing their special business and take
| pride in keeping their stocks pure
! and healthy. Once the home gar
! dener has learned to trade with such
! houses he Will wonder how he ever
| managed his garden enterprise with
seeds purchased here and there.
ITOVeu \ITletleS.
Varieties always raise a question in
the prospective purchasers mind un-
less he has gardened for many years
in one locality. One enterprising vege-
table seed house with offices in Phila-
delphia has hit upon the rather novel
but sound plan of limiting themselves
10 a short list of old established va
rieties. With few exceptions. we'll tried
varieties are best. Novelties are worth
trying III limited way. but it Is a
serious mistake to give over the garden
to them and costly mistake, too. for
novelties are priced high. Another Sc
rlouS fault in novelties is that many
brought out under a new name The
Honey Dew melon is a proverbial ex-
ample Of this, being an old French
variety known as White Antilles and
grown for years in Algeria and south
erll France.
Both the United States Department
of Agriculture and the University OF
Maryland have for free distribution
home garden circulars containing lists
Of reliable varieties for this region.
The sooner the seed order is now
made up the better. Market gardeners
have already begun to prepare their hot
beds for sowing tomatoes peppers
caulifowers and other slow growing
plants.
Pruning Demonstrations.
The Woodbridge Garden Club will con-
duct pruning demonstration in the
garden of NJ. c. Wilson, 3006 South
Dakota avenue northeast, on February
%. Washington's birthday. at 10 am
w. r. Beattie, extension horticulturist
Of the y. S. Department OF Agriculture,
will show how to prune fruit trees
grape vines. roses and other plants.
At the same hour and on the same
day the Takona Horticultural Club will
hold comparable demonstration for
the benefit Of gardeners in that par. of
the city. The Takoma demonstration
will be held in the garden of z. LaPelle,
74l9 Blair road northwest. The DEM
onstratUrs will be Edwin c. Powell and
DR.. D. N. Shoemaker. both Of the De-
partment of Agriculture
Don't miss attending one Of these
exhibitions and seeing experienced
pruners at work and hear thefn explain
the principles. Pruning is one of those
arts which cannot be mastered from
books. One needs the actual plant ma
terials at hand TO gain full appreciation.
Don't be afraid Of being one Of small
crowd. for the pruning demonstrations