The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-02-09
SHOULD KNOW /
SEED SOURCE
WHEN BUYING
Seed for Plants Must Be
Chosen With as Much Care
as for Crops -
By l.. p. WATSON
Extensiop Horticulturist, North
Carolina State College

Some growers believe that 1t is
cheaper to buy vegetable plants
for uansplanting than to grow
them at home.
This may be true IN some lew
instances but. in a majority oil
cases. the method used in buylng
plants makes them one of the
most expensive investments OF the
garden year. Too often the farm
or looks over the magazines OF
catalogs quoting plants for sale
and selects grower who offers
plants at the cheapest prices.
Little or no consideration is given
10 the probable source OF seed or
the conditions under which these
plants might have been grown. No
real Irish potato grower would
consider planting anything but
certified seed.
Most good farmers are paying
more attention each year to bet
ter seed for cotton, tobacco ana
grain.
Since all vegetable plants are
grown from seed it is just as I'M
portant TO consider the seed used
i'm producing these plants as 1t rs
for those used in producing other
crops? Those who are in a posi-
ton TO know the plant grower
from whom their plants are or
dered and know that he meets
certain requirements in growing
his plants might find it cheaper TO
buv from him. SO few growers,
however. are willing to pay the
additional cost of producing good
plants that there is little incentive
for plant growers to go to extra
expense when the buying public
is demanding only cheap plants.
There are certain requirements
under which plants should be
grown. and it is well for the pros
pective purchaser to find out a
few facts about the grower and
his methods.
GET THESE FACTS -,
First, is he an experienced
grower in his line; second. does
he use the best certified seed pos
sible TO obtain: third, is he grow
inc the plants on good clean soil,
free from insects and disease {;
fourth, does he spray or dust ms
plants TO keen them clean and
disease-free; fifth, is he familiar
with all the diseases and insects
which attack the plant beds. or
does he have timely inspections
by a qualified person who can adj
wise him regarding these things;
sixth. does he grade his plants
closely and sell only the best; sew
enth. is he qualified to pack the
plants in such a way that they will
arrive in frst-clasS condition;
eighth. can he be depended upon
TO deliver the quantity, variety,
and quality at specified time;
ninth. can he furnish the buyer
with a certificate stating that the
plants had been inspected by a
qualified Inspector and found to
be free from insects and disease!
These questions may sound un-
reasonable to some, but when we
stop to consider each requirement
we can see that it has a definite
place in the production of good
plants.
Now there are certain require
ments which the buyer should
meet if he expects the plant
grower TO follow such a straight
and narrow path. First. is the
buyer willing to pay the increased
cost of producing good plants;
second, does he know what vari-
cites ne wants and in what guam
titles: third. can he place his or.
ders long enough in advance OF
the delivery date to give the plant
grower an opportunity to check
up and see if he can supply the
! plants and. if not, to give the
buyer a chance to place his orders
elsewhere? These questions are
Just as important to the plant
grower as the others are to those
of us who buy his plants.
NOT HARD TO GROW PLANTS
II the plant grower cannot meet
the requirements we have laid
down, or if we had rather not
meet the requirements we have
outlined for ourselves as buyers,
then let's gro wour own plants.
II is not a difficult task. If we
90 along with it step by step, we
know what to expect in the end.
There are any number of reliable
seed houses offering good seed of
the latest improved strains of all
vegetable crops. Quite few veg
etabl eseed are now being certi-
fled. Use these whenever possible
II is Just as important to grow
good plants as to buy them, and
the very best seed are none too
good.
We might ask what is good
seed. Someone has said to be
good. seed must possess four char
acteristics. 1t must be clean; that
is. free from weed seeds, dirt. and
immature seed. IL must be viable.
BY that we mean the seed must
be alive and able to produce q
high percentage of termination
which grow into strong. vigorous.
quick growing plants. 1t must be
free from disease in order that
we will not introduce to our fields
trouble which are DISASTROUS to a
crop. And last, the seed must be
true to a good name. To us. this
means the seed must produce a
product which conforms to that
peculiar variety as described in