B ... l v II' -r-
ami
AMERICAN SEED GROWING
Cheap Seeds the Most Expensive
: 'van
iViiH(i. ,
vr
Broadlv speaking, the growing of farm
and garden socds may be considered the
most important of agricultural indus
tries, for unless the quality of the seed
is maintained, the succeeding crop is
greatly diminihcd in volume and deter
iorated in quality, so that if applied to
the country as a whole, the ks would
be enormous.
"The great magnitude of the American
seed business is little appreciated," said
a prominent seed dealer in describing
the car-loads of field and garden seeds
which he handles each spring. "The
producing capacity of the seeds quickly
deteriorates, in most instances, and the
most successful farmers buy large quan
tities of seeds. The farmer is a some
what cautious individual, and although
lie buys, en an average, double the
amount of seeds lie did ten years ago,
he has not, in even- instance, reached
the point where he recognizes that the
greatest economy lies in getting the best
tnd patronizing only those houses whose
reputation forbids them to sell poor and
adulterated seeds."
Seeds Apt to Retroerade.
The deterioration in many seeds is
vers' marked, and large secdmcn go to
j-rclit lengths to produce the best pos
sible seed and to have various establish
ments in different parts of the country
where the conditions are the best for
production. It is not possible that the
best results can be attained in produc
ing a great number of seeds on any one
farm cr in any one locality, however
favored. The soil and climate which
may be the best adapted for producing
cr.e kind of seed may result only in a
cry inferior seed from some ether kind'
GtY tLLIOTT MITCHELL
lies idle and he curses his luck which
has thus shown itself against him,
whereas the fault was his own, and he
was simply penny wise and pound
foolislu
This can be said of many different cheerfully votes against the measure and
kinds of seed.
Or suppose lie buys expensive early
cabbage or radish seed, it is an easy
matter for the unscrupulous dealer to
mix this seed half and half with very
abolishes a system whereby the Con
gressmen who wants to keep in touch
with his constituents has an opportunity
to mail out a little package of garden
seeus 10 ins entire list of voters, he
cheap late cabbage or radish seeds, pre
viously killed (.so that they will not
conic untrue to name), and unless the
buyer is particularly observant it may
never occur to him that he has been
buncoed.
Tricks of Some Dealers.
Another method of defrauding the
seed buyer, practiced by cheap seedsmen
who never expect to do business a sec
ond time with the customer, is to sell
him outright the cheap seeds of some
plant such as a muskmelon, for instance,
vndcr a label of some new or high
priced variety. He puts in a hard sea
son s work trying to raise good musk
melons, and at the end he finds he has
a heterogeneous collection of inferior;
sorts, bull another practice which the
reputable seedsmen will not counten
ance is to sell seeds which may be true j
iii name anu mi!i win utso ti Hunan, ;
but which are weak and poor. An ex
ample of this was noticed by the writer
in the Colorado muskmelon fields. The
Rocky Ford cantaloupes had for seme
years attained a country-wide fame
through their sweetness and fine flavor.
Thev were shinned all over the United
States. Then came a great demand for
instead votes for an appropriation of
ocr a quarter of a million of dollar
a year for free garden and (lower seeds.
If somebody would lutrothuv a Mil, iven
with this big appropriation, but hihvI-
fying that the Secretary of Agriculture (of an ordinary living room is suitable if
should expend the money in procuring care is taken to set the apparatus near a
and distributing only such seeds and (Move at night. The basin may be left
purchase In cpen market samples of
seeds of grazing and forage plants, test
the same and publish the names of per
sons selling adulterated seeds.
So extensive is the seed business In
the Cuited States that many seedmen go
to an enormous expense in publishing
each year catalogues giving the many
aMctics ottered tor &ulc by them.
Home Tests of Seed.
The IVpartment of Agriculture In or-
ler to aid farmers to determine lor
themselves without much trouble the
germinating qualities of seeds purchased
by them, has issued a number of bulle
tins upon the subject. A very simple
apparatus for sprouting seeds is lccnh-
to in (lie mi i Kt u. it consists ot a shal
low tin basin or one of granite ware.
The bottom of the basin is covered with
water and a mull tlat bottom of porous
i lay is placed inside. The seeds after
having been soaked are laid between
two layers of moist blotting paper or
llanuel cloth. A pane of glass covers the
dish, which is to be kept in a tempera
ture of about 70 degrees. The atmosphere
ARC THE BEST
THAT CAN BK CROWN
RIIRPFFS SEEDS
War J MwLW bl hMI If ytmwnltliclmluciilvrK't,lrni,wfl'l
iU wr you houl.t rrmt BURPEE'S FARM ANNUAL FOR 1 Q08.- wll known
mlh"U.llnir American beod CntltKU." 11 UnmlWxl FREE to all. ltrttrr nd ytmr
,t,trc TO-DAY. W. ATt.KK HIIM.'KK A to., I'll 1 1. A 1)1 I. I'll I A.
m
OW TO BUILD AN
Jfcrt!' vpss:; INCUBATOR
nrtMfcii.F 1, ana
Rhowlnit how to
luillil jrntir own niwhlni !
mi 11.
M.i flnr Ilium ri I'm li of
Inoutmlor Ami linnnliT Hiiii
III flit im ml. Anvmm vmn
II.' I v.
11 sv . :- ' - '1 I I 17 .
: -vj' T v .u'rii" -i.- 111 11 r
A MOST VALUABLE BOOK
on fertilisers and how tonne them, entitled
"Foon Foa l't.ANis,M is bring distributed
by U10 Kitruto l'lopagiiiida, New York.
A pott ennt n-tth four ..n will
Kluatc Propacutl Asikrsoa BalUlsf , New Vork
40 BULBS, 25 Cents.
F'f In nrotil of iloora irnmlpif (llitvtnla, ItVtffinia, lni,
1 11 "ririiiri, nniiti(B, j'inoiiiii, ntjiti, rr
Nttri-lssiitL Atlhim. rtiimnma. Tinhh. Ktf
imim4 nr nilit, wilt nl this nmirnifWit noHfiitn
of tmll, an! Hi lit m tiriiimti ft flit MTTy tTT C7
nilii4tlin if fl-'wr Mi, w-i rioiir, r lb EZi
n1fr to 1itT.iii'1 twurn to nfi ihr m iiitlftt f"t ilitiltig.
WOODLAWN NURSERY, KAIOIH, UAii
WRWMl limits
(ill and instructive horticultural mMicatun ol tne iny
186 pages 700 engravings 7 superD coioreu piaies
duotone plates 01 vcgciamcs tnu iiowcrs.
A Is the title of Our New Catalogue for 1 vw tne mmi neuim-
T (!? U.U tiul.fX Hi !(( I-..HU illMfllHitlo, Mlt Ih Ull UlaMlaawl
Every Empty Envelope
Counts as Cash
T rry nut h will ioi Kn IKI ,tnlimnl u tn tni mk
tntlotn 1o Ccnla (In tiimp.l, will mail IK iuaifi i, n iaatii4 lr
ol chrg, oui nmwi (-Cnt lUmlctsua "CnlUitlon ol mji, coni.i-
on pa.kft a bl ." u.l . (.nil mmi4l
C4nr I'blfiM ji'ltn, J; HJrtt't Stvf I i J lf. A; Xf T.M'V
ami USm 1 iff t..i'ii In coup.innvrlop. Mih. hinpii4
nd MiuintJ, will b H.criitJ mm m J3-nl - h pamat u mf wit
mounung 10 9 i.uotna upwaiit.
7ml
mmammw
k A FulJ cf Seed
StlD LETTUCE AND ONIONS IN HEAD
Conrt7 A. J. Plct:rs, Depirtmcat of Mrri-ilture.
of plant. So that sec!?, as they are
handled by the Lig setd.-rr.tn, are gath
ered in by them from all parts of the
country from Maine to California. In
the latter state some cf the vastest seed
fields cf the world are found, where the
eye ranges over unbroken rows, miles in
extent, at least as far as the eye can
reach. If all this industry should cease
for a year and the farmer and gardener
became dependent for the succeeding
crop on the seeds which he would him
self save during the year, the shrinkage
in production throughout the country
would amount to tens cf millions cf
dollars.
In the Olden Times.
Of course, in the early days each
farmer saved his own seed ; possibly he
exchanged seeds with cne or two neigh
bors or friends. At that time there was
little competition in farming, the produc
tion of the farm was used mainly for
the support of the family, and the farm
supplied practically all the necessities
and even the luxuries of life.
The earliest seed-farm in the United
States is believed to have been started
by David Landreth, the originator of
the present big seed house. This was
before tlio Ilevolutionary war, on a
small farm, now included in the city
of Philadelphia. It is estimated that
over 250,000 acres, including land in
probably every state in the Union, are
now devoted solely to growing seed
crops, and some of the largest growers
plant annually as high as 2,000 acres.
Cet Good Clover Seed.
Tho ndvnntngft of tsocurlng trood ger
minating nw!d Is manifest Take for
instance clover seed which is sown on
wheat-stubble in the sunnir. It is al
ways possible to secure it at SO cents or
$1.00 per bushel below the market price
quoted by the reputable seedsmen.
What is the result of using such seed?
It must be considered a foregone con
clusion that such seed is poor, worth
even less than the reduced price at
which it is offered. The land has been
prepared for pasture or hay, some of the
fertilizer used on the wheat crop still
remaining in the soil for the use of the
clover and timothy, and the grass and
clover seed is sown to become the de
pendence of the farmer for his hay
crop. I Jo buys cneap ueea; w, w, tu
or 60 per cent, of it is an adulteration
of seed which has been killed or is old
dead or weak clover seed. 1 he re
mainder is pood, fresh seed. If he buys
this seed, likely putting off purchase
until the eleventh hour, and uses it
without testing its germinating qual
ities, he may be lucky if he gets half a
stand. In other words, half his land
Rocky Ford seed. At the end of the
cantaloupe season various individuals
could be seen going over the Rocky
Ford cantaloupe patches and disem
boweling immature and frosted canta
loupes for their seed. This seed, it is
true, was genuine Rocky Ford canta
loupe seed, and it would probably ger
minate 95 or 98 per cent, but it is ob
vious, its sale as first-class seed was an
imposition. Nevertheless thousands ot'goo(i advice to consider them as such
plants as mav be of real value to the
fanner in a Congressional district, new
and improved varieties, even though
only one package cmild be sent out
where now a score or two are sent, the
expenditure would be defensible. 1 hi
would be building up 'our agriculture.
and there would be cases where the
entire agricultural output would be
changed, greatly to the advantage of
the farm. The Secretary is, in fact.
employing his idea, as far as he is left
any discretion in the matter of seed
distribution. He is allowed by CongreSN
a small appropriation 01 mis iree seea
money, and where his explorers in the
old countries of the world have brought
in new plants and seeds which it is be-
icvcd will be an improvement on those
already grown by American farmers, he
sends these out in sufficient amount to
admit of a rational test by a farmer.
Time to Abolish the System.
As it is now carried out, the free seed
distribution should be stopped, and the
work of supplying the ordinary farm and
garden seeds, the results of which are
l-nown to everybody, should be left to
the regular secdmcn.
The seed business of the United States
is one of great magnitude. While there
are, cf course, unscrupulous and fake
seed houses who do not hesitate to
adulterate the seeds they supply, the re
putable firniH take gn-at rare in woing
tbnt their sci-ds urt' not only fr -sli, with
good germinating powers, but true to
name. The old-fashioned way was for
each grower to save his own feed, but
in many of our principal crops it is
found that the feeds grown in certain lo
calities produce heavier yields, and while
if the planting is done a little out of the
original habitat of the plant the first
crop may not appreciably deteriorate the
second year, the crop from that seed
will show a marked falling off in yield.
It is for this reason that some of the
wisest farmers and planters send regu
larly considerable distances for seed.
The twod catalogues always carry a
number of pages of novelties and new
varieties which are described in an ex
tremely attractive form. It is well
enough to try these novelties, but it is
packages were armuaHy foisted upon
seed buyers.
So if you are going to buy seed, and
buying seed to a greater or less extent
is advisable, not to say necessary, it
becomes a foregone conclusion that it
pays to buy good seed and therefore to
know from whom you are buying.
The Government Seed Business.
The Agricultural Department is busier
than usual sending out millions of pack
ages of free seeds for Congressmen. It
should be understood that this free seed
distribution, while carried out by the
Secretary of Agriculture, is no scheme
of his, but is a Congressional affair, pure
and simple. In every session there is
one or more bills introduced abolishing
what has been termed by more than one
and have the main crr.p to fall back
upon from the titandard or well-tried
varieties which have stood the test of
years.
An examination of many of the seeds
of common vegetable and forage re
veals the fact that an immense amount
of poor seed is sold to American farm
ers and gardeners. Farmers as a rule
are responsible for this condition, since,
as has been said, many of them buy the
cheapest seed in the market and trust
entirely to luck for it to produce the en
tire crop. Such seed is dear at any
price, and is withal one of the principal
source of the hosts of bad weeds which
are to be seen upon many farms.
For the last few years there has been
a constantly increasing outcry against
Ik1"" - ' ' " ''
l uip 'u( ,y. uxu a TU 1
Ifl nSl C- vY :jtJ.t frill iJrn ', A I
partly open from time to time to admit
the exchange of air and gases, using a
good-sized dish with small saucer and
renewing the water occasionally. Sev
eral kinds (if seed may be tested at once
at a trilling cost. The I'epartment cau
tions the far. , against extremes of
temperature and cxccsjivc moisture dur
ing the experiments. In some of the
larger and more reliable seed house, of
this country there is a well-equipped
and appointed incubator room in which
lests lire Hindi' by the Kevdineli In
order to nseertaln whether or Hot the
seeds will really grow. This Is done
with every lot of seed that comes in
the warehouse and before distribu
tion through the country. Results of
A HUNDKLD ACWE CADISH HELD.
these growths are recorded in a book
and kept for re.ufy reference in the
event of complaints. The busiest times
in the American seed warehouse is from
November to March, and often April,
when enormous quantities of seeds and
bulbs pass through the buildings first in
large sacks and later in smaller pack
ages by mail and express on their way
to the progressive American agricul
turist
Congressman the free seed farce, and
speeches have been made annually de
riding the practice, showing that it is
unnecessary and unprofitable and a
wate of public money j yet when It
comes to voting for a measure which
AN OCEAN OP SWEET PEAS,
Flower Seed Crowing is an Extensive Industry.
the seeds sold by unscrupulous dealers
and with it a demand tor legislation.
Congress and a few states have passed
laws regulating the trude In seeds. The
Secretary of Agriculture . under an Ac
of Congress has authority to, and doc,
Ic&erviu Strict Sileuee,
In Korea tho women, on their wed
ding day, will not open their mouths
to peak, 110 matter what the tempta
tion or provocation.
Sometimes this Bllence Is continued
through the Brut week of married life.
Although no eueh cuHtom exlHts In
the WeBtern world, extraordinary caues
ar3 not wanting. In the early forties
a New York lady undertook, for a
wager of $150, to remain mute during
the month of her married life.
Her new-made h-sband, who, natur
ally, was not In the secret, was so much
incensed at his bride's behavior, that
he left her before her tasK was com
pleted, only to return later when ap
prised of the r.;al reason for this un
Iiutural silence.
On one anniversary of their wedding
day a Brussels couple quarrelled so
bitterly that the wife, in a passion,
vowed that her husband should never
again hear the sound of her voice. She
would there and then have left the
house, but her now penitent husband
Implored her not to desert him. To
that extent only did his entreaties pre
vail, for she kept the letter of her oath
and never In her spouse's presence
did she unloose her tongue.
An Austrian woman, whose husband
was In hiding from the authorities. In
advertently betrayed his whereabouts
to a neighbor, who was secretly in the
pay of the police. As a result, he was
taken, and received a term of Imprison
ment. So much did his wife take to heart
this misfortune, which had been
brought about by her gossip, that she
resolved for the remainder of her life
to remain mute. She would not make
an exception even In her husband's
favor, for, although she received him
on his release with the utmost affec
tion, Bhe maintained an obdurate
silence till her death, three years later.
FAT PEOPLE
I Will Send Ton a Trial Treatment Free
I mil renlnr fmir tf hi Tr
m ls4 Wewfc rw1 foitti
111 hMllh into rot-uet tWUh, nfi
fcaJ aJuggihaM lntk titily. nt
rl Utt f!iticf fMlltMMatM
iffi--st.ia -f 'ta!u4ii)g tiJilr
diMU rJ ftaaiUttUI)n h
4irttfnl dittnf vt tt' n,
SVO Klaftog, b nlilg
tlrut of (' jng
fill rwio lha
tuti i h. I u a
k-b )! at4 !-
taltal lu lit lutcw
ful ie-tMit trf au
ptlliMa f lift
tul ctanlilUaJlt tt
(m-Wi! tialhl ttattb Uia l.ait
And Oftbla yuu t ltrlh J"" '? !.
hla.ltrt Mil flat fclpa. ft"Mimtil if Mritna )
thai (talent au baka mf UUun and la4iB -i-re t
alM mrm mf MlWala. I aWJala, pa-araaia aBltWaatlwa m
varf cM Writ fc-4r fur tt tfial lrMUiinl I will )
anl ye f ra my ssaw ba4 otHHatlj ll will i'a ft dUit4
uuUim ol mf baliiMfl; II Hll anl ym ti. 44taa
MtVNHV V. IIKAIroH( U. !.
171 UrUttri UUm tu m tM urn, lrk 1.1.
THEY ALL WANT IT!
llr yrni -a Ih.
"Imp BoMki"" Vrry
irr(ilrttt Irlck, hut
raiy whrn vuu Inn
how. We'll l-ll vuu
tin .nil rui SNittttl.
for lilniiii.
f'ntrnt V.gg Brpf.
lor. I'.vrt y II n u r
IkiIiI, II lcl. Kralnu.
rniit, llakrry, I'mik
SO.ir, III li I 11 11 y
I I r whrrr rnx
iinl lacrU. uue or
111 01 c.
Jn.tantly arparalr
yiilk anil wltltr, lint
pnltlilr ol llic lallrr
triuniillny In I ll .
Mrpnrator. Ihtrm not
hirnk yolk. Made
from aoltif pin of
lui-iul. Alwii l,rlKll
mid miity for uar.
hainplc lu crula.
KANCY SJUI'ti'LY CO..
Boi 2 IS, a'blogioa, D. C.
A(riit wanted for llirar nail Other guud.
Wi ur lor 1 uiul.i ud tcima.
HOW TO MAKE SCHOOL GARDENS.
By II. P. Ilcmcnwny.
This suggestive little ImmIc is n practical manual t nchool gardening for tvth
teacher and pupil, and supplies the first iidcnmto work nf the wirt in thm omntry.
This volume is base'l on actual experience (tho uulhor it au uuthonty and director
of the Hartford School of Horticulture).
CONTKNTS: Introduction; How to Mako n Garden; Twcnty-Ono Iwmm
in Garden Work May to Septemlicr; r.iblioyrnphy ; Ivhsoiih ill (irct-nhouiio Work;
Hunting Sce'd, Totting, etc.; Koot Grafting; Lessons m l'uddiug.
Size, 5x7; pages, 107; binding, cloth; illustrations, 20.
By special arrangement with Doubleday, Tugv & Co., I am able for the present
to make tho following .
SPECIAL OFFER.
The new Garden Magazine, 6 months, and Iltnu to Mait School
Gardens, $1.00 edition ,'pobtpaid, both for (1.00
The GARDEN MAGAZINE is finely Illustrated, and Is tho finest magazine cf
its kind published in America. To take alvunta,;o of this speciul otlcr, orders
should be scut ut once to II. L. Hcmcnway, Hartford, Connecticut.
Thin offer may 1e withdrawn at any time.
Cordial Foreign Relation,
Mrs. O'Rlley And are yea oa pakla'
terms wld Mrs. ZylonskL
Mrs. Murphy Av course I am. She
called me a thafa an' I told bar aha
waa aaoUiar
ONLY ONE LIFE TO LIVE
That's the Reason Why
should get the most out of life that they can. The place to
get it is in the Home, and
F!
HID
1
comes every month in the year and tells you
How to Build a Home
How to Make a Garden Around It
How to Live In It
How to Entertain In It
How to Enjoy Life In It
Some of the regular departments of the magazine are
The Home Garden Music in the Home Hints to Homemakers
The Home Stud Health in the Home Home Etiquette
Home Cooking Little Folks in the Home Home Cheer
Entertaining in the Home
. A.I HCMEMUEK"
It isn't made with a scissors and a paste pot. There's good "grey matter
goes into every page of it. There's human sympathy in every line of it. There'a
originality and genuine good hard common sense all through it. It doo't under
take to tell you bow to bo happy on a million a year, but it doea tell you how
to be happy on the modest income that so many millions live on who doo't
have a million a year to upend. And the magazine costs
10c. for One Whole Year-That's All
And It's worth ten dollars for its good suggestion about life and health and
homemaking.
- Send your dime or five two-cent stampa to
MAXWELL'S HOMEMAKER MAGAZINE,
- 1409 Fisher Building, CHICAGO.