STATK IIORTTCUr.TURAL SOCIETY. 93 



growth ; for the pocket is a very sensitive part of humanity. 1 believe 

 also, that in your annual deliberations, while correcting your fruit-lists, 

 you should give a full ])roportion of time to making a vegetable list. 

 Assuming as above, that the pocket is the mainspring of action, let us 

 take this as our starting point, and talk of '' Gardening for Profit." As 

 my experience has all been as a market gardener, I should treat the sub- 

 ject from that standpoint. And let me remark, that what I have to say 

 will apply to home gardening, with the exception of extensive hot-beds 

 for starting plants, for which small boxes kept near the fire while germi- 

 nating the seeds, and near the window for the growth of the jjlants until 

 time to plant them out, may be substituted. 



What are the requisites to success? First of all, good seeds. l!y 

 this 1 mean fresh, well-matured, well-kejjt, and of the ch«icest \arieties, 

 both old and new ; f(r)r there are many old varieties that are as good and 

 even better than many late introductions, yet there is avast improvement 

 upon the older kinds generally. In vegetable gardening Paul's advice, 

 " Prove all things, hold fast that which is good," is as a])])lical)le here as 

 when spoken it was to matters of religion. 



I always endeavor to keep up with the times, and make it a rule 

 neither to condemn or permanently hold fast to any thing new, shcjrt of a 

 three years' trial ; and when once rejected, though the whole world should 

 sound in praises, I am content to let it alone. Vou may ask, how are we 

 to know^when we get good seeds without testing them ? This I admit is a 

 difficult matter for beginners. Ascertain who are the most reliable 

 dealers, try them, and if their seeds prove all right try them again, and 

 continue to buy of them so long as their seeds prove good. 'I'he venders 

 of garden seeds will no doubt have their full share of sins to answer for, 

 but I have charitv enouLfh for them to l)elieve that many of their accusers 

 will become weak-kneed in the day when it shall be known they have 

 charged so many sins to the seedsmen which they themselves committed ; 

 for many thousands of dollars' worth of seeds have failed to grow in con- 

 sequence of the ignorance and carelessness of those who planted them. 



After getting the right varieties we should grow our own seeds as 

 far as possible. After having procured our own seeds, the next thing is to 

 get them to grow. For this the market gardener requires a hot-bed. 



Many have an erroneous idea of a hot-bed. They seem to think that 

 bottom heat is necessary to the germination of seeds, which is a mistake, 

 as demonstrated every spring. When the s])ring sun warms the surfiice 

 of the grouiTd, many of the hardy seeds will grow, although not far below 

 there may be two feet of frozen ground ; and 1 have read in descriptions of 

 Alaska that seeds germinate and vegetation grows in a few inches of soil 

 with forty feet of solid ice beneath. 



We must remember, however, that only the seeds of the hardiest 

 kinds of vegetables grow thus early. Nature has so wisely arranged this 

 matter that the seeds of tender varieties will not germinate at so low a 

 temperature, but will, if sown or planted, either perish or lie dormant 

 until the ground is quite warm, which will generally insure their safety 

 from biting frosts and cold, blighting winds. Knowing these facts, and 



