10 April, 1918.] Orchard and Garden Notes. 251 



Tt is a good rule to observe that no ripe seeds should be allowed to 

 fall on the beds; they should be stripped off the plants before they have 

 a chance to drop. Seedlings will iDecome a nuisance in the beds, and 

 they interfere with the regularity of the rows. 



A few early peas, also some broad beans, may now be sown; cabbage, 

 cauliflower, and other seedlings should be planted out from the seed 

 beds. AH garden herbs, such as thyme, mint, horse-radish, sage, &c., 

 as well as rhubarb, should be divided and planted out where necessary. 



Onion seeds for an early crop may be planted out towards the end 

 of the month. Brown Spanish is very hard to beat as an all-round 

 onion, while the variety of Early Brown Spanish may be relied upon 

 to produce an early crop. 



SAVIXG VEGETABLE SEED. 



A shortage of many kinds of vegetable seeds has developed during 

 the past two years. Many of these are of our ordinary garden vegetables 

 that produce seed the first year. They include radish, lettuce, tomato, 

 cucumber, melon, and squash, which can be easily harvested for seed 

 purposes. 



There are a few important points to be observed by the farmer when 

 saving any vegetable crop for seed. The field, before harvest, should 

 be carefully gone over, and all plants not true to name or type should 

 ba pulled up and removed. 



Each field of any variety should be harvested separately, and in sub- 

 sequent operations care should be exercised that the seeds do not become 

 mixed with other varieties. The name of each variety should also be 

 positively known, especially if it is intended to market the seed. Buyers 

 have no use for seed identified merely as " early " or " late." 



The annual varieties of vegetables most easily harvested for seed are 

 given below, together with brief directions as to the methods. 



Eadishes. — "When the stalks begin to show many brown pods the heads 

 should be gathered and placed thinly on canvas in a sheltered, well- 

 ventilated place. In a few days the pods will be dry enough to thresh. 

 This can be done by using a round wooden stick like the old-fashioned 

 flail. A piece of canvas should be spread on the threshing floor to catch 

 the seeds. After threshing the seeds may be separated from the chaff 

 by the use of an ordinary fanning mill. If the seeds are not thoroughly 

 dry they should be spread thinly on canvas or on trays and exposed to the 

 sun during the day and carried inside at night. 



Lettuce. — The lettuce plants, when the seeds are ripe, are cut with a 

 sickle. The seeds are flailed out on canvas in the same way as radish. 

 As lettuce seed is very light, care must be used to prevent loss. 



Vine Crops. — Under this heading are included cucumber, watermelon, 

 cantaloupe, squash, and pumpkin. The methods of harvesting are similar 

 for all these crops. When the crop is ripe the fruit is removed from the 

 vines and crushed or cut in half, and the seed, pulp, and juice separated 

 from the rind, except that in the case of cucumbers all the fruit is 



