64 ANNUAL REPORT. 
The great question with any productive industry is that of supply and deman 
The minor problem is, if there is an evident demand, how to profitably reach 
market; . Common commodities of horticultural birth—grains, fruits and. 
have simply to be placed on the open market, when they immediately fix 
price. Their merit is easily discernible by appearance and condition. 
with garden seeds, Their appearance is not their guarantee. Seed time a1 
harvest—the work of a year, only tells their story. Bound up in the shell of a 
- Jittle seed, that the most practiced eye cannot distinguish with certainty whether 
it be Swedish Turnip or Flat Dutch Cabbage, lies the hidden germ that tells of 
success or failure. All sorts of radish seed look alike, as also tomato, Recs 
lettuce, &c. 
In buying fruits you can judge for yourself. In buying seeds you are at the 
mercy of the seller, for he must judge for you; and that is where the trouble 
comes from when.you attempt to find a market for garden seeds of your own 
growth. You must first convince your customer that you are yourself reliable, 
then you may begin to quote prices, and not before, 
A beginner in the business might grow a full list of sorts, true to name, oN as 
good as could be produced anywhere; he might fill his satchel with samples, 
and tramp from St. Paul to Boston, visiting every seedsman on the route, and 
not sell a dollar’s worth. On the other hand, a grower with a reputation for 
growing good stock, need never leave his premises to effect a sale, but will be 
ptished to the full capacity of his farm to supply the demand. 
Understand me; that when seedsmen speak of a grower, they haye reference 
to the man who grows seeds to sell in bulk to dealers, a man who issues no cat- 
alogue, does no advertising, but depends upon others to sell his stock for him; 
and this class are very numerous, and occupy a very important place in the seed 
trade. There are but few dealers in this country who are also growers. Most of 
them who make big claims, only grow a few varieties, and sort up from the gen- 
eral growers. For instance, a seedsman in Illinois or Michigan may grow to 
good advantage the vine seeds, but the weevil infests his peas so that he must 
send to Minnesota or Canada for them. He can grow sweet corn to perfection in 
Tlinois, but if his gardeners want a really early sort it must be grown somewhere 
north of his location. He can grow tomato seed, but must go to Staten Island 
for his cabbage seed. He can grow parsnip, but must go to New York for carrot, 
He can grow onions, but must go to Connecticut for his seed. And thus the 
interchange is made: we buy of the East, the East buys of us. We import 
radish, cauliflower, celery, spinach, and Swede turnip from Europe, and in turn 
sell them squash, cucumber, tomato, cabbage, carrot and onion. 
The general grower must supply the most of this exchange stock, which cer- 
tainly opens a wide field for intelligent industry. While we may to a certain 
extent point out how many sorts may be grown, we do not advise that a general 
list be attempted. Better grow pumpkins carefully, and get a reputation for 
No. 1 pumpkin seed than to attempt a long list of fancy sorts and expect to get 
your money back before you establish a reputation. Grow no large quantity of 
seed of any kind until you know where you are going to sell it, and at what price, 
unless you have a good deal of money to spend for advertising, and are willing 
to take your chances in creating a market. 
While this advice may seem to discourage it also encourages, It discourages 
careless attempts; it encourages the careful, pains- taking, scientific grower. 
One is sure of failure; the other is sure of success. And both meet their just 
reward. . 
