Minnesora STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 51 
Earliness is often a prime factor in gardening operations. Itis very easy to 
imagine that a week’s time gained m the marketing of a single staple market 
crop, might double the profits of a market gardeners whole year’s work. 
Experiments with Wheat and Barley. 
In the case of the grains we find some interesting facts demonstrated by the 
French Minister of Agriculture in regard to Norwegian seed grains. 
One peculiarity noticed only in wheat and barley, is that the grain grown as 
_ far north as 70th parailel was very plump and heavy, and that when sown in 
France the crop was very much earlier than that grown from the native seed 
—but was also uniformly of inferior quality. 
Wheat grown in Norway from seed from Alten, in the 70th parallel, ripened 
in seventy-four days from the time of sowing, while the product of seed grown 
further south required 105 days to ripen. , 
Barley grown at Alten was sown near Vincennes, France, on the 7th day of 
April and harvested the 18th day of June, or a gain of thirty-seven days over 
grain grown from French seed. Like experiments were made with peas, beans and 
corn, with very similar results, and it was proved conclusively that seed brought 
from a higher lattitude uniformly matured the crop earlier. In the new north- 
west it is of importance to procure the earliest seed stock as a matter of self pro- 
tection, and south of us just as highly important as a matter of profit. 
This text, that the further north seeds are grown the sooner the product will 
mature, had been so lightly treated by southern seedsmen with whom I have 
been in correspondence, that I determined to test it to my satisfaction; and I 
will give the results of my experiments. 
Experiments with Tomatoes. 
The Trophy Tomato is well known as a very late sort, while the General Grant 
is as well known as the earliest big tomato. Last season I had occasion to 
change seed of the General Grant, m order to secure a more perfect type than I 
had been growmg. The seed was procured from Central Illinois. And I might 
say here, that in all trials, seed of all the sorts was planted on the same day, 
transplanted at the same time, and in matters of soil and treatment served just 
alike. AJl other stock seed of tomatoes were Minnesota grown. 
Our Trophy Tomatoes ripened at the same time as the Illinois General Grant, 
while plants grown from our own General Grant seed ripened their fruit five days 
in advance. 
Experiments with Peas. 
Tom Thumb peas were sold too close, and we were compelled to plant four 
bushels procured from Philadelphia. Stock grown from our own seed was har- 
vested and threshed before thefother was fit to pull; fully six days difference, and 
the latter were of more rampant growth, though both were of undoubted purity 
of stock. 
Experiments with Corn. 
Early Minnesota corn from Minnesota seed was five days in advance of Illinois 
seed. Early Crosby four days, and Moore’s Concord six days in favor of home 
