190 ANNUAL REPORT. 



In order to produce these results the grower must first choose 

 good seed and put it on land that is strong, early and level. 

 Level so that the crop will ripen off evenly, for if sown on uneven 

 land the seed on the ridges will be early while that in the hol- 

 lows will be later, and the vines forced to uneven and impure 

 growths. Soon runners or rogues will appear and these must be 

 carefully removed. The crop must be harvested at the proper 

 time to secure the juices in the seed and a desirable sample. 



As in peas, so in every variety of seeds. Each is made the" 

 study of some specialist who aims to produce it in its highest 

 perfection. In fact, the conscientious seed-grower, to achieve 

 the best results, must exercise over his stocks the same watchful 

 care that a mother gives her child. 



The seed-producing interests of the country have attained 

 enormous proportions, and with its growth in bulk have in- 

 creased the number of varieties, so that now we have thousands 

 of so called varieties of vegetable seed. 



Wonderful improvements have also taken place during the 

 past few years in the quality of vegetables now grown. Many 

 here doubtless remember well when the Marrowfat pea, now 

 thrown aside as comparatively useless for the table, was the best 

 pea known. What a revelation in this important vegetable was 

 brought about by Dr. Fairbeard's accidental finding of a Cham- 

 pion of England in a pod of Marrowfat some thirty-five years 

 ago. 



Now we have at least two hundred so-called varieties of peas, 

 some of them of distinctive character and merit, while others are 

 comparatively worthless, or an old type put upon the market 

 under a new name. 



It would seem that amongst the number of varieties of real 

 merit that the public appetite for novelties would be appeased. 

 But so strong is the cry for something new and something better, 

 something earlier or something later, that there are parties who 

 make their sole business that of propagating new varieties of 

 peas and disposing of the stock to seedsmen at figures that, to an 

 outsider, would seem incredible. Fifteen hundred dollars per 

 bushel would seem a pretty good price for peas; and yet I once 

 offered Mr. Thomas Saxton, of Bedford, England, at that rate 

 per bushel for his stock of a certain new pea, and did not get them 

 at that ! 



This appetite for new and better varieties has had two diverse 

 results. It has served to awaken the grower to the passing de- 



