CHAPTER XL 



SEEDS AND SEED RAISING. 



If there is one thing of paramount importance in 

 vegetable gardening, it is purity of seed ; and for this 

 reason every seed that it is practicable for us to raise 

 for our own use, we grow, no matter what the cost 

 may be. On one occasion, our indispensable Wake- 

 field Cabbage seed failed, from some peculiarity in the 

 season, and there was no alternative but to buy from 

 the seed stores ; every store in New York was tried, but 

 not a seed proved to be of the Wakefield, as we know it. 

 One old gentleman, who always provided for such emer- 

 gencies, had a two-year old reserve supply. I offered him 

 $50 per pound, but could not procure an ounce from him. 

 He too well understood the state of the case, and planted 

 his whole ground with this variety, and as he got in ahead 

 of all by nearly ten days, made a little fortune by the 

 operation. That was about ten years ago ; but I have 

 never known a Jersey gardener to be out of this variety 

 of seed since, and not know where to get it. On another 

 occasion one pound ot seed, purchased as Silesia Lettuce, 

 and planted in my forcing frames, proved to be the curled 

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