50 MARKET GARDENING. 



by obliging native guides, with maize said to be from the 

 tombs, but it is of recent growth. 



in making comparisons of the vitality of vegetable 

 seeds, it must always be borne in mind that English, 

 French and German seeds are never as vital as American, 

 consequent upon the excessive humidity of the seed- 

 growing regions abroad and the injurious effects of a sea 

 voyage. The European crops are never ripened in the 

 field as thoroughly as the American, and before and after 

 threshing are never in as bone-dry condition as crops 

 ripened under semi-tropical heat ; consequently Eu- 

 ropean seeds do not sprout as qnickly, do not develop 

 the same large percentage of vitality, and do not hold 

 what they have so well as seeds of American growth. 

 A low percentage of vitality, either of European or 

 American seeds, does not necessarily indicate age, but, 

 frequently, that the seed w^as matured under unfavorable 

 circumstances, conditions beyond the power of the seed 

 grower to avoid. No seed grower could undertake to 

 guarantee the vitality of the seed sold by him, for he 

 cannot control the conditions of the sowing as respects 

 nature of soil, preparation of seed bed, previous condi- 

 tion, present manuring, time and manner of seeding, 

 immunity from fleas and larvae at time of sprouting, 

 conditions of moisture and temperature. The seedsman 

 who guaranteed his seed would either be a fool or a 

 knave. 



While vitality is of much importance, it is less so 

 than purity. An apparent want of vitality is often 

 wholly due to some unfavorable condition, as one planter 

 frequently succeeds while another fails with the seed 

 out of the same bag. Again, a low^ vitality of a newly 

 harvested seed, the result of climatic conditions, is a 

 matter beyond human control, and, occasionally, seed of 

 such defective vitality has to be accepted by both seed 

 grower, merchant and planter. Not so with impurity ; 



