84 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



Seedsmen's Humbugs. Almost without exception 

 every dealer in seeds sells humbugs, that is, worthless or 

 very inferior varieties. If he is honest he offers them simply 

 because his customers want them. If he is dishonest he 

 is very' apt to misrepresent and praise them in order to 

 make customers pay a big profit. 



Novelties. It is desirable to test novelties in seeds 

 and plants, but this should be done cautiously, and, as a 

 rule, it is best not to be in too great haste to try new things. 

 It is the general experience of growers that not more than 

 one in ten of the novelties in seeds, fruits, and plants is 

 any better than those generally cultivated. In the history 

 of the Minnesota experiment station the average of desirable 

 seed novelties has been even less than this. 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF VARIETIES 



The laws that govern heredity and descent in animals 

 apply as well to plants, and by intelligent selection and 

 breeding one may greatly improve or even originate new 

 varieties of vegetables as well as of other plants. The seed stock 

 of desirable new or improved varieties may often be sold 

 at profitable prices; or by retaining sole ownership of such 

 new or improved kinds one may perhaps raise crops that have 

 highly esteemed qualities as to size, shape, color, flavor, 

 hardiness, season of maturity, or other features, and so 

 command an advanced price. Thus a grower may 

 sometimes be well rewarded for his care and attention in 

 improving his specialties; but careful study and persistence 

 are necessary to success, and few persons are keen enough 

 in their powers of observation, to succeed in this line of work. 



There is constant tendency for cultivated plants to vary 

 widely from the original form^ though this feature may not 

 manifest itself for many generations after cultivation has 



