BOOK OF THE HOME GARDEN 



how much seed is wasted when only small gardens 

 are planted, so they have selected a good variety of 

 each one of the ordinary vegetables and a list of 

 flowers which most every one loves and which are 

 not difficult to raise and made small packets of them 

 to sell at small prices. 



Let us think a moment what it means to have 

 good seed. First we have a picture in our minds of 

 the beautiful flowers and splendid vegetables we 

 are going to raise; then we have to work hard to 

 make our garden soil mellow ; next, we sow the seed 

 with greatest care, cultivate often, carry water when 

 it is very dry and if the seed is not good we either 

 have very weak plants or none at all, or our vege- 

 tables are small or poor in quality. So you see we 

 really need the very best fresh strong seeds of the 

 very best varieties we can get. 



We will first consider vegetables and about in the 

 order in which they ripen. You know, I cannot al- 

 ways give you names of varieties because the seeds- 

 men have different names for the same thing in 

 different parts of the country. I hope some day 

 that will all be changed and a "Sparkler Radish" 

 will be a "Sparkler Radish" from Maine to Texas 

 and not a dozen different names in as many states. 



Radishes are the first vegetable to mature (that 



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