46 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



SEED-GROWING 



Seed-growing has not been followed to a decided extent 

 in the South, and yet it is highly commendable. It re- 

 quires considerable forethought and work to grow the best 

 seed. In some thickly settled countries of Europe, large 

 estates are devoted entirely to the growing of some special 

 seed, either because of some peculiar natural advantage or 

 because of the special skill of the grower. The Nether- 

 lands are peculiarly adapted to bulb-raising, Denmark to 

 raising cauliflower seed ; and thus we might perhaps con- 

 tinue until nearly all the countries of Europe had been 

 named. The possibilities in this direction for the South, 

 especially the Gulf region, are great; the climatic condi- 

 tions in many respects are perfect, while labor is fairly 

 cheap. Long experience in India with seeds of onion, 

 cauliflower, kohlrabi, English peas, globe artichoke, tur- 

 nips, and so on, has shown that for the hotter part, lower 

 Bengal, acclimated seed, that is seed produced in a warm 

 country, produces better plants than seed direct from 

 Europe. The plants from the latter run more to leaf 

 and often do not flower, and are more subject to disease. 

 Also Bermuda onion seed grown in Teneriffe is the best 

 for Florida and the West Indies. Hence it is probable that 

 acclimated seed would often or usually be found best in 

 tropical countries near sea-level and that it is preferable 

 to obtain seed grown in a climate as near as possible to 

 that of the locality where the plants are to be raised. 



How to select plants. 



In growing for seed, one should never retain a sickly or 

 diseased plant, because these often transmit a tendency to 



