22 AROUND THE YEAR IN THE GARDEN 



against exaggerated and one-sided descriptions; the general 

 tone of a catalogue is a fairly safe guide as to the quality of 

 the seeds and plants that are listed in it. 



There are three really important points in connection 

 with seed and plant buying vitality, purity and breeding. 

 The vitality of a lot of seeds may be judged to some extent 

 by their appearance; at any rate they may be easily tested. 

 But purity and good breeding are more difficult matters. 

 Many states have laws that now take care of the vitality of 

 farm seeds, but practically the only guide of the customer 

 in regard to good breeding is his confidence in his seedsman. 

 Even one's own experience with a particular variety or 

 strain is not always a satisfactory test, for conditions and 

 seasons vary greatly. It is not enough that seeds should 

 grow and be true to name; they should be true to the best 

 type of that particular variety. 



Roguing and Selection 



Crops grown for seed should undergo the processes of 

 roguing and selection. In roguing, the seed grower goes 

 over the crop before it is mature and removes any plants 

 that may be off type or of another variety. In selecting 

 seeds he takes only the best specimens that can be found, 

 with such special points of superiority as earliness, size, 

 uniform shape, and so forth, well fixed. When you really 

 get hold of a strain of seeds that gives you satisfaction 

 it is a good plan to order enough to last for several 

 plantings. 



There are, of course, some sterling novelties introduced 

 from year to year, but as a general thing it is best to rely 

 mainly upon strains with which you are familiar, trying out 

 the newer ones under the same conditions before you decide 

 they are better. 



For the benefit of those whose garden experience has not 

 yet been sufficient to enable them to pick out satisfactory 

 varieties of the various vegetables the following may be 

 mentioned. Some are old standard sorts, and some are 



