310 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



Other Plants. Carrot, celery, leek, endive, kale, kohlrabi, 

 parsnip, and parsley are all grown by California seed growers, 

 though their demand is limited, owing to keen competition with 

 European growers, who are usually able to contract these crops at 

 less than the cost of production here. Peas, beans, except Limas, 

 corn, and vine seeds are not profitable because of competition with 

 growers in the middle-western states. Egg plant, in spite of the 

 excellence of the vegetable as noted in an earlier chapter, has dis- 

 appointed the seed growers, and okra has done likewise. Turnip 

 and Brussels sprouts have not prospered as seed crops, while cab- 

 bage does excellently. Cauliflower also seeds well some years, but 

 in others it completely fails, which renders its average below the 

 profit line. Lima beans for seed have failed, except in the southern 

 coast district described in the chapter on beans, but in that district 

 growers have enjoyed some very profitable contracts with eastern 

 dealers. 



Flower Seeds. Various flowers have been grown for seed, in 

 fact, a great assortment of varieties, and, while nearly all kinds 

 flourish, there is so much hand work and close application neces- 

 sary, that we have not been able to successfully compete with Europe 

 on most things. Sweet peas, nasturtiums, cosmos, verbenas, petu- 

 nias, and asters are quite successfully grown, and the seed trade 

 now looks to California for most of the sweet peas and a great many 

 of the nasturtiums. Southern California has several very promi- 

 nent growers of fine double petunias and other plants. 



The rapid advance of the California sweet pea seed in popu- 

 larity is most marvelous. A beginning was made in this line in a 

 moderate way about 1885, when there were not over a dozen varie- 

 ties listed. At first about a quarter of an acre was grown; now the 

 total acreage is about 1250 acres annually. So important a factor 

 have the California sweet pea growers become to the seed trade 

 that some dealers come from the east annually to inspect the grow- 

 ing crops and to hunt for novelties in the sweet pea line. One will 

 know California sweet pea wherever grown by its wonderful vigor. 



Sweet peas are planted in November and December to secure 

 the flowers at their very best about the middle of May. They grow 

 slowly throughout the winter, but just as soon as the days lengthen 

 and the weather grows warm, they fairly spring into bloom, while 

 later sown seed will mature blossoms correspondingly late. 



