60 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Mr. Tract. It is to some extent. Certain varieties of 

 celery, particularly the self-blanching types, the California 

 seed, do have a tendency to produce pithiness; at the same 

 time, I have seen other cultures show little or none of it. My 

 own impression is that certain varieties, particularly the self- 

 blanching types, do have a greater tendency to produce a 

 bulky pithiness than does the French variety. 



Question. Where is the best place to produce Brussels 

 sprouts seed, in this country, or England or Scotland ? 



Mr. Tracy. On the east end of Long Island where I 

 visited they grow a good many sprouts, and one or two of our 

 best strains are grown down there. I do not know whether 

 they are offered by a seedsman or not. I know they have 

 been, and I know, to go back, that there has been just as 

 good quality of sprout seed produced in this country as ever 

 came from Europe, and I think that I should answer that 

 question in that way. If I had my choice, I should prefer 

 American-grown sprout seed. 



Question. Do you think it is a good policy to buy all of 

 your seed of one seedsman, or different seedsmen ? 



Mr. Tracy. That is pretty difficult to answer. My own 

 tendency would be to get into intimate relations with some 

 one seedsman, to get into understanding with him, and let 

 him know that I would rather my order would be declined 

 than that he should send me anything but the best, and then 

 make my purchases generally from one seedsman. That 

 would be my practice. Other people with different tenden- 

 cies or temperaments would prefer to buy from different 

 seedsmen. I would first, however, experiment with the seeds 

 from different sources, and, having satisfied myself of the 

 integrity of some one seedsman, my tendency would be to 

 confine myself to him. 



Mr. Lewis. I buy seeds from about ten different houses 

 through the year, over different parts of the State. With my 

 experience in buying seeds I find it better to buy different 

 seeds from different seedsmen, as their particular type may be 

 better than some others. I have taken a particular type of 

 carrot, and I have taken three or four different kinds and 

 tried one beside the other, and in making a selection in that 



