No. 4.] MARKET GARDENING. 109 



■etables on my milk wagon, and supplied my customers. Of 

 course I had them fresh and they brought a good price. I 

 felt well satisfied with my vocation at that time. 



The change that has taken place in the way market garden- 

 ing is done is most remarkable. A great variety of things 

 have been rejected. It is wonderful, and still there is in 

 store for us a still greater change. I believe that each fruit 

 and each vegetable is endowed with a natural period of life, 

 and after it has had its day and generation it becomes un- 

 worthy of further cultivation, and new kinds must take its 

 place. 



Mr. Ethan Brooks (of West Springfield) . Brother Smith 

 said we ought to be protected in the matter of seeds from the 

 seed dealers. There has been nothing said about gardeners 

 raising their own seed, so far as it may be practicable. 



Years ago, when I was raising vegetables, I raised the seed 

 of the lettuce, for instance, and almost every plant I had 

 would head perfectly. I selected the best possible plants 

 and saved the seed from them, and year after year the crop 

 improved. Just so with the cabbage crop. Thirty years 

 ago I secured good seed of the flat Dutch variety. I have 

 preserved that seed until now, I go through the cabbage 

 field and select the heads that appear to be the most desira- 

 ble, and pull them up. If the root is satisfactory, if there 

 is nothing objectionable, I save the seed. In that way I am 

 confident that I have improved that variety of cabbage. My 

 neighbors have come to me to buy seed, and I have had calls 

 from abroad for seed, and people from Westfield have come 

 to me for plants. 



One of my seed beds did not do well, and I found I was 

 going to be short of plants, so I l)ought some from my 

 neighbor. At the time my own plants looked inferior. 

 About three out of four of the plants I bought proved 

 worthless, — they had no head, — and three out of four of 

 my own plants headed beautifully. They were raised side 

 by side. I would like to ask Mr. Kinney if he raises his 

 own seed. 



Mr. Kinney. We do not, as a general thing. I intend 

 to save my own cucumber seed, and, as far as possible, sweet 

 corn, and I prefer home-grown potatoes, which is against the 



