118 PACIFIC STATES FLOKAL CONGRESS. 



Bean-raising is one of the most important branches of the seed industry. 

 Thousands of acres are utilized, and hundreds of car-loads are grown. 

 Among the other vegetable seeds which are largely produced are carrot, 

 radish, salsify, mustard, spinach, tomato, beet, and celery. While the 

 individual acreage of these is not so large, yet taken as a whole the 

 amount of seed grown is an enormous quantity. 



While the culture of vegetable seeds has been developed to a large 

 extent in the last twenty years, the culture of flower seeds is of a more 

 recent date, but the growth of this business is increasing very rapidly, 

 and promises in the future to supply all the flower seeds for the demand 

 of the United States. This branch of seed-raising is largely at an 

 experimental stage, yet the growers, as they become expert in growing 

 the various kinds, are putting the business on a more solid basis. 

 Formerly all flower seed consumed in this country came from European 

 seed growers. But now, as California growers are becoming experts, 

 and as the several growers are specializing themselves to certain vari- 

 eties, California is fast replacing foreign flower seed. Sweet pea seed 

 is probably the most important flower seed now grown in California. 

 Eleven years ago not one acre of sweet peas was grown for seed purposes, 

 Irat now the acreage amounts to over three hundred, yielding 200,000 

 pounds. California growers have not only increased the sweet pea 

 business to such an extent, but have developed many new novelties of 

 reat merit, improving the size, form, color, and substance to such a 

 degree that the old varieties are fast becoming obsolete. Expert grow- 

 ers in southern California have national reputations for their nas- 

 turtium, petunia, smilax, and cosmos seed. The growers in Santa 

 Clara Valley are putting forth their best efforts on aster, verbena, 

 mignonette, and sweet pea seeds. These are all grown to a more or less 

 degree of success, and the acreage is fast increasing. 



The growers have overcome many difficulties in the establishing of 

 the seed-raising industry in this state. The success is due to the well- 

 suited climate and virgin soils; still, the carefulness and integrity of 

 the growers have also greatly helped. As a rule, California growers are 

 extremely critical in the growing of their crops, rogueing all imperfect 

 plants, and selecting nothing but what is true to name and variety. 

 Quality, not quantity," is their motto. They have had the disad- 

 vantage of competition with seed-growers in foreign countries, who have 

 the benefit of hundreds of years of experience. They have also 

 Jmpeted with cheap foreign labor and high transportation rates. 



id-raising is now only in its infancy in California, and as the 

 s become more experienced and the high quality of the seed better 

 known there is no reason why California should not only supplv the 

 United States, but all civilized countries with her seed. 



Qilroy, CaL 



