162 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



the best seed you can get. Along the line of your specialty 

 seek to originate, or at least improve on the best strains in 

 cultivation. Remember that " trifles make perfection, while 

 perfection is no trifle ! " 



Seed Sowing and Crop Gidture. 



The condition of soil best suited to the germination of 

 small seeds is one finely pulverized ; not moist enough to be 

 sticky, nor yet dry enough to be dusty. After covering 

 the seed with earth to the depth of about four times the 

 diameter of the seed, the land should be firmed or rolled. 



Where laborers arc scarce, hand work can 1)0 saved by 

 omitting to sow every third row of root crops. In the broad 

 spaces the horse cultivator may be used. If the plants are 

 left a little thicker in the rows than when every row is 

 planted, a full crop may be expected. I have even seen 

 onions so planted which did well. 



When the seed germinates begin the use of hand hoes or 

 cultivators. The smaller the plants the more vigorous must 

 be the efibrts to keep the crop free from weeds. 



Defer haying, neglect corn and potatoes if you must, but 

 keep your garden patch clean at all costs ! As your crops 

 mature, harvest them. 



In rotation of crops all of us should make experiments, as 

 difierenccs of manuring and culture cal^ for difierent methods 

 of rotation. Our rule is to get as many crops as possible 

 from a given tract in a given time ; and, ordinarily, by fol- 

 lowing crops having abundant foliage with those having spe- 

 cial root development, or the reverse. 



Mai'hets and Marketing. 

 For a limited amount of produce (novelties and extrava- 

 gances aside) , the smaller markets average larger prices than 

 the cities ; simply because there is less competition. What- 

 ever your market demands, raise if possible. When raised, 

 trim and pack neatly ; for slovenly arranged produce often 

 ffocs l)c<2:<!:inoj for customers. It is a decided advantaoje to 

 have boxes and crates of one style, well made and plainly 

 stenciled, so that consumers may know your packages in 

 the markets. In packing discard imperfect specimens, re- 



