46 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY [1914-15 



of the Civil War. It is not to be measured so much by the 

 increase in population as by the requirements of our people 

 for fresh vegetables the year around and the enormous use 

 of canned vegetables. 



''Our variety of climate makes the planting season con- 

 tinuous. Tomato seeds are sown in Connecticut in March 

 or April, transplanted in June, the ripened fruit gathered in 

 September, the seed cleaned, cured and shipped at once to 

 Florida, where it is immediately planted, and the second 

 crop of ripe tomatoes is sent to northern markets in Febru- 

 ary. 



"As our country has developed westw^ard, new^er sections 

 have become seed producing centres, and the business of 

 seed growling, once closely confined to the eastern states, has 

 spread out across the states to the Pacific coast, so that we 

 in New England have lost somewhat our relative position 

 as a source of supply. 



''The quality, how^ever, of the old estabhshed types pro- 

 duced by the seed growers, market and farmer growers of 

 eastern states, has never been surpassed. In Europe seeds 

 are produced greatly in England, France, Germany, Hol- 

 land and Denmark, also to some extent in Italy, Sweden 

 and New Zealand. These countries may be said to produce 

 for the world, for in addition to the large quantities sent to 

 Canada and America, they have large markets in India, 

 Russia and Africa. There is some demand for a few of our 

 American varieties for use in the sections of Europe where 

 the climate is similar to our own. 



"Seed growing the world over is a matter of confidence, 

 secured by acquaintance and years of business dealing w^ith 

 continuous and careful trial testing. Some speakers on 

 vegetable growing have suggested that market growers 

 select and save seeds for their own use. In some cases this 

 is good advice, but too hterally followed in some cases would 

 mean great confusion and loss. 



