180 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Gathering, Drying, and Cleaning the Seed. — The stalks of 

 cabbage and cauliflower seed are pulled when the seedpods have ac- 

 quired a reddish color, laid on the ground and turned once or twice. 

 Beets are pulled when a large proportion of the seed appears ripe. 

 Onion seed tops are gathered when a small proportion of the seed 

 vessels have opened and show the seed. This must be done 

 promptly. They are dropped into baskets or bags, hanging from 

 the neck of the harvester, which, when filled, are emptied upon 

 large sheets of stout, twilled cotton cloth. Two or three cuttings 

 are necessary, as the seeds of these, and carrots also, ripen un- 

 equally as to time. The onion seed tops are spread one deep over 

 frames in an airy loft to dry. Dandelion seed must be gathered 

 early in the day or it will sail away. 



The seeds are sometimes threshed out with a flail, upon a 

 *' floor" prepared upon the ground. The spot is cleared of stones, 

 made smooth, then covered wath old bagging, and a large spread 

 of sail canvas over that. One holds the bunch of seed stalks, 

 while two others thresh out the seed. Each half-day's thresh- 

 ing-product is taken up and carried into a dry, airy loft and 

 spread out to dry. There it is raked over twice a day to facilitate 

 the diying. If left in bags, or not stirred often when spread, the 

 mass may become heated, thus destroying the germinating power. 

 When thoroughly dry, it is bagged and ready for winnowing. 

 Beet seeds are sometimes threshed out by striking the stalks 

 against a large rock placed over a barrel. This is done while the 

 stalks are damp, because if thoroughly dry, they are very brittle, 

 and fragments of stock will mix with the seed, which adds to the 

 work of cleaning it. The seeds of squash, pumpkin, cucumber, mel- 

 on, and tomato, require water treatment, in the cleansing. Those 

 of the cucumber and tomato have a sticky coating, which requires 

 a degree of fermentation to remove. This process occupies from 

 one to ten days to effect the cleansing, which sxtso involves at the 

 last a current of water upon the seeds, which are placed in a sieve, 

 and the gelatinous matter is forced through the nleshes with 

 the stump of a broom, until the water passes off without froth or 

 any whitish color. The seeds are then spread out thinly — in the 

 sunshiue, if possible — to dry, and nuist be stirred twice daily. 

 Tomato seeds being heavier than water, sink, while the rest of the 

 fruit floats. Tliey are cleansed in sieves placed in a tub of water. 

 The first sieve allows the seeds to go through it ; the second sieve 



