THE AMERICAN GARDENER. ff 



• 



ytm purchase of; and, though the seller be a person of 

 perfect probity, he may be deceived himself. 



I know of no seed, which, if sound and really good, 

 will not sink in water. The unsoundness of seed arises 

 from several causes. Unripeness, blight, mouldiness, 

 and age, are the most frequent of these causes. The 

 first two, if excessive, prevent the seed from ever having 

 the germinating quality in them. Mouldiness arises 

 from the seed being kept in a damp place, or from its 

 having heated. When dried again it becomes light. 

 A^e will cause the germinating quality to evaporate ; 

 though, where there is a great proportion of oil in the 

 seed, this quality will remain in it many years. 



SAVING AND PRESERVING SEED. 



First, as to the saving of seed, the truest plants should 

 be selected ; that is to say, such as one of the most per- 

 fect shape and quality. In the cabbage we seek small 

 stem, well-fornied leaf, few spare or loose leaves; in the 

 turnip, large bulb, small neck, slender-stalked leaves, 

 solid flesh, or pulp ; in the radish, high color (if red or 

 scarlet), small neck, few and short leaves, and long top, 

 the marks of perfection are well known, and none but 

 perfect plants should be saved for seed. 



Effectual means must be taken to prevent a mixing 

 of the sorts, or, to speak in the language of farmers, a 

 crossing of the breeds, 



There can be no cross between a cabbage and a car- 

 rot : but there can be between a cabbage and a turnip; 

 between a cabbage and a cauliflower nothing is more 

 common ; and, as to the different sorts of cabbage?, they 

 will produce crosses, presenting twenty, and perhaps a 

 thousand degrees from the Eaily York to the Savoy. 

 Turnips will mix witli radislies and ruta baga ; all these 

 with rape ; the result will mix with cabbages and cauli- 

 flowers ; so that, if nothing .were done to preserve plants 

 true to their kind, our gardens would soon present us 

 with little bendes mere herbage. 



