SEEDS AND SEED GROWING 99 



hot weather also hastens deterioration. Some seeds, as 

 that of turnip, cabbage and radish, may mold unless kept 

 in well-ventilated bags. 



145. Buying seeds. <Buy the best; the price is sec- 

 ondary. It costs much more to produce good seeds than 

 poor, because the time of experts and the most severe 

 roguing are required. For example, certain well-bred 

 strains of Jersey Wakefield cabbage tested at the Penn- 

 sylvania State College were found to be much more 

 profitable than others. (Pa. Sta. Bui. 96.) A few more 

 dollars a pound for seed is not worth considering when 

 there is assurance of increased profits. 



Buy from reputable houses ; they desire to serve you 

 well. All good seed houses have specialties in which they 

 take great pride, and it often pays to patronize these 

 houses when such varieties are wanted. Special commer- 

 cial growers sometimes purchase, a year in advance, lib- 

 eral quantities of the same variety from different houses. 

 Each lot is then tested and the best is used for the regu- 

 lar plantings the following year. 



146. Seed guarantees. Several states have enacted 

 laws to regulate the seed trade. Such laws have doubt- 

 less been valuable, but it is an extremely difficult matter 

 to control by law. Legislation is needed more for farm 

 seeds than for garden seeds, as impurities are seldom 

 found in vegetable seeds. Many firms are making an 

 honest effort to sell good seed, but errors in labeling may 

 occur, and inclement weather may affect the vitality of 

 seeds, and unjust penalties might be imposed if legisla- 

 tion were too severe in this matter. There are humbugs 

 in the seed business, but why should they be patronized 

 when there are so many reputable dealers, although even 

 the most reliable dealers may make mistakes? 



147. Change of seed. There is a prevailing idea that 

 growers should change seed after using the same strain 

 for a few years. If the seed is selected at home without 



