26 VEGETABLE GKOWING. 



SEED-GROWING. 



This is a practice that has not been followed to a de- 

 cided extent in the South, and yet it is highly com- 

 mendable. It requires considerable forethought and 

 work to grow the best seed. In some thickly-settled 

 countries of Europe, large estates are devoted entirely 

 to the growing of some special seed, either because of 

 some peculiar natural advantage or because of the 

 tact of its possessor. The Netherlands are peculiarly 

 adapted to bulb raising, Denmark to raising of cauli 

 flower seed ; and thus we might continue uutil nearly 

 all the countries of Europe had been named. The 

 possibilities in this direction for the South, especially 

 the Gulf region, are exceedingly great ; the climatic 

 conditions in many respects are perfect, while labor 

 is efficient and cheap. 



HOW TO SELECT PLANTS. 



In growing seed, one should never keep a sickly or 

 diseased specimen, because these often transmit a ten- 

 dency to invite disease in the product of that seed. 

 Only the healthiest and most desirable plants of a 

 variety are good for seed. Some vegetables cannot be 

 raised from home-grown seed ; in some cases the seed 

 does not mature, and in others the plants from the 

 home-grown seed are very inferior ; a striking exam- 

 ple of the latter class is the Bermuda onion. After the 

 finest specimens of the variety have been selected, the 

 plant should be allowed to mature the seed thoroughly 

 before gathering. In propagating plants, there are 

 two directions in which one may select : The first is, 

 to select the most perfect specimens of plants from the 

 standpoint of growth and shape. The second is, to 



