ADAPTATION OF CULINARY VEGETABLES 23 



I believe that where a good-sized garden is available it is possible 

 to grow seed that will give more satisfactory returns when planted 

 in that location, than can be grown by equally good cultivation 

 anywhere else, and that it is quite practical to grow in even a small 

 garden seed of one or more sorts which will give most satisfactory 

 returns and in most cases it is feasible for even small gardeners to 

 grow one or more varieties and then arrange for an exchange with 

 some other growers in the vicinity so as to secure a supply of the 

 most important sorts. 



The home growing and saving of seed of garden vegetables is 

 quite practical and by no means as difficult as is commonly sup- 

 posed. The principal requisite is a wise choice of superlative 

 plants and the thorough curing of the seed before storing. The 

 way to accomplish this varies in different species. With peas and 

 beans, selected plants should remain in place as long as possible 

 without serious loss from shattering, then, while still damp from 

 dew, should be gathered and stored where there is good circulation 

 of air until the seed is perfectly dry, when it may be threshed out 

 and stored in muslin bags. 



In saving seed of sweet corn, as early as the probable character of 

 the grain can be determined, strip down the husks on one side 

 sufficiently to enable you to make a selection ; turn back the husks 

 and hold them in place by a rubber band. Mark the selected 

 ears by covering them with a paper bag which will also save them 

 from the sparrows. Allow the plants to stand in place until there 

 is danger of a killing frost, then cut the stalks, store under shelter 

 until thoroughly dr^^ and save either on the ear or shelled, in paper 

 bags. 



In saving seed of tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, melon and 

 squash, selected fruits should be left on the vine as long as 

 possible without their becoming so soft as to be disagreeable to 

 handle, or being exposed to even a light frost. Then opened, the 

 seed scraped out with as little of the pulp as possible, and allowed 

 to sour and ferment for from one to four days, when the seed should 

 be washed, using plenty of water and repeatedly pouring it off until 

 seed is perfectly clean, when it should be spread out not over two 

 grains deep until perfectly dry, then stored in muslin bags and kept 

 in an airy place. 



