CHAPTER X 

 SEEDS AND SEED GROWING 



139. Importance of planting good seed. Complete suc- 

 cess in vegetable gardening is not possible without good 

 seed. The planting of good seed is one of the essentials, 

 and is just as important as proper soil texture, high fer- 

 tility, frequent tillage, skillful watering or thorough 

 spraying. Henderson states ("Gardening for Profit," p. 

 89) : "If there is one thing of paramount importance in 

 vegetable gardening it is purity of seed." He spoke from 

 the experience of a long and active life as a practical 

 commercial grower. Expert gardeners have always exer- 

 cised great care in procuring good seed, although the sig- 

 nificance of the subject has not been fully appreciated 

 until recently. Good seed must meet five requirements : 

 (i) It must be true to name and not mixed. The Match- 

 less tomato may be as valuable for certain conditions as 

 the Stone, but no dealer is justified in making the sub- 

 stitution without the consent of the purchaser. Turnip 

 seed resembles cauliflower seed, but the dealer who mixes 

 the two is a rogue. (2) The seed must produce the best 

 type of the variety in question. Varietal deviations are 

 marked ; strains of the same variety differ widely in 

 size, color, form, texture and quality of their products. 

 The strain is by far the most important factor for consid- 

 eration in obtaining seeds, although it has received com- 

 paratively little attention. (3) The seeds must be viable. 

 That is, a high percentage should be able to grow under 

 favorable conditions. (4) They must be free from weed 

 seeds. This is seldom a source of trouble with garden 

 seeds. (5) They must be free from impurities, as grit, 

 sticks or other foreign materials. 



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