-^ Jl?e JKitct^er) (srarder). H~ 



VEGETABLE NOVELTIES. 



N the past few years hundreds of new varieties of vegetables have been 

 introduced by the leading seedsmen of Canada and the United States, 

 many of which are inferior to the best of the old standard sorts, and 

 he who invests his money, indiscriminately, in those untried, high- 

 priced novelties, is almost certain to be disappointed in the result. 

 Why is it we see in so many of the catalogues, pictures of vegetables 

 so exaggerated in size and description, if it is not for the purpose 

 of deceiving the inexperienced and thereby making them their dupes ? Yet it 

 would be unwise to accuse all seedsmen as guilty of untruthful representation, as 

 there is a large, and, let it be hoped, increasing number, who are as honest and 

 truthful in their descriptions of varieties as it is possible to be ; and those are 

 the ones who should receive the patronage of the seed-buying public. For the 

 past six years I have been engaged in the market garden business, and in that 

 time have tried, in a small way, many of the novelties in vegetable seeds, and 

 among the many I have found a few that are decided improvements over the 

 old sorts. I will mention a few of the most prominent : Among cabbages is 

 the "All Seasons," introduced a few years ago by a prominent eastern seedsman 

 has done remarkably well with me ; another variety introduced last season, and 

 called the " World Beater," gave me some wonderfully fine, large, solid heads- 

 Another novelty introduced by the same seedsman as the last, and which has 

 created quite] a furore, is Burpee's Bush Lima bean, which, on account of the 

 cold wet season, did not do well with me last year, but is undoubtedly a valuable 

 addition to the list of Lima beans. I, last season, tried a small package of the 

 Heroine peas, and from one season's trial, I have never been more pleased with 

 anything I have ever tried ; it is medium early, and was loaded with very large 

 and well-filled pods of delicious quality. In tomatoes I have experimented 

 with more than thirty varieties, and if I were to confine myself to what I consider 

 the three best for market, I would choose Atlantic Prize, Matchless, and 

 Optimus. There have been many new kinds of squash brought out lately, and 

 among the best tried, and I think I have tried them all, is the Dunlop's Prolific 

 Marrow, a decided improvement on the Boston Marrow, the Warren and Bay 

 State. The new Chanteney carrot is a fine variety, as is the Oxheart. For a 

 pickling variety, the Paris pickling cucumber fills the bill, but with me is not 

 very prolific. The Arlington, among beets, with me, has beat the Eclipse, and 

 the Sandwich Island salsify seems an improvement. If there is any one looking 

 for a new potato, earlier than the Rose, handsomer and more prolific, let them 

 try the New Queen ; the Summit and the Lee's Favorite have given good satis- 

 faction. There are other varieties of merit, among the comparitively new sorts 

 that I might mention, but this article is, I fear, already too long, so will defer 

 until some future time. 



Knowlton, Que. (102) J. Raymond Ball. 



