Seeds for the Garden 129 



ing and cleaning seeds. For many varieties the best seed 

 is produced only in certain localities where the climatic 

 conditions are especially favorable. The average gar- 

 dener has neither the time, the experience, nor the facilities 

 for the successful seed growing of most garden crops. 

 Because of these facts, he can buy good seeds of most 

 crops cheaper than he can raise them. 



Buying seed. The first rule in buying seeds is to 

 buy those produced by a reliable firm. The best seed firms 

 take great pains to prevent mixing of different varieties 

 during growth and seed production. They have trial 

 grounds for testing the purity and the quality of seeds 

 before the supply is sold in the market. This makes sure, 

 to a high degree, that the seeds sold in packages will be 

 true to the name on the package. The gardener can- 

 not afford to plant poor seed, even if it is offered as a 

 gift. 



The second rule in buying seeds is to buy only named 

 varieties. The gardener does not grow simply sweet corn. 

 He grows Golden Bantam, Country Gentleman, or some 

 other variety, and he selects these for such qualities as 

 earliness or lateness, size, yield, color, or sweetness. 

 The ordinary seed catalogue affords a choice of several 

 varieties of most garden vegetables. There may be 

 listed as many as 10 varieties of carrots, 25 of cabbages, 

 30 of sweet corn, 35 of lettuce, and 45 of tomatoes. 

 The gardener must decide what variety or varieties he 

 will grow. Naturally, he hopes to select those that 

 will give the best results in his garden. 



The descriptions in the seed catalogues give much 

 valuable information regarding the general characteristics 



