92 GARDENING FOR PROFIT. 



own country, we are able to supervise the growing of 

 them, and, consequently, the risk of error in getting 

 spurious or inferior varieties is now very small indeed. 

 Hence there is now no necessity for the market gardeners 

 to grow their own seeds, when they can be confident of 

 getting what they want from the seedsman at half the 

 price at which they can be grown by the market gardener; 

 for while the seedsman contracts for tons, raised with 

 all the appliances for saving seed in the best man- 

 ner, the market gardener can only grow a few pounds 

 on his usually limited area. As a result of the mar- 

 ket gardeners growing their own seeds, may be mentioned 

 the fact that the Chinese gardeners in California, by 

 reason of saving their own seeds, have let varieties so run 

 down as to be hardly recognizable as the best types as 

 now grown by our best Eastern market gardeners. How- 

 ever, no gardener should risk his crop without testing 

 the seed, unless lie has implicit confidence in the source 

 from whence it has been purchased. 



It will be understood that of all annual plants, such 

 as Beans, Corn, Cucumbers, Egg Plants, Lettuce, 

 Melons, Peas, Radishes, Tomatoes, etc., the seed is 

 saved the season of planting, and should be always taken 

 from those first maturing, if earliness is an object. The 

 seeds of biennial vegetables, such as Beets, Carrots, 

 Celery, Cabbages, Onions, Leeks, Parsley, Parsnips, etc., 

 are raised by selecting the best specimens from those 

 preserved over winter, planting them out in good soil on 

 the opening of spring, at distances such as are recom- 

 mended for their growing. 



DURATION OF GERMINATION' IN SEEDS. There are 

 very few seeds that will not germinate as freely the 

 second year as the first, if properly kept in a cool place, 

 and not exposed to either a too drying or too damp an 

 atmosphere. With the exception of Parsnips, Onions 

 and Leeks, I would just as confidently sow seed two 



