142 Home Vegetable Gardening 



old varieties under new names — which have actually 

 no excuse for being unloaded upon the public except 

 that they will give a larger profit to the seller. Of 

 course, in a way, it is the fault of the public for pay- 

 ing the fancy prices asked — that is, that part of the 

 public which does not know. Commercial planters 

 and experienced gardeners stick to well known sorts. 

 New varieties are tried, if at all, by the packet only 

 — and then "on suspicion." 



In practically every instance the varieties men- 

 tioned have been grown by the author, but his re- 

 commendations are by no means based upon personal 

 experience alone. Wherever introductions of recent 

 years have proved to be actual improvements upon 

 older varieties, they are given in preference to the 

 old, which are, of course, naturally much better 

 known. 



It is impossible for any person to pick out this, 

 that or the other variety of a vegetable and label it 

 unconditionally "the best." But the person who 

 wants to save time in making out his seed list can 

 depend upon the following to have been widely 

 tested, and to have "made good." 



Asparagus: — While there are enthusiastic claims 

 put forth for several of the different varieties of 

 asparagus, as far as I have seen any authentic rec- 

 ord of tests (Bulletin 173, N. J. Agr. Exp. Station), 

 the prize goes to Palmetto, which gave twenty-eight 



