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 
