380 HORTICULTUBAL IIAXUAL. 



Small-growing' plants, such as beets, parsnips, onions, 

 lettuce, and radish, are planted in double rows about 

 sixteen inches apart. The horse cultivator is run outside 

 of rows on each side, and between the rows the hand hoe 

 is used, or a hand cultivator if one is owned. But the 

 quantity of such vegetables grown for ordinary family use 

 is too limited to justify its use, as the culture on one side 

 of each row will give the needed conditions for growth if 

 the soil is kept in gardening condition. 



It is also usual to plant garden peas and sweet peas in 

 double rows about the same distance apart, using the 

 horse cultivator only on one side of each row, and using 

 the hoe between. 



386. Procuring Good Seed. — Good pure seed that has 

 been properly grown and gathered from selected plants is 

 specially needed by every one who owns a home or com- 

 mercial garden. The only safe plan is not to buy of the 

 groceries and dry-goods stores, but order from dealers who 

 have a reputation to sustain. The writer for many years 

 has purchased seeds for home use and for the college 

 vegetable-garden from the old-established seed firms of the 

 Eastern and Middle States, without in any case getting 

 poor seed, low in vitality. As a rule, in gardens it does 

 not j)ay to gather home seed, not even of tomatoes, beans, 

 or corn, if different varieties are grown in the same garden 

 or in the near vicinity. Commercial garden-seed of estab- 

 lished dealers is grown where each variety or species 

 develops the most perfect seed, by those who are compara- 

 tively isolated and who grow only one kind of tomato, 

 cucumber, melon, or other garden crop of the same species 

 or, in some cases, of nearly related species. Every pre- 

 caution is taken to keep commercial garden- and flower- 

 seeds pure by the well-established houses (3). 



