The Garden Magazine 



Facts About the Seed Supply 



BELIEF in an assumed scarcity of 

 seeds for the coming gardening season 

 I has seemingly caught those of the 

 general public who are not in a 

 position to get at the actual facts. Inquiries 

 from readers led us to make an investigation 

 on their behalf, and we are able to present the 

 following positive details: 



A normal supply of all important kinds of 

 vegetable seeds is on hand, though crops of 

 certain varieties were severe failures. How- 

 ever, in view of the fact that the demand 

 promises to be abnormal, against a supply 

 that is just about normal, it behooves every 

 one to husband resources. 



Seed shortages, due to very poor crops, are 

 particularly severe in beans, peas, corn, and 

 tomatoes; the shortage, however, does not 

 affect all types alike. For illustration: 

 California contributes a full supply of lima 

 beans and pole snap sorts. Among bush 

 beans, the green-podded kinds are more 

 abundant than most wax-podded . kinds. 

 Again, a few wax-podded sorts have yielded 

 better crops than others. It becomes neces- 

 sary, therefore, on the part of the buyer to 

 more thoroughly study types rather than 

 varieties merely as was advocated at length in 

 last month's Garden Magazine (page 197). 



How the selection of types rather than 

 varieties may be made to affect your seed 

 order is shown by the case of the dwarf peas. 

 Seeds of Little Marvel, a most popular variety, 

 are exceedingly scarce; yet Nott's Excelsior 

 and Sutton's Excelsior, of the same habit 

 of growth (type) are abundant. The relative 

 valuation, or prices put upon the different 

 sorts by the dealers, may be taken as a fair 

 indication of how stocks stand. The patriotic 

 gardener will let careful consideration of all 

 factors determine the details of his order. 



As regards the particular kinds of vegetables 

 mentioned above, good care should be 

 exercised to hold every seed to strict account- 

 ability. Remember that a "packet" of 

 tomato seeds contains between 300 and 40c 

 seeds. Since the vitality of tomato seeds is 

 very strong for many years, don't waste any. 

 Neither waste corn nor beans by premature 

 sowing of seeds in cold ground. If extra early 

 crops are wanted, start seeds in paper pots 

 in the house and transplant. 



A supply of seeds that promises to be equal 



to any demand is on hand of beets, cabbage, 

 carrots, kohlrabi, parsnips, turnips and other 

 root or winter crops suitable for storing. 

 These are the very kind of crops of which 

 more should be grown, for the sake of the 

 economic strength of America. Every vege- 

 table available between Thanksgiving and 

 Decoration Day is worth two or more gathered 

 for consumption during the summer months. 



The flower seed situation is in very much 

 better condition than it was a year ago. 

 Separate colors of the rarer among popular 

 annuals which were then almost out of the 

 market, now reach us from England in 

 sufficient quantities to meet all demands. 

 California is contributing her normal share 

 of Poppies, Nasturtiums, Sweet Peas, etc., 

 etc. For such seeds as the Golden State is 

 able to grow in quantity, California has 

 become the supply house of the world and 

 we are therefore able to tap the supply at its 

 source! In Colorado the flower seed industry 

 has developed marvelously, too. The seed- 

 growing sections of Ohio, Michigan, New 

 York, etc., have contributed their due quota 

 of nearly all flower seeds in usual demand for 

 beautifying home gardens throughout the 

 country. 



The gardener will, of course, be reasonable 

 in his expectation of results from seeds sown 

 and not be unduly exacting over possible 

 variations of behavior among either vegetable 

 or flower seeds. The seed world finds itself in 

 an absolutely unparalleled condition. Many 

 of Europe's seed growers are in the trenches; 

 many of America's seed growers have lost 

 their most skilled help. In an endeavor to 

 make up for crop shortages of 1916, farmers 

 new to the fine details were persuaded to enter 

 the ranks of seed growers and do a new thing in 

 191 7. The crops were harvested with all 

 possible precaution; yet, the most enthusi- 

 astic seedsmen this year preach conservatism 

 in expectation which, even in normal times, 

 is often allowed to run away from good judg- 

 ment. 



Flower Gardening in War Times 



HOSE of us who must remain at home 

 owe as a duty to those others at the 

 front that we live sane and calm lives, thus 

 enabling us to render to them our fullest meas- 

 ure of service. 



Calmness and sanity are products of natural 



9 



T 



living. To be effective in troublous times 

 means that we must hold to those things of 

 life which bring contentment and restoration 

 of spirit. The Maker placed Adam and Eve 

 in a garden. Presumably it was His intention 

 that a garden should furnish the greatest 

 happiness and the loveliest surroundings in 

 this life. 



We who love gardens have reason to be 

 thankful. Gardening is a relaxation. The 

 refining and soothing effects of digging in a 

 garden are the more keenly to be appreciated 

 in war times because it is the very antithesis 

 of the stress and turmoil of the cannon and the 

 strife of battle. Nature's wholesome breath 

 is like a benediction. We who make gardening 

 our hobby are glad of the broadened ap- 

 preciation of our hobby brought about by 

 the Government's urging the people to plant 

 gardens. We are proud, too, because of 

 the happiness and contentment our new 

 found co-workers have discovered in growing 

 things. 



The fact that our brothers are "over there" 

 is no reason why we should demand that the 

 sun stop shining, that the beauties of Nature 

 cease to be, or that the songs of birds be 

 stilled. Flower gardening is just as useful in 

 these war times as vegetable gardening. 

 Flowers are food for the soul, stabilizers of 

 the emotions. More than ever do we need 

 these things now — these signs of the Maker's 

 goodness and love — these "triumphant as- 

 sertions that a ray of beauty outvalues all the 

 utilities of man." 



It is correct and proper that we in these 

 times plant flowers and grow beautiful things. 

 It was intended from the beginning of things 

 that flowers should give us cheerfulness. Was 

 there ever a time of more need for cheerfulness 

 than in these days when so much is happen- 

 ing to unsettle our thoughts? Grow 

 flowers ! Grow more flowers ! Grow still more 

 flowers! 



The Sinews of War 



' I K HE nation's need in the conduct of the 

 ■*- war necessitates the support of each indi- 

 vidual. There can be no exceptions. The 

 ? resent business of the United States is WAR. 

 t can be won only by the united and contin- 

 uous cooperation of every man, woman, and 

 child. Besides devoting energy to the produc- 

 tion of food materials, the people are called 



