eS mee |: SEEDS, PLANTS, BULBS, ETC. 
REASONS WHY More Profitable Crops May be Grown from Henderson’s 
“Superior” Seeds than from 
Selecting for seed can only be properly done by going right into the field 
and studying every plant, keeping constantly in mind that for seed the character 
of the entire plant is more important than any one fruit or part. Frequently 
thorough selection eliminates half a crop, often more. When seeds are grown to 
ibe sold cheaply through dealers, honest, rigid selection such as this cannot be 
practiced, as it would reduce the crop of seed too much to be profitable. 
The advantages gained from a change of seed from one locality to 
anotheris appreciated by almostevery progressive farmer and gardener, and defi- 
nite records prove that under proper safeguards a change of seed produces much 
larger and better crops. 
Varieties of some species grown for a few successive generations in Northern 
latitudes, where the seasons are shorter, mature earlier and start relatively 
earlier—that is, at a lower temperature—and in consequence yield an earlier 
strain of seed. Corn, for example, in parts of South America requires six months 
to mature, while in the middle and northern states of the United States it will 
mature in from two and one-half to four months. Melous grown in the North 
Extra- 
Cleaned 
Our 
Only second in importance to the selection of seed parents is the selection of 
tthe seeds they produce. All but the largest and plumpest seeds should be 
eliminated, and their value to the planter is greatly enhanced over light seed ; for 
seed, in addition to containing the germ for a new plant, also contains a supply 
of food to sustain the seedling after germination until it can support itself from 
the soil. The smaller seeds of avariety are stored with a correspondingly smaller 
amount of nourishment, and in consequence produce stunted, weakly plants and 
vegetable ‘‘runts.’”’ Large seeds germinate quickly, feed and push the seedling 
vigorously, and this initial gain, coming at the most critical time in life, results 
in increased vigor, larger yield, greater uniformity of marketable crop, maturing 
earlier and more nearly at one time. 
We have the most perfect seed-cleaning machinery in the world, and it has 
cost us thousands of dollars. We base our standards on weight, 7. e., the 
solidity of the seed. Instead of the usual process of cleaning by the ordinary 
fanning mill our seeds are cleaned by a machine with a large and varied assort 
ment of sieves and an even and strong air suction, perfectly equal at all points— 
which is quite a different thing from a blast. By this new process wecan separate 
most effectually the good seed from the chaff, rubbish and light seeds. 
The advantage of sowing only large, heavy seeds needs special emphasis. 
Heavy ‘Superior’ Seeds and their Value Over 
“Cheap” Seeds—Continued. 
from Southern-saved seeds are very late in ripening—some varieties do not even 
come to maturity. These results apply to many other vegetable and farm 
crops. 
If a dealer in seeds, for the sake of lower cost, procures certain seeds in the 
South and distributes them among customers in higher Jatitudes, the results are 
apt to be late crops and partial if not total failure; but Northern-grown seeds 
can with perfect confidence be reeommended for planting South, as they will pro- 
duce much earlier crops. 
Some varieties of Celery seed raised in California grow rank and green, then 
depart from type, and lose the tendency to blanch. Onions also frequently do 
not ‘‘bottom”’ satisfactorily, as is often the case with imported European seed. 
In fact, European seed of many kinds, which can be imported at lower cost 
- than home-grown, are likely to be a costly purchase for the planter in the long 
run, for there are but few European vegetable seeds that give anything like satis- 
factory crops in this country until they become acclimated. Some varieties, 
however, are notable exceptions. 
NX 
Imperfectly- Li h Mi " iT} Ch ) S d 
Cleaned” LIGHT or MIxe eap” Seeds, 
A given number of seeds, weighing as much again as the same number of light 
seeds of the same variety, will produce a crop often fifty per cent heavier than 
the crop from the light seed, grown under exactly the same conditions, 
Peas from heavy seed not only result in an increase of crop, butaverage from 
four tosix days earlier than from lighter seeds. This one item alone is important 
financially to the market gardener, for to be the first in the market means dollars 
to him, and a difference of six days in gathering Peas is equivalent to one hun- 
dred miles of latitude. Large seeds from early Beans, Radish and many other 
crops give equally as marked results as Peas. Where Radishes are grown for 
market, particularly when grown in frames or forcing houses, it is of great finan- 
cial benefit in sowing only large, heavy seeds, for practically all of the crop 
will be ready to pull at one time, and the space can be immediately replanted ; 
while Radishes from seed such as is usually obtained will only give from thirty 
per cent to forty per cent of Radishes of marketable size at the first gathering, 
then perhaps twenty per cent more will be ready to pullin from twelve to fifteen 
days more, and the balance are likely to be worthless. 
The slight extra cost of large, selected pedigree seeds is a small matter to 
the purchaser, in view of the many advantages resulting from their use, which 
invariably bring in a decided gain in yield, size, uniformity and earliness. 
The Seed Dealer and “Cheap” Seeds versus the Seedsman and “ Superior” Seeds. 
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Experiment Stationin Massa- 
chusetts, in their 1896 report in an article on seed-testing, state that— 
“ . « « Seeds may be collected from the stock kept in country 
stores, MUCH OF WHICH IS PRODUCED BY GROWERS OF 
LITTLE SKILL, AND POSSIBLY IN LOCALITIES WHERE 
MIXING BY CROSS FERTILIZATION CANNOT BE AVOIDED.’’ 
The seed dealer is any man who does not grow or control his own seed- 
bearing plants. He may also sell other goods, or deal in'seeds alone; at any 
rate his only object is profit, and with seeds as with all of his other merchandise, 
his interest lies in buying as low as possible; the consequence is that the person 
who supplies him with seedsis the one who quotes him the lowest price. The effect 
is blighting on quality,for the price does not justify the grower in ‘‘roguing ’’ seed- 
bearing plants very rigidly, nor in eliminating through cleaning too much of 
the light, small or imperfect seeds; the consequence is that the seeds are of mixed 
sizes and maturity, and the person who buys and sows them gets avery irregular 
crop, maturing at different times, entailing extra labor and expense in harvesting 
portions at intervals, with the final result of some of thecrop being unmarketable 
and rejected. 
Cheap seeds are often produced from the poorest plants, thatcannot 
be used for anything else. Cheapseed Beans and Peas are often taken from the 
later maturing pods after a marketcrop has been gathered. Cheap Radish, Turnip, 
Beet seed, etc., is often saved from roots not good enough for the table or for 
sale. Cheap Cabbage seed has been grown from the stumps after the heads have 
been marketed. Cheap Cauliflower seed is grown from free seeding plants that 
will not head. Cheap seeds are always grown with the least possible outlay of 
money, trouble and care, and often in climates where the biggest yield of seeds 
may be harvested, regardless of what the climatic effect may be on the progeny. 
Cheap seeds are gathered slightly under-ripe to prevent shelling out 
and loss in harvesting, and in consequence produce smaller and less vigorous 
plants. Cheap seeds are often old seeds, and old seeds germinate slowly, and the 
plants produced from them grow slowly and are less vigorous and prolific. 
From the United States Agricultural Department 1896 Year-Book: 
“The growing of seeds demands the nicest skill and the closest 
fellowship with plants. It is a business which demands much care 
and pains, and its promoters must be students. It is one of the 
most special and difficult of all agricultural operations.”’ 
Peter Henderson & Co. are professional Seedsmen, having a higher object 
than seed dealers who are merely buyers and sellers of seeds. Our own trained 
men visit the fields and thoroughly ‘‘rogue”’ out all untrue and ‘‘ off” types. But 
our aim is not solely the prevention of deterioration and the reproduction of 
kind; we are constantly improving, developing and raising thestandard of merit. 
Our reputation for sending out *‘superior seeds that produce superior 
crops’’ is of far more value to us than the loss of half a crop from rigid roguing, 
and the elimination of thousands of pounds of seeds through severe cleaning, 
that do not come up to our high standards. 
While we do not wish to appear egotistical, yet in justice to ourselves and our 
Seeds, and for the benefit of people who have never dealt with us, we claim to be the 
producers and distributers of the BEST SEEDS IN THE WORLD—it is our business and 
our profession. We have given you an inkling of our methods, and now we wish to say 
that, from a business point of view, we know that planters of seeds buy them entirely 
on confidence ; we realize that to lose a man’s confidence is to lose his patronage. Ifyou 
have never used our seeds, TRY THEM THIS YEAR, and we will try and retain your 
confidence, as we have succeeded in doing with annually increasing thousands for over 
half a century, and we promise you all that under our new system of ONLY SUPPLYING 
OUR SEEDS TO THE PLANTER DIRECT, with the dealers’ trade and its blighting effect 
eliminated, we shall spare no expense or trouble to make our seeds even better than ever. 
