Cannell & Sons’ Complete Seed Guide. 
OFFICIAL REPORT ON OUR SEEDS. 
Gentlemen all ought to do as Captain Kemp has done, make a p(>raonal report of s(H»ds they have had during the year. If this were 
done, it would soon prove that Cannells’ seeds are a long « a 3 ’ the best of all. 
Capt. Kejii’, Lyminster House, Arundel, 2\st Septe.mher, 1895. 
It is my custom at close of Summer to report on my .seeds during the past season. With one exception — a foreign novelty — 
all your seeds have been most satisfactory, both in kitchen and flower garden. 
Doughino, Russia, 2nd Mny, 1805. ^ 
The Trinces-s Mestchersky has received 12 little boxes with Potatoes, and thanks Mr. Cannell. She now expects the Chrysanthemum rooted cnttings, ' 
and she begs 12 plants of the Strawberry named Royal Sovereign. She is perfeetly satisfied with all Mr. Cannell has sent her. 
Mr. G. Gooding, The Gardens. Glencairn, Bath, 27M Novemher, 1895. 
Kindly send me yonr Seed Catalogue, for I am anxious to have my supply from you again this year. 
„ Mr. C. Rayneh, The Gardens, Bank, Newmarket, 2oth November, 1895. 
If gardeners could have their own way, I for one would have all I want from Swanley. Last July I took three first prizes with what I had from 
you . 
A Chapter of highly important information, quite original, and 
should certainly be understood by all. 
Evcrytliing that grows, except perhaps minerals, comes from and we are depending on seeds. Without them, even if you 
dig, maTiure, and till over so deeply and well, the world would be barren, dismal, and deserted — man and even animals would cease to 
exist. But with a plentiful supply of good seed.s, and man’s intelligence and industry, how lovely and beautiful the garden and flelds 
can be made, and loaded with an abundance of suitable sustenance for the hapiiiness of mankind. This being so, is there anything 
.so important to a cultivator as his seeds? No ; certainly not. Yet how lightly we look upon, spesik of, and consider them, just as if 
anything called by that name would answer ; whereas they must be the finest, if you wish to feel proud of the object you have grown. 
Is there one gardener in a thousand that ever takes his seed in his hand, as a groom does his oats, and aslts himself, “Are these full, 
heavy, and really good? ” Not one ever .searches for the meat in the seeds as they do in eating a nut. Do they ask themselves “ Have 
these seeds come from a firm that certainly grows them, not have to buy any and every where, and have they a reputation ? Have the 
larii'ties been well selected, re-selected, and tested by those who have a real seed farm, and a correct knowledge and every facility for 
personally seeing and growing them on the best and most sunny spot, and are they supplying them first-handed or not?” I fear 
these all-important— yes, really vital — points never enter the minds even of the most anxious growers; yet their happiness and 
contentment, prosperity, and health of their whole family are pretty well dependent during the year upon the produce from seeds. Our 
very chairs and tables come from seeds — yes, and our bread, wine, beer, and tobacco. Eemember in seeds there are dead, weakly and 
defective, good and extra qualities. Pure stock is the result of practical selection, and all are vastly improved, year by year, by this 
being strictly and practically carried out. Eemember nearly all our modern kinds are hybrid crosses or sports, and although 
they favoiu- one parent to a greater degree, still there is a small portion of blood of the other, and they are therefore always 
lialde to show it, and even to revert to the original ; and unless these are removed during growing and seeding, the stock is certain to 
become mixed, therefore a practical detection and removal, called “ rogueing,” is the life of a pure stock. Cheap seeds, which are 
mostly foreign, rarely, if ever, get this rigid selection. How can they ? There is nothing to pay a practical man to do it. Our 
unprecedented awards for the finest, largest, and complete.st collections of Vegetables, shown before the Council and Committee of 
the Eoyal Horticultural Society and at other big London shows during the last four years, of what we offer are an exclusive proof of 
the superiority of our stock and seed ; and they also show the very favourable nature and position of our soil and climate in which we 
groM’ them, \ astly superior to Northern counties. 
The Standard sa)^s : — 
Messrs. II. Ciinnell & Sons, Swanley, take a prize for one of the finest collection of Vegetables of all kinds we have seen. 
The Gardeners' Chronicle sajes : — 
A mast extensive lot of garden produce was shown by Messrs. II. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent. This consisted of 34 varieties of Onions, most 
of Dcverill’s varieties, also Nutting’s (Jolden Ball, Inwood Favourite, Lullingstone I’ark Hero, Neal’s Advancer, Royal Jubilee, Cannell’s Globe, an<l 
others. These Ouioii.s were all of extra size and selected for seed-saving purposes. Other exhibits were Early Rose Celery, a quautity of very fine 
examples of Carrots, including .lames’ Improved, several of the so-called stump-rooted varieties so well adapted for shallow laud, Coleworl’s Savoy, 
good Egyptiau Beetroot, &c. Good things shown in much abundance. (A Silver Knightian Medal.) 
Oil one occasion, when Kent suffered much from the 84 days’ drought, the Gardeners' Chronide said we were not behind 
others lliat year, where far more favoured witli rain. 
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