ticed in some quarters by the Seed trade. 
So great was the adulteration of Seed in 
England that Parliment passed an Act a 
few years ago fixi nsr heavy penalties for 
such frauds, but they still continue and are 
common in every country of Europe. 
The least objectionable fraud is the proc¬ 
ess of cheapening prices by mixing into 
new crops a proportion of old seeds heated 
till all vitality is destroyed—such mixed 
stock will vegetate only to the extent of 40 
per cent, often much less 
The vitality or germinating power of 
seeds is not, however, the most important 
question to the gardener, for if seeds fail to 
sprout, the cost is the principal loss. The 
quality of the Vegetables seeds may produce, 
is the all important question, and that can 
only be determined, when, perhaps, it is too 
late in the season to remedy an imposition. 
Better every grain be dead than hybrid¬ 
ized or mongrel. The critical gardener 
considers well before he makes his pur¬ 
chases, and to the experienced planter noth¬ 
ing is so suspicious as “cheap seeds.” 
Squashes for Stock Feed. 
BY C. F. CALKINS. 
I have often wondered why farmers and 
dairymen do not raise squashes to feed their 
cows during the fall, and for fattening their 
cattle and hogs; there is no doubt but an 
acre of the right variety of squashes will 
yield more food than the same ground plant¬ 
ed to corn, and then the seeds if properly 
taken care of will bring more money than 
a crop of corn from the same land. Having 
made the raising of squashes a specialty for 
the past few years and thoroughly testing 
their value for feeding to the different 
animals usually kept on a farm, such as 
cows, horses, hogs, &c., I have come to 
the conclusion that the value of squashes 
for food is equal to any grain crop grown 
for the purpose, aside from seed which will 
pay a good return. 
I raised, the past season, on land in or¬ 
dinary condition, eight tons of Marblehead 
squashes to the acre. The ground was well 
fitted and planted with care, cultivated and 
hoed once. The yield of seed to the acre 
was four hundred and fourteen pounds.. 
The number of squashes to the acre was 
twenty-three hundred. All things consid¬ 
ered, I prefer the Marblehead for feeding. 
The shell is n >t so hard as the Hubbard 
and not as liable to cause sore mouths in 
the stock. 
If farmers who raise pumpkins to feed 
their stock would give squashes a trial, I 
think they would not care to bother with 
pumpkins afterwards. In evaporating 
pumpkins it takes about twenty pounds to 
make one when dried; squash will make one 
pound when dried from about seven pounds 
of green. This test I think shows the rel¬ 
ative value of the two vegetables. 
Three Ways to Raise Cabbage 
Seed. 
BY A. G. TILLINGHAST. 
One way, in common use, by which 
cheapness may be produced is to cut off 
and use or sell the heads, ’then store away 
the stumps in pits or in the cellar till 
spring, when they are set out and seed 
grown from them. If careful selections are 
made before separated from the heads, pure 
seed, true to name, may be grown in this 
way. But “stump seed” can never be first 
class for the .reason that the stump is apt 
to rot more or less in its heart, which so* 
weakens the plant or stock that it loses vi¬ 
tality. The seed bearing branches break 
down where they join the stump, and the 
result is that much of the seed ripens or 
dries before it has fullj r matured, and much 
of it is small,, shriveled seeds. It may ger¬ 
minate and prove true to name but lacks 
vitality, is dwarfed, and much of it will 
fail to make hard h^ads. 
Another way in which a great amount of 
American Cabbage Seed is grown is even 
worse. Cabbages are set out very late, so 
that the close of the season finds them only 
small, immature heads. These are kept 
over winter, and in spring throw up strong 
shoots and make a good crop of seed. The* 
seed may be plump, well matured and full 
of vitality, but it can not be so sure to head 
or true to name as if it had been grown 
from selected, hard, mature heads As 
they have not vet made their growth, no* 
