A General View of Northrup , King & Co.’s Seed Laboratory Where About 
15,000 Germination and Purity Tests Are Made Yearly. 
How to Read the Maturity Figures 
\ T the right of most variety names in this List you will find figures repre- 
senting the approximate number of days required to mature the plants— 
from the time of planting the seed to the time the vegetables are ready to eat, or 
the flowers to bloom. Maturity dates are valuable in making comparisons as to 
earliness or lateness of varieties under a general family name such as cabbage, 
beans, peas, radish, etc. Naturally there is a variation in the time of maturity at 
different points over the country. Our figures are based upon the growing condi¬ 
tions around Minneapolis, and the periods named were determined largely at our 
trial grounds. The length of the days affects maturity as does also temperature, 
moisture, and the shading of plants for part of the day. Our readings were made 
from tests in the open sunshine, grown in black sandy loam soil, with some 
artificial sprinkling. 
ARTICHOKE 
Green Globe 
The standard variety for home and market gardens. 
A perennial, but not hardy in the North. Flower heads 
large, globular, deep green—with fleshy bases on the 
bud scales. 
ASPARAGUS 
Martha Washington 
A rust-resistant strain developed by the U. S. Dept, 
of Agriculture. A prolific variety with large shoots 
purple at tips, tender and of good quality. 
Mary Washington 
This strain was developed from Martha Washington, 
being a single cross. Earlier, more vigorous. Firm, 
tender, splendid quality. 
Palmetto 
An early variety producing an abundance of straight 
shoots, deep green in color, tender and delicious. Suit¬ 
able for growing in all parts of the country. 
PAGE 3 
A Bunch of Palmetto Asparagus 
