^mebican_gabd^ 
22 
m 
SEASONABLE HISTS. 
If not already done, no time s lou 
lost now to secure a sufficient ‘ 
seeds that may be needed ni the gai • 
‘ Old Seeds leftover from ^ i,c 
as goodas fresh ones. ® of 
unnecessary waste to throw 
some classes of plants, those of Cucui 
bitse, especially, two and thiee y^> » ^ 
seeds are even preferred by 
deners, to seeds of the 
growth. Other kinds, however, can not be 
relied on for more than one or two yeai 
All old seeds should therefore be tested loi 
their vitality, so that if they are found 
wanting, others may he procured before 
sowing time. 
Testing Seeds of the ordinary garden vege¬ 
tables is a very easy matter. All that is 
necessaiyis to place the seeds under 
the conditions necessaiy to gi’owth, 
that is to give them moisture and 
warmth. "With the hardier varieties, 
such as Radishes, Beets, Cabbages, 
etc., this may he accomplished by 
sowing the seeds in flower pots, by 
themselves or around window plants, 
and keep account of the percentage 
that sprouts. Tomatoes, Peppers and 
Egg-plants require more heat; these 
may he scattered between pieces of 
cloth, or blotting paper, placed near a 
stove and kept constantly damp. 
But in testing seeds it should be 
borne in mind that the germination 
of seeds under such favorable condi¬ 
tions does not warrant the conclusion 
that they will grow out-doors equally 
well. Seeds may sprout under the 
genial influences of a gi'eenhouse test, 
and yet he of so low a vitality as to 
fail when sown out-doors under less 
favorable conditions. The vigor of 
the sprouts and the time in which 
they appear have to be carefully con¬ 
sidered in drawing conclusions from 
seed tests. If, for instance, out of 
one hundred Cabbage seeds, fifty 
should germinate within three or four 
days, and thirty within five and ten 
days making it eighty per cent, in all, this 
would indicate a low vitality of thirty per 
cent, and it would not be safe to count on 
more than fifty per cent, of strong healthy 
plants at the best. 
In Keeping Seeds much depends on the 
manner and place in which they are stoi od. 
Under favorable conditions seeds retain their 
vitality much longer than otherwise. Seeds 
are not injured by the severest cold, pro¬ 
vided they are kept diy. 
Preserving Vegetables.—M\ kinds of cu¬ 
linary roots arc enjoyed at this season more 
than at any other, and nothing is more dis¬ 
heartening than after having raised a fine 
crop of Beets, Parsnips, Salsify and Turnips 
and having stored them snugly in the cellar' 
to find them in mid-winter either froacn or 
so shriveled up as to be unfit for use. 
An ordinaiy cold-frame may serve excel¬ 
lently for the purpose, by digging out the 
soil, spreading the roots on the ground 
covering with dry earth, several inches of 
rdy leaves, and then replacing the sashes 
the 
In the South is occasionally 
be gromi in a ^ it is not a general 
that it may mature em y ^ 
canhedoimmrebiuj^^^ shipped Nortlb 
vested m May. j yie market, 
where they bring ‘ ^ ^ tbe small Po- 
While digging the fn- g^^je 
tatoesare sorted out .u^^l 
well lighted place, ^/the sun. 
protected,fromthcdirect 
In about two J,.,-..^tunty and are 
sisted upon that they must be left whole. 
THE GREAT EASTERN POTATO, 
The second planting is made from the 
middle to the end of June. The best 
plan is to drop the sets from eight to ten 
inches apart in rows and cover them lightly 
with a hoc; and the furrow.s (bettor the 
whole field) should be mulched with loaves 
short straw, or some light stuff. If ono or 
two good rains fall on them their success is 
assured; there is no chance of failure. 'I’he 
second crop matures in October and can be 
dug leisurely during the fall, as it is rarely 
i ta’;; yi.M. 
eii, kccjis better during the winter -md 
As tliousands of barrels of , 
abipped from the North every yev 1 !’'' ''n 
certainly be to the inteiJt^ of ' 
planters to double their 1 , ^ Noiitlieni 
home consumption the hazard of 
Potatoes, always^great in the South 
siclerably lessened. ’ ® Coi,. 
Only the small tubers are selected fo 
for the second planting; this is characteri*!'* 
of southern agriculture where ease W“ 
. „ often the first consideration. Xhe 
tubers mature (grow green) more raS' 
than large ones, do not require cutting* 
are not marketable. I do not propoLT 
discuss the problem of large or sm u 
tubers for seed. I wish only to .say that th 
tuber is not a seed, but a cutting 
a nurseryman who selected a weak ste’m fo' 
a cutting, and who would allow a large naJ 
her of buds to grow upon each cutting 
would bo criticised by his brother nursery’ 
men. Yet this is just what is done by the 
Potato grower who uses small seeds or who 
does not cut the tubers. John AI. Stahl. 
NEW POTATOES. 
Prominent among the new Potatoes that 
have come to our notice are the Great 
Eastern and Dictator, now being in- 
troduced by Jas. M. Thorburn& Co. 
15 John street. New York. Both va' 
rieties have been originated by Mr. 
E. S. Brownell of Vermont, by cross¬ 
ing the Excelsior with Peachhlow. 
The Great Eastern, represented in 
our illustration, is an exceedingly 
handsome Potato of large size and 
flattened oval in shape. Skin white 
and smooth, eyes very few and almost 
even with the surface. The bulk of 
the crop is very imifonn in size, and 
tubers weighing two pounds are not 
rare; its cooking quality leaves noth¬ 
ing to be desired. The vines are of 
medium bight, stocky and healthy, 
foliage dark green. It matures medi¬ 
um early, grows compact in the hill 
and is, according to Air. Brownell, one 
of the most, if not the most, produc¬ 
tive variety in cultivation. 
Dictator resembles tbe above variety 
very closely in general appear<Tnce;in 
shape it is more cyUndrical, and its 
eyes arc slightly indented; its season 
of ripening is about two weeks later 
than that of the former, and its keep¬ 
ing quality is unsurpassed. 
A NEW USE FOR SAFE DEPOSIT VAULTS. 
One of our well known Now York sec 
firms has now on deposit in the Afciraw 
tile Safe Deposit Company’s vaulte fo" 
huiulrod pounds of Houderson’s Snow 
Caulillowcr Seed, which at the sollh'R 1’*^^^ 
of ono hundred dollars per pound ®^ 
tho value of this seed to bo forty t ‘ 
dollars. Not only is this plan of 
in vaults found to bo clioapor than 
but what is of more importance i 
seed should ho destroyed by 
quantity necessary for thoir ^flu' 
bo 
is thatiff';" 
fiw 
for f'*'’ 
roiilacod at any price in ...j fliiit 
sin iiig sales. When it is oonsidei 
four huiidrod pounds of ^j"*'** .„docO 
will nndor favorablo conditions 
nearly thirteen million plants, " ' ^.g|,t 
headed for market and sold at of 
eon Is per head will produoo va'"® 
three quarters of a million dollaiai 
this vegotahle has attained ia f'f"*’ ,flino8l' 
where twenty-live years ago it "'''® 
unknown, liocomos readily appoo'* ‘ 
