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PHILADELPHIA

MANURES:

How to Make and How to Use Them.

BY FRANK W. SEMPERS,
Director of the Fordhook. Chemical Laboratory. hdl

.

From Faku JOURNAL, Philadelphia, August, 1893. F
_ Every user of fertilizers should have it. ay pei. Why

From CouNTRY GENTLEMAN, Albany; N. Y., March 2, 1893.
He writes in language that can be read ander standingly by all.

From FLORIST's EXCHANGE, New York City, February 25, 1893.

We heartily recommend this book to everyone that is in any way ;
interested in the question of manures.

From THE INTER-OCEAN, Chicago, February 25, 1893.

It deals with authentic facts fully verified, and not with wild theories. ~
The farmer could scarcely find the subject more clearly and — ae
discussed than he will find it in this neat little volume. .

From AMERICAN FARMER AND FaRM NEWS, Springjield, O., March, 1898.

It as concise, practical, and brimful of really new facts upon a subject
of growing importance. It is written by the well-known chemist, F. W,
Sempers, who presents science clothed in words readily understood by
the everyday man.

From OHIO FARMER, Cleveland, O., March 16, 1893.

Unlike most of such works, it tides not deal in “ glittering generalities, ”
but comes right down to details, and tells the farmer what he wants to
know. It answers scores of such practical questions. abont fertilizers as
come to this office every year.

From AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, New York City, Apr il, 1893.

Fertilizers are so necessary a factor to the most lasting success in farme-
ing, that this little volume will be useful to every farmer or gardener.
The author is the chemist of the Fordhook Farm, and has made a ¢on-
cise, practical hand-book containing the latest researches in scientific
agriculture in all parts of the world,

From*RurRAL NEw YORKER, New York City, May 27, 1893.

It is just one of those books that we take delight in recommendin
to every reader who uses fertilizers. We do not know of any other iNaale

of this class that answers so well and in such a simple manner the ae a
tion which every season arises in the minds of farmers. :

From GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE, London, England, June 3, 1893.

The book is especially welcome for the ability shown by the author in
dealing with the subject, which is full of difficulty, and the remarkable
clearness with which the details are set forth. We have in this country
numerous good works on fertilizers and their application, but having
regard to its comprehensiveness, excellent arrangement, and low price,
there is no English book on manures that can approach it, and in the
interest of the eeier body of cultivators in this country, we regret that
it has no publisher on this side of the Atlantic.

Price, postpaid, 50 Cents.

W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA, Pa.

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SHLECTION

IN

SEED GROWING,

. | COMPRISING

oh —

PAPERS READ BEFORE THE SEEDSMEN’S SESSION OF
| THE WORLD’S AUXILIARY HORTICULTURAL
a © CONGRESS, CHICAGO, AUGUST 16, 1893.

WITH DISCUSSION ON SAME BY WILLIAM MEGGAT, OF CONNECTICUT;
T. W. WOOD, OF VIRGINIA; PROF. L. H. BAILEY,

OF NEW YORK, AND OTHERS.

3

“| THE SEEDSMAN’S TRIAL GROUNDS,
/ BY W. ATLEE BURPEE,

: TO WHICH ARE APPENDED SEVERAL NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ON

; \/ “MODERN METHODS OF THE SEED TRADE,”

. y «SEED GROWING AT FORDHOOK FARM.”

:

PUBLISHED BY

W. ATLEE BURPEE & CoO.,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
1894,

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WM. F. FELL & CO.,
ELECTROTYPERS AND PRINTERS,
1220-24 SANSOM STREET, PHILADELPHIA.

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PUBLISHERS’ PREFACE.

The widespread interest in the development of new and improved
varieties of Vegetables, Grains and Flowers, and the importance of the
papers read at the World’s Auxiliary Horticultural Congress held in
Chicago August 17, 1893, suggested the permanent publishing in this
pamphlet of those bearing directly upon

SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

The well-known names of the Authors of these papers, given in the
Table of Contents, accompanied as they are in the following pages by
stenographic reports of the remarks in introduction and discussion of
the essays, taken from the American Florist and the Florists’ Exchange,
render unnecessary the writing of any long publishers’ preface.

In connection with these essays we also publish a paper on the
Seedsman’s Trial Grounds, as bearing upon the same subject and
illustrating that in seeds ‘‘ Eternal vigilance is the price of safety.”’

Our original intention was to publish only these papers and the
discussion thereon, but the nominal price (ten cents or free as premium)
at which this pamphlet is published, and the fact that it is exclusively
offered in connection with our seeds as announced in the FARM ANNUAL
FOR 1894, have led us to reprint articles from several papers descrip-
tive of seed growing at FORDHOOK FARM.

Many gardeners and amateurs unable to visit FoRDHOOK during
the growing season have expressed a desire to know more about
modern methods of growing and testing seeds than the crowded
pages of our FARM ANNUAL will permit. While to some degree
partaking of the nature of an advertisement, we think these articles
will prove interesting to thousands of our friends and patrons.

We have also availed ourselves of the space herein at our command
to give a more extended notice of our books on Horticultural subjects.
The publishing department of our business is conducted for the mutual
good of our customers and ourselves, and they are reminded that
we always allow a credit of ten cents on every dollar to apply toward
the purchase of any books published by us.

W. ATLEE BURPEE & Co.
PHILADELPHIA, December, 1893.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SELECTION IN
SEED GROWING.*

Complaints of poor seed come to us from every
quarter, and we are asked, ‘‘ Where is the fault?”
We reply, in a great degree the cheat is the man
that gets cheated. The principal cause of poor
seed isthe desire and willingness to buy poor seed,
which is only a synonym for cheap seed. Seed
growing is one of the most difficult and particular
branches of horticulture ; in order to secure a stock
of good or superior quality of seeds, the utmost
attention to selection must be paid. Everything
that does not come up to the desired type must be
discarded, even though it takes the whole crop,
which is not unfrequently the case. This makes
seed growing a difficult and expensive business,
one requiring the most constant care and attention.
Therefore, when the best results in seed growing
are attained, they are attended with very great ex-
pense, at least four times, in many cases, as much
as seed of an ordinary character would cost. Con-
sequently they bring a correspondingly high price
in the market. It therefore follows, when dealers
whose reputations have become well established
make up their price lists, it is but reasonable to
suppose they are doing, in way of prices, what
every one must do in order to make a success of
his business, make prices in proportion to the cost
of the article sold. Then they sow good seeds,
reap a fair profit, and the consumer is not only
satisfied, but is a living advertisement of this
seed house.

In opposition to this class, there are to be found
dealers who wish to build up a trade, and with it
a fortune, by selling cheap seeds.

We do not question the intentions of this class of
dealers, but we do know, from practical experience,

that it costs more to grow first-class seeds alone
than the amount for which they are usually sold,

without taking into consideration the cost of sell”
ing. We therefore say, if you sow cheap seed, you
will reap cheap returns—a crop of disappointment
rather than one of pleasure and profit.

* Extract from an article by C. L. ALLEN in THE PracricAL FARMER, September
16, 1893, entitled, “As We Sow, so SHaLt WE Reap,” to which he gives the sub-
title, ‘‘ Why Good Seed Cannot be Sold at Low Prices.”

TABLE OF CONTENTS,

THE HORTICULTURAL CONGRESS.

PAGE

Opening Address, by President Bonney, ...... <i een SO Ee

Opening of the Seedsmen’s Session, . . . Ba ie ge Pee
‘*Pedigree or Grade Races in eearaieare. a i HenrI L. DE

CREME. cM ee ee ees se ke ep 10
‘Selection in its relation to Seed Gicwine a C. tie ALLEN,

PPM VOLK ec. j 5 ac 19
‘Seed Gowns in Denmark a by J. PEDERSEN Byer ARD, Ut

Copenhagen, .. . ant, 2a

‘* American Seed son a, by C. ro Morse, of Caliierais ee. ae

Discussion on-the preceding papers, by WILLIAM MEGGAT, of
Connecticut, T. W. Woop, of Virginia, A. W. LIVINGSTON,

of Iowa, Pror. L. H. BAILEY, of New York, and others, . . 37
‘¢The Seedsman’s Trial Grounds,’’ by W. ATLEE BURPEE, . . - 41
Extracts From the Essays at Chicago,. . . . 49
‘“Modern Methods of the Seed Trade,’’ by C. m ALLEN; of age
ict | ae ; 60
Farm and Garden Mates: rein the “Public hescresite of Phila-
Ea, ae ee a te cy
‘‘ Where and How Sends are Grown ;”’ fein (hte ‘Philadelphia
SES SSR SS ee eae oe 78
‘“Seed Growing and retina < Re sina the ‘* New Jersey eS
Gazette,” .. . Ac Ssh de
Fordhook in Fall ; i le the “Doy Teen Relieericee aaa 93
W. Atlee Burpee & Co.’s Seed House ; from the ‘‘ Florist’s ie
EC Ae Mi 2 xn nt Sel ea mc Gk as « 96

Why we Publish take on Hncenliute, wilh a erieenents of
mame banks Published, «sso » «50.8 958 2 ee 99-115

In a country so vast and varied as ours, where the setting sun
of the East is the rising sun of the West; where in the North
there is rarely a month without a frost and at the South rarely
a month with one; where the soil in one locality is the most
productive, in another the reverse, and this same, too, in close
proximity—the seedsman has difficulties to contend with that are

entirely unknown in any other country. He must have a

knowledge of selection sufficient to enable him to choose from

every section of the country such types as are best adapted to its

various conditions of climate and soil.—From the essay by
C. L. ALLEN, of New York, page 26 of this book.

From THE AMERICAN FLORIST, Chicago, August 17, 1893.

THE HORTICULTURAL CONGRESS.

HE Horticultural Congress of the World’s Columbian Exposition
at Chicago convened in the Memorial Art Palace on Michigan
Avenue, on Wednesday morning, August 16, as per published

programme. There was a large attendance and much interest was
manifested.

President Bonney, of the World’s Congress Auxiliary, welcomed the
visitors in the following words :—

‘‘ FRIENDS of the SEED, the FLOWER, the Fruit; fair TRINITY OF
POTENCY AND BEAUTY AND USE: The fairest conception of human
existence is of life in a garden, with its exquisite beauty and peace, and
from which culture and care have banished every hurtful thing.
Among the pictures in the temple of my own memory there is none
brighter than that of the garden near the family mansion, in which my
mother gathered roses and violets and the early fruits.

‘““The loveliest symbols of thought and aspiration of sentiment and
affection are flowers. There is no more deep and subtle mystery than
that which conceals plant and shrub and tree in the seemingly simple
structure of a seed.

‘There is no more charming art and occupation than the cultivation
of flowers and fruit-bearing trees. There is no calling more innocent and
conducive to human welfare than that of the horticulturist. Theimprove-
ment and beautifying of public parks and grounds depend chiefly upon
the gardener’s art. The protection of fruit crops, involving vast pe-
cuniary interests and the best part of the food supply of great numbers
of people, is almost wholly dependent upon the studies, the experiments,
and practical wisdom of those whom this Congress on Horticulture rep-
resents.

“The trade and commerce in seeds, fruits, flowers, and nursery
products is of such magnitude and importance that it is justly regarded
as one of the greatest business interests of the world. It is therefore
most appropriate that arrangements have been made for a Congress on
Horticulture among the many congresses of 1893.

7.

8 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

‘“This Congress has been organized by a Committee of Organization,
of which Mr. J. C. Vaughan is chairman, assisted by a Committee
of Co-operation of the American Seed Trade Association, of which
Mr. W. Atlee Burpee is chairman, and a Committee of Co-operation of
the Society of American Florists, of which Mr. E. G. Hill is chairman.
Upon the nemination of these committees Mr. P. J. Berckmans has
been appointed the presiding officer of the opening session of this
Congress.

‘‘A glance at the programme prepared shows that it is properly repre-
sentative of the various interests involved. France, Germany, Den-
mark, and many American States are represented by appropriate
subjects and contributors. Other States and countries will doubtless
take part in the discussion. In behalf of the World’s Congress
Auxiliary of the World’s Columbian Exposition I welcome you to this
Congress. ”’

From THE FLoRIsT’s EXCHANGE, New York, August 26, 1893.

SEEDSMEN’S SESSION,

HIS session, which was presided over by Mr. W. Atlee Burpee, of.
Philadelphia, president-elect of the American Seed Trade
Association, was held on Thursday forenoon, August 17, 1893.

There was a large and enthusiastic attendance, and the papers read
were listened to with the closest attention. Mr. Burpee, in opening
the proceedings of the day, said :—

After the opening of the Horticultural Congress yesterday by Mr.
Bonney, the addresses of welcome by Mr. Vaughan and Mr. Berck-
mans, it only remains for the chairman of the Seedsmen’s session to
introduce the speakers whose names you will find on the programme.
This Congress is certainly very well timed ; while not so well attended,
owing to the counter attractions, the papers read will be of high inter-
est and have wide influence after their publication. Horticulture, for
its proper advancement and full development, seems necessarily to
be as international in its character as are the finances of the world.
The advancement of American horticulture and of American seed
growing, while it has been great, has ever looked to Europe for much
of its knowledge, for many of its improved types, and must continue
to do so, just as Europe will look to America and each nation to the
other for the special advantages of soil or intelligence which each
nation may offer.

Of all the European nations to which America is indebted for ad-
vancement in progressive seed growing, none stands higher than France,
and in all France there is one name which stands pre-eminent, the
name of a man whose signal services to the advancement of horti-
culture have been recognized by the French Government with the dis-
tinction of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. That gentleman is with
us to-day. While acitizen of France, yet, from his wide achievements
in horticulture, we can call him a citizen of the world, and the ad-
vancement and impetus which he has given to the improvement of
many varieties of vegetables and flowers grown from seed cannot be
confined to only one country, but must be world-wide in its benefi-
cent effect. I have the pleasure of introducing to you one whom we
all delight to honor, Mr. Henri L. de Vilmorin, of Paris. [Applause. ]

: 9

PEDIGREE OR GRADE RACES IN HORTI-
CULTURE.

BY HENRI lL. DE VILMORIN, Paris.

[READ BEFORE THE SEEDSMEN’S SESSION OF THE WORLD’S FAIR HORTICULTURAL
CONGRESS, CHICAGO, AUGUST 17, 1898.

HE subject on which I intend to address you may seem at first
sight to be a rather special and limited one. I trust, however,
that upon consideration you will see with me that it is one of

great importance and of the deepest interest. I claim for it a constant
and all-powerful action in the life of garden plants when we are seek-
ing the most improved races.

It is a well-established fact that the life-work of plants is to make
the mineral wealth of the earth fitted for the use of animals
and of man. Now it is clear that the plant’s work can be
done well or ill according to its more or less perfect fitness to its func-
tions. It is, moreover, within the power of man to consider, and to
some extent control, the efficiency of plants as regards their work, to
select and to increase the best only, and by continued selection to de-
velop more and more the good qualities of each kind. In this way
man raises races and varieties of plants which do their work best and
quickest. Heredity is the lever by which the results of the study and
care and perseverance of the raiser are fixed, so to say, into the most
valuable of the plants grown for man’s use or delight. We have no
more powerful means of improvement of vegetable forms. All the
care, food, and protection given to plants may make them larger and
finer, but only selection among many of the same kind, with the help
of heredity, can fashion an enduring race of plants with special good
qualities for our farms, gardens, or orchards. Chance seeding may yield
some very good finds, as sometimes a good hit is made by shooting at
random. But no good marksman will, even after the luckiest of chance
shots, dispense with the use of his eyes and judgment for the rest of
the day. In the same way no experienced raiser will trust to chance

10 '

PEDIGREE IN HORTICULTURE. 11

in the choice of the seed from which he expects some precious results.
He will gather it from one plant seen among many, and will have good
reasons to show for his choice.

It is plain that selection was not at all times done with such thought
and skill as it is now: but ever since plants have been cultivated an
evident improvement has been going on for our benefit, and fixed and
valuable races of field plants, vegetables, flowers, and fruits were known
to the oldest nations and are mentioned by the oldest writers. Since
the settlement of America a new field was opened for good work, which
yielded a splendid crop of honor and profit to American as well as to
European cultivators, and through them to their respective countries.

Let any one who doubts the high value of selection look at our fine
races of cabbages, kales, cauliflowers, kohlrabi, and rutabaga, and com-
pare them with the wild cabbage of our western shores of Europe ; let
him compare our fine garden beets and our mangels to the wild beet of
the Mediterranean shores ; let him compare the tomatoes and potatoes
of to-day with the wild South American plants,—and he willsee proof
that only human thought and skill have brought about such wonderful
changes—many of them in our own day, many, on the other hand, some
hundreds of yearsin existence. In the tomato and potato we have two
distinct examples of garden races, viz., (1) those which are increased
from seeds, as the tomato, and (2) those which are increased by divi-
sion of a plant, as the potato.

Even where we divide the plant itself heredity is of some import-
ance, aS new varieties can be raised from seed only, and it is by no
means indifferent to gather seeds meant for the purpose from one
variety of potato or from another. Distinct groups of races are seen in
the. potato, as the rose tribe, to which the Early Rose, Late Rose, and
many more can be referred. Just in the same way a nurseryman who
sows pear pips in search of new varieties will take good care to take
them from some old sort, the parentage of which gives good hope of
success. It follows, then, that even where increase by division is the
rule the knowledge of the quality and history of a plant may be of
essential importance.

What Heredity is.

Where selection is done with skill and care the improvement of
many kinds of cultivated plants effected by its means is invaluable.
The large pansies, the huge hybrid gladioli, the large-flowered cannas,
were all brought from the state of small flowers to their present excel-
lence in our own day by careful observers, who, watching every varia-

12 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

tion and keeping an exact record of the descent of all their plants,
turn to the best account the wonderful action of heredity.

That plants are endowed with the power of changing to some extent
under altered and varying conditions no one will deny who knows even
a little natural history. Such changes will occur in wild nature as
well as under cultivation, and by the action of heredity will be trans-
mitted more or less faithfully to the next generation.

But an all-important fact must be recognized and remembered. It
is that in the wild state only such variations have a chance of enduring
as give the plant in which they occur some advantage in its life.
Many variations appear every year which soon disappear, because they
are a loss, not a gain, to the plant. Suppose in the wild state a potato
plant with short stems and late-sprouting tubers in a mass at the base
of the stem. Such a plant would not have any chance against rank
growing and early shooting varieties, and it would soon perish. Still,
some such characters belong to some of our best potatoes. This is
owing to the action of man, who throws his power into the balance
when cultivating plants which are useful or pleasant to him, and who
gives the weakest plant, if it is for some reason a favorite with him, all
the advantage he can to make it thrive and answer his purpose. Most
of the variations induced in our garden plants are not in favor of the
plant if in a “‘ free fight’’ with its kind in nature. All our improved
roots, as carrots, turnips, beets, make an early and succulent growth
for our own benefit, but not at all for their own good. If left to their
fate to struggle with their own wild forms they would soon have to
take a ‘‘back seat’? and very likely soon perish. It follows, then, that
varieties improved from man’s point of view must receive kind treat-
ment and richer food than wild forms of the same plant. The culti-
vated plant, like the domesticated animal, yields in a measure its
powers of self-defense to adapt itself to our service. Man must in re-
turn provide for its safety and nourishment. In the improvement of
plants the action of man, much like influences which act on plants in
the wild state, only brings about slow and gradual changes, often
scarcely noticeable at first. But if the efforts toward the desired end
be kept on steadily the changes will soon become greater and greater,
and the last stages of the improvement will become much more rapid
than the first ones.

I may relate here, in a few words, an unpublished experiment which
I have been conducting for more than twenty years, from 1872 to the
present year. It has consisted in cultivating one of our parsley-worts
(Anthriscus sylvestris), a European weed, in order to change its slender

PEDIGREE IN HORTICULTURE. 13

and much forked roots into fleshy, straight, and clean roots, say like
those of the parsnip. Among the first batch of roots raised from wild
seeds a dozen were selected with a tendency in their roots to larger and
straighter bodies. Each root was planted separately and its seed har-
vested separately. Of the dozen lots obtained eight or nine were dis-
carded at once and roots were selected only in such lots as exhibited
some trace of variation. Again, a dozen roots or so were chosen, a
drawing made of each root, which was afterwards planted separately.
I have sketches of all the roots selected, so that it is possible to follow
all the stages of variation of each plant living at this day. For the
first ten years the changes were slight, but now they are more and
more marked with every generation, and in some of the lots the straight
and smooth roots are the most numerous.

My object was not to create a new vegetable, as the roots of Anthris-
cus sylvestris have such a strong taste of camphor as to be quite un-
eatable, but simply to show that careful and continuous selection could
transform a wild plant in years that do not equal a quarter of the span
of many human lives. Like results have been shown by my grand-
‘father with the wild carrot, only its results were open to controversy as
to possible crosses between garden varieties and the wild strain. No
such objection can be raised in the case of my wood parsley-wort.

How it Works.

Althought heredity is an ever-present and active agent in the trans-
mission of qualities and characteristics in organized beings, its mode of
action is notso simple as at a first glance it might seem to be. That like
breeds like is a commonly admitted fact, but there like must be taken
in a rather broad sense, and the fact that some differences may occur
between the parent and the offspring is at the bottom of all improve- —
ment of plants by selection.

A being born from one or two of the same kind will be like his
parent or parents. But ifthe parents, although of one kind, were not
exactly like one another, how will the descendant look? Willit take
after the one or after the other, or blend the features of both? And
again, ifeach of the parentscomes from two different ancestors, which of
the four will take the lead in the form and character of the new being ?

The network of lines of attraction which would induce a living
organism, plant, or animal to be like every one of its ancestors can
scarcely be unraveled. Still, the consideration of the various influences
acting on an incipient organism can be pretty accurately summed up in
direct heredity, which tends to make the new plant or animal to re-

14 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

semble its immediate progenitors, and atavism, which induces it to be
like the mass of its removed ancestors. I omit for the present the
idiosyncrasy, which is the tendency in the new plant to combine the
inherited characteristics in some special manner adapted to its own
particular wants. If the parent was like its progenitors, then all the
influences werk the same way, and there is every chance of perfect
fixity in the series of beings born in succession. But if the progenitors
for one or more generations have swerved from the characteristics of
the ancestors, heredity and atavism will come into conflict, and the out-
come cannot be predicted surely.

Some hints on probabilities may be had from an experiment con-
ducted by my father on two varieties of the Lupinus hirsutus, the one
with blue and the other with pink flowers. The conditions were in
this case very well adapted to the study of the action of heredity, the
flowers being in the lupine not only hermaphrodite, but also cleistoga-
mous, so that a seed is the product of only one bloom of one plant.
Two lots of seeds were sown to begin with, some of the blue and some
of the pink strain. Most plants turned out true ; still, a few with pink
flowers were found in the lot of blue, and conversely some blue ree
the pink ones.

In the following year seeds of the true plants were sown again, and
along with them seeds of the ‘‘ rogues’’ found in each lot. In the lat-
ter the greater proportion of plants followed the color of the parent
plant, but a great many more showed the alternative color than was
the case in the original lots. Seed from blue and pink flowered plants
of the third generation were sown again, every possible combination in
the relations of the ancestors as to color and distance being tried as
much as possible and the number of blue and pink flowered plants
being carefully noted in each case, and the experiment was carried on
for several years. Though no exact rules can be arrived at from experi-
ments with living things, from the tabulated results of the experiment
the following inferences can be drawn :—

1. The tendency to resemble its parents is generally the strongest
in any plant.

2. But it is notably impaired if coming into conflict with the ten-
dency to resemble the bulk of the ancestors.

3. This latter tendency (called atavism) is constant, though not very
strong, and scarcely becomes impaired by a series of generations pass-
ing by without a reversion to the ancestral type having taken place.

4. On the contrary, the tendency to resemble a near progenitor
(two or three generations only distant) very soon becomes obliterated

PEDIGREE IN HORTICULTURE. 15

if the said progenitor be different from the bulk of the ancestors. From
this it will be seen that choice new races can be raised quickest and
with the smallest amount of labor where all needless conflict in the
hereditary powers is avoided.

How the Action of Heredity can Best be Turned to Account.

But it may be rightly remarked here that it must be shown how
variations can be obtained before we are shown how they can be made
permanent.

It is admitted by all observers that plants, being immovably fixed
in the ground by their roots, and consequently prevented from seeking
favorable and from avoiding untoward circumstances, are endowed by
way of compensation with the power to adapt themselves to some ex-
tent to different conditions as to soil and climate. The manner in
which plants so adapt themselves is most admirable, but it is not here
the place nor the time to consider it. Suffice it to say that the changes
in the size, position, and anatomy of their various organs appear to be
called up by rather than produced directly by the changed conditions.
The important point in the present case is that variationsin the special
characteristics of a cultivated race may and do occur occasionally, and
that such variations can be made permanent and still magnified by
the process of selection. To wait for them to appear among seedlings
is the simplest and most ordinary process. But their appearance can
be hastened and made more probable by the selection of seeds from a
plant showing already some trace of variation, or by means of a cross
with some other variety of the same species. As soon asa distinct
variation has made its appearance the work of selection begins. The
essential thing is to secure a deviation from the old type of the plant
under experiment. It matters little whether such deviation takes
place in the desired direction or not. Some authors even advise the
experimenter to look for any change at the first stage, and at the next
one for the greatest possible deviation from the first change in any
direction except a reversion to the old type. This may be useful as far
as the appearance of new forms is concerned, but if adhered to too long
it might make the fixation of the new forms rather difficult and slow
by breeding continuity out of the new race.

Whatever the cause of the original variation was, action of the plant’s
own tendency to vary, or some external cause, or a cross of pollen, the
next thing to be done is to make the variation permanent by selection.
This is sometimes very easy, the new form becoming at once perfectly
true and fixed. A case in point occurred several years ago in my trial

16 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

grounds at Verrieres. One plant of Clarkia elegans with pure white
double flowers was discovered among a number of the same species
with double purple flowers. It was singled out of the seed sown the
next year, when every plant raised gave only double white blooms, and
it has never since been known to give any but pure white flowers. If
such cases were of common occurrence they would make the task of the
breeder of new varieties a very easy one. Unfortunately, they are very
rare exceptions, and the tendency of new seedling forms is rather
to revert frequently and rapidly to the original type. Great attention
and vigilance must be exerted to counterbalance this tendency to
reversion. The best and most useful plan is not to mix together the
seeds of the selected plants in case several were singled out, but to sow
the seed of each separately, as the several plants selected may be
endowed in a very unequal degree with the power of transmitting their
own characteristics to their progeny. Now, the principal object and the
- principal effect of selection, if well conducted, is to effect a complete
transmission of the qualities we seek of any given race. Its aim must
be, in consequence, to eliminate any plant which is not fit to reproduce
itself *‘ true.’’

It is often observed that in such cases, when the seeds of several
plants selected in the same batch of seedlings are sown side by side and
separately, the one will come up true with only a very few or no
‘‘ rogues’ at all, while others will give a very medley of plants. If
further selection be made only from the lot that came up true, the new
variety may be considered as already fixed ; whereas many years of
cultivation and ‘‘roguing’’? may be required to bring it to anything
like purity if progenitors be taken from the lots in which numerous
variations occurred. Fixity of character is of great importance to
garden and field plants grown from seed, and the tendency to fixity
should be inbred in plants just as the tendency to earliness or to hardi-
ness. The power of transmitting their own qualities to their progeny
is just as hereditary as any other qualification, and no effort should be
spared to make it one of the points of a new race. Breeding from
single progenitors appears, so far, to be the safest and shortest way to
the proposed end.

Cross-breeding greatly increases the chance of wide variation, but it
makes the task of fixation more difficult. It, however, gives the
raiser the only means in his possession to unite in one the qualities of
two different plants while discarding their weak points. All the differ-
ent qualities of the two parents seem to unite in the most varied com-
binations in the cross-bred products. In this way plants are often found

.

PEDIGREE IN HORTICULTURE. 17

which inherit most of the good points of both parents, while some
others sum up the defects of both. This I repeatedly observed in rear-
ing cross-bred wheats. An occurrence not unfrequently observed in
cross-bred plants is that some character belonging to one of the parents
is magnified in the progeny. For an instance, Mr. Charles Naudin
observed in crossing daturas that the cross of a slightly prickly variety
with another kind that had smooth stems resulted in the raising of a
decidedly prickly hybrid.

In framing the character of the progeny the action of each parent is
often very unequal, according to the power of each in transmitting its
characters. The one that is better endowed in that respect stamps its
features more firmly on the cross-bred plant. Discussions have arisen
on the influence of the male and of the female progenitor on a cross.
I believe that the stronger organism of the two, the one rather which
is better endowed with the power to transmit its characters, will pre-
dominate inthe progeny whether it comes from the male or the female
parent.

One trait that makes the fixation of cross-bred plants difficult is in
some characters of both parents breaking out in different parts of one
and the same plant, instead of being, as we could wish, blended
together. In cross-bred peas, for instance, which were raised from a
white-seeded and a green-seeded parent, it often occurs that at the second
or third generation pods are produced which contain mixed white and
green seeds. In the same manner round and wrinkled seeds are found
in the same pod. This is a great difficulty and an almost sure sign of
further variation, as a plant showing such breaks cannot be depended
upon to give rise to a uniform progeny. In many similar instances re-
corded in my books of experiments the green peas gave plants with white
seeds and the white ones with green. You can scarcely expect a plant
which is not constant in its own parts to be constant in its progeny.

The unity in character of any single plant is the main factor in the
work of pedigree or grade breeding, and I wish to lay especial stress on
that point, which I think of paramount importance. The considera-
tion of the qualities or defects of a plant taken as a whole, not of
minor parts, should guide the raiser in his work. Of this I am con-
vinced from experience, and I may be permitted to give a few facts in
support of my opinion.

The advice is often given in horticultural books to take the seeds
from some particular portion of the seed-bearing plant in order to
secure a better result. In German stocks, for instance, it is a common
belief that the seeds of pods taken from the middle or from the base of

2 :

18 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

the main stem will give a larger proportion of plants with double
flowers than if taken from the top of the same or from side shoots. I
many times tested the idea, and it always proved a fallacy. All the
pods on a plant give an almost exactly equal proportion of plants with
double and single flowers, no matter what part of the plant they may
be gathered from. |

A real difference is in the percentage of single and double flowers
from various plants of the same variety. In this way very wide dif
ferences sometimes occur, but not in the case of seeds taken from vari-
ous parts of the same plant. I tried an experiment with seeds of
Chrysanthemum carinatum gathered on double, single, and semi-
double heads, all growing on one plant, and found no difference what-
ever in the proportion of single and double-flowered plants. In striped
verbenas an unequal distribution of the color is often noticed ; some
heads are pure white, some of a self-color, and most are marked. with
colored stripes on white ground. I had seeds taken severally from all
and tested alongside one another. The result was the same. All the
seeds from one plant, whatever the color of the flower that bore them,
gave the same proportion of plain and variegated flowers. No more
proof, I think, need be given that selection, which is all-important in
the case of seeds from different plants, is of no importance as regards
the different parts of any one plant on which seeds may be borne.

No limit can be fixed as to the improvements which may be ex-
pected from care, thought, and selection. The gains of the last dozen
years may surely be taken as the forerunners of better things. It is
clear that no very important additions to our cultivated plants are to
be expected now from the discovery of new species, but an unlimited
field opens before the raiser of new and improved forms in all our
garden flowers and in fruits and vegetables. The recent success of
European raisers of new begonias, of hybrid gladioli, and of large-
flowered cannas are equaled by the gains of the American raisers of
chrysanthemums, of garden beets, and of tomatoes. I may add by .
way of conclusion that much good may be expected from the more
and more frequent exchange of strains between the old and the new
world. Such complete changes of soil and of climate frequently give
rise to variation, and so, either by subtle changes one cannot see the
cause of, or by well considered crosses, American and European varie-
ties of our useful or beautiful plants may give rise in their turn to
more numerous and useful variations than would have occurred had
these races been confined exclusively to the country of their origin.

SELECTION IN ITS RELATION TO SEED
GROWING,

BY C. L. ALLEN, New York.

[READ BEFORE THE SEEDSMEN’S SESSION OF THE WORLD’S FAIR HORTICULTURAL
CONGRESS, CHICAGO. ]

ELECTION, from the seedsman’s standpoint, means more than a
choice of samples, or more even than a preference of types in
the various classes of vegetables or flowers, whether it is in re-

gard to shape, size, color, or in its relation to earliness or lateness in
development, as may be desired. Neither has it any connection with
the popular theory of what is known as ‘‘ natural selection,’’ ‘‘ the
survival of the fittest,’’ that active principle of evolution which was
cradled in the fertile mind of that distinguished philosopher, De
Lamarck, and by the late Charles Darwin developed into the “ origin
of species.’’

To the seedsman selection is not a cause, but an effect, and in its ap-
plication to his business it is of vital importance ; in fact, it is the
foundation upon which the superstructure of business success is com-
pleted. In the development of a type, selection is the principal agent
employed, but doubly important is its office in preserving a type after
it is secured./ There are two separate and distinct principles in selec-
tion, and the two are antagonistic ; they are both methodical, but for
entirely different purposes. In the one instance we select with a view
of the greatest possible increase in seed production, and in the other
just the opposite, In our cereals selections are made to produce the
greatest amount of seed with the least possible amount of straw. To
that end, in the best wheat-growing sections, the longest and best
filled heads are carefully selected ; and those, too, in which the grains
are the heaviest for seed purposes. The seed thus saved is given every
possible aid to reproduction by growing it on soil best adapted to its
development ; by giving each plant sufficient room to grow strong,
rather than tall; and by furnishing plant food proportionate to its

19

20 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

necessities. At the proper time, if the same careful selection is again
made and the same care in cultivation given, there will result another
marked improvement, both in size and productiveness of the grain.
This operation oft repeated will establish a type superior to that from
which the first selection was made. To preserve that type the same
care must be given that was necessary to produce it.

The same rule holds good in the selection of Indian corn, an im-
portant work that is generally overlooked. It is the common practice
to select the best ears for seed at the time of husking, which is a step
in the right direction ; yet this practice is attended with many disad-
vantages, and does not, as a rule, accomplish the purpose intended.
In this method the largest ears are selected, of which there is usually
but one ear on a stalk ; besides, there is no certainty about selecting
such ears as ripen at the same time, which is a matter of great, im-
portance. It is possible for a weak plant to produce a large ear, and
it is very common for a plant of bad habit to do so. It is but natural
to suppose that the grains of stunted and sickly corn, even though the
ears may attain a large size, necessarily partake of the weak constitu-
tion of the plant that produced them, and that to reproduce from such
would only be to encourage bad habits. For this reason ears should
be selected before the stalks are cut, choosing those on which there
are two well-formed ears on the stalk, which should be of low
growth and well furnished with leaves, and the ears set near to the
ground. The whole plant should, by the length and breadth of the
leaves and the vigor of the stalk, indicate perfect health. Earliness
should always be combined with productiveness ; therefore, the first
ears to ripen, when all other conditions are favorable, are the ones to
select in the line of improvement. All should be gathered at the
same time, in order that there may be uniformity in ripening, united
with earliness, which is of the greatest importance in developing
a variety.

This may suffice to show the method of selection, where the object
is to produce the greatest amount of perfectly developed grains or
seeds from a given acreage, to be employed as food. With this object
in view it is needless to state that nearly all seeds will reproduce
themselves more freely if sown as quickly as possible after maturity.
This is shown plainly by the way weeds reproduce themselves, the
seeds of which are sown as soon as ripened. But in selection for vege-
tables, where seeds are only used to reproduce the plant, the opposite
course must be pursued, and forms must be chosen that produce as
little seed as possible. This is particularly noticeable with the Eng-

.

SELECTION IN SEED GROWING. 21

lish-grown cucumbers, which are,-from nature’s standpoint, degenerate
forms, as they do not reproduce themselves except by artificial fertil-
ization. This comes from their having been grown for a long series
of years under unnatural conditions.

All species of the natural order, Cucurbitacez, to which the cucum-
ber belongs, finds a congenial home in warm climates and on dry soils.
The farther they are removed from these conditions the less seed they
will produce, and the vitality of which will be proportionately lower.
At the same time nature is always true to her first principle, self-pre
servation. To that end greater protection is given to the germs of
future generations.

The outer covering of seeds is for their preservation or protection
while in the infant state, and at: maturity these coverings dry up or
decay and disappear. These coverings are adapted by nature to the
plant’s necessities ; if but little protection is required, only little will
be given. With all vine seeds, the less seed there is produced the
greater is its value for the production of the crop, as the flesh is the
part consumed ; and it invariably follows that the greater amount of
the one, the less there will be of the other. Therefore, the best fruits
of the vine family are those with the least or lowest reproductive
qualities. Gardeners with keen observation note the fact that the
older melon, cucumber, and squash seeds, are—without having lost
their germinating power—the better, as the proportion of flesh to the
seed is greater, and the vines are more productive of fruit and less in-
clined to throw out branches. The older the seed the lower is its
vitality, and the greater is nature’s effort to preserve it. As the care-
ful mother doubly protects the feeble child against cold, so Mother
Nature protects the seeds of low vitality with extra covering. The
melon has more flesh when grown from old seed, because of its low
vitality.

The same is notably true with the egg plant, which is a native of
North Africa and the East Indies. In these warm climates the fruit
grows from four to five inches in diameter, and abounds with seed,
filling the flesh nearly to the rind. As its cultivation extends north-
ward the fruit increases in size, while the amount of seed diminishes.
Thus, Nature guards her productions by enlarging the pericarp or fruit,
in order that the seeds may be better protected against cold, which
would destroy their vitality. The variety known as the New York
Improved Purple, grown from seeds raised as far north as New York
City, yield a crop, both as regards size and quantity, far in excess of
the plants grown from seeds produced in the Southern States. “The

22 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

reason for thisis obvious. Nature, being a strict economist, does not
work in the interest either of the seedsman or the market gardener.
Her object and sole aim is to preserve and perpetuate the species ; and
when the plant has furnished the proper amount of seed nothing
further is required of it. Ifa plant grown in a temperate climate pro-
duces in a single fruit only one-fourth the quantity of seeds which it
usually yields ina warm climate, it follows that four times the num-
ber of fruits must be produced to accomplish the desired result. And
this is what the egg plant does at the North, when raised trom
Northern-grown seed. As before stated, plants from Northern-grown
seed produce more fruit but less seed ; so, too, is the seed less vigor-
ous. Long Island-grown seed will rarely test above sixty in germinat-
ing, when fresh; besides, nearly all Northern-grown seeds of this
variety of egg plant are small and shrunken, while that grown at the
South is large and plump, and will invariable give a more satisfactory
test of germination. As is the case with many other kinds of vege-
tables, the conditions that are favorable for the production of the fruit
are unfavorable for the production of good samples of seed and a yield
satisfactory to the grower.

A more familiar illustration of this principle may be seen in the
history of the development of the cabbage. Changes in form, through
climatic influences, are shown to have been greater in this than with
any other vegetable. In a wild state the parent of our cultivated
forms of cabbage has hut few leaves, which are loosely arranged, but
all that are necessary to protect the germ of the coming season’s growth,
which is to produce seed for the perpetuation of the species. When
taken to a colder climate more protection becomes necessary. This is
furnished by additional leaves, which are of a finer texture and more
compactly arranged. The result of this care is the solid heads of our
present varieties of cabbages. From two or three distinct types intro-
duced from Holland early in this century a large number of varieties,
more or less distinct, have been produced wholly by careful, and, in
many instances, systematic selection. To more clearly illustrate this
principle let us note some of the points in the development of forms,
where the cabbage is grown to the greatest perfection. Long Island is
probably the most congenial home of the cabbage to be found in this
or any other country. Nowhere else is it so generally grown or of a
better quality. And here is where the greatest number of truly dis-
tinct varieties have originated. There is probably a greater variety of
soil to be found in close proximity here than in any other part of our
country. On the one side is a heavy but friable loam, capable of pro-

SELECTION IN SEED GROWING. 23

ducing enormous crops. On the other side it is of a light, sandy
character, with but little recuperative strength. Intermediate is, in
sections, a turfy and sandy loam, and beneath all is a gravelly sub-
soil, a condition best suited for cabbages.

In most countries there are certain districts and some particular
farms which are famous for the production of some special crop and
where the same is extensively cultivated. In such localities there are
usually to be found some men who are leaders in their principal in-
dustry ; they are regarded as authorities and their advice is taken on
all matters that pertain to their calling. This is the case on Long
Island in regard to cabbage, where certain farmers possessing a re-
markable degree of intelligence, and who are close observers and
thinkers as well as workers, have made the growing of cabbage a spe-
ciality. These men have made selection as a choice in regard to form
and habit a study. They have chosen for a purpose, either as regards
earliness or lateness, or for the development of a desired form. Per-
sistent labor and watchful care in this direction have been the means
of producing the best strains or varieties of cabbage in- cultivation.

While variations of climate produce wonderful changes in vegetable
forms, it is a well-established fact that any vegetable grown in a given
soil will assume a very different form when grown on either a heavier
or a lighter one. This has been shown in a remarkable degree with
the cabbage. A given variety grown for a long number of years on a
heavy soil, with a liberal supply of plant food, proper care in growing
the plants and in transplanting them, and constant cultivation until the
crop is matured, will develop a type remarkable for size and vigor, with
excellent keeping qualities, and be what is known asa Late Flat Dutch
or Drumhead cabbage. On the other hand, take the same stock seed,
grow iton a light sandy soil, under the same climatic influences, with
the same care in cultivation, always selecting with a view to earliness
and solidity and the result will be in the same number of years a
variety of the same general form but of smaller size and very much
earlier. Again, a soil intermediate in character, from the same stock,
during the same period, with the same care in selection, will give a
variety intermediate in character as well asin period of growth. Un-
der such conditions have been produced the several varieties introduced
from Long Island.

It isan established principle in agriculture that a sandy soil is favor-
able for an early growth, and a heavy soil for a continuous growth.
Early and late, large and small, varieties are not to be expected from
the same soil and under the same conditions of growth, both natural

24 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.” i

and artificial. It must of necessity take a longer time to grow a head
of cabbage weighing twenty pounds than one half the size. I have
thus far spoken of the development of the cabbage by selection under
natural conditions, but there are other methods employed by the
specialists. These are of an artificial character and have been material
helps in selection. When these specialists harvest their stock seed
they examine each plant carefully before cutting it, and if the seed is
of large size it is rejected, because they hold that such seeds will make
leaves instead of heads. Besides that, these men will not use seed
until it is at least three years old ; for the same reason they will not use
large seed. This statement corroborates my assertion ‘‘that the con-
ditions favorable for the production of the fruit are unfavorable for the
production of a good sample of seed.’’? I may, however, add that a
handsome sample is not always a good sample, always excepting in-
stances, as in the cereals, where the seed is the part consumed.

In the whole list of garden vegetables there is none so susceptible to
improvement as the tomato; none better pays good attention ; none
‘Shows neglect more quickly, both in quantity and quality of fruit. It
is, moreover, capable, by careful selection, of the highest development,
and will as quickly deteriorate if the same care in selection that was
given to produce a variety is not continually employed to preserve it.
It is generally supposed that the varieties have a natural tendency to -
deteriorate, which makes it necessary to be constantly on the watch for
new varieties, which have their parentage in cross-fertilization and are
developed by selection. This theory is both absolutely true and wholly
false, although this statement may seem paradoxical. I have
endeavored to show the marked effect upon vegetable growth of
climatic influences, together with the character of the soil. But the
tomato is more sensitive to change than any other vegetable with which
Tam acquainted, and it is more erratic, too, than any other. On my
own grounds I have had the Ignotum, since its first introduction, and
with me it is the most perfect and most desirable of any of the vast
number of varieties. It is perfectly smooth, of good size, ripens evenly ©
and well up to the stem, the substance is more solid than that of most
others and is perfectly tender. An intelligent grower in this section
has given it special attention for seed purposes, and it continues to grow
in favor. From the same seed bed for the past two seasons plants were
taken a distance of ten miles and grown on nearly the same character
of soil, and under precisely the same conditions of climate, while the
cultivation in the two sections was alike of the highest order, but here
this variety was a total failure ; the fruit was deeply ribbed, irregular

.

SELECTION IN SEED GROWING. 25

in shape, ripened irregularly, and the vines grew in all manner of ways,
produced but little fruit, and this was worthless. Mr. Hallock, the
successful grower, states that he has heard similar reports from other
sections.

On the other hand, during the past two years I have visited two
gardens, at least one hundred and fifty miles apart, where since the
Trophy was first introduced no other variety has been grown, and during
the twenty-five years this variety has constantly grown in favor. The
fruits are more even in size and shape ; they ripen up to the stem per-
fectly, and, what is more important, they ripen to the center and pro-
duce but little seed. A fault with this tomato when first introduced
was that it did not ripen to the center, which was invariably a little
hard.

These two instances are related to justify my assertion that there is
and is not a natural tendency toward deterioration. What they may
or may not be depends wholly upon circumstances. This theory being
established, what is the lesson? Plainly, that, especially for seed pur-
poses, the tomato should never be grown excepting under conditions
where, with good cultivation, it will remain true to type. That there
is a great difference in varieties in this respect cannot be questioned.
For instance, where the Ignotum signally failed the Trophy and the
Favorite were both satisfactory. This is one of the difficulties the
seedsman has to encounter, and for which there is no preventive. But
there is one thing he does or should know—viz., the price usually paid
the grower is notin harmony with the principle of selection, but rather
the actual cause of deterioration. Difficult as the problem may be of
solution, it is evident that the best directed efforts are not always
crowned with success, and that the best possible selection for a given
locality may be disappointing in another.

Few vegetables show so great a change in their eating qualities as
our sweet corn. There are, relatively, but few localities where it
reaches its limit of perfection. Selection of place, to secure’the best,
is quite as important as to select with the view of an improved type.
It is poorest when grown on a light, sandy soil, and best when grown
in a moderately heavy loam and disintegrated shale. To show how the
soil affects quality, take an ear grown in Connecticut, its congenial
home, and plant one-third of its grain on the sandy soil of Long Island,
one-third on the heavy soil, and the remainder where it grew, and there
will be three distinct qualities. The same grown but a few years
in the southern sections of our country develops a distinct and worth-
less type as a vegetable. What is true of the vegetables mentioned is

26 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

true of all others, which shows the importance of selection in all its
phases.

It has often been demonstrated that when any given type has been
developed by selection, either rapidly or slowly, under favorable con-
ditions of soil and climate, it will as rapidly revert when grown under
reversed conditions. It is also true that any form that will materially
revert when grown under changed conditions for a few years will pro-
portionately change in one year. This will, in a measure, account for
the deterioration of varieties where the stock seed has been grown
under different conditions from where the type originated. In most in-
stances one year’s growth will not materially change a type, but in all
cases where a type is to be preserved it requires the same care in selec-
tion and cultivation and other conditions under which it originated.

Many persons maintain that a renewal or change of seeds is abso-
lutely necessary. This may or may not be so. All depends upon cir-
cumstances. In a locality where a certain type can easily be kept up
and improved by selection a change of seed is not only unnecessary, but -
unwise, and the only safe course to pursue is to procure stocks from a -
locality where it reaches the greatest perfection —it matters not
whether it be in our own State, country, or continent.

In acountry so vast and varied as ours, where the setting sun of the
East is the rising sun of the West ; where in the North there is rarely
a month without a frost and at the South rarely a month with one;
where the soil in one locality is the most productive, in another the
reverse, and this same, too, in close proximity—the seedsman has
difficulties to contend with that are entirely unknown in any other
country. He must have a knowledge of selection sufficient to enable
him to choose from every section of country such types as are best
adapted to its various conditions of climate and soil. This is no easy
task when, as demonstrated, varieties show such marked changes, when
grown but a few miles apart, apparently with the same climatie influ-
ences, and where there is but little difference in the character of the
soil. The aim of the seedsman is to procure the best quality at the
least possible cost, but in their efforts competition is an antagonistic
force that is quite apt to counteract the best motives.

SEED GROWING IN DENMARK.

BY J. PEDERSEN-BJERGAARD, or CoPpENHAGEN.

[PoRTIONS OF A PAPER READ BEFORE THE SEEDSMEN’S SESSION OF THE WORLD'S
HORTICULTURAL CONGRESS, CHICAGO, AUGUST 17, 1893.]

HE time at my disposal will only allow me to touch upon some of
the best ascertained facts and such methods of investigation
and experiment as have led to progress and improvement in

various ways, and which, I hope, will be found of practical value to
the horticultural and agricultural world in general.

Denmark being preéminently an agricultural country, the growing
of grain has all through her history been one of the most important
pursuits of her population. Until dairy farming commenced to attain
its present high development, a very great proportion of the grain grown
was carried off from the farm, and its exportation to foreign countries
formed the chief source of the national revenue. Now the greater part
of the production of grain is consumed on the farm for stock feeding
and for transformation into the more valuable dairy products, while
the fertility of the soil is being kept up or even improved by means of
the greatly enlarged and well fed stocks of cattle and other domestic
animals.

But the importance of the best possible grain-crops has not dimin-
ished, but rather increased, by the said radical change in the system
of farming. Any attempt at improvement of the cereals or improved
methods of utilizing them has, therefore, found a hearty support from
the proper authorities and been readily appreciated by practical agri-
culturists. Private endeavors in this direction had been made for
some time, and new varieties of different cereals had to some extent
been introduced, but more extensive, thorough, and well-planned efiorts
for improving the cereal products may be dated from 1880, when the
Royal Danish Agricultural Society (the Danish name of which is
Det kongelige danske Landhus-holdnings selskab) appointed a com-
mittee forinstituting cultural and malting experiments in order to solve

27

28 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

a great number of questions relating to the most profitable production
of malt-barley. Two years later, in 1882, a similar committee was
appointed by the said Society with the view of planning and conduct-
ing comparative field experiments, and grinding and baking tests,
with a number of critically chosen varieties of wheat. At the start,
the wheat committee had two objects in view: First, to point out the
varieties of wheat which, with the greatest possible productiveness,
might combine the best possible general quality and hardiness to the
frosts of winter ; and, secondly, tothrow light upon the influence of the
conditions relating to the cultivation of the growing crop in the direc-
tion of promoting or diminishing the desired quality.

Oats occupy by far the largest area of the cereal crops in Denmark,
almost nine times as large as the wheat or the malt-barley crop, and
nearly twice as large as the crop of other barley or of rye. The crop
being of so comparatively great importance, untiring efforts have been
made for a number of years to discover new and better varieties or im-
prove older, good sorts, by good cultivation and strict selection of stock
grain. Almost every variety of European and American origin has
been tested. Very prominent for large yield both of straw and grain
of excellent quality are two well-developed varieties : ‘‘ Grenaa’’ and
‘* Tsland”’ oats, both of Danish origin. ‘‘ Provsti’’ oats of good strains,

‘* Beseler ’’ ‘‘ Bestehorn,’’ and ‘‘ Heine’’ oats have all proved themselves
very productive.
* * * * * * * *

As dairy-farming more and more became the chief agricultural source
of revenue in Denmark, it soon became evident that successful dairy-
farming could not be carried on without a liberal feeding with roots
during the winter. Prominent practical agriculturists and the agri-
cultural press have used every opportunity to convince the masses of
less wide-awake farmers of the well-ascertained fact that by no other
means, by the growing of no other kind of crop, can such large quanti-
ties of just the right kind of nourishment for milch cows or for rearing
pigs and fattening live stock be produced. The areas of land devoted
to the growing of root crops have, in consequence of this sound teaching
and the conspicuous good results attained by its practice, year by year
increased at a considerable rate.

Originally, root seeds were exclusively imported from foreign
countries, but soon a movement was set about by private parties, liber-
ally supported by patriotic institutions, for home production of seed of
the most popular varieties of roots, and for ascertaining which were
the most valuable for different soils, and how they could be developed

SEED GROWING IN DENMARK. 29

to greater perfection with regard to uniformity of type and habit,
greater productiveness, etc. Gradually some of the most popular
varieties of mangolds, especially, have been considerably improved,
by breeding out the tendency to ‘‘run to seed,’’ ‘‘long necks,’’ and
‘* side roots,’’ etc.

A very important question arose a few years ago, namely : as to the
methods to pursue in order to produce roots with a higher percentage of
dry substance, and consequently of sugar, the most important ingredi-
ent, to which the various root-crops owe their value. A wide and
rational view was taken of this subject. The plans for experiments
and investigations were very practical, and aimed at ascertaining the
following points for each variety or strain included in the experiments,
viz.: 1, The quantity, the number of cwts., harvested from a given
area ; 2, average weight of the roots from different soils ; 3, the spe-
cific weight of the roots and their contents in percentage of dry sub-
stance ; 4, the percentage of sugar of each variety or strain of roots
for several years.

* * * * % * * * * *

The bulk of a root crop is only one side of the question. The main
question is: How CAN THE FARMER PRODUCE THE GREATEST POSSI-
BLE QUANTITY OF VALUABLE NOURISHMENT, IN THIS CASE SUGAR,
for his milch-cows and other live-stock on a certain area, at the lowest pos-
sible cost ?

In order to illustrate the importance of keeping an eye on the actual
contents of nutrient matter in the roots, I beg permission to adduce two
extreme examples: A lot of mangold seed of the Long Yellow variety,
imported from Scotland, and distributed among Danish farmers in

; E have arranged with Mr. Pedersen-Bjergaard that upon his arrival
iv?) in Denmark he should secure for us a few cwt. of seed of either
the new Mangel or new Sugar Beet, for cattle feeding, to which
reference is here made. We have left it to his judgment upon further in-
quiry as to the results of the Danish crops of roots this year to decide
which would be the better variety to introduce in America. At the time
of going to press we have not yet learned which he has secured, but can
rely upon his sending us seed of one or the other. A packet of this seed
will be sent gratuitously to any reader of this book interested in the im-=
portant subject of root crops for stock feeding who will cut off this portion
of the book with his name and address on the opposite side, agreeing to
carefully test same. W. A. B. & CO.

30 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

1892, gave the large yield of 945 cwt. of roots per acreon a clayey soil ;
the sugar percentage was 3.8, and the calculated quantity of sugar per
acre was 36.3 cwt. Now anotherexample : A new variety of mangold,
produced in Denmark by rational crossing and careful breeding for a
number of years, a variety not yet named and not yet brought into the
market, prodnced 777 cwt. of roots per acre, which, to a superficial
view, would indicate an inferiority in yield to the Long Yellow of
about 18 per cent. But the percentage of sugar in this unnamed new
variety was 9.3 PER CENT. and the production of sugar per acre—
calculated upon the basis of the yield of roots and the percentage of
sugar—was 72 cwT., practically double the quantity produced by the
Long Yellow. Another new variety—a sugar-beet for stock-feeding,
grown under the same conditions as the Long Yellow, and in the same
year—yielded 407 cwt. of roots per acre ; the analysis showed 10.4
PER CENT. of sugar, and the production of sugar per acre was 42.5 ewt.*
This seems to me a very interesting example of the value of scientific
methods in practical agriculture. But for the analysis of the contents of
sugar in the varieties of mangolds here compared, the Long Yellow would
have been considered far superior to the sugar beet, the yield in bulk of
which was only about 43 per cent. of that of the Long Yellow, and
still the new sugar-beet produced 15.6 per cent. more sugar to the area
occupied ; and then what a difference in the amount of work expended
in lifting, transporting, storing, and feeding these two varieties of
roots !

Besides the varieties of mangolds to which I have referred, several
other new varieties of great promise have of late years been produced
in Denmark. In developing these new varieties the aim has not only

* See offer in foot-note on page 29.
) UQTee to thoroughly test seed of the new Mangel or

Sugar Beet, for cattle feeding, from Denmark, to be sent
me free by W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO.

SEED GROWING IN DENMARK. 31

been to increase the percentage of sugar, but the highest possible per-
fection has been kept in view on the different points to which I have
already referred. In choosing varieties for crossing the endeavor has
been, alongside of other desirable properties, to develop a habit of
growth of the roots above the ground, which greatly facilitates the harvest-
ing of the crop in a clean state, in contradistinction from those varieties
that penetrate deeply into the soil, which involves much more trouble
and work in lifting.

x & # # = % * x % *

One of the seed-crops in Denmark that at the present day is best
known and most generally appreciated outside of the boundaries
of the little northern country is the cauliflower. For many years
Denmark has produced steadily increasing quantities of cauliflower-
seed of a superior quality. Formerly the crops of this seed were
almost entirely disposed of to leading centers of the seed trade in
Europe, whence the seeds were distributed to various parts of the
globe, but of recent years the larger and more prominent seed-mer-
chants in different countries, and especially in the United States, have
supplied their wants of this article direct from the source of produc
tion.

It must here be remarked that with a few exceptions only one variety
of cauliflower is grown for seed in Denmark. The strains may differ,
and will differ more or less according to the locality in which they are
grown and the care bestowed upon the management of the crop. But
however the strains may vary in some more or less essential respects,
they almost all belong to one type, viz.: the Early Dwarf Erfurt. But
the strains which, under varying conditions, may have developed may
vary, sometimes considerably. It is a well-known fact among experi-
enced cauliflower seed-growers that hardly any vegetable or cultivated
plant is more liable to deviate and deteriorate. It requires skill and
experience to select the proper type of plants for seed in order to keep
up the high standard of the variety in point of earliness, dwarf habit,
sure heading, size, solidity, grain; and pure white color of the head.*

* During a visit to Denmark in 1887 we personally inspected fields of
growing cauliflower in company with Mr. Pedersen-Bjergaard. We were most
favorably impressed with the crop of one grower who had intelligently selected
his strain of seed forsixteen years. This we arranged to secure, and to distin-
guish this special strain introduced it in America as Burren’s Best HARLy.
No cauliflower seed we have handled has given equal satisfaction, and each
year since Mr, Pedersen-Bjergaard has carefully inspected the growing crop

and seen that the quality was maintained in the seed.—W. A. B. & Co.

32 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

As experience has proved, and as is now pretty generally known,
the natural conditions of Denmark for growing cauliflower seed to the
highest perfection are not surpassed, if equaled, in any other country,
as far as the Early Dwarf Erfurt type of varieties is concerned. This
is probably mainly due to the high northern latitude of the country,
the near proximity of the salt water on all sides, and the compara-
tively moist and cool state of the atmosphere. Whether the almost
continual breezes from the surrounding seas have a share of influence
in giving stamina to the seed I dare not assert, but think that such is
very likely the case.

It is a well-known fact that the further north the variety of cauli-
flower seed here in question is grown and brought to perfect develop-
ment, the better results will the seeds generally give, with regard to
sure heading, early maturity, etc., than when sown in more southern lati-
tudes and warmer climates.

The cauliflower ought to be much more generally grown by every
farmer and every owner of even asmall kitchen-garden than at present,
and it ought to constitute a much more frequent part of the bill-of-
fare inevery household, rich or poor. It is one of the most nourishing,
easily digestible, delicious, and easily and quickly prepared vegetables
grown. There are scores of recipes for cooking this most delicate
esculent. While cabbages require four and one-half hours for digestion,
cauliflowers can be digested in the course of two hours, and may be
enjoyed with benefit by persons to whom cabbage would be ruinous
owing to week digestive organs.

Although Denmark does not aspire to ever becoming recognized as
one of the great seed producing countries of the world, and, indeed,
must look to more genial climes for a great variety of seed for her
own planting, yet, I think, horticulturists and agriculturists generally
will agree that for the production of seed of the important vegetable -
last named, and of certain hardy and productive grains and valuable
grasses for special purposes, the very situation and climate of Denmark
give her peculiar advantages.

AMERICAN SEED GROWING.

By C. C. MORSE, oF CALIFORNIA.

[Essay READ BEFORE THE SEEDSMEN’S SESSION OF THE WORLD’S AUXILIARY
HORTICULTURAL CONGRESS AT CHICAGO, AUGUST 17, 1893.]

N the presentation of this paper it seems to me that an elaborate
history of early-seed growing is not expected of me nor many de-
tails of well-known and approved methods ; but rather some criti-

cisms upon some questionable practices, and commendation of such
methods used by growers and seedsmen asshould be approved, as well
as what I believe to be some of the practical attainments of the near
future.

All will agree that great advancement has been made in the pro-
duction and distribution of garden seeds within this generation, for
seed growing is taking definite shape as rapidly as any science that is
before the world to-day, and I expect as many changes within the
next decade as there has been in the last, accelerated with greater
possibilities of development.

Seed growing as a definite business has assumed its position within
the memory of most of us. Years ago the gardener would save a little
seed—some of it volunteer—some from roots never transplanted ; all
from unknown types and unknown varieties; and frequently after
using the best vegetable crop the poorest would be allowed to go to seed
and the product then sold or bartered with the neighbors for other
kinds grown in the same manner. Of course, there were exceptions
to this rule, for some gardeners would intelligently select the best
vegetables, having the points of excellence well in mind, and would
continue to select and grow some good seed, and would improve the
types as fast as nature would permit.

The limited custom of distributing seeds would not admit of much
profit to the grower, nor of any extended information to the people,
especially to those most interested, since the seed business was carried
-on in a small, local manner, and the people were not informed by care-
fully written catalogues, nor by men traveling over the country in
the interest of seed houses.

3 33

34 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

Only a short time ago carrot seed was delivered with the beards on,
and a very poor sample too ; and lettuce seed was poorly cleaned, when
half the bulk can now be sent to the chaff pile. In my observations I
have seen some growers practicing some things too near the ancient
methods to be approved. I have noticed some growing cabbage seed
without transplanting after it had headed, and others marketing the
head and growing seed from the stump. Some planted onions that
had the appearance of having never matured, and allowed lettuce to
grow so thickly that the plant could show no definite character,—it
would seem with the purpose of producing seed only, rather than pro-
moting the quality of the vegetable.

Nature has provided that the coarsest, hardiest, nearest approach to
the wild nature will be the most abundant in the production of seed,
while the finest grain and finest flavor will be very shy in producing
seed ; and the grower will not proceed very far before he will discover
that the best vegetable seed cannot be produced as cheaply as the
poorest. The difference is very great, and as long as competition is in
price, instead of quality, progress will be greatly hindered, and the
efforts of many seedsmen to obtain their supply lowers the cost of
growing good seed and will be the greatest hindrance to advancing the
quality of many kinds of vegetables.

The present custom of publishing fine catalogues is doing more to
educate the people than any other custom that is before the world to-
day. There may be some very extravagant things said in some cata-
logues, but they will not be harmful in the end, as they will teach all
interested the trend of what is wanted by the public, and enable the
producer to cultivate in that direction. These fine catalogues, the
system of trial grounds in use by the large houses, the system of large
growers subdividing their farms into specialties, each with a foreman,
an expert in his division, and the growing conviction that each kind
of seed should be produced in a climate where the vegetable attains
the highest perfection, —these all tend to raise the character and qual-
ity of the vegetable, as well as the sample of seed offered to the public.

Every seedsman should have as complete a system of trial grounds
as possible, where the vegetable can be grown to maturity, as it will
quickly teach him who is supplying carefully grown seeds in an intel-
ligent manner ; and the person in charge of such grounds should be a
man of large and comprehensive ideas, and as free as possible from
petty prejudices and favoritisms. ‘

It is not only to know that the seed germinates well ; furthermore,
the finest strains are liable to be of weaker germination than the

7.

AMERICAN SEED GROWING. 30

coarser varieties. It is not, however, the case with all kinds, and
a practical seedsman knows where to draw the line. The demands of
some seedsmen who expect seed to germinate nearly 100 per cent. are
a hardship and waste to the grower, and some accepted system should
' be devised whereby merchantable seed should be understood and
agreed upon.

If we are to increase the seed business, we are first to educate the
people how to grow the vegetable in the best manner possible, both as
regards productiveness and quality. To some extent vegetables resem-
ble fruit—if of good quality and approved by the consumer large
quantities will be raised, and the better the vegetable the more sale
there is effected, and consequently more demand for the seed ; for ex-
ample, careful selection has so improved one of our standard varieties
of lettuce that it requires the product of thirty acres for our trade,
while two acres seemed sufficient fifteen years ago, and. I have no
doubt the same increase will be expected on many of the other varie-
ties if given the same attention.

Take the history of the tomato as an article of food. Its introduc-
tion is within the memory of some of our seedsmen, and now it takes
its position with the potato and the cabbage as a common article of
food, for by selection and hybridization it has been changed from the
little pear-shaped ‘‘ love apple ’’ toa magnificent fruit, affording a source
of great profit to the farmer, gardener, and canner, who put it into the
hands of millions of this generation as a delicious article of food,
while it was entirely unknown to the generation that preceded us.
Perhaps the same can be said of nearly every vegetable we grow. The
introduction is not very remote, and the development to the present
attainment belongs to this generation.

Garden seed should and will be grown in a climate that is most
favorable to the production of the vegetable. One favorable for the
growth of vegetables where the seed is eaten (such as peas, beans,
etc.) would be one that induced rapid growth, for we know that the
seed is wanted as soon as possible after sowing, as it is the seed only
that is sought by the gardener, and it would be difficult to get an
early sort where vegetables grow slowly. For the class of vegetables
of which the substance is eaten or used (such as lettuce, cabbage,
cauliflower, etc.) a climate should be selected where the growth is
slow, since the longer the period of running to seed the better, espe-
cially so with lettuce and cabbage. If the seed stock in lettuce makes
its appearance almost as soon as the lettuce is in head the result is very
unsatisfactory, as the quality is regarded as very poor.

36 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

In the climate of California (where my seed farms are located) let-
tuce planted in December will grow fairly well all winter and spring,
but will not run toseed before July or August, or only about as early as
seed planted about Rochester in April. This long time in which seed
may mature is very favorable to the character of the plant, and also —
for half-mature seed.

Stock seed should never be saved in a year when the crop has suf-
fered from hardship in any way, as it tends to run the vegetable
toward the hardy side, instead of a fine grain and tender. Very choice
vegetables only should be selected for stock seed, of just the type that
the grower intends to perpetuate. The type once fixed, he should not
deviate from it, and should be prepared when planting the stock seed, so
that it will not be necessary to use a poor or injured crop. All vege.
tables of a root or bulb character should be grown to maturity in the
best possible manner, and then taken from the ground to stop the root
growth, so that when replanted there will be a fibrous growth, which
is the proper development for biennials, and any effort to plant one
kind of growth into the other has a tendency to run the plant toward
the wild state.

I believe there is to-day a very worthy and creditable competition
in the seed trade to have the very best seeds, finest types, and hon-
estly to distribute the same to their customers. The eagerness to seize
upon any novelties that are offered seems to convince me that compe-
tition in coming years will be solely on the improved vegetable.

In conclusion allow me to say that California has assumed a very
prominent position as a seed-producing location. The business of
growing seed there was begun by R. W. Wilson, formerly of Roches-
ter, N. Y., who began by growing a few acres of lettuce and onions in
1875. From that day the growth of the industry has been most re-
markable, until there is being grown to-day no less than 2500 acres of
garden seeds, including in large variety onion, lettuce, cabbage, cauli-
flower, celery, collards, beet, endive, salsify, parsley, parsnip, leek,
spinach, tomato, radish, etc., besides several acres of flower seeds,
raised by growers who make a definite business of it. In the southern
part of the State a very large acreage is devoted to the culture of
beans, including a large proportion of limas.

My observation as a wholesale grower leads me to believe that there
are so many avenues of experiment and study open to the horticulturist
that the near future will develop more novelties and higher standards
than some of us think it possible to realize.

DISCUSSION OF THE ESSAYS. 37

From THE FLORISTS’ EXCHANGE, August 26, 1893.

DISCUSSION OF THE ESSAYS.

R. WILLIAM MEGGAT, of Connecticut, being called on,
M said he thought the selection and hybridization of plants
was sometimes carried too far. Take, for instance, the
Golden Self-Blanching Celery and White Plume. Some growers per-
sisted in discarding all the green plants. His experience had been
that if these green plants were weeded out the constitution and size
of the vegetable were destroyed, and it was well to have some of them
in. He had noticed in the seed-bed where these varieties and some
- others were sown the seed of the green plant was the largest, had
the most vitality, and produced the biggest plants in the seed-bed.
Gardeners often took the largest plants and had too large a proportion
of green celery, whereas from a second planting, where the smaller
plants had time to grow and develop more, he had nearly all of the
desired kind.

In some sections of the country there was a great deal of fault found
because the Boston market celery did not sucker as it did near Boston.
This he had demonstrated to him by a friend near Boston, who took
plants that showed an inclination to sucker in the seed-bed. These
plants when transplanted, however, did not sucker.

The word ‘‘earliness’’? did not amount to much. It was very
doubtful in his mind whether they were making any progress in that
direction. Some people recommended Northern-grown seed because
it was hardy and early. Any Northern variety of early vegetable was
desirable ; but if they went in for earliness entirely they were likely
at times to sacrifice quality and always size. In a great many, if not
in all cases, earliness in Vermont or Minnesota was desirable ; but in
New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio it did not amount to much, and in
the Southern States it amounted to nothing, in his opinion. A certain
length of season and a degree of heat were necessary to produce the
required vegetable ; and it was impossible to get seed to produce a
late as well as an early variety in Southern States where the conditions
were the same. As an example, he cited the case of the Lima bean,
which grew and flourished luxuriantly in a hot climate. Take the
seed of it grown in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and South-
ern California, and plant them in the trial grounds, and it was impos-
sible to tell which was the earliest. That bean required just such a
length of season to grow, no matter where the seed came from.

36 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

One question that had been suggested by the essays was how they
could do away with so many varieties. He thought that could be
done by growing only the best of its kind. There were some thirty or
forty varieties of early peas ; but those who grew the best would have
no difficulty in filling an order.

While there were some things in the papers read which Mr. Meggat
did not agree with, he said they were the most intelligent and learned
papers he had ever heard. ‘‘ We American seedsmen want to push on
and get better posted in our business ; know the whys and wherefores,
and accept nothing for granted. Like the superstitious Connecticut
farmers, we have gota great many ridiculous ideas we want to get rid of.
We are advancing very rapidly, and, if we push on, I think we will
meet with success.’’? [Applause. ]

In answer to a remark of one essayist, Mr. Megegat said it was bet-
ter to select stock at all times from well-developed seed grown at a
favorable season.

Mr. T. W. Wood, of Virginia, rose to speak in defense of the
South, because it had not been heard from at all. The South had not
been considered a seed-growing district ; everything must be Northern
grown. He asked, were they perfectly correct in that? He was in-
clined to think that the South had a great deal more in it than they
imagined, and would probably develop to greater proportions in seed
growing than they expected. As an example, he cited the case of the
potato. Only four or five years ago everybody wanted a Northern-
grown potato; but what was it to day? The market gardeners of
Pennsylvania and New York were demanding Southern-grown second-
crop seed, and why? Because they had found that they would pro-
duce a larger crop of potatoes. These now formed a large trade,
whereas five years ago a man would have been looked on as having
no knowledge of potatoes had he offered Southern -grown seed.

Take beans as another instance. The Northern-grown pole bean
was a loose-clinging variety ; it did not cling to the pole well, the
Southern-grown bean clinging much better.

He also differed in opinion regarding the egg plant. Where the
plant came to the greatest perfection, there, ue believed, was the
place to get the seed. Much finer and better germinating seed could
be obtained in the South than in New York or New England.

Professor Wittmack * said they found in Europe that very good

Prof. Dri ‘le Tisai ee of Berlin, representative of the German Govern-
ment, also read a paper on “ Horticultural Displays at Future World’s Fairs.”

*.

DISCUSSION OF THE ESSAYS. 39

plants and vegetables were obtained from some seed grown in south-
ern countries. While that was true of these, there were other coun-
tries in Europe where, owing to the coldness of the climate, it was
impossible to ripen seeds. The German seed-raising firms of Benary,
Haage & Schmidt, and others, had parties located in the countries on
the Mediterranean, Algiers, and southern part of France who grew
special seeds for them. Such seeds would not ripen in Germany, still
good results were obtained when they were grown in the North.
The seed of the best small-headed cauliflower raised in Germany was
obtained from Italy. They also imported much of their cauliflower
seed from Denmark. They must not think that seed grown in the
South would not give as good vegetables as that raised in the North.

Mons. de Vilmorin thought that the question did not at all differ
from the principle laid down, viz., that the place where a seed of any
vegetable was grown was the place where that vegetable would be
produced in its most perfect and best developed form. Some seeds,
many of them, might be harvested very conveniently in the North ;
but with some other kinds growing seed away from the South would
mean no seed at all. They in France and Europe could not expect to
grow well and cheaply tomatoes or any of those very early plants ex-
cept on the shores of the Mediterranean, and even south of the Medi-
terranean, because north of it the necessary amount of heat in the
summer was deficient.

Mr. A. W. Livingston, of Iowa, referred to what Mr. Allen had
said in his paper about selection of the first ripe fruit for seed. He
found in his selection of corn that in the first ripe fruit two ears to a
stalk were often obtained, but he’ would never select that kind for
his stock seed unless it was in a country where it, required early
planting. The corn was generally short, there was no such ear on it
as there would be on the next later kind.

With regard to running out of certain plants and certain kinds, he
had a sweet corn which he had had for forty-two years. It was just
as good to day as it ever was; but he selected the seed. The Paragon
Tomato he had grown for twenty-five years, and it was just as good to-
day as it was when he brought it to maturity. He did not think there
was much danger of crops running out if proper selection was made.

Mr. Livingston then narrated a case where he had bought melons of
the Cuban Queen variety in Iowa, which to all appearance were first-
rate goods, but on being cut they were not fit to eat; they had no
taste at all. He thought the difficulty there lay in the soil.

40 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

Professor Bailey, of Cornell, was the next speaker. He eulogized
M. de Vilmorin’s essay ; it endorsed some truths presented by that
gentleman’s father in a most remarkable paper on the heredity of
plants, which appeared some years ago.

He was pleased to hear M. Vilmorin speak of his methods, and to
note that he felt that heredity meant selection,—meant a law in regard
to the improvement of plants. Professor Bailey was fully prepared to
say he believed there was nothing random in nature. Wherever a
variety of plant was got it came from some law which might be un-
known ; it should be our purpose to find out the laws that govern the
selection and improvement of plants.

He had been called on as the originator of the Ignotum Tomato,
which had been received in some parts with favor. He took no credit
as the originator ; it simply chanced to come up on their grounds,
starting from avery inferior sort, and by selecting for two or three
years he had succeeded in fixing the type. It might seem that this
Ignotum Tomato, coming as a chance seedling, from a parentage very
inferior after all, was a mere matter of chance, with no connection ap-
proaching to scientific law. He could not tell where the Ignotum came
from ; there was some reason for its coming. Having once found a
variation, it was the province of man to experiment with it and to en-
deavor to mature and fix that variation so that the plant could be
relied on and offered as a commodity, and this was where skill and
experience could be brought to bear. Men could not do much in the
way of originating variation in plants ; that lay beyond their control ;
but so much depended on the selection of variations, when they did
appear, that they ought to try to induce a good variation first. The
tendency to variation was itself a variation which they must fix ; they
- must fix that heredity in the plant just as much as they would color,
size, or fragrance ; they must endeavor to continue the tendency to
reproduce itself, and when they had done that, they would have ac-
complished one of the most important things that could be accomplished
by selection.

The speaker then went on to treat of the physiological nature of the
paper. For various reasons given it indicated that plants were
amenable to external conditions and especially amenable to selection.
The more crossing in ancestry, the longer will it take to fix the varia-
tion. He thought cross breeding was carried too far ; that by promis
cuous crossing instability was introduced which it would take several
generations to breed out.

THE SEEDSMAN’S TRIAL GROUNDS.

BY W. ATLEE BURPEE.

[READ BEFORE THE CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION,
CuicaGco, AuGuST 14, 1893.]

O thoroughly know seeds and the relative value of their pro-
ducts, both of his own and his competitor’s stocks, to learn the
comparative merits of newly introduced or proposed novelties,

carefully conducted trial grounds are to the progressive seedsman and
his assistants the open book of nature. By trial grounds we mean
the planting and cultivation of the various grains, grasses, vegetables,
and flowers in the open field or garden, each sample being numbered
and careful records being kept from notes taken at various stages of
growth.

Some years ago we were amused at the claim of a large seed house
(no longer in existence) that immediately upon receipt they took three
samples from each bag of every lot of seed,—one from the top, another
from the middle, and a third from the bottom of the bag,—to test for
germinating power. Every careful seedsman will, of course, on ware-
housing his seeds, test a sample of each lot for vitality, but he would
be a poor seedsman who obtained his supplies from such doubtful
sources that the bottom of the bag should not be uniform with the
top or middle. Furthermore, this very emphasis laid, as a guarantee
to planters, upon the thorough vitality test of the seed, brings out
prominently a question as to the quality of the produce. That seeds
grow is of prime importance, but. this can be proven even by the
planter himself before he sows the seed; of equal, nay, of greater,
importance is the knowledge that the seeds planted will yield the
best products of their kind. This knowledge can only be attained by
thorough comparative growing trials conducted each year under con-
ditions as nearly as possible the same as the seeds will receive in
_ the gardens, fields, hot-beds, or greenhouses of the private planter or

_ Inarket gardener.
41

42 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

The object in the conduct of trial grounds is the attainment of
knowledge—truth ; but, as already intimated, this is threefold in its
purposes.

(1) To Know the Seeds He Sells.

A seedsman may travel all over the world, inspecting the various
crops for which he has contracted, but he cannot know that he
actually receives the products of the fields he has inspected unless
after arrival their trueness to type is proved in his trial grounds.
It is only by such tests that he can insure against inferior stocks
or wrong varieties. Mistakes are by no means always to be attri-
buted to intention to deceive, as they often result from ignorance
or carelessness. Just a point in illustration: The past season, —
as was universal, our crops of American Wonders and Premium |
Gem Peas were short, and we sought to make up our requirements
by purchase. We gladly bought a lot of each from a fellow mem-
ber of this Association, who freely told us the name of the grower
in Canada, a man of good repute, whose stocks he said he knew were
right from personal inspection while growing. A row of each of
these, as of every other lot, was, of course, planted at Fordhook, re-
vealing to us, as well as to the astonished seedsman who sold the
peas, a fine, straight sample of Premium Gems labeled American
Wonders. Both lots were identical. The seedsman promptly offered
to refund the difference in price, but that could not recompense for the
harm done, nor relieve our chagrin that a hundred or more customers
the past season received from us Premium Gem Peas under the name
of American Wonders. This seedsman has no trial grounds and might
never have known of his mistake had we not acquainted him with the
fact, for retail buyers do not always complain, some from ignorance
of what the true type should be, and others because they conclude that
the substitution of a cheaper variety was dishonestly done for the sake
of a larger profit.

To-day as we write, comes to hand that excellent little paper,
‘* Gleanings in Bee Culture,’’ for July 15th, where, on page 573, a writer
from Missouri, in the course of an interesting article on gardening
says :—

‘Talk about peas! I always thought one had to plant
a big lot of seed to get a few peas ; but I have changed my
mind this year. American Wonder, ’s catalogue
Says, grow six to eight inches tall, so I gave them no

*

THE SEEDSMAN’S TRIAL GROUNDS. 43

bush to climb on, and they just sprawled out all over
the ground some 18 to 24 inches, but, nevertheless, they
gave us plenty of nice peas.’’

To this the versatile editor, who is himself something of a seedsman,
replies :—

‘** Very good, friend M. Some of the rest of us have
found that the American Wonder peas, for this year, grow
a little more than six to eight inches. I do not know
whether it is the extra soil up in Michigan, where they
are raised, or whether they have got tired of being dwarfs,
and have gone back to old times, or what is the matter.
Nobody has complained, that I know of, because they give
a very large crop of extra nice peas, even if they do go
over more ground than the orthodox ones ought to do.’

* Others of you may have had similar experiences, and this may ex-
plain why in a season when American Wonders were scarcely a third
of a crop there were still ‘‘ enough to go round.’’ Is it well that no-
body complained ? An experienced market gardener certainly would
either have complained most bitterly, or quietly concluded that the
seedsman intentionally deceived him in selling Gems for Wonders.

' Such cases show the value of trials in testing stocks that have been
purchased, but comparative trials are of equal importance in testing
stocks either of the seedsman’s own growing or of his own contract
crops, while as a check upon the contract growers they are invaluable,
being most conducive toward insuring careful ‘‘rogueing’’ and
toward counteracting the temptation which a grower often meets in
the event of a short crop, to purchase other crops, which can be handled
at a profitable margin, but which are hardly of the gilt-edge type the
careful seedsman would want to supply to his market garden trade.
Furthermore, the trial grounds reveal clearly the result of selection of
stock seed in any given line ; they also make clear a point upon which
there is frequently uncertainty on the part of the seedsman as to the
best sections in which to grow their general supplies or the stock seed
of certain varieties. For instance, it is a common practice in the seed
trade to grow pole beans far north, in field culture without the use of
poles. Our trials for years past have indicated that this is very detri-
mental to the climbing tendencies of pole beans. We have noticed
that White Creaseback Beans, obtained originally from Louisiana and
climbing most luxuriantly, largely lose this habit of sticking closely to

4] SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

the poles after being grown far north in field crops without poles. We
could mention many other instances where our trial grounds have
shown that some sections (largely used for seed-growing) are decidedly
unfavorable to the production of the best seeds of certain vegetables.
The luxurious growth which carrots and turnips attain in California
aud Southern Europe seem to give an inbred tendency to seeds of these
vegetables grown there to reproduce a superabundance of tops at the
expense of large, well-formed roots. Similar genial climates, so con-
ducive to luxuriant vegetation, also produce a superabundance of
foliage (outside leaves) to cabbages. These are simply a few instances
from observation of stocks grown in different sections ; of equal import-
ance is the careful study of the various strains of seeds, to note
whether the selection of stock from year to year is being intelligently
made and the types continually maintained or improved.

Well-conducted yearly tests of one’s own stocks are necessary, not
only for the purposes named, but are also useful in giving the seeds-
man the best possible school in which to educate a trained class of em-
ployees. Every year some of the most promising of our young men
are drafted to the farm for the planting, growing, and harvesting sea-
son. Some of these work in the trial grounds and some among the
field crops growing for seed, but all have free access to the “ finder,”’
by which they can learn to know the various vegetables, grains, grasses,
and flowers. When such a man returns to the store, a packet of seed
is more to him than merely one of thousands tied up and stored in
hundreds, he being familiar not only with the plant, habit of growth,
and use of the plant or flower, but also with the distinctive charac-
teristics of the varieties. Young men with such training make intelli-
gent counter salesmen and rational thinking clerks in filling mail
orders, sometimes eventually developing a capacity for taking charge
of a department or of starting in business for themselves.

(2) To Know His Competitor’s Stocks.

The wide-awake seedsman will not be content merely to test the
strains of seeds which he himself is selling, but will also want to know
how they compare with seed of the same varieties sold by other growers.
This is a most important use of the trial grounds, for it may be that
one of the seedsman’s competitors has devoted very special attention
to a given variety, and while his own stock of this variety may be good,
his competitor’s may be better. The seedsman who annually conducts
thorough trials is not. obliged to wait for a falling off of trade to tell
him that other houses are selling better strains of seeds of any varieties

THE SEEDSMAN’S TRIAL GROUNDS. 45

than his own. Such comparative trials will keep the progressive
seedsman thoroughly in touch with the work of growers, both at
home and abroad, and will sometimes show that he should drop
stocks which he considered first-class and adopt in their stead others
which are better. This is an age of progress, and it should be the aim
of every seed grower to attain in each variety of seed as nearly to per-
fection as possible ; one man, often a market gardener, may develop an
improved strain of a given specialty ; it is the business of the competent
seedsman to secure the best of each variety.

As might be expected in a business so modern in its development,
the standard of quality for seeds is continually advancing ; twenty
years ago it was comparatively easy to build up a new seed trade by
careful attention to ordinary details, as trial grounds were then almost
unknown and the public were not so critical in their purchase of seeds.
To-day the conditions are changed, and while many purchasers are still
ignorant of the types of the different varieties, a large proportion can
discriminate, not only between varieties, but also between good seeds
and better. So steadily is the public advancing in ability to discrimi-
nate, that to-day it is hardly possible for jobbers in the seed trade,
either at home or abroad, to do a large trade merely because of low
prices ; the retail dealer and florist is fast learning that he can only
hold and extend his trade in seeds by handling such as are known to
be true to name and of first-class quality. We think it will not be
long before the better class of retail dealers will demand as their right
the inspection of the trial grounds of the seedsman from whom they
obtain their supplies, so that they in their turn can intelligently recom-
mend the seeds which they handle.

(3) To Learn the Comparative Merits of Newly Introduced or Pro-
posed Novelties.

The keen appetite for ‘‘ novelties’? now leads every hybridizer or
discoverer, particularly European growers, to herald any variation or
improvement as something new and extremely valuable, painting its
description in glowing colors. To appease this appetite too many seeds-
men take the so-called new varieties under the introducers’ descriptions
and herald them broadcast throughout the land, without any personal
knowledge as to their respective merits or demerits. This is seldom
safe. A seedsman’s customers have the right to assume that they can
trust the descriptions in his catalogue. Never, unless in very excep-
tional cases, should the seedsman run the risk of betraying this confi-
dence by recommending a variety of which he knows nothing person-

46 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

ally ; it is better to wait a year to test the variety and prove whether
it be of real merit or not. It is hardly necessary to enlarge upon the
importance of this, as we all know how many of the novelties continu-
ally introduced either fail to be of distinct character or to show marked
improvement upon existing varieties. We are glad to notice that
much attention has lately been devoted by Horticultural Associations
and State experiment stations to condemning the pernicious practice of
renaming varieties for the sake of securing ‘‘ novelties ;”’ this is par-
ticularly objectionable, but is clearly revealed to the seedsman who
studies his thorough trial grounds. The past spring we had in our
trial grounds five samples under five different names, from different
seed houses, of an early lettuce, all of which proved to be the same,
and annually many of the so-called new varieties received from home
and foreign growers prove identical with old varieties with which, per-
haps, as doubtless is often the case, the supposed introducer is not ac-
quainted. From a mere pecuniary standpoint it never ‘‘ pays’’ in the
long run to introduce or recommend a novelty unless it is both distinct
and valuable : it is far better to hold the confidence of one’s customers
so that they will recognize the fact that reliance can be placed in the
statements of their favorite seedsman.

Again, it too often occurs that old varieties of established excellence
are dropped to make room for newer sorts which the seedsman thinks
will sell better. Kindly permit a personal case to illustrate: we all
know that many varieties of cabbage have been introduced in the past
twelve years, we ourselves having introduced several, and yet in all
that time we have been careful to select and maintain the Surehead
Cabbage, introduced seventeen years ago, and the fact that we still
annually sell 20,000 packages more of this variety than of any other
demonstrates the advisability of never dropping a variety because it is
old,—unless there is something new to fill the same place that is really
better. Although given centuries before trial grounds were thought
of, there can be no better rule for their conduct to-day than ‘‘ To prove
all things, and hold fast to that which is good.”’

3y thorough trial grounds giving comparative tests of one’s own
stock with his competitor’s stock and with everything new that is
offered, the seedsman is enabled, by careful comparison, to detect
synonymous varieties. In the generally well-edited catalogue of a
prominent house we were surprised to notice the following paragraph
in the introduction this season :—

‘Tn our last year’s catalogue we endeavored to offer a
'

THE SEEDSMAN’S TRIAL GROUNDS. 47

less number of varieties, selecting only those that were
the very best, but we have discovered that the extent of
this country would not admit of the condensation of
varieties, as many of them, although really duplicates
of other sorts, have their local popularity, and are only
known by local names. These duplications can only be
reduced by practical experience and thorough testing.’’

Now, others may differ with us, but we honestly think it should be
the practice of the seed trade never to sell the same variety of seed
under two names, but where necessary, besides the proper name to
give the synonyms in brackets. The closing sentence of the paragraph
just read says that ‘‘These duplications can only be reduced by
practical experience and thorough testing :’’—such thorough testing,
with experience to judge, certainly should be the business of the seeds-
man. Red Valentine Beans are generally well known throughout the
country, and the fact that they are sold in the Baltimore market as Red
Marrow should not induce the seedsman to catalogue Red Marrow
separately, thus misleading some with the impression that it is a
different bean. A seeming exception may rightly be made in so
important an item as extra early peas, of which each seedsman
naturally strives to have the earliest and best strain, and as a sign of
his faith can properly attach his name, but this is no excuse for offer-
ing, as do several catalogues, extra early peas under half a dozen
or more different names, when there cannot be in the warehouse of any
seedsman so many distinct strains of what was originally known as
Philadelphia Extra Early Peas. We thoroughly advocate giving all
the synonymous names in brackets where there is no doubt of the
identity, except in the case of names given by a few houses who make
re-naming so common a practice that only the most ignorant can be
deceived.

A greatly needed reform that can only be accomplished by a thorough
system of comparative trials is the securing of accurate descriptions
and life-like illustrations of varieties. Carelessness in this respect has
been altogether too prevalent. For instance, a few years ago the
orginator of the Banquet Melon was quite exercised as to whether he
really had the novelty that he believed, because a seedsman used in his
catalogue an illustration of a melon from a photograph that was iden-
tically the same in outer appearance as the Banquet, and nowhere in
his description did he mention the color of the flesh. Comparative
trial demonstrated the fact that the other melon was green-fleshed

48 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

while the Banquet was salmon-fleshed. Such carelessness in descrip-
tion is inexcusable, but how much more frequently do we find inac- .
curacy in illustration. This year we are growing Nott’s Excelsior
Peas, having become convinced of their merit, and, with a view to
cataloguing same next year, had photographs made from which to have
an illustration engraved. In doing this we referred to the catalogues
of the two seedsmen (both recognized as honorable houses) from whom
we had obtained the seed for planting, to see in what manner they illus-
trated the variety. One we found used evidently a fancy engraving,
as it did not in any respect resemble the variety, the peas being well-
rounded, whereas they are always so crowded together in the pods that
they are flattened at the sides, like the Potato Lima. The other firm
had used (probably unknowingly) to represent Nott’s Excelsior an illus-
tration which was engraved from a photograph taken some years ago
of our Quantity Pea at the time of its introduction.

As Chairman of your Committee of the Seed Division of the Horti-
cultural Congress, to open on Wednesday, I can promise several very
interesting papers, by experienced European and American horticul-
turists, hence I will avoid the temptation to trespass further upon your
time in mentioning many interesting facts revealed in our trial grounds
this year and past seasons. In closing, however, with the hope that
others who have trial grounds may do likewise, I would extend to the
members of this Association who may travel East, an invitation to stop
over in Philadelphia and take an easy hour’s journey to Fordhook
Farm, where our trials will be freely shown and methods fully
explained.

FROM THE ESSAYS AT CHICAGO,
AUGUST, 1893."

HEN the White City has become a thing of the past, with
all trace of where the magnificent buildings once stood com-
pletely obliterated, the sayings of the wise men who spoke

at the Congresses will still be remembered. Our own Horticultural
Congress, led by not only our own wise men, but those also from the
far-off East, was a grand gathering, and a few extracts from the pro-
ceedings, here reproduced, will not be out of order at this time.

Professor Trelease on ‘‘ Technical Horticultural Education.’’

Specialism is the only way by which rapid progress can be made,
and the world now expects it; but unless care is taken it dwarfs the
individual, rendering him narrow, and at the same time opinionated,
and to this extent lessens his usefulness and defeats its own end.
* *&

Technical training is intended primarily to make specialists. It is
eminently practical, and its utility is measured by its practical results.
x *

There does not exist a single American school of which I know that
has a systematic, well-balanced course in the theory and practice of
horticulture, from which any considerable number of practical horti-
culturists are graduated, nor do I see any present prospects of a change
in this respect. * * *

For several years members of the Bodicty of American Florists and
other intelligent and thoughtful men have been agitating the question
of a school of floriculture. Their business is one of increasing dignity
and profit, and there is room for the employment in it of a great deal
of taste, technical knowledge, and intelligence. * * *

Mr. Dyer, the director of Kew Gardens, does not consider schools of
gardening beneficial. He looks on gardening as a trade, best learned
in the practice ; and it must be admitted that many of the best gar-

* Under this heading Tur Fiorists’ ExcHANGE, September 30, 1893, gives
a number of well-chosen extracts. Those from papers read at other sessions
than the Seedsmen’s Division we take pleasure in reprinting. We have
omitted the extracts from President Bonney’s opening address, and also from
the papers and remarks of Messrs Vilmorin, Allen, Burpee, Morse, Meggat, and
Professor Bailey, as these will be found printed in full in the preceding pages.
—wW. A. B. & Co.

4 49

50 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

deners have risen through the great seed and plant establishments,
without any schooling other than that of every-day routine and home
reading! ae

Brawn is not so well paid as brain because it is more abundant, and
few intelligent men, with the power to rise higher, are willing to set
for their ideal the lowest standard in their profession. * * *

Of theoretical gardeners I shall say nothing, because the demand for
them as a class is not very great, but there is a steady demand for
both laborers and educated, practical men. * * *

The kernel of the problem of horticultural education is to teach the
trade of gardening well, as a trade, and to supplement it with thought-
fulness, observation and a taste for experimenting, and enough learn-
ing to bring the man in touch with his fellows and to enable him to
make his attainments useful to them as well as to himself. * * *

The obstacle in the way of evening classes (which at present is the
best method open) is that few cities can supply for them students
enough to warrant the labor and expense of maintaining them and
supplying them with good teachers. A fair substitute might be
organized among the younger members of every large plant establish-
rei. roe

No isolated school can keep together a body of good horticulturists
as teachers unless well endowed and well patronized by paying
Students. * -* 02%

To be successful in America at the present day, a school of garden-
ing must possess ample facilities for growing plants of many kinds in
considerable quantities. It must be equipped with the necessary
laboratory appliances, and it must count manual labor as an essential
part of its course, and limit other instruction tostrictly practical sub-
jects, taught almost exclusively in the field and the laboratory. It
cannot put the age of admission too high nor the requirements for
admission, nor insist upon too long a period of practical experience as
an entrance requirement. * * *

I do not see how in this country a gardening course extending over
more than two years can be made to attract and hold many students,
unless free tuition and some further gratuity is given, but while a two
years’ course must sacrifice some of the manual labor of a longer
course, I believe that it would be very helpful to those wishing to
become practical gardeners or florists—it being, of course, understood
that it must be rounded out by further practical experience obtained
in good establishments either before entrance or after the completion
of the course: ®.*> = >

EXTRACTS FROM ESSAYS. 51

If a sufficient number of pupils could be counted upon, I believe
that private or governmental endowment for a school of gardening
worthy of the name could be secured within a few years. Is it
wanted and would it be used ?

I most heartily wish that you may succeed in establishing higher
schools of gardening ; but first begin with the lower ones, that is the
most important subject.—DR. WITTMACK, of Germany.

France had only two grades of horticultural schools ; they did not
possess, neither did they see any urgent necessity for, a lower grade of
gardeners, whose aspirations did not go beyond being useful and
efficient workmen. For these evening lectures were provided, either
through the horticultural societies, or simply by the efforts of em-
ployers.—HENRI DE VILMORIN, Paris.

Agriculture must succeed because it is the foundation upon which
rests all other industries ; but it did not succeed in comparison with
mechanical pursuits, therefore, something must be wrong with agri-
culture all the country over. * * This country had not come to the
period to which the French, Germans, and other European nations
had got, when we needed especial training in the minute laws of
horticultural work.—PROFESSOR BAILEY.

Supt. McMillan, of Buffalo, on “Improvement and Care of Public
_ Grounds.”

The fine qualities of many of our native shrubs are largely ignored
in selecting plants for ornamental shrubberies. For many fine kinds
there is so little demand that nurserymen do not propagate them, and
those they do handle may be imported plants raised abroad from ex-
ported seed. This may be partly due to divers conditions here of
climate and cost of laber ; but it shows public indifference to a re-
markable extent. * * *

Planting for autumn effect is worthy of experiment on a_ large
scale, but it is rarely considered. * * *

The elements of natural beauty in the distinctive forms and in the
foliage of tree and shrub in thespring and summer stages also receive
scant attention in general. The difference in size and shape, and
habit of growth, and in the shades of green are infinite, and the
manner in which they mingle and blend in combination is natural
beauty of the highest order. * * *

52 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

Broad-leaved evergreen shrubs are also a distinctive class of great
beauty when their native qualities can be fully displayed by thrifty,
vigorous growth. Their bright foliage is especially valuable in winter
if it be above a zero temperature. * * *

Every plant is beautiful.or not in proportion to the vigor of its
growth—the best measure of a healthy condition. * * *

In the planting for landscape effect, the future development, both
near and far, must be taken into account. * * *

A prominent floral display of exotic plants is not in character with
the general tone of a rural landscape. The contrast is usually too
strong to be agreeable, but in small grounds of a formal type, or in
sections of a larger ground, where artificial constructions are promi-
nent, the luxury of a flower garden will be more fully enjoyed. * * *

The taste which perceives the scenic value of such places and con-
serves them for the public enjoyment is a promising sign of the
strength of public sentiment, which, in any community, may be de-
pended on to support all intelligent effort in the improvement of the
public ground, to conserve and develop its natural beauty.

Besides the natural and architectural schools of gardening there was
another which was fast occupying a place in horticultural history,
and that was the ‘‘Composite.’? That was a school which recognized
virtues in both*the other schools. * * *

The great French landscape gardener, André, had expressed it as his
conviction that the composite style of gardening would become the
most popular because it was the prettiest, and was willing to recog-
nize beauty, whether of form or color or growth, or in any other
ah ee

I know that the school which Mr. McMillan represents objects to all
colored foliage, such as is produced by the purple beech, Prunus pis-
sardi, the golden Sambucus, and others. They find no place in their
schools of gardening for such things. Are they not intrinsically
beautiful, and would they hurt or would they help the adornment of
Such, places?) * * *

In view of the effect that flowers had on civilization he was sur-
prised that the school of gardening known as the “‘ natural ’’ school
ignored color altogether in the production of the landscape which it
was their duty to create.—ROBERT CRAIG.

A good landscape gardener ought to blend color with trees in the

.

EXTRACTS FROM ESSAYS. 53

shape of pretty flowers. A variety of color was exceedingly useful,
and made a lasting impression on the eye.—M. DE VILMORIN.

Gardening, it seemed to him, was not a mere matter of form; a
mere matter of reproduction of contours, of circles, or of undulations ;
it was a matter of form and color blended in such a way as to produce
the greatest pleasure to the greatest number of people, and to be
restful and fascinating.—PRoF. TRELEASE.

There was a time and a place for everything, and it seemed to him
that the so-called natural style of gardening was detrimental to the
florist. He then went on to describe the exactments of the naturalistic
school. Everybody hada right to ornament his garden as _ he pleased.
A good many things had been said about the formality of the present
style of gardening, but he wished to say that it had done more to
create a love for horticulture and to promote horticulture than any
other style. —JOHN THORPE.

The taste in the arrangement of decorative flowers in the United
States was entirely different from that of Germany. In some respects
he thought the American decorations were a little too realistic and very
often too stiff, and he wished that these might be improved in this
country. —DR. WITTMACK.

Nature makes use of color in a very easy and informal way, and if
we are to introduce masses of color among trees and shrubberies in
such places where naturalistic treatment has improved them, then we
should introduce them in a naturalistic way, in groups which are
irregular, as if they occur there naturally. Do not scatter them overa
landscape, for they will be like so many blots of ink upon the whole
scene.— PROF. BAILEY.

Charles D. Garfield on “Relation of Experiment Stations to
Horticulture.”

He asked them to give the experiment stations enough work to do.
Commercial success was endangered by fussing with experiments.
% * x

The demand was for new things and better methodsin horticulture.
*¥ *

54 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

The duty of commercial horticulturists to these stations was to ask
questions. 474.7 2% |

They should not ask for results too quickly. The fact that they
had not been patient had led to the greatest errors. An experiment
was not an experiment until it had been carried to its culmination.
x *

Commercial horticulture had a right to demand intelligent and en-
thusiastic laborers in these stations. * * *

We should demand that those who have charge of these stations shall
select wisely and well men who are to conduct them. * * *

The work of these stations was scientific, educational, and practical.

Most of the bulletins sent out by the experiment stations were not
fit to read, and were cast aside by him because they contained such
poor material, 9 5%" *

An experiment worker had no right to be in the station unless he
started out in the beginning and said he would be honestin everything
that he did or said. - When that was the case he was fit for the Kingdom
of Heaven. And he sometimes thought that experiment stations fitted
men, if they started out with this idea, for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Prof. Dr. L. Wittmack on “Horticultural Displays at Future
World’s Fairs.”

If ever it should be necessary to demonstrate the utility—nay, the
necessity—of gardening, World’s Fairs would prove it. How would
the mostsplendid buildings look if they had no beautiful environments?
A World’s Fair without landscape is like a picture without a frame.
% x *

Grace to the architect, grace to the landscape gardener, the Colum-
bian World’s Fair is a splendor that never has been seen before. * * *

I come to a point which in future World’s Fairs should be taken
into consideration. I mean the whole of Horticulture, be it for decor-
ating purposes or exhibiting purposes, if single or collective exhibits,
must lie in one hand ; there must be no division, no landscape garden-
ing and horticulture, ashere. * * *

We come to another important question—the judges. Here in |
Chicago has been adopted, as you all know, the principle of a single
judge, who shall make a brief report of the articles that have been ex-
amined by him, and recommend an award or not. The departmental
jury, his colleagues, shall then confirm or refuse his decision. It has

EXTRACTS FROM ESSAYS. 5d

been said in favor of the single judge principle that a single judge will
be more careful when he knows that he alone by his signature shall
give the verdict. It is also said that the work will go on quicker.
But I think that there is much more danger than benefit in this sys-
tome) Bons *

A keen judge will perhaps say ‘‘ no award,’’ another will say one
award is better than none. In this way the awards may be multiplied
in number and diminished in their value. * * *

In horticulture the judges have accepted the principle of a single
judge, thinking it would be better to continue adopting the method in
use since the month of March, when the first cyclamens were examined
by the judge. I fear that this system will have bad consequences for
some of the exhibitors. The jury which shall confirm the report of
the single judge from March to July has not seen the articles ; it must,
in most cases, rely on the single judge. * * *

But forthe jury in horticulture arises still another difficulty. In all
other departments, members of a World’s Fair jury may assemble at a
given date and examine their objects, but in horticulture that has to be
done all the year round ; therefore a jury for horticulture should be or-
ganized at the beginning of the exposition. The president and secretary
should reside in the city, or in the neighborhood of that city in which
the exposition takes place, that their examinations may be continued.
There should be a sufficient number of other gentlemen of that same
country in which the exposition is to be held, who might assemble
every fortnight, and if there are horticultural representatives of foreign
countries who stay the whole time, they might also enter as judges for
the whole fair. Other foreign judges may be requested to come when
their specialty will be best displayed. * * *

As many exhibitors will exhibit several times, first, perhaps, lily of
the valley, then roses, afterwards asters, there should be given points
for each exhibition and these points added together, a certain number
of points, say 100, being the standard, which must be the rate during
the whole of the exhibition for getting an award. But what award ?
Shall there in future be only one award in the form of a medal of
bronze, as here? Would it not be better to make gold, silver, and
bronze medals of different grades? I think the latter way is the better,
the man obtaining 100 points to receive a bronze medal, the one obtain-
ing 200 points a silver medal, and a man obtaining 500 to 600 points a
gold medal. * * *

In general I think our gardeners are accustomed to too many medals
at one exposition. At horticultural exhibitions it may happen that a

56 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

man gets five or ten prizes. At industrial expositions the manufacturer
gets but one medal. * * *

A gardener expects one for lily of the valley, one for syringa, and
one for roses. Still, I must confess that there is a little difference be-
tween the article of the goldsmith and of the gardener, as each flower
often forms a specialty.. Nevertheless, I think a gardener will be more
satisfied when he gets one higher medal for all these collections together,
than several lower ones. * * *

A difference should be made between prizes and awards ; prizes may .
be given each fortnight for a collection of begonias, roses, etc., but
awards should only be given for the whole together at the end of the
feria honk

As soon as the plants can be judged and the judgments confirmed, a
label should be posted on the plants showing who is the owner. As it
is now, the gardeners who have exhibited primroses or cyclamen in the
spring and others to July, have received no benefits from their exhibits
for this year ; in fact, no award has been made, and it is still a secret.
Gardeners might have done business if a label of award had been
placed on their plants.

E. V. Hallock on ‘‘ Knowledge in the Seed Trade.”

The giving of credit is a matter in which great judgment should be
exercised, both as to men and circumstances. The knowledge of where
to find the various stocks where climatic conditions meet the require-
ments of the particular trade is also essential. * * *

Knowledge was also a barrier to fraud. There were men who did
not care what they sold, who, as a rule, were deterred from fraud when
they knew the buyer was master of his business. Foreigners used to
prey upon the ignorance of buyers, but that time had passed. He
wanted to warn all foreign dealers and growers that we were beyond
the point where we did not know what we bought.

An Apostrophe to Flora.

Of the many gifts bestowed upon man the first and greatest of all
was woman, and as she stands before us in harmonious apparel is she
any the less beautiful in our eyes because of the sparkle of the dia-
mond, the gleam of the emerald or the ruby, as their shafts of color
scintillate before our eyes? Do we admire her less because of the
chaste and delicate pearls which encircle herthroat? I think not. To
be sure, these are not necessities. Life can be sustained and enjoyed

EXTRACTS FROM ESSAYS. 57

without them ; but left to herself to choose, she instinctively adds to
her personal charms by drawing upon Nature’s treasure-house.—M. A.
Hunt, before Florists’ Session.

Robert Craig on ‘‘ The Present of Floriculture.”

Of one thing we can rest assured, as long as the love of the beautiful
inheres in man, floriculture shall not lack ardent supporters. * * *

In the great rush of American life the garden offers rest.
Much has lately been written, and well written, in the leading horti-
cultural journals, of the adornment of the spacious grounds surround-
ing the homes of the wealthy, but not enough in the way of suggestions
as to the tasteful planting and correct culture of the smaller gardens
of those not so endowed with worldly possessions ; there is not room in
these little spots for extensive landscape effects ; they must be adorned
in a more or less formal way, but such arrangement need not violate
any principle of true art. * * *

Besides the natural style of landscape gardening there is another
known as the architectural or formal ; the latter recognizes that there
exists in the minds of many a love of symmetry and regularity, and
the outcome is the production of formal beds in various attractive pat-

terns, which, when the work is skillfully done, are much admired.
* *

es

There is another schoolof gardening known asthe composite, which is
willing to recognize merit in both of the other schools and whose present
problem is to decide on the proper location and relations of illustrations
of both methods, cheerfully recognizing that each is right in its own
place. No less an authority than the distinguished French landscape
gardener, André, has recently said: ‘‘To the composite style, which
results from a mingling of the other two, under favorable conditions,
belongs the future of gardening art.” * * *

Some of the most gratifying exhibits at the World’s Fair are the
greenhouses and conservatories, which is the result of conferences be-
tween the best cultivators of plants and the greatest architects, the
outcome being that the structures are beautiful from an architectural
standpoint and eminently adapted to the purpose required. * * *

Another hopeful sign of the times is the interest taken in the im-
proved varieties of outdoor bedding plants, such as roses, geraniums,
carnations, verbenas, etc. This is notable in the case of the dwarf
large-flowering cannas of the ‘‘ Crozy’”’ type. These latter are destined

58 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

to play a great part in the future of American gardening ; they not
only produce a continuation of brilliant bloom, but are also graceful
in foliage and growth. * * *

The canna is a grand plant, and its improvement is yet in its in-
fancy. Like the chrysanthemum, it is destined to grow in popularity.
ee *

While outdoor gardening is receiving due attention, there was never
a time when plants under glass and flowers for cutting were grown in
such perfection, the improved greenhouses of to-day contributing
ereatly to the result. The growing interest in aquatic plants is espe-
cially noticeable ; their cultivation is yearly better understood. * * *

The modern trade catalogue must not be forgotten among the
agencies which advance ‘horticulture. They are educational in a high
degree, and their illustrations are faithful to nature more than at any
previous time. * * *

It is to be hoped that botanical gardens will soon be established in
several large cities. * * *

On the whole, the outlook is very encouraging ; it is only necessary
for each of us, while being diligent in our own business, to make some
personal sacrifice for the public good, and to help by our sympathy
and work all societies, clubs, and managers of public exhibitions in
every reasonable way.

E. G. Hill on ‘‘ The Future of Floriculture.”’

The word floriculture, strictly defined, means the culture of flowers,
but each day gives to it a wider significance ; it means not only the
growing of plants and the production of flowers, but it also implies the
artistic arrangement of both, either in the embellishment of grounds
or the decoration of interiors; it implies a knowledge of the laws
which govern plant life; an understanding of the soils from which
they derive their sustenance ; an acquaintance with their enemies and
how to conquer them.

Wonderful lessons are learned by a study of plant life, if only it is
studied seriously ; the artist is taught form, arrangement and color ;
pendent branches, trailing vines, glossy foliage, are suggestions of
value to the decorator. * * *

Floriculture has a great future in America, from the fact that the
home is the center and citadel of our American civilization. The
homes of the future will conserve and support our art. * * *

One of the greatest educational influences of the times is the work
done by the horticultural press in so attractively leading their readers

EXTRACTS FROM ESSAYS. 59

on to a higher standard of home adornment. In addition to the plants
now in general use, we shall see from year to year an increasing
demand for the more purely decorative plants, such as palms, dra-
czenas, pandanus, and crotons for interiors, while the newer trees and
shrubs will attract increasing interest. * * *

Contrast the old country burying-ground with the modern cemetery,
_ and see what landscape art and floriculture have done ; and this work
is only in its infancy, with a wide outlook for the future. * * *

The successful florist of the future must be an artist as well asa
mere grower of plants ; our profession is both an art and a science.
x *

The artistic florist will make his place a medel which the average
customer may safely copy, not, as now so often seen, an aggregation of
glass houses, workshops, dirt piles, disorder, and anything but a place
of floral beauty. * * *

Technical schools will do for floriculture what the industrial schools
are doing for workers in metals, fabrics, and woods. Such institutions
already have a footing in Europe, and their influence is being felt
through the young men of the profession. * * *

The men who elevate their professions are invariably students,
whether in or out of school, men who by research and study solve
problems and make rough paths straight. * * *

There is no reason why theory and practice need be divorced in
floriculture. I can do no better than quote Mr. A. Whittle’s admir-
able words at our fourth convention : ‘‘ When will the world know
horticulture to be what it is—a pursuit that requires of its workers
constant forethought and continual study? When gardeners them-
selves are willing to lift the class by the grand power of education
from the rank of mere artisans, when by the careful and laborious
investigation of the secrets of Nature we can advance theories and cite
facts—not till then shall we have our place in the world of thought.’’
x * #

It is estimated that the twentieth century will see over a hundred
million people north of the Rio Grande ; grant three-tenths of them a
love for flowers, and do you see what the floriculture of the future
must become? The future shall bring forth the wondrous product of
the hybridizer ; new varieties of plants suited to climate and require-
ment shall he produce. Great possibilities are in store for us in this
direction ; America will, in the near future, produce its Lemoine,
Guillot, and Veitch.

From THE FLORISTS’ EXCHANGE, New York, September 16, 1893.

MODERN METHODS OF THE SEED TRADE,

BY C. L. ALLEN. ¢

HE American seed trade and the growing of seeds as an industry
have made rapid ‘progress in our country within the past sixty
years. Previous to 1830 there were but few men in America

that were seedsmen by profession. Some of the few had established
seed houses that are still an honor to the craft and the nation ; they
were growers as well as sellers of seeds, and they figured largely in the
development of the industry. With the growth of the country seed
houses sprang up rapidly, keeping pace with other classes of business.
In most cases the merchants were seed sellers rather than seedsmen ;
they bought and sold seeds as they would buy and sell grain, simply
by name and from external appearances. There were but few men
that knew varieties of other than the more common vegetables, and
these men were of foreign birth, and brought with them deep-seated
convictions that, while good vegetables and flowers could be grown in
this country their seeds could not, and but little effort was made to
produce other than those that could not be grown in Europe.

The seedsmen of that period had but few varieties to offer, and these
were accepted without question or thought that there were, or might
be, better ones elsewhere. Beyond. the narrow limits of the cities,
their suburbs, and the larger towns and villages, gardening was done
on a limited scale only. But little attention was paid to luxuries,
and what were considered as Such then, are now regarded necessities.
Such sorts as contributed to the support of life were cultivated, and
the seeds from these were carefully saved for use the coming year.

The smaller towns and villages were supplied by the Shakers, who
were among the first to distribute seeds throughout the country, and
the quantity sold was exceedingly small. The vegetable garden was
well ordered when it would furnish marrowfat peas, Mohawk beans,
Wethersfield red onions, Early York and Flat Dutch cabbage, Cluster
cucumber, Bush and Canada crook-neck squash, and Tuscarora corn.

»* 60

MODERN METHODS OF THE SEED TRADE. 61

In the rural districts there was but little money, and that had to meet
urgent necessities, and when the garden was planted a friendly inter-
change of seeds among neighbors was the practice.

Contrast the past with the present and note the change! Scarcelya
variety of vegetable that was then grown is now in use, and some
species then unknown as vegetables are now the most generally cul-
tivated of any in the garden. Seed-growing has become one of the
most important industries we have. Our wharves and warehouses
then groaned under the weight of seeds coming into this country ;
they now groan under the loads going out. Those who now sell seeds
are, as a rule, seedsmen, and their business is conducted on that broad
scale, and with the zeal and intelligence that is so prominent a feature
in all our commercial transactions. They not only buy, sell, and pro-
duce, but they know what they are buying, selling, and producing.
They fully understand the fundamental principles of agriculture,
which includes the development by selection. They understand the
causes of variation through climatic influences and conditions of soil ;
they know what varieties are best adapted to the varidus conditions
that exist in this wide range of country ; they know how and where
the best seed is produced. The fact that a given variety is of great
value in one section or locality and valueless in another not far dis-
tant, is fully understood, which enables them to provide wisely for
each locality.

Herein lies the difference between the seedsman and the man who
sells seed. The one sells with a full knowledge of what he is selling,
and the other regardless of it. There is but one school where this
knowledge can be obtained; that school is the farm or garden, and ex-
perience is the teacher. To obtain a comprehensive knowledge of
seeds and plants one must become thoroughly acquainted with them ;
they must commence with the seed when it is put into the earth and
carefully study each metamorphosis until it reproduces itself, and
when we consider the vast number of varieties, each having peculiari-
ties strictly its own, and requiring conditions suited to it, this is no
easy task. To gain this knowledge seedsmen established what are
called

Trial Grounds,

which are systematic plantings of everything they sell, and what is
offered to them for sale, in order to test the relative and intrinsic merits
of each. One of the most extensive of these we have ever visited is
that of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., at Fordhook Farm.

62 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

This farm is situated near Doylestown, Bucks Co., Pa. ;—the land is
rolling, mostly friable loam, underlaid with red sandstone, and inter-
mediate in character between a heavy and light soil, the best possible
for general trials, and the results will be the same as on the average
farms of the country. As all varieties of soils are not to be expected
on one farm, the one that is best adapted to the greatest number of
varieties offers the greatest advantage for this purpose.

A visit tothis farm isa rare treat to those who are fond of the
beautiful in floral forms, but doubly so to those who come to study
the plant as a whole. As we called, not to see, but to study methods
of cultivation, and the value of what is produced, We note our obser-
vations of the objects and results of the trials made there. We take
them in the order shown us, as it best illustrates the purposes and
methods of Mr. Burpee ; they are as follows :—

First— Trials of all stocks of vegetable seeds a year previous to their
being sent out, in order to test the quality of the product.

This is the seedsman’s sheet anchor; upon it he depends for an ac-
curate knowledge of the quality of the seeds he sends out. The im-
portance of this cannot be over-estimated. However careful he may
be to secure the best stocks, he must of necessity depend upon the
growers of all countries, and in many sections of the same country, for
his supply, and, while he employs every safeguard possible, he is
liable to get stocks that are unsatisfactory. This is particularly true
in case of short crops, in which case the growers and wholesale dealers,
anxious to fill all orders, are liable to use seeds that are not up to the
highest standard. Besides that, climatic influences have much to do
in changing the character of types, so that with the greatest possible
' care results are disappointing. On the other hand, the very best
strains of seed, those that give the best satisfaction in one locality, may
be worthless in another ; in both cases the seedsman will he held re-
sponsible for the results. It is therefore highly important for him to
know the true character of the article he sells, and the only way to
know is to prove by actual trial just what the seeds will produce.
This is done at Fordhook in the most careful and systematic way. Of
radishes, beets, turnips, onions, lettuce, and all other vegetable seeds
that are usually sown in drills there is a row ten feet in length sown,
the soil first being prepared in the best manner, and made as rich asis
necessary to produce good results, not with the expectation of great
results, but simply to show what the purchaser is to expect from ordi-
nary cultivation. Each plant is allowed sufficient room for its perfect

MODERN METHODS OF THE SEED TRADE. 63

development, and the same care is given in cultivation that is required
in all well-ordered gardens. A record is kept of the date of planting,
time of germination, and the conditions of the weather. When the
product is ready for use, the crops are thoroughly inspected, and notes
made of size, color, shape, and quality of the vegetable, and if, from
any cause, there is a mixture. If the test proves ‘satisfactory, the
stock is marked for use; if the reverse, it is discarded, and that with-
out regard to its cost. If, because of some unfavorable condition of
climate, the test is not up to the standard, another year’s trial is given
it, the result of which is final. All vine seeds, and such as require
much room, are given all they require and are put to the same severe
test.

Seconp—The testing of the leading seeds sold by competitors in the
trade.

In warfare the first duty of the general is to ascertain the strength
of the enemy ; and the seedsman who is awake to his interests must
know just what others in the trade are offering their customers, so
that if they have discovered a better variety, or a better source of sup-
ply for the same variety, he can avail himself of it. The interest now
taken in horticulture has made every gardener a critic, and the seeds-
man who has not the best of everything will soon find himself without
a clientage. Here the same care is given the competitor’s stocks as
with Mr. Burpee’s own ; as they are grown for information, they are
grown as well as possible, in order that the best may be given.

In this connection is placed the seeds sold by many of the large dry-
goods houses throughout the country, and the trials, to say the least,
are quite amusing. These houses buy at the lowest price seeds can
be put up for, and sell by the single paper at less than one-half the
price a good article costs the dealer. The result shows the utter worth-
lessness of the seeds. Of the tests we saw, not one had a single speci-
men worthy of the name it bore. Yet there are always innocents
enough to buy such seeds.

THIRD—To test the quality or product of the various kinds of seeds
grown in different countries.

For the seedsman this trial is the first in importance. Upon this
depends wholly his choice in the locality where he is to procure his
stocks. The first thought of the seedsman is, Where can the best seeds
be procured? The second is, Where can the best be procured at the
lowest price? Seed-growing has become an important industry

64 SELECTIONS IN SEED GROWING.

throughout the world, and the merchant now obtains his supply not
only from the extreme east and west of this country, but also from
Europe, Asia, and Africa, and from the isles of the Pacific.

In common with all other business, competition is so aggressive that
in order to keep trade it becomes necessary to buy cheaply—not cheap
seeds—but good seeds at the lowest possible price. Formerly the
growing of seeds was a profitable industry, more so than any other
branch of agriculture, and the tillers of the soil in all parts of the
world entered largely into it. In some countries the industry proved
very successful, because all the conditions of soil and climate were
favorable, and the low price of labor enabled the seed grower to pro-
duce cheaply. In these localities, there are always to be found men
who are faithful to their trusts, others who are not. In order toselect
wisely, tests must be made of the various products. To that end the
onion seed from the leading growers in California and Connecticut are
placed side by side with those grown in other parts of this country and
in Europe. All being grown under the same conditions, a comparative
test of quality is made that guides aright when orders are placed for a
supply. These tests are of immense value to the florist and market
gardener, because they know when their seeds are planted just what
the results will be under favorable circumstances, providing they per-
form well their part.

FouRTH— 70 test novelties with a view to their introduction.

The development of taste for horticulture and floriculture has created
an immense demand for anything new that is offered, and every known
part of the globe has been called upon to contribute from its flora to satisfy
this desire. We will say here, the more rare flowers of one country are
the common weeds of another. To this fact is due the introduction of
some of our common weeds as ‘‘ rare novelties.’? Let us take an in-
stance. A few years ago some foreign seed houses introduced the
Rudbeckia of our southern and western prairies—a troublesome weed
with a very showy flower—as a rare plant, and our Government seed
shop bought of it largely to distribute in States where a fine is imposed
for the introduction of just such seeds. Its botanical name hid its
true character from all but the few who had made plants a study.

In order to prove all things and “hold fast that which is good,’’
every ‘* novelty ’’ offered is given the very best possible chance to show
its usefulness, in order to know whether the patrons of this firm would
be benefited or injured by its introduction. A» very large proportion
of the new things sent out are disappointing, not because they are not

7

VIEW AT FORDHOOK FARM: FIELD OF PHLOX DRUMMONDII GRANDIFLORA,

\

‘e681 NI G3L0a3Y¥a ASNOH Gags *WuW4s MOOHGHOS LV MGIA

MODERN METHODS OF THE SEED TRADE. 67

as beautiful or useful as described, but because our climatic conditions
are not favorable for their development. Hence the importance of a
test, which is made decisive at Fordhook before any novelty is recom-
mended.

FIFTH—To0 grow for stock seed.

Stock seed is the seedsman’s corner-stone ; his main dependence fora
supply of any given variety rests wholly upon having stocks to grow
from that are absolutely true to a given type. Years of constant care
in selection are necessary to produce a type, and if the same care that
was given to procure a type is not employed to preserve it deteriora-
tion will soon result. It is highly important, too, to do this work
where the variety will, with good cultivation, remain true to type.
The best directed efforts in this work are useless if the natural condi-
tions of soil and climate are unfavorable. The casual observer has not
the slightest appreciation of this work, nor is aware of the amount of
labor and constant watchfulness required to keep any type up toa high
standard. Each variety must be grown so far from any allied sort that
cross fertilization is out of the question. No two varieties of any of the
cereals can be safely grown on the same farm, as cross fertilization may
occur through the agency of the winds. Vines will suffer in as great a
degree through insect visits.

The growing of stock seed is systematically carried on at Fordhook.
Several small plantings, say one acre each, of a new white cucumber
were noticed ; these were so far apart that an accident to one would
not in any way affect another. These are watched with the greatest
care to detect any variation in form or color; should the slightest
appear, the plant is at once discarded. And, for this purpose, no plant
of any kind is allowed to remain if it has on it any poor specimen of
fruits. We cannot go into the detail of this work, but will say that
every variety grown in this country for seed purposes is given the same
care as the one noticed, which will show the extent of this important
work.

SixtH— The growing of choice annuals for seed purposes.

The growing of flower seeds is not carried on to any great extent in
this country, because of the high price of labor. But there are some
things, such as balsams, salvias, zinnias, mignonette, and petunias,
that, because the adulteration of seeds is such a common practice, it is
necessary for the seedsman to have these grown under his own per-
sonal supervision. Of course, all the cheaper grades are imported, but

5

68 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

such as the amateur and florist requires must needs be beyond question
as to purity, quality, and germinating power. To see the best sorts
grown with care, where each plant has sufficient room for develop-
ment and an abundant supply of plant food, is to be convinced
that what are often considered overdrawn illustrations are practically
truthful.

SEVENTH — Development by selection.

There is a natural tendency in plants to ‘‘sport’’— that is, to assume
some new character, either as regards size, color, or vigor. These
sports are quite likely to remain constant, but they must be tried
thoroughly, and as they appear in each case singly, before there is
sufficient stock for purposes of sale, there is sufficient opportunity.
But the utmost care must be given them to establish a new type, and
a constant watch kept to see if there is no further variation. If, in
three or four generations, the type becomes established, a new variety
is secured, and it is offered to the public.

In this department the work of cross fertilization is carried on,
which is simply uniting the good qualities of two varieties into one,
as in the flower combining the color of one flower with the size or
shape of another ; and, too, the flower of a weak plant is introduced to
the plant that is vigorous, but with poor flowers. Also, in the vege-
table, to unite the esculent properties of the one with the productive
properties of the other. After the cross has been effected, the work of
selection commences. If the cross has been effectual, there will be as
many varieties as there are seeds in the capsules, as such as are worthy
of perpetuation are chosen and grown on from year to year, always
discarding the undesirable, until finally the desired character has been
secured.

This is the work of the specialist, and it will be valuable just in
proportion to the care given. The casual visitor at Fordhook will not
see this, because the inventor never shows his work until it is
complete, but it is to be found there, going on in a quiet but effective
manner.

E1agHtTH—Educational.

In any business as large as that of the modern seedsman it is neces-
sary to have a large number of reliable young men so educated that
they will be capable to fill the highest position in the business. An
ordinary clerk in a seed store rarely knows anything about what he
sells ; his operations are mechanical, but there must needs be some

.

MODERN METHODS OF THE SEED TRADE. 69

one in each department who is perfectly familiar with all: the details
of the business. This requires a large force, and to be fitted for the
work they must graduate from the trial farm, where they have studied
the plant, its habits, and requirements ; they must know 7f, not about
it. The well-ordered trial farm is the curriculum for any young man
who wishes to become familiar with every department of horticulture.
In one year he will learn more here than during a lifetime in college.
By this means Mr. Burpee is enabled to secure an intelligent, well-
organized force for the detail of his business.

NintH—Testing the vitality of seeds.

The testing of seeds to show their germinating properties before
sending out is a practice of vital importance to seedsmen, and one that
is but seldom systematically practiced. The germinating power of
seeds is very variable ; some varieties must be sown as soon as ripe or
they will not reproduce the species, as they quickly lose their vitality.
Others will retain their germinating powers for a period of ten or more
years, while it is safe to depend upon most seeds for from three to five
years. But because seeds on an average retain their vitality for a
period of four years when grown and secured under favorable circum-
stances, it does not follow that it is safe to sell or plant any seed until
a test has been made. There are many latent defects in seeds arising
from causes but little understood ; these can only be revealed by the
crucial test of a germinating bench, where all seeds are tested before
being put up in packets for sending out.

Many seeds may lose their vitality without any marked change in
external appearance, a fact that has enabled unscrupulous dealers to
adulterate with seeds that have lost their vitality through age, or by
mixing with seeds of the same genus that have been purposely treated
to destroy vitality. This practice has been carried on to a very great
extent, but it is no longer available where thorough tests of germina-
tion are made.

Another very important object in making these tests is to guard
against unjust complaints from the buyers. Seeds often fail to
grow because proper care in sowing has not been given ; too deep plant-
ing is often a cause of failure, and planting in soils not properly
prepared is a more frequent cause. We have often seen large sowings
destroyed by heavy rains falling just before the young plants were
ready to break forth ; these rains packed the soil so hard when it be-
came dried by the sun the germs had not sufficient strength to break
through, and failure was the result. Failure to germinate, no matter

70 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

from what cause, is generally attributed to the seed, and these com-
plaints are of such frequent occurrence that tests in order to prove the
vitality of seeds are absolutely necessary. They avoid great difficulty,
because the seedsman knows that it is not the fault of the seed, and
in almost every case he can convince his customer that loss came from
improper Gare in sowing, or from unfavorable climatic conditions.

These tests are systematically carried on at Fordhook, where green-
houses that can be kept at the proper temperature are provided for
this purpose. Herein are sown seeds of all kinds and of all ages, in
drills four inches apart, one hundred seeds of a kind in a drill, and
covered from one-eighth to one-half an inch in depth, according to the
size of the seed. A careful record is made of each sowing, as to date,
age, and grower of the seed. These sowings haye the most constant
attention in order to note the progress of germination, as it is quite as
important to the market gardener to have the seed come regularly as
it is to have a large percentage of germination. Providing the sam-
ple tested is all of the same season’s growth, there is no better evi-
dence of a well-selected strain than to have an even germination. It
is important to the seedsman as well, for it shows plainly whether the
grower has mixed the old with the new crop, in which case the stock
would be returned to the grower. The watchful care of Mr. Burpee
in this direction is one of the many safeguards he throws around his
business. Although expensive, it is in the end cheap insurance and
a most valuable auxiliary.

‘rom the PUBLIC LEDGER, Philadelphia, Tuesday, September 19, 1893.

FARM AND GARDEN,

AUTUMN’S GLORY.

“ How shall I crown this child?” fair Summer said :
*“ May wasted all her violets long ago ;

No longer on the hills June’s roses glow,

Flushing with tender bloom the pastures wide ;

My stately lilies one by one have died;

The clematis is but a ghost, and lo!

In the fair meadow lands no daisies blow.

How shall I crown this summer child? ” she sighed, .

Then quickly smiled: ‘‘ For him, for him,” she said,
“On every hill my golden rod shall flame,

Token of all my prescient soul foretells :

His shall be golden song and golden fame,

Long golden years with love and honor wed,

And crowns at last of silver immortelles.’’

—J. C. R. Dorr.

HE business of the month is the seed for next season’s growing.
Some grow their own seed, and such have had next season’s
needs in mind since the growth of this year began. Like pro-

duces like, they say. And whatever they have grown or have seen
growing that was worth reproducing they have marked as to be saved
for seeding. Some have even gone further and have made note of
special features, either of growth, time of maturing, flavor, etc., and
have already an interest in the next year’s work in the anticipation
that the promise will be fulfilled.

Those who do not grow their seeds, but make a list each year for the
seedsman to fill, are sometimes so fur thoughtful as to inquire where
these seeds were grown and to find out the care that is taken to prove
them good. Seed growing is an exceedingly interesting matter, but
not more so than are the methods seedsmen take to protect their good
name ; that is, to provide good seed and the proof thatit isso. One
can judge fairly well of grains and tubers, but of vegetable and flower

71

72 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

seeds a very fair semblance to the uninitiated may be worthless as
chatt.

It was to find out about it that Fordhook Farm, W. Atlee Burpee’s
place at Doylestown, was visited. The first knowledge gained was
that seed is grown where the conditions of climate, soil, etc., are best
suited to its peculiar needs, and where best results can be obtained.
Thus lettuce seed is grown in California, cucumber seed in central
New York, cauliflower in Denmark, cabbage between the sound and
ocean on Long Island, beans, peas, and turnip seed in New York and
Canada, watermelon in Florida, okra and egg-plant in Georgia, musk-
melon in New Jersey, potatoes and tomatoes in this vicinity. Seed is
furnished to such growers in each vicinity as have the location and
facilities for turning out best results. More than this, other sorts of
many of the varieties must not be grown in the near vicinity, lest the
pollen shall be carried by bees or the wind, and undesirable crosses
result.

When the seeds are delivered and while yet in bulk a sample is
taker for the two tests of vitality and purity. For vitality they are
sown in frames, and the time of germinating and the character of the
first growth noted. If up to the standard, the seeds are endorsed and
accepted. If questionable, a second trial is given, when, if the result
is not entirely satisfactory, the package is closed again and returned to
the grower. This test is a matter of a few days only, whereas the test
for purity is a whole season’s work. For this every variety of seed is
numbered, and a sample is sown between two stakes, bearing the same
numbers, and an entry giving every particular concerning the seed is
made in the purity book against the same number. As a rule, the
seeds grown from the plants in this test are not saved, but a very close
watch is kept of every growth, and when anything appears that is new
or strange or especially desirable a string is tied about it or a tall stake
is driven beside it and the seed is gathered for experimenting.

Certain seeds, as black Lima beans, tomato, mignonette, verbena,
and*petunia are grown. Where the seeds have only to be threshed
out, the plants are cut close to the earth and brought to the seed-house
in sheets, each variety by itself, and on these sheets are exposed to the
air and sun until perfectly cured, when they are threshed with a flail,
cleaned by machine, tested for vitality, and, if satisfactory, sent to the
storehouse for marketing.

Tomato seed is saved by crushing the fruit in vats of water and
‘leaving it to ferment, when the seeds drop to the bottom. The pulp is
then run off and the seeds are washed, drained, and dried. At Ford-

.

MODERN METHODS IN SEED GROWING. 73

hook Farm the pulp from the vat is washed into asmall pond. The
ducks on the farm found out about it and left their own swimming
place for it, and whenever the fermenting pulp was washed away
would become grossly intoxicated. Gradually these ducks began to
lose in condition, and a post-mortem examination proved a temperance
lecture, in that the digestive organs were badly worsted by the fer-
mented liquor, and in some of the birds were almost destroyed.

The tool-house of Fordhook Farm holds a suggestion. Every tool
that can be needed is provided. Each one is numbered, and the number
is that of the section in the house where they belong when not in use,
and of the workman who may use those of the number and no others.
If the section is empty or the tools are found lying about, it is easy to
place the blame, and one who is careless with tools is considered to be
careless in other matters, and is not wanted.

Mr. Darlington, the superintendent at Fordhook Farm, confirms the
statement made in the Ledger a few weeks back that plants produced
from the seeds of unripe tomatoes were earlier in ripening the fruit,
but adds-that the vitality of the plant is less. The Director of the
New York Experiment Station gives as a reason for the earlier ripen-
ing the scant foliage usual to the plant from unripened seeds being but
little obstructive to the sunlight, the fruit being exposed at all times.
Another experiment in which he was interested was with the seeds of
large and small tomatoes from the same plant. The seed from the
small fruits produced plants of but medium vigor and productiveness,
but the fruit was as large as that from the large fruit, and very much
earlier. The latter’s plants were more vigorous and productive, but
the fruit was ten days later.

At Fordhook, as soon as a patch is cleared, whether of flowers or
vegetables, it is sown to clover, to be plowed under the next spring.

From THE DAIty DEMOCRAT, Doylestown, Pa., Thursday, September 7, 1893.

CARPENTERS AT FORDHOOK,

MANY IMPROVEMENTS BEING MADE AT THE FARM—W. ATLEE
BURPEE & COMPANY’S NEW SEED HOUSE.

HE sound of the hammer is echoing about Fordhook farm just
now. The finishing touches to a great number of improve-
ments are being made. The most important is the big seed-

drying house about completed. The late Henry D. Livezey erected
the building.

A hasty glance at the exterior of the building would not convey an
idea of its merits, but close inspection shows that it has been carefully
planned and built. The timbers are large and heavy. Light, venti-
lation, and convenience have all been obtained. . . . A magni-
ficent view of the hills and valleys about Fordhook can be obtained
from the cupola, wherein a big bell will be hung to sound the hours
for beginning and quitting work.

A complete tool room occupies a portion of the first floor. Here are
also the seed drawers, seed-cleaning room, sheet room, and the tables
for sorting and cleaning the various seeds, which are dried upon sheets.
The proprietor does not believe in artificial heat for drying purposes,
claiming that it has a tendency to destroy the germinating properties
of the seeds. Great care and work were necessary in the construction
of the tables. Mr. Burpee has minute, dust-like seed, worth its
weight in gold, and cracks in the tables would allow many a dollar to
shp away.

The bean-sorting tables are under chutes connecting with bins on the
floor above. A metallic attachment regulates the supply wanted by
the person engaged in sorting the good seed from the bad. The seed will
be threshed with the old-fashioned fiail, which requires high ceilings
in the room where the work will be done. Through the center of the
building is an open driveway and upon one side of the passage is
located the elevator for hoisting and lowering crops in bulk. All
seeds will he brought to this building to be dried and cured. In the

cellars, which have smooth cement floors, potatoes will be stored.
74
d «a

VIEW AT FORDHOOK FARM: TRIALS OF BUSH BEANS.

“SYAMO14 JQ SIVINL = WYV4S MOOHGHOS LV M3lA.

NEW FEATURES AT ‘“* FORDHOOK.”’ 77

Mr. Burpee is endeavoring to interest local farmers in the matter of
growing seeds, and his systematic and carefully devised methods for
their culture offer valuable suggestions to every farmer desirous of en-
_ gaging in the business. In addition to other improvements there are
three new poultry houses on the farm as complete as those described
in the Democrat upon previous occasions.

New stables have been built in the barn, being made of hard wood.
Additional windows of the French pattern have been let into the walls
In the cow stables cement floors with big gutters for flushing have been
laid down. Sunlight and fresh air, economy in room, time, and labor
have all had their influence in the creation of the plans for improve-
ments and repairs.

Howard M. Earl, manager, states that the Burpee trial grounds are
planted with more than 5200 samples of seed this season. Mr. Earl
has recently returned from Europe and after inspecting the famous
trial grounds abroad, is satisfied that Fordhook will compare favorably
with any in the world. In fact, the business at the farm has so
increased that facilities were fast becoming inadequate, and the
changes made have been a matter of necessity.

New ventures are being made, and two new greenhouses, each 100
feet long, will be erected this year, wherein will be propagated seeds
and plants hitherto brought from Europe, including double petunias,
gloxinias, etc. Mr. Burpee hopes to get better results by keeping
everything under his own eye. The work in the building known as
the office is also increasing, and the structure will hereafter be used
exclusively for clerical work.

Though Fordhook is a beautiful place to visit, where one can see
evidences of thousands of dollars having been already expended, the
owner is not yet content to rest, and is planning future improvements
to be as substantial and commodious as those recently created.

* From THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, October 8, 1899,

—~

6)

y

A VISIT TO BEAUTIFUL
«“FPORDHOOK”
Among the Bucks County Hills.

A BEWILDERING VARIETY OF GORGEOUS
BLOSSOMS AND USEFUL PLANTS.

How W. Atlee Burpee & Co. Have De-
veloped All the Scientific and Artistic
Possibilities Wrapped Up in Seeds—
Trial Grounds and Their Uses—The
Cleaning and Distribution of Seeds—
New Varieties, How They Originate.

OME one of the old philosophers has said that the man who makes
two plants grow where there was previously but one is a bene-
factor of the human race. In that case, what shall we say of

the man who makes many hundreds and thousands of plants grow
where there was previously none at all? This latter is what the prot
fessional seed-growers of the country are doing every year.

* The article, “WHERE AND How SeEpS ARE Grown,” first appeared with
illustrations in THe PHILADELPHIA INQuiRER, one of the oldest and best daily
papers in America (established 1829). In our Farw AnnvAt for 1893, owing
to lack of space, considerable of this article was omitted ;ewe now give it com-
plete and trust that, aided by the bright pictures from photographs, it will enable.
our friends and customers everywhere to look, through the eyes of the INQuIRER
representative, upon work and results for which our time and capital are so
freely given.—W. A. B. & CO.

b -%

lt i Di it

A MODEL SEED FARM. 79

The growing of seeds has come to be a science, the immensity and
value of which is but little realized among the general public... It has
come to be numbered among the leading industries of the United
States, and thousands of acres are given over annually to the produc-
tion of the tiny germs whose subsequent activity and development are
to delight the palate and gratify the senses of sight and smell of mil-
lions of people. Vegetable and flower seeds are more particularly in-
cluded in this generalization, as it is in these that the average citizen
with no special agricultural learning feels the most personal interest.

As may be imagined, the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania, with
its rich, sunny fields and hillsides, one of the true garden spots of the
country, has proven an attractive field to seed-growers, and there are
in the immediate vicinity of Philadelphia a number of extensive seed
farms, which are, if people were generally aware of it, centers of the
deepest interest, and scenes of some of the most amazing scientific and
natural processes that can be conceived.

A Model Seed Farm.

One of the largest, and at the same time most accessible and most
finely located of these, is beautiful ‘‘ Fordhook,’’ the producing and
testing center of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., which lies among the green
hills of Bucks County, just outside the quiet, umbrageous little county-
seat, Doylestown. Here the personal management and scientific skill
of Mr. Burpee, the firm’s head, has built up a veritable model seed
farm, and as his generosity throws the gates open to visitors at all times,
one can here wander through acre after acre of infinite varieties of pretty
much all that old Mother Nature produces in the way of luscious vege-
tables and lovely flowers. An INQUIRER representative, who recently
spent an entire day in tramping over the ground in company with
Manager H. M. Earl, secured a most interesting and enjoyable revela-
tion of many of the mysteries of nature’s laboratory, together with the
wonderful effects produced by the refining, cultivating influence of
man’s hand when he assists those same mysteries in their inception
and development.

The first glimpse of ‘‘ Fordhook ’”’ which the visitor obtains is a
sudden flash of glorious color in the morning landscape just before the
Reading Railroad train rolls into Doylestown depot. Acres of bright
crimson scarlet sage and vari-hued balsam, mingling with the innumer
able tints of thousands of other flowers and the varying shades of soft
green of the vegetable plots, form a striking picture which is a fit pre-
lude to the detailed inspection of the scene to come. At the depot a

80 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

buckboard is in waiting, and we are soon speeding over a hard, dry
macadamized road, behind one of the big, sleek, plump ‘‘ Fordhook ”’
horses, and being put thoroughly at ease by Manager Earl, who handles
the reins ; for courtesy is one of the prevailing characteristics at
‘‘Fordhook,’’ and the visitor finds everywhere a delightful hospitality
and attention, from the genial head of the firm down to the workers in
the fields.

A Delightful Section of Country.

The northeast portion of the farm lying nearest Doylestown is a
beautiful, shady piece of woodland, which, in spite of the value of
every rod of ground for growing purposes, Mr. Burpee is determined
shall always remain woodland. At the western entrance to the farm
stands ‘‘ The Cottage,’’ the trim, neat summer residence of Mr. Burpee
and his family, surrounded by sloping lawns studded with beds of
bright flowers, and looking out across a magnificent stretch of green
valleys and far-away blue hills to the south. Not far away is a little
two-story structure, where is located the office, and this is the best
point from which to start off and ‘‘ do’’ the farm. Close at hand are
the greenhouses used for starting early, tender seed, such as tomatoes
and peppers in the spring, and alongside of these are rows of frames,
where the young seedlings are ushered off, and given their first start in
life before being transplanted to the open fields.

Down the southward slope from the office, where they will get the
full effects of the sun, are acre after acre of the humble but succulent
bean, for the growing of which the Burpee house has a great reputation,
especially in the production of new varieties. Many new forms are
tried every year, and many sample packages of seed are distributed free
in every section of the country, in order that reports may be obtained
as to availability and growth, and a widespread judgment secured.
However homely the subject, a field of beans is a picturesque sight when
seen as here, where the rows are planted with the most mathematical
accuracy, four feet apart each way. In the midst of the pole beans is
seen an interesting instance of the methods adopted to secure purity of
stock. There is a sudden break in the beans, and the gap is filled in
with two rows of anew variety of sweet corn which is being tested,
and which is thus isolated among the beans to prevent it being vitiated
or affected by any other varieties of corn in the vicinity. Corn requires
great care in this respect, as the light pollen is carried to extraordinary
distances by the wind, resulting in the hybridization of the original
stocks.

THE HOME OF THE ‘“‘ BALSAM.” 81

Some Wonderful Balsams,

A field of bright-hued balsams next claims attention. One of the
striking peculiarities of ‘‘ Fordhook ”’ is the manner in which the old-
time simple flowers of our grandmothers’ gardens have been refined,
and by diligent, painstaking selection and cross-fertilization developed
into the most gorgeous and heautiful blooms imaginable. This is par-
ticularly the case with balsams, which are made the subject of special
care and pride by Mr. Burpee and his assistants. One can hardly
realize that these magnificent flowers which are here seen massed by
the acre are developed from the old familiar lady-slipper. They are of

every imaginable hue and tint, from gaudy scarlet and purple to a
delicate rose-pink, and they are fully as double as roses.

Mr. Burpee claims that ‘‘ Fordhook’’ presents the finest stock of
balsams in the world, and certainly one can imagine nothing to excel
the display which here feasts the eye. Close at hand are beds of very
rich, red, tulip-colored poppies, which, like most of the floral novelties
tested at ‘‘ Fordhook,’’ come from across the water. ‘‘ Europe,’’ says
Mr. Earl, “‘ is the fountain-head of flowers ; we are constantly receiv-
ing and testing varieties from there. The growers and hybridizers in
the old countries have great advantage over us in taste and experience.”’

82 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

In spite of which, however, it is hard to conceive of any higher develop-
ment of taste and beauty than we see in the flower-beds in all parts of
‘* Fordhook.’’ .

A great blaze of warm, deep crimson color tells us we have reached
the principal beds of Salvia splendens, or scarlet sage, which is a con-
spicuous flower in numerous parts of the farm and which gives a strong,
ruddy dash of color to every spot in which it penetrates. Scarlet sage
has probably never before been seen in such a high state of develop-
ment as it has reached here. It is much improved in habit of growth
and the plants are more compact than the scarlet sage of the old-
fashioned garden. Here is noticed a curious instance of what the
gardeners and growers call a ‘‘sport,’’ or erratic deviation from the
original stock. This is nothing less than a white scarlet sage, or, in
other words, one that is not scarlet at all, but pure white, growing
directly in the midst ef the thousands of deep-colored flowers. The
seed from this ‘‘ sport ’’ will be carefully saved and planted next year
in an isolated position, and may result in the development of a new,
white variety. It is in this way that many of the most valuable new
varieties of both vegetables and flowers are obtained.

Some Valuable Seed.

Large plots of petunias close at hand flaunt their rich colors in the

autumn breeze. Mr. Burpee has spent much care upon petunias, and
has a special strain called ‘‘ Defiance,’’ which bear the most gorgeous
blossoms imaginable, of all colors, and of wonderful size, many of the
flowers being three, four, and even five inches across. It is an interest-
ing fact that the higher the state of refinement a flower reaches, the
scarcer is its seed, and this is well shown in this very ‘‘ Defiance ”’
petunia, whose seed is so rare that it is worth $50 per ounce, and the
entire product of seed from an acre of flowers is but a few ounces ;
common petunias produce from forty to fifty pounds of seed to the
acre, and it brings from $4 per pound up.

New and Interesting Varieties.

The visitor is everywhere surprised by some new and interesting
novelty literally cropping up from under his very feet as he traverses
‘‘ Fordhook.’’ Here, for instance, we strike a funny little wrinkled
pepper, which comes all the way from South America, and which has
a taste as distinctly fiery as the hot-headed nations of the Southern
republics. A few steps further on we come to another of Mr. Burpee’s
pets, a curious dwarf bean, known as Burpee’s bush lima, which holds

a

UTILITY AND BEAUTY COMBINED. 83

itself in the air without the assistance of a pole, and which bears deli-
cious, big, sweet beans, looking good enough to eat raw. This variety
has a curious history. A Chester County farmer one year planted a
number of ordinary pole lima beans, which voracious cut- worms
promptly destroyed as soon as they had attained a good growth.
Among the wreck was found a “sport’’ in the shape of a dwarf bean,
which took on itself bushy characteristics, and ignored the poles.
The farmer took care of it, sent the seed to ‘‘ Fordhook,”’ and, by skill,
science, and industry Mr. Burpee succeeded in maintaining the present
valuable form. This bush bean is considered by growers everywhere to
be one of the greatest horticultural achievements of the age. The bean
is a peculiar plant, according to the experience at Fordhook. For
instance, not long ago, thirty varieties which were sent up from Lima,
Peru, the home of the vegetable, were thoroughly tested in the farm’s
trial grounds, and not one was found to be of practical value.

Cockscomb and Sage.

More flowers come into view, the arrangements af the farm involving
a delightful and novel alternation of vegetables and flowers, which has
not only its esthetic side to the visitor, but also its utilitarian side to
the grower, as it is a precaution against mixing by cross-fertilization of
allied varieties in either class. Here we find a massive stretch of
Celosia, which is cockscomb, and yet which is not cockscomb in the
old-fashioned sense, for these magnificent, velvety flowers, of rich ruby
crimson, low of growth, and forming splendid, compact clusters,
would have been a revelation to our ancestors. In brilliant contrast is
a large patch of Salvia patens, or blue sage, which presents the richest
blue of any flower known. This is.a very delicate plant in Europe,
and needs tender care in greenhouses, but it grows luxuriantly and
hardily enough out in the open fields here at Fordhook. The next
plot of vegetables includes an unique climbing cucumber, of Japanese
origin, and a little further on is a large patch of a pure white cucum-
ber, which is notable from the fact that it contains none of the peculiar
sharp taste which the skin communicates to the common green variety.
We here see a special variety of sweet corn, which is the result of four
or five years of careful hybridization.

The grain is very deep, and the cob shows up comparatively small
when the ear is broken across. We skirt around a field of beautiful,
feathery asparagus, which will be sending up succulent shoots next
spring, and strike into several acres of tomatoes, among which is a
peculiar pear-shaped variety. Tomatoes are one of the bugbears of the

84 -_ SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

erower’s life. Hundreds of new varieties are coming out all the time,
and all of these which give any promise of good qualities are conscien-
tiously tested at ‘‘ Fordhook,’’ often with the most discouraging
results. The qualifications of a good tomato are uniformity of color,
as few seeds as possible, and lack of tendency to crack when ripening,
and the last seems the hardest to fulfill. Here we chance upon a
curious little tomato, known as the husk tomato, and which is the old
‘‘ round cherry ’’ revived ; it is about the size-and shape of a hickory
nut, and its only use is for preserving.

Another big field of beans is encountered, and here we strike the

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ith
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gt Sead Gring. “2g ==

Sunshine Wax, which is of a beautiful golden yellow, and is regarded
as the highest type of string bean. Like the bush lima this also had
an interesting origin, being derived from a ‘‘ sport’’ in the fields of an
old Long Island farmer.

Among Lovely Flowers.

Two acres of mixed phlox form an attractive picture, these beauti-
ful flowers being another of Mr. Burpee’s particular favorities. Not
far from the phlox patch is found an interesting balsam ‘‘ sport,’’ with
beautifully striped and blotched petals. This bears a distinctive num-
ber, and is classified upon the farm’s books by the patch in which it

THE TRIAL GROUNDS. 85

grows and other characteristics which go to make up a flower’s pedi-
gree. Much of Mr. Burpee’s success in obtaining such magnificent
varieties of plants is due to this principle of selecting and growing
only the finest specimens, breeding them as carefully as blooded ani-
mals are bred, and keeping a regular plant pedigree.

Among the many beautiful flowers we here see a bed of dwarf fire-
ball zinnia, and near at hand a mass of the curiously beautiful giant
spider plant, whose seed-pods, quivering on the ends of slender stipules,
present a startling resemblance to the extended legs of an immense
spider, with the corolla of the flower in the center asa body. Then
here is the royal purple balsam, which is a single flower across the
water, but which at ‘‘ Fordhook”’ is beautifully double, and causes
foreign visitors to open their eyes in consequence. Two acres of splen-
did mignonette were, a few weeks back, scenting the air sweetly for
yards around, but the cold nights have now nipped these, and their
seed is already in process of drying. Some other balsams are met
here, known as the camellia flowered, and which are ranked next to
the ‘‘ Defiance’ strain. The ‘‘ Daisy Miller ’’ is a beautiful flower,
pure white in color, with a most marvelously delicate lavender-tinged
center, while the ‘‘ Perfection ’’ is spotlessly white, and is much used
by florists for wire work. An unique and pretty variety of phlox is
streaked like a star and handsomely fringed around the edges of the
petals. A couple of interesting vegetable ‘‘sports’’ are the Golden
Queen tomato, which is a beautiful yellow color and of delicious
flavor, and some monstrous peppers, six and eight inches long, of divers
shapes. A hardy-looking patch of strawberry plants is; we are told,
the Parker Earle, named after the president of a Western horticultural
society, and which, besides possessing a fine flavor, has roots which
go deep into the ground and defy upheaving frosts.

The Trial Grounds.

One of the ruling principles of ‘‘ Fordhook ”’ is to experiment all
things, then retain and develop the best. The work of experimenting
with the qualities of hundreds of varieties of growing things is one
of the most interesting and important features of the farm. The
trial grounds occupy between five and six acres upon the eastern side,
and the average visitor who has a liking for the beautiful in nature or
for the innermost science of horticulture would gladly spend an entire
day here. Before taking a hasty glance at the trial grounds it is neces-
sary to say something about how original stocks are obtained by Mr.
Burpee. It has been found that different seeds ripen and mature best

6

86 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

in different sections of the country, or in different countries, slight dis-
tinctions of soil or climate having an immense influence on the proper
development of plants. For this reason many of the Burpee seeds are
the product of special growers located in various States or in various
foreign countries. Thus it has been found that peas and beans mature
best in the northwestern part of New York and the adjoining region
of Canada ; vine seeds, such as watermelons, do best in the damp, rich
soil of Florida; muskmelons, cucumbers, and squashes in New Jersey
and Nebraska; egg-plants in New Jersey and Georgia ; tomatoes in
Pennsylvania and Ohio ; radish seed mostly comes from France. A
large number of flower seeds and the large, mild onions come from
Italy, and flowers of novel forms and hues are always being produced
by almost every European country excepting Russia; almost all the
cabbage seed grown in this country comes from Bucks county, Pennsyl-
vania, and Long Island, and the best cauliflower seed from Denmark ;
lettuce seed gets its best growth in California ; in fact, the sub-tropical
climate of portions of this latter State has proven excellent for many
kinds of seeds which formerly had to be imported from abroad.

Seeds From all Over the Globe.

‘‘ Rordhook ’’ farm, therefore, gets seed from all over the globe, even
from such out-of-the-way countries as Russia and China, besides con-
stantly receiving large quantities from the firm’s own growers in dif-
ferent parts of the United States, and samples of the principal introduc-
tions of rival seedsmen from everywhere. All these seeds are carefully
tested as to their growth and general qualities, and compared with
one another in order that the very best may always be determined upon.
It is for the making of these tests that the trial grounds are used. The
grounds are divided up into thousands of little, regular, oblong patches,
in each of which issown one kind of seed only. Noextra fertilization
or extraordinary cultivation is used upon these patches, ¢are being taken
that all seeds shall germinate and grow under precisely the same con-
ditions as they would find in the fields of the average American farmer.
Not only are all outside seeds tested here, but every one of the Burpee
firm’s own seeds are subjected to precisely the same conditions, in order
not only that every comparison may be made, but that the standard of
their own seed may not be allowed to fall.

In addition to these tests, precautions are taken by sending out
skilled inspectors to see that all crops grown for Burpee are first-class
in every respect.

COMPREHENSIVE RECORDS. 87
A Novel Set of Books.

The record of results attained in the trial grounds is a most interest-
ing feature. This record is keptin a set of registry books stored in the
office of the farm. Each plot of the grounds bears a number, and these
numbers are entered upon the books, with all the characteristics of the
various plants carefully noted opposite them as the season advances.
The amount of clerical labor to be done in keeping this novel set of
books can be estimated when it is known that during the season just
ending there have been 3000 varieties of vegetable seeds, and 1240
varieties of flower seeds tested in the trial beds.* To show something
of the endless profusion of seeds handled it may be stated that of these
4240 varieties there were 372samples of beans, 176 of cabbages, 40 beets,
93 of sweet corn, 74 cucumbers, 88 of lettuce, 84 muskmelons, 110
watermelons, 86 onions, 102 peas, 53 peppers, 45 potatoes, 45 pump
kins, 73 radishes, 108 squashes, 26 of tobacco, and 118 tomatoes ;
among the flowers there were 70 varieties of balsams, 131 asters, 44
poppies, 86 pansies, 33 petunias, 61 sweet peas, 27 scabiosas, and 24
nasturtiums. Of course these are simply the leading species among
hundreds here represented.

The very first test is not made in the trial grounds, but in the green-
house frames, where the seeds are examined as to their vitality, the
latter involving consideration of the length of time they lie in the
ground, when they germinate, and the rapidity of their growth, the
results being noted down on a basis of percentage.

A few hours’ walk through the several thousand trial beds is full of
interest and enjoyment, but it would take weeks and months spent as-
siduously here to learn one-half of the interesting things to be learned,
or to see one-half the beauties which are displayed at every turn.

The Coming Flower.

Not far away are the plots of sweet peas, which call for special men-
tion, not only on account of the magnificence to which these lovely

% As will be seen, the total of trials for the season of 1892 was 4220. For
the past season of 1893, our books show 2883 trials of VecEeTABLE SeEpDs and
2426 trials of FLower Szeps, a total of 5309. The following details will show
something of the scope covered by these trials:—In VeceTapBLeEs: Beans, 351
trials; Beets, 73; Cabbage, 236; Sweet Corn, 195; Lettuce, 177; Melons,
227; Onions, 131; Peas, 155; Potatoes, 60; Radishes, 145; Tomatoes, 131;
Grass, 106, ete. Some of the leading items in FLower Seeps are—Pansies,
- 230 trials; Sweet Peas, 137; Asters, 337; Balsams, 107; Ipomoea, 17; Nas-
turtium and Tropxolum, 60; Poppies, 87; Scabiosa, 53 ; Stocks, 97; Verbena,
30; Zinnia, 34, etc.—W. A. B. & Co.

88 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

flowers have here been brought, but also because of the importance
which they promise to assume in the ornamental gardening of the
near future. Mr. Burpee thinks that the sweet pea has never re-
ceived the consideration from horticulturists and flower lovers to.
which it is entitled, and he considers it the flower of the future. The
improvements made in sweet peas by hybridization and high cultiva-
tion are greater than in the case of any other annual flower, excepting
pansies. The fact that their beauty is beginning to impress the world
at large is shown by the fact that contracts for furnishing sweet pea
seeds have already been made for the coming season aggregating over
12,000 pounds. By his efforts to improve and make more popular this
lovely flower, Mr. Burpee has undoubtedly made his house the head-
quarters for them. The trial beds show many beautiful varieties of
every imaginable hue. Of pansies, too, there are hosts of fine and rare
kinds, all brought to a high state of perfection, and that they are
popular is best demonstrated by the fact that more than 250,000 pack-
ages of pansy seeds were sold by W. Atlee Burpee & Co. last season.

Varieties Being Tested.

Among the many interesting and beautiful things which the trial
beds reveal, and can, unfortunately, be but barely touched upon,
there is the curious yard-long bean, the Willow-leaf Lima, which has
beautiful slender foliage, entirely suitable for ornamental purposes,
and at the same time bears an enormous crop of succulent beans ;
gorgeous beds of celosia, among which a magnificent new French
variety, ‘‘ Triumph of the Exposition,’’ is particularly noticeable ; bal-
sams without number and without limitation as to shades and colors,
and many beds of brilliant dianthus and carnations. There seem to
be endless varieties of tomatoes on trial, and one of the best, which is
known as the ‘‘ Dwarf Champion,’’ is of particular interest to horti-
culturists, owing to the fact that it has the commendable faculty of
keeping itself within respectable bounds, and not spreading over too
much territory; the ‘‘ Matchless’’ is another of the very few really
good varieties shown here. A curious freak of nature is the peach
tomato, which looks for all the world like a ripe, luscious freestone
from sandy Delaware. There area number of samples from abroad
on trial, including a straw-white variety, but they have been found to
be comparatively worthless, and as the manager sententiously re-
marks, ‘‘ America leads the world in tomatoes. ”’

Bed after bed is given over to squashes, and they assume every im-
aginable shape and size, one of the most peculiar being the Der Wing,
from China, which is covered all over the surface with warts. The

EVOLUTION OF NOVELTIES. 89

leading squash here has the honor of bearing ‘‘ Fordhook ’’ as its title
and represents the acme of cultivation and refinement in this line.

Unique Blossoms.

Among the brilliant plots of phlox a novelty is the Starred and
Fringed variety, and among the petunias we are shown a handsome
specimen with unique, green-margined petals. Here is a most won-
derful display of gladioli, with spikes of gorgeous blooms several feet
long and presenting all the rainbow colors. The dahlias at ‘‘ Ford-
hook ’’ are all grown from seed, instead of roots, a recent introduction
which has proven immensely successful. Row after row of vari-
colored asters delight the eye with a wealth of tints, and flaring mari-
golds bend gracefully toward the sun, one of the most beautiful being
the lemon quilled, which is a bright yellow. Here, too, are grown
direct from the seed the most brilliant coleus and verbenas. Cosmos,
which is a Mexican plant in several colors, forms an attractive dis-
play, and we can well believe the assertion that this flower is consid-
ered by florists to be an exceedingly high type of beauty.

It will be seen that these trial beds occupy the position of a huge
open book, in which can be read at all times the qualities of any par-
ticular kind of plant, and in which all faults, as well as all merits and
beauties, are written by nature’s inflexible hand. From these beds
have sprung many important novelties. Among the valuable vege.
tables which W. Atlee Burpee & Co. have introduced are the Iron-
clad and Cuban Queen watermelons, Emerald Gem and Montreal
muskmelons, Ruby King pepper, Silver King and Victoria onions,
Surehead cabbage, which is a late variety, and Allhead cabbage,
which is early ; Empire State and Burpee’s Extra Early potatoes,
Saddleback Wax and Burpee’s Bush Lima beans, Turner Hybrid
tomato, Breadstone turnip, and several different forms of peas,
besides Welcome oats and other farm seeds, all of which have stood
the tests of time and wide experience, and have proven decided addi-
tions to the standard planting stock of the country.

Preparing the Seed.

Of course, one of the all-important divisions of the work at ‘‘ Ford-
hook *’ is the preparation of the seeds after they have been grown and
gathered. This is a labor that requires the utmost care and deftness,
and, indeed, when the average visitor notes the minute, almost micro-
scopic, size of many of the flower seeds, he is inclined to wonder that
it is possible to save any of them atall. But the work has been re-
duced to a science here, and skilled workmen turn out the cleanest
and purest seed that could possibly be obtained. ;

90 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

Seeds in pods, such as balsam, are first run through an ingenious
apparatus in which a grooved wheel crushes the dried pods, allowing
the heavy seed to drop out, dust and debris then being removed by
means of a sieve. In fact, the sieve and the fan are the principal
means of cleaning the bulk of seeds. The separation of the seeds of
melons, tomatoes, and other such pulpy vegetables is a most interest-
ing process. It is carried on in a little frame pavilion in a hollow in
the southwest corner of the farm. The matter in hand, tomatoes, for
instance, is first poured into a cider press and ground up, then placed
into barrels and allowed to ferment for twenty-four hours. Upon this

the matter goes into a large washing tank furnished with a sieve
through which the heavy seeds sink to the bottom, the light seeds and
pulp floating off on top. The tank is then tapped at the bottom, the
accumulated seeds drawn off, and after several additional washings
they are ready to be dried.

Seeds are dried upon canvas frames in the second story of the build-
ings, where there is a free circulation of air, or, in fine weather, upon
sheets and frames spread in the open air.

Among the Collies.

A highly interesting portion of ‘‘ Fordhook ”’ is the section devoted
to live stock. The firm of Burpee has for years had a high reputation

THE COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT. 91

as breeders of imported Collie dogs, and the kennels present a very
important feature of the farm. The dogs are so beautifully kept, their
quarters are so neat and clean, and the animals are so bright and
intelligent that it is a pleasure to go among them. Mr. Burpee claims
that he has here equally as fine stock as anybody in the country. He
does not breed for exhibition purposes, and rarely exhibits any of the
dogs, for fear of infection, but the end and aim of the breeding at
‘*Fordhook’’ is intelligence and canine beauty, which are certainly
here in the fullest degree.

The poultry houses and yards are equally as neat and clean as the
kennels, and show untiring energy and attention. An incubator turns
out dozens of fuzzy little thoroughbred chicks every month, and before
they get old enough to breed they are placed in separate yards, each
breed by itself, in order that strains may always be kept pure. There
are about 700 chickens on the farm now, some of the breeds repre-
sented being Sherwoods, Black-breasted Red and Indian Games, Light
Brahmas, Brown Leghorns, Barred Plymouth Rocks, White-crested
Black Polish, Buff Cochins, and Langshans.

The fine strains of sheep and swine handled by the Burpee firm are
kept at different points in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the same
care being maintained in their maintenance and the preservation of
breed as with the dogs and poultry at ‘‘ Fordhook.”’

Distributing Seeds.

The house of Burpee, whose large store and warehouses are in this
city, 475 and 477 North Fifth Street, 476 and 478 York Avenue, occu-
pies an unique position among seedsmen, inasmuch as they sell direct
to planters more than any other house in the country. They come
directly into contact with farmers and gardeners through the medium
of their handsome annual catalogue, and their trade is all by mail and
express, no agents being sent out through the country to stir up pro-
fanity and afford food for alert dogs. The catalogue is the best agent,
and last year 575,000 copies of their catalogues went broadcast over the
country, in addition to a great many million circulars.

Some idea of the immense business which is done at the Philadel-
phia warehouse in the handling of seeds is afforded by the statement
that from 125 to 150 hands are employed, more than 4000 seed orders
have been filled in a single day, and the enormous number of 6400
pieces of mail have been delivered at the store in one day, exclusive of
newspapers and circulars.

The growing and distribution of seeds is apparently very much of a
business.

From the NEw JERSEY TEMPERANCE GAZETTE, Camden, N, J., April 2d.

SEED GROWING AND TESTING.

MODERN DEVELOPMENTS OF THE BUSINESS AS ILLUSTRATED IN THE
GROWTH OF A REPRESENTATIVE HOUSE.

EED growing as a business is of comparatively recent origin. In
the earlier years of our country’s history each farmer grew his
own seed, or else traded with his neighbors for their equivalent.

This was neither satisfactory nor profitable, viewed from any stand-
point, but was the best that could be done under the then existing
circumstances, But as the calling of the agriculturist broadened and
became more complex in its nature and demands, the necessity. for
better seed service became imperative. Farmers who had been content
to raise ten bushels of wheat to the acre found that the extra cost of
living and labor left no profit at the old yield. The changed circum-
stances demanded better seeds, better service, and bigger harvests.

Nowadays the farmer who raises his own seeds engages in a work
which can be done far cheaper and better by the professional seed
growers. Every man to his own trade. All the skill, industry, and
energy which have characterized the seed growers have resulted in
pushing the business to a point but little removed from perfection itself.

In the van of the big seed-growing concerns is the firm of W. Atlee
Burpee & Co., of Philadelphia. There are other houses whose experi-
mental farms are possibly as large as Fordhook, but it is nowhere
written that the size of the farm indicates the quality of the seed.
Fordhook is a synonym for painstaking care. There the seed is
watched through all its stages of development, and at no point is it
allowed to suffer for lack of careful attention. It is just this care that
makes the Fordhook brand what it is.

Add to this vigilant oversight and rigid scrutiny the fact that W.
Atlee Burpee & Co. are ever on the alert to bring out novelties of
every description, and the key is found to the remarkable success of
this firm. In the management of this house we find a happy union of
wise conservatism, blended with virile progressiveness. But a novelty
must have other merit than mere ‘‘ newness’’ to win their approba-
tion. Mr. Burpee knows that most of the readers of the 500,000
catalogues annually issued are not in business altogether for the *‘ sake
of their health.’? These readers are perfectly content to have the
seedsmen experiment on the seeds at their own sweet pleasure, but
they themselves don’t want to be made the victims of the seedsmen’s
experimentation. The Burpee method is to experiment on the seeds,
noton the customers. That is why their business has been built from
nothing to its present enormous proportions.

*..92

From the DOYLESTOWN INTELLIGENCER, September 30, 1893.

FORDHOOK IN FALL.

A BRIEF SEPTEMBER VISIT AT THE SEED FARM—A GLANCE AT THE
' RECENT IMPROVEMENTS—BRILLIANT AUTUMN SETTING TO THE
LABORS OF THE YEAR.

N royal radiance beneath the golden September sunshine, is spread
the harvest bloom at Fordhook. Never were the broad acres more
beauteous than at this season, when the ripening process is in pro-

gress and the blossoms are most brilliant in their maturing. In full
view from railroad trains, on either side of the lane, are extensive beds
of scarlet sage, which flood the landscape with the soft, warm, cardi-
nal light. Flanking these are beds of balsams, of paler hues, inter-
mingled with the de'icate green of their leaves, which constitute
the setting of the more vivid center pieces. Seldom if ever have the
seed grounds, sweeping gently to the south, presented more gorgeous
pictures than this autumn, and never has Mr. Burpee’s Fordhook Farm
looked handsomer or given stronger token of the enterprise and activ-
ity, the accomplishments and success, of the industry and experiments
carried on there.

In front of the house and extending to the railroad and highway
are the seed-growing grounds first referred to. They are the most
noticeable and best known features to visitors and travelers. Yet they
do notso greatly merit or need description at this time, because of this
knowledge. Extensive changes and improvements have been made in
the recent past, and the institution shows large advance with each de-
parting twelvemonth.

The trial grounds, east of the buildings and south of the woods,
are packed to repletion with experiments in progress. In one place
are numbers of sweet peas, away up in double figures. Another spot
is marked by coxcombs. Here are tomatoes. Yonder are melons.
Alongside are cauliflower. Beyond are a new variety of cabbage.
Everything is labeled and marked. In the office are histories of each
test. Everything is systemized. All work is intelligently done. The
results of one season are available to conduct the operations of the next.

93

94 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

Sometimes experiments have to be repeated. All the needed infor-
mation has not been acquired in the first operation. It is sometimes
necessary to verify conclusions by repeated tests under differing con-
ditions. But in each and every trial something is gained, and what-
ever it may be is recorded, that the information may be available in
future.

In the recent past much work has been done about the buildings.
In the old barn the basement has been completely renovated. Admir-
able stable arrangements have been introduced—hard pine fittings and
cemented floors. Here are quartered the clean, slick, mild-eyed, and
gentle Jerseys which supply Mr. Burpee’s family and people with
dairy products. Neighbors of the cows, across the entries, are the
working horses. Especially noticeable among these are the two black
Percherons, ‘‘ Candid ’’ and ‘‘ Emmett,’’ recently purchased up in York
State. They are young fellows, but large, kind, intelligent, and very
powerful. They are the admiration of all who visit Fordhook, and
are admirably adapted for their duties of heavy farm work.

The dog kennels have been somewhat increased in number, and
therein are found collies of all sizes, from a few days old—with grave
and serious countenances—up to the patriarchs of marvelous under-
standing and intelligence, even for this most sagacious breed of man’s
best friend. The same general arrangement is observed as heretofore,
and each kennel has a small run connected with it in which the occu-
pant can take exercise. At the time of the writer’s visit there were
several litters of pups of the most cute and cunning appearance imag-
inable.

The chicken houses have been increased in number. They are com-
modious buildings with extensive yards connected with each. The
species are, of course, kept separate, and many of the thoroughbreds are
very handsome, while others, of much value, are not so pleasing to
the eye.

West of the stock is a new and commodious building, now nearing
completion, which is going to be a most useful as well as convenient
adjunct in the seed-growing department. The structure is of frame so
arranged, with inclined planes, that large loaded wagons may be driven
directly through the center. On one side of this passageway a hoist-
ing apparatus is arranged to carry freight to the third floor. On the
west side, on the first floor, is a large, tight-floored, high-ceilinged
room. This is to be used for a threshing floor. The process will be
done with flails, and fanning will be by a hand machine as often and
as finely as the different varieties of seed may demand. East of the

FORDHOOK IN FALL. 95

c

main gangway is a room for seed sorting and packing, with boxes and
racks of drawers for storage. Adjoining the latter is a second room
for the storage of certain kinds of implements, etc. |The second floor
contains drying racks—canvas cloth stretched across wooden frames.
These are light, and may be stored in large numbers in limited space.
The third floor is an open loft, where crops, such as beans, peas, corn,
etc., may be spread for drying, or the space may be utilized for stor-
age. From the third floor a narrow stairway leads to the observatory
and belfry. From this point of observation all of Fordhook, except
what lies along the Upper State Road, is visible. The view at this
season is a splendid one, the luxuriant crops of vivid colors or ample
fruitage, as the case may be, presenting all sorts of variety and
diversity.

From the same point of vantage, extending for miles to the south-
east and south, is to be seen the broad valley which sweeps away to
Newville and westward in most handsome landscape of cultivated
fields, farm buildings, woodland, etc. To the east is Doylestown,
where the foliage and houses, the roofs and spires, the red of brick and
_ green of trees, suggest town and country both, and handsomely mark
the county’s capital. Close below the belfry is the office building,
wherein Messrs. Darlington and Earl, Mr. Burpee’s chiefs of staff, are
busily at work with their records and the direction of affairs. Just
west of this is the cosy summer home of the proprietor, larger and
more commodious than that destroyed by fire a few seasons back,
where, with his family, Mr. Burpee spends the summer months, enter-
tains his friends and enjoys Fordhook, its beauties and environmeuts,
to the utmost.

From THE FLORISTS’. EXCHANGE, New York, January 28, 1893.

W. ATLEE BURPER & CO0.’S SEED HOUSE.*

S we have never given our readers a description of this im-
mense establishment, we may be pardoned for going into a
more lengthy description than we have allowed to the other

seedsmen visited (in Philadelphia).

They claim to do the largest mailing business in the United States,
and therefore, not improbably, in the whole world, and it is impossible
to be in the building for a few minutes without receiving the impres-
sion that the business is immense, and that impression becomes convic-
tion as each of the five floors and the basement of the building is
visited in itsturn and the increasing activity of the 140 people employed
therein is noticed.

The first floor is partly devoted to the general office, in which is ample
desk room for 30 people, book-keepers, cashiers, corresponding clerks,
type-writers, étc. A feature of this office is an enormous safe, con-
taining nothing but the order books for what is called the retail trade,
that is, orders received by mail from private parties. On this floor is
Mr. W. Atlee Burpee’s private office, where the representative of the
Florists’ Exchange was received by the head of the firm, who after
some most flattering encomiums of the paper, placed me under the
guidance of the manager, to be shown over the establishment.

Leaving the office we proceeded to the rear, where a large open space
is devoted to packing bulky goods, and which opens on York Avenue,
where the wagons deliver all goods and load for shipment. A large
steam elevator occupies one corner of this department. Following my
cicerone, I now ascend to the first floor, on which is the flower-seed

* The foregoing newspaper reports show the methods of growing and testing
seeds at ForpHook Farm. The above article briefly describes the business
system in force at our warehouse, Nos. 475 and 477 North Fifth Street, and
476 and 478 York Avenue. The same subject is more fully treated, and also
carefully illustrated from flash-light photographs of the different departments,
in pages 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in our Farm AnnuAt for 1894.—W. A. B. & Co.

* 96

THE CITY WAREHOUSE. 97

department, where orders for these goods and for bulbs are filled.
Pigeon holes and small drawers all around the walls and in large
frames or Cases, separated by narrow alleyways, make up the principal
furniture on this floor and are filled with small packets of flower seeds,
arranged so that every separate kind can be reached in a moment. A
full line of empty packages or envelopes is kept here in pigeon holes
corresponding with the filled packages.

Here also are large bins of sweet peas, for which Mr. Burpee, aware
of their ever-growing popularity, has made contracts for over 14,000
pounds. Half of this floor is given up to the mailing department, the
importance of which may be conceived from the fact that over 4000
orders are sometimes mailed from here in one day. This is exclusive
of the goods sent out from the express department on the floor above,
to which we ascend.

Here are the express, freight,and wholesale departments, and the seed- _
filling department, in which is a great curiosity in the form of an auto-
matic package filler and closer worked by steam. The paper bags, of
which all the small sizes can be used, are placed in a horizontal rack,
along which they move in an erect position ; the seed is poured into a
hopper at the top of the machine, which is then started. With wonder-
ful rapidity a scoop receives a modicum of seed and pours it, by means
of a long, narrow beak, into the bag which has come immediately
beneath it. The bag filled, it travels on till it reaches a slot, into
which it drops, receiving on its downward path a smear of mucilage on
its flap and a squeeze to fasten it. It then drops into a receiver,
where it is immediately followed by other bags which have been filled,
gummed, and dropped into an endlessstream. By this contrivance one
operative can fill and gum 20,000 packages of seeds a day.

The next floor is used for bulk storage and printing. Four presses,
a collection of electrotypes, and type are used to print bags, envelopes,
names of retailers on catalogues, etc. The fifth floor contains the sur-
plus stock of seeds, in packages, which is drawn on as required down
stairs. Here, far above the constant movements and inevitable racket of
the region below, is a large chamber with a long table, pierced at in-
tervals with holes like those of letter boxes. It is here that the cashier,
with sometimes as many as six assistants, presides at the opening of
the daily mail, no trifling job, often comprising 7000 orders by letter or
postal card. Each letter, as it is opened, is entered, and the money
contained in it dropped into one of the holes intended for it, and made
for cash, money orders, or postal notes, respectively. The orders,
properly sorted out, then go to the different departments for filling.

98 SELECTION IN SEED GROWING.

I have not yet spoken of the enormous quantity of printed matter
which is on every floor. No one knows better than Mr. Burpee the
value of printers’ ink, and his catalogues, of which there are five dif-
ferent kinds, are printed to the extent of 500,000 annually. The
mailing of the new catalogues for 1893 commenced on December 4th
last and will not be completed before the end of January. Besides
this class of literature, the firm publishes another of equal interest to
the general public. These books, well-written, printed, and bound in
paper and cloth, are largely sold and also distributed as premiums to
buyers. Their titles are to be found in the catalogue, which is cer-
tainly in the hands of every florist.

The department of Mr. Giles Leahy, that of advertising and print-
ing, and to whom I am indebted for the above information, is not the
least important one of this vast establishment.

I forgot to mention an important chamber I looked in at through a
window, but could not enter, as only one man has a key. It is the
repository of the most valuable stock seeds.

Descending this time as low as the vast cellar used for potatoes and
other bulky stock, I reascended to the office, where Mr. Burpee gave
me much further valuable information.

The firm has a large storehouse for seeds on Third Street, and a
model seed farm at Fordhook, in Bucks County, which will be, we
hope, visited and made the subject of a special article at an early date,
and where Messrs. Burpee & Co. raise also fine live stock.

I left this hive of industry deeply impressed with its size, the vast
extent of territory it supplies, not only in the United States but in
Europe, even Russia sending large orders, and, above all, with the
wonderful system in force, by which the head of the firm controls from
his office every department, each of which has its separate manager,
and by which every order can be traced at any distance of time from
its receipt in the office to its delivery to the buyer.

The arrangemenis for testing the seeds, whose quality has made the
reputation of the firm, belong to Fordhook, and will be described when
that interesting place is visited.

Why We Publish
Books on Horticulture.

N the success of the planter is the germ of our
success. First, the best Srrps, Buss, and
Piants; next, the plainly told practice of ac-

cepted experts in gardening. This is why we publish
books on Horticuntturs, and from a modest begin-
ning this feature of our business has grown to very
considerable proportions. The past year we distrib-
uted 73,475 volumes, which shows how fortunate
we are in publishing books the people want.

Our Books Free.

With the standard high and the price low, we go
further,—by allowing a credit of ten cents on every
dollar sent us for seeds, plants, or bulbs toward the
purchase of any book published by us. Thus, a
$2.00 order, with 10 cts. added, can select any book
offered for 30 cts.; with 50 cts. added, any book
offered for 50 cts. Or, a $3.00 order can select en-
tirely free any book offered for 30 cts., or a $5.00
order any book offered for 50 cts.,and so on, we more
than meeting our customers half way in our desire
to give them Free the best books for the Farm and
GARDEN.

W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO.,

475 and 477 N. Fifth St., and 476 and 478 York Ave.,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.

’

IFVL

Ee eR
THE BEAVT

if Z ts i/
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1

1

BY THE WELL-KNOWN BOSTON ARTIST,

F. SCHUYLER MATHEWS,
IN COLLABORATION WITH ARTHUR FEWKS,
OF NEWTON HIGHLANDS, MASS.

We are confident this new book will mark an
epoch in artistic flower-gardening, towhich people
every where are turning such close attention. Art
is simple and natural ;—yet where is a teacher
> more needed than in simple, natural arrangement?
There are many gardens laid out with evident care,
yet even in these it must be admitted that some-
‘ thing is lacking, and Mr. MATHEWS says, “all
f«. will agree with me that this something is art in
“3 gardening.” Who is better able to tell us what
50 at Ps. properly pertains to the subject. than a trained
“ai <4" artist who is also an enthusiastic amateur gar-
RAL es “ep dener? The pages are literally overflowing with

eo _pen-and-ink sketches made from nature, so that the

‘40® _ veriest novice may easily learn to arrange plants and
flowers harmoniously. The artist-author has drawn from
JU the best in the artistic world of gardening, showing the influ-
2 Zu ence of the formal English style, also that of the Italian renaissance
_ 2 Ax” period, not overlooking the influence exerted by the Japanese, who
#. ~ area wonderfully artistic people.

= Above everything, harmony should rule in the garden; all nature pro-
claims the principle: ‘art itself is nature.” Therefore, the most elaborative atten-
tion is given by the author to making plain the principles of harmony.

Not the least important part of this valuable book is that devoted to the careful
description of flowers which may be easily procured and grown from seeds, bulbs, and
cuttings. Bright sketches show the form and habit of growth of each class. The
closing chapters are devoted to careful cultural directions by ARTHUR FEWKS, a
professional grower of wide reputation. All the works previously published on this
subject are elaborate and expensive, treating for the most part of the management of
great estates and parks; this book is for the million seeking to surround their homes
with nature in her charming moods. We therefore consider it to our interest to make
the price actually less than the cost per copy for the first edition.

Finely illustrated, and in handsomely designed covers.
Price 50 cts., postpaid.

Any $5.00 order can, if desired by the purchaser
FREE AS A PREMIUM. include, entirely free, a copy of this new book :
or; if your order amounts to $2.00, you can get it for 30 cents added. 4@-We allow
a credit of 10 cents on each Dollar.

Published by W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., Philadelphia, Pa.

INJURIOUS INSECTS

pee USE OF INSEG EICIDES.

A NEW BOOK.

By FRANK W. SEMPERS,

Director of Fordhook Chemical Laboratory ; author of MANURES:
How to Make and How to Use Them.

A very complete and convenient treatise on insects destruc-
tive to Fruit, Field, and Garden crops. Contains the latest and
best methods for preventing insect injuries and gives reliable for-

mulas for making insecti-
cides. This book is plainly
written for the million,
and is filled with life-like
illustrations which will
greatly aid the farmer in
identifying his insect foes,

SYNOPSIS OF THE Con-
TENTS: — Natural and
Artificial Methods of De-
stroying Insects—Insect-
icides, with Full Direc-
tions for Making and
Using Them — Insects
Injurious to Orchard and
Garden Fruits — Insects
Destructive to Vegetable
Crops and to Grains and
Grasses — Those which
Annoy Domestic Animals
—Inseects of the House-

hold.

; C Tl Ci IDES:
(i Birector of the
‘LAS? RATORY.

A book badly needed by every one who has a Farm or Garden.

PRICE, POSTPAID, 50 CENTS.

j Any $5.00 order can, if desired by the purchaser, include,
Free as a Premium. entirely free, a copy of this new book. See above.

PUBLISHED BY

W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA.

ONIONS FOR PROFIT.

A Full and Complete Hand-Book of Onion Growing.

At last we publish a really complete hand-book on Onion grow-
ing, the first ever issued ; it is by Mr. T. GREINER, the author of
the NEw ONION CULTURE, of which book he says: ‘‘ The NEw
ONION CULTURE was intended mostly to present a new phase of
the business, and to encourage further researches in an entirely
new direction. Asa ‘Hand-book of Onion Growing’ it has short-

comings and is far from
being complete. It leaves
too much room for per-
sonal inquiries. I have
looked the field of horti-
cultural literature in
America over pretty
closely. and am unable to
find a hand-book for the
Onion grower the teach-
ings of which are based
on modern methods and
embody (as they should
in order to justify any
claims of being ‘ up-to-
the-times’) the two meth-
ods, the old and the new,
in profitable combina-
tion.”’

So Ra ee e e
“PUBLISHED There is Big Money
in Onions: $500, and even
more, per acre, if you know
how to get itout. This money
is for the ‘‘ up-to-the-times ”
market gardener, the progres-
sive farmer, and the bright
farmer’s boy everywhere. No more practical and successful Onion grower than
Mr. Greiner can be found, and he gives his latest knowledge in ONIONS FOR
PROFIT without reserve. The book will undoubtedly mark an epoch in works
on this subject.

Every reasonable question as to Onion growing is answered in its over one
hundred pages, which are enlivened with fully fifty illustrations prepared for
this book, making it handsome as well as valuable.

Price, Postpaid, 50 Cents,

or can be selected FREE as a premium on or-
ders amounting to FIVE DOLLARS or more.

PUBLISHED BY
W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA.

- Brief extracts from reviews in leading
agricultural papers of Onrons ror Prorir.

From AMERICAN FLorist, Chicago, Ill., Feb. 16, 1893.

It contains ample information covering every point in
onion culture, from sowing to harvesting.

From ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, Aflanta, Ga., Feb. 12, 1893.

The onion-grower will find the book a profitable and
- interesting study. It ‘ covers the ground,” as the onions
do, and contains much valuable information.

From CouNTRY GENTLEMAN, Albany, N. Y., Feb. 16, 1893.

The author’s experience is freely drawn on, covering
both systems, and he has no “ trade secrets” to keep back
from his less experienced fellow gardeners.

From FARM AND FIRESIDE, Springsield, Ohio,
May 1, 1893.
A complete hand-book or guide to successful and profit-
able onion growing. In this book market gardeners will
find clearly told all the valuable “‘ trade secrets” of the
improved methods that have revolutionized onion culture,

From Farm JouRNAL, Philadelphia, March, 1893.

There is a growing interest in this subject. The author
is well fitted to tell others what he knows about onions
and big enough to have no secrets. His knowledge is for
all, and can be bought of the publishers for fifty cents,
by mail.

From MASSACHUSETTS PLOUGHMAN, Boston, Mass.,
Feb. 18, 1893.

Mr. T. Greiner, the well-known gardener and agricul-
turist, has just written an admirable detailed and illus-
trated description of the new methods used in onion
growing by the most progressive gardeners. Mr. Greiner
has the rather rare qualifications of being both a prac-
tical and successful gardener, and also a very clear and
concise writer.

From Fiorist’s ExcHANGE, New York City, Feb. 11, 1893.

He answers the question, “‘ Does onion growing pay?”
as follows :—

‘Onions are just the crop for extensive farming. The
big item in their production is well-directed labor, not
land. Their culture involves some risk of loss to the
unskilled and shiftless grower ; but it also affords one of
the best chances to get comparatively large returns from
a little land well tilled.

““ With the exception of celery I could not namea single
crop so promising in this respect as the onion crop.”

,

The present production of the onion in the United States has
reached enormous proportions, and yet hundreds of thousands of
bushels are annually imported.

It seems to me that California and some of our Southern States can
grow just as good onions as any of the countries named, and they
should try to catch a little of this trade in mild foreign sorts.—
GREINER.

CELERY FOR PROFIT.

All agree that Celery offers greater chances for making money
than any other garden crop. The difficulties encountered by the
old methods of growing, however, made success uncertain, and sure
only with comparatively few expert growers. Modern methods
make all this uncertainty a thing of the past. From the same
area which would give $100.00 in any other vegetable, you
may take $400.00 or even
$500.00 in Celery, if you
know how. This new
| book, just published, is
written by T. GREINER,
author of ONIONS FOR
PROFIT, and other books
on gardening. It tells
| how to dispense with
nine-tenths of the labor
generally thought neces-

) y HODS sary in Celery growing,
aw EXPOSS-f4 ME and how to make the
Bee ee qe

business pay really big
profits. Under the right
culture and conditions
several thousand dollars’
worth of Celery can be
raised on a single acre.
Es The book is thoroughly
complete in every detail, and is embellished with many helpful
and original illustrations. Here is a glimpse of the table of
contents :—

Generalities—An Introduction—The Early Celery--The New Celery Culture—
The Irrigation Problem—The Fall and Winter Crop—Winter Storage—Mar-
keting Problems—Varieties, etc., ete.

Price, Postpaid, 30 Cents,

or can be selected FREE as a premium with any
order amounting to THREE DOLLARS or more.

ty
oT

PUBLISHED BY
W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA.

Brief extracts from editorial
reviews of CELERY FOR PROFTT?.

From MIRROR AND FARMER, Manchester, N. IH.,
March 16, 1893.
Tells all about celery culture.

From Oulo FARMER, Cleveland, Ohio, March 16, 1893.

A paper-cover book of 85 pages, embracing the whole
science and art of celery growing, fuily illustrated.

From SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR, Aflanta, Ga., May, 1893.

A very useful little pamphlet on the cultivation of
celery, giving an exposition of the modern methods of
growing this toothsome and popular vegetable.

From WESTERN PLOWMAN, Moline, Ill., Murch 15, 1893.

By the improved methods shown celery raising is not
the difficult and laborious operation that it once was.
We commend this little work and advise our readers to
invest thirty cents in a copy of it.

From GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE, Medina, Ohio,
March 1, 1893.
It is written in the author’s bright, hopeful, and
intensely happy and interesting vein, and the illustra-
tions all through are up to the very latest date. It covers
the ground of the new celery culture entirely.

From FARM AND FIRESIDE, Springfield, Ohio, May 1, 1893.

Not only every grower of celery for market, but every
one who has a garden ought to have this book. Growers
can learn how to multiply their profits. Celery culture
is made so plain that there is no longer an excuse for the
home garden being without its patch of this choice and
most wholesome vegetable.

From MASSACHUSETTS PLOUGHMAN, Boston, Mass.,
March 11, 1893.
Mr. Greiner, in his admirable, concise, and practical
style, details the recent great improvements in the
methods of growing celery for both market and home
use. The book is handsomely printed and illustrated
with numerous cuts, and is well worth reading by all
celery growers, whether experienced or not.

From GARDEN AND Forest, New York City, May 17, 1893.
This little hand-book, although it contains less than a
hundred pages, tells the amateur planter in the plainest
possible manner all that he needs to know in order to
grow a crop of celery in his home-garden, and then how
to preserve it properly through the winter. Perhaps the
most interesting chapter is that devoted to the *‘ new
celery culture,” which consists in growing the plants so
closely together that they blanch in their own shade,

Only ten years ago celery was a rarity and a Juxury.
How different now. You find a little patch of celery in every com-

plete home garden. r
People have learned to like the taste of the vegetable, and they

will have it.
This means a steady move in the right direction—away from an

excessive, almost exclusive, meat diet, and toward civilization and
refinement.— GREINER.

MANURES:

How to Make and How to Use Them.

A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE CHEMISTRY OF
MANURES AND MANURE MAKING.

This new book on the chemistry of manures and manure making is a
complete and really important work, written specially for the use of farmers,
horticulturists, and market gardeners, by Frank W. Sempers, Director of
the Fordhook Chemical Laboratory.

It clearly explains the
principles underlying soil
fertilization and gives the
best known scientific meth-
ods for preparing and apply-
ing natural and artificial

manures on the farm. It

FE has been demonstrated by
MZ several of the State Agri-
cultural Experiment Sta-
HOW TO MAKE tions and by scores of pro-

gressive farmers that chemi-
AND cal manures equal to the best
ready-made mixtures can be
made on the farm, without
the aid of machinery and at
great saving in cost. The
different raw materials en-
tering into the composition
of fertilizers are plainly
described, and the best com-
74 ee , j mercial sources of suppl
/ PPUBUSHED B 425 given. Considerable ss
= is devoted to tried and

W.ATLEE BURPEE& (=

<3 proved formulas, drawn from
PHILADELPHIA. the latest scientific re-
searches in America, Eng-
: land, France, and Germany,
Simple explanations are also given of some terms in chemical technology
used in the State Agricultural Reports and in the general agricultural and
horticultural literature of the day. The arrangement and classification
are in accordance with the best scientific usage, and every formula is the
result of actual field experiment. The preparation of this book has in-
volved a large amount of careful work.

BS
Ze

Price, Postpaid, 50 Cents,

or can be selected FREE as a premium on or-
ders amounting to FIVE DOLLARS or more.

PUBLISHED BY
W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA.

:

~_AaABRARAAAAAAALAALAADRABRADAAADAADAAAADAADADADAADDADDS

All About
Sweet Peas

Revised and Enlarged.

Last season we published a little monograph,
Att Asout Sweet Pras. It was so enthusiastic-
ally received that 52,577 copies were asked for
and sent out. From the correspondence that fol-
lowed we estimate that fully 200,000 persons read
this monograph. This wonderful fact emphatic-
ally calls for a book. We have, therefore, prepared
a beautifully illustrated volume with the fixed
purpose of furnishing a complete epitome of the
literature of this fragrant annual. The author is,
of course, Rev. W. T. Hurcuins, a most enthusi-
astic and successful grower, and an authority
upon the subject. Our new book is complete,
exhaustive, and carefully edited. From our 137
trials at ForpHook and comparative soil tests
conducted by our chemist, Mr. SEMPERS, in seyv-
eral sections of the country, we can safely say
that cultural directions and fertilizers suggested
are authoritative. Price, postpaid, only 20 cents.

Free as a Premium with any $2.00 Order.

PUBLISHED BY

W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO.,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
VUVVVVVVVVVVATVVVA

teas

row TO COOK VEGETABLES.

BY MRS. S. T. RORER.

PRINCIPAL OF THE PHILADELPHIA COOKING ScHOOL, EDITOR OF TABLE TALK,
AUTHOR OF Mrs. RORER’s Cook Book, Etc.

This new book, published by us, has met with success beyond
our most sanguine expectations. Every family wants a copy, as
Mrs. Rorer is acknowledged authority by thousands of the best
housekeepers everywhere. As all the proof-sheets have been care-
fully revised by her personally, ‘HOW TO COOK VEGETA-
BLES” will be found thoroughly trustworthy. - The recipes
given have all been proven by Mrs. Rorer from practical tests in the
kitchen and on the table.

It is a book of 182 pages
of the same size as The Kitchen
Gurden, and gives numerous
recipes for cooking all vari-
eties of vegetables in every
style—many of which will be
new even to the most experi-
enced housewives. As an illus-
tration of how thoroughly the
subject is treated, we would
mention that it gives forty
ways of cooking potatoes,
twenty-six of tomatoes, and
twenty-two of corn. It also
gives twenty-eight recipes for
making Soups and thirty-
seven recipes for SALADS.
Besides ‘‘ How To CooK VEGE-
TABLES,” it also tells numerous
ways How to PIcKLE,—How
TO PRESERVE FRUITS,—HOW
N TO CAN FOR WINTER USE, as

CIPAL well as how to serve vegetables

“OF THE PAI A Ne") | cold.
EL ff} g An important supplement to

the general scope of this
treatise is the addition, also by
Mrs. Rorer, of nearly fifty
complete Menus, for spring,
Ore . | summer, autumn, and winter.

JATLEE BURPEES(O\ _# | In all, it isa most complete
MS — Te book, that will prove really
KOR ORDERS Z, 2, | valuable to every progressive
= nom ¥; housewife.

This new book, of which the copyright is owned by us, is not for sale, and
can only be had asa Premium by those who purchase Seeds, Bulbs, or Plants from
us. In order to place it within the reach of all we offer the paper-cover edition
entirely FREE as a Premium on an order amounting to $3.00. <A copy
substantially bound in cloth, for kitchen use, can be had free with an order
for $5.00.

PUBLISHED BY

W.ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA.

HOW AND WHAT TO GROW

IN A

Kitchen Garden of One Acre.

FULLY ILLUSTRATED.
Price 50 Cents in Paper; 75 Cents in Cloth.

This new book of nearly 200 pages will prove very valuable to
all engaged in gardening : it gives sound, common-sense views and
practical teachings—so plain that the most inexperienced need not
fail—so complete that experi-
enced gardeners can read it
with pleasure and profit. It is
fully illustrated, and enters so
thoroughly into details that it
will undoubtedly be warmly
welcomed by the thousands
who inquire, every year, What
is the best book on Garden=
ing? Among other subjects
its contents embrace :—

Selection of Location—Preparing the
Soil—Laying out the Garden to in-
elude the various Vegetables and
Fruits, and securing to each the
Most Suitable Location—Planting
and Care of Small Fruits—The Best
Varieties of Small Fruits, and Har-
vesting Same—Directions for Mak-
ing and Care of Hot-beds—Raising
Vegetable Plants — Transplanting

—Sowing Seeds—Practical Directions for the Special Cultivation of all Vege-

tables—Notes on the Merits of the Different Varieties of Vegetables—Manures

—Description, Proper Uses, and Care of Garden Implements—How to Grow

Second Crops to best Economize the Land and Manure—The Winter Storage of

Vegetables —The Use and Management of Coid Frames in Winter — Winter

Care and Pruning of Small Fruits—Culture of Succulent Roots and Bulbs—

Herbs, their Uses and Manner of Growing.

EG The paper-cover edition can be had FREE, as a premium,
on a seed order of $5.00 ; or bound in cloth, on a seed order amount-
ing to $7.50.

PUBLISHED BY

W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA.

THE POULTRY YARD:

HOW TO FURNISH AND MANAGE IT.

By W. Arter Burpee. Fully illustrated. We have just
issued another edition of this popular book, very much amended,
with up-to-the-times methods and usages. Besides the de-

‘scriptions of the leading
Land and Water Fowls,
it also contains chapters
on the

Best PLANS OF POULTRY
HousEs—How To Make In-
CUBATORS—SELECTION AND [fli
Martine oF Stock—Wuar fj allt nfs
AND How To FEED— fh amv RS on
GENERAL MANAGEMENT— fi se Hof | [ewe HRT WATE ae os

‘as MM A ie
aE SS ky

FRENCH METHOD OF KILL-
ING—DRESSING AND SHIP-
PING POULTRY—EGGS AND
CHICKENS—DIRECTIONS
FOR CAPONIZING WITH
PLAIN ILLUSTRATIONS —
DISEASES WITH TRIED AND
PROVEN PRESCRIPTIONS —
How To RAIsE Goop TuR-
KEYS, etc., ete.

Price in paper covers,

handsomely designed,
50 cts.; neue in ae 75 cts., postpaid.
The paper-cover edition can be had FREE, as a premium,
on a seed order of $5.00; or bound in cloth on a seed order
amounting to $7.50.

PUBLISHED BY

W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA.

BURPEE’S MANUAL OF THOROUGHBRED LIVE STOCK for 1893,
the most complete of its kind, FREE upon application.

HOW TO GROW CABBAGESANSCAULIFLOWERS
MOST PROFITABLY.

This book gives complete information on the successful growing of
these important crops, and treats fully on :—

How to succeed with CABBAGES--The Best Soils—The Cabbage
a Greedy Feeder—Manures— Planting and Cultivation — Insects— Early
Cabbages—Late Cabbages—Cutting and Marketing.

CAULIFLOWER —Selection of Land—Making Seed Bed and
Sowing Seed—Cultivation—Enemies of the Cauliflower—Varieties—
Tying and Bleaching—Packing for Market—How to Keep for Winter
Use. ILLUSTRATED. PRICE, POSTPAID, 30 CENTS.
FREE AS A PREMIUM on any order amounting to $3.00 or more.

HOW TO GROW ONIONS.

Published in 1888, this is a thoroughly reliable guide for all who
purpose growing this most profitable crop. It gives in full the prize
essay, with the above title, by Mr. T. GREINER, also Onion Growing
by Irrigation, by Con. C. A. ARLIE, of Lake View, Oregon— care-
fully edited, with additional notes, including an article on growing
Sets, by W. "ATLEE BURPEE. ILLUSTRATED. PRICE 30 CENTS.
FREE ASA PREMIUM on any order amounting to $3.00 or more.

HOW TO GROW MELONS FOR MARKET.

In order to present the subject to our readers in the most compre-
hensive and concise manner, we have compiled from the PRIZE Essa Ys,
and our own experience, a treatise that we think will be of value to
every Melon grower. It treats of both Muskmelons and Watermelons,
with full information on the selection of soil, use and application of
manures, selection of suitable and profitable varieties, planting of seed,
destruction of insects, copious notes on the cultivation, how to grow
extra large melons, how and when to gather for market, ete.

ILLUSTRATED. PRICE, POSTPAID, 30 CENTS.

FREE AS A PREMIUM on any order amounting to $3.00 or more.

ROOT CROPS FOR STOCK FEEDING.

Every Farmer and Stock Breeder, especially those who have never
grown Root Crops, should read Roor CROPS FOR STOCK FEEDING, and
How to Grow Them. ILLUSTRATED. A practical little treatise com-
piled from the Prize Essays. Edited by W. ATLEE BURPEE, with
copious additions from our own experience in growing these crops. It
treats fully not only on How to Grow, but also How to Store and How
to Feed ; it also gives careful notes on the most profitable varieties.
Root Crops for Stock Feeding is a subject of the greatest importance to
every farmer who desires the Farm to Pay a Profit.

ILLUSTRATED. PRICE, POSTPAID, 30 CENTS.
FREE AS A PREMIUM on any order ainounting to $3.00 or more.

PUBLISHED BY

W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA.

hilt il te ie ee le el il il lil li el ikl lL bl

Our Catalogues, Published Annually, are:

AIT ol TiAl i tial ttt ib lel tie tT i el el i ee i i el

BURPEE’S FARM ANNUAL. This is the foundation. See next page.

Special Advertisement of BURPEE’S SEEDS. This is an abridged
catalogue, descriptive mostly of our Novelties, which is mailed to those
names on our books from whom, for one reason or another, we did not receive
an order the previous season. It is an invitation to apply for our FARM
ANNUAL, if the recipient is still in need of seeds,—-the FARM ANNUAL being
too expensive to mail broadcast unless it is actually wanted.

Illustrated Circular of UNTRIED NOVELTIES. See synopsis given
on page 85. Issued January 15th, and mailed to our customers free on

application.

BURPEE’S BLUE LIST. Special price list of SkzEpS 1n Bux for
market gardeners and florists who have occasion to purchase in large
quantities. Mailed to the secretary of any Farmers’ Club, Market Gardener,
or Florist on application.

BURPEE’S RED LIST. This is a WHOLESALE PrRIcE List OF
Srxps for dealers only. In response to numerous inquiries, we would state
emphatically that we never send out boxes of seeds to be sold on commission,
but supply first-class seeds to dealers willing to pay a fair price for them.
This catalogue is sent only to bona fide dealers in seeds,

BURPEE’S MANUAL OF THOROUGHBRED LIVE STOCK. This
is issued in January of each year, and is a most complete illustrated catalogue
of THOROUGHBRED SHEEP, SWINE, Fancy PouLtTry, and RouGH-COATED ©
ScotcH CoLuir Does. It is sent without request to all live-stock customers
of the previous year, and is mailed to all others FREE on application.
#as> Every Stock Breeder, Poultry Fancier, and all Farmers interested in
improved stock should write for it, The many illustrations are accurately
engraved from nature, and the merits of the different breeds are fairly
presented. If you want a copy, send a postal card asking for the ‘‘ ILLus-
TRATED MANUAL OF THOROUGHBRED LIVE STOCK.”

PAPO TBAT DAU hE RW EER UFO AED PRY ITh MPR YPM EMERY PRR YP REA h RRA Eh ANG ERAN He Ny AGAR PHA By yGN AD yyAR ME py Eh yg KE hh Shey thytdyp Gd

FORDHOOK COLLIE KENNELS. This is the title of a special illus-
trated folio of ScorcH CoLLIxks, as bred at FoRDHOoK FARM, with photo-
gravure illustrations and much interesting information. Mailed in a circu-
lar tube on receipt of a two-cent postage stamp.

BURPEE’S CATALOGUE OF FLOWERING BULBS, PLANTS,
AND SEEDS FOR AUTUMN PLANTING. A complete illustrated cata-
logue of Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocus, and other bulbs and flower roots for
winter blooming and fall planting; also embracing seasonable seeds and
plants. Issued September ist of each year. Free on application.

W.ATLEE BURPEE & CO., PHILADELPHIA, PA.

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PAbaF Uy iMag UPA Wah Aa AP UWPADAANGPAD PCW PARA? UGA ARAPREPAN GERDA MRAM PAD ARN GP DIAN TPAD PARP ANAL GPA PADUA Va PAR GP APA AP An PARGP AD AAB UPAR GAN GP ADAM PAR EAR PAN AAD F An ANP ND OAR A? VPARP AIAN IMG APART A DIANA Ud AR PA

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== BURPEE’S——
_FARM ANNUAL.

~ — The. Leading American Seed Catalogue——

jl Ror truth. knowledge, and fairness BURPEE’s Farm ANNUAL is
poked to as the model. seed catalogue of America,
_ Its mission is to show the best seeds that grow within the reach of alt.
- Seed planters every where believe init. Our brethren in the seed trade
- pay it and us honor by quoting from its pages ; the editors of influential
__ papers—whose good opinion we all value—compliment it highly.

One of the Most Complete.

From THE eee Re PRESS, Pittsbu ‘gh, Pa., March 19, 1893.

The Farm ANNUAL, pablished by W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia,
- @ is one of the most complete works on the science of seed growing that
_ ®& has yet been brought to the attention of the public. This catalogue is a most

@ valuable one to farmers, gardeners, and florists, and its accurate descriptions

’ may be relied upon as true to nature.

By Common Consent at the Head.

e@ From THE New YorkK CENTRAL News, Utica, N. Y., March 30, 1893.

By common consent, BURPEE’s FARM ANNUAL stands at the head of all
similar works; but, better than all this, their choice seeds, which are all
. thoroughly tested by them and only the very best sent out to their customers, .
«nave acquired a world-w ide reputation.

Honor and Honesty of the Seller.

y From THE Orrawa County TIMES, Holland, Mich., March 25, 1893.

i ‘Experience has taught us that the descriptions given in BURPEE’s FARM

irra of the products of their seeds are accurate and not overdrawn, In
no other business, perhaps, is the buyer so entirely dependent upon the
sort and honesty of the seller as in the business of seed buying.

fe Mirror of the Best Seeds.

From ‘THE WATERTOWN Post, Watertown, N. Y., April 18, 1893.

Of all the catalogues sent out by American seedsmen, that of W. Atlee |
Burpee & Co. is unsurpassed in arrangement, illustrations, and honest de-
scriptions. It has taken many years of labor and millions of capital to develop
@ and perfect this great industry of seed growing, of which the FARM ANNUAL

é is a A mirror, pees ine in its pages all that is best in the world of seeds.

Ne Die ded Gtition is issued January 1st and mailed promptly to each
“one of our customers, beginning with the far South and West. Any

= cents, ae is less than cost in quarter-million editions.

—W. ATLEE ae: &. CQ
PHILADELPHIA,

oe ae

‘The plowing: extracts from four reflect hundreds of reviews e

a seed planter is welcome to a copy free. Others should enclose ten

WA

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eae MAKING CHEAP MANURES AT FORDHOOK Farm. (From a photograph.)
ation from our new book, ‘* MANURES: HOW TO MAKE AND HOW TO USE
THEM.”’