Show Find Advantages in Saving Seed Selection Often Is Better Than Can Be Given to Market Product Prepared by the United States Statu Department ot of Agriculture The home or local gardener and the greenhouse gardener will often orten find It advantageous and profitable to save sa their own seed at least for some of their vegetables says says the United States Department of ot Agriculture In earlier times the home saving of seeds was the rule This custom has hns practically ceased although there are distinct advantages advantages ad nd- vantages even under present conditions for continuing the practice Suitable for Shipping The tendency of scale large vegetable ve producers at present Is to produce ve vegetables that are suitable for shipping shipping shipping ship ship- ping long distances and this has caused a decided lessening of varieties handled The Tue characters necessarily chosen for these varieties that will ship long distances are arc determined b by shipping shipping ship ship- ping and find market marlet requirements and too often a n high culinary quality has be been n neglected Both the home and market gardener are in a position to profit h by growing vegetables ve les of high culinary quality This is bet best done by saving the seed of proven varieties at nt home Many l garden varieties carry place r names or names or oi persons U oc occasionally oe- oe Indicate that they have been developed b by community selection In Inthe Inthe inthe the localities shown As late as the middle of the time last century man runny many Individual Individual Indi Indi- vidual market gardeners In this Oils countr country country coun coun- tr try jealously guarded the seed of certain certain tam tain varieties and strains which represented years of intelligent selection In their hands A few such superlative varieties are arc yet to tobe be found In the time possession possession possession pos pos- session of gardeners near the old mar mar- gardening ket-gardening centers That there are advantages In thus saving seed where It Is grown is generally recognized Advantages Two TwoFold These advantages ad are two-fold two 1 The selection which the gardener gives his seed plants while not greater than the seed grower gives his seed stock Is often better than can be given to the seed that is placed o on the market and 2 the plants selected will be bo the ones which succeed best under local environ environ- ment meat Certain vegetables in which pollination cross is normal will o or of course mix mit badly If two varieties are seeded In one garden together Weather Veather or other conditions sometimes sometimes some some- times cause a short crop of seed or a failure allure Fortunately well-matured well seeds if properly stored with the possible possible possible pos pos- sible exception of those of the parsnip and onion will retain their vitality for from three to five years It is thus possible possible pos pos- sible to tide over poor years ears and to grow most of the seed needed for a small garden |