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SEED MATURING IN ONE YEAR
Some of the seed desirable for saving because
they mature in one year are:
BEANS末Select the best plants and let the pods mature. Pull up
plants preferably in the early morning, to prevent shattering. Place plants
in a dry, well aired placed until seed are hard. Shell and spread in a layer
until dry.
 Fig.
12末To remove kernels when preparing to plant or to test seed, insert knife
between rows and pry sideways.
SWEET CORN末Select the ears just at maturity and while on plants,
as plant must be considered as well as the ear. The plant should be free
from disease and preferably have two or more good ears to the stalk. The
distance between joints should be short and the ears set on short, strong
shanks. Ears should be nearly cylindrical and should taper but slightly from
butts to tips. They should be well filled out, with husks tightly folded
over ears. Pick ears from plants maturing at nearly the same time, uniform
in size, strong and well rooted. Medium sized ears are best. When fully
mature strip down husks and string up 10-15 ears in a dry shady place so as
to dry out ears quickly.
CUCUMBERS AND SUMMER SQUASH末Select desirable fruits when in the
usable stage. Allow them to remain on vines until ripe, as indicated by
change of color or hardening of surface. Remove the seed from the ripe fruit
and wash free of pulp. Spread in a thin layer in the sunshine to dry,
stirring frequently. A quart or less should dry satisfactorily in a day.
EGGPLANT末When fruit is opened for food, select the best formed
seed, wash and dry.
LETTUCE末Plants for seed should be started early enough so that
seed setting and ripening does not occur during the hot weather. With
heading varieties it may be necessary to cut across the tops of the heads to
allow the seed stalks to push through. When seed heads turn white and open,
cut or pull the plants, put heads in paper bags and hang in a dry place
until seed are ripened and drop out of heads, or lay the plants on a table
in a dry airy place. |
POTATOES末Select productive seed hills, as nearly free from disease
as possible. Potatoes should be true as to variety, which means that a late
variety should not be substituted for early variety if the crop is to be
harvested early. Early varieties cannot be substituted for late varieties as
they are not as productive. Seed potatoes should be kept dormant in a dark,
cool place until planting time. The production of long sprouts, or wilting,
will reduce the vigor. Rub off the long sprouts before the potatoes are
planted. RADISHES末Select the finest roots and cut off all but a
few central leaves. Put the roots in a moist, airy place for a short time
and then plant them with the crown an inch below the surface. When seed
ripen, cut plants and lay on paper exposed in the sun. When the outside
covering is dry, then rub out seed, dry and store.
TOMATOES末Gather fruit from selected plants when a little over
ripe, but not decayed. The seed may be freed by one of two methods. One of
these is to crush the fruit, and force through a sieve, and then put the
seed in a coarse cloth and press out pulp under water. Another method is to
crush fruit, put in a container and allow to ferment for two or three days,
stirring once in a while. The seed settle and the pulp which rises may be
poured off. Wash the seed in clear water and dry.
WINTER SQUASH, PUMPKIN, MUSKMELON, WATERMELON末When fruit is
opened for food, select the best formed seed, wash and dry.
Fig. 11末Hubbard squash.
A good type winter squash for seed. |
