Page:How and what to grow in a kitchen garden of one acre (IA howwhattogrowin00darl).pdf/152

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146
A KITCHEN GARDEN

about them. The easiest way to clean this seed is, take a small box, knock the top and bottom off, and nail some wire fly screening over the bottom; take the fresh tomatoes, not rotten ones, as arc frequently used, and squeeze the seeds into this sieve, throwing the pulp and flesh away; the seed can be washed free and clean by running clean water upon them, keep them constantly stirred and pick out the bits of pulp as they become free and float upon the top of the water, while the water and finer particles will pass off through the screening. When clean allow all the water to drain off and spread the seeds thinly on a smooth board or cloth in the sun; they should be stirred frequently, to prevent their adhering to each other when dry. If seeds are washed out in this manner and carefully dried, you can depend on every one growing, while from those saved in the ordinary manner, from tomatoes that have been allowed to heat and rot, sometimes not one seed in a hundred will germinate.

VARIETIES OF TOMATOES.

Extra Early Advance.—This variety is said to be the earliest in cultivation; at any rate, it is certainly a very early variety, and at the same time its fruits are of large size, of handsome, bright, red color and good quality; the solid flesh is free from the hard, green core present in the old varieties.

Burpee’s Cardinal.—I had the pleasure of growing this variety before it was introduced, having been presented with a small packet of seed by the originator, who requested me to make a trial of its merits,