NO ONE can furnish seeds of flowers and vegetables with any certainty as to their quality, unless he grows some on his own grounds, and constantly tests all that are obtained from other sources, both as to vitality and quality. No seedsman can grow all the seeds he must sell, because all will not mature well in any one climate. We can grow certain things better than any country in the world, while there are other kinds that, on account of climate and long experience, are grown of much better quality in other countries than any we can produce. The seedsman, therefore, has to learn what he can best produce, and what should be grown in other countries. For a full supply we are dependent upon England, France, Germany, Holland, Australia, &c. For the purpose of gaining all possible knowledge on this subject, as well as of growing everything that can be produced in perfection, we have for many years cultivated extensive grounds, of different varieties of soil, and, for the purpose of obtaining this variety, have had to select land in different places. Our largest and best place is about five miles from the city, where we have a warm, sandy soil, particularly suited to Phloxes, Asters, Dahlias, etc. This, as well as our home place near the city, attracts many visitors, and receives many flattering comments from the press. As we cultivate nearly a hundred acres, our system is not garden, but field culture. Everything is planted in long 1879. rows, wide enough apart to be cultivated by horse and cultivator. As we grow mainly for seeds and bulbs, there is no attempt at effect, yet the exhibltion of twenty or more acres of flowers in a field is something grand. The best time to see our flowers is in August, when everything is in perfection, and before seed-gathering commences, early in September. The editor of the Illustratea Christian Weekly visited our grounds some time since, and from his report we make some extracts: "Until within a few years but few flower seeds were grown in America for the market, and these were of the commonest kinds, such as could be produced with little care and skill. Our seedsmen imported their finest sorts mainly from France and Germany, a few from England, while Holland supplied not only the bulbs commonly known as Holland bulbs, but most of our Lilies. Mr. JAMES VICK, of Rochester, N. Y., was the pioneer in the systematic growing of flower seeds, and he is now without doubt the most extensive grower in America. After pursuing this work for several years, and meeting with only moderate success, though employing experienced seed - growers from Europe, he spent a season among the most noted seedsmen of the Old World studying their methods. He particularly noticed the effects of different climates, attributing many of his early failures to ignorance on this point. Returning to the work with new energy and more knowl edge, he has made flower-seed growing a granded for growing the plants which are afterwards success. "Five miles north from Rochester, towards Lake Ontario, and within two miles of its shore, near a station known as Barnard's, on the Charlotte branch of the New York Central railroad, is situated VICK's flower-farm. It consists of sixty-five acres, and possesses much natural beauty. A deep wooded ravine runs irregularly through its center, and through this winds a little spring-fed stream, which, near the center of the farm widens into a lakelet of several acres, which empties itself over a little fall of six or eight feet. This water is used for the washing of seed, an operation which the artist has sketched for us. It is also pumped by a windmill into large elevated tanks, and from these is distributed through iron pipes over the entire grounds, and by convenient arrangements for attaching hose an acre can be watered in a very short time, so that the plants here are never allowed to suffer from drought. The soil is a sandy loam, the timber in the neighborhood mainly chestnut and oak, and here are grown those plants that flourish best in a warm soil. Perhaps the largest field devoted entirely to one kind of flowers, at the time of our visit, was one filled with Dahlias, and containing six or more acres. It was supposed to include every variety known of real merit, and the display was gorgeous. Next in importance, perhaps, were the Asters, of every form and color, from the little Dwarf Bouquet, a mass of flowers six or eight inches in height, to the great Washington, bearing flowers four or five inches in diameter on plants four feet in height. Each color is planted separately, and at distant points, to prevent mixture. "The Phlox Drummondii, a native of America, luxuriates in this light soil, and no other flower, we think, produces such a solid unbroken mass of color-an acre of scarlet, an acre of white, and pink, and so on through six or seven different varieties, and as many colors, without a single mixture of color, or break, or barren spot to mar its splendor. Several hundred pounds of this seed are grown every year. The seed saved for distinct colors is gathered from the middle of each acre, and early in the season; the remainder, though saved separate later in the year, is used only for mixed colors. To make a good mixture' it is necessary to grow the colors separate in this way, for if mixed seed is sown those varieties that seed freely will soon "run out" the weaker kinds. Although many other kinds are grown in small quantities, the Aster, Phlox, Dahlia and Tuberose seem to be specialties. "Several convenient houses have been erect transferred to the open fields, (a view of some of these will be observed,) and scores of frames are used for the same purpose. Airy, wellventilated drying-houses are necessary for drying, cleaning and storing the seed, as well as cellars of immense capacity for storing the bulbs and roots. One very interesting department is the trial grounds, where everything new or unknown is carefully tested. Here we saw European novelties of last spring, and plants of California, Australia and Japan, some giving indications of value, while others seemed quite unworthy of introduction." An old gentleman, twenty years ago one of the best known writers for the agricultural press, has sent us the following communication, probably the last we shall receive from him, and but for this we should not have given anything on this subject at present. We thought it would be well to present some of the views on our grounds referred to by our correspondent, as they may be interesting to thousands of our readers who will never have an opportunity to visit our grounds: KIND FRIEND:-Once more I have visited the glorious exhibition of flowers on your grounds, about five miles north of the city and within two or three miles of Lake Ontario. I have availed myself of this privilege for many years, and have visited those gorgeous fields of beauty in August each year for a long time, but I think I have made, perhaps, my last visit, for my years number more than four-score, so I thought I would write a few lines to thank you for the exceeding great pleasure afforded me. Painful as well as pleasant are my reflections to-day, for well I remember the last visit I made in company with that good old man and thorough botanist, Professor DEWEY, who was an ardent lover of flowers, and, I believe, was acknowledged to be the best American authority on the Carix family. He spoke feelingly of the great treat he had enjoyed, and we formed our plans for the next season, but before the flowers bloomed he was resting peacefully in our beautiful cemetery, and loving hands had planted flowers on his grave. How well do I remember, as though but yesterday, of our ramble among the fields of Asters, and Phloxes, and acres of Dahlias until weary, and then of the sweet rest and cooling draught from the bubbling spring, then another journey among the flowers and a rest on the borders of the beautiful lakelet, under the shade of the willows. These reflections of an old man, I know, will be interesting to you, but may not be to young readers of your MAGAZINE, who are full of life and hope, and see only a sunny future. 261 May all their bright anticipations be fully realized, and may the close of their lives be as What a world of improvement has been pleasant as that of your old friend, and mine. | ured specimens five inches across without pasmade in the Aster since I first saw it. I meas VIEW FROM THE STAIRS AT SULPHUR SPRING. May they learn to love the beautiful in nature. The sweet influence of flowers is felt even to the last days of life, and when too feeble to visit your beautiful grounds, I know some loving one will gather the flowers for my room, and finally plant them on my last resting place, where I hope some will see them and learn to love them. ever saw. be sure. and am sure I saw larger ones in the beds. The Phlox, too, how many its colors now, from deep purple to white. We do not seem, however, to get many striped kinds, and this is not desirable for flowers used for bedding. Solid colors are better. When I first knew the Portulaca, there were but two or three shades of red, a single flower, now I see white, yellow, pink, all kinds of red, and as beautiful and as double as little Roses-all but the fragrance. Like the sun-dial, they count only the sunny hours. I remember well the first ragged Dahlia I What globes of beauty they are, to I did not intend to write in this way, but an old man's mind will run in its own channel. tiful display of flowers, and to thank you for I merely desired to call attention to your beauthe great pleasure it has afforded me so many years.-L. B. |