C. F. Kinman
Published: 2017-10-25
Total Pages: 36
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Excerpt from Experiments on the Supposed Deterioration of Varieties of Vegetables in Porto Rico With Suggestions for Seed Preservation Vegetable gardening in Porto Rico is a small industry and one in which there has been little progress for many years. Aside from the culture Of tomatoes, Okra, beans, pigeon peas, and starchy root crops, which are grown as horticultural crops, the farm garden is seldom seen. The commercial gardens are few and small and devoted to the culture Of few vegetables, these Often Of inferior type. The poor development Of the vegetable industry results from the unfavorable soil andclimatic conditions, a lack Of knowledge regarding the value of the best varieties and concerning good seed and its storage, and the production of seed at home. There is a belief that northern-grown vegetables degenerate quickly in Porto Rico and that the seed from even the first generation produces plants which are inferior to their parents. This belief results partly from the common practices in vegetable growing. On account of the heavy summer rains, the crops which are grown from seed are for the most part planted in the fall or winter. If seed harvested from these plantings is immediately sown, the plants as a rule give poor results, as they must contend with heavy rains, intense heat, and other unfavorable conditions. The unsatisfactory development and yield Of the plants are naturally but unfairly attributed to the rapid degeneration of the seed resulting from the effect of the tropical climate. Because of the high humidity, seed deteriorates rapidly in the Tropics if exposed to the open air, and, therefore, much of the seed Offered for sale by local dealers is almost valueless. Imported seed is Often several months Old when it arrives here, and it soon loses its viability, leaving the home product to supply the demand. The defective methods employed in collecting, curing, and storing seed render much of the seed harvested in winter useless for planting the following winter, and seed produced during the rainy season, when seed production is very low, Often must supply the demand. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.