It is claimed by many that it does not pay commercial gardeners to grow their own seeds. It is argued that seeds may be purchased from commercial houses at less cost than they can be grown at home; that home growing is troublesome; that gardeners do not have time to give the matter proper attention; that facilities for harvesting and cleaning are usually meager; and that most gardeners do not possess the necessary knowledge to grow good seed.

There is much truth in all of these arguments; notwithstanding, many expert gardeners grow a large percentage of their seeds. These men hold that they cannot afford to take chances in buying seeds; that they know the requirements of their markets and can select seed with this knowledge in view, together with other qualities which they regard important; that although their soil and climate may not be ideal for seed production, skillful breeding may produce better seed than is procurable on the market. In diversified gardening it is seldom practicable to save many seeds, but where only a few special crops are grown it is often highly desirable. Most of the seeds used in vegetable gardening will always be supplied by great seed houses, although there will probably be an increased tendency among specialists to grow their own seeds.