40 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 



sterility, complete or partial, causing imperfect pollination and fertilization. Tho 

 remedy is the intermingling of varieties in the orchard 'for the purpose of securng 

 cross-fertilization. To obtain the best results the varieties adjacent to each o'.her 

 should blossom at, or about the same time. 



Accurate information with regard to the time of blossoming of the different varie- 

 ties of fruits is much needed. , Will you assist in securing data on this important 

 subject ? ' 



Small pass books, ruled and headed, were sent to each person. 



These records were made fcr five consecutive years, and are still being made at 

 the Experimental Farm. The average result for apples was published in Bulletin No. 

 37, and for American plums in Bulletin 43. The value of thc?se records can be appre- 

 ciated when it \* stated that experiments elsewhere covering five years work have shown 

 that with one exception the American plums were all found to be self-sterile. The 

 blossoming records, showing that varieties bloom at different times, together with the 

 fact that some varieties are self -sterile, show the importance of planting near each other 

 those kinds which bloom at the eame time, in order that maximum crops may be pro- 

 duced. 



VEGETABLES. 



Vegetables have received much attention in the Horticultural Division from the 

 time the work was organized, in 1887, to the present time. Hundreds of varieties 

 offered for sale by seedsmen have been tested during the past nineteen years, with the 

 result that it has been possible to recommend concise lists of best vegetables for farm- 

 ers. The last list was published in the report for 1905, and as there are practically no 

 changes to make this year it need not be repeated here. Varieties of vegetables are 

 still tested, but for the most part these consist of the few sorts recommended in the 

 list of best varieties, with any new ones which are offered for sale. 



Following are some of the principal facts recorded regarding different vegetables : 



Beans. — Notes have been taken on the time when different varieties were ready 

 for use; the quality of the beans, and productiveness. 



Beets. — Notes have been made on the relative earliness, shape, and colour of flesh 

 of the different varieties. 



Cabhage. — The time when each variety was ready for use, the weight of average 

 heads, the proportion of plants which headed, the relative freedom from disease are 

 the principal records which have been made. 



Cauliflower. — The cauliflower has received considerable attention. After a 

 thorough test of most of the varieties offered for sale it was found that more satis- 

 factory results were obtained from successive sowings of the Extra Early Dwarf 

 Erfurt than from later varieties. The root maggot is very troublesome in the early 

 part of the season and often causes the almost total destruction of early cauliflower 

 plants. Two good methods of protecting the plants have been found. First, by means 

 of small, tar paper discs which, when carefully put on, lie close to the ground and 

 prevent the insect from laying her eggs, or prevent them from hatching. Good results 

 have been obtained by this method, but the disc must be put on well and closely en- 

 circle the stem. A surer method, and one which may be used by amateurs, both in 

 growing cauliflower and other crops, is to grow the plants inside a cheesecloth en- 

 closure. Very good results have been obtained when cauliflowers were grown in this 

 way. 



Carrots. — Notes have been taken on the time when ready for use, and the shape 

 and general appearance of the variety. 



Celery. — Experiments have been tried in growing celery in beds versus rows; 

 and in hotbeds versus cold frames. While celery may be grown successfully and 



