REPORT OF MR. JAMES MURRAY 299 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



SALADS. 



Lettuce and radish were grown for this purpose, and with the object of maintain- 

 ing a succession of these, sowings were made at intervals of ten or fourteen days, with 

 fairly good results. The following varieties of lettuce were grown: Wheeler's Tom 

 Thumb, Cos Trianon and Neapolitan, all of which were crisp and very firm. All 

 the Year Round and May King were inclined to be soft in texture, while Stubbornhead 

 was slightly bitter. 



Early Scarlet White-Tipped radish sown on May 1 was fit for use on June 1, 

 and yielded an excellent crop of well-flavoured roots. Olive Scarlet made rapid 

 growth, producing a large crop, poor in flavour and lacking in firmness. Black 

 Spanish Winter sown on June 17 produced an enormous crop of coarse roots. 



A very late sowing of Early Scarlet Tvirnip radish was made on August 10, 

 following a rain, and although growth was slow, good palatable roots were available 

 up to September 30, notwithstanding several sharp frosts. 



CARROTS. 



Early Scarlet Horn sown on May 4, and French Horn, on the 13th, germinated 

 well, but, owing to the depredations of the pocket gopiher, the yield was greatly 

 reduced. The quality of both the varieties was below the average. 



PEAS. 



This crop was also damaged by the pocket gopher, especially the variety Wm. 

 Hurst, sown on May 4, which, being the first sown, suffered most. A fair crop of a 

 good quality of peas was available for use on July Y. Following this variety, Nott's 

 Excelsior was sown on May 15, producing a fair crop of good qiiality by June 10. 

 On May 23 a sowing of Gradus and American Wonder from home-gi-own seed of 1907 

 was made, a full crop resulting, the former being fit for use July 23, and the latter 

 five days earlier. Another sowing of these two varieties was made as late as July 18. 

 The seed was soaked in water for 12 hours previous to sowing, and, although the 

 weather and the ground were dry, a fair germination was obtained and an acceptable 

 crop of peas to hand by August 20. 



BEET-ROOT AND BEANS. 



It was deemed desirable to make two sowings of these vegetables, and fortunately 

 so in the case of the beet root, as the popket gophef. showed his partiality for it. 

 What were left of the first sowing made on May 15, were used during the summer. 

 Egyptian and Early Blood turnip were fit for use on July 13, and Nutting's Dwarf 

 Improved a week later. Of the second sowing of the above varieties made on ]May 27, 

 the following results were obtained: Egyptian at the rate of 536 bushels per acre. 

 Early Blood turnip 591 bushels. Nutting's Dwarf Improved, 517 bushels. In each 

 variety, the roots were too large to insure good quality. 



Beans were sown on the same dates as the beet-roots, a satisfactory succession 

 being obtained from the following varieties in the order following: French Dwarf 

 Extra Early, Emperor of Russia, Dwarf Wax Everyday, Fame of Vitry and French 

 Dwarf Matchless. 



CORN. 



Four varieties of this much appreciated vegetable were sown on May 27. Earliest 

 Devitt's Sugar being fit to use on August 16, and proved of excellent quality. Burpee's 

 Golden Bantam, coming in a week later, was also of excellent quality. Pocahontas 

 was fit for use on the same date as the latter, and produced a heavy yield, but lacked 

 the quality of any of the preceding varieties. Hiawatha, which was not fit for use 



