DITISIOy OF HORTICULTURE 5C9 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



(C. F. W. DuiiUKR, B.S.A., Assistant m Charge.) 



Although vegetable gardening, or the growing of vegetables for experimental 

 purposes, has always been a part of the work of the Division of Horticulture, it 

 received special attention in 1913. In past years the testing of varieties of most 

 kinds of vegetables has been the main feature of the work, and this was continued 

 in the past season with the more staple crops, such as potatoes, tomatoes, peas, corn 

 and cabbage, which are grown on large areas in the Dominion and which form the 

 main revenue of many growers in certain sections. No doubt almost any crop might 

 be taken and grown on an extensive scale where the soil, climate and market con- 

 ditions are favourable and be just as important a crop as any of those mentioned 

 ^bove; among which might be mentioned onions, celery, asparagus, rhubarb and 

 many others that have made men and districts rich and famous, and none of them 

 have been neglected- here. The desirability of any variety naturally depends on 

 whether it is adapted to the prevailing -climatic conditions, on the wishes of the 

 market, local or otherwise, and on its ability to produce a good crop, the latter 

 ■condition, of course, depending in no small degree on the source of seed. In com- 

 paring varieties with each other, the following chief factors and what is considered 

 most important in connection with them are kept in mind, namely : — 



1. Adaptation to climatic conditions. 



2. Conformity to the demands of markets. This will be mentioned in connection 

 with each crop separately, and also what methods have been followed at the Experi- 

 mental Farm to attain the best possible results. Suffice it to say for the present, 

 that, as in the past, the seed was ordered from a large number of seed firms, distributed 

 over Canada, United States, England, Holland, Denmark, France, and Germany, 

 wherever the dealers claimed to sell a superior product and had given satisfaction. 

 From here, the seed was distributed to all the branch Farms in every province, and 

 their results will be found in another part of this report. 



In concluding the reference to the seeds, it should be mentioned that the seeds 

 of certain crops, such as tomatoes, corn, peas, beans and potatoes have been produced 

 and ripened in the Horticultural Division and imported seed and novelties are com- 

 pared with the home-grown. 



It may be well to repeat from previous reports something concerning the land on 

 which most of the vegetables are grown since 1912. This is a 7-acre, rectangular 

 field; the soil varying from a^ rich to a light loam. Thus, while certain of the 

 vegetables prefer a distinctly different soil, the majority find therein a very congenial 

 medium. 



The treatment of the land consisted in shallow, fall ploughing, when half a 

 dressing of manure, say 15 tons, was ploughed in over all the field, except where the 

 potatoes were to be planted, in which portion a green crop of clover was turned under 

 in the fall. The last ploughing was followed by the disc harrow. Before the latter 

 operation, however, hntbels were constructed for tomatoes, early cabbage, cauliflower, 

 onion-sets, celery, melons, lettuce and beets. The preparation of these hotbeds is 

 given in a pamphlet prepared by Mr. Macoun, the Dominion Horticulturist. Enouglr 

 seeds are pown to provide a good choice at the time of tlie first transplanting, when 

 only the actual necessary number is taken. 



The list of vegetables in order of the time in which they were sown, or planted 

 outside, is here published, and the results given in order of the relative importance of 



16 — 34 Ottawa. 



