• DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 559 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



This experiment would seem to indicate that it is not the number of eyes in a set, 

 but the amount of food stored there that gives the yQung shoot such a vigorous start 

 that it may later produce a heavy crop. 



The experiment with fertilizers would indicate that a complete fertilizer applied 

 at the rate of 400 pounds per acre in the following proportion: Nitrate of soda, 125 

 pounds; superphosphates, 175 pounds and muriate of potash, 100 pounds; in addition 

 to barnyard manure gave the best return for the investment, increasing the yield 145 

 bushels and 7 pounds per acre. Basic slag gave no increase over the check. 



The experiment with fresh-cut sets limed and not limed, planted at once or held 

 for a week indicated that sets limed and planted at once gave the best returns. 



The potatoes planted June 6 gave a heavier crop than those planted either a week 

 earlier or at any later date this season. 



A test was made to determine the best distance apart to plant potatoes in the row, 

 and also to determine the best distance to leave between the rows. This year the dis- 

 tances we have been using for a number of years, namely, 12 inches between the plants 

 in the row and 30 inches between the rows gave the best returns. The other distances 

 tried were 14 and 15 inches between plants in the row and 33 and 30 inches between 

 the rows. 



FLOWERS. 



ANNUALS. 



About 150 lots of annual flower seeds were planted in hotbeds the second week in 

 April; they germinated very quickly and were transplanted out d-uring the moist 

 weather of May. These, together with about 150 others that were planted in the open, 

 were used to decorate the Station grounds. They made a wonderfully fine showing 

 throughout the whole season, the moist mild autumn causing many of them to con- 

 tinue in bloom until the last of October. Phlox Drummondii were the finest we have 

 seen. The asters were very much better than we have ever had before, the blight not 

 doing nearly as much injury as formerly. The following deserve special mention 

 owing to the profusion of their bloom': Antirrhinum, marigold, portulaca, sweet peas, 

 candytuft, and poppy. The verbena, and coreopsis, and salpiglossis were the finest 

 we have yet had at this Station. 



BULBS. 



The showing of bulbs planted in October of the previous year was simply finer 

 than we can describe. They began blooming two weeks earlier than usual, and the 

 moist weather of May lengthened their blooming period so that some of them were 

 still blooming the last of June. They formed splendid bulbs and many of these were 

 taken up and planted again in the late autumn, along with over 5,000 new ones from 

 Holland. 



PERENNIALS. 



Those beautiful flowers are very satisfactory to the busy people that are living 

 in the countrj', because just at the busy season when the annuals need attention, these 

 can be left to take care of themselves for a time. We thought we had had beautiful 

 pseonies before, but they never came anywhere near in size or amount of bloom of those 

 of the past season. Perennial phlox, roses, and dahlias were almost their equals for 

 amount of bloom, and they exceeded the pseonies in period of bloom by several months, 

 continuing as they did right up tu the 1st of November. Besides the ones mentioned 

 and the many others that have been tested from year to year in the perennial borders, 

 about 134 new lots of perennials were sown in cold frames and ti*ansplanted out in 

 the autumn. These made excellent growth and should add greatly to the appearance 

 of the grounds in future years. 



The Kentucky waterlilies were admired by thousands. They were often the 

 first thing inquired for by visitors, their fame having gone throughout the province. 



16 — 37i • Chari.ottetovvn. 



