DIYISION OF HORTICULTURE 735 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



EXPERIMENTAL STATION, SIDNEY, B.C. 



REPORT OF S. SPENCER, FOREMAN MANAGER. 



The fine weather during the past season brought many visitors from ail parts of 

 the world and every one seems to have been much pleased with the Station and its 

 environment. The great amount of work that has been done is generally appreciated. 



From October, 1912, to April, 1913, 50 acres were cleared, stoned, levelled, and 

 ploughed. In the month of April the nursery land was drained and prepared to receive 

 a large shipment of ornamental trees and shrubs from France, which were planted 

 along with a good collection of native trees and shrubs, the majority of which made 

 good growth during the season, and will be used mainly for ornamental purposes 

 around the Station, and for testing their adaptability later on. 



ANNUALS. 



Seed of one hundred varieties of half-hardy annuals were sown in the hotbed. 

 Every variety germinated and when planted out gave a grand display till the end of 

 October, and during the fine summer weather were much admired by the visitors 

 driving through the grounds, naany inquiries being made regarding some of the var- 

 ieties. Salpiglossis, Nemesia' Dimovpliotheca, Phlox Drummondii, Coreopsis atrosan- 

 guinea^ and C. marmorata were good, pretty, and persistent. Annuals and sweet peas 

 were sown in the open ground and gave good results. 



HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS. 



Herbaceous perennials were sown in June, and 141 varieties germinated out of 

 171. They are making good stock. 



In November, 1913, a collection of lilacs from Ottawa was planted in the nursery, 

 and pseonies from France in the herbaceous plot. In September, shipments of Iris 

 germanica and bulbs were received from Holland. Many of these have been planted in 

 the border on the new lawns along the avenue. 



The lawns have been seeded with Kentucky Blue grass seed. 



VEGETABLES. 



Vegetables for experimental work were sown in April. Peas, carrots, and oeets 

 did well. Tomatoes also ripened well. Some tomato plants were pruned and tied to 

 stakes and others left unpruned and allowed to lie on the ground to ascertain which 

 gave the more ripe fruit. Ten plants were planted in each system and the same atten- 

 tion was given in both cases. The tomatoes ripened on the same date under both 

 methods, but of those pruned to single stems and tied to stakes, seven plants out of ten 

 gave the most ripe fruits, besides giving a larger crop of green fruit. Cabbages and 

 cauliflowers were planted on the side of the hill, but gave poor results, showing that 

 this part of the Station is not the best situation for vegetables. In July and August, 

 green aphis attacked them making them useless. Celery was pricked out in trenches 

 but proved a failure, the hot dry weather killing it. Beans, corn, squash, cucumbers, 

 and melons were sown during the second week in May. All did well. Peppers were 

 slow in germinating and only commenced to bear when cold weather came. During 

 the months of July and August the following were leaders in weight and usefulness: 

 16— 48i 



