REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST. 



131 



TOBACCO. 



The experiments of the year with this crop covered the following features (1) cul- 

 tural tests ; (2) trials of fertilizers ; (3) " topping," the best time to do it ; (4) the 

 proper number of leaves to allow each plant. 



(1.) CULTURAL TRANSPLANTING EXPERIMENTS. 



Three years ago strikingly beneficial results in growing tobacco plants were obtained 

 by transplanting from the hot-bed to a cold frame before setting them in the field. The 

 object of the following experiments was mainly to determine the relative advantages of 

 cold frame and hot- beds in receiving the small plants at the first pricking out. The 

 spring season was very unfavourable for either hot-bed or cold frame grown plants. At 

 the time of setting out in the field, the hot-bed grown plants were stronger and larger 

 than those from the cold frame. Both sets of plants, however, did well in the field, and 

 at harvesting time, as shown by the yields of green leaf, the differences were not sufficiently 

 constant to allow of reliable conclusions being drawn. It is a safe practice, however, 

 in Eastern Ontario and the province of Quebec to prick the young plants into a second 

 hot-bed before setting them in the field. This gives them stockiness and vigour at 

 transplanting time. The number of plants lost in setting them in the field is much less 

 if they have been treated in this way. 



TOBACCO— TABLE I. 



EXPERIMENTS IN GROWING THE PLANTS. 



Variety. 



Yellow Pryor. 



H 



II ....... 



Connecticut Seed Leaf 



Pennsylvania 

 Persian Rose. 

 White Burley 



Date 



of 



Sowing. 



April 



Plants— How Treated. 



Not transplanted 



Transplanted to cold frame. 



11 hot-bed 



Not transplanted. . 



Transplanted to cold frame. 



It hot bed 



Not transplanted 



Transplanted to hot bed 



Not transplanted 



Transplanted to hot bed 



Not transplanted 



Transplanted to cold frame. 



Weight 



of 



2nd 



Grade. 



Green. 



Lbs. 



29 

 26 

 38 

 22 

 32 

 27 

 31 

 30 

 41 

 64 

 69 

 191 



FERTILIZERS. 



The results of the fertilizer trials set forth in table II. Each plot contained 24 

 plants made up of an equal number of 6 varieties. The plants were set out on 8th 

 June, and the fertilizers applied a few days afterwards, the results are not striking. 

 The largest yield of green leaf was obtained from superphosphate, wood ashes and 

 nitrate of soda (No. 4). The former two with sulphate of ammonia, also gave the 

 second heaviest yield. Barn-yard manure applied in excessively heavy dressings gave 

 the third largest yield. Muriate of potash, wood ashes and nitrate of soda did not 

 give satisfactory returns as compared with the others when applied separately. 

 8a— 9^ 



