304 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



poor success iu growing plants than any other one factor, and it i« 

 most difficult to give positive instruction along this line. In gen- 

 eral it may be said that so far as actual results are concerned water 

 has the same effect as heat and plant food. That is, plant growth 

 ma} 7 be stimulated by increasing the temperature, adding more plant 

 food or by the use of more water. If all these conditions are the 

 most favorable for the particular plant being grown, we may expect 

 perfect. results. If any one of these three conditions is not right 

 the effect in the end is practically the same. Suppose, for example, 

 we are growing a tomato plant and it is not making the progress 

 it should. The soil and atmospheric conditions are studied and it 

 is determined that the soil contains plenty of plant food and an 

 abundant supply of moisture while the temperature in the house or 

 frame is too low. Heat is needed and when applied the plant starts 

 off with new vigor. If the supply is too dry, although it is rich in 

 the elements of plant food and the temperature is exactly right for 

 tomatoes, satisfactory growth can not be expected until more water 

 is added. Probably the supply of plant food has less to do in 

 growing a good plant than either of the other two factors, for it is 

 a wonderfully poor soil that cannot be made to produce an excellent 

 plant if the temperature and supply of water are under perfect con- 

 trol. The grower should always keep in mind that water is the 

 greatest key to unlock plant food and he can use this key at will. 

 Plants soon become stunted when there is not a regular and con- 

 stant supply of water, and over-watering has the opposite effect 

 in producing a weak, spindling growth. Watering should be at- 

 tended to regularly and systematically and the aim should be to 

 maintain an even supply. This is especially important at the time 

 of germination. A lack of soil moisture while the seeds are sprout- 

 ing may cause a low percentage of germination, an uneven stand 

 and stunted plants. 



Dates for Sowing. 



The proper dates for sowing vegetable seeds requiring glass are 

 determined by the usual progress or advancement of the season in 

 different sections of the State. Seeds for early vegetables should 

 be sown from one to two weeks earlier in the southern counties and 

 in the vicinity of Philadelphia than in the mountainous parts of the 

 State and in the northern counties. The dates when it is consid- 

 ered safe to transplant to the open ground must regulate the dates 

 for sowing. In our own county of Cambria, it is not too early as a 

 rule to set cabbage in the field by the 15th of April. The seed of 

 early cabbage should be in the ground not later than the 1st of Feb- 

 ruary, and a few days earlier is an advantage. It is too risky to set 

 tomato plants in the field before the 20th of May, and the seed should 



