174 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



under an apple tree, but it does not compare with the open air 

 plant, whose natural requirements are not interfered with. An 

 apple can be picked very green and house-ripened, but it would 

 be better to leave it on the tree until the sunshine had a chance. 

 There will be something wanting in it after all. Nature can 

 be swayed out of her course sometimes, but where she grants 

 one thing she withdraws another equally desirable. But let 

 each grower decide this plant bed point for himself, if he can 

 obtain good, green stocky plants, no matter how he gets them. 

 He can easily find some one that will disagree with him and his 

 theory ; but if he can get plants sufficiently early for his pur- 

 pose, and apparently free from disease, he won't mind the 

 other fellow. 



As to the advisability of preparing the seed bed in the fall 

 or in the early spring, observation leads me to conclude that 

 it makes but little difference either way. One can get good 

 results both ways, though perhaps it is best that nitrogenous 

 fertilizers, if applied in excess, such as dry fish or castor 

 pomace, be applied in the fall, as late as possible before winter 

 sets in. These fertilizers should be used more sparingly if 

 applied in the spring. The advantage sprouted seed has over 

 seed sowed dry is a few days gained in earliness, and usually 

 plants better adapted to machine setting, that's all. Most con- 

 stant and unremitting care and attention must be guaranteed the 

 bed after sowing, especially if under glass or cloth. Frequent 

 waterings and airings are necessary, as during warm days there 

 is danger of suffocation, and people wonder what makes their 

 plants rot. Plants grow very rapidly when nearly large enough 

 to set. The old rule used to be : when the plants are as large as 

 a mouse's ear begin fitting your land. There are different 

 ways and opinions regarding this portion of the work, but, 

 first, it is best to consider the fertilizing problem. Coarse ma- 

 terial, like stable manure or tobacco stems, it is sometimes 

 considered best to plow under in the late fall and stimulate with 

 commercial fertilizers in the spring, just before the plants are 

 set. The only thing gained by fall ploughing is the time, and 

 sometimes cheapness of material ; but it should be borne in 

 mind that there is a continual loss of the essential elements of 

 the manure from the time the ploughing is done till the time 

 the plants take it up. This is especially true of stable manure. 

 Some consider stable manure at $7.00 per cord the first of May 



