504 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



following spring, and have never been found damaged any more than carrots or 

 similar roots. 



Salsify. Mammoth Sandmich Island was planted May 11. The roots are large, 

 white fleshed, tender and quite smooth when planted in a deep, porous soil which 

 coritains an ample supply of humus. No better variety has been tested as yet, 

 nor any as good. Giant, roots nearly as large as the last, but shorter and prongy. 



Kale. The varieties were planted May 18. Oerman Dicarf Green. The plants 

 are low and compact, averaging about 16 inches high. Leaves dark green, much 

 crimped, cut and curled. German Dwarf Purple answers the description of the 

 last, except that the color of the leaves is a reddish purple. Excelsior Moss Curled 

 is a tall variety of dark green color, the plants averaging 28 inches high, the 

 finely crimped and curled leaves having the appearance of bunches of moss. Ex- 

 cept for the purple colored leaves. Purple Vienna resembles the last. Purple 

 Ostrich Plume. The plants average 20 inches high and are somewhat less com- 

 pact. The finely cut and less crimped purple leaves mark this as a distinct variety 

 and give it a handsome appearance. All these varieties are ornamental enough to 

 adorn any flower garden. Their qualities as a vegetable are practically the same. 

 As tested here, they are excellent when the plants are young, and up to the time 

 when they are 6 to 8 inches high. When full grown, they remain coarse when 

 cooked, and have a pronounced bitter taste. The plants are scarcely damaged by 

 frosts which are severe enough to kill almost any other vegetation. 



Collards. True Georgia was planted May 18, the plants reaching a height of 

 24 inches and resembling partly closed cabbage heads. Towards the end of the 

 season the heads closed and became quite solid, averaging about l\-2 lbs. As a 

 vegetable, the variety has nothing to recommend it except its hardiness. .When 

 cooked, the plants have the taste and flavor of cork, but are more tender. 



Lettuce. Owing to the hardiness of the varieties, planting can begin very early, 

 for growth is not materially checked during backward seasons like the past. No 

 disease or insects have as yet been found to damage any of the varieties. The 

 curled or loose leaved varieties are usually of edible size much earlier than the 

 cabbage, or heading sorts. The varieties tested are: Improved Neto York, or 

 Wonderful. Large dark green wavy and crimped leaves, folding closely and 

 forming very large heads well blanched, of excellent quality and remaining in 

 good condition longer than any other variety tested. Mammoth Black Seeded 

 Butter. Leaves large, smooth, thick, brittle and dark green, forming solid large 

 heads which blanch well and are crisp and tender. Black Seeded Simpson. A 

 loose leaved variety forming large, loose heads of a pale green color. Leaves 

 large, tender, thin, with the edges slightly wavy and blistered. Remains in good 

 condition for a considerable length of time. All Seasons, leaves smooth, thick, 

 dark green, heading up very early, tender, crisp and of good keeping quality. 

 New Morse. Leaves small, wavy, light green answering the description of Black 

 Seeded Simpson. Maximum, a heading variety of good keeping quality. Leaves 

 smooth, dark green, brittle, forming solid heads of a pale straw color and quite 

 tender. Sterling. Leaves light green, small, round, blistered forming loose heads 

 of fair quality. 



Spi7iach. This most excellent vegetable is as hardy as lettuce. As tested here, 

 most of the varieties have proven worthless, being evidently due to poor seed, 

 for whether planted early or late, the plants with few exceptions have run to seed 

 before the leaves are scarcely large enough to be of edible size. New Zeeland, 

 planted both early and late proved to be one of the worthless varieties. Norfolk 

 Savoy gave better satisfaction, the leaves being thick, blistered and curled like 

 those of Savoy cabbage. Perpetual Spinach Beet Lyon. The leaves are smooth 

 and smaller than those of the Swiss Chard varietf^, while their smaller stems are 

 not edible. The same may be said of Giant Perpetual Spinach Beet Lucullus, 

 the leaves of which are larger and very much blistered. Owing to the large size 

 of the leaves, these two spinach Beet varieties as well as the Swiss Chard will 

 give a very large yield. The rows should be at least two feet apart, and the 

 plants thinned out to 18 inches in the row. They are tender when cooked, but 

 there is a pronounced absence of taste and flavor. 



Radishes. The varieties were slow in developing owing to the wet weather in 

 May, and the quick growing or forcing varieties, planted May 3 were not of edible 

 size before June 15. Later plantings gave better satisfaction, and owing to the 

 quicker growth the roots were clean and free from maggots. 



Early Bird planted May 20 ripened June 20. Turnip shaped, small, deep scarlet. 



