DIVISIOX OF HORTICULTURE 653 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



VEGETABLE WORK UNDER GLASS. 



Since the erection and occupation of the new greenhouses, the Horticultural 

 Division has devoted considerable time to the grovping of some of the more important 

 greenhouse crops, vpith a view of ascertaining the kinds and varieties most suitable 

 for greenhouse culture, and also to ascertain, if possible, which crops are the most 

 lucrative for a greenhouse grower. 



Around Ottawa it seems that the owners of greenhouses devote the most of their 

 time to growing lettuce, which, although an easy crop to handle and a moderately 

 profitable crop at times, is by no means the only greenhouse crop they could handle at 

 a profit, in fact to grow a greater variety of crops would in most cases bring greater 

 returns. The reason that can be suggested for this lack of initiative on the part of 

 the growers is that there seems to be an idea abroad that such crops as tomatoes and 

 melons cannot be grown at a profit during the off season of the year, and thus the 

 growers seem loath to depart from the old fixed ways. In the following paragraphs a 

 report on the results of growing tomatoes will be found. More work has been done 

 with tomatoes than with any other crop, it having been found to be one of the most 

 profitable crops for greenhouse work. For the benefit of any person contemplating the 

 growing of this crop under glass, a short article on the growing of the same is 

 attached. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH TOMATOES UNDER GLASS. 

 GROWING TOMATOES IN POTS VERSUS GROWING IN BENCH AND SOLID BEDS. 



An experiment to determine the relative value of the pot culture of tomatoes in 



the greenhouse as compared with either bench or solid bed culture was conducted this 



past season. The pot culture method has long been recognized as having one 



advantage over the bed method. The advantage of the pot culture is that after the 



crop has passed its prime the plants may be removed to another house or may 



be packed more closely in the same house to ripen any green fruit that may remain on 



the topmost trusses. This would allow of the use of the vacated space much earlier 



than would be the case if the plants were directly planted in the bed or bench, for in 



the latter case it would be necessary to permit the plants to occupy the entire house 



until practically the whole crop was ripened. Of course greater expense is coupled 



with the pot culture method, and, as will be seen from the following results, a lessened 



crop is also the result. The conclusion arrived at, therefore, is, that to obtain a 



maximum crop of tomatoes, the bed and bench method is superior to the pot method, 



but that a moderately good crop of fruit can be obtained by the latter method, and 



that it may be advisable, when pushed for room, to resort to this method of growing 



tomatoes in the greenhouse. 



Tield of 

 108 square feet 

 How arid where Grown. in each case. 



Lb. Oz. 



Planted in solid bed 161 1'5 



Planted in side bench 118 5 279 lbs. 6J oz. for planted method. 



Pot culture in solid bed 74 8*5 



Pot culture in side bench 127 8 202 lbs. i oz. for pot culture method. 



GROWING TOMATOES UNDER GLASS. 



There are few crops that can be grown at greater profit, by the greenhouse man, 

 than tomatoes. This crop will readily respond to careful and proper treatment, and, 

 although a trifle difficult to handle at times, it can readily be handled by the average 

 grower. For the greenhouse trade a smooth, medium sized, firm, meaty tomato is 

 desired. In this country the consumer is still demanding a tomato slightly larger 



Ottawa. 



