DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 793 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



CELERY. 



The experiment is to find out the best method of blanching. Four lots were used : 

 (a) Planted in trenches and blanched with soil; (b) planted on the level and blanched 

 with soil; (c) planted on the level and blanched with paper; (d) planted on the level 

 and blanched with boards. The lot blanched with boards gave the highest yield, fol- 

 lowed by the one planted on the level and blanched with soil. However, this is only 

 the result of one year and should certainly not be taken as definite. 



« ONIONS. 



The experiment is to compare the earliness and the yield of a crop obtained from: 

 (a) seed sown in the open, (b) plants started under glass and transplanted to open 

 ground, (c) onion sets. The results of 1915 show that the early crop is obtained from 

 the sets and the heavy yield from transplantations. 



PARSNIPS. 



The experiment is to find the best distance at which to thin plants: 2, 3 or 4 

 incites, but it will have to be continued for a few years before definite conclusions can 

 be reached. 



PEAS. 



The experiment is to find out whether it is better to plant a number of varieties of 

 different seasons at the same time or to plant the same variety at intervals. On May 

 22, Thomas Laxton, Gradus, McLean Advancer, and Stratagem were planted, whilst 

 Thomas Laxton was planted again on May 29, June 5 and 12. The different varieties 

 sown the same day gave a larger yield than the same variety sown at different dates. 



POTATOES. 



There were two experiments with potatoes : (a) kinds of sets (b) treatment of sets 

 with gypsum before planting. In the first ooie, whole small potatoes, about two inclies 

 in diameter were compared with sets cut to 1, 2, and 3 eyes, with* the result that for 

 the same area there were respectively Y2, 11, 62 and 92 pounds of marketable tubers 

 from each lot in the above mentioned order. In the second one, sets treated with 

 gypsum previous to planting gave nearly 25 per cent more potatoes than the untreated 

 lot. This, however, is only the result of one year and should certainly not be taken a? 

 definite. 



TOMATOES, 



The cultural experiments with tomatoes consisted of comparing methods of: (a) 

 starting plants, (b) pruning, (c) training, (d) ripening green or partiy ripe fruit. In 

 experiment (a) plants pricked twice before setting out gave, for a certain area, 152 

 pounds of ripe fruit, whilst those pricked once gave 160 and those not pricked at all 

 gave 130. In experiment (b) the lot pruned to one stem gave 434 pounds of ripe fruit, 

 whilst the lot pruned to two stems gave 5§7 pounds. In experiment (c) the lot left 

 lying on the ground, contrary to expectations, gave more ripe fruit than the two lots 

 which were tied to wires and to stakes ; of these, the latter was the better. Two things 

 must be remembered about this experiment: that it is the result of only one year, and 

 that Earlianas were used and they certainly require less staking than mostly any 

 variety. In experiment (d) there was very little difference between the three lots which 

 were put to ripen outside in a ventilated glass-covered box, inside on shelves away from 

 the sun, or in tightly covered boxes. 



16 54J Cap Rouge. 



