DIVISION OF BORTICULTURE 



985 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



RHUBARB, VICTORIA. 



Rhubarb was in use from May 18 until tlie frost in September. It was fine and 

 very large and tender. 



. MISCELLANEOUS VEGETABLES. 



All of the squash, melons, cucumbers and pumpkins were doing well and the 

 vines were quite large. Some of them were in bloom when the frost occurred and the 

 most of them were completely killed. One hill of pumpkin, Large Connecticut Field, 

 and one hill of citron started again from the root and with careful treatment these 

 two hills did very well, more especially the pumpkin, as on the 19th of September, 

 fourteen large fine pumpkins were picked from this one hill, weighing 15 pounds to 30 

 pounds and from the one hill of citron, four quite large citrons were picked, v/eighing 

 5 pounds each. 



Fifty fine large plants each of the following varieties of tomatoes were trans- 

 planted from the hotbeds on May 18. Alacrity No. 2-24-9 and Alacrity No. 16 ot 

 1914; also Alacrity 23-13; also fifty plants Atlantic Prize, and the same number of 

 Sparks Earliana, C.E.F. strain. All were doing well and the most of them were in 

 bloom when the frost occurred in June. Most of them were completely destroyed. 

 A few of them started up again from the roots but did not amount to anything. Soon 

 after the frost in September a few very green and very small ones were picked. 



POTATOES, TEST OF VARIETIES. 



Five varieties of potatoes were planted on the 16th and the 19th of April in 

 plots of one-fifteenth of an acre on land on which grain had been the previous season. 

 Manure was applied after the grain had been harvested and the land fall ploughed. 



The land was harrowed once in the autumn and well harrowed in the spring 

 before the rows were made. The rows were 34 inches apart and the sets were placed 

 10 to 12 inches apart in the row. 



Frequent cultivation was given during the season, with only a medium growth 

 of tops, as the tops were badly killed back by the frost in June. It looked at one time 

 as though we migiit have no potatoes whatever, but, with favourable weather after 

 the frost, they recovered and did quite well. 



The potatoes were taken up on the 11th of September. The crop was not large 

 in total yield but in quality and size of tubers the results were quite favourable. 



The following were the results obtained: — 



Variety. 



Rochester 

 Rose. . . 



Early Rose 



Carman 



No. 1.... April 19 



Planted. 



April 17. 

 April 17 



Gold Coin 

 Irish Cob- 

 bler 



April 19. 

 April 19 



In use. 



July 26 

 July 28. 



Aug. G. 

 Aug. 2 

 July 30. 



When 

 dug. 



Sept. 11. 

 Sept. 11 



Sept. 11 

 Sept. 11 

 Sept. 11 



Yield 

 from plot. 



lb. 



1,190 

 1,460 



1,283 

 1.393 

 1,220 



Yield 

 per acre. 



bush. lb. 



297 50 

 365 



304 15 

 348 15 

 305 



Form. 



Oval... 

 Oval... 



Oval... 

 Oval... 

 Round. 



Colour. 



Red... 

 Red... 



White. 

 White. 

 White. 



Size. 



Medium 

 Large... 



Medium 



large. 



Large... 



Medium 



Remarks. 



All of marketable 

 quality. 



This date when in 

 use is somewhat 

 later than usual 

 on account of the 

 frost. 



16— 66i 



Fort Ve p. mi lion. 



