March 15, 1913 



HORTtCULTUEE 



367 



OUTDOOR VEGETABLES AND FRUIT 



Questions by our readers in line with any of the topics presented on this page will be cordially received and promptly answerL-d 

 by Mr. Jenkins. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HORTICULTURE. 



Seed SowiQg 



Sowings for succession should now be made of lettuce, 

 cauliflower and cabbage and thope having the room 

 should sow in frames or on liot-beds, early onions such 

 as the Barletta, Victoria spinach, forcing radishes, beets 

 an(i carrots. Growers who are dependent entirely on 

 the hot-beds will sow as soon as possible, tomatoes, egg 

 plants and peppers, as well as some early celery, celeriac 

 and parsley. 



Sprouting Potatoes 



We are all anxious to get potatoes as early as possible 

 every season, as the old stock generally begins to lose 

 flavor if they d^j not give out entirely by about the month 

 of June, and any method that will give us new potatoes 

 from two to three weeks earlier than is usual is well 

 worthy of a trial. Early sprouting is not practiced near- 

 ly as much as it deserves to be, considering the simplicity 

 of the operation and the good results obtained. Take a 

 peck, or bushel, according to your requirements of some 

 of the early varieties such as Early Eose, Noroton 

 Beauty, Bovee, or an\, other good kind, and pack them 

 closely into flats, one layer deep; set them in the full 

 light where there is no danger of freezing, and where the 

 temperature does not rise above fifty. Should they show 

 signs of shriveling, sprinkle lightly with water, but be 

 sure and not over-do this. Instead of the white, sickly, 

 weak sprouts which we usually see on potatoes which are 

 just taken from the cellar and planted, we shall have on 

 sets treated as above, sturdy dark green or purplish 

 shoots which are ready as soon as planting out time 

 arrives to go away strong and do things. 



Fertilizers for Garden and Orchard 



While the writer considers farm-yard manure by far 

 and away the best fertilizer for most crops I realize that 

 in many cases the farm-yard manure is not obtainable 

 in sufficient quantities and must needs be supplemented 

 by some of the inorganic or artificial manures, and there 

 are rare instances where the best results may be obtained 

 by the use of artificial manures. A brief consideration 

 of the properties of the several main constituents of 

 artificial manures may be profitable. 



Nitrogenous Manure 



We should all know that nitrogenous manures pro- 

 mote growth — the production of large dark green foli- 

 age, and while absolutely essential to all plant growth, 

 too much tends to make plants unproductive of fruit or 

 flowers. Such vegetables as spinach, lettuce, asparagus, 

 and cabbage such as are grown for foliage or stem only 

 are those which will reap the greatest benefits from a 

 purely nitrogenous feed. Our main sources of inorganic 

 nitrogen are nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia. 

 These are two highly concentrated expensive fertilizers 

 which must hardly ever be used in excess of two hundred 

 pounds to the acre ; in fact "little and often" is the safe 

 motto with these. Both are caustic to foliage to some 

 extent, and so should be kept from the leaves of plants. 



Phosphoric Acid 



The chief effect of phosphatic manuring is early ma- 

 turity, and the production of flowers and fruit, and as 

 farm-yard manure is always deficient in this element it is 

 absolutely urgent that it should be supplied from some 

 other source. Bone meal is one of the commonest phos- 

 phatic manures, and it is a very good one, too. A good 

 grade of bone meal will average about twenty-five per 

 cent phosphoric acid and on the garden or orchard it 

 may be used as heavy as a ton to the acre, although a less 

 amount may sometimes be just as beneficial. Super- 

 phosphate is another phosphatic manure and may be 

 used about the same strength as bone meal, and basic slag 

 is still another one which may be used at the same rate. 

 All three of the foregoing should be sown on the garden 

 or orchard as early as possible after snow has gone and 

 indeed would be better in some cases sown on in the fall. 

 They are somewhat slow acting and if something is 

 wanted for immediate effect use steamed bone meal or 

 better still phosphate of ammonia. 



Potash 



Potash is especially valuable inasmuch as it produces 

 quality in fruits and vegetables. Potatoes and beets are 

 never of good quality if there is a deficiency of potash 

 in the soil as the starch and sugar content of these is 

 dependent on potash. High grade sulphate of potash 

 containing about eighty per cent actual potash sown at 

 the rate of two hundred pounds to the acre on garden 

 and orchard will be very beneficial, but it must be got 

 on now or some burning may occur. Wood-ashes is an- 

 other source of potash and where they can be had cheap 

 may be used at the rate of a ton to the acre with good 

 effect. Kainit is another useful potash manure having 

 some ten to twelve per cent of actual potash and this 

 is another that should be sown as early as possible at the 

 rate of half a ton to the acre. 



Lime 



All the manuring above recommended will be of no 

 avail if your soil is deficient in lime (except that the 

 wood ashes and bone contain some lime) and if you have 

 been manuring for several years with animal manure 

 the chances are that lime is needed and will be very 

 helpful. A ton to thirty hundredweight per acre about 

 every three years will be found an excellent practice or 

 half a ton annually of fine air-slacked lime, spread on as 

 evenly as possible and thoroughly worked in. Besides 

 counteracting acidity, lime forms a base for the various 

 potash, phosphatic and nitrate salts to combine with, 

 so that these are not so readily washed away, and fur- 

 ther, it makes the garden soil an uncomfortable home 

 for the various worms which are often so destructive. 

 Lime like every other good thing may easily be over- 

 done, and one of its evil effects is that if it is present 

 in too great quantity it will, by liberating the various 

 salts too rapidly, cause a serious loss in plant food. Do 

 not dump the lime in heaps on the garden and leave it 

 there for any length of time before spreading, for if you 

 do these spots will be barren for several years to come. 



