July 27, 1918 



HORTICULTURE 



79 



CONDUCTED BT 



EGETABLE 



'ULTURE 



QueBtions by our reader! In line with any of the topics presented 

 on this page will be cordially receWed and promptly answered 

 by Mr. Johnson. Such communications shoold lurarlably be ad- 

 dressed to the office of HORTICULTURB. 



l.r^J^M-''^' 



Celery 



The most forward plantation of celery will now be 

 in condition for blanching. See that the plants are 

 vi'ell supplied with moisture at the roots before com- 

 mencing to earth up and if a soaking must be given 

 apply water a day or two in advance of the earthing 

 operation. The employment of boards or stiff paper 

 for this early blanching is generally preferable to soil, 

 they allow greater circulation of air a]x)ut the plants 

 which is very desirable in hot weather and at the same 

 time ensure perfect blanching. Moreover, the plants 

 may be easily examined for pests and -decaying leaves. 

 Remove all faulty outside leaves and basal growths, then 

 place the boards or paper collars in position and finish 

 by drawing a few inches of soil up to the base of each 

 board or collar. By this method of blanching, feeding 

 and watering will not be interrupted. Care must be 

 taken not to bruise either the leaves or stalks of the 

 plant during the operation. If slugs or snails are 

 troublesome place a little soot round the base of each 

 plant. In fact, soot may be freely used both as a 

 stimulant aud as a deterrent to insect pests. A dust- 

 ing of the foliage with soot about twice a week and 

 while the dew is on the plants will prevent an attack of 

 celery fly and also check rust. If soil is used in blanch- 

 ing, do not earth too deeply and see that the soil does 

 not get into the hearts. 



General Remarks 



String beans may still be sown in a sheltered position 

 outdoors but it would be unwise to sow extensively as 

 they may be nipi)ed by early frosts. The better plan 

 would be to make one sowing out of doors, another in 

 cold frames so that protection may be given in the 

 event of early frosts. Make a final sowing of lettuce 

 and endive in the open ground and continue to trans- 

 plant from previous sowings at every opportunity. Re- 

 member there should be no vacant ground in a well- 

 ordered vegetable garden, and if everything has been 

 planted to meet current and future demands, vacant 

 plots, the space between the taller growing vegetables 

 now maturing should be sown to cover crops as clover, 

 vetch and soy beans. Rye, too. is a good cover crop and 

 may be sown almost any time from now until late fall. 



Potatoes should be given a further spraying to keep 

 them clean and in a healthy growing condition. Al- 

 though the potato bug may not now bother the crop to 

 any great extent it is well to continue the spray of 

 Bordeaux mixture as long as growth is active. 



Frames which carried beans, early potatoes and sim- 

 ilar crops may now be utilized for a sowing of parsley, 

 beets or stump-rooted carrots for late fall use. The 

 roots from these latter sowings will be small but of 

 fine table quality while those from eai'lier sowings out- 

 doors will lie somewhat hard and stringy. Shade the 

 seed bods until the seedlings appear and keep evenly 

 moist, then eive abundance of lisht and air. 



for crossing. Break off one of the drooping segments 

 from a flower to be used as a male. Grasp the anther, 

 thus exposed, with the tweezers, and break the stem. 

 Apply the anther to a stigma between the lips L in the 

 cut, with the pollen surface next to the lower Up, 

 Gently wipe off the pollen onto this lower Up 

 withdraw the anther, aud repeat the operation, with 

 each of the other two anthers of the flower used as a 

 male, and the two remaining stigmas of that used as 

 a female. 



In the directions usually given for crossing, you will 

 find a brush is to be used in handling pollen. If you 

 wish your records to be of value avoid this method, for 

 if you employ it you will soon get a mixture of pollens ; 

 moreover, the pollen grains should touch nothing ex- 

 cept the sensitive surfaces of the stigmas. As the 

 sperms in pollen grains are not equally vigorous, it is 

 best to apply many to each stigma. They should be 

 only from strong selected plants with perfect flowers 

 and well developed anthers. Discard any flower having 

 even one imperfect anther, or in which the anthers are 

 increased in number. Pollen is said to retain its vital- 

 ity for some time. So do old men. but young fellows 

 get the strongest children, so use your pollen fresh ; as 

 quickly as possible after it is ripe. 



Apply it only tu the stigmas of perfect flowers, grow- 

 ing on strong plants, and as soon as the erect segments 

 of the perianth have expanded to the position shown in 

 Figure 5 — that is on recently opened. flowers. If you 

 want to use the pollen from an early flowering kind on 

 one that blossoms late, grow the former on a north slope, 

 and where it will receive direct sunlight for only five 

 hours a day. The flowers will then be coming at a 

 time when those of the same variety on a south slope 

 exposed to sun all day will be passing. 



For an old gardener whose hearing is failing these 

 small clearings in the forest for retarding iris, or for 

 preventing stray pollen from reaching the experiment 

 patches of maize, as recommended in an earUer letter, 

 have a charm. They bring him so near the forest birds 

 he can hear their voices. The songs of the hermit 

 thru.sh and the vireos form an accom])animent to his 

 work, reminding him of the time when his whole world 

 seemed to be "one glad sweet song." 



Tamworth, N. H. 



;ViIUavxvKoUiu6 



{To be continued) 



