March 23, 1918 



HORTICULTURE 



279 



V 



EGETABLE 



C 



ULTURE 



Questions by our readers in line with any of the topics presented 

 on this page will be cordially received and promptly answered 

 by Mr Johnson. Such communications should invariably be ad- 

 dressed to the office of HORTICULTUBE. 



Lima Beans 



(Jood liiiiii? are the pride of every garden. To ensure 

 a full crop of this, the most desirable of all legaimes, it 

 becomes a necessity in northern districts to prolong the 

 season of growth by starting the seed under glass. This 

 method is particularly commendable in the case of pole 

 limas. The same conditions of temperature and of 

 atmospheric moisture suited to egg plants, peppers and 

 tomatoes answer well the requirements of the lima beau, 

 although, of course, the former are usually started a 

 month" or two in advance. A compost containing a 

 goodly jjroportion of humus is needed in which to start 

 the seed. Well-decayed manure similar to that of a 

 last year's hot-bed should be freely incorporated with 

 the soil, say to the amount of about one-third if the soil 

 is poor. The plants make rapid gi-owth and for this 

 reason it is not advisable to liegin too early. The end 

 of April is a- good time to start. Use six-inch pots and 

 plant five seeds in each pot and give a right temperature 

 of 60 degrees. Planted in this way each seed may be 

 lightly pressed into the surface soil and covered an inch 

 deep. Water sparingly in the early stages; in fact, if 

 the compost is damp at the time of planting, water 

 should be withheld for a day or two. As the rough 

 leaves develop ventilate and water more freely but al- 

 ways judiciously, and avoid cold draughts and sogginess. 

 ^faintain a bouyant atmosphere by occasionally damp- 

 ing between the pots on bright days. Gradually inure 

 to cooler treatment as growth becomes rampant, and to 

 avoid entanglement loosely tie the straggling growing 

 points to any light support. If weather conditions war- 

 rant, the end of May will be a good time to transplant 

 into permanent quarters. 



A warm, well-drained fertile soil suits this ci'op. It 

 is generally advisable, therefore, to incorporate a liberal 

 quantity of well rotted manure prior to planting; if a 

 sprinkling of wood ashes can be afforded and lightly 

 worked into the surface soil, so much the better. Assum- 



ing the ground has been thus prepared and tlie pole^ 

 placed four feet apart each way, transplant from the 

 pots with the ball of earth intact. Secure the runners 

 to the poles at the time of planting and water if neces- 

 sary to give the plants a start. 



In districts where weather conditions are more favor- 

 able but wliere cut worms might be troublesome,' a good 

 plan is to start the seed in either pots or "flats" at about 

 the usual time for outside planting. Plants thus raised 

 may be transferred to the open ground when rough 

 leaves begin to show. If planted in favorable weather 

 the seedlings .suffer -little or no check even when trans- 

 planted from flats and while little may be gained by 

 way of earliness, this simple practice obviates the cut- 

 worm nuisance. The writer has practised both meth- 

 ods in different latitudes with equal success. 



Bush limas, particularly those of the Sieva type, are 

 quicker to mature than climbing varieties. Henderson's 

 IBush Lima is an improved Sieva and although small- 

 Ijodded is reputed hardier as well as earlier than the 

 large-podded varieties. If our con-espondent has not 

 yet tried this variety his difficulties might be lessened 

 by a trial this coming season. The variety is listed in 

 the catalogs of numerous seedsmen. 

 Asparagus 



Remove the covering on asparagus as soon as frost is 

 out of the ground and lightly fork between the rows. 

 Avoid injury by merely loosening the soil near the 

 crowns. Well-decayed manure should be dug under or 

 else a dressing of commercial fertilizer applied to com- 

 plete the operation of cleaning up. 

 Rhubarb 



Rhubarb should have similar treatment. Select a few 

 of the strongest crowns and cover them with empty 

 boxes or barrels and heap horse manure around these to 

 promote early growth. It is necessary to take advant- 

 age of solar heat by removing the barrels on warm days, 

 otherwise little will be gained by way of earliness as 

 the result of the covering. 



PATRIOTIC BOYCOTTING. 



If You C.\x Afford Luxltries Do Not' 



Deny Yourself. 



Students of economics are realizing 

 that "patriotic boycotting" of certain 

 luxuries tliat are separate industries 

 and not inter-related with actual war 

 activities is a dangerous program and 

 after all unpatriotic. 



The cutting down or eliminating, 

 by those who have surplus means, of 

 certain types of luxuries, is hurting 

 things rather than helping. If people 

 have the money and suspend support 

 to those whose livlihood depends on 

 luxury-producing they do ill. The 

 woman who can afford silk stockings 

 should continue to buy them and not 

 reduce the sujiply of cotton stockings 

 to those who must buy cotton. 



The flower growing-and-selling in- 

 dustry, for instance, is doing its full 

 share in furnishing men and money 



for the war, but as a trade it must 

 continue to earn money and the fath- 

 ers, mothers and sisters of the boys 

 who go to the front, take up the 

 burden of livelihood and merit contin- 

 ued support. 



The florists, during the present coal 

 and transportation situation, have 

 bent every energy to give the public 

 the benefits of their efforts and are 

 sellin.g their products at Prices nn 

 higher than before the war. In many 

 instances, it would have been better 

 from the standpoint of dollars and 

 cents to shut down greenhouses and 

 cease distribution. But instead, they 

 are striving to do better than ever — 

 look at the florist's windows about 

 town and your thoughts will 6e an in- 

 spiration. 



Even if you can't afford it, don't 

 stint on advertising flowers. It is im- 

 portant to conserve the best ideals 



and higher thoughts. Don't bring on 

 a famine of the sweetest things of life, 

 thoughtlessly, by overlooking one of 

 the most important methods of getting 

 it before the buying public, that of put- 

 ting over our new slogan "Say it with 

 Flowers." Tie up to our Campaign, 

 both with your money and home town 

 papers 



Chairman, Publicity Committee. 



The Buffalo Florist Club held its 

 annual banquet and election of offi- 

 cers at the Statler Hotel on March .5th. 

 Over a hundred florists were present 

 and speeches were made by Chief of 

 Police Gervin, Wm. J. Palmer, Mr. 

 Slattery and others. 



