208 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



varieties which are planted in a similar manner so as to come to- 

 gether in the plat and, if possible, have all the crops that can be 

 cultivate both ways in one section. This requires design from 

 the start. 



Finally, we have received some very strong suggestions in our 

 experience as to the importance of making the house garden as 

 symmetrical and attractive in appearance as possible. The vege- 

 tables and plants of different habits can be so arranged as to har- 

 monize and yet afford pleasing contrasts. And we have noticed 

 that wherever any very pleasing effect was noted by us, the 

 passers-by also semed to be attracted by the scene. A very hand- 

 some row of Thomas Laxton peas ran from the house to the 

 road and, supported by wire netting, not only give us great sat- 

 isfaction with its load of beautiful pods but excited the admira- 

 tion of many passers-by. In fact, we know that a number of our 

 finest growing crops were the subject of frequent inquiry by 

 neighboring farmers. It is easy for us to conclude that one well 

 kept, productive and attractive garden located where it is easily 

 seen from the public road will do much to stimulate scores of 

 people to special effort in this direction. 



These are but rambling remarks, and yet the experience of the 

 past is of great value to us as we are making plans for the year 

 to come. Our garden work of the past year was not any of it 

 performed with the intention of saying anything in public about 

 either efforts or results. But now that our attention has been 

 drawn to the matter, we shall endeavor to keep a closer record of 

 garden experiments in years to come. 



Mr. D. T. Wheaton : I would like to ask whether anybody has 

 used nitrate in connection with the development of early plants. 

 I know it is used in the east to a considerable extent. I was 

 wondering whether any experiments had been made in this state 

 in that connection. 



Mr. T. T. Bacheller: I think it has been tried in this state. 

 The State Experiment Station sent out a bulletin concerning the 

 results'obtained by the use of nitrate, showing that it had a very 

 favorable effect upon plants, especially in potatoes, as it was 

 shown that fifty per cent, more potatoes were grown by the use 

 of nitrate than were grown without. I tried the use of nitrate 

 to a certain extent, and in every case the benefit was very great. 



Mr. C. S. Harrison (Neb.) : I find that the greatest difference 

 comes from the seed. We are getting seed from the valley of the 

 Red River of the North. We find that by planting that seed it in- 

 creases our crop by half or more. We got seed from Wisconsin 

 and raised six hundred bushels to the acre, while the potatoes 

 from home grown seed did not amount to anything. One year we 

 planted potatoes from seed obtained in Scotland, and the crop 

 yielded a third more than from any other seed. 



