120 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



May, 191 o 



for setting outside, the last week ol 

 which the plants should be set outside 

 without protection to harden-off, provid- 

 ing, of course, in the case of tender 

 plants that they are not allowed to 

 freeze. 



The hardening-off of plants — getting 

 them used to outside conditions — is very 

 important. The check a plant sustains 

 from being removed from warm quar-- 

 ters to field conditions is great and can 

 be avoided by gradually hardening-ofl. 



How to Grow^ Good Celery 



F. W. Hack, Norwood, Manitoba 



Managing the Asparagus Bed 



A. V. Main, Almonte, Ont. 



I prefer to disturb the asparagus bed 

 in the fall rather than in spring, especial- 

 ly a belated spring when the growths 

 peep up almost before the snow is gone. 

 .'\bout the last work in the garden in fall, 

 when the asparagus growths are yellow 

 and the sap returned to the crowns, cut 

 close over and burn. Remove a couple 

 of inches of soil or more from the sur- 

 face. This takes away sour soil and in- 

 sect eggs. Apply a dressing of well-spent 

 manure and soil mixed and over this, six 

 inches of strawy manure or leaves with 

 branches to keep it down. This provides 

 the winter garment. 



At the end of April, weather favorable, 

 remove the straw and tidy the bed. Keep 

 it within the limits by the spade on each 

 side. Slightly fork over the surface ; a 

 spade should never be used, for the roots 

 have ransacked the soil in all directions. 



With the approach of mild weather, 

 give a dressing of salt — about one pound 

 to each ten square feet at intervals, say 

 May 15, May 30 and June 15. 



We generally cut about May 10 and 

 continue until June 20. Short, stubby 

 stalks about six inches long are the best, 

 measuring three-quarters of an inch to 

 one inch at the base. Cut these as far 

 below the surface as possible. Tie in a 

 bunch and cut the ends even. 



Allow a fair proportion of growths to 

 come up to strengthen the crowns for the 

 succeeding season. 



Seed can be saved in the fall when red, 

 sown in spring in drills two inches deep 

 and thinned to six inches, allowing them 

 to remain two years prior to planting. 



The asparagus is valuable not only as 

 a vegetable, but also as green inaterial 

 for decorating flower vases, and so on. 

 It adds a charm to cut blooms. The side 

 growths are best. No harm is caused by 

 the cutting. 



If we had never seen any weeds, the 

 necessity for cultivation of soil would 

 not be nearly so apparent to the major- 

 ity of gardeners. It is now a well known 

 fact, however, that frequent cultivation 

 is needed to keep the soil moist, even 

 if weeds never appear. The drier the 

 soil and weather, the greater need for 

 surface cultivation. 



WHIvN the time approaches for 

 planting celery in the field, the 

 plants should be gradually hard- 

 ened by exposure to the weather. Cel- 

 ery plants when properly hardened will 

 be unharmed by a moderate frost, and 

 may be planted out from the middle of 

 May to the beginning of June. The land 

 should be well cultivated and finely pul- 

 verized. 



If possible, dull or rainy weather 

 should be cho.sen for planting. The plant 

 bed should be well watered before remov- 

 ing the plants and care must be taken to 

 avoid injuring the roots. Shallow pans 

 are convenient for handling the plrmts, 

 and in hot, dry weather a little water in 

 the pans will prevent wilting. If the 

 weather is dull and the soil is moist, it 

 will not be necessary to water the plants 

 when set out ; but if it is hot and dry, a 

 good watering should be given and as 

 soon as the ground is dry the surface 

 should be stirred to prevent baking. Wat- 

 ering the young plants is apt to pack the 

 soil too tightly around their roots and 

 should not be done unless necessary. 



Celery should be planted in rows three 

 to five feet wide and four to six inches 

 apart in the row. The width Isetween the 

 rows is to give room for cultivation and 

 for soil to earth up with ; four feet will 

 be found the most convenient. 



Some growers plant in double rows. 

 This is not advisable, except in very rich 

 soil and where water can be artificially 

 supplied. 



The old method of growing celery in 

 trenches is not now generally used. The 

 labor of preparing the trenches and the 

 increased difficulty of cultivation renders 

 this method I'.nprofitable commercially. 

 Where level culture is practiced, the rows 

 should be slightly furrowed, so that the 

 celery when planted should be a few 

 inches below the level of the land. This 

 will start an upright growth. 



Frequent shallow cultivation should be 

 given from the time of planting through- 

 out the growing period. The surface 

 should be well stirred twice a week dur- 

 ing dry weather and after a rain as soon 

 as the ground is dry. When the roots 

 of the celery begin to spread, cultivation 

 should be shallow near the plants. 



When the plants have been out two or 

 three weeks they must be gone over care- 

 fully by hand, the soil around and be- 

 tween them loosened and all weeds re- 

 moved. The plants must never be al- 

 lowed to spread over the surface of the 

 ground, and enough .soil must be drawn 

 up around them to secure an upright, 

 compact growth. This process should 

 be repeated as growth continues. Do not 

 let any soil fall into the hearts. 



When the plants are nearly full grown 



the earth should be drawn up to half the 

 height of the plant, and one week later 

 nearly to the top of the leaves. The 

 blanching process will take from ten to 

 thirty days, according to variety. 



Celery that is intended for storing 

 should be planted a little later and not 

 moulded up so much. It will keep bet- 

 ter if not quite fully matured when dug, 

 and if green will blanch in storage. 



Growing Peppers 



E* £. Adamt, Leamuiftoii, Oat. 



There is no trouble in growing pep- 

 pers, as they grow about as well as cab- 

 bage or any other plant. Seed is sown in 

 flats in the greenhouse on or about March 

 I, and strong bottom heat is maintained 

 until seed is well up. When in the fourth 

 leaf, the plants are pricked out to flats 

 and given a space of about two inches 

 square, and are grown in these flats un- 

 til taken to the field for setting. Be sure 

 and keep the soil moist, as peppers ap- 

 pear to require a large amount of moist- 

 ure ; if seed is not kept moist, or if kept 

 too wet, it will not sprout properly, and 

 sometimes will decay. 



In preparing the field soil for the crop, 

 I use about ten two-horse loads of well- 

 rotted manure per acre, either plowed in 

 or harrowed in after the ground is 

 plowed, according to whether the manure 

 is fine or coarse. The ground is marked 

 out in rows three feet apart, and the 

 plants are set about twenty inches apart 

 in the row. Good and frequent cultiva- 

 tion is given by a one-horse hoe or a 

 twelve-tooth cultivator to keep the top 

 soil very fine and to hold moisture. 



.■^bout ten days after planting, a 

 dressing of 100 pounds per acre of nitrate' 

 of soda is sown broadcast and worked 

 into the soil, and sometimes, if we are 

 not too much rushed with work, the soda 

 is put around each plant in place of 

 broadcast. The latter is the much better 

 plan if possible to get it done, as the 

 plant then gets all the nitrogen very soon 

 after being put on. .Another application 

 of the same quantity is given about three 

 weeks later, and this is sown broadcast. 

 The first of June is our usual time for 

 planting in the field, .\nyone should be 

 able to grow peppers successfully with 

 very little trouble. 



Stir the ground frequently around on- 

 ions, especially after every rain. 



The need of co-operation in marketing 

 and shipping fruit seems to be getting 

 well into the minds of most of our or- 

 chardists in Nova Scotia. The producers 

 are too much at the mercy of the assents 

 of steamship lines and English brokers. 



