238 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



October, 1912 



yellow rose, and La Candeur, double 

 white. 



The best varieties of Dutch Hyacinths 

 for bedding are following : White, Madam 

 Van der Hoop, La Grandesse, Baroness 

 von Thuyll and Queen Victoria ; pink, 

 (Jertriide, Gigantca and Lady Macaulay ; 

 blue. Grand Maitre and King of the 

 Blues. 



The minature hyacinths can also be 

 used for spring flowering, but they must 

 he planted a little closer than the other 

 type, about six inches each way, to have 

 a good effect. Many of the varieties of 

 narcissus are excellent for spring flower- 

 ing, and if planted in groups they are so 

 much the better. Plant ten inches deep, 

 if they are to remain several years. 



An added charm is given by planting 



in the same trench with them, about four 

 inches deep, some of the Scilla Sibirica 

 snowdrops and crocuses. The.se flower 

 in between the foliage of the narcissus, 

 at least two or three weeks earlier. The 

 Polyanthus type include the following 

 suitable for the garden : White, Perfec- 

 tion ; Impcrator, yellow; Goldfinch, yel- 

 low, and Lord Charming, primrose. 



The trumpet type includes the follow- 

 ing: Ard-righ, golden yellow, very early; 

 J. B. McCann, white petals and soft 

 yellow trumpet ; Madame de Graff, a per- 

 fect gem ; Madame Langtry, pale cream ; 

 Horsfieldi, very fine, and Emperor and 

 Empress. Much might be said about 

 other varieties, but space will not {per- 

 mit. 



Handling the Potato Crop 



A. G. Parker, 



There is money in raising potatoes if 

 they are propjerly handled. Last season 

 our crop averaged one hundred and twen- 

 ty barrels to the acre. No one should 

 be satisfied with anything short of one 

 hundred and ten barrels an acre. Such 

 a yield will be easily reached if prof)er 

 methods are adopted. 



In selecting a fertilizer for potatoes, 

 one should be careful to choose a fertili- 

 zer strong in potash, as it has been 

 shown by repeated analysis that a crop 

 of three hundred bushels of potatoes re- 

 moves from the soil approximately sixty 

 pounds of nitrogen, thirty pounds of 

 phosphoric acid and one hundred and five 

 jX)unds of potash. Thus a fertilizer to 

 be used by potatoes should have these 

 elements in approximately these propor- 

 tions. If a good clover sod has been 

 ploughed under the previous fall, the nit- 

 rogen will not be required, as the clover, 

 being strong in nitrogen, will provide an 

 ample supply. 



If barnyard manure is to be used it 

 should be supplied in the fall. Spread it 

 broadcast and in not too large quantities, 

 not more than from ten to fifteen tons 

 per acre. Supplement it by an applica- 

 .tion of one hundred and forty to one 

 hundred and eighty pounds of sulphate 

 of potash, and two hundred and fifty to 

 three hundred and fifty pounds of acid 

 phosphate. 



SEED SELECTION. 



Seed should be selected at the time of 

 harvesting. In this manner the size, 

 form, time of maturity and prolificacy of 

 the plant, can be determined quite easily. 

 Carefully select from those hills which 

 make the most vigorous growth of vines, 

 and which have produced potatoes large 

 in size, the well shaped potatoes that are 

 free from protuberances of any nature. 

 If this method of selection is carried out 

 the quality of the crop will improve rath- 

 er than deteriorate, and fewer unmarket- 

 able potatoes will be noticed. 



Bo»ton, N.B. 



HARVESTING THE OROJ'. 



The sooner the potatoes are dug after 

 the tops are dead, the better. Last sea- 

 son we started digging on September 

 27th, which was four days after the tops 

 were killed with frost. Our potatoes 

 were perfectly green up to the time they 

 were killed with frost. We used a Cam- 

 bridge digger, which is of the elevator 

 pattern, and it gave good satisfaction. 

 We worked four horses on the machine, 

 and had six men picking. In this way 

 we averaged about two hundred and fifty 

 barrels a day. Potatoes can be dug very 

 much cheap)er by means of a machine, 

 and if proper care is exercised there will 

 not be any more damaged potatoes than 

 if dug by hand. 



Potatoes should be stored in a dry, 

 frost-proof cellar, or warehouse, where 

 the temperature is kept even. The tem- 

 perature should be about two degrees 

 above the freezing point, and kept as 

 near as possible to that during the time 

 of storage. Free circulation of air 

 should be had through the potatoes. In- 

 stead of putting the potatoes against the 

 wall in large bins, the wav .so many farm- 

 ers do, a small partition made of nar- 

 row boards, spaced a little, should be 

 made against the wall, about one foot 

 from the wall. If a large quantity is to 

 be stored, the bins should be divided in 

 the same manner. 



On soils (Containing clay or humus 

 apply basic slag in the autumn and at 

 the rate of from 500 to 600 lbs. per acre. 



The fruit growing industry in Lambton 

 County is going forward rapidly. The cold 

 winter of 1911-12 has not in any way dis- 

 couraged the growers, although about five 

 per cent of the peach trees were killed, as 

 well as most of the blossoms. I expect 

 that the plantings during 1913 will far sur- 

 pass these of any other year. — D. Johnson. 

 Forest, Ont. 



Red Spider on Cucumbers 



Praf. Wm. Lockhtad, Macdould Colltfc, Qiu. 



"Th<f lajjt three years I have tried to ffrow 

 cucumbers. I get them to grow nicely until the 

 cucumbers are about two fiichee lone, then the 

 leaves turn yellow. The small oncumbers wither 

 up and the plants die. I have tried different 

 kinds with the same result. What is the matter? 

 — H. W.. Toronto. Ont. 



.Although the information given is too 

 meagre to allow us to decide definitely 

 as to the nature of the trouble, yet we 

 are of the opinion that the injuries are 

 caused by the presence of red spiders on 

 the leaves. These mites are often abun- 

 dant in dry seasons on cucumbers, ns 

 well as on many other plants. They suck 

 the juices, and affected leaves gradually 

 turn pale, then yellowish, and finally 

 brownish, before succumbing. The loss 

 of so much sap from the leaves reduces 

 the vitality of the cucumber plants, (»nd 

 the leaves are unable to manufacture 

 the substances necessary for the growth 

 of the fruit. 



If a leaf attacked by red spider be ex- 

 amined carefully with a niagnifying glass 

 a thin web-like tissue will be found tn 

 the lower surface within whirh they feed 

 and reproduce. As these pests are verv 

 minute they are apt to be overlooked until 

 much damage is done on account of their 

 large numbers. 



Red spiders are usually kept under 

 control by frequent sprayings with water 

 as they appear to thrive only in a dry 

 warm atmosphere. This simple treat- 

 ment will suffice if begun suflficiently 

 early; but if the webs on the undersur- 

 face of the leaves are allowed to be form- 

 ed, it will not be effective, and some 

 other remedy must be applied. One of 

 the best remedies is a weak summer 

 .<;trength of lime-sulphur, such as fruit- 

 L'rowers use. Tobacco wash, sulphur 

 powder, and soap solutions will also be 

 found useful. Care must be taken to 

 have the under surfaces of the affected 

 leaves sprayed. 



Success with Celery 



Where the soil and other conditions 

 are favorable celery growing is one of 

 the most profitable lines of vegetable 

 production. The illustration on the next 

 page shows part of a celery field on one 

 of the leading market gardens op the 

 outskirts of Peterboro. The proprietors, 

 Messrs. Card & Williams, have had 

 marked success in the production of 

 celery on this land for a number of years, 

 celery from this field having won the 

 first prize at the Peterboro Exhibition 

 for the past several years. 



A feature which has contributed more 

 than any other to their success is the 

 application each year of a heavy coat of 

 fertilizer. Although the soil is a deep 

 rich, black muck, which has been man- 

 ured heavily for the past several years, 

 it is given an additional heavy applica- 

 tion of mixed stable manure before each 



