FERTILIZERS FOR VEGETABLES. 



79 



His figures thoroughly endorse those of 

 other observers. To take one vegetable 

 out of the many as an example, viz., cauli- 

 flowers. These were manured : 



1. With an ordinary dressing of 14 tons 

 barnyard manure per acre. 



2. With double the quantity, viz., 28 tons 

 barnyard manure per acre. 



3. With 14 tons barnyard manure, sup- 

 plemented by quick-acting complete chemi- 

 cal manure. 



The results were as follows : 



Average Weight 

 Cost of Manure Average Yearly Weight per Head in 



No. per Acre. of Crop per Acre. Pounds. 



1.. . $24 00 14 tons 1680 lbs. 3.16 



2. . . 48 00 18 tons 76 lbs. 3.87 



3. . .. 39 00 21 tons 784 lbs. 4.52 



This was a gain over the ordinary manur- 

 ing with barnyard manure of nearly seven 

 tons per acre and more than 40 per cent, in 

 the individual weight per head by the addi- 

 tion of quick-acting complete chemical 

 manure costing only $15 per acre; or a gain 

 of more than three tons in the crop per acre 

 and 17 per cent, in the individual weight of 

 heads at a saving of $9 per acre in cost of 

 manure when double the quantity of barn- 

 yard manure was used. 



In addition to this monetary gain the ex- 

 perimenters make the following statement : 

 " That speaking generally the crops grown 

 with the addition of chemical manure were 

 uniformly of decidedly better quality than 

 those grown with manure alone. That in 

 the case of asparagus, cabbage, cauliflowers, 

 etc., they far surpassed them in succulence, 



flavor, and tenderness, being uniformly far 

 less fibrous." This improvement in flavor 

 and lusciousness has also been many times 

 observed in the case of tomatoes, rhubarb, 

 and most fruits. 



In regard to the question of chemical 

 manures inducing earlier crops, the same 

 authority says : " This was particularly 

 noticeable in regard to strawberries during 

 one of the heaviest crops in recent years. 

 The plot dressed with 14 tons barnyard 

 manure produced 9,408 pounds, and when 

 supplemented with chemical manure the 

 total crop was only increased by 336 pounds. 

 But in the first few days of picking nearly 

 700 pounds more fruit per acre were gath- 

 ered from the latter plot, and during this 

 time the market value of the fruit per pound 

 was at least double that of fruit picked dur- 

 ing the succeeding days. 



It will thus be seen that the addition of a 

 properly manufactured quick-acting chemi- 

 cal fertilizer to the barnyard manure is pos- 

 sessed of three distinct advantages : First, 

 in the production of an earlier crop ; sec- 

 ond, in a vastly superior flavored crop ; 

 third, in a much larger crop obtained at con- 

 siderably less cost. 



It is to be hoped that some of our more 

 advanced market gardeners will make trial 

 of new methods, and from their new experi- 

 ence will most certainly learn to limit their 

 expenditure in purchased barnyard manure 

 and increase that in complete, quick-acting 

 chemical manures as by far the most profit- 

 able. 



FORCING LETTUCE 



a r I ^O grow lettuce successfully," says 

 A Mr. J. MacNamara, of Bracondale, 

 Ont., " the seed should be started in the hot 

 bed before February 15. When this is 

 done the plants are ready for setting out by 

 April 10. They should be put out as early 

 as the season will permit. I put them in 



rows two feet apart and about five inches 

 apart in the row. 



" If the season is at all favorable the crop 

 is ready for market by June, but last season 

 it was somewhat later. The best variety 

 for outside growing is Nonpareil, which 

 forms a good head and finds ready market." 



