FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES. 



193 



one providing nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and 

 potash. As a rule the sweet pea does not 

 require much nitrogen, as it is able to take 

 its supply from the atmosphere. It requires 

 a liberal amount of potash and some phos- 

 phoric acid, which can be supplied in an ex- 

 cellent form in unleached wood ashes. In 

 a fairly rich garden soil a liberal application 

 of wood ashes would probably be all that is 

 required. 



Growing Early Tomatoes 



GROWING of early tomatoes and other 

 vegetables was the subject of an ad- 

 dress delivered recently at Leamington by 

 Professor Taft, superintendent of fanners' 

 institutes for the State of Michigan. 



Those who live along the north shore of 

 Lake Erie, according to Prof. Taft, should 

 have every advantage in growing early 

 vegetables and the best varieties of fruit. 

 The growing of early vegetables or the forc- 

 ing of vegetables in winter should be very 

 profitable. 



Crops, especially those grown out of sea- 

 son, are peculiarly sensitive to injury or 

 disease. If the weather is too warm or 

 there is a defect in the drying of the soil, or 

 if the temperature is too cold, the growth is 

 checked and the plant injured. The right 

 kind of plant food should be provided and 

 the right quantity. The great danger is in 

 giving too little food, but sometimes too 

 much fertilizer or manure is used and the 

 plant makes an abnormal growth. 



Stable manure well rotted is perhaps the 

 best food that can be provided for vegeta- 

 bles, but for fruit growing much more care 

 should be taken in supplying plant food. 

 Wood ashes is one of the best fertilizers for 

 fruit trees. The great trouble is that ashes 

 do not contain nitrogen, and if used for 

 vegetable growing, good partly decomposed 

 manure should be mixed with the ashes. In 

 the grovd;h of vegetables for profit fertilizers 

 must be used in most soils. Potash and 



phosphoric acid and nitrogen form com- 

 ponent parts of the best fertilizers. Thus 

 a grower who understands the elements in 

 the soil, and who knows what his land re- 

 quires, and is willing to expend a little, can 

 generally be successful. j\Iany of the ferti- 

 lizers on the market contain a considerable 

 percentage of valueless elements. The man 

 who is able to get his goods on the market 

 the earliest is the one who makes the money. 

 Push the vegetables as fast as possible. 

 Don't neglect them. 



The best early kind of tomato is the Ear- 

 liana. For late tomatoes or for factory use 

 the Stone has given the best satisfaction. It 

 is imperative that the seed for the early 

 kinds should be sown before March i in 

 suitable houses, with the right soil and 

 plenty of water, and an even temperature of 

 about 60 degrees. The plants should be 

 transplanted two or three times and should 

 be well filled with fruit before setting out. 



The stalk should be tied to a stake and 

 trimmed to a single stem, as the fruit will 

 ripen earlier and the returns be better. Too 

 much manure must not be used, and potash 

 and phosphoric acid should be added to 

 check the tendency to too much growth of 

 the plant. 



Castor Oil for Plants 



GEORGE VAIR, TORONTO, ONT. 



A LADY last year came to me with a 

 rubber plant that wanted doctoring 

 the worst way. It was in a sorry plight. I 

 found the soil full of castor oil, which she 

 confessed she had put on, a drop or two 

 once in a while. She also had not hesi- 

 tated to pour on a little weak tea. 



I said I would draw the line at castor oil, 

 but I would not mind the weak tea, if it was 

 just the strength she gave her husband 

 when he happened to be a little late. It is 

 singular, sometimes, the remedies some 

 people try on their flowers. 



