WITH THE VEGETABLE GROWER. 



259 



When the seedhngs have four leaves, which 

 is usually about the middle of March, they 

 are transplanted into larger boxes and 

 given more space. About the last of March 

 the tomatoes are again transplanted into 

 pots and divided boxes, so that each plant 

 has four inches of space to grow in. Cu- 

 cumbers are only transplanted twice, the 

 second time when they have six or seven 

 leaves, or about the first of July. They 

 are then put into large boxes and pots. 



" This year the third transplanting of the 

 tomatoes was late, taking place from April 

 20 to the second week in May. At this 

 period they were taken out of the green- 

 house and placed under the cotton frames' 

 to harden. The tomatoes were planted in 

 the open about the middle of May, although 

 some seasons this work can be done mu'^h 

 earlier. Cucumbers are kept under cotton 

 all the time. During June the cotton is 

 sometimes taken off for short intervals. It 

 is no easy matter to make a success of the 

 cucumber crop, as it requires a large 

 amount of water. I frequently use 100 bar- 

 rels of water at one application on a quar- 

 ter acre of land. 



THE CULTIVATION GIVEN. 



Tomatoes in the open are given the same 

 cultivation as corn. About May 15, c* 

 sooner, the plants are cultivated with a horse 



cultivator and later with a hoe. This cul- 

 tivation is conducted thoroughly until the 

 crop is being picked freely, about July 15. 

 The ground is worked over once every week 

 or ten days. In wet seasons less cultiva- 

 tion is necessary. Only shallow cultiva- 

 tion is practised, as deep cultivation cuts 

 the roots of the plants. On this account 

 it is going out of favor, not only in vege- 

 table growing, but in fruit raising as well. 



The land where I raise my vegetables is 

 so rich little manuring is done. For melons 

 I use barnyard manure well decomposed. 

 The second year I follow with tomatoes, 

 which absorb any of the fertilizer not taken 

 up by the melons. Where the land is verv 

 rich the tomatoes are likely to make too 

 large a growth. To maintain the fertility 

 of the soil cover crops are sown as soon as 

 the vegetables are picked. Rye, oats or 

 turnips make about the best and prevent 

 washing of the light soil. 



The crop is all sold to individual buyers 

 located in about 20 towns in western On- 

 tario. Every week I send them quotations. 

 They order what they feel they can handle, 

 and the surplus is sent to commission men 

 in the leading cities. Four or five of these 

 buyers in the different cities are telegraphed 

 and the vegetables are sent to the sections 

 where the best prices are offered." 



CELERY GROWING 



H. R. ROWSOME, BURLINGTON, ONT. 



FOR late celery plants that have been 

 sown in the field and thinned out to 

 100 to the foot, must be set out during the 

 first week in July in order to reach market- 

 able size by the last of October. Being 

 grown so close together they have not many 

 fibrous roots and do not get as quick a start 

 as those ^.lants which have been trans- 

 planted into hot beds. They ought to be 

 as thick at least as a lead pencil so as to 



have sufficient body to live through hot July 

 days until they get rooted. Of course the 

 plant must be placed only in the moist earth, 

 which must be very firmly pressed against 

 it. Plants that are to be set out after the 

 middle of July are grown to a large size in 

 cold frames after the manner of those trans- 

 planted for early celery. 



Early celery, i. e., the self-blanching 

 ki-nds, such as Paris Golden and White 



