WITH THE VEGETABLE GROWERS. 



401 



r*««2ET35 



Curing Sweet Corn 



PRO?. H. L. HUTT, ONT. AGRI. COLLEGE, 

 GUELPH. 



We are interested in the growing of sweet 

 corn, and have had great <-. ^..culty in getting 

 good seed for the past two seasons. We are 

 growing some now to raise our own seed, but 

 would like to get some information as to how 

 the corn should ,be treated (when ripe), so that 

 it will be perfectly cured. Will we have to 

 hang the ears up in a moderately warm place, 

 or can it be cured satisfactorily by any simpler 

 method? — (Kent Canning Company, Limited. 



Considerable care is required in curing 

 sweet corn for seed. The seed should 

 never be allowed to freeze before it has been 

 thoroughly cured, or its germinating quali- 

 ties will be injured. 



Where only a small quantity is required 

 there is no better way than hanging up the 

 ears in a dry, warm, well aired place. 

 Where large quantities are to be cured it 

 may be done by piling the ears in shallow 

 layers on slatted racks, which will allow a 

 free circulation of air, something like hops 

 are dried in hop kiJns. 



Nitrate of Soda for Tomatoes 



PROF. R. HARCOURT, ONT. AGRI. COLLEGE, 

 GUELPH. 



Nitrate of soda has been recommended for 

 application to tomato plants soon after setting. 

 Will you kindly tell me what proportion to use 

 per plant ? — (Mrs. E.- R. Atkinson, Summer- 

 land, B. C. 



As the tomato plant is somewhat inclined 

 to run to leaf and stem growth, I doubt very 

 much if nitrate of soda would be a very use- 

 ful fertilizer for it. If the ground is in 

 good condition it does not need much if 

 any special fertilizer, but if the ground is 

 poor there is no doubt that nitrate of soda 

 will tend to give the plants a start and se- 

 cure a good growth. 



On ground in good heart I would recom- 

 mend the use of a small amount, say 100 to 

 150 pounds of superphosphate per acre, as 

 likely to give better results than nitrate of 

 soda. The superphosphate should be sown 

 broadcast over the ground. 



Vegetable Plots for Poor People 



JOHN KEANE, SEC. ASSOCIATED CHARITIES^ 

 OTTAWA, ONT. 



MUCH good work can be done in cities 

 by securing the use of vacant pieces 

 of land and allowing poor people to use 

 them for raising vegetables. It is of great 

 benefit to the poorer classes if gone into ex- 

 tensively enough so as to warrant engaging 

 a practical gardener to superintend the 

 operations. In Ottawa, during the four 

 years it has been in operation, I think we 

 can pronounce it a success. The chief rea- 

 son it was given up was because there was 

 no available ground within reasonable dis- 

 tance of the district where the cultivators 

 lived. Besides, it was liable to be sold at 

 any time, and we could run no risk in 

 spending money where we might have to 

 surrender it before obtaining returns. 

 About one-fourth of our cultivators did not 

 attend as they should to the crops when 

 growing, but on the whole, whilst it was 

 satisfactory in its results, it was found im- 

 possible to eliminate wholly the improvi- 

 dent, the shiftless and the lazy ones who 

 made a great start at the beginning but did 

 not keep it up. It is here that a special 

 overseer would probably reduce the per- 

 centage of the above class considerably. 



We sometimes threatened to take away 

 the plots from those who did not properly 

 attend to them, but this drastic proposal 

 could hardly be carried into effect. If we 

 could have obtained suitable ground even 

 this year we would at once have entered on 

 the plan again. 



Growing Melons. — Good melons can be 

 grown on gravely soil, sandy loam, or clay 

 loam with sandy subsoil Large quantities 

 are sold to large hotels in New York. As 

 soon as the melons are large and netted 

 some unprincipled growers give the stem 

 near the melon a twist to hasten ripening, 

 and by this means destroy the quality. — (R. 

 Brodie, Westmount, Que. 



