WITH THE VEGETABLE GROWERS. 



483 



A Floral Exhibit That Has Brought Honor to Canada. 



The magnificent floral display shown in the illustration was made at the World's Fair at St. Louis by Mr. H. H. Groff", of Sim- 

 coe, Ont., and brought gieat honor to Canada by winning the highest award. In the growing of gladioli Mr. Groff is recognized as 

 the leading specialist in America, and has won many valuable and notable pri/es for his exhibits. Among these are the Gold Medal 

 at the Pan American, the Pan American Silver Vase, besides thirteen first awards at Buffalo the same year. It was with the intention 

 of securing certain strains that he desired that Mr. Groff^ took up the question of scientific hybridization. His creations have to-day 

 been sold on every continent. From one-half to three-quarters of a million bulbs are sold every year. 



A ROT OF STORED CELERY 



C^ ELERY may be dug in the fall and 

 ^ stored in a cellar to be used dur- 

 ing winter and spring. It is usual to pack 

 it closely, with the roots in soil which is kept 

 moist. With right conditions of moisture 

 and temperature the celery keeps well until 

 spring, but, if the soil is wet, and the tem- 

 perature varies, and, especially, if the celery 

 freezes and thaws, it will decay. 



Decay follows close upon death. The 

 bacteria and moulds are its active agents. 

 They are always present in the soil in which 

 the celery grows, and in the soil in which 

 the roots are packed, and there are no prac- 

 ticable means by which they can be kept 

 away from the plant ; neither can they be 

 killed without killing the plant. It remains 

 then to keep the celery alive and in health so 

 that it can resist the invasion of the bacteria. 

 A constant temperature, a little above freez- 

 ing, keeps the celery alive without growing, 

 and keeps the bacteria in check, for they also 

 become dormant at low temperatures, and 

 increase slowly, or not at all. If the celerv 

 freezes it becomes so much dead matter 

 without resistance, fit food for bacteria, and, 

 as soon as the temperature rises, the celery 

 rots. 



*A bulletin by B. Barlow, recently issued by the 

 Ontario Agricultural College. 



This was observed in some celery stored 

 in the cellar of the horticultural department 

 of the Ontario Agricultural College during 

 the winter of 1903-4. The celery tops 

 showed signs of having been frozen, but, as 

 the temperature continued low, it remained 

 sound within, the outer leaves and stalks 

 only showing signs of decay. On staining 

 the decayed tissue, bacteria were found in 

 large numbers, and, on making plates from 

 the inner parts of the decayed stems, many 

 colonies developed. The plates were usually 

 pure cultures, or almost pure cultures, of 

 Ps. fluorescens, and two varieties of it were 

 recognized. 



Some fresh plants of celery were obtained 

 and the outer leaves were cut away. The 

 inner leaves were washed under the tap and 

 covered with mercuric chloride solution, one 

 part to 1.000 of water, then rinsed in sterile 

 water and each stem put into a larger sterile 

 test tube containing a little sterile water in 

 the bottom. In three weeks, four out of 14 

 stems so prepared showed signs of rotting, 

 but some remained sound after a month and 

 were then inoculated with pure' cultures 

 originally isolated from the celery. Some 

 of these stems in test tubes had been stand- 

 ing in the sunshine and had regained their 



