January, 1916. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



A Northern Ontario Vegetable Garden 



Mrs. John Lome McDouf 



THE same methods used to grow 

 flowers are applied to vege- 

 tables. The out door seeding is 

 accomplished usually from May 20th 

 to the 1st week of June, when all the 

 first seeding should be finished. Let- 

 tuce, spinach, peas, carrots and beets 

 may be grown in successions, but I do 

 not find that sowings do well made 

 later than the middle of July. It Ls 

 possible to grow a constant supply of 

 green peas extending from the middle 

 of June, if the season is good, until the 

 garden is over. To accomplish this, a 

 planting of an extra early variety, a 

 couple of second early varieties, such 

 as the well-known gradus, and several 

 high varieties, each one bearing a lit- 

 tle later than the other, give the best 

 satisfaction. The high varieties grow 

 to ten and eleven feet and often eleven 

 peas to the pod. Two or three years 

 ago we had wonderful results from the 

 pea called "Alderman." It started 

 bearing about the second week in July 

 and continued indefinitely until wea- 

 ther conditions conquered. 



Lettuce is grown with great ease, 

 and I think to greater perfection of 

 flavor and crispness than in old On- 

 tario. I have tried many different 

 varieties and prefer the American 

 varieties of cabbage lettuce and Eng- 

 lish of Cos. There are few things to equal 

 a head of Cos lettuce well bleached, 



•Extract from a paper read at the recent 

 annual convention, held in Toronto, of the On- 

 tario Horticultural Association. 



Haileybury, Ontario 



with that richness of flavor the gift 

 of our northern climate, a salad for 

 an epicure. What is true of one vege- 

 table is true in degree of practically 

 all, with the exception of corn. 



The northern vegetables, like the 

 northern flowers, excel in quality. 

 When sold, they should command a 

 higher price. The carrots are tenderer, 

 the beets are sweeter, the cabbages are 

 finer grained and firmer, the beans are 

 more brittle, and richer flavored, the 

 peas,— Why, no one has really eaten 

 green peas who has not tasted the first 

 picking off a northern Ontario vine! 

 Corn is grown successfully, and if an 

 early supply is started in the hotbed, 

 it is possible to have a crop from Au- 

 gust 1st into October. But we suc- 

 ceed best with the early varieties, and 

 none equal the Golden Bantam. 



You can grow any unusual or less 

 hardy vegetable you fancy, if you take 

 the necessary forethought, and the re- 

 sult more than justifies the trouble. 

 Around New Liskeard fine celery is 

 grown. I have never seen better than 

 exhibited at the Liskeard Fair this 

 autumn. The onion exhibit was also 

 noteworthy. In a large vegetable gar- 

 den near mine, fall strawberries are a 

 feature. I picked a handful well on 

 in October and found them as sweet 

 as in their usual season. 



The Haileybury Horticultural So- 

 ciety has done a good work with their 

 yearly show. It is always well at- 



1 h e 

 park has been erected thi.s unusual perfsola composed in part of 14b tombstonea, 

 some of which date back to 1828. Combined with the beautiful effect 

 of the flowers and vinos it attracts much attention. 



tended and the results are seen around 

 the town and country in improved 

 gardens. Each year we see finer varie^ 

 ties of flowers and vegetables grown. 

 Each year we have a better choice of 

 vegetables on the market. 



I would emphasize in conclusion 

 that the best results come from the 

 best seeds obtainable. It is amazing 

 sometimes, what results the very fine 

 seeds brought from other parts of the 

 world, will bring, planted in the richly 

 productive soil of our northern coun- 

 try. 



Artificial Fertilizers 



Geo. Baldwin, Toronto, Ont. 



The theory of fertilizing consists in 

 maintaining in the soil such an amount 

 of plant food, both mineral and organic, 

 as shall enable us to reap the largest pos- 

 sible amount of crops from the soil. All 

 vegetables and most flowers are strong 

 feeders, and a quantity of manure or com- 

 mercial fertilizer is necessary each year. 

 For the best results both are essential, 

 as the manure alone contains an excess of 

 nitrogen, and if commercial fertilizer is 

 continually used alone, the soil eventually 

 becomes deficient in humus. 



When the man, whose gardening is 

 confined to the back yard, reads that two 

 thousand pounds of a certain fertilizer per 

 acre is the proper proportion, he gets but 

 a vague idea of the quantity to apply to 

 his five foot perennial border or twenty 

 foot square vegetable patch, yet it is 

 more important for him than the large 

 grower to exercise care in the application 

 of fertilizers. Too much fertilizer is as 

 bad, if not worse, than none at all, giv- 

 ind a tendency to rank growth, so don't 

 guess, but use about half a pound to 

 ten square feet. I have had excellent 

 success with this quantity of fertilizers 

 for both flowers and vegetables, using 

 that prepared at local abattoirs. 



If it is desired to mix the ingredients 

 yourself, procure according to the size 

 of your lot, one part sulphate of potash, 

 one part sulphate of ammonia, one part 

 nitrate of soda, half part air-slacked lime, 

 and half part powdered sulphur. Mix 

 these thoroughly and scatter broadcast all 

 over your lot. After having dug it deep- 

 ly, rake it in gently with the rake, abotit 

 an inch deep, before sowing seeds. 



I have found that nitrate of soda by 

 itself is magical with lilies, ferns, funkias, 

 tulips, and hyacinths, and is excellent for 

 asparagus, celery, and especially rhubarb, 

 but is apparently no benefit to columbines 

 and onions. Give a handful to two and 

 a half gallons of water around the plants. 

 The work gives the best results when 

 done In the evening. 



Carefully save all wood ashes, pro- 

 .tecting them till used from rain. They 



are a valuable source of mineral plant 



food, especially of potash. 



