January, 191 i 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



II 



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EDglith Hot Hout Tamatoes, Evans No.^l- The Tiaei trew fifteen feet high and avenged 21 lbs. to tie vine. 



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should be covered over with gauze or 

 some such material and a little earth 

 thrown up around the edge so that no 

 beetles can get under. It must be on the 

 plants before the beetles get any chance 

 to attack them and can be left on until 

 the plants are too large for such limited 

 space. This affords a complete protection 

 but is hardly practicable on a very exten- 

 sive scale. 



(To he continued.) 



The Potato Blight 



F. F. Reevei, Hnmber Bajr, Oat. 



The question of how best to fight the 

 potato blight or mildew is a very difficult 

 proposition. During the past season I 

 tried Bordeaux mixture, using the form- 

 ula as given in Bulletin 122, issued from 

 the O. A. C, Guelph, 1902. 



Copper .Sulphate (Bluestone) 4 lbs. 



Quicklime (Fresh) 4 lbs. 



Paris Green 4 ozs. 



Water 40 gal. 



The bluestone and lime were dissolved 

 in different barrels. I used an auto- 

 spray and started as soon as the potatoes 

 were nicely above the ground and spray- 

 ed every two weeks after till the pota- 

 toes were ready to dig. 



On part of our farm celery has been 

 grown every year for over thirty years, 

 and the crops of late years have been as 

 good as any we have ever grown ; in fact 

 the celery seems to be better every year. 

 Every year, however, we apply as much 

 manure as can be plowed in.— George 

 Syme, ]r., Carleton West ,Ont. 



Experiments with Asparagus* 



Prof. C. E. Myeri, State College, Pa. 



One acre of our experimental grounds 

 is devoted to experiments with aspara- 

 gus. On one half of this area we are 

 making a variety test of Bonvaletts 

 Giant, Connovers Colossal, Barrs Mam- 

 moth, Dreers Eclipse, Palmetto and 

 Argenteuil. Of these Palmetto has thus 

 far proved the most satisfactory, both 

 from the standpoint of yield and quality 

 and from its ability to resist disease. 



The remainder of the plat is used for 

 testing the importance of grading the 

 crowns at the time of transplanting. 

 This experiment is being conducted with 

 the varieties Palmetto and Argenteuil. 

 At the time of planting, the crowns were 

 graded into three sizes and two rows of 

 one hundred nlants each were planted of 

 each grade, first second and third. At 

 the end of the first year the number of 

 plants which failed to grow were re- 

 spectively, thirteen, sixteen and thirty- 

 four of the test of Palmetto, nnd thirty- 

 eieht, forty-nine and eiehtv-five of the 

 test of Argenteuil. These fie'ures are 

 significant, and especially so when we 

 consider the expense entailed in making 

 replantings, as well as the year of time 

 lost and the accompanying diminished 

 growth. 



I-ast year, at the end of the growing 

 season, the growth made bv each of the 

 tests was weiehed and was thirtv-one, 

 twenty-three and fourteen pourtfJs re- 



spectively for Palmetto, and fifteen, 

 eleven and five pounds respectively for 

 Argenteuil. The first cutting for mar- 

 ket was made this year. The record of 

 the product harvested was twenty-two, 

 twenty-four, and twelve pounds respec- 

 tively for Palmetto, and thirteen, nine 

 and five pounds respectively for Argen- 

 teuil. 



In each instance the difference is im- 

 portant. It is especially noticeable be- 

 tween the first and third grades, while 

 the difference between the fir.st and 

 second is less. In one case the yield of 

 the second grade has been greater. The 

 reason for this is unknown, but possibly 

 may be determined later. The experi- 

 ments seem to show that a person, when 

 establishing an asparagus plantation, 

 could well afford to carefully grade his 

 crowns and discard all except the very 

 best. 



OTHER EXPERIMENTS 



Some work is being done alrne the line 

 of seed selection. At present, attention 

 is confined to c.nbbnee and tomatoes. 

 We hooe to be able to show how good 

 seed may be produced. The work thus 

 far indicates that there are great possi- 

 bilities along this line. It is generally 

 conceded that iudicious selection offers 

 great possibilities in the improving of 

 our general farm crops. In pursuing 

 this work the important feature to be 

 borne in mind is that the entire plant, 

 and not the individual fruit, should be 

 considered the unit of selection. 



To summarize briefly, we may say 

 that these strain tests have shown the 

 need of more care being exercised in the 

 selection of seeds. Whenever plantings 

 are made it is desirable to use several 

 strains from seedsmen considered reli- 

 able since in this way we may be reason- 

 ably sur^ of securing a fair crop. New 

 varieties should be tried, but it is unwise 

 to make extensive plantings until they 

 have proved satisfactory under your 

 conditions. 



•An cTtracf from o paper read at the rpcent 

 convention, in London, Ont.. of tlje Ontajlo Vege- 

 tahle Qrowera' Anoclatlon. 



Turnip-rooted Celery or 

 Celeriac 



A. H. Ewing, Woodstock, O^t 



The cultivation of this delicious vege- 

 table seems to ha^•e been neglected of 

 I.ite years it is seldom seen in gardens. 

 This is rather surprising as there is no 

 difficulty in growing it on any good soil. 

 It is no more trouble to produce than ca"-- 

 rots or parsnips. 



It is useful for soups, is very nice boiled 

 like artichokes and served with white 

 sauce, and there are various recipes for 

 fixing it up for salads and other dishes. 

 Try a row or two next .se.ison. Prepare 

 plants like other celery and plant on the 

 level, not in trenches; it does not require 

 earthing up. 



