52 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Floral Edition 



1 



suit requirements. Again, the function 

 or place of a commercial fertilizer is to 

 act as a supplement to, rather than as 

 a substitute for, barnyard manure. It 

 should be applied in the minimum 

 amount to obtain the maximum profit 

 from the resulting crop. This does not 

 necessarily mean the maximum crop as 

 not infrequently a small increase in 

 yields obtained by a heavier applica- 

 tion of fertilizer is unprofitable. 



Again, the source of the fertilizing 

 elements contained in commercial fer- 

 tilizer is important as indicating their 

 availability and suitability. Many 

 commercial fertilizers sold contain rea- 

 sonable amounts of the three named 

 fertilizer ingredients, but these in- 

 gredients become available to crops so 

 slowly that they are of little value in 

 stimulating growth at the time they are 

 most needed. 



The importance of using high-grade 

 fertilizer rather than a low-grade one 

 must also be borne in mind. Although 

 the former may be more expensive per 

 ton, the gardener will find that almost 

 always in securing the high-grade 

 product, he is buying his fertilizer 

 units more cheaply. 



If, after careful study, the gardener 

 is sure that a ready-mixed fertilizer is 

 satisfactory for his soil conditions and 

 crops, the purchase of such is to be 

 recommended. Otherwise it will pay 

 him to buy the various ingredients and 

 mix them according to his soil and crop 

 requirements. In fact, unless one has 

 had experience in applying the indi- 

 vidual ingredients rather than com- 

 pounded fertilizers, it is almost impos- 

 sible for one to ascertain and under- 

 stand the requirements of his soil. 



Nitrogen is the most important, in 

 fact, the controlling factor, in soil pro- 

 duction. An adequate supply of nitro- 

 gen in the form of nitrates is impera- 

 tive to the plant if it is to use to the 

 best advantage the other fertilizing ele- 

 ments, namely, phosphoric acid and 

 potash.' Moreover, growth in the early 

 part of the season for all garden crops, 

 and especially for early crops depends 

 upon the supply of immediately avail- 

 able nitrates- in the soil. Nitrogen is 

 best supplied by application of barn- 

 yard manure or in commercial ferti- 

 lizer in the form of nitrate of soda. The 

 factors regulating nitrification in the 

 soil are bacteriological activity, 

 warmth and moisture in proper propor- 

 tions. 



On this subject there is a large 

 amount of information available to 

 readers in the results published from 

 years of work on the Dominion Experi- 

 mental Farms. We have indicated the 

 importance of a supply of nitrates in 

 the soil and would, in this connection, 

 emphasize equally the danger of losses 



through leaching and loss of nitrates, 

 unless the soil is properly worked and 

 cropped. 



HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETIES 



London 



The membership for 1922 is now 700 

 and when this issue is out will be 800. 

 Many of our membership committee in 

 canvassing have secured every one on 

 whole blocks. Why not get every one 

 on every block 1 They all love flowers, 

 and if they can't grow them them- 

 selves, they can join the horticultural 

 society and help boost "horticultur- 

 ism" (that's my word) in London, and 

 so make a more beautiful city. 



We will get 4,000 members this year 

 if every one works. Yes, 8,000 if that 

 latter condition be fulfilled. Why not 

 enlist all the doctors, lawyers, minis- 

 ters and school teachers? I should have 

 mentioned the latter first. A mihister 

 told us recently that school teachers 

 are the greatest nation builders. By 

 the way, I am one of them myself, and 

 have no apologies to offer. More power 

 to the school teachers, we want them 

 all to be horticulturists; also the chil- 

 dren, the working man and the work- 

 ing woman, working in God's good air, 

 in His native soil and producing His 

 flowers. 



To the members of 1921 1 want to say 

 this. If your fees are not paid for this 

 year, why are they not 1 No one is con- 

 sidered k member of the society unless 

 the fees are paid for the current year. 

 Will you kindly see to this matter 

 NOW before you forget it. 



Our premium committee have decid- 

 ed thai the spring premium will be six 

 Peace Gladioli (Groff) and six Flora. 

 For quality this is the best we have yet 

 given for spring. Peace is considered 

 one of Groff 's masterpieces. Flora is 

 the best yellow I saw at the American 

 Gladioli show at St. Thomas last Aug- 

 ust. Our members will get six of these, 

 a flower better than the $2.00 Golden 

 Measure (my opinion, please). 1921 

 members whose dues are not paid had 

 better do so at once, if they want to get 

 this choice premium. 



E. Wyatt, Secretary. 



ance on hand. 2.50 loads of black soil 

 ' were secured by the society and given 

 to citizens during the year for gardens 

 and boulevards. Flower seeds were 

 distributed among the school children 

 and the Victoria Nurse distributed 100 

 more in the homes she visited, with 

 splendid results. For the first time the 

 society received $250 in donations. 

 Plans for improving the old Union 

 Cemetery have been completed and the 

 work should soon be under way. 



Among other suggestions made was. 

 that the Parks Board should approach 

 the Dominion Department of Agricul- 

 ture with a view to securing an experi- 

 mental station plot in the Dundas 

 Park. It was also suggested that beds 

 of iris and perennials and a lily pond 

 should also be placed in the park. 



The ofiicers of the 1st Battalion 

 asked for the co-operation of the so- 

 ciety in approaching the Militia De- 

 partment to carry out plans for having 

 •a park made out of the Armory 

 grounds. 



Other suggestions were: the trim- 

 ming -of the town trees, planning of a 

 swimming pool, a park at the top of 

 the mountain, signs at the town en- 

 trances and the widening of the road 

 on the Hamilton hill. 



Dundas 



A very interesting annual meeting of 

 the society was recently held, leading 

 features being the number of promi- 

 nent citizens present and the general 

 enthusiasm shown for co-operation in 

 making the town thoroughly up to 

 date. Secretary Kyle reported a mem- 

 bership of nearly 300 and a cash bal- 



The Gladiolus 



(Continued from page 50.) 

 planting. In fact, a Peace takes the 

 whole season to bloom and the bulb to 

 mature after blooming. 



Some of the newer varieties that are 

 fast becoming standards are: Kund- 

 erdi "Glory, EveljTi Kirtland, Herada, 

 Crimson Glow, and Pride of Goshen. I 



If planting different varieties of full- ' 

 sized bulbs, for home purposes only, 

 . I would recommend putting in the 

 ground any time from the tenth to the 

 twentieth of May. 



The primulinus is a type of gladioli 

 obtained by crossing the gladiolus pro- 

 per on the fine and slender yellow 

 primulinus species. The result is a 

 smaller and more dainty flower of 

 delicate shading, with a fine, straight 

 and wiry stem, and blooms usually ar- 

 ranged alternately with a short space 

 apart. Any person growing gladioli 

 should try a few bulbs of the newer 

 primulinus varieties. 



The following is "igiven as a general 

 rule of guidance for planting potatoes 

 in Canada for highest yields. Where 

 the spring is early an^ autumn frosts 

 early, plant early ; where the spring is 

 early and summers are dry, plajit 

 early; where the spring is late and 

 autumn frosts late, early planting is 

 not so important; where the spring is 

 late and autumn irosts are early, plant 

 as soon as soil is dry enough. — W. T. 

 Macoun (Dominion Horticulturist). 



