222 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



September, 1913 



do best in glasses as they produce a 

 much finer spike. Place the bulb in the 

 glass which should be filled with water 

 so that it touches the bottom of the 

 bulb. Put away in a cool place or on a 

 shelf in a dark part of the cellar for 

 six or seven weeks, changing the water 

 every two weeks. 



At the end of that time remove them 

 lo the light in a cool room with an even 

 temperature. They will produce spikes 

 of bloom that will keep fresh for a sur- 

 prising length of time. A piece of char- 

 coal placed in the water absorbs any ob- 

 noxious gases that may arise and helps 

 to keep the water sweet. 



Preparing and Packing Vegetables for Market 



By P. D. Powe, 



WE Canadians are just ten years be- 

 hind the times in regard to the 

 marketing of our goods. Very 

 few firms in Ontario use the up-to-the- 

 minute methods employed in the United 

 States and European countries. Having 

 made a careful study of their methods, 

 I will describe those that will have the 

 most effect, and bear more directly on 

 our conditions. 



I would advise the reader somewhat 

 as did the French cook, "You will first 

 procure your rabbit before cooking it." 

 I would say grow your vegetables in 

 such a manner as to produce the best on 

 the market. Not only are such vege- 

 tables far more saleable, but the quanti- 

 ty will appear larger if carefully sorted 

 and packed, thereby increasing the re- 

 turns. 



All root vegetables should be sorted, 

 washed, topf)ed and tied in neat bunches. 

 Be very careful in grading, discarding 

 all small mishapen ones (these we sell 

 to cheap boarding houses.) Washing 

 must be carefully done or the effect is 

 spoilt. This may be done thoroughly 

 with a spray having a good pressure. 

 Potatoes look far better washed, though 

 they will not keep long. 



CAREFUL GRADING NECESSARY 



All other roots should be washed and 

 sorted both summer and winter, and 

 carefully graded to size. Cabbage should 

 be graded and all yellow and insect eaten 

 leaves cut away. Never pick beans when 

 the dew or wet is on them, or they will 

 rust and be spoilt for sale. They sell 

 best packed in boxes or baskets. 



I know one dealer who keeps twenty 

 boys employed sorting the fruit and 

 vegetables he buys. In talking to him 

 he said he made from fifty to one hun- 

 dred per cent, profit by this work, ow- 

 ing to poor packing on the part of the 

 grower. Why should you not make this 

 profit yourself? 



If you would have success these days 

 you must advertise. Every box, basket 

 and bag should bear your name and 

 slogan printed in plain type so that he 

 who runs may read. Your business will 

 soon show the effect of such a course. . 



THE HOME HAMPER 



The home hamper is truly a Yankee 

 dodge and one that does credit to the 

 originators. To those who have hot fol- 

 lowed the idea, the following may be of 

 interest : 



Cainsville Ont. 



Procure to start with, a fiundred or 

 so card board boxes, such as florists use 

 for large designs. These are cheap and 

 neat in appearance and will do until you 

 get well started. You will then want 

 some neat, light, wooden boxes, such as 

 drapers use. Your name will be printed 

 on the same and be a good advertise- 

 ment. Use plain lettering, as it looks 

 neater for this work. 



The prices obtained vary from one to 

 three dollars each. The vegetables are 

 picked in the cool of morning, so that 

 they are fresh. The hampers are in de- 

 mand by all the select trade in every 

 large town or city. In the early season, 

 of course, the variety is limited, but as 

 the season progresses we supply as large 

 a variety as possible. In buying the 

 hampers the housewife obtains a selec- 

 tion of all the seasonable vegetables 

 without the trouble of going to market. 

 At the same time she gets the best and 

 earliest vegetables that are growing. The 

 size of the hamper depends of course 

 upon the family of the patron. As the 

 price goes up with the size, one has no 

 kick coming. 



PILLING THE HAMPER 



The filling of the hampers is one of 

 the chief matters of importance. Put in 

 two to three bunches of asparagus, beans 

 of various kinds (sown at intervals of 

 ten days to extend the season), beets 

 (planted every three weeks) made into 

 bunches of from six to eight, Brussels 

 sprouts, a strawberry box full, to a ham- 

 per, cabbage, all varieties, cauliflower, 

 spring, summer and fall planted, (leave 

 the leaves one inch above the head and 

 pack so as to avoid bruising as they are 

 easily discolored). Carrots are both or- 

 namental and useful. Celery is indis- 

 pensable. Sweet corn is a favorite with 

 all. A bunch of herbs of all kinds finds 

 favor with the cook. Parsley is highly 

 prized, as are also early potatoes as soon 

 as they are the size of a large marble. 

 Tomatoes, when smooth, nicely colored 

 and without blemish, find favor the year 

 round. They may be had from the gar- 

 den from July to December if one un- 

 derstands growing them. Last year our 

 out door grown tomatoes lasted until 

 Christmas. Each hamper contains ber- 

 ries of all kinds in season (from one to 

 two boxes), and a bunch of flowers once 

 a week. We also supply a quart or two 

 of cherries, plums, peaches, pears, or 



early apples, while in our best hampers 

 we place a two quart basket lined with 

 fancy paper and containing a couple of 

 rosy apples, two jieaches, two pears, a 

 couple of bunches of grapes or some 

 other choice fruit. 



One thing about the hamper is the 

 show it makes. I know of nothing that 

 will give a better apfiearance and do it 

 cheaper than a few rolls of different col- 

 ored crepe paper. 



Methods of Blanching Celery 



Can you (five me some up-to-date infor- 

 inntion on the blanching- of celery? I have 

 tried blanching- with earth, but this method 

 caused the leaves to rust. I have been ad- 

 vised to draw the stalks of single plants 

 tog-pther with strings and then wrap with 

 brown paper. If there is any better meth- 

 od would you advise me of the same ? I 

 have only seventy plants, and could there- 

 fore follow a method that might be un- 

 profitable on a large scale. — H. H. W. 



The methods employed in blanching 

 celery depend largely on whether the 

 variety grown matures early or late. In 

 blanching early varieties the use of soil 

 is apt to rust the plants. This is pro- 

 bably the reason for the trouble that you 

 have experienced. 



When grown on a large scale the 

 blanching of early varieties is accom- 

 plished by the use of boards. For your 

 purpose the method that you speak of 

 (tying paper around the stems) would 

 be just as convenient, as the plants need 

 to be grown in long rows to make the 

 use of boards advantageous. 



The best method for blanching celery 

 on a small scale is by the use of ordi- 

 nary unglazed drain tile of about four 

 inches inside diameter. The stalks are 

 first loosely tied together with light 

 twine and a few of the outside leaves re- 

 moved. The tile is then slipped down 

 over the plant. The leaves spread out 

 over the top of the tile and exclude the 

 light. When not in use the tile can be 

 stored away and thus be used from year 

 to year. 



For the blanching of late varieties .the 

 soil method is usually conceded to give 

 the best flavor. Good late varieties will 

 not rust when banked with soil. Care 

 should be taken to prevent soil from 

 getting into the heart of the plant as it 

 causes decay. 



When celery is to be stored over win- 

 ter it will keep better if not blanched 

 too much. It can be safely stored in a 

 cool cellar if some of the roots are left . 

 on the plants and covered with moist ■ 

 sand. 



In digging the crop in the autumn, it 

 .is an excellent plan to save the potatoes 

 from the very best hills to be used for 

 planting in the following season. — Prof 

 C. A, Zavitz, O.A.C., Gueloh, Ont. 



