May, 1914 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



131 



Iriih Cobbler Potatoes, Grown 



These pot-atoea show the results of three years 



Seed' Growers' 



The formula calls for eighfe per cent, 

 of phosphoric arid, or cig^ht times twen- 

 ty or one himdred and sixty pounds for a 

 ton. Dividing: one hundred and sixty 

 I by fourteen, the per cent, of available 

 fphosphoric acid in the phosphate used, 

 [we find that 1,143 pounds of phosphate 

 [are needed. Two hundred pounds of 

 potash are required. Muriate of potash 

 contains fifty per cent, of actual potash, 

 so it will take four hundred pounds of 

 muriate of potash to supply this. These 

 amounts make a total of a ton and forty- 

 three pounds. 



If a low-grade fertilizer were wanted 

 s'lialler amoinits of these ingredients 

 should be used, and the amount made up 

 to a ton by means of a filler such as 

 sand, land plaster or the like. The col- 

 or of the resulting mass, and the volume 

 of a hundred pounds of the same, de- 



by W, E. Turner, Duval, Saik. 



of selection under the rules of the Canadian 

 Association'. 



pends upon the character of the filler 

 used. It is seldom profitable to buy or 

 use low-grade fertilizers. 



Try the following formulae this year: 

 POTATOES— 



Nitrate of Soda 100 lbs. 



Dried Blood 200 lbs. 



Superphosphates i ,200 lbs. 



Muriate of Potash 500 lbs. 



Apply at the rate of 2,000 per acre. 

 SWEET CORN— 



Nitrate of Soda 100 lbs. 



Dried Blood 200 lbs. 



Superphosphate 1,300 lbs. 



Muriate of Potash 400 lbs. 



Apply at the rate of two thousand 

 lbs. an acre. These amounts are to be 

 used when nO' stable manure is used. If 

 used in conjunction with stable manure 

 a much less quantity should be used. 



Early Potatoes 



James Anthony, Agincourt, Ont. 



The best soil for early potatoes is a 

 rich, sandy loam, with a porous subsoil. 

 The best crop to precede the potatoes is 

 clover. As soon as the clover is remov- 

 ed the sod is covered with a thick car- 

 pet of manure. This is left to leach into 

 the soil, with the result that the early 

 fall finds the field- covered with a long 

 and thick after-crop of clover. The field is 

 plowed in the early fall, about six inches 

 deep. In the spring it is disked and re- 

 plowed and the soil thoroughly worked 

 up in order that it may be deep and 

 mellow. It can be readily seen that it 

 is crammed full of humus. 



The Early Eurekas give the best of 

 satisfaction. About the middle of March 

 the seed is put, one row deep, into crates. 

 As far as possible the potatoes are stood 



seed end up in the crates. The crates 

 are placed in a fairly warm room in order 

 that they may be well sprouted by plant- 

 ing time. 



As soon as the danger of frost is be- 

 lieved to be over the potatoes are taken 

 to the field and planted. A potato planter 

 with a fertilizer attachment is used for 

 making the marks for the seed and for 

 depositing a fertilizer rich in potash in 

 the mark for the potatoes. The potash 

 is applied at the rate of about three hun- 

 dred pounds an acre. The potatoes are 

 then placed in the marks by hand, about 

 twelve or fourteen inches apart, and cov- 

 ered lightly by hand. The smaller sized 

 and the medium sized seed is planted 

 whole in order that a period of slow 

 growth may be the more successfully 



resisted. The planting and covering are 

 done by hand in order that the sprouts 

 may not be broken off. It is best to 

 plant the seed quite deep and to cover 

 lightly. The shallow covering encour- 

 ages quick growth, as the sun's heat is 

 readily admitted to the seed, and, should 

 a frost threaten, the sprouts above 

 ground may be quickly covered either by 

 the hoe or by a light furrow turned over 

 them. 



This may look like a good deal of 

 trouble, but it must be remembered that 

 the early potatoes bring the largest pro- 

 fits. A week at the beginning of the sea- 

 son may mean more in profits than a 

 month later on. 



Sowing Vegetable Seeds 



Mrs. Dell Grattao, Port Arthur, Ont. 



Beans grow well and yield abundantly. 

 But beware of the June frost. Dwarf 

 Black Wax is one of the best sort. I 

 have never known this variety to rust or 

 mildew. Beets should be sown as early 

 as the ground can be worked, in light, 

 well manured soil. Early Egyptian or 

 Eclipse will not disappoint you. Plant 

 in rows twelve inches apart and cover 

 the seed to the depth of three-quarters of 

 an inch. 



Parsley grows freely, and the house- 

 wife will find many uses for it. Peas 

 grow abundantly almost anywhere. 



Turnips are grown mostly in the field, 

 but sow some in the garden also. Gold- 

 en Ball is a fine table turnip but is in- 

 clined to become "punky" towards fall. 

 Purple Top Swede is a fine turnip for 

 winter use. 



May Vegetable Notes 



Rhubarb and asparagus are two per- 

 ennial vegetables that are early on the 

 market and are easy to raise. Rhubarb 

 should be set in autumn. Strong one- 

 year-old plants of asparagus may be set 

 as late as the middle of June. Prepare 

 the land well and set at least six inches 

 deep, covering but two inches deep at 

 first, gradually filling the trench as the 

 plants grow. — LeRoy Cady, Horticultur- 

 ist, University Farm, St. Paul. 



Make a liberal planting of Golden Ban- 

 tam sweet corn. Stowell's Evergreen 

 may be planted at the same time for late 

 corn. 



Do not set out tomatoes, cannas, 

 coleus, or other tender plants until the 

 end of May, as there is always danger 

 of frost or cold weather until that time. 



Keep the cultivator going in the gar- 

 den. It is easier to get rid of the weeds 

 when they are small than when they are 

 well established. 



The main crop of potatoes should go 

 into the ground now. Treat all seed 

 with formalin or corrosive sublimate, for 

 scab, and plant on land that has not been 



