48 



CANADIAN FARM YEAR BOOK. 



are moro abundant than by any or- 

 dinary method af cultivation. The 

 way to proceed is as follows: — A 

 trench two feet wide and one foot 

 deep should be thrown out half way 

 across the piece of ground to be work- 

 ed. Take up the bottom soil a furth- 

 er 12 inches deep, and the 12 inches 

 of the next 2 feet trenching must l-e 

 thrown on that, breaking up the bot- 

 tom soil also. Treat the entire piece 

 In this way and when it has been thus 

 manipulated the bo^ttom may be 

 broiught to the top. The whole plot is 

 then fertile. 



Thinning. — This term is applied to 

 an act the purport of which is to re- 

 duce the number of flowers or fruits 

 on a plant or tree to throw greater 

 size into those remaining. The huge 

 cihrysamthemums, for instance, that 

 are seen in our gardens, are obtained 

 by reducing the buds to. one on each 

 stem or stalk. With regard to fruit 

 trees it signifies the removal of both 

 large and small branches with a saw 

 to reduce crowded growths or those 

 which cross each other. Always cut 

 close to the main stem, make the sur- 

 face of the wound smooth, then 

 smear over with tar. Thinning out of 

 vegetables invariably takes place to 

 give each seedling proper space for 

 its full development. 



Stocks. — ^The name of a flower and 

 also of a hard stem and root which is 

 the means ol increasing roses, fruit 

 trees, and such like. The stock has 

 an influence on the flower itself, or on 

 the fruit of the tree. It is simply a 

 means whereby the various kinds can 

 be rapidly increased. 



Spawning. — This word is generally 

 used in connection with the cultiva- 

 tion of mushrooms. The spawn is 

 obtainable in the form o.f a dry cake 

 of soil and manure which con-tains 

 the mycelium or thread-like roots, 

 which give rise to the delicious pro- 

 duct that is so well known. 



A Rock Garden. — This is a portion 

 of garden set apart for the flowers 

 that delight in the surrounding of 

 stone and rock, such as those from 

 the mountains of the world. Gen- 

 tians, edelweiss, and a host of other 

 plants, may be grown in this section 

 of the home surroundings. At least 

 18 inches of soil should be taken out 

 so as to provide ample drainage, any- 

 thing approaching stagnation being 



fatal to success. Plants, sueh as our 

 lady slipper or orchid (Cypripedium 

 spectabile), require a soil that may 

 be described as "boggy," a word 

 which needs no explanation. A rock 

 garden should not be made on the 

 level, but where all inequalities have 

 to be formed imitate Nature as far as 

 possible should be the keynote. 



Growing Early Vegetable Plants. 



Success in market gardening de- 

 pends largely upon reaching the mar- 

 ket early when prices are good and 

 produce finds ready sale. To accom- 

 plish this it Is necessary to grow 

 strong, thrifty plants which have been 

 hardened and ready for the field the 

 first day weather and soil conditions, 

 are favorable for transplanting. 



Work usually begins in the fall. 

 Soime growers, however, prepare the 

 soil during the spring and summer by 

 first making an application of manure 

 in the spring and then plowing the 

 plot several times during the course 

 of the season. Additional manure 

 may be added at the second plowing if 

 vegetable matter is wanting. Other 

 growers go to the trouble to. stacking 

 manure and thick sods in alternate 

 layers of eight or ten inches a year in 

 advance of the time when the soil 

 will be needed. W'hen quite well de- 

 cayed the pile may be turned several 

 times at intervals of ten days or two 

 weeks. The first plan is more eco- 

 nomical and just as satisfactory. 

 Other growers prefer to select any 

 good garden soil and add rotten man- 

 ure as may be required. 



Preparation of Soil. 



In the selection of soil, it is im- 

 portant to consider several factors: 

 (1) It should be free from fungus 

 diseases, as club root and- other mala- 

 dies that might cause trouble. Fields 

 which have been producing any of 

 the crops to be started under glass 

 should be avoided in the selection of 

 soil. (2) Stones, sticks, and other 

 rubbish should be screened out. (3) 

 Soils containing a great many weed 

 speeds should not be used. (4) A con- 

 siderable quantity of sand is always 

 desirable. If the soil does not con- 

 tain this naturally, it can often be 

 procured at small cost and added as 

 may seem desirable. Sand is espe- 

 cially valuable in starting tender 

 seedlings. The addition of plenty of 

 rotten manure to any good farm soil 



