GARDEN VEGETABLES. 



Considered hy the Society, January 24th, A. D. 1878. 



The subject was introduced by Mr. Sylvanus Sears, whose essay, with 

 the following discussion, are thus carefully condensed. 



SYLVANUS SEARS. 



He alluded to the intelligence, skill and experience requisite to the suc- 

 cessful culture of Vegetables as important, and their absence he thought 

 explained many failures. The question of manures and their application, 

 the selection of seeds, and the process of cultivation, all are essential, 

 and no rule governing these can be given, for soils vary, different plants 

 need varying manures and varying cultivation, and what will yield good 

 results in one place will be a disappointment in another. 



He took strong ground in favor of small farms well tilled, urging that 

 in many cases the effort spent upon ten acres, at a loss, would pay a 

 profit if expended on five acres. 



He advocated high manuring, and urged that thirty-two horse loads to 

 an acre is not high manuring ; sixty would do better. One Worcester 

 farmer applied eighty cords to an acre, and found that it paid. Thoroug'^ 

 cultivation was his next topic, and his idea was that careful preparation 

 of the soil for a seed-bed, frequent stirring of the soil about the plants, 

 and absolutely clean culture are all included under this head. 



A good market is essential. Over production is dangerous, and it often 

 results not so much from too many growers, but from a favorable season, 

 giving an unexpectedly full crop of certain vegetables. The remedy 

 suggested was the planting of a wide variety, thus securing a fair average 

 result. 



The enemies of the vegetable growers were discussed. After alluding 

 briefly to the cabbage pests, he spoke at length of the Colorado beetle, 

 the great enemy of the potato, and said he applied a solution of Paris 

 green, one pound to the acre, and drove off the first crop ; a second ap- 

 plication three weeks afterwards completed the work, and his harvest of 

 potatoes was quite up to the average. The solution was applied with a 

 watering pot. In answer to a question he stated an experiment where 

 500 pounds of Paris green were applied to the acre, and chemical analysis 

 failed to show its presence either in the soil, the tubers, or the stalks and 

 leaves. He did not think there was any danger in its ordinary moderate 

 use. 



