152 QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 



petuated, other inferior subtypes will be offered under most extolled de- 

 scriptions never to be heard of again. The best opportunities for hybrid- 

 izing are in the union of domestic plants with others of like nature from 

 remote sections of the world, resulting in most striking development, and 

 generally most healthful constitutional qualities. 

 Transplant- ^^^' Q" ^ l^^^e some evergreen trees to transplant. When can I do it 

 ing Trees. best ? 



A. Trees holding their leaves all Winter, hence termed evergreens, are 

 best planted in August and September ; the earth then beneath the sur- 

 face may be likened to a hotbed, so charged is it with heat, while the 

 Autumn rains moisten the surface and stimulate root growth. Plants 

 under these circumstances rapidly develop fibres which soon are able to 

 compensate, by the moisture which they take up, for the evaporation by 

 the leaves. The planting of such trees deferred till Spring often results 

 in failure, as the evaporation is then greater, and to an increasing extent 

 as the Spring develops, while the soil is cold and root formation slow. 

 Testing Seeds ^^^- Q- -^^ ^ ^ ^^^t ^^^ your seeds for quality ? 



A. The Bloomsdale and Reedland testing grounds comprise various 

 plots of over nine acres of land. One acre is devoted to vegetables grown 

 from small seeds, as radish, lettuce, beet, carrot, onion ; all sown in rows 

 across the breadth of parallel beds eight feet wide with three feet alleys 

 between. On these beds are many hundreds of tests. 



Another acre is devoted to trials of peas and beans all drilled in par- 

 allel rows, twenty feet of each variety, and all in the order of maturity as 

 near as it can be arrived at. These peas and beans are thinned to three 

 inches apart to permit perfect development, that the character may be in- 

 dicated. Half an acre is devoted to sugar corn, planted in hills four by 

 four feet, and in parallel rows. These tests are also arranged in order of 

 maturity ; the first early sorts many of them less than three feet high, the 

 late varieties eight and nine feet high. An acre is devoted to watermelons 

 and cantaloupes, the testing and judging of which requires much experi- 

 ence. One-half acre is devoted to squash. One-half acre to cucumber. 

 One-half acre is devoted to cabbage. One-half acre to turnips. Two 

 acres devoted to tomatoes. This last being of very particular interest, 

 comprising many hybrids or crosses of approved varieties, the best quali- 

 ties of several being united in one. 



The test of insecticides being particularly interesting, more interesting 

 than instructive because of the conflicting results consequent upon condi- 

 tions of rainfall and heat after the application of the poisons. 



The test of ornamental flowers of annual and biennial form embellish- 

 ing the whole with colors of dazzling beauty. The trial of grasses, all 

 very practical ; one bed of thirty different sorts in blocks of ten by ten 

 feet, having stood for five years, clearly indicating the relative periods of 

 desirability of each sort. 



The seeds on trial in these experimental grounds comprise all the so- 

 called novelties or varieties ofiered in the catalogues of the many seed 



Trial 

 Grounds. 



