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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



April, 1907 



which means a great deal of extra work, 

 and work that needs the closest atten- 

 tion. If they are neglected at certain 

 critical times, much labor and plants 

 are lost. 



The most critical period in raising 

 melon plants in a hotbed is at the 

 time of germination, and just after 

 they have made their appearance. The 

 iiest temperature for growing melons 

 at this particular time is from 75 to 

 80 degrees; in fact, this temperature 

 is the best for them at any time. After 

 being planted in the open, however, 

 they have to stand sometimes a tem- 

 perature not much above freezing. 

 Hence, it is well to get them used to as 

 low a temperature as possible a week 

 or so before moving them into the 

 -open field. This will make them hardy 

 and strong. 



In starting the melon in the hotbed, 

 it has to be done so that when it is 

 moved into the open, the roots will 

 not be disturbed. Melon plants will 

 not "transplant," in the true sense 

 -of the word. It is necessary to plant 

 them either in pieces of sod or in pots. 

 These can be moved to the field with- 

 out interfering with the roots. 



Some growers use pots instead of 

 sod, claiming that the plant takes 

 root quicker in pots because the sod 

 is full of grass fibres. I have tried 

 both, and have not noticed any differ- 

 •ence in this respect. For other reas- 

 ons, I prefer the use of sods. There 

 are distinct advantages in using sod. 

 Pots have to be filled with the choicest 

 of soil, and this has to be found every 

 time you plant; they cannot be handled 

 so easily as the sod when drawing out 

 to the field, and they have to be cared 

 for and stored from one year to the 

 other. With the sod, you simply have 

 to cut, place closely in the frame and 

 plant. When drawing to the field 



have them well soaked with water. 

 Make your hole deep enough so that 

 the sod will be two inches below the 

 level. 



Where the land is in good condition, 

 watermelons should be planted at 

 least seven feet apart each way, as 

 although a large fruit, it grows a long, 

 slender vine with small foliage. Musk- 

 melons can be planted much closer. 

 Five feet each way is the usual dis- 

 tance. Three plants in a hill are plenty. 



Both kinds are prolific. An acre of 

 muskmelons is capable of producing 

 800 dozen, and watermelons from 400 

 to 500 dozen, weighing possibly some 

 50 tons. These figures estimate an 

 excellent crop and a possible one. 



Celery a Profitable Crop* 



J. Friendship, Kingston, Ontario 



Celery is one of the most profitable 

 crops that the market gardener grows, 

 providing he has land suitable for 

 its culture. It can be grown on al- 

 most any good soil, but on some the 

 crop will not pay for the labor. The 

 soil I prefer is one that is always 

 mellow and does not. get too wet or too 

 dry. Such land is found in a hollow 

 where in former years may have been a 

 small lake whose bed is now covered with 

 rich humus, 12 to 20 inches deep, with a 

 blue clay bottom. Such soil will retain 

 moisture and, if properly drained, seldom 

 gets too wet. On such soil celery can be 

 grown at one-quarter the cost of that 

 grown on stiff or harsh soil. On proper 

 soil the work from start to finish is easih' 

 done. Where such soil is not available, 

 the land must be made as near it as 

 possible by plowing and the working in 

 of several dressings of good, rich, well- 

 rotted stable manure. The harsher 

 the soil, the more humus is required to 

 make it mellow. When the soil is in 



this condition, it should be well ridged in 

 the fall so that no surface water can 

 remain. In the spring, it should not be 

 worked until dry. It then should be 

 well worked and kept mellow until plant- 

 ed. It is a hard job to set out from 

 25,000 to 50,000 celery in stiff, dry soil. 



GROWING THE PLANTS 



In growing the plants the best soil that 

 can be secured is necessary. Celery seed 

 is slow to germinate and should be kept 

 shaded until it appears above ground. 

 Cover the seed very lightly and keep 

 the soil moist, but not wet. The plants 

 are hardy, but grow slowly. Weeds 

 grow much quicker and should be re- 

 moved as soon as seen. As soon as the 

 plants form the second leaf they can be 

 set in another bed, if you prefer trans- 

 planted plants. If not, they should be 

 thinned out so as to get strong, rooty 

 plants. The majority of gardeners do 

 not use transplanted plants. They pre- 

 fer setting direct from the seed bed, 

 unless they intend growing celery for 

 summer use. For that purpose, the 

 seed should be sown in March in a well- 

 prepared hotbed and, when large enough, 

 removed to, another bed, setting them 

 three inches by two inches, so as to form 

 good plants. 



There is great danger of celery plants 

 running to seed if they receive a severe 

 check in growth. Great care is required 

 in the setting and growing. I have seen 

 nearly the whole setting of early celery 

 lost by it running to seed. Late sowing 

 should be done about the first of May 

 or later. Late sown seed needs the 

 same care as early. The soil requires 

 to be kept moist. It dries out much 

 quicker in May than in April. 



♦Extract from the first prize essay on Celery 

 Ciiltuie, in the competition conducted by the 

 Ontario Vegetable Growers' Association. 



The Old Way The New Way 



Near cities, where market gardeners apply large quantities of manure to iheirland, the use of manure spreaders is becoming more general. Near Toronto, Mr. Joseph Rush, of 

 Humber Bay. who uses one of these machines, writes us that with it he spreads 12 tons of manure to the acre. The machine is handled easily by two horses When loaded 

 evenly, from front to back, it spreads long, green manure as well as any other kind, Mr. Rush applies his manure at the rate of 50 loads an acre, and reports that he con- 

 siders the manure spreader one of the best labor-saving devices on his place 



