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32 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



Sepxbubgr 17, 1908. 



Vegetable Forcing. 



FORCING TOMATOES. 



In the Beview for September 3 and 

 10 there appeared Prof. W. S. Blair's 

 account of the experiments in forcing 

 tomatoes at Macdonald College, Quebec, 

 with a description of the methods em- 

 ployed in starting the plants and plant- 

 ing the two houses employed, also a 

 table showing the yield, both in weight 

 of fruit and in money value. 



Average Yield From Different Rows. 



The plants in house No. 1 occupied 

 the central part of the house, and were 

 on a raised bench. In house No. 2 a 

 raised bench taking three rows of plants 

 extended along the south, west and north 

 sides. The south side bench is next to 

 a glass partition; the west and north 

 benches extend along the outer wall. 

 The bench in the central part of the 

 house is wide enough to take in seven 

 rows of plants. The sides are solid and 

 only ten inches high. This bench is sup- 

 plied with good drainage material at 

 the bottom. The same depth of soil was 

 used in this as in the other benches used. 



The following table gives the average 

 yield of fruit per plant from rows lo- 

 cated at different positions in this 

 house : 



Average 



yield per 



plant. 



Bench. Location Ore. 



South — Row 1. Next to glass partition... 55% 



South — Row 2. Center row 71 



South— Row 3. Next to walk 89 



West — Row 4. Next to outer wall 71% 



West — Row 5. Center row 83% 



West— Row 6. Next to wallt 100% 



Nortli — Row 7. Next to outer wall 49^5 



North — Row 8. Center row 85 



North— Row 9. Next to walk 97% 



Center — Row 10. Next to south walk 101% 



Center — Row 11. Second row to south walk 88% 

 Center — Row 12. Third row to south walk. 87 



Center — Row 13. Central row 90 



Center — Row 14. Third row to north walk. 78 

 Center — Row 15. Second row to north walk 90% 

 Center — Row 16. Next to north walk 98% 



The raised benches in this house gate 

 an average yield per plant of seventy- 

 eight ounces and the center bench an 

 average of ninety ounces per plant. 

 These two benches came into fruiting 

 about the same time, and the quantity 

 of fruit picked to July 1 averaged ap- 

 proximately the same per plant on the 

 ground bench as on the raised bench, but 

 the plants continued fruiting longer on 

 the center bench, due, no doubt, to hav- 

 ing more head room than those on the 

 side benches. 



Metliod of Handling. 



The variety Frogmore was selected 

 for use in these experiments. As al- 

 ready stated, the benches contained six 

 inches of soil. There is some little diffi- 

 culty in transplanting from a 6-inch 

 pot to this depth of soil and we think 

 that a 6-inch pan would suit the plant 

 as well, and be better for transplanting 

 on account of being shallower. 



The plants were trained to a single 

 stem, and supported with No. 10 wire 

 stuck into the soil at one end and fast- 

 ened to wires running over the benches. 

 These supports were five and one-half 

 feet long. To these the plants were tied, 

 whenever it was necessary, with raffia. 

 Strong, coarse wool twine makes a good 

 support. This twine is tied to a wire 

 running across the bench below, and to 

 a similar wire above. The plants are 

 tied to this the same as where wire is 

 used. 



A BED OF MUSHROOMS 



Raised from our Spawn, will bear loneer and yield better than from any other variety of 

 Spawn. This ie proven by facts. Full parnculars and information how to succeed in tnusbroom 

 raisinR free. We warrant you, if using our method of growing mushrooms, that all will go well. 



KIRKEBY&6UN0ESIRUP SEED CO., 4273 Milwaukee AH.,ClllcagO 



MUSHROOM 8PKCIAI.I8TS 



Mention The Review when you write. 



USE ANGLO-AMERICAN MUSHROOM SPAWN 



Made direct from spores of selected specimenB; nature's way of producing spawn. This 

 spawn is made by an expert and will be used exclusively this season by the largest grower of 

 mushrooms in the United States. It will please you if you want the best. 



FREE SAMPLE BRICK TO GROWERS AND DEALERS 



ANGLO-AMERICAN SPAWN CO .KENNETT SQUARE, PA. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Vegetable Plants 



CABBAGE 



Wakefield and Succession, 25o per 100, 

 tl.OO per 1000. 



LETTUCE 



Bostoti Mfurket, Tennis Ball and Grand 

 Rapids, 88o per 100; $1.00 per 1000. 



R.YINCENT.Jr.&S0liSC0.,'^'"**.5r"'" 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Vegetable Grower 



Wishes a position on first-class place; under- 

 stands the business thoroughly under glass and 

 outdoors: also understands the flower business 

 thoroughly; can take full charge; full particulars 

 will be given by letter. Address 



No. 141. care Florists' Review, Chfcago. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



The plants were trained to a single 

 stem by pinching off all- but the upper 

 or primary shoot. In pinching off the 

 side branches or suckers it is necessary 

 to go over the plant every few days, for 

 they make rapid growth and, unless re- 

 moved when small, they take consider- 

 able strength from the plant. When 

 the plants in the pots are getting large 

 it is advisable to use No. 10 wire, about 

 eighteen inches long, as a support. 



Temperature and Ventilation. 



The temperature was kept at 60 de- 

 grees during the night, and in the day- 

 time also, during very dull weather, the 

 house registered about this mark. Dur- 

 ing bright days the temperature would 

 go up to 70 or 80 degrees, according 

 to the day, and in the late spring some- 

 times to 90 degrees. 



Tomatoes require plenty of fresh air 

 in order to make stocky, thrifty growth; 

 therefore particular care in ventilating is 

 necessary. Avoid cold draughts. 



It is quite important not to water 

 too heavily. The soil should be thor- 

 oughly wet to the bottom of the benches 

 and kept moist, but not saturated. In 

 winter, two waterings per week are 

 usually quite sufficient. As the season 

 advances and the plants increase in size, 

 more of course will be required. Dur- 

 ing the early growth of the tomato the 

 atmosphere is better kept somewhat 

 moist, but a dry atmosphere is the best 

 for aiding in pollination and preventing 

 rot. The leaves of the tomato plant are 

 better and more healthy if not syringed 

 at all. 



PoUination. 



As already stated, tomatoes require 

 a dry, warm atmosphere to facilitate 



IVE ACRES with the 

 Skinner irrigation will 

 produce as much crops as 

 TEN ACRES without it. 



The Skinner Irrigation Go. 



TROY, O. 



FL.OKIST8 have a splendid wpor- 

 tanity of raising Mnahroomi by 

 utilixing the waat« q>aoe under tha 

 beaches, and then utilixiiy the waste 

 material of expendea maeluooM 

 beds in growing flowers. Liainbsrt's 

 Pore Cnltnrs BIU8HBOOM 

 SPAWN, the best Spawn in the market, is sold br all 

 leading seedsmen. A fresh sampl* brick, enough for 

 atrialoed, together with illustrated book on "Mash- 

 room Culture," will be mailed postpaid upon receipt 

 of 40o in postage stamps. Address AmerloiiB 

 Spawn Companyt St. Paul, Minn. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



pollination. The pollen is shed freely 

 during the middle of bright days and 

 it is at this time that the plants require 

 hand pollination. This point is a very 

 important one, especially in northern dis- 

 tricts, and unless considerable attention 

 is given to it, the profits from the crop 

 will not amount to much. Various de- 

 vices are used for doing this work, but 

 we found a rabbit's tail, tied to a short 

 stick, the best. With this, one can go 

 over the plants very rapidly and, as the 

 fruits were all regular and marketable, 

 this device evidently is one that we can 

 safely recommend for pollinating the 

 plants. 



Marketing. 



The bulk of our fruit was sold on 

 commission in Montreal. It was 

 shipped in three and four-pound till 

 boxes, four boxes to a crate. This we 

 found to be the best method for han- 

 dling this fancy fruit, and all plants 

 grown in greenhouses should produce 

 fancy stock. The three-pound till boxes 

 are the most convenient. The crates are 

 made the depth of the till boxes and 

 three 3-inch slats put across top and 

 bottom. 



(To be continued.) 



Troy, N. Y.— J. G. Barrett has the 

 newest thing in a cement ice-box, which 

 does away entirely with woodwork with 

 the exception Df the front. While not 

 so handsome in appearance, it is ad- 

 mirable for storage purposes. 



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