54 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



Januauy 21, 1909, 



Vegetable Forcing. 



VEGETABLE MARKETS. 



Chicago, Jan. 19. — Cucumbers, 75c to 

 $1.75 doz.; lettuce, 30c box; radishes, 

 10c to 25c doz. bunches; mushrooms, 

 50c lb. 



Boston, Jan. 18. — Cucumbers, $3 to 

 $13 box; tomatoes, 25c to 30c lb.; beet 

 greens, 75c to $1 box; parsley, $1.25 to 

 $1.50 box; escarolle, 50c to 75c doz.; 

 romaine, 75c to $1 doz.; dandelions, 

 $1.75 to $2 box; lettuce, 40c to 75c box; 

 radishes, $1.25 to $1.50 box; mint, 50c to 

 75c doz. ; mushrooms, $1.50 to $2 box. 



New York, Jan. 18. — Cucumbers, 

 fancy, $1.50 doz.; cucumbers. No. 1, $1 

 to $1.25 doz.; cucumbers. No. 2, $2 to 

 $4 box; mushrooms, large white, 40c to 

 50c lb.; mushrooms, large brown, 35c to 

 40c lb. ; mushrooms, small, 25c to 30c lb. 



CUCUMBERS. 



Trimming and Training. 



This is a subject upon which there is 

 much difference of opinion among the 

 growers. There are many different meth- 

 ods or systems that are followed by dif- 

 ferent men, and each grower usually 

 thinks that his way is the best. 



There is also a difference of opinion 

 on whether it pays to trim at all, or 

 whether it is just as well to let the vines 

 grow as they please. This haphazard, 

 hit-or-miss, trust-to-luck system is prob- 

 ably followed by more growers than all 

 other systems put together. The con- 

 venient excuse, "Don't have time," is 

 usually given, uut the man who does his 

 trimming in this way is the same one 

 who kicks the tobacco stems and ashes 

 up against the end of the house the next 

 morning after fumigating, and throws 

 the dead plants and pots under the bench 

 — all for the same reason, "Can't seem 

 to find time." 



Does It Pay ? 



But there are some men who have a 

 system of finding time to do everything 

 that needs doing about the place, but do 

 not trim or train their cuke vines be- 

 cause they do not think it pays, and we 

 must admit that the proprietor who cuts 

 down that expense for labor will have a 

 good chance to make as good a profit as 

 his neighbor who gets a much larger crop 

 and pays out much of the receipts for 

 labor to care for the crop. 



One thing is certain, and that is that 

 it is not absolutely necessary to trim, 

 because the plants will yield a fairly 

 good crop even if never touched with the 

 knife, as they do outdoors. But another 

 thing is certain also, and that is that if 

 systematic trimming is followed faith- 

 fully, the yield of the plants can be con- 

 siderably increased and the vines will not 

 get all into a tangled mass, with over- 

 lapping leaves and branches, so as to 

 cause so many leaves to get yellow and 

 rot and make such an excellent breeding 

 place for disease and insects. 



Trimming to Increase the Yield. 



How trimming increases the yield is 

 explained by the fact that a branch on 

 a cucumber vine usually has a fruit set 

 on the joint of the first leaf from the 

 main stalk, and sometimes another on the 

 second joint, but will then continue to 

 grow ont several joints longer before 

 petting any more fruit. Instead, it is 



Seeds for the Market Gardener 



is our specialty. Quality our first consideration. We have a very large and complete 

 stock of all kinds of seeds and everythlnK in the line of fruit trees, berry bushes, etc. 

 Our new iri-page catalogue contains true descriptions and no overdrawn illustra- 

 tions. Our prices are right, quality considered. Market Qardeners are requested to 

 write for our M. 6. Wholesale Catalogue, sent free on request. 



GERMAN NURSERIES & SEED HOUSE, u^SS.J'^k, BEATRICE, NEB. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



taking the growth which should be given 

 to the one or two little fruits which are 

 set and in need of the sap being sent 

 up from the roots. If the end is cut out 

 of these branches (when small), just be- 

 yond the fruit, the fruit will swell up 

 much more quickly, and in the meantime 

 the cut will heal over and branches will 

 break out from the eyes which are just 

 above every leaf. The new branch or 

 branches will set fruit again, just as the 

 other did, and can be trimmed and 

 treated just the same, and so on as long 

 as the crop lasts, getting nearly as many 

 fruits as leaves, while in the untrimmed 

 way there are many more leaves than 

 cucumbers. 



The work of trimming and training is 

 a puzzle to any one who does not under- 

 stand it, but can easily be understood if 

 a little study be given the matter. 



The Different Systems. 



There are two decidedly different ways 

 of starting the trimming. One is the 

 single-stem system and the other is the 

 branched system. 



The single-stem system is followed by 

 trimming all branches, called laterals, off 

 at the first or second leaf and allowing 

 only the main stalk to keep on growing 

 straight up. The branched system is 

 started by taking a strong branch out 

 on each side of the main stalk and then 

 up parallel with the main and about a 

 foot or a foot and a half apart. These 

 two branches will grow as strong as the 

 main and branch out just the same. The 

 only difference is, that they are all three 

 fed by one root stalk instead of each 

 having its own roots. 



Some growers train to the single stem, 

 turn all branches to one or two fruits 

 and let them hang down close against the 

 main stalk, tying only the main stalk, 

 like a string of smilax or a single stem 

 tomato plant, but most growers train 

 their vines on wires running about ten 

 inches apart, one above the other, like a 

 fence running the length of the house, 

 really like a grape arbor indoors, except 

 that they are A-shaped instead of square. 

 The branches are tied out along these 

 wires and held away from the main stalk. 



The Favorite Method in England. 



The most popular system used in Eng- 

 land is the single-stem system, selecting 

 a lateral to run each way on each wire 

 and trimming these off at the second 

 leaf, thus having four eyes on each wire 

 from which branches will sprout. These 

 branches from a branch or lateral are 

 called sub-laterals and they are cut off 

 promptly at the first leaf. Branches will 

 break out at any joint, whether there is 

 a cuke set there or not. All branches or 

 subs are thereafter trimmed at the first 

 leaf. The only object in having two 

 leaves or joints on the first laterals is to 

 have enough eyes from which the sub- 

 laterals are to spring, so as to get a large 

 plant as soon as possible. This same sys- 

 tem is used in this country also, but 

 somewhat differently, by trimming every- 

 thing at the first joint from the start 

 and having the plants a little closer to- 

 gether. 



Where the branched or three-main svs- 



With the Skinner Sys- 

 tem of Irrigation ONE 

 MAN can do the work 



of FORTY MEN 

 watering with a hose. 



Thi Skinner Irrigation Go. 



TROY, O. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Seeds for Forcing 



I.ITINOSTON'8 TRUi: BI^UE STRAINS 



Lettuce- Grand BBpldB....i4-lb., 35c; lb., $1.25 



Radlah-BirebaU Vlb., 16c; lb., .60 



KadUh-Im. Scarlet Globe. >4-lb., 20c; lb., .60 



RadUb— Roay Gem >4-lb., 15c; lb., .50 



Tomato-L's Globe, oz.,35c; ^-Ib., $1.10; lb., 4.00 



Tomato-L'M Beauty, oz.,25c; ^-lb.,50c;Ib., 1.76 



If to be mailed add 8c per lb. for postage. 



LITINGSTOIf SEED CO.. Bh 104. Colambas, Ohio 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Watcb for our Trade Mark stamped 

 on every brick of Lambert's 



Pure Culture Mushroom Spawn 



Substitution of cheaper gfrades is 

 thus easilv exposed. Fresh sample 

 ^^■s,^ brick, with illustrated book, mailed 

 ^^L^ A'V^ postpaid by manufacturers upon re- 

 ^^- ^>^ ceipt of 40 cents in postage. Address 



Trade Mark. American Spawn Co., St Paul,MinB. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



COMET TOMATO SEED 



Grown from true stock. Excellent for forclnf . 

 60c and Sl.OO per pkt. H. M. SANDERSON, 

 111 I^IMCOLN ST., WAI.THAH. MASS. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



tem is followed, the laterals are usually 

 trimmed to one leaf or joint, unless the 

 growth does not seem thick enough. In 

 that case they are allowed to have several 

 leaves for a while, in order to have 

 plenty of places for more subs to sprout 

 from, to cover over the trellis more 

 thickly. 



Caution in Close Trimming. 



It was formerly supposed that to trim 

 off a lateral close to a fruit would in- 

 jure the fruit, but it has been found that 

 it will not affect the fruit unless the 

 branch has gone too long and grown too 

 large, so as to bleed tQo much when cut 

 off. It is not well to take off large 

 branches. They must be taken in time, 

 when small, and if too large it may be 

 stopped by taking out the tip only. 

 Many growers stQl cling to the old 

 method of leaving one leaf beyond the 

 fruit, both as a protection to the fruit 

 and as a source of more branches. 



Personally, I prefer the one leaf to a 

 branch system of trimming, but like to 

 give the roots plenty of room and not put 

 the plants too close together. So I com- 

 promise by using the branched system or 

 by using the single-stein system and aJ- 



