APBlIi 1. 1909. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



65 



showing that the presence of Canada 

 blue grass seed in that of Kentucky 

 blue grass is the result of deliberate 

 adulteration. This condition as regards 

 the natural occurrence of Canada blue 

 grass seed in that of Kentucky blue 

 grass seed is practically the same as 

 was found last year in the examination 

 of the orchard grass seed producing sec- 

 tion, there being practically no evi- 

 dence of natural mixture. 



"The importation of yellow trefoil 

 has practically ceased, but there are 

 still large quantities of Canada blue grass 

 seed imported for use in adulteration of 

 Kentucky blue grass seed. During the 

 past year 1,159 samples have been re- 

 ceived from custom houses, each repre- 

 senting an importation of forage-plant 

 seeds. Among them are found many 

 lots of both red clover and alfalfa, as 

 well as some lots of the less common 

 grass seeds, which are practically 

 worthless for seeding purposes. Dodder 

 is always found in low-grade samples 

 of red clover and alfalfa imported from 

 Europe, and often in large quantities. 

 As has been previously pointed out, it 

 is important that some steps should be 

 taken to prevent the importation into 

 the United States of European screen- 

 ings and seeds which are used only for 

 purposes of adulteration. 



Vitality of Commercial Seeds. 



"The investigation of the average 

 quality of various kinds of commercial 

 seeds has been continued. About 5,000 

 packets of vegetable seeds, as sold by 

 grocers, have been collected and are 

 now being tested for germination. 

 Germination tests have also been made 

 of about 2,500 samples each of cowpeas 

 and corn. The germination of the sam- 

 ples of corn which were submitted by 

 farmers was found to be of a high aver- 

 age quality, and the germination of 

 cowpea seed was very much better than 

 that reported on last year. 



"In January, 1908, there was started 

 in cooperation with the Nebraska Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station, at Lincoln, 

 Neb., a cooperative seed-testing labora- 

 tory. The object of this laboratory 

 was to test samples of seed for farmers 

 and seedsmen in the state of Nebraska 

 and adjacent territory, making it pos- 

 sible to save the delay required in send- 

 ing samples to Washington. This 

 laboratory has been appreciated by 

 both seedsmen and farmers, as is shown 

 by the fact that 463 samples were sub- 

 mitted for test, over one-half of them 

 coming from Nebraska. 



"An opportunity has been offered 

 seedsmen, as well as experiment station 

 workers, to spend some time in the seed 

 laboratory, in order to become ac- 

 quainted with the technical methods of 

 seed testing, as well as to learn to 

 recognize the commoner seeds of culti- 

 vated plants and weeds. Several stu- 

 dents have availed themselves of this 

 opportunity, and their work here will 

 undoubtedly result in better facilities 

 at the experiment stations and seed 

 houses with which they are connected. 



Plans for Future Work. 



"The operation of the cooperative 

 laboratory at Lincoln, Neb., has been 

 so successful that it has been deter- 

 mined to locate a similar laboratory in 

 cooperation with the Missouri Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station, at Columbia, 

 Mo. This will be started in the fall of 

 1908. 



"Particular attention will be paid to 



investigational work on the germina- 

 tion of seeds, as it is desired to perfect 

 accurate methods for testing many 

 seeds under laboratory conditions, to 

 which it has not been possible pre- 

 viously to give sufficient attention. 



"During the coming year a thorough 

 study of the germination of forest-tree 

 seeds will be undertaken in cooperation 

 with the Forest Service. This is a sub- 

 ject which has received practically no 

 attention in the United States and one 

 that is of great importance on account 

 of the growing interest in forestry. 



* ' This laboratory is now in receipt of 

 frequent requests for instruction in the 

 technical methods of seed testing. 

 These inquiries, coming both from the 

 seed trade and experiment stations, 

 show the general interest in better 

 seeds. Although our laboratory facil- 

 ities are limited, an endeavor will be 

 made to accommodate all those wishing 

 assistance along this line." 



Vegetable Forcing. 



GREENHOUSE VEGETABLES. 



Chicago, March 30. — Cucumbers, 85c to |1.40 

 doz. ; lettuce, 20e to 22MiC box; radishes, 15c 

 to 40c doz. bunches; mushroonis, 35c to 60c lb. 



New York, March 29. — Beet tops, 60c to 75c 

 box; cucumbers, 75c to $1.26 doz.; lettuce, 

 $1.25 to $2 strap; mushrooms, 25c to 65c lb.; 

 mint, 40c to 50c doz. bunches; radishes, $1.50 

 to $2 per 100 bunches; rhubarb, $2 to $4 per 

 100 bunches; tomatoes, 5c to lOc lb. 



Boston, March 29.— Radishes, $1.25 to $1.50 

 box; bunch beets, $1.75 to $2 doz.; bunch car- 

 rots, 76c to $1 doz.; dandelions. $1 to $1.25 

 box; beet greens, 40c to 60c box; cucumbers, 

 $4 to $8 box; tomatoes, 40c to 60c lb.; let- 

 tuce, 60c to $1 box; Cos lettuce or romalne, 

 75c to $1 doz.; escaroUe, 75c to $1 doz.; 

 chicory, $1.50 doz.; rhubarb, 6c to 8c lb.; pars- 

 ley, $1.25 to $1.50 box; mint, 60c to 75c doz. 



FRENCH ENDIVE. 



Since replying to W. B. W., in the 

 Keview of March 11, page 58, I find that 

 I have been in error in stating that 

 French endive as imported here is really 

 endive at all, as we understand it. The 

 principal importing houses for these sal- 

 ads are in New York and what they 

 hand out as French endive is simply 

 blanched chicory or witloof. The leading 

 hotels, I find, prefer this blanched chicory 

 a la France to the true endive, which 

 closely resembles lettuce. What in our 

 big markets is sold as chicory is liable to 

 be true endive, on the other hand. I 

 made an unintentional error in stating 

 that romaine was green curled endive. It 

 is simply what we know as Cos lettuce. 



Seeing that chicory is largely imported 

 and sold as French endive, there would 

 seem to be no good reason why American 

 vegetable growers could not secure this 

 trade. If chicory seed is sown thinly in 

 rows in April, it will give strong roots 

 for forcing the following winter. A 

 warm, dark cellar or shed, such as will 

 grow mushrooms, would be ideal for 

 blanching this French endive. Our vege- 

 table growers under glass, who handle 

 immense quantities of cucumbers and 

 lettuce, might profitably use a little 

 space for more of these French salad 

 plants, which are becoming increasingly 

 popular. W. N. Cbaiq. 



QUANTITY OF SEED PER ACRE. 



Please state what is the proper quan- 

 tity of seed or plants per acre, in plant- 

 ing such vegetables as tomatoei, cab- 



IVE ACRES with the 

 Skinner Irrigation will 

 produce as much crops as 

 TEN ACRES without it. 



The Skinner Irrigation Go. 



TROT. O. 



Mention The Review when you wrlta 



Vegetable Plants 



FOR TRANSPLANXIMO 



CABBAOK— Wakefield and SuccessloD, $1.50 



per 1000. 

 KQG PLANT - N. Y. Improved and Black 



Bpauty, 400 per 100; $3.00 per 1000. 

 PKPPSR— Bull Nose. Ruby King and Sweet 



Mountain, 40c per 100; $3.00 per 1000. 

 Ohineae Giant and Cayenne, 50c per 100. 



TOMATO— Earliana, Chalk's Jewel and Early 

 June Pink, 30c per 100; $2.00 per 1000. 



TOMATOKB— Stone. Favorite and Paragon, 

 small Planto, $1.00 per 1000. 



CXL.KRT— Small, for transplanting. White 

 Pliune and Golden Self Blaucbing, $1.00 

 per lOCO. 



Cash with order. 



R. VINCENT, JR., & SONS CO., White Marsh, Md. 



Mention I'he Kaview when you wnte 



CONNOVER 



16,0001-yr.-old Asparagus plants, extra fine, 

 $4.00 per 1000. 

 1500 DRACAENA INDIVISA Per 100 



2-ln $2.00 



3000 Phoenix Canariensis Palms, 8-in 8.00 



ISOOCbamseropsExcelsa. 2is-in 6.00 



600 Asparagus Surengeri, 3-in 5.00 



500 Asparagus Plumosus, S-in 6.00 



noo Coleus, 4 varieties, rooted cuttings 60 



2000 Geraniums— S. Nutt, Double Ivy and 

 Miss Perkins, 2'a-in 2.60 



W. E. Trimble Greenhouse Co., Princeton, III. 



Mention The Review when you writer 



bages, sweet corn, beans, peas, watermel- 

 ons, onions, etc. J. H. N. 



Tomatoes produce about 2,000 plants 

 from an ounce of seed, if carefully han- 

 dled. Set in the field four feet apart 

 each way, it would take 2,800 plants per 

 acre. 



Cabbage seed should produce about 

 2,500 plants per ounce of seed. It takes 

 about 16,000 plants to plant an acre of 

 early cabbage, 18x24 inches apart. Late 

 cabbage, 24x36 inches apart, take only 

 half that number of plants. 



It takes about a bushel and a half of 

 beans or peas to plant an acre. 



Two or three pounds of watermelon 

 seed will plant an acre, if in hills about 

 eight feet apart each way. 



Onions, sown in rows one foot apart, 

 take about four to five pounds per acre. 



Beets, sown in rows eighteen inches 

 apart, take five to six pounds of seed per 

 acre. 



An acre covers a trifle less than 50,000 

 square feet ; 214 feet each way is an easy 

 way to estimate the number of rows or 

 plants per acre. For instance, if the 

 rows are two feet apart and the plants 

 one foot apart in the row, you would 

 have 107 rows, with 214 in a row, etc. 

 This may be a help in calculating the 

 amount of seed and plants required for 

 various other crops. 



No exact amounts can be given, on ac- 

 count of variation in j>lanting. H. Gh ,_ 



