M. FERRY & GO'S DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE 



Ky„S(JETaBLE SEEDS 



)f lo 



"^ith General Directions for Cultivation 



Artichoke 



Culture— In February or March sow and transplant in hotbeds so as to give plenty of room 

 until danger of frost is over. Then set in very rich, well drained soil in rows four feet apart 

 and two feet apart in the row. The plants can be raised in seed beds out of doors, but in that 

 case will not be likely to produce heads the first year. The seed we offer is that of the true artichoke which is a very 

 popular vegetable in Europe. In it the edible portion is the thickened scales at the base of the flower heads or buds. 

 The plant is very ditTerent from wliat is known in America as Artichoke or Jerusalem Artichoke, in which the edible 

 portion is the tuber. Late in the fall cut off the old tops and thoroughly protect the crovv'ns with leaves or straw, to 

 prevent severe freezing. The second year thin the starting shoots to three of the best, which will commence to form 

 heads about July 1st. The plants may also be blanched like Cardoons. This is accomplished by cutting back the stems 

 close to the ground in July, the rapidly growing shoots vi^hich then start up may be tied and blanched like celery. As 

 Artichoke plants do not yield satisfactorily after three or four years it is best to start a new plantation at least as often 

 as once in three years. 



I •svrrA r^li-kK^ ^w Poific The best sort for general use. Buds large, nearly round; scales pale green, shading to 

 l^arge VjIODC, or I^arib vlolet at the base, very thick and fleshy. Pkt.Sc; Oz.40c; 2 0z.75c; ^L>).$1.2rt; Lb. $4.00 



A Culture— Beds are usually formed by setting roots one or two years old which can be 



£\ m3^ir3.0*US Pi'ocured of us. If you wish to grow plants from the seed yourself, pour hot, but not boiling 

 ^ ^*'*^f^*** & **» water on the seed and let stand until cool; pour it off and repeat two or three times with fresh 

 hot water. Then sow in drills one foot apart and two inches deep in light, rich soil. When the plants are well up, thin to 

 about one inch apart and give frequent and thorough cultivation during the summer. If this has been well done, the 

 plants will be fit to set the next spring. The permanent beds should be prepared by deep plowing or spading and 

 thoroughly enriching the ground with stable manure or other fertilizer; a moist, sandy soil is best. If the subsoil is not 

 naturally loose and friable, it should be made so by thoroughly stirring with a subsoil plow or spade. Set the plants 

 about four inches deep and one to two feet apart in rows four to six feet apart. After the plants are well started, give 

 frequent and thorough cultivation. Early the next spring spade in a heavy dressing of manure and about one quart of 

 salt and double the quantity of fresh wood ashes to each square rod and cultivate well as long as the size of the plants 

 will permit, or until they begin to die down. The next season the bed may be cut over two or three times, but if this is 

 done, all the shoots, no matter how small, should be cut. After the final cutting, give a good dressing of manure, a.shes 

 and salt. Cultivate frequently vmtil the plants meet in the rows. In autumn after the tops are fully ripe and yellow, 

 they should be cut and burned. A bed 15x50 feet, requiring about one hundred plants, if well cultivated and manured, 

 should sive the following season an abvmdant supply for an ordinary family and continue productive for eight or ten years. 

 -CONOVER'S COLOSSAL. A mammoth, green sort of the largest size and of good quality. Pkt. 5c; Oz. 10c; 2 0z. 16c; 



h Lb. 20c; Lb. 50c. Roots $1.50 per 100, postpaid; $1.00 per 100 by freight or express, not prepaid. 

 .P" 1 _„_L;_ _ l\y|a»*-»»r\rfcfV» "XX/^Kiif^a Introduced by US in 1893. The shoots are of largest size, clear white 

 \..^01UinDldIl iVlainillULIl VV IIALC and in faA^orable weather remain so until four to six inches above the 

 surface. The crown or bud of the young stalk is considerably smaller than the part just below it, thus further dis- 

 tinguishing the variety. All 

 but a very few of the seed- 

 lings will produce clear white 

 shoots and the green ones can 

 be readily distinguished and 

 rejected when setting the 



permanent bed. 

 Pkt. 5c; Oz. 10c; 

 2 0z. l5c;%Lb. 25c; 

 Lb. 75c. Roots $1.50 

 per 100, postpaid; 

 $1.00 per 100 by 

 freight or 

 express, not 

 prepaid. 



BEANS 



Challenge Dwarf Black Wa 



If Beans are ordered by mail or express, prepaid, add 

 10 cents per pint, 15 cents per quart, for charges. 



Culture— No crop responds more readily to good soil and 

 cultivation and a light, rich, well drained loam which was ma- 

 nured for the previous crop is most desirable. If too rank ma- 

 nure is used it is apt to make the plant run too 

 much to vine. Beans are extremely sensitive to 

 both cold and wet and it is useless to plant them 

 before the ground has become dry and warm. The 

 largest return will result from planting in drills 

 from two to three feet apart and leaving the plants 

 two to six inches apart in the row. Up to the time 

 of blossoming they should have frequent shallow 

 cultivation, but any mutilation of the roots by culti- 

 vation after the plants come into bloom is likely to 

 cause the blossoms to blast and so cut off the crop. 

 The cultivation of beans should always be very 

 shallow and it is useless to expect a crop from a 

 field so poorly prepared as to need deep stirring 

 after planting. 



Varieties should be selected so as to give a suc- 

 cession both of string and green shelled beans. 

 The wax podded varieties will degenerate into a 

 mixture of green and wax podded plants unless 

 there is constant attention given to the removing of 

 any green podded plants which may appear in the 

 seed crop and the constant selection of plants of 

 the highest type for stock seed. Hence it is 

 especially important to use seed from reliable 

 sources only. 



Dwarf, Bush or Snap ^^Iorts^^^ 



Under this name are classed all the low growing 

 sorts called in different localities Bush, Bunch, 

 Snap, String or Dwarf Beans. We give careful 

 attention to selecting and improving 

 the different varieties and keeping 

 them pure and invite the most crit- 

 ical comparison of our stocks with 

 those of any other grower. 



Challenge Dwarf Black Wax 



Introduced by us in 1891. Continued experience has satis- 

 fied us of the great merit of this variety as the earhest wax- 

 podded bean. The enormous demand for it proves that it 

 meets popular requirements and has all the sterling 

 qualities we claim for it. In all our many comparisons of 

 this bean with other extra early sorts, we have found it the 

 first to give a full picking of pods which were unexcelled by 

 any in quaUty. The pods are clear waxy-white, quite round, 

 very fieshy, crisp, tender and stringless. Seed jet black, 

 longer and more curved than Prolific German Wax. The 

 best extra early wax bean for the home or market garden. 

 Pkt. 10c; Pt. 20c; Qt. 30c; 4 Qts. $1.00; Bu. $6.00 



