D. M. FERRY & GO'S DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 11 



VEGETABLE SEEDS 



WITH GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR CULTIVATION 



A DT"! /^Uf/^l^ 17 ^'^ February or jlarch sow aud transplant in hotbeds so as to give plenty of room until 

 /VIx 1 Iv^rivJ'.^I-j 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 tlie thickened scales at the base of the tlower heads or buds. 

 The plant is very different from what is known iu America as Artichoke or Jerusalem Artichoke, in which the edible 

 portion is the tuber. Late in the fall cut oft" the old tops and thoroughly protect the crowns with leaves or straw to 



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

 eads about July 1st. "'The plants may also be blanched like Cardoons. This is. done by cutting back the stems close to 

 the ground in July, the rapidly growing shoots which 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 anew plantation as often as once inthi-ee years. 

 « oi L D • The best sort for general use. Buds large, nearlv round: scales pale green, shading to 



Large LilObe, or r^ariS vloletatthebase, thick and fieshy. Pkt. oc; Oz. 40c; 3 Oz. 75c; h Lb.$1.25; Lb.$4.00 



A QD ADA t^ f TQ B"ds are usually formed by setting roots one or two years old which can be procured 

 /\Ol ./^Ix/Wj wO of us. If you wish to grow plants from the seed yourself, pour hot but not boiling 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 apai't. After the plants are Avell started, give 

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

 salt and double the quantity of fresh wood ashes to each square rod and cultivate well as long as the ^'".e 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, ashes 

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

 they should be cut and burned. A bed 1.5x50 feet, requiring about one hundred plants, if well cultivated and manured, 

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

 D 1 S.M. -^ very early maturing and prolific variety, producing an abundance of very large, deep green shoots of 

 ralmettO the finest quality. SEED— Pkt. 5c: Oz. 10c; 2 Oz. 15c: ^i Lb. 35c; Lb. 75c. 



j^ > O 1 1 -^ mammoth, green sort of the largest size and of good quality. One of the best known and 



COnOVer S \^OlOSSal most generally cultivated varieties. SEED— Pkt. 5c; Oz. iOc; 2 Oz. 15c; *i Lb. 20c; 



Lb. 60c. ROOTS— Postpaid, $1.50 per 100; by freight or express, not prepaid, $1.00 per 100; $6.00 per 1000 

 y^ 1 . »« .1 Yin •. Introduced by us in 1893. Shoots of largest size and clear white until four to 



^/iumbian Mammoth White 



shoots and the green 

 ones can be readily re- 

 jected when setting out 

 the permanent bed 

 SEED-Pkt.5c; Oz.lOc; 

 2 Oz. 15c; ^ Lb. 25c; 

 Lb. 75c. 



ROOTS— Postpaid, 

 $1.50 per 100; by 

 freight or express 

 not prepaid,* 

 $1.00 per 100; 

 $6.50 per 1000 



Challenge Dwarf Black Wax 



If beans are ordered by mail or express prepaid add 10 cents 

 per pint. 15 cents per quart for charges. 



six inches above the surface. Nearly all seedlings will produce clear white 



BEANS 



No crop responds more readily to good soil and cultivation; 

 and a light, rich, well drained loam which was manured for the 

 previous crop is most desirable. If too rank manure is used it 

 "s apt to make the plant run too much to vine. 

 Beans are very sensitive to both cold and wet 

 and it is useless to plant them before the ground 

 has become dry and w^arm. 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 ciit off the crop. 

 The cultivation of beans should always be very 

 shallow and it is useless to expect a crop fi-om 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 varieties -Avill degenerate into a mixture 

 of green and wax podded plants unless there is 

 constant attention given to the lemoving of any 

 green podded plants which may appear in the seed 

 crop. Hence it is very important to use seed from 

 reliable sources only. 



DWARF, BUSH OR SNAP 

 WAX PODDED SORTS 



Under this name are classed all the low gro-wing 

 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 critical comparison of our 

 stocks with those of any other 

 grower. 



Challenge Dwarf Black Wax experi^e^ce 



has satisfied lis of the great merit of this variety as the 

 earliest wax podded bean. The enormous demand for 

 it proves that it meets popular requirements and has aU 

 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 quality. The pods are 

 clear waxy-white, quite round, very fleshy, crisp, tender 

 and stringless. Seed jet black, longer and moi-e ciarved 

 than Prolific German Wax. The best extra early wax 

 bean for the home or market garden. Pkt. 10c; Pt. 25c; 

 Qt. 35c; 4 Qts. $1.25; Bu. $6.50 



