D. M. FERRY & COS DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue 



VEGETABLiE SEEDS 



GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR CULTIVATION. 



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The Terms and Prices of Vegetable Seeds will be found in the Price List, in the back part of this Catalogue. 



A.RTICHOKE,. 



French, Artichaut. German, Artischoke. 



Culture. — Sow in hot- beds and transplant into pots, or so 

 as to give plenty of room until danger of frost is over, and 

 then set in very rich ground, four feet apart; or the plants 

 can be raised m seed beds out of doors, but in that case will 

 not be likely to produce heads the first year. The edible 

 portion is the undeveloped flower heads, which will be pro- 

 duced about September 1st. and until frost. Late in the fall, 

 cut off the old tops and protect the cro^\Tis with leaves or 

 straw to prevent severe freezing. The second year they will 

 commence to form heads about July 1st. The plants may 

 also be blanched like Cardoons, which is accomplished by 

 cutting the plants in July, tying up and blanching the 

 rapidly growing shoots like celerj'. 



L,ARGE GLOBE.— The best sort for general use. Buds 

 large, nearly round; scales deep green, shading to purple, 

 Ttrj- thick and fleshy. 



A.SP^RAGUS, 



French, Asperge. Grerman, Spargel. 



Asparagus is one of the earliest spring vegetables, and 

 would be in universal use were it not for the prevalent idea 

 that it is difficult to grow it. We think this is a mistake, and 

 that there is no vegetable on our list that can be produced so 

 cheaply and easily as this. It delights in a moist, sandy soil, 

 but can be grown in any garden by following the directions 

 given below. A bed 12 x 40 feet, requiring 50 to 75 plants, 

 should give an abundant supply for an ordinary family. 



Culture.— Beds are usually formed by setting plants one 

 or two years old. which can be procured of us; but if you 

 wish to grow them yourself, prepare a light, rich spot as 



Asparagus. 



early as possible in the spring. Pour hailing water on the 

 seed and pour it off at once, and sow in drills one foot apart 

 and two inches deep. When the plants are well up. thin to 

 two or three inches in the row, and give frequent and 

 thorough cultivation during the smnmer. 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 fertilizers. If the subsoil is not naturally 

 loose and friable, it should be made so by thorough stirring 

 with a subsoil plow or the spade. Make rows five feet apart 

 and four inches deep and set the plants in the bottom of the 

 rows two feet apart. Cover the roots about two inches deep. 

 After the plants are well started, give frequent and thorough 

 cultivation, and draw a little earth into the furrows at each 

 hoeing until they are filled. Early the next spring, spade in 

 a heavy dressing of manure, and one quart of salt to each 

 square rod, and cultivate well until the plants begin to die 

 down. The next season the bed may he cut over two or 

 three times, but if this is done all the short shoots, no matter 

 how small, should be cut, and after. the final cutting, give a 

 good dressing of manure, ashes and salt. The next season. 

 and ever after that, the bed should give a full crop and be 

 annually dressed with mantire, ashes and salt, after the last 

 cutting, and well cultivated until the plants occupy the whole 

 space. In the fall, as soon as the tops are ripe and yellow, 

 fhey should be cut and burned. The plants may also be set 

 in the fall, if the ground is so well drained that water will 

 not stand on it. , Winter protection with coarse litter or 

 manure is not needed, except in the extreme North. 



CONOVER'S COLOSSAIL.— A mammoth sort, frequently 

 sending up fifteen or thirty sprouts from one to one and a- 

 half inches in diameter from a single plant, and spreading 

 less than most sorts. Color deep green; quality good. 



DWARF, BUSH OR SNAP. 



French, Haricot. German, Bohne. 



Under this name are classed all the low growing sorts, 

 called in different catalogues Bush, Bunch, Snap, String or 

 Dicarf Beans. 



Culture.— No crop responds more readily to good soil and 

 cultivation than this; that best adapted to them being a 

 light, rich, v,-ell drained loam, which was manured for the 

 previous crop. If too rank manure is used it is apt to make 

 them grow too much too vine. They are all extremely sensitive 

 to frost and wet. and it is useless to plant them before the 

 ground has become warm and light. The largest return 

 will result from planting in drills about three feet apart, and 

 the plants two to eight inches apart in the row. Vp to the 

 time of blossoming they should nave frequent shallow culti- 

 vation, but should not be disturbed after they commence to 

 bloom, as it would prevent their setting well. 



In the following descriptions the varieties are placed about 

 in the order of ripening, and it is assumed that they are 

 grown on rich, light soil, as different soils produce quite a 

 variation in vines, pods and beans, and it is useless to expect 

 good results from the finer garden sorts on poor or cold and 

 wet soils. F'-om one pint to two quarts will be sufficient to 

 furnish a supply for an ordinary family, and varieties should 

 be selected so as to give a succession both of string and 

 green shelled beans. The wax podded beans are particu- 

 larly liable to run •"off" into green podded plants, and it 

 requires constant attention and skillful culture to keep them 

 pure. A comparison of our stocks of beans with those 

 offered by other dealers shows them to be as good and pure 

 strains as any in cultivation. 



