D. M. FERRY & CO'S DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



9 



Illc^tpated and Pe^epi^tiVe ©at&lo^ie 



OF • 



YEGETHBLE t^ EEDS 



General Directions for Cultivation. 



As usual we have endeavored to include only the best varieties, and to present their claims faithfully and with accurate 

 descriptions. 



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



ARTICHOKE, 



French, Artichaut. German, ArtischoJce. 



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 in 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 crowns with leaves 

 enough to prevent severe freezing, and cover so as to pre- 

 vent their blowing off. 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 grow- 

 ing shoots like celery. 



LARGE GLOBE — The best sort for general use. Buds 

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

 very thick and fleshy. 



HSPHRHGUS, 



French, Asperge. German, 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 moi'st. sandv 

 coil, but can be grown in any garden by following the direc- 

 iions given below. A bed 12x40 feet, requiring 75 to 100 

 plants, should give an abundant supply for an ordinary f amil v. 



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 

 early as possible in the spring, and after soaking the seed 

 cwenty-four hours in warm water, sow in drills one foot apart. 

 When the plants are well up. thin to two or three inches in 

 the row, and give frequent and thorough cultivation during 

 rhe summer. If this has been well done, the plants will be 

 it to set the next spring. The permanent beds should be 

 prepared by deep spading, working in a large quantity of 

 /otted manure— the more the better. Make furrows four 

 feet apart and four to six inches deep. Set the plants about 

 two feet apart in this furrow and cover with about two 

 inches of fine soil. 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 

 be 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 manure, 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, they should be cut and burned. 

 The plants may also be set in the fall, if the ground is s<» well 

 drained that water will not stand on it. The whole bed 

 should be covered with three or four inches of coarse strawy 

 manure or other litter, which should be removed in the 

 spring. 



COXOVER'S COLOSSAL.— A mammoth sort, frequently 

 sending up fifteen ur 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, Striyig or 

 Dwarf Beans._ 



Culture.— >»o crop responds more readily to good soil and 

 cultivation than this: that best adapted' to them being a 

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

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

 them grow too much to 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. 

 Up to the time of blossoming they should be frequently 

 cultivated, but this should never be done when the ground or 

 plants are wet with rain or dew. as it would be sure to injure 

 them; nor should they 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. From 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 wax beans with those 

 offered by other dealers shows them to be the purest and 

 best strains in cultivation. 



CHALLENGE DWARF BLACK WAX. EXTRA 

 EARLY.— After two years' trial we are enabled to offer 

 this grand new variety with the strongest assurance that it 

 is indeed the earliest of all the wax beans. Planted side In- 

 side with all the better sorts, it has proven to be fully one 

 week ahead of any of them, while it is fully as vigorous and 

 prolific as the Prolific German Wax. The plants are of the 

 same size and general appearance as that sort, pods fully as 

 large and as of good color, hut are not quite SO much curved 

 and are Hatter, while the dry bean is longer, more curved 

 and flatter, though jet black. Market gardeners and others 

 to whom earliness is a matter of prime importance, cannot 

 afford to be without this, which is truly the •'earliest of all " 

 the wax beans. 



BLACK-EYED WAX.— Very early. Vines medium 



size, erect, bearing its pods near the centre Leaves large, 

 thin, quite dark green in color. Pods long, straight, propor- 

 tionately narrow, and rounder than those of the Golden 



Wax. and oi a lighter color, with a medium length light 

 green point. They cook quickly, both as snap and as shell 

 beans. Dry beans, medium si/.e. long, round, white, with 

 black spot around the eye. As early and with as handsome 

 pods as the Golden Wax. and of very good quality. 



