230 ANOTHER POi 



lated store of nitrogenous organic matter in the 

 soil, and if this is the true explanation, a simple ex- 

 periment with nitrate of soda would give us light on 

 the subject. 



We have a firm conviction that market gardeners 

 are spending a great deal of money for manure to 

 produce results that could be obtained at greatly 

 less cost by the judicious use of chemical fertilizers. 

 But from the nature of the case we cannot ascer- 

 tam the facts by the use of ordinary commercial 

 fertilizers, for the simple reason that they supply, as 

 a rule, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, and we 

 cannot tell whether it is the nitrogen that is wanted, 

 or whether it is the phosphoric acid that is the chief 

 thing that we need or whether it is the potash, or 

 whether we need all three of these ingredients of 

 plant-food. We have been waiting and writing 

 and talking about this very point for forty years. 

 We have been waiting for the experiment stations. 



INATING KIT. 



The government has appropriated the money. The 

 stations are established. Now let us have the ex- 

 periments. 



It may be said that the stations are making ex- 

 periments with the different ingredients of plant- 

 food. Some are, but others tell us to test our own 

 soils, and Dr. Sturtevant, after having charge of 

 the New York Experiment Station, at Geneva, as- 

 serted that "plat experiments were useless." If 

 so, it was because his plots were too small, or the 

 land needed draining, or was not properly worked. 

 We are paying about $30,000,000 a year for nitro- 

 gen, phosphoric acid and potash in commercial fer- 

 tilizers. Cannot experiments be made to show 

 what effects are produced by the use of these dif- 

 ferent ingredients separately and combined in dif- 

 ferent proportions, and on different crops ? We want 

 crop tests rather than "soil tests." 



Moreton Farm. Joseph Harris. 



ANOTHER POLLINATING KIT. 



IROFESSOR Bailey's enthusiasm in 

 the work has led him to describe an 

 outfit for pollination so extensive 

 that many thinking it all necessary, 

 maj', I fear, be deterred from prac- 

 ticing this exceedingly interesting 

 phase of horticultural work. 



As a result of over twenty years experience, I have 

 adopted for all ordinary work, the following simple and 

 compact outfit. My own ■'kit" is carried within the 

 covers of an ordinary "Excelsior" diary, about 6 inches 

 'ong. 3,'4 inches wide and about half an inch thick, the 

 tools being easily contained in the pocket of the cover. 

 The tools consist of a pair of slim, pointed pliers, two 

 camel s-hair brushes, a few bunches of worsted yarn of 

 various colors, some small bags made of netting or tarle- 

 tan, and a lead pencil. This receptacle also holds a pair 

 of sharp-pointed scissors for thinning, etc. 



For cross-fertilizing most'flowers I have found nothing 

 equal to the pliers above mentioned ; almost any flower 

 that needs it can be opened with them, and the whole 

 operation can be performed without change of tools. 



To illustrate their use, suppose we wish to fertilize the 

 flowers of the single petunia with pollen of the double 

 form. In this case there is no need of tearing or cutting 

 the corolla, as the anthers do not burst until the flower 

 has opened somewhat. The pliers are introduced and 

 the anthers are quickly picked from the single flower. 

 The double flower, split down one side and the edges 

 turned back to expose the stamens, is held between the 

 thumb and finger of the left hand, leaving the three 

 fingers free to steady the flower to be operated upon. 

 Grasp the stamen of the double flower, with the pliers. 



just below the anther, and by a slight twist the filament 

 parts, leaving the anther on the point of the pliers. 



To touch the stigma with one side of the anther is the 

 work of an instant, and the pollination is complete. If 

 the pollen is abundant, several stigmas can be fertilized 

 with one anther. This method can be used on any flow- 

 ers where proper development of stigma and anther can 

 be obtained. It is not only the quickest method, but it is 

 also the most economical of pollen, a point of prime im- 

 portance. Petals and any other interfering parts can be 

 as quickly removed with the pliers as with scissors. 



When it has been necessary to gather pollen in advance 

 and preserve it for a time, I have preserved it in flattened 

 test tubes, and have used a fine brush, just oily enough 

 to retain its shape after drawing it through the fingers, 

 to take and apply the pollen with. I shall try Professor 

 Bailey's spatula the first opportunity I have. 



The colored worsteds mentioned are used to mark 

 flowers operated upon, and by different combinations 

 they show what the cross has been. 



In assisting some of the compositee to perfect seed, a 

 rather short, stiff camel's hair brush has been found use- 

 ful to disperse the pollen. The lead pencil, in addition 

 to its use in taking notes, is sometimes handy to disperse 

 or place pollen. 



Several years ago I introduced the pliers in one of the 

 largest seed establishments in the country. The late 

 Peter Henderson endorsed it as follows : " Far superior 

 to the usual method with a camel's hair brush." The 

 pliers used are the straight ones, made of steel, that are 

 used with first class microscope outfits. Beware of 

 cheap tools — they are utterly unfit for the delicate work 

 of pollinating. 



Ri(ffalo. John T. Cowell. 



