March, 1918 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE SUPPLEMENT 
7 
from 2x3 to 3x3 feet, for celery 
about 1x3 feet, and for onions 
about 6 inches by 2 to 3 feet. One 
row of seed plants across one end 
of a twcnl ji-five foot plot will take 
up little room and will be sufficient 
to grow more than enough of the 
seeds that would be required of, at 
least, seven kinds of vegetables. 
Parsnips and carrots make the 
sturdiest plants, hence these might 
be planted at each end of the row, 
which might bo planted thus: 2 
parsnips, 2 turnips, each 2 feet 
apart; 3 celery each 1 foot apart ; 
5 onions each (i inches apart; 2 
cabbages, 2 carrots, each 2 feet 
apart. Between this row of- seed 
plants and the first row of vege- 
tables there should be about three 
feet. 
After the seed is ready to har- 
vest, the sooner it is harvested, 
dried and cleaned, the better. Care 
should be taken that when drying 
there is a good circulation of air 
through the seed heads or pods so 
that they will not mould. When 
cleaned, put in paper bags or en- 
velopes and keep in a dry place 
until spring. As mice are very 
fond of some kinds of seed see that 
they are safe from them. 
The following table will give 
some idea of the probable seed 
yields per plant of the different 
kinds : 
Kind of Vegetable Yield per 
plant, in 
ounces. 
Beet 2^to5 l /2 
Cabbage 2 to 5 
Carrot 1*4 to 2 V 2 
Celery 1 to 2 V 2 
Onions 1 / to y 2 
Parsnip 2 to 4 
Turnip 5 to 9 
Beets. — One good beet will pro- 
duce more than enough seed for 
an average vacant lot or city gar- 
den. Before the winter’s supply 
is used up, select two well-shaped 
specimens, in case anything should 
happen to one, and set aside until 
spring, making sure that the beet 
is of' good, dark colour by taking 
a small piece out. When the soil 
is ready for seeding, plant the beet 
deep enough in the ground so that 
the top will be slightly below the 
surface. The flower stalks will 
soon be thrown up and when the 
plant is well grown it is desirable 
to tie the stalks loosely to a stake 
as they arc liable to be broken 
down. Most of the seed will ripen 
at one time. When the seed be- 
gins to turn brown and before it 
is quite ripe, cut the plant and tie 
up for a few days to dry thor- 
oughly, then, with a light stick, 
thresh off the seed and blow clean, 
and keep dry until spring. 
Cabbage. — One head of cabbage 
will produce more than enough 
seed for the part of a city lot 
which is likely to be used for this 
vegetable. Save two solid heads 
and as soon as the ground is ready 
in the spring, plant about one-third 
of the head in the ground, and 
make a slit with a knife cross-wise 
over the top of the head, which 
will give the seed stalks a better 
chance to push out. In a short 
time these will do so and soon the 
plant will be in flower, pods will 
be formed and seed will develop. 
It is necessary to plant, at least, 
two cabbages as the flowers of one 
must be crossed with those of an- 
other in order to get pods well fill- 
ed with seeds on either. This cross- 
pollination is done by insects. It 
is more satisfactory to plant the 
whole cabbage with the root at- 
tached, as there is less danger of 
the head rotting when this is done. 
When the roots are left on, the 
head simply rests on the soil, the 
roots only being planted. Good 
seed can be grown from the stump 
or root after the head has been 
removed, though this method is 
not recommended. Where only a 
small quantity of seed is grown 
the earliest ripe pods can be cut 
off as they turn yellow and the 
others as the mature. The seed is 
beaten out when dry, and cleaned. 
Cauliflower. — As in most parts 
of Canada it is not possible to 
carry cauliflower plants over the 
winter the seed of this vegetable is 
more difficult to grow than most 
kinds, but plants started early 
will, in some places, go to seed if 
the heads are left uncut. Some- 
times cauliflower seed is grown in 
a greenhouse. 
Carrot. — One carrot will pro- 
duce enough seed for a home gar- 
den. Save two shapely ones and 
in the spring plant as recommend- 
ed for beets. The seed ripens 
much more unevenly than the beet 
and it is necessary to harvest each 
head as the seed gets ripe. Keep 
these clusters of seeds in a dry, 
airy place, and, when the seed is 
thoroughly dry, rub or beat out 
clean and keep dry until spring. 
Celery. — One plant will produce 
enough seed for the home garden, 
but as disease sometimes attacks 
them it would be safer to plant 
three. At Ottawa, plants of both 
early and late varieties have been 
kept over winter outside by open- 
ing a trench just before severe 
frost and putting the plants close 
together and deep enough so that 
the tops arc about level with the 
surface of the ground. A heavy 
layer of about a foot of straw is 
put over the tops and then soil 
thrown over to a depth of about 
fifteen inches. Even if the plants 
kept in the house or outside over 
winter have nothing but the heart 
or inner stalks left in good condi- 
