FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
67 
So there are many people claiming 
that it is useless to spray. Some that 
have sprayed will spray more efficiently 
next year than this. 
Prof. Conner has just dug some suc¬ 
cessful experiments with fertilizers and 
varieties. Prof. Rolfs is conducting for 
the government a test of fifty-one for¬ 
eign varieties, hoping to find a disease 
resistant variety on which to build a new 
and healthy sort. The foliage on some of 
these varieties is immense and peculiar. 
One or two varieties cost large sums. 
None of us wanted the responsibility of 
knowing which these are, for fear it 
would get out and the patches be raided. 
It is interesting to know that the Eu¬ 
ropean taste is for a yellow-fleshed po¬ 
tato. 
Concerning other vegetables I am not 
conversant, having but lately returned 
to the state. 
This is my busy time, or I should ap¬ 
pear with you at the meeting. 
Celery and Egg Plant Report. 
By F* C Armstrong* 
As the Florida State Horticultural So¬ 
ciety has placed me on the Standing 
Committee to make a report on vegeta¬ 
bles, I will confine my remarks to the 
growth, culture and marketing of celery 
and egg plants, only, thinking that my 
brother committeeman, Mr. C. G. 
White, of Hastings, would tell us how 
to cultivate, grow and dispose of the 
Irish j.otatO' to the best advantage and 
that Mr. E. V. Blackman of Miami, 
would give us the methods used on the 
East coast. 
Now, in Manatee county, we have 
thousands of acres of land well adapted 
to the culture of celery, it requiring a 
rich, moist loam for the best results. 
The culture of this crop bids fair to 
become one of the leading and staple 
crops in the county. We have been es¬ 
pecially favored by having had not 
enough cold to injure our crop or in 
marketing it. 
The seed of the celery is very small 
and delicate, requiring, when young and 
tender, to be protected by a framework 
to keep the young plants from being 
scorched by the hot rays of the sun. 
Seeds must be planted very shallow, 
beds must be kept wet daily, and other¬ 
wise properly cared for, that they may 
develop early and be good and thrifty 
plants. 
In setting plants we put about forty 
thousand plants to the acre, double rows, 
four or five feet apart, using from one 
to two' tons of best fertilizer to the acre 
according to the nature of the soil, which 
necessitates moist, well drained land. To 
insure a good crop we must have irri¬ 
gation, which can be had at a very small 
cost from artesian wells. 
The average crop per acre is about 
