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WEST CHICAGO 
ILLINOIS 
Tie O 
Tips Ou Suap Culture 
Soils 
Good Snaps can be grown in a wide variety 
of soils. As a general rule any soil that will 
crow good Mums will grow good Snaps. The 
really important point is that it contain plenty 
of organic matter. While this may take the 
form of manure, be sure it is well rotted. As 
a matter of fact, peat is generally preferred 
because the bacteria which are necessary to 
decay manure rob the soil of essential plant 
nutrients. 
The amount of organic matter which a soil 
needs depends upon its basic structure. Heavy, 
clay-like soils will need more than loose, sandy 
sorts. If an average good garden or field soil 
is to be used, one part of organic matter 
should be incorporated with each two or three 
parts of soil. To this should be added three 
pounds of 20% superphosphate per 100 square 
feet of bench area before steaming. Other 
than this we prefer to depend upon regular 
feedings as soil tests indicate their need, rather 
than to load the soil with too much fertilizer 
to start with. 
Sterilizing 
We like to steam sterilize our soil at least 
once a year, too. It cleans up disease organ- 
isms, kills soil-borne weed seeds and insects 
and tends to improve the soil’s physical con- 
dition. Low (8 to 10 lbs.) steam pressure does 
the job for us. Holding soil temperatures at 
180° for half an hour after this temperature 
has been reached is all it takes. After steril- 
izing, a heavy leaching with clear water will 
tend to prevent an excessive build-up of ni- 
trates which might injure young roots. 
Seed Scwing 
Vermiculite, peat, or soil and peat mixtures 
all make satisfactory materials for germinat- 
ing Snap seed. We like to have the flats well 
watered before sowing, which may be done 
either broadcast or in shallow rows. We prefer 
the latter since it permits better aeration after 
the seedlings get started. No additional soil 
covering is needed for this fine seed—a light 
misting with a fine spray will settle it into the 
soil. If weather is hot or windy, flats should 
be protected with cheesecloth or paper shade 
until well up, then they will enjoy full light 
and a cooler, airy location. Seeds should 
germinate in 3 or 4 days in summer, 7 or 8 
days in winter in a night temperature of 60°. 
Planting 
If bench space is available, we like to bench 
seedlings direct—less labor and better growth. 
It works nicely even in hot weather, if the 
soil is moist before benching, seedlings are 
planted shallow, and misted within minutes 
of benching and regularly until new roots 
show. 
In regard to the matter of spacing, we be- 
lieve 3 x 6 inches is the most economical and 
profiitable for a winter single stem crop with 
3 x 5 inches being enough for late spring and 
summer crops. We space our pinched crops 
7 x 8 inches, finding this satisfactory for most 
varieties. If you are obliged to transplant, 
band or pot seedlings, do not pinch them until 
plants have been benched and have taken 
hold. To pinch before benching will usually 
result in only two top breaks rather than the 
four or so that each plant should produce. 
We like to pinch when plants are about eight 
inches high, leaving three good pairs of leaves. 
Watering, Feeding, Temperatures 
Watering Snaps, as with any. other crop, is 
largely a matter of good judgment. Small 
plants in dark winter weather may not need 
watering for weeks, whereas a heavy crop in 
spring may need attention every other day. 
A good rule is: don’t water until the soil be- 
gins to dry, then give it enough to soak 
through to the bottom. 
We depend on regular weekly soil tests to 
determine when to feed. In winter we like to 
maintain the following nutrient levels: nitrates 
20-25 parts per million Spurway, potash 20-25 
parts, and phosphate 3-5 parts. During the 
rest of the year nitrate and potash readings 
should be around 40 parts per million for best 
crowth. If soil tests indicate a feeding need, 
it may be applied in dry or liquid form. We 
use the latter because it is simpler to apply 
and more easily controlled. 
Normal temperatures during firing season: 
nights 50°, cloudy days 57°, sunny days 65°. 
If we experience 2-3 weeks of cloudy weather 
in winter, we gradually drop to 45-52-60° till 
sunny weather returns. Failure to drop tem- 
peratures in dark weather causes stubby spikes 
and soft stems. 
Insects and Diseases 
If ever the old saying about “an ounce of 
prevention” is true, it certainly is when it 
comes to controlling insects. Spray regularly 
—don’t wait for them to appear. Our standard 
spray for controlling practically all insects— 
plus mildew: per 10 gallons of water—2'% ozs. 
Parathion 15% wettable powder, 114 ozs. 
DDT 50% wettable powder, 144 ozs. wettable 
sulphur, 242 ozs. Fermate, plus 2 ozs. Dreft 
or other spreader. 
Principal disease problems with Snaps are 
Botrytis rot and mildew. Good air circulation 
plus heat on damp, chilly days will help to 
prevent both, as will care in watering to avoid 
undue wetting of the leaves. Fermate and 
sulphur (incorporated in the spray mixture 
mentioned above) will aid in controlling mil- 
dew, while Parzate and Orthocide 50 are re- 
ported to give good control of Botrytis. 
Supporting the Crop 
We use conventional wire and cross string 
supports, finding one set, which may be raised 
as the crop grows, enough for single stem 
Snaps. Two sets are ample for a pinched crop 
with stems of different lengths. 
Snowman 
A Ball Hybrid. Excellent midseason pure white 
6 The dot (@) indicates varieties most dependably satisfactory in our experience and observation. 
