The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-07-20

Of Experiment Station Bulletins.

AO
ton, and A of Rhode Island Station,
are finely illustrated pamphlets on Gel
cry.
The New York experiments related
chiefly to remedies for the early and
late blight, to winter storage, and to
proper fertilizers for this crop.
For blight, salt, lime, h~yposulphlse OF
soda. and potassium sulfde were used
without any benefit. The ammoniacal
copper carbonate solution gave the
best results, for both early and late
blight. New Jersey Station also re
ports great success with this remedy.
Connecticut station sgot best results
with dry sulphur at the rate Of one
pound to each 600 plants. The Rhode
Island station finds a mulch yer the
roots q much better remedy than any
spray or powder. Partial shading with
screens seems to be a perfect remedy,
but very expensive.
The preventive measures recon-
mended are to set only healthy plants
in healthy soil, and mulch. In storing
celery, see that no plants affected by
late blight are put in store, else they
will infect all In the same house, eel
lar, or pit. If diseased plants must be
stored, first dip them in the copper car
Donate solution, fret slipping off the
leaves.
On the storage question, the bulletin
gives photographs Of the storage house
and Of sections showing its construc-
ton. The essential features are low
brick walls built under ground, adouble-
walled roof whose caves are but a few
inches above the surface, and ventilat
ing fues leading up through the roof.
In the fertilizing tests, bone black
gave better results than South Carolina
rock, as a source of phosphoric acid
Muriate of potash gave better results
than sulphate of potash, but woodas
surpassed either, probably on account
of the lime in them. Nitrate of soda
was the only form of nitrogen used,
and gave good results.
The Rhode Island bulletin cites in
favor of celery culture the facts that it
is a choice and popular vegetable fer
which there is a good 6em5nd and no
substitute, has few diseases and no in
sect enemies to speak of and requires
no cooking or other manipulation to
prepare it for the table.
Irrigation was of great advantage in
Rhode Island, open bitches giving
much hetter results than porous tile.
Filling the bitches with seaweed pre-
vented washing of soil and retained the
moisture longer after each irrigation.
Seaweed also made a good mulch to
prevent blight and black heart.
FIfty-nine varieties of celery are cat
alogued by American seedsmen, but
those mostly grown are Paris Golden,
White PUNE, Giant PaschRl, Sey
mour's Superb, Boston Market, Golden
Heart and RISE. Paris Golden never
has a strong, bitter favor, even when
not well blanched, and for this reason
is the most popular of all. Giant Pas
chal is also of nigh quality.
Blythe new celery culture" the
self Branching kinds are planted s to IL
inches apart each way, go their tops
exclude the light and blanch them up
nicely without any sort of handling.
This method requires excessively rich
land and a great abundance of water,
which should be supplied through mar
row, shallow trenches between the
rows, one trench in every second row.
ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE TOAD
Bulletin 46, of Hatch (Mass) Station,
says the toad lives 10 to 40 years, does
not begin to produce young till the Ash
year, but then lays owe 1000 eggs a
year. 1t has lived two years without
food, but cannot live long under water.
It never takes dead or motionIess food.
1t takes its food by means Of it's tongue
alone, and it operates this so rapidly
that the eye cannot follow it's motions.
It captures and devours bees, wasps,
yellow jackets, ants, beetles, worms,
spiders, snails, bugs, grasshoppers,
crickets, weevils, caterpillars, moths,
ETC., etc.
The station examined, with a micro
scope, the contents of the stomachs of
z toads in April, 80 in May. 66 in June,
% In July, 10 in August, and z in Sep
tember-149 in all. Ga an average it
was found that so per cent. of the toad's
food consists of harmful insects, and IL
per cent. was Of such beneficial insects
as bees, spiders, lady bugs, etc.
The stomach that doesn't finch at
yellow jackets, blister beetles, and
click beetles, or pinch bugs, would
seem to be prepared for anything in