The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-12-07
aORTICULTURE
GARDEN VEGETABLES AND
PRACH TRRRS.
Of the Progreesive FArmer.
BAY CITY, TEX

BAY CITY, TEX
This is the subject of bulletin 40 of
West Virginia Station. The results of
this years tests by the horticulturist of
that station are briefly stated as fol
lows:
1. The same quantity of beans planted
in drills will give almost if not q;lite
double the product they will planted in
hills.
2. The yield Of Lima beans can be in
creased by planting the seed in inverted
sods In a hosbed from April Ito
Where but a few plants are grown for
family use the increase will more than
repay the trouble.
2 Bush Lima beans yield we'll and
can, l believe, be made to take the
place of the pole sorts. If this is true,
the cost of poles and training can be
deducted from the cost of growing
Lima beans.
4. The bush sorts Of beans require
less space for development than the
pole varieties, and consequently a larger
return per acre may be expected from
bush Limas than from pole Limas, par
ticularly toward the northern limit of
the successful cultivation Of the pole
LImas.
8. 1t is believed that the limit of the
successful cultivation of bush Lima
Will be found to be much further north
than hat of the pole Lima.
6. The test of the year shows a de
cided advantage in planting peas three
inches deep, as against either deeper or
shallower planting.
Z. The tomatoes introduced in 1896
emphasize the great variability which
this plant has acquired since it was
brought under cultivation.
8 The fertllIZ4 r test on tomatoes in
dictates the value of a complete manure
for this crop.
8. The fertilizer test clearly shows
the superiority of potasic fertihz ,rs
among the special manures used and
the advantage to be gained IN the use
of sulph2te Of potash over the muriate
LII I6EG11kG 8GkO0 Oh
10 The balance of evidence given in
the test of seedlings vs cuttings of to-
mato plants in outdoor culture tavors
che cuttings both in earlIness and the
total crop for the season. Toe fruits,
however, are smaller than those of the
Seeding plants
IL The test Of seedlings vs. cut
tings in the house gives a verdict de
cidediy In favor of the Seeding plants.
ID The more are given tomato
plants before setting them in the field
che greater the yield and the increase
pays well for the trouble.
13 Training tomato plants to a single
stem made the frnIt earlier and larger,
but those trained in racks gave the
largest yield.
IA Pruning the plants after the crop
was set made the fruit earlier but
slightly decreased the yield
Is The use of straw mulch under to
mAGo plants reduced the rot one half.
Bulletin 80 Of Missouri Station, de
voted to preach growing in Missouri,
rec 'rds a most important discovery as
a result of experiments at that station
20 protect the peach fruit buds from
winter killing.
Winter killing of fruit buds is due to
one of three causes, namely: Imper
feet ripeniDg of the new growth in the
fall, excessively hard freez ng in win
ter, or swelling by a flow of sap started
by a warm spell in winter or early
spring, followed by a sharp cold spell.
To avoid the first cause v apply
fertilizers later than early spring and
stop all cultivation early enough in
summer to permit the new growth to
thoroughly mature. Late applications
of fertilizers and late cultivation are
apt to stimulate a late growth of new
wood, which is liable to be caught with
more or less sap in it by the first sud-
den freeze in fall.
Experience has shown that we'll
ripened peach buds will stand a winter
temperature of 90 degrees below zsro
without injury if the cold weather
comes on gradually in autumn and re-
mains steady throughout the winter
with no warm spells intervening. The
weather records chow that the Their
mometer seldom registers q lower tenn
perature than this In Missouri. Yet
peach buds r often killed in that
State by a temperature only 4 degrees
below zero, because cold snaps were