The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12
A WOMAN noRTICULTURTsT
Miss Noorhees. VaSsar Graduate, In Charge
at New Jersey Experiment station.

New BRUNSWICK, Feb. ll.-Miss Jean A.
Voorhees,. a recent graduate OF Vassar
College and a daughter Of DR.. Edward b.
Voorhees,. director OF the State experiment
station here. has become the horticulturist
OF the station.
Sweet peas growing in profusion on the
college farm these days. under glass, OF
course. Is the sight that greets the visitor
to the horticultural department, and there
in the greenhouses the recent Vassar grad
uate supervises the work.
At the present time the chief expert
mental work going on is with tho sweet
pea. and three rows OF these flowers have
been planted under the glass. Each box is
fortified with different kind Of fertilizer,
with the idea OF determining what kind OF
soil Ia best adapted for the work Great
care is necessarily used in this sort OF
culture, for the buds, which wilt rapidly.
must be plucked at least twice week in
ordinary weather and three times in sunny
weather.
The best Of these peas are pucked and
sent to the New York wholesale florists
TO be sold. The price obtained Is important,
as II shows 70 the florists of the STATE what
money can be realized from culuvatlng these
blooms.
curious thing about the exhibit is the
fact that the first row of white sweet peas
was planted at the same time last October
"a the red variety in the second row and
the pink and white variety in the third row,
and yet the white variety, which was the
first b flower. was supposed to be the latest
10 bloom Of ALL IL is harder 70 raise the
dark varieties, as dark flowers wilt IN green
houses much quicker than the hght Ones
some unexplained reason.
Errarirnoutg ara being made at the pres
ent time in sub-watering, that IL, watering
some Of the plants through pipes under
meath the soil instead OF on top, but the
results OF this method have not been fully
determined as yet. Nevertheless, it APP
pears that the effect Of sub-watering is to
give TO the flowers longer stems, something
much sought after by florists.
The growing of sweet peas VIII be con-
tinued until the experiment Ia ended. lhen
| cauliaower will be grown for experimental
| purposes.
On the further side OF the sweet peas
Miss Voorhees, showed the interviewer the
/ lettuce which is grown under glass IN large
| quantities. This lettuce IS not me headed
| variety which is 50 popular In the market
! for it's supposed tender characte ristics'
| hut is evenly green all over. Miss voorhees,
! said that IL is much better than the beaded
variety, according TO the experiments con-
| Quoted at the farm.
Much OF this is sold 10 delicatessen men.
| The present crop oil lettuce was pldilASu III
| November. and is the second raised under
glass at the farm this winter. with one
more still t. follow. Before the season Is
| over there will have been raised under glass
two crops OF tomatoes and two OF cucum-
| bers as well.
Miss Voorhees, showed with some pride
the two latter vegetables, The tomatoes
! have recently been transplanted and are
now good sized plants. On the opposite
side OF the dollhouse were several beds oil
| oucumbers which are as yet very small.
One can hardly realize. unless accus-
toned to greenhouses and their ways
how much trouble and expense are involved
in the preparation Of the soil, the disntec-
tion of the greenhouses before putting in
the new plants in the fall and the thousano
and one details which need attention.
! Miss Voorhees, spends the greater part Of
her dav at this time OF the year In the green,
houses. and evidently finds the work botl
! congenial and pleasant To the outsider
| II would hardly seem necessary Tor any on'
10 spend so much time among the plants
| hut in the greenhouse in winter Their
i, always something 10 be done. Tit
ventilation must be regulated, the flower
picked. dead leaves removed, the bed
watered and insect pests looked after. and
besides. n record must be kept when ex
| r,eriments are going on.