Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-03-02

cheesecloth. Three tents were erected.
One was placed over strawberries. This
tent was covered ON the top and on
the south and west sides, leaving the
north and east sides open, except for
one breadth at the top. The cloth was
put on this tent June 3, just as the
berries were beginning to turn. The
weather proved unfavorable for such a
test. for q great deal of rainy and
cloudy weather followed, causing a
large amount of rot in all the straw
berries. There was too little sunshine,
even for those in the open field. Con-
seauently the results We're unfavoraDle
rather than otherwise, SO far as any
were observed, but the effect was very
slight at most. With hot, dry weather
at picking time the tent might prove
of value.
A tent open on all sides, having mere
ly top cover and a single breadth or
cloth on the sides near the top, was
used for cucumbers In comparison with
similar plants in the open ground. In
side the tent twenty-tw vines, in seven
hills. survived the battle with the bugs
and reached bearing size. Outside the
tent twenty-nine plants, in seven hills,
survived Thirteen fruits, weighing al
together two pounds and one and one
half ounces. were harvested on vines
inside the tent. Twenty-six fruits,
weighing nine pounds and two and
three-eighths ounces, were harvested
from the outside vines. The tent COW
ering seemed to prove Of no value in
warding off beetles or mildew. In fact,
the shaded plants seemed to be even
more badly diseased than those in the
open. 1t was felt that with cucumbers
the tent must be left open to permit
of the blossoms being pollinated by in
sectS
In the experiment with lettuce, cell
cry and caulifower, a long tent was
used, divided into two sections. The
south section was entirely closed. The
north section was left open on the
north and east sides. AS the season
progressed it was observed that the
celery under the tent appeared better
than that outside 1t was lighter in
color, more upright in growth, and the
stalks were decidedly longer.
When harvested in November the
celery from the open tent averaged 20
per cent taller than that grown in the
open ground, and that from the closed
tent averaged 40 per cent taller. The
celery from the closed tent was better
in other ways. Not only were the
stalks longer, but the color was better,
being more nearly blanched, and there
was less waste material in the shape Of
roots and leaves. Plants outside of the
tents suffered much more from early
frost than did those inside.
The flavor Of the celery from the
closed tent was much superior to that
outside. That from the open tent
seemed to differ but little from that
grown outside. In the matter Of ten
derness very little difference was to be
observed. The celery grown inside the
closed tent seemed slightly more
stringy than that grown outside. 1t is
possible that the better flavor of that
grown inside may have been due in
part to its having been more complete
ly blanched
With caulifower the influence of the
tents appeared to be less marked.
Those under the open tent were badly
injured by worms. Under the closed
tent the injury was not serious. The
shade had a retarding effect upon the