SUMMARY OF EXPERIMENTS IN PRACTICAL

HORTICULTURE.

W. M. MUNSON.

In the horticultural work of the Experiment Station two distinct lines are kept in view: a study of the principles and laws affecting plant growth; and practical investigations for immediate guidance in the culture of fruits and vegetables. Mere variety testing, as such, has never occupied a leading place in the plan.

To be of value, work must extend uninterruptedly over a series of years, and general principles can be established only after repeated efforts; so that immediate "practical" results are not always possible. The following notes represent, in brief, a summary of the more immediately practical phases of the work which has received attention, with references to the particular bulletin or annual report where the details are published in full.

VEGETABLE GARDENING.

Vegetable gardening, while not of the commercial importance of some other lines of horticultural work in Maine, is nevertheless of interest and direct value to every citizen of the Statewhether farmer or laborer or professional man. The leading questions considered have to do with the tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, egg plant, corn, radish and celery; also with the forcing of vegetables under glass.

Tomato.

With the tomato, the following questions were considered: The effect of trimming the vines; effect of bagging the fruit to produce early ripening; the effect of crossing; the cumulative effect of culture under glass.

It was found that a chill to tomato plants after setting is not necessarily fatal to success, and that, other things being equal, the earliness and productiveness of tomatoes were in direct ratio

with the earliness of setting in the field. Unless conditions are 'very unfavorable, the plants should be in the field by June 1st. Trimming the plants after a part of the fruit had set, increased the yield by more than one-third. The results from bagging the fruit were in general of a negative character, but this treatment reduced the loss from rot. Crossing between small fruited plants of prolific habit and the ordinary large fruited type was found to be a promising method of securing a valuable type for localities where the season is short, and for securing a productive sort for forcing under glass. The increase in yield of the Lorillard-Peach cross over that of the pure Lorillard was nearly 50 per cent. A derivative hybrid between Lorillard and Currant produced a type of special excellence for forcing. In some instances seed from plants grown under glass gave better results in house culture than did seed of the same variety grown in the field. Results were not uniform, however, and there appeared to be distinct varietal differences. (Reports for 1891-5.)

Cabbage.

Cabbage studies included investigations as to the importance of deep setting of the plants; the effect of trimming at the time of setting; the frequency of transplanting; the effect of mulching.

Contrary to the general notion concerning the treatment of "leggy" plants, it was found that depth of setting had very little influence upon the size of the heads. Plants handled three or four times invariably gave better results than those handled once or twice before transfer to the field. Frequent transplanting increased the average size of the heads. Handling the plants in pots before setting in the field increased the percentage of marketable heads; but trimming the plants at the time of setting appeared to be of no special importance. The practice of mulching instead of cultivating was found to give very satisfactory results. (Reports for 1891-5.)

Cauliflower.

Work with the cauliflower included studies of the relative influence of pot and box culture of young plants; the effect of trimming at time of setting in the field; the effect of mulch as compared with frequent cultivation; a comparison of varieties.

Plants handled in pots were kept at a more nearly uniform rate of growth, and produced a higher percentage of marketable heads; this difference in some cases amounting to 20 per cent. As a result of trimming it was found that there was practically no difference in earliness nor in size of head, while as a rule the per cent of heads formed was greater from plants not trimmed. In no case were as satisfactory results obtained from the mulching as from frequent cultivation.

Nearly all of the leading varieties have been grown, and it is evident that the cauliflower may be successfully cultivated in this region. The most valuable sorts are of the Dwarf Erfurt and Snowball types, with Algiers for late in the season. for 1893 and Bulletin 10.)

Egg Plant.

(Report

Egg plant studies included methods of culture; varieties; and crossing.

It was demonstrated that with careful treatment the egg plant may be successfully grown in central Maine, the most important requisites being: early sowing; vigorous plants; late removal to the field; warm, rich soil. Most of the well-known varieties are too late for this climate, but Early Dwarf Purple, Early Long Purple and Long White were satisfactory. Several crosses were made between white-fruited and black-fruited types. After four years of breeding it was found that no type sufficiently constant in color to be of value commercially was produced. There was, however, a marked increase in vigor and productiveness as a result of crossing. In the first generation the purple-fruited types seem stronger in their power to transmit color to the offspring than do the white-fruited types; and this law appears to hold whether the purple type is used as the male or the female parent. In later generations the inherent strength of the whitefruited types appears stronger than in the first. In all cases the white-fruited types appear stronger than the purple in the power to transmit form and productiveness. (See Annual Reports, 1891-3.)

Radish.

With the radish, the principal questions considered have been, the relative value of large and small seed; the effect of sub

watering in the greenhouse; the influence of different temperatures upon the period of maturity.

Large seeds were found to produce from 30 to 50 per cent more first-class roots than did small seed from the same lot. Sub-watering produced 12 to 15 per cent more first-class radishes on a given section of the greenhouse bench than did surfacewatering on an equal area of the same bench. There was a much greater loss from damping off on the surface-watered section. Contrary to the usual notion, the crop matured earlier, and was of better quality, when grown in the tomato house, with a night temperature of 60 degrees, than when grown at a lower temperature. (See Annual Report, 1898.)

Celery.

The work with celery was mainly in the way of demonstration, and for the purpose of calling attention to this very useful garden plant. The questions of soil, fertilizers, planting, handling, blanching and storing were considered. (See Annual Report 1897 and Bulletin 40.)

WINTER GARDENING.

Principles and methods of building, heating, and ventilating greenhouses, and of managing the more important crops grown under glass, were discussed. In brief, it may be said, constant watchfulness and the exercise of good judgment are of more importance than adherence to set rules. One good man with occasional help should be able to do all of the work in houses covering 4,000 square feet of ground surface. In general, solid beds are advocated for plants requiring no bottom heat, such as cauliflower, lettuce and radishes, while for semi-tropical plants, like melons, beans, and tomatoes, benches are preferred. For large commercial houses, steam is the best method of heating, but for smaller houses hot water is preferable. (Annual Report, 1896.)

ORNAMENTAL GARDENING.

The ornamentation of rural homes is of the highest importance to the people of Maine, not only as a means of adding to the comfort and pleasure of home life, but as an attraction for the increasing number of summer visitors and as a means of enhancing the value of the property. For this reason suggestions were

made concerning the location of buildings; construction of walks and drives; making of lawns; what, when and how to plant; native trees and shrubs valuable for planting; the best hardy sorts to get from nurseries; trees and shrubs tried and found wanting. (Annual Report 1897, and Bul. 42 and 46.)

FRUIT GROWING.

Fruit growing undoubtedly offers better opportunities than any other line of commercial horticulture in Maine, and its increasing importance demands more special attention on the part of the Experiment Station in the future. From the nature of the case, results are necessarily slow; but a large amount of work has been done, and partial reports have been made. Briefly summarized, the following statement indicates the nature and scope of this work:

Since 1890 the Station has had under observation, both at the home orchard and in northern Maine, hardy fruits from Russia and from the Northwest. All of these varieties are hardy and most of them are productive; very few of them, however, are worthy of general dissemination in those parts of Maine where the well known varieties of English and American origin will thrive. In the extreme northern part of the State some of them are valuable, and a few are worthy of culture under any conditions. (See Annual Reports, 1891, '92, '96, and Bulletin 82.)

Many fruits of unknown, or of doubtful value in this State, are sold by agents every year. For the information of growers, a catalogue of the leading sorts was prepared with a statement as to their character, quality and value for home use or for market, both for the northern and for the southern counties. (Annual Report 1893 and Bulletin 6.)

For a study of the comparative effect of cultivation and mulching, as well as for experiments with fertilizers, a young orchard in Kennebec county was selected in 1898. In the same region an old orchard is the basis of work in orchard renovation; and more recently another young orchard has been chosen for experiments in top-grafting. Studies in the use of cover crops are made in the Station orchard at Orono, and in orchards in other sections of the State. From data thus far published, it is found that, in the case of the Gravensteins, the number of trees producing some fruit was nearly 50 per cent greater on the culti