Horticulture Commons^™

Irrigation For Vegetable Crops In Iowa, A. T. Erwin, E. S. Haber

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

Does it pay to irrigate vegetable crops in Iowa?

What does it cost to irrigate? and under what conditions are these costs, plus a profit, returned to the vegetable grower?

No complete answer to these questions can be given, because of the widely varying conditions involved—differences of rainfall, of crops, of costs, of soil, of topography. But considerable light is thrown on them by experiments which the Vegetable Crops Subsection of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station has conducted during several years at Ames and on “Muscatine Island.’’

The Peppers, A. T. Erwin

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

Peppers are native plants of tropical America, one of the few vegetables which still abound in the wild state. The earliest mention of them was in a report of Columbus’ first voyage.

The garden peppers are regarded as dwarf, early maturing forms of Capsicum frutescens. They are either annuals or perennials, according to climatic conditions.

The peppers are both self and cross-fertilized.

The collection of peppers grown in securing the data for this bulletin, included over 200 varieties, a large proportion of which were synonyms, secured from the American and European seed trade.

Gladiolus Varieties In Floriculture Trial Gardens At Iowa State College, E. C. Volz, D. C. Fairburn

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

One of the few gladiolus trial gardens in the United States is located at Ames, Iowa. This project was established in 1929 by the Iowa Gladiolus Society and the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State College. It has enjoyed the active cooperation of gladiolus breeders and commercial growers. The purpose of this garden is to make a comparative study of new and important varieties of gladioli to determine their commercial value and general adaptability. The value of this trial garden from a demonstration point of view alone can hardly be overestimated. Thousands of plant lovers visit the garden annually to ...

The Effect Of Various Containers On The Growth Of Vegetable Plants, E. S. Haber

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

The experiments indicate that clay pots are superior, as a general rule, to composition pots, paper bands or flats as a growing medium for vegetable plants. If the plants in these substitute containers, however, are watered, about every week or 10 days with a solution of nitrate of soda, sulfate of ammonia or any other nitrogenous fertilizer at the rate of 1 ounce to 1 gallon of water, plants equal to those produced in clay pots are possible. A few species may do as well without nitrates; cabbage plants grown in peat pots were slightly better than those in clay ...

Pinching And Spacing Effects On Cut Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) Production In East Texas, Rebecca B. Burnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Three experiments evaluated pinching and spacing on Helianthus annuus in East Texas to determine their effects on growth and development. Experiment 1 was designed to determine the effects of pinching nodes 1, 2, 3, or 4 on ‘Pro Cut Gold’ sunflowers. Results from experiment 1 showed non-pinched plants produced marketable stem lengths and flower sizes, while pinched plants’ stem length, stem diameter, flower diameter, and disk diameter decreased compared to the non-pinched plants. The objective for experiment 2 was to evaluate pinching and spacing treatments on ‘Pro Cut Gold’ sunflowers. All spacings for non-pinched plants in experiment 2 produced marketable ...

Bordeaux Spray For Tip Burn And Early Blight Of Potatoes, A. T. Erwin

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

Tip burn and early blight, the two most common foliage troubles of the potato in Iowa, are of enough economic importance in the corn belt to be dealt with profitably thru the use of the bordeaux spray. Five seasons of spraying experiments at the Iowa Agricultural Experiment station point to that conclusion. These tests also suggest that under Iowa conditions five applications of bordeaux mixture per season are likely to be most profitable. That number gave an average annual crop increase of 20 bushels of potatoes per acre and an average annual increased profit of $9.62 per acre. Three ...

Late Potato Blight In Iowa, A. T. Erwin

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

Climatic conditions in Iowa are generally unfavorable to the development of the potato disease known as late blight. It is of rare occurence here but in occasional seasons it causes serious losses.

The climatic conditions under which late blight occurs in Iowa are a high degree of humidity with heavy dews and midsummer temperatures lower than usual. An excess of rainfall and a predominance of cloudy weather are contributing factors.

The practice of shipping in northern grown potatoes for seed is common in Iowa. Such seed is apt to be infected with the late blight fungus.

Better Methods Of Potato Production For Iowa: Results Of Three Years’ Investigations At Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station, Laurenz Greene, T. J. Maney

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

Spraying potatoes for early blight proved profitable each year during three seasons of experimentation. Three sprayings increased the net income per acre $3.20; five sprayings, $8.92; seven sprayings, $16.46 per acre.

About thirty different varieties of early and late potatoes were tested during each of the three years. Of the early varieties Irish Cobbler and Early Ohio gave the best yields; of the later varieties Prosperity and Rural New Yorker gave the highest yields.

The importance of seed selection was demonstrated by selecting high yielding hills in the field. The yield was increased 50 bushels of marketable ...

Effect Of Potato Scab Treatments On Seed Vitality: Formaldehyde And Corrosive Sublimate Solutions And Formaldehyde Gas, T. J. Maney

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

In three years of experiments at Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station in the use of formaldehyde gas for treating seed potatoes for scab, it was found that the gas greatly reduces the germinating powers of the tubers. The injury not only affects the eyes, preventing germination, hut also causes sunken spots about the lenticels. The tubers absorb the gas and retain it and thus are poisoned. In experiments with the usual treatment for potato scab, where the seed is soaked in‘ standard solutions of formaldehyde or corrosive sublimate, it was found that injury results if the tubers are soaked for more ...

Cold Storage For Iowa Grown Apples., Laurenz Greene

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

In continuing its investigation of cold storage for Iowa grown apples, upon which a partial report was made in September, 1909*, the horticultural section of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station has found further evidence that the principal commercial varieties of apples grown in the state may be handled with profit. The four years’ work with many different varieties all gives support to the value of this practice to Iowa apple men.

Since 1909 the Station has also developed many other new facts of importance to Iowa apple growers, not the least of them pertaining to the freezing of apples and ...

Wood Working Industries Of Iowa, Hu Maxwell, John T. Harris

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

The study upon which the report on the Wood-Using Industries of Iowa is based, was conducted by the Forest Service in cooperation with the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station, the work being done under the direction of O. T. Swan, in charge, office of Wood Utilization, Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, and G. B. MacDonald, forester of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station. The statistics were compiled from data collected in the spring of 1912 and cover a period of one year from January 1 to December 31, 1911. J. T. Harris of the Forest Service visited all parts of ...

Orchard Heating, Laurenz Greene

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

Late spring frosts cause immense losses of fruit in Iowa and help to discourage growers until many of them neglect, destroy or dispose of their orchards.

For that reason the Iowa Agricultural Experiment station is seeking to determine the value and efficiency of some of the orchard heating devices now on the market. During the season of 1911 tests were conducted in three different orchards and in addition several individual growers in various sections of the state also tried out heating as a means of frost protection. While the work is not complete and must be extended through other seasons ...

Spraying Practice For Orchard And Garden, S. A. Beach

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

This bulletin tells briefly how to fight the more common insect pests and plant diseases which infest Iowa orchards and gardens, especial attention being given to the apple. The directions are up-to-date and are based upon the work of scientific investigators and the experience of practical fruit growers. While they are given to meet the peculiar needs under Iowa conditions, they are nevertheless general, and the strength of the mixtures and number of sprayings will need to be varied somewhat to meet changing conditions.

Planning And Adorning The Farmstead, A. T. Erwin

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

Neat, conveniently arranged buildings, a well-kept lawn attractively bordered with trees and shrubs add greatly to the appearance and value of the farm and to the happiness of its occupants.

The farmstead, including as it does the general area occupied by the farm buildings, house and lawn, is the center of activity for the farm. Its planning and development, both from the standpoint of convenience and of securing an attractive landscape effect, deserve special consideration.

Results Of Seed Investigations For 1908 And 1909, L. H. Pammel, Charlotte M. King

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

Since the publication of bulletins 88 and 99 on the subject of seed investigation, the Botanical Section has continued a study of the seeds offered for sale to the farmers of Iowa. Bulletin 88 contains the studies for 1906, bulletin 99 the studies for 1907, and the present publication contains the results of our work for 1908 and 1909.

Since the operation of the Iowa law it has been our experience that the quality of the seed sold to the farmers is much better than formerly. Hundreds of samples sent to us by the farmers of this state for analysis ...

Plum Varieties, E. E. Little

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

A decade has now elapsed since this Station issued the last formal report on plums in its Bulletin 46. During this period many varieties have been received for testing on the Station grounds and a good opportunity has been offered for studying their records together with the older varieties which were previously established at the Station. This bulletin is offered as a report of progress, in the testing of varieties at this Station. Since Bulletin 46 is no longer available for distribution, somewhat fuller treatment has been given than would otherwise be necessary.

Varieties of plums which are generally cultivated ...

Cold Storage For Iowa Apples, H. J. Eustace, S. A. Beach

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

Under present conditions of apple growing in Iowa temporary gluts are common in very many local markets from the time the earliest fruits begin to ripen till early autumn or mid autumn followed usually by an immediate shortage as soon as the early fruit passes out of season. This holds true to a constantly increasing extent from south central Iowa to the north boundary of the State. The result is low prices locally for much of the early fruit with high prices usually prevailing from mid autumn to the end of the season. Even though prices are high very often ...

Evergreens For The Iowa Planter, A. T. Erwin, H. P. Baker

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

The planting of evergreens about the prairie home will become more general as people learn to appreciate their true value. Their evergreen character gives them an important advantage over other trees in that they afford protection against the fierce winds of winter as well as the drying winds of summer. This quality of their foliage also gives warmth and color to the landscape at a season.when it is naturally bleak and cheerless.

Appreciating the bareness o f the prairie and realizing the need of tree growth, the early settlers of this state entered upon a period of extensive tree ...

Spraying Calendar.

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

This Bulletin gives directions for fighting some of the common insects and diseases which injure orchard and garden crops and also tells how to prevent smut in oats, barley and wheat.

Insects and fungi cause Iowa fruit growers and gardeners a loss which in the aggregate amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. They cause fruit and vegetables to rot and to be wormy and knotty or scabby; they damage blossoms and blossom buds and so interfere more or less with the setting of the fruit; they destroy a vast amount of foliage or injure it in such a ...

Spraying Calendar, S. A. Beach, E. E. Little

Bulletin (Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station)

Insects and fungi cause Iowa fruit growers and gardeners a loss which in the aggregate amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. They cause fruit and vegetables to rot and to be wormy and knotty or scabby; they damage blossoms and blossom buds and so interfere more or less with the setting of the fruit; they, destroy a vast amount of foliage or injure it in such a way as to interfere with its work of building up the special kinds of food which the plant must have in order properly to sustain its life, to support its growth ...