TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARIES central library reference METW3POLITAN TORONTO LIBRARY THE Canadian Horticulturist PUBLISHlill BY THE FRUIT GROWEf|S' ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO. ^V^OLTJIMIE XII- EDITOR, - L. WOOLVERTON. M.A. I'll HUSHED AT TORONTO AND OKlMSliV Office at Grimsby, Ont. ll(o 174^ INDEX TO VOL. XI The Canadian Hortictilhirist, 19-73 284 220 113 Advice about New Fruits to Fi-uit (Irowers and Shippers 150 Agricultural College 112 Ailanthus 233-254 Allan, Alex. McJ) 4 Anemone Japonica IS Anjou Pear . 5(3 Apples (varieties)— Albermarle Pippin 8 Aylesworth 213 American Golden Russet 92 Ben Davis 59 Blushed Cal ville 223-246 Breskovka 246 Duchess of Oldenburg 191-121 Fallawater 8 Haas ; Keane's Seedling Kentish Fill Basket McMahon's White Mann Morse's Seedling Harvest 213 Northern Spy O-S-275 Princess Louise , 87-193 Reauy's Seedling 257 Red Pound or Simcoe 59 Red Russet 283 Salome 8 Seedling from Ottawa 256 Shiawassee Beauty 43 Stump 8 Sutton Beauty 8 Trenton 244 Wealthy 31-59 Whitney's No. 20 42 Winter St. Lawrence 8-145 WolfRiver 9 Yellow Transparent 209-223 Best Variety of 21 Best Variety for Perth Co 91 Canadian vs. British 118 Dwarf 91 For Animals 13 I'or Russell Co 69 For Export, an Inspector of 211 Hardy 134-220 Medicinal Value of 75 Russian 198-223 Apples. P.\GK Storing 41 To Grow Successfully 10 Trays for 41 Blight 8 Apple Butter 272 In Pennsylvania 205 Crop Disposal of 269 Crop Prospects 215 Dealers, Fraudulent 22it Harvest, The.. 195 Industry in Michigan 32 Pomace and its Use 272 Apple Trees Bearing 32 For Foreign Market 92 From Cuttings 45 Low Lands for 41 Pruning, the 61 Treatment of Yearling 91 B. Barbeiry 17 Bark Lice 137 Louse, the 92 Louse, Grajje-Vine 162 Baron Bon Stetten Rose 232 Baroness Rothschild Rose 108 Beadle, Dr. D. W 122 Beets 268 Bignouia in the Windows 37 Birch, Cut-leaved Weeping 87 Birches, Ornamental 18 Blackberries 142 Blackberry, The 17 Bushes, Protection of 282 Canes, Pruning 281 Black Cherry for Foresters. The 1-32 Currants, Growing 139 Black-hearted Tree 66 Black Walnut 254 Tree Growing 282 Border, Best Use of 68 Border Plants, Good Hardy 18 Bordeaux Mixture 172 Borer, Peach Tree 148 Berckman's, P. J 60-118 Breskovka Apple 246 Brown, Prof. Wm 201 Bulbs 14 For Open Air 252 Depth of Planting 253 c. (^al.Lage , Cabbage in July . ■ ■ • Cacti In Mexico . . Cactim, Crab's Claw Culturt- I'Al.K . 2tiH 184 . Kil . 1:15 . 125 . 124 Calla Lily, The 2r)4.2(>2 Canadian vs. British Apples IIS Cara(?ana Arbore.icens 141 Carr..t8 2f5S Catalpas in-233-247 Cauliflower 2(>JS Celery 268 Cherries, Most Protitable o4 Cherries (varieties). Russian 113 Cerise do Ostheim 223 Ostheim .. 9-25-210 Vladimir 287 Windsor n Cider, Keeping Sweet 13 Making 227 Vinegar 203 Climatic Range of Trees, The 233-27« Climbers, Hardy 212 Cline, Mr. (Jeorge 237 Coal Ashes for Vines 34 Tar as an Insecticid*' (iS Cold Storage ")6 Coleus ... 202 Cochrane Fruit Case 115 Condensed Must, or Crape Syrup 140 Conference, An Apple and Pear 210 Conn (J.K.seberry, The 184 G'onvallaria Majalis 64 Cojjpcras as Manure 24!t Cobaea Scandens 35 Corn 268 Cultivator and Fertilizers 147 Cultivation of Roots for Winter Flowering 14 Cultivator Going, Keep the 174 Cucumber 26.S ( Jurculio and the Chei ries 184 Curl Leaf 158 (Jurl of Peach Leaves Hit Currant, Experience with 141 Cut Worms 14<» l>ewl>erry, The Lucretia '.12-201 -252-282 Dempsev. Mr. P. C 242 Downy Mildew 171 Karly Puritan Potato Ka\i Celeste Klberta Peach Kims, Destruction of Kvergreeus, Transplanting Kvaporating Fruit 224-2(»l (a) Points from an Expert (b) How and what to Evaporate. (c) How to Sulphur Fruit Ex|>erience at Penetanguishene. Currants (Jrajies Strawlirrries l':xi.eri.ii(e with Forest Trees 278 Kxperiiii.iital Farm. Branches of 113 F. Kail Pn.Minvr 281 Kan I'nuiing ••7 Farmers' Institutes. Co-oiM'nition with. ... 211 Fay's Prolific Currant 262 Fences, Movable . . 189 Fertilization of the (Jrape 12 Fertilizers. Ashes 44 Coal Ashes 140-163 Nitrate of Soda 114 Marl 44 Pomace 161 Potash 77 Flag 44 Flowerde-Luce 1 Flowers at Funerals 1 :< HowtoDrv 144 Use of ...: 43 Force Pumps 136 Forest, Algoncpiin 210 Trees from Seed 254 Forestry 95-142 In Kansas 18 Profits of 47 What it is 156 Forest versus Orchards 82 Fossil Tree, An Immense 106 Foster Peach 55 Fruit in — Arnprior 47 Ayr 47 Brussels 94 (loderich 94 Grey County 47 Manitoba 118-141 Middlesex Co 216 Mo.uit Forest 94 Ontario Co 216 Russ<'ll 69 Winnii)eg 281 Essex Co ... 286 Fruit As a Diet 12 Best Varieties of 21 Evajmrating 199 For Luncheon 230 Handling for Market 199 Har.lv 42 Inspecti.m of 282 Keeping of 32 Notes 58 Packing 218 Profits of 55 lT.ses of 272 Tested in Muskoka 287 Fruit Case, Cochrane 115 Cultiuv, Profits «.f 43 Card.-n, Small 249 M ark. t, Toronto 114 Packages, To Regulate 237 K.-I".rts 114 Svrup. Prepar.Tti.in of 273 Fuchsia 17 Fuchsia Cultiue . . 38 l''uiigus iJra)"' \'iiii- 258 Full.T Svst. Ill 66 G. PAGE Garden. The Kitchen 14 Garden Walk, The 207-259 German Prune 97 Girdled Trees 101 Gooseberries, Seedlings 214 Gooseberry, Crosby's Seedling 214 Grapes (varieties) — Amber Queen 287 August Giant 286 Bacchus 286 Black Hamburg 59 Brighton 33-184-287 Burnet 93 Clinton 43 Cottage 286 Duchess 287 Early 33 Early Victor 287 Elvira 287 Empire State 287 Etta 287 Hosford's Seedling 287 Jewel 119 Jefiferson 287 Marion 286 Mills 102 Moyer's 265 Naomi 287 Niagara 287-262 Northern Light 271 Pocklington 287 Prentiss 287 Worden 280 Grape Juice for Use 273 Grapes — Best Varieties of 22 Fertilization of 12 Fertilizers for 33-248 First Canadian 215 For Export 70 Healthf ulness of 230 Glasgow Market for 46 Grafting 86 Keeping 200-247 Manuring 11 Marketing 2472-00 Protection from Frost 212-238 Pruning the 67 Tested in Essex Co 286 Varieties of . 59 Winter Pruning 11 Yield of 45 (irape Vine Bark-Louse 162 Leaf-Hopper 148 Leaf Fungus 258 Training a 137 Grajje Vines, Coal ashes for 34 Ringing of 184 Covering 259 Fall Pruning of 281 Grafting - 186 Grafts, Roots 162-189 Grape Cure, The 247 Must 284 Syrup 45 (irape Syrup or Condensed Must 140 Gray, Prof. Asa 98 Great Botanist, A 78 Greenhouse, Plan of 50 Grimsby Scenery 185 Hampton Court Gardens 182 Hardy Apples 134-220 Handling Fruit for Market 275 Harvest, The Apple 195 Hedges.. f Plants 17 Heliantlius .Alultitiorus Plenus 18 Hints for the Month 19-41-66-84-146 Hickory 83 Hollyhock, Cultivation of 129 Home, The 48 Horn Poppy 17 Horticultui'al 174-198-275 Notes 223 Reminiscences 101 Horticulture and the Young 75 In Schools 88 In Massachusetts Hot-bed, How to Prepare a 78 Hyacinths, Trouble with 138 Grubs Cutting off 161 Hydrangea Paniculata Grandiflora 121 I. Inspector of Apples for Export, An 211 Iris 128 Iris, The '. Canary Bird 1 Common Blue Flag 1 Disraeli 1 Ivy 17 Ivy for Picture Frames 48 J. Japan Ivy ( Ampelopsis) 221 Jacqueminots, The 81 Josephine des Malines 56 Judging Fruits 133 June Flower.s, or a Ramble in the Woods.. 127 L. Laburnum, Grafting of 110 Laburnums 17 Ladder for Fruit 160 Ladders ' 20 Landscape Gardening 44 Lawn Failing * 139 Laying out a 2-49 Paths for 49 Seed for 3 Trees and Shrubs for 49 Laurels 17 Laj'ing out Lawn 2-49 Lawrence Pear 56 Leaf-Hopper, Grape- Vine 148 Leslie, Geo., Sen 29 Lily of the Valley 64 Lombardy Poplar 27 Lophospermum 35 Louis Van Houttii 16 Lucretia Dewberry, The 92, 201, 282, 252 M Manure, Barn .. : 55 Lic[uid 55 Manuring the Grape 11 Marketing Fruits 74 Maurandya 35 Mice....." 20-284 M -(Contlnnrd.) <.k M il.lew, Destruction of ... 13!) Downy 171 Remedy for 14!t Monkey Tree 115 Moon Flower X(» Mound, an Ornamental 105 Moving Large Trees 235 Mrs. John Laing Rose 233 Mu.st, Condensed 143 Murthroonis, True and False . 257 My Experience in Fruit Culture 5fi My First Plantatinu 155 N. Xew Fruits, Advice about 2S Strawberries 175 Varieties, Experience with 118 Notes on Foreign Travel Hi On March Niunher 105 Notes and Coniinents. 112, 133, 157, 1«3, 23»),25() o. Oleanders 188 Onion Maggot, The 137 Open Letters, 22, 47, 09, !)4, 117, 141, 191,215, 2()2 (Jrange Rust of the Raspberry 187 Osier atid Willow Growing (;2 Ostheim Cherry 9, 25, 210 Our Markets .... 23, 46, 71, 190, 239, 263, 288 Closer Connection with the English Consumer 262 Glasgow for Grapes 16 Selling Direct to the Consumer. . . 200 P. Packages for Apples and Pears 93 Packing Table 196 Pansy, Cultivation of 178, 231 Pai>er Bags 34 Paris Exposition, The 283 Parasites of Plants, a Remedy for 280 Paris Green and Bees 116 Paris Green, Use of 42. 113, 112 Peach Crop for '88 89 Tree Borer 148 Yellows, Cause of 175 Facing up 260 Peaches, Newer 54 Protection of 90 Pruning 213 Seedlintr 151 Peach Yellows 113 Peaches (varieties)— Elberta 281 Foster .55 Wager 151 I'eas 269 Pears (varieties) Anjou .... 5les 8 Raspberry Canes, Fungus on 212 Orange Rust of 187 Raspberries (varieties) — Golden Queen 45, 94 Reports of Fruit Crops 162 Rei)ortsof Trees and Fruits received from the F. (i. A Canadian Baldwin 47 Catalpa 22, 262 Cuthbert 47 1 )eutzia Crenata 22, 47 K-(Contl 'I.) Reports of Trees and Fruits received from the F. G. A.— Dewberry 22, 27, Doyenne Boussock Pear Fay's Currant 47, Geranium Grimes Golden Haas Marlboro' Raspberry Niagara Grape 22, 247, Ontario Strawberry Ostheim Cherry Prentiss Grape Russian Apple Tree Rose,White Moss Wealthy Apple Worden (^rape Yellow Transparent Apple Remedies for Mildew and Black-knot Review, 47, 70, 94, 11<), 143. 168, 192. 21(x 288 Rhododendrons Rockery for Ferns Rose, The Aphis Gossip Notes 80, Thrips Roses in Winter Care of . Classification of For the Garden New Propagation of Treatment of Wintering of Russian Apjjles 198, Apricot 262 262 262 47 47 47 47 262 19 47 22 22 47 47 247 149 240, 17 117 170 210 232 108 161 170 16 127 179 36 81 223 91 School Decoration 104 Sea Pink 17 Seedling Peaches 151 Seedlings — Apple from Ottawa . . : 256 Aylesworth's Apple 213 Cro.sby's Gooseberry 214 (Gooseberries 214 Keane's Aijple 284 Morse's Early Harvest Apple 213 Owen Sound Beauty Plum 259 Peaches • 151 Plum from Flora 238 Reany's Ai)ple 257 Strawberries 175 Trenton Apple 244 Seed Sowing 78 Seed Vitality 44 Selling Direct to the Consumer 200 Season and the Crops, The 268 Sheep in the Orchard 279 Shiawassee Beauty 43 Shipping Direct to London 288 Shrubs, Care of 255 Two Nice 135 Silver Poplar 26 Sil vi-culture 160 Small Fruits, Pruning 189 Simth, A. M 74 Some Prominent Canadian Horticulturists, 4, 29, 74, 122, 242 Sparrows' Death Warrant 176 Sparrow 70, 89 The House 20 Spiraea Japonica 14 Spraying, Benefit of 219 Spring Wagon for Carting Apples 281 Strawberries (varieties) — Bubach 201 Covell 20, 250 Crescent 201, 249 Cumberland 201 Itasca 201 Jessie 94, 100, 202, 262, 270 Jewell 202 Laxton"s Noble . 114 May King 249 Ontario 100 Pearl 250 Parry 185 Warfield's No. 2 249 Strawberries 201, 269 Among the 269 Commendable 249 Fall Planting 202 Great American 116 Growing 174 List of 270 Manure for 92 New and Old 100 Strawberry Plants- Coal Ashes for 25 Cutting off Tops of 189 Leaves Curling up 68 Summer in Winter or Life under Glass .... 34 Summer Meeting, The 135, 173 Sumach, The 64 Swanley White Violet 93 Sycamore 208 Thorn Tree, The Thrips, Rose Thunbergia Tradescantia Transparent Family Transplanting Trees Trees and Shrubs Tree, Blackberry Cricket Trees, Climatic Range of For Shade, the Best In Grass Nut-bearing Tricks of the Trade 152 Trumpet Creeper, The Tomato, Champion Dwarf Tomatoes Toronto Fruit Market Tulip Tree 241 161 35 42 63 91 138 276 207 33 181 205 217 263 117 114 91 u. Uses of Fruits- Apple Butter 272 Apple Butter in Pennsylvania 25 Apple Pomace 272 Cider Vinegar 203 U {('nnliinir,!.) t:\c,v. Uses of Fruits How to Kat them 20S Cirape Cure- '*^J Grape Juice '-iT-^ Unfenneutod 201 V. Victoria Aster 110 Victoria Park, Niagara Falls 1!*" Vine, a Large -"iii Vinegar from Tomatoes 13'J Vinegar Making 227 Viticultural 11,200,247 w. Wager Peacli 151 Walnut, The... I'Jl Whit.' llil.ihcu.- 258 White I'ine, till' 114 Whitney's No. 2 42 Willow and Osier (Jrowing H2 Windsor Cherry 11 Winter Meeting, Tlie 26 At Hamilton 23(; Winter Nelis Pear . oH Winter-Pruning (Grape) 5tt Winter St. Lawrence 7 Wood Ashes 212 Woodlands, to the Owners of 181 Wood Lot, The 131 Y. Yellow Locust H;^ INDEX TO CONTRIBLTORS. Agricola. Beadle, 1). W., St- Catharines. Bucke, P. E., Ottawa. Budd, J. L., Ames, Iowa. Campbell, 1^, London. Caston, G. C, Craighurst Cockburn, J. P., (Jravenhuret. Croil, John, Aultsville. Ferrier, A. I)., Fergus. Forester. CJilcinist, Mrs. A., (iuelph. Grover, T. M., Norwood. G. J. K. Lambert, Hon. Mrs., New Edinbuigh Leslie, Geo., Toronto. Littl*-, JoIdi, (iranton. Maddock, (ieorge, Hamilton. Mason, F., Peterborough. Mitchell, Fred, Innerkip. McWillianis & Everist, Tun. Panton, Prof. J. Hayes, Gu. Rands, Otto, Shell)uriie. Robertson, N., Ottawa. Roy, Simon, Berlin, ()nt. Selleck, S. F., Morrisburg. Sheppavd, R. W., Montreal, Simmers, Hermann, Torontd Smith, A M., St. Catharine.- Woolverton, Linus, Grimsby, INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. A. l-AtJK Allan, A. MciJ .J Ampeloii.-is Veitchii 222 A pple-tree Borer 147 ■ Asparagus fi8 B. Bark Lice 137 Beadle, Dr. I). W., St. Catharines 123 Bignonia, (Colored Plate) 217 Budding 18ti Budding 187 Bushel Crate. . Bercknians, Mr P.J c. PACE . mil . «i Cacti in Mexico 135 CallaLily 39 Cassier Pansy 178 Cereus Grandiflorus 126 Cobaea Scandens 36 Crab Cactus 154 Crataegus Coccinea, (Colored Plate) 241 Curl Leaf 159 Cut-leaf Weeping Birch 84 JJ^ PAGE Dempsey, Mr. P. C 243 Downy Mildew 1' 1 F. Fan Pruning ^ Fossil Tree, an Immense 107 Fruit Case, the Cochrane (Fig. 45) 155 Fruit Case, the Cochrane (Fig. 45) 116 Fruit Ladder 160 G. German Prune, (Colored Plate) 97 Girdled Tree (Fig. 39) 102 (Fig. 40) 102 (Fig. 41) 102 Golden Colored Spores Ic7 Grasses 1^7 Gray, Prof. Asa 99 Greenhouse, Plan of o3 End Elevation of 53 Grimsby Park Pier 185 H. Haas Apple 73 Hard Maple.T he 120 Healthy Leaf 159 Hollvhock 130 Home of Mr. N. P. Bailey, Harlem. N.Y. 51 Hot-bed 78 Hydrangea Paniculata Grandiflora (Colored Plate) 121 I. Iris (Colored Plate) 1 Ivy for Picture Frames 48 J. Japan Ivy 222 Japy Spraying Machine 172 K. Keane's Seedling Apple 284 L. Leslie, Geo. , Sen 35 Lily of the Valley 05 M. Mammillaria Pectinata 12(1 Maurandya 35 Mills Grape, The 103 Mixed German Pansy 179 Movable Fence 189 Moving Large Trees (Fig 79) 235 (Fig 80) 235 Mc. McMahon's White PAGE . 220 Oak-leaved Mt. Ash 63 Opuntia Tuna : . . 12() Ostheim Cherry (Colored Plate) 24 Packing Table 196 Park Row at Grimsby Park 185 Path 49 Phyllocactus Latifrons 124-125 Planting.... 86 Princess Louise 87 Section of 88 (Colored Plate) 193 Pruner for Blackberry Canes 284 Pruning Trees 67 Prunus Triloba (Colored Plate) 49 R. Reany's Seedling Apple 257 s. Scoth Pine, The 27 Smith, A. M 74 Sprayed Bartlett: 219 Spiraea Japonica 15 Spring Flowering Bulbs 252 Springhurst 3 T. Thumbergia 35 Tradescantia 37 Tray for Apples 41 Trenton Apple, The 244 Trimardeau Pansy 179 u. Unsprayed Bartlett 219 V. Victoria Aster HO w. Windsor Cherry, The 10 Winter Protection of Peach Trees 90 Winter St. Lawrence 7 Winter St. Lawrence (Colored Plate).... 14o IRIS. FOR CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. THE Caqadiai] Jiorticulturist. Vol. XI. 1B85. No. 1. 1888. BY ORANDMA OOWAN, MOTNT ROYAL VALK, MONTREAL. s WEET BELLS, I liear thy solemn tone, Whicli tells us the Old Year is gone ! (lone with its many hopes and fears ! Gone with the myriad fleeting years, To the vast unknown ! Like an ice-bound brook, our unseen tears Flow sadly over our wasted years. And joys we've known, no more to know. All feel like pictures made on snow. In days by-gone And now we welcome the new born king, The transient monarch of restless wing ; Earth's guest i.s here, young Eighty-eight. God bless the aerial potentate THE IRIS. "Thou art the Iris, fair among the fairest, Who, armed with golden rod And winged with the celestial azure, bearest The message of some God." — Longfelloir. THE POET who sang so beauti- fully of the Flower-de-luce has passed away, but the subject of his song still remains, one of the most interesting of our summer flowers. It was the favorite flower of Louis VII., who, after he had distinguished himself in the Second Crusade, had it engraved upon the arms of his country, emble- matic, no doubt, of his belief tliat he was on a Heaven-sent mission. Hence it was called Fleur de, Louis, which has CAiYADIAX lIORriCUL TUJUST. been corrupted into Flower-de-luce. Still more ancient in origin is its name, Iris. By this appellation was known in classic myth the goddess of the rain- bow, who was also the swift messenger of Juno, queen of the gods. Is it any wonder then that this, " Beautiful lily, dwelling by still rivers," should have been designated by a name so closely associated with the superb hues of the bow of promise, on which the winged messenger was supposed to bear away the departing spirits. In the Iris family botanists include the Crocus and the Gladiolus ; and of the Iris proper there are very many distinct species, both wild and culti- vated • and by a judicious selection they may be had in bloom during most of the spring and summer months, begin- ning with the Persian varieties in early spring, to be succeeded in July and 'August with the Japan Irises. In our colored plate we have pleasure in show- ing our readers a faithful representation of three varieties, viz., the Common Blue Flag on the left, Canary Bird to the right, and Disraeli at the top. They may be grown either from divisions of the root, or from seed, and in the latter case may be expected to bloom in the second year. The seed should be sown in boxes in the house and kept quite moist for three or four weeks until it germinates. We shall be pleased if these lines shall serve to inspire some of our Canadian ladies with a greater appre- ciation of this beautiful flower, and with somewhat of the spirit of the de- parted poet who closed his poem with these lines : "0 tlower-de-luce, bloom on, and let the river Linger to kiss thy feet ! 0 flower of song, bloom on, and make forever The world more fair and sweet ! " .AYING OUT A LAWN. Would it be beyond the sphere of the Horticul- turist to give some directions for laying out a lawn on a piece of ground half an acre in extent ? I would like to know (1) how to secure a good sod free from weeds, and (2) what ornamental trees and shrul^s you would recommend. — Jas. Millar, Bow- manville. AN EXCELLENT article on the formation of lawns ap- pears in this volume, page 108, written by Mr. J. A. Bruce, of Hamilton. Mr. J. A. Morton, of Wingham, also gave a most practical address on this subject, at our summer meeting at Collingwood whicli will appear in the Report for 1887. We would say by all means see to it that you have a tine large expanse of lawn in front of, and at the side of your house. Make this the first and most important consideration, for of all exterior decorations this is the most essential to the beauty of any home. Even a most elegant mansion built in the most ornate style of architecture, but surrounded by a rough and untidy lawn, has a forbidding aspect to a per- son of cultivated taste, while a very old-fashioned house, built in the plain- est possible manner, but surrounded by a well-kept lawn, and properly ar- ranged groups of trees, is so full of charms that it excites the admiration of every visitor. ( wxA DiA X lion ricuL run 1ST. " si>1!I\<;huust. In tlie accouipanying illustration, which represents the grounds of Frederick (Joodridge, Esq , at River- dale on the Hudson, it is evident that the beauty of the picture consists more in the surroundings than in the house itself, which is a plain, scjuare building^ with very little apparent arcliitectural embellishment. The well kept lawn, the natural curves of the carriage way, the appropriate trees and shrubs, all combine in giving " Springhurst " a character of grace and elegance, which would otherwise be entirely wanting. In a large yard, like the one under consideration, the greater part of the preparatory work may be done with the plow and scraper, using also the spirit level for gauging it to a horizontal line, unless natural slopes have to be followed in parts. This should have been careful- ly performed in the fall, as well as the draining and fertilizing. Then in spring the finishing touches may be given with the spade and rake, carefully tilling any depressions caused by the settling of the ground during the win- ter ; and in April or May the seed should be sown. Prof. La/.enby, of Ohio, recommends the following as a good mixture of CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. grasses for a lawn, being the proper amount to seed one-half acre, viz.: — Kentucky Blue Grass, 5 lbs ; Red Top, 5 lbs.; Timothy, 3 lbs.; Perennial Rye Grass, 5 lbs.; Sweet Vernal Grass, 2 lbs.; White Clover, 2 lbs. He de- fends the use of the Timothy because it grows rapidly, and forms a good shade for the weaker grasses, to which it eventually gives place. After sow- ing the ground should be raked or rolled, both for the effectual covering of the seed, and for the obtaining of a perfectly level surface. Of course for a small yard sodding might be recommended as the quickest way to secure a good lawn, in wliich case a sod of blue grass, or of some other thick -set grass should be selected ; but that method is altogether too ex- pensive to be thought of in a large yard. The first mowing should be done be- fore the grass is too high for the lawn- mower, say about the middle of June, and thereafter at least once a week, Thus if the seeding has been well and thoroughly done, you will be surprised to find how soon you will have a good sod. The frequent mowing will de- stroy all weeds that are annuals, but the perennials will require to be dealt with in a more summary manner. A plan for their destruction is to take an old pruning-knife and cut them off an inch or two below the sur- face of the ground ; thus, with a little patient work they also may be mastered. A plan of the grounds should be made out during the leisure of the winter season, and the trees and shrubs selected for grouping. In another number we will give a list of some of the more desirable varie- ties that are hardy enough to plant in Canada. SOME PROMINENT CANADIAN HORTICULTURISTS.-L ALEXANDER McD. ALLAN, President of the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association. IT is with pleasure that we begin a series of personal sketchesof a few of our prominent Canadian fruit- growers and gardeners. Why should not the names and the deeds of those gentlemen who have originated new and improved varieties of fruits, or who have aided in the development of one of the most important industries of our country, be handed down through the pages of our journal for the grateful consideration of succeeding generations who shall profit by their labors ? Why is not an engraving of the originator of a fruit or flower as full of interest to our readers as the flower or fruit he has originated ? Confident of an aflirmative answer, we proceed with the series. There is at the present time no more prominent Canadian horticulturist than Mr. A. McD. Allan, of Goderich, On- tario. Now, for the second time, elected President of the Fruit-Growers' As- sociation of Ontario, he presides with ability over its meetings, and constantly gives its members the benefit of his ex- tensive practical knowledge concerning the cultivation, packing, and marketing of fruits. Many of our readers will re- CANADIAN HORriCULTURIST. cognise his familiar face in the accom- panying engraving, which we have had prepared especially for the pages of this journal. Mr. McD. Allan was born on July 11th, 1844, at Brier Bank, in the township of North Easthope, County of trict school, but his father (who had the reputation of being one of the finest classical scholars of his time), never tired of assisting on every possible occasion to push forward his " boys " in their studies ; and to his constant labors he owes more than to any other A. McD. Allan. Perth. The old homestead consisted of 2.'i0 acres. He experienced a great deal of the life and labor of a pioneer, having taken part in clearing off the forest and afterwards cultivating the lands. He took a hand in everything on the farm, until it came to a state of agricultural perfection almost. His early education was obtained in the dis- person. From the local school he gra- duated into the old Stratford grammar school, where he spent several years, and then tnoved to Toronto whcie he prosecuted classical studies for three years. In horticulture his fancies fook a very early interest, and 'n\/ruits\\\^ in- terests were awakened at an earlier CAKA DIAK HORTICUL TURIST. date tlian they were in its culture. Theirs was the largest and best orchard and garden in the entire district, and when young Alec could give no other points of excellence to varieties, they wer'e sure to be marked by the presence of sticks under tlie trees of those con- sidered strictly the best. At a recent meeting of our Associa- tion in Stratford the mayor (who had been his teacher in the grammar school), in speaking words of congratu- lation to the Association, took occasion to remark that " he did not wonder at Mr. McD. Allan reaching the highest office in the gift of the Association, as it was well known in Perth that lie could tell all about the various fruits and their names in every garden and orchard within the scope of his ti'avels in the county." His writings on agriculture under various names de plume, such as " Agricola," " Hortus," '' Sydney," " Fructus," etc., have appeared in all classes of papers, begin- ning with the old Canadian Far- mer. For many years also he wrote for the Country Gentleman and the American Agriculturist under various nomes de 'plumc. Later in life he edited the Huron Signal. But in all his experience in journalism he has never been known to write a line of a political bearing, having never had a taste or inclination that way. Many years ago his letters on the fruits and tlie fruit growing in Canada appeared in several British journals,which opened up favorable criticism on the possibilities of a trade opening in fruits between Britain and her forest colony. He represented the counties of Huron, Bruce and Grey for about twelve years on the board of the F. G. A., also till- ed the vicechair for twoyearsof that time. His name is "well-known " all over this continent, as well as in Britain, by horticultural and sister associations. He has had enormous correspondence for such societies all over this continent, as well as in foreign parts, regarding his methods of picking, packing, select- ing and marketing fruits, as well as points on growing, etc. It is fair to say that Canada is now reaping the benefit of his labors at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in many ways where he had the position, under the Dominion Government,of Canadian fruit expert and commissioner. Ex- perience in journalism also there gave him the opportunity and ability of giving to newspapers of many foreign countries, through their consuls (Nor- way, Sweden, Denmark, France, Ger- many, Russia), articles on Canadian pomology, etc, which has now resulted in an amount of foreign correspondence which is almost burdensome. He has been intimately connected for many years with many of the lead- ing American horticultural societies, and is a life member of the American Pomological Society. Every season he gets specimens of the new varieties of various fruits for examination, and is constantly appealed to in the States, as well as in Canada, for nomenclature. In his own county (Huron) he has occupied the highest position in societies for advancement of horticul- ture and agricultui'e, and is now Presi- dent of the North-Western Exhibition at Goderich. He was the originator of the " Dominion Draught Horse Stud Book " in the interest of stock breeders. He has never sought municipal honors, in fact he has never turned his attention to anything specially but horticulture and agriculture, where all his tastes lie. Every year he is invited to the leading as well as very many other ex- hibitions both in Canada and the States, as ih fruit expert. He receives many requests to attend fari,ners' institutes to address farmers on fruits, and fruit culture, etc., a good many of which he has complied with during the past few years. We have thus given our readers an outline sketch of a life which we trust may long be spared to aid his fellows in the farther promotion of the interests of Canadian pomology. CA NA DIA N IIORTICIIL Till: I ST. POMOLOGICAL. WINTER ST. LAWKKNCK. The Winter St Lawrence Apple. HY R. W. SHEPHERD, JR., MO.NTIIKAL. Since the Fifth Report of the Society was issued in 1879, not much has benu written about this very promising vari ety. We have now had some experi- ence in growing this apple, and remarks upon the tree and fruit will not be un- interesting. Whether the Winter St. Lawrence be, as reported, an old Eng- lish apple or a Canadian seedling (like Fall St. Lawrence) may never be tinally diicided, Trees of this variety are said to have been impoited from England over fifty years ago, under tlie name of Manx Codlin. But the apple is cer tainly not a MarLX Codlin. It is prob- able, I think, tljat its history is rather confused and may never be fully known It certainly shows such very near kinship to one or two of the Newman seedlings that I am inclined to claim it as a Canadian apple. If it be an old English variety, it is strange that such a tine fruit is not universally known in I'^ngland ; but perhaps the improve- ment in coloring and size, wrought by our Canadian climate, prevents its be- ing recognized as an English apple. There is no doubt, however, about its being a most valuable acquisition to our fruit list. The tree has proved to be (juite hardy. On gravelly soil I have some thirty trees, planted about eleven years ago, not one of which shows the slightest disease or decay of any kind, while the Fall St. Lawrence in the same orchard, on the contrary, is not thriving satisfactorily. The Winter St. Lawrence is a stout tree, having strong shoots of vigorous upright growth which ripen their termi- nal buds perfectly. I like a tree with a stout trunk ; it has an appearance of longevity, which varieties of a slim growth have not. The tree does not require nmch pruning, a great advan- tage in this severe climate, for, in many cases, disease is the etFect of pruning CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. It bears its fruit, as a rule, on the fruit spurs of the larger branches every year, but more heavily the alternate year. The fruit drops less from the tree than any other variety I know of ; this is owing no doubt to its stout trunk and branches which prevents the tree from swaying about in high winds, and to its short thick stalk which has a firm hold of the branches. This dropping of the fruit is a weak point in a commer- cial apple, and discounts any advantages that there may be in the way of heavy crops. The fruit does not appear to be much affected by the Codlin moth ; per- haps its thick skin may account for this. Nevertheless as compared with Fameuse this is particularly noticeable. When pulled in the fall, the Winter St. Lawrence is not good for eating, but a fortnight or three weeks after- wards—about the middle or end of November, as a table apple, it compares favorably with, if it does not surpass, most varieties of its season. Carefully picked and packed, the fruit will keep, in a proper place, until the middle or end of January. It will not export in barrels satisfactorily. I have made the experiment on two separate occasions. If packed in barrels, the heads ought not to be pressed down too tight, for I have noticed when the fruit has been too closely packed together, the decay begins at the point of contact, and it seems as if this apple decayed faster than any other when bruised by press- ing in barrels. I should recommend packing the fruit in the Cochrane apple- case, which avoids the squeezing which seems unavoidable when put in borrels. I think the Winter St. Lawrence de- serves to be ranked as one of the lead- ing varieties to be recommended for cultivation in this Province, both on account of its hardiness of tree and ex- cellence of fruit. The fine appearance of the fruit commands a ready sale at high prices, and its superior quality is recommendation that its growing popu- larity as an early Winter fruit will not soon die out. — Report Montreal Horti- cultural Society. Rare and Peeuliap Apples. Albem.\rle Pippin. — This appears to be the Newtown Pippin of the east. It has succeeded admirably in the val- leys of the mountainous regions of Vir- ginia, and growers there have been re- ceiving this season -^4 per barrel for the fruit independent of the package. On the red lands this apple does not succeed, even in Virginia. This is a noble apple where the soil and climate is congenial, but it is quite fastidious and will not perfect its fruit over the country at large. It flourishes on the Hudson river and in some parts of Pennsylvania. Sutton Beauty. — This is a valuable winter apple, with yellow skin striped with crimson. Quality very good. The tree is a strong grower. I think it originated in Massachusetts. I have often seen the fruit on exhibition, and it has always attracted attention. The Stump Apple is not so well known as it deserves. It originated near Rochester, N. Y., where it has a reputation for great beauty, produc- tiveness, and freedom from defects. I have seen trees loaded with the Stump apple, every one more beautiful than the wax specimens seen in show-cases, none knotty, wormy or mis-shapen. I sent a package of these to Charles Downing, and he was delighted with them. In appearance it is something like the Chenango strawberry, but more beautiful. The flesh is white and the quality good. It sprang up in an old partly decayed stump, where the seed had been dropped, and grew there until the stump disappeared, like a sap- ling in a barrel, hence its name. Kentish Fill-Basket is the largest apple I have seen, and one of great beauty. I saw it first at the Roches- ter meeting of the American Pomologi- cal Society, where it overshadowed all others in size and beauty. It is an early winter variety, of English origin, sub-acid, excellent for cooking. The Salome apple comes from Illin- ois, where it has been proved hardy, productive, and a long keeper. It is of CANAD/A.v iioirrici LrrnisT. medium size, good t'oiiii, and coni(;.s into bearing early. It sticks well to the branches during heavy winds and lias been known to keep for twelve months. Fall.\watick is a voiy large, beautiful fruit, reddish on yellow skin, <|uality good, origin Pennsylvania, Ohio and parts of the west. Rambo is an early winter apple, streaked with yellow and red, tender, juicy, rich sub-acid, excellent quality, succeeds nearly everywhere except in the severe localities of the west. .Sops OK Wine is a valuable late summer ap- ]>le, medium size, dark red, fine white Hesh, sub-acid and tine flavored. Fruit fair and,, showy. Ifawles' Janet is hardy enougli for the far west, mostly grown in Ohio. It blossoms late, hence escapes late frosts. Mediuni size, pale red, mild sub-acid, fine, crisp, juicy, a long keeper. Stark is a large striped apple, sub-acid, mild and good. A long keeper, origin Oliio. If you are planting an apple orchard and are at a loss to know what variet ies to select, settle on Duchess and Wealthy for two of the mo.st reliable the country over. Duchess for fall, Wealthy for winter. (>'ri-<'iis Fruit iirouii'v. The Apple Blight. TiiKKE is no remedy known for apple l)light. It is a trouble due to the same cause as pear bl'ght. The infection comes fi'om the air, and enters the tree through the ends of the twigs and especially through the (lowers. Usually only a few inches at the end of each twig dies ; and it may be a month or more after the tree becomes infected before enough leaves have turned brown to attract attention. No way is known to prevent the entrance of the germs, and when once in, no way of getting rid of them but by amj)utation of the dis eased liihbs. Occasionally the branches will die down so far as to threaten thAinds were common that tried their vigor. Rows of trees were seen with tops as if they had been shorn ; sometimes they had a slope just as one sees in hedges newly prur.ed, the slope being towards the .sea. On enquiry I was told that this resulted from keen, cutting winds blowing from the sea. Many of the trees in such localities were considerably bent away from the shore. But few trees were large and vigorous looking like the trees of Canada. In many instances they reminded one of trees in the North-West, where the sweeping winds of the prairie develops in them a hardy, scrubby look. This may seem inconsistent with what I say regard- ing the advanced condition we find plants there, glowing outside, while in Canada they are rarely seen beyolid the hot-house. The Horn Poppy ((ilaucium luteum), a unique plant (especially when the pods have reached maturity), grown in our gardens as a curiosity, grows there in profusion along the shore. The Sea Pink {Avuxiivia. maritima), a very pretty plant, both in foliage and flower, is ex- ceedingly cojiimon, decorating many of the rocks along the shore. I also ob- served this plant on the Isle of Staffa. Wild I'oses adorn many of the hedges, and several forms in the order compositae here and there, add to the beauty of these living fences. The Blackberry (Rubus villosa) is also very common on the hedges. I observed that in some parts much exposed to the sea, it tried the hardiness of the hawthorn. Ivy is very common and decorates the trees of many a wood, and gives to otherwise uninviting walls a charm. With a climate so favor- able to some forms of plant life, one is surprised to find it is unsuited to ripen fruit. It has not the warm influence of a Canadian sun, though the average temperature is high ; but it is comparatively even and without extremes. Grapes require to be grown inside, and tomatoes in pots, and poor at that. The apples bear no compari- son to ours. The gentleman, whose guest I was while on the island, had most beautiful grounds around his residence, and J think you will understand the effects of the climate, and its influence on plants much more readily if I give you a statement of the trees and shrubs seen there during my stay ; — Fuchsias 10 in. diam., 12 ft. high. Rhododendrons l.'i " " 20 " " Araucaria 24 " " IS " " Laburnums 12 " *' 25 " " Laurels 12 " " 20 " " Barberry 15 " " 10 " " Ivy in profusion covering walls, etc., and much of the house, and associated with it some attractive specimens of our Virginia Creeper. The Yem tree was also well represented, and a beau- tiful specimen of the Magnolia was in 18 CA^'ADIA^'^ HOETICULTURIST. bloom. When such shrubs as the above can be grown without any extra care, it is not a matter of surprise that my host had grounds where one could spend days, wandering along the serpen- tine paths, observing on every side var- ieties of shrub and flower calculated to please the eye and charm the mind, surrounded by an atmosphere filled with the perfume of innumerable sum- mer flowers. Certainly there are great facilities for the cultivation of gardens in the vicinity of Douglas on the Isle of Man, and the people have not been careless in taking advantage of the op- portunities nature has given them. -1l|||P!l|HIIM!illl!lll|!IIJii!ll1||||l!lllllli!illillilillllilllllllIlilllllll!!ll!lillllllilllllllll!l!lllllU %=4iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiiiiiinii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu Opnamental Birehes. Mr. Russell, in a paper before the Mass. Hort. Soc , recommended these trees as particularly desirable, whether for planting in masses for timber, or simply on open grounds. The paper white birch is one of the best for tree grouping, and has been fitly termed " The Lady of the Forest." In a thicket of other trees " it shoots up its stately white stem without a limb until it overtops its companions of other kinds with its thick-leaved top, one of the neatest, most graceful trees of the New England woods." Fopestpy in Kansas. Mr. R. Douglas states that in Kan- sas 147,340 acres has been planted with forest trees, as follows : — 11,600 of Black Walnut ; 12,486 of Maples; 2,637 of Honey Locust ; 55.553 of Cot- ton-wood; and 65,771 of other varieties. Good Hardy Border Plants. M. H. Lester, in The Gardener's Monthly, recommends the following trees as having been particularly attrac tive at the Botanic Gardens, at Wash- ington, D.C, viz. : (1) Anemone Japonica, a beautiful herbaceous plant, with tall branching flower stems two or three feet high, which commences to bloom when spring flowers are done, and lasts till frost. (2) Helianthus multiflorus plenus, or double perennial Sunflower, which grows about four feet high, and com- mences to bloom about the last of July in that latitude ; and (3) Platycodoyi grandijlora, one of the Bell Worts, which is very beautiful. It grows about two feet high, and is covered with lovely blue flowers, until cut down by frost. The Folding- Sawing Machine. It is scarcely in accordance with the object of this journal to encourage the destruction of forest trees, but rather to preserve them. Yet the builder must have lumber, and the housekeep- er her tire- wood, for these supplies the best tools are the most economical. Our engraving represents a machine which is so constructed that it can be worked by one man, and as it only weighs 41 lbs., it can be carried to the woods and back with ease. It folds up as completely as a pocket knife, and can be quickly adjusted for either saw- ing down a tree, or for cutting up logs for either lumber or tire-wood. It is claimed that from five to six cords of wood per day can be cut with this machine, but having never given the instrument a trial, we cannot give any personal testimony concerning it. CAN A DIA X llOli TICI'L TURIST. 19 ""W w^^ C^^^^^^tan ^oriicuPiurid^ SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its valuable Annual Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees. REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label- A New Year's Greeting. With this issue the Canadian Hor- ticulturist greets its three thousand readers in a new costume, hoping by its cheery monthly visits to aid in making the New year a happy and a prosperous one to them all. At considerable expense the Execu- tive Committee has had a new and beautiful engraving made for the cover, enlarged the journal into a better foim, secured a better quality of papei-, and more expensive illustrations ; contident that our readers will so appreciate our efforts in their behalf as to sustain our venture with a largely increased sub- scription list. Hints for the Month. Accounts.— On the 1st of January, every one who is making a business of fruit culture, or of gardening, should balance up his accounts for the old yeiir, and be able to say just how much hisnet profitshave been fortheyear past. Then lie should open his accounts for the year. 1 1 will be wise to keep a separate account of the exjjenses and proceeds of each kind of fruit in one book, thus proving wliich is most profitable; in another an account of the daily sales or shipments through the season ; and in another a cash account. In this way only can the commercial orchardist be master of his business. Reading.— Amid such stores of useful information, that man is foolish who pursues his vocation with eyes and ears closed. In almo.st every department there are now standard books of infor- mation, and the leisure of winter is the time to read and study these sources of knowledge. For instance, on the orchard we have Doioniny's Fruits o/ America, 77iotnns' American Fruit Culturist, War- der's American Fomofo;/}/, besides num- erous special works on the apple, pear, peach, grape, small fruits, etc., etc. And the Canadianfruit-growerwilllind intlie ten volumes which have been publisiied of the Canadian Horticulturist, and in the eighteen annual reports of discussions and papers on fruit culture re d at the meetings of our As.sociation, a compendium of indispensable infor- mation, just adapted to our Canadian climate. 20 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. Ladders. -7-In the leisure of the winter season the fruit-grower may- still find many ways of. using his time to advantage. Among other things his ladders need to be all gathered in from the orchard to fruit packing house, all necessary repairs given them, and then a coat of paint. There is enough danger climbing about among trees, without asking a picker to use a dilapi- dated half-rotten ladder. Some may be broken, and with them a useful ad- justable ladder might be made, as sug- gested by a writer in the Farm and Home. The upper round of the wide ladder runs through slots in the nar- row one, and the slots are made wider 3n one direction than the diameter of the round, so as to receive a block to fasten it segurely in its place. A step-ladder may be made of this by setting it at the desired angle. Pruning may be done in small way on mild days, when the wood is not frozen. Wounds more than half-an- inch in diameter should aways be avoided on orchard trees if possible, but if necessary, they should be covered with paint or melted grafting wax, to favor the healing process. The vine- yard perhaps was left half pruned last November, and advantage may be tak- en of the fine days to continue the work of cutting off" the superfluous wood. This may be cut up and stored in damp sawdust or sand until time for planting cuttings or for using them as scions for grafting. Mice. — The orchardist needs to keep a sharp lookoutagainst the depredations of these pests during the months of January and February, especially after eacn heavy fall of snow. Our custom is to carefully clear away all rubbish and grass from the trunk in the month of November and pack a small mound of fine earth about it. This is a perfect protection from mice, unless near a rail fence, where deep snow banks accumu- late. In such places the ttamping of the snow about the trees is the only sure safeguard at this season. The Weekly Star gives the following method of poisoning mice in an orchard : " Get small blocks of wood four or five inches square, and bore inch holes in them half inch deep. Mix cornmeal with any kind of poison and ram a small quantity in the holes. Leave a good many of these blocks around the trees. No other animals can reach the poison but the mice, and they will soon disappear. Before the snow comes, gather the blocks into several places and cover each of them with a sheaf of straw. The mice will gather under these and find the baits, and the trees will not be damaged. The Winter Meeting. In accordance with the desire of several gentlemen connected with our Association who reside in the eastern part of the Province, it has been decided to hold the next meeting in the City Hall, Ottawa, on Wednesday and Thursday the 8th and 9th days of February, 1888. As this meeting will be near the eastern limits of our Pro- vince, a cordial invitation is extended to fruit-growers and gardeners in the Province of Quebec to be present and take part in our discussions. It is difficult to make a complete programme in advance, but the following is a forecast of it, subject to some minor changes. PROGRAMME. 8 p.m. — Directors' meetuigatthe Windsor Hotel. WEDNESDAY. 10 a.m. — Public meetings begin, free to all. Subjects, — (a.) Experience with Russian apples in the cold north, introduced by Mr. A. A. Wright, Renfrew, Out. (h) Best five varieties of apples for Carleton County, (c) Raspberries, and their culture in the Ottawa Valley, P. E. Bucke, Ottawa. 2 p m.—(d) (irapes in the Ottawa Valley, R. B. Whyte, Ottawa. {(^) Best and hardiest shrubs for the lawn in Northern latitudes, Mr. Jas. Fletcher, of the Experimental Farm, Ottawa. (/) Hardy roses for outdoor cul- CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 21 tivation at the cold north, Mrs. A. A. Wright, Renfrew, Ont. (y) Best bedding f)hints to purchase for lawn and border, N. Kobert-on, Ottawa. 8 p.m. — Addresses of welcome (h) Re- marks on the principles of landscape garden- ing, Prof. J. Hoyes Panton, M.A., of the On- tario Agricultural College, (Juelph, Ont. (*) Paper by Miss Annie L. .Fack, Cheautauguay Ba.sin, P.Q. (./ ) Address by Prof. \\'nx. Saunders, Dircitor I'lxpeiiinental Furin, Ottawa. TIIUK.SDAY. 10 a.m. {k) Plums. Best varieties for the Ottawa Valley. (/) Handling of our fruits by the railway and steamboat com- panies, the accommodation given, the griev- ances of the past, the recjuirements of the future. Our most reliable markets, and the best routes by which to ship, (m) The most advantageous way of introducing new fruits, W. VV. Hillborn. 2 p.m. — («) Hardy fruits, a paper contri- buted by Dr. Hoskins, Newport, Vt. (o) The judging of fruits, introduced by the President. ( ]>) Best goose-berries for Carle- ton Co. (q) Best varieties of Chrysanthem- ums. Manner of cultivation. The directors will be pleased to see a large local attenregg blackcap ; )><)or flavor, will need mulcliing to keep tlie fruit clean. W. M. OSHAWA. OUR MARKETS. Applks. — Our anticipations have l>een well sustained respecting the price of tliis fruit. They are quoted in Toronto (a SH.OO for best winters, with upward tendency ; Philadel- phia, about ditto ; Montreal, about ditto in car lots ; while English market reports con- tinue most encouraging, showing a sharp advance of prices. Choice varieties now bring about $.5,00 per bl. in Liverpool mar- ket. Onions.— ^Messrs. Pancoast & Griftitli, Philadelphia, write: "The Onion crop is generally reported quite light in the principal onion growing districts of the United States. In Connecticut tlie crop does not average more than •27") bushels per acre, on her 800 acres, wliich is below her usual production, and is small, and bad keeping stock. In New York the crop is not turning out liJO buslu'ls per acre, on her 2, .500 acres, against '248 bushels per acre last year. About tlie same shortage is sustaineairels, principally for pure Early lioxt. The demand is commencing already from Florida and (Jeorgia, and we are .selling the l)est Rose seed at ."?3 2") per barrel here, and look for prices to rule up in February and March. MoNTKKAL. — Messrs \'ipond McBride write, " Trade is fairly brisk mainly in an- ticipation of holiday recjuirements ; apples are easy, and inclined to be lower." They send quotations as follows: — Apples, best selected, .^.S.OO } car lots, .^2.25 to 2.7.'); Catawba grapes, 10c. to 12c. per lb. ; dried apples () to 6ic. per lb. ; evaporated ditto, 9 to 10c. per lb. Crapes. ^A report of the sale of 150 baskets of Canadian (irapes, ship])ed to (ilasgow, Scotland, last October, will appear in our Februarv number. Tliis and much other valuable matter has been crowded out of tiiis nund»er. — Ki>. 24 CA.YADIA.V HORTICULTURIST c^ ^ l^}iy,little)\/(argdrebslts;-n)e i}Gdr, ,j 'JA^dliegsifneteUol l'l)io^s ^Ifat ui'erej W))e»|I^^sUttlej(/$tUke))cr./'v:| GA»)d ]|eaT^]) a»)cll)cart' flflsl^ allaglowj { ab TT)y fatl)eir'9 fireside ■^\\. \ ., i^ YoOr)gest o| dll wV. circl^,it'i '' }^A be^ })u»)> tell 11)6 w])kd(d !^c ^\)m ])e uTds lUtle jifst like m Prixtkd by James Mi:rray & Co., 26 and 28 Front St. West, Toronto. OSTHEIM. FOR CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. THE Caijadiai] horticulturist. Vol. XI. Toruulo, n„f., 1SS8. No. 2 THE OSTHEIM CHERRY. SINCE the Ostheiia Cheriy* lias been placed among the fruit.s to be sent out next spring among the mem- bers of our Association for testing, our readers will, no doubt, be much pleased to .see a painting of this highly desir- al>l(; variety. Prof. Budd says it is a general favorite throughout Europe with prince and peasant, and that Euro- pean pomologists claim it to be hardiei- in tree, and higher in quality of fruit than the Montmorency varieties, such as the Early Hichniond. In many respects this German cherry is similar to the Russian Yladimii-, especially in foliage, habit of growth, coloi- of fruit, and is thought by Mr. (Jiljb to be closely related to that variety. It derives its name from the town of Ostheim in Germany, where it was first grown, just about two hun- * \\'<' cannot i>nimisi- tlii* vmi.-ty "f Kii->^i:in flier (bed years ago by a German profes.sor. He brought it from the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain, where it was found growing at elevations of 5,000 and 6,000 feet above the sea level. Charles Downing describes the variety thus : — ' A small growing tree of the Morello class. Fruit large, roundish oblate, slightly compressed on one side. Skin red, quite dark at maturity. Stalk long. Flesh liver-color, tender, juicy, rich, almost sweet sub-acid. Very good. Middle of July." According to Prof. Budd, of Iowa, the Ostheim was brought to the West- (M-n States by German settlers, and has been tested in Minnesota, Iowa, Kan- sas, Nebraska, and Missouri, where it has proved its hardiness and verified the truth of the above description. We shall be much pleased if this and ly to nienil)er.'< selecting it later than l-V). 1-r 26 CA NAD I A N HORTIC UL TURIST. the Vladimir, of which unfortunately we could only send out a limited num- ber last spring, prove suitable to the nortliern portions of Ontario. The Morello cherries have already proved themselves more desirable for family use than the Heart and Biggareau • and the Large Montmorency and the Early Richmond have been sufiicientlv tested to be safely recommended as superior for general planting to the old Kentish varieties which have been so universally popular ; and now we have the Vladimir and the Ostheim, whicii if not superior to the former in other respects, have at least the ad- vantage of being adapted to a more rigorous climate. RAMBLES AMONG FRUIT GROWERS.— III. A CALL UPOX MR. GEORGE LESLIE, -SR.. TORONTO. \ RIDE of /■"A from marl two miles east market on King St.^ Toronto, brought the writer to the old homestead of the Leslies. He was received by Mr. Geo. Leslie, Sr., with great cordiality, and after some gen- eral topics had been discussed, he was invited to accompany him in a walk about his extensive orchard and nur- sery grounds. During the walk, con- versation was engaged in to the fol- lowing effect : " I have observed your name as prominent for a long time among the citizens of Toronto." " I came to Toronto in the year 182.5, from John o" Groats, in the north of Scotland. Attliattime there were only five brick houses in the city. " "You have seen a good many changes in the town since then ? '" " Yes, indeed ! Value of land, for instance, has wonderfully advanced. A corner lot which I owned at one time and sold for a site for a bank for $100 per foot, is now worth 82000 per foot ; and although these grounds are so far east of the Don, they are already too valuable to hold for orchard or nursery purposes, and must be sold soon for building lots.'" '• I think you have been for a long time, more or less, interested in the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario." "Yes, I have been interested in it from its formation: and I now read The Cana DiAN Horticulturist with much pleas- ure. But I think you should devote more attention to the subject of Forestry." "What trees would you recommend for ' PLAXTING I\ MANITOBA 1 " " I would recommend the Silver Pop- Jar as a most excellent tree for that country. It is perfectly hardy, and will grow anywhere, and that with great rapidity. There you see a tree set in a swampy place, and notice its wonderful growth It is about forty years of age, and if cut up would make at least four cords of wood. And here are some specimens grown on high and dry ground. Those eight were felt to grow as they stood in the nursery rows, about ten inches apart, except that two have lately been cut out. CAAA DJAN iioRTicri/rriiisr. IJut you will notice wliiit ;i stioni,' iuid thrifty ;,'rowth they have made. It woukl be impossible for any animal to squeeze through between those trees. Plant the Silver Poplar on the prairie, about two feet apart in the row, and in a few years they would, without .any pruning,', niakean excellent anrl ini passable fence. "It suckers very freely.' " Yes, but for Manitob;i that is another point in its favor. Where ^o\x want to multiply the number of forest trees as fast as possible you want one that is ea.sy of propagation. Plant cuttings merely of this tree, and they will grow with perfect ea.se.'' " What do you think of the Lo)n- Ixirdij Po-phir '! " " That is another e.vcellent tree for Manitoba. It is a rapid giower, is very hardy, and can be used to great advantage in fence building. Plant the trees, si.\ feet apart, and when tliey aie large enough to bear it, run wires along from tree to tree." '• I have seen it used in that way in Ontario to great advantage. I have TiiK StoTiii Pink. 28 CA XA DIA N HORTICUL TURIST. used other trees in that way for fences, and I find the plan works well, if I tirst nail a narrow strip up the trunk of the tree, and drive the staple into that. What PINES do you esteem most highly '? " "The Austrian and the Scotch pines I consider most desirable, they are so hardy, succeed so generally, the dark foliage is so handsome, that they are much used in parks and pleasure grounds. But the prettiest pine for a private lawn, 1 know of, is Pinus Cetn- bra, which you noticed in the October No. of The Canadian Horticultur- ist for 1887. There on my lawn you see two specimens. Their pyramidal form and silvery green foliage combine in making them great favorites." After receiving the kindest hospital- ity at his home, tlie writer parted from Mr. Leslie, having enjoyed a most profitable visit, to the advantage, we hope, of the readers of these columns.. ADVICE ABOUT NEW FRUITS. .lOlIX LITTLE, GRAN'TOX, ONT. I AM interested in tlie small fruit growing, especially the straw- berry, and in taking a number of horticultural papers, Canadian and Am- erican, I come across articles of corres- pondence containing a good deal of sense and nonsense too. Every year there appears to be great . excitement among the nurserymen" over the discovery of a new straw- berry, raspberry, blackberry, grape or currant. It is generally said to have originated ten or twelve years ago on some cold, rocky bai-ren place, or on the northeast corner of some hill-top. It yields enormously of the " most luscious, sprightly, subacid fruit," is worm, bug, fly, and weathei'proof ; and is immensely superior to any thing of the kind now under cultivation. Baskets of the choicest fruit are sent to prominent horticulturists, whose letters returning thanks for the favoi', be they ever so guarded and carefully worded, are deftly sandwiched between the testimonials of interested paities, and published as eulogiums. Sometimes a new fruit is kept before the public by every means known and unknown for three or four years before it is offered for sale. Tlie plants in the- meantime are increased and multiplied by all the most rapid methods known to horticulturists, when the manipula- tors think the public appetite is suffi- ciently whetted, they suddenly and with great blai'e of trumpets spring their stock on the market, sell out at incredible prices, pocket the funds, then quietly return to private life and enjoy themselves. The fruit may be well adapted to a small section of the country, and worthless elsewhere ; and in two or three years it may be bought cheap as the cheapest. Occasionally a variety is introduced that really is superior in some respects to any we have, and is adapted to a wide range of country. By far the largest portion of new sorts, are only adapted to cer- tain localities or particular soils. The only sure means of ascertaining which is best is by testing them, and this may be easily and cheaply done. In the first place, do not buy five-dollar grape vines ; do not throw away money on blackberry and raspberry plants at one dollar each ; do not squander your money on currant and gooseberry plants, at even seventy -five cents each. CA JVA DIA N HOR TICUL TURIST. Ill ii year or two you can buy dozens of these fancy, nnioli advertised tiling's for less than one of them costs now. When you hear of a strawberry which you think will be an ac(|uisi- tion to your locality, buy half-a-dozen and test them ; make the ground ricii, de3p and tine, setting the plants four- feet apart, giving them good cultiva- tion ; keeping the surface loose during the season, and with care, you can make from these tive or six hundred plants ; and the next year tiiey will fruit. You can then tell whether to set out more or not. It is not best to increase the plantation largely until after at least three years' trial. If you wish to try a new cap rasp- V)erry, get two or three plants in the fall, set in good soil and cover with straw. Remove the straw the follow- ing spring, and when the plant is a foot high, nip oH" the top. Nip all the blanches at about eight inches. Keep it in until August, then let it go. As the end of each branch touches the ground, cover it with two or three inoiies of earth. Each plant thus treated will furnish from twenty to thirty plants. If set in the spring, they will not give so many plants. To increase the red laspberry, it is best to plant in the fall also. It is needful also to have ground rich and mellow around the canes; and if the season be dry, mulch heavy with straw. In the fall, when the leaves are off, take up the entire plant, being careful to get all the root. Cut the root into pieces about an inch long, and place them an inch apart in a box of fine soil ; bury in the ground so they will not freeze. In spring take them up carefully, plant them where you wish them to grow, and, with care, nine out of ten will make good plants that season. Blackberries, currants and gooseberries, can be rapidly increased the same way. In my next paper, I will speak of strawberries, old and new, as tested heie at Granton. SOME PROMINENT CANADIAN HORTICULTURISTS.-II. GEORGE LESLIE, SEXR., TOROX'l'U, ONT. THEsubjectof thissketch isthesecond son of the late William Leslie and Catharine,eldest daughter of Jas. Beatty, and sister of the late Rev. Jno. Reatty, of Cobourg. He was born in the Parish of Rogart, Sutherlandshire, Scotland, in the year 1804. At the age of 16 he went to Tarlogie, Ross- shire, and served an apprenticeship of three years in the gardening profession. He then, under the same proprietor, took charge of the garden, hedges, ctt-., at Arrabella, where he remained two years. On the 1st day of April, 1S2"), being his 21st birthday, he with his parents and six brothers and a sister set .sail for America, and after a passage of six weeks landed at Quebec. He im- mediately obtained employment. In the October following he came to Little York, now Toronto. At that time there were only tive brick stores on King Street, all situated east of the market, viz, Baldwin's, Allan's, Proudfoot's, Stegman's and Lesslie i^i: Sons'. He at once went to Streetsville, whither his father had preceeded him, and chopped in the bush all winter. In the spring he returned to Little York and entered the service of the late Hon. George Crookshanks, Commissary-General. He remained with hin) one season, and then for several years acted in the capacity of gai-dener and Horist for the late Hon. 30 CA A' A D/A X HO A' TICi'L TURLST. Wm. Allan, father of the Hon. Geo. \V. Allan ; the late Hon. Johvi Henry Dunne, Receiver-General ; the late Chief Justice Sir Wm. Campbell : the late Bishop Strachan, and others. In 1830 he purchased, from the Rev. Jas. Beatty, the old homestead at Streets- ville, previously occupied by his father, a portion of which he cleared and im- proved. In 1837 he located perman- ently in Toronto, leasing Russell Abbey Square, bounded by Caroline, now iSherbourne, King, Princess and Front Streets, with all the buildings thereon, using the ground for the growing of shrubs, flowers, vegetables, etc. He soon after established himself in busi- ness as a grocer and seed merchant. His first stock of seeds was brought from London, P^ngland. In 1838 the Gas Company erected their works just south of the premises occupied by him, and his store was the first building in the city lighted with gas, crowds com- ing to view the new illuminant. He subsequently transferred his business to Yonge Street upon the present site of the Bank of Commei'ce, where he re- mained until 1845, when the city pur- chased the property for the purpose of opening up Oolborne Street, paying him the sum of $5,000 in corporation de- bentures. He then leased twenty acres east of the Don river for a period of 21 years, where he began business as a nurseryman, florist and gardener. He sub.sequently purchased this and ad- joining properties to meet the require- ments of his business which increased most rapidly. Our subject is at the present time one of the oldest horticul- turists in the Dominion, and has been an active member of horticultural and agiicultural societies for many years, and is a life member and director of the Horticultural Society and Botanical Gardens of Toronto. During the 43 years that he has been established in CAXAJJ/A A' IIORTICI 'L TIJUIST. 31 business he has been awarded at exhi- l)itions many i/oM, silver ami brovzf iiK'ihih, a large number of diplomas and hundreds of other prizes foi- superiority of productions. In the year 1880 a s/iecidl silver medal was presented to him by the Agricultural and Arts As- sociation of Ontario. The inscription thereon reads: "To Geo. Leslie, si-., in grateful acknowledgments for his hor- ticultural efforts, by the Council of Agriculture and Arts Association of Ontario." When the first fire company was formed in York he became a mem- ber. In 1803 he was commissioned a magistrate bv the Hon. Robert Bald- win, the duties of which ofHce he has ever since disdiarged with fidelity. He tilled the office of school tru.stee for nine years and was for one year alderman for the city, but did not seek re-elec- tion, not being inclined to neglect his busine.ss to engage in political strife. His two sons are associated with him in the business. He has two daughters, both married. The elder to Mr. R. C. Jennings, man- ager of the Bank of Commerce at Paris, and the younger to Mr. A. McD. Allan, the present president of the Fruit- (Jrowers Association. POMOLOGICAL. The Wealthy Apple. The following statements concerning this very desirable hardy apple were made at tlie meeting of the Montreal Horticultural Society, at Granby, P.(.^., last year : — Mr Shepherd — I think I was the first to fruit the Wealtliy in Quebec, at least I was the first to exhibit it at the Montreal Horticultural Exhibition. It resembles the Fameusf^ a little : it is a juicy apple, more juicy than the Fameuse, a little more acid, and of very fine flavor — a peculiar flavor. Tt is more of the Spitzenburgh than the Fameuse. 1 can tell one circumstance which makes me think it is a good apple. My children and wife, and any ladies stopping at my place in the autunm, always choose a Wealthy ; they have twenty or thirty varieties to choose from, but they always choose that. Children know v«»ry well when an apple is good, and when they are at liberty to choose from several, and al- ways eat one variety, you may rest assured they know what they are about. Mr. Honey — As far as the Wealthy tree is concerned, I find it is not as hardy as the Duchess. I have quite a few -planted about the .same time as Mr. Shepherd's. 1 have perhaps twenty of them. This year I lost two from be- ing heavily loaded, and on others one or two of the branches have broken otf'. That is one objection I have, and an- other objection is that the stern is rather long and like the crab, so that it does not hold the fruit well. I have not been able to keep theni as Avell as the Fameuse, l)ut I do not think I had one spotted one in my orchard. This year they were not so well colored as usual, but they were free from spots, good size and good cookers. Of course if you take the Fameuse and sort them to get them as clean as the Wealthy, the Fameuse will sell better, but there is more money in the Wealthy. Chairman Is there any ditt'erence in the keeping (jualities .' Mr. Honey— Not with me ; I have found them to keep about the same. Mr. Shepherd — With regard to the keeping (|ualities of the Wealthy, if you allow it to get ripe on the tree it will not keep as well as the Fameuse. With regard to the salability of the Wealthy, last year my experience with Fanieuse was that DO per cent, were so bad I could hardly sell them, whereas I do not believe there was five per cent, of the 32 CA NAD /A iV HORTIC UL TURIST. Wealthy rejected. I have sold the Wealthy to be shipped to England the last two or three years. Last year I sold ten cases packed in the Cochrane case — like an egg box — each case will hold about a bushel. I sold them for -$.3.50 a case (case included,) in Mon- treal, for export to England. The buyer secured them in the month of June. I told him he would have to pay me a good price, because only the very best of them are put in cases ; so that when you consider it is picking the best of your crop, and considering the carefulness with which they have to be handled, and the carefulness with which the cases have to be handled, it was not .so high, still they paid me very well. Keeping Fruit. The great secret for preventing de- cay in fruit through autumn and win- ter, is to preserve a uniformly low tem- perature. If changing and fluctuating, they quickly rot. Currents of air are bad, because they make changes in temperature. We find that apples keep longer in winter by merely wrapping each specimen in tissue paper and thus excluding air. Hence the advantage of packing in any soft, powdered sub- stance, as dry sawdust, bran, ground plaster, or bedding in moss. On a large scale this cannot be done, and large fruit rooms must therefore be kept cool without changes of air. Much may be accomplished by ventil- ating windows, admitting cold air in the night, and excluding warm air in the day time by closing them. These remarks apply more particularly to ap- ples and pears, and also to grapes. They would also apply to small and perishable fruits, if it were an object to keep them, but the common practice is to consume them while fresh. — Coun- try Gentleman. An Bearing Apple Trees. experienced eye will detect the small fruit. Bearing trees have a peculiar look to them. Tiiey lack the dark green foliage that an apple tree in full vigor has put on by midsummer when not burdened by a coming crop. Fruit-bearing is exhaustive, and a bearing tree needs liberal supplies of mineral manures to perfect its fruit. Potash is important in making the seeds, and with an overloaded tree may be applied in solution any time in July for late ripening fruits with advan- tage. Prospects. Prof. French predicts a considerable mortality in apple orchards next year in consequence of the severe and pro- tracted drouth of summer and fall. Something will depend upon the sever- ity of the winter. If the ground had frozen before heavy rain falls, no doubt the death of both fruit and forest trees would have been a heavy one ; but the ground is now wet down as far as the roots extend, and in the event of a mild winter, we may hope that the loss will not be a very large one. — Fruit Groxoers Journal. whether an orchard is in bearing or not at a distance far too great to see The Apple Industry in Michigan. The apple industry is undoubtedly diminishing in many parts of the State. The old orchards are beginning to fail and new ones are not being set to any extent. Although prices for apples have been low for the last few years, there is every reason to believe that an orchard of moderate extent if in- telligently managed, will add a reliable source of income to the general farmer. There are hundreds of orchards throughout the State which are not bearing but which could be brought into fruitfulness for a number of years by vigorous culture. There is no doubt but that judicious pruning, good tillage and liberal manuring will maintain or restore the fertility of most orchards. Some orchards are now, of course, too old to rejuvenate. There may be CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 33 danger in vigorous orchards of carry- ing the cultivation so far that nearly all the energies of the tree will l^e directed to the production of wood. The growei- must deterniine the culture which shall meet his requirements. Jt is true that in the great majority of cases, however, the culture is inade- quate. Barn yard manure, when it can be spared, is valuable for the bearing orchard. Trees in Grass. Pekmanent sod is an injury to the orchard. This has been proved in the experience of nearly every successful oichardist. It is forcibly illustrated in the instance of the old College orchard. In the earlier experiments conducted by Dr. Beal the same fact was emphasized. For some years he kept a part of the trees in sod, others were cultivated thoroughly, while still others were cultivated at varying dis tances from the body of the tree. Kven as early as 1874 he found that " trees in grass made less growth, looked yellow in foliage, and bore smaller fruit and apparently less of it." In 1875 he observed that "the evidences look more and more strongly every year against the propriety of leaving trees, in our section, in grass. They have stood the severe winters no better ; they have borne no better ; the apples are smaller ; the trees grow more slowly ; a greater proportion of trees have died than of those cultivated each year. So marked have been the re suits that we have plowed up about half that part of the orchard which was left in grass." — L. N. Bailey, in Bulletin 31, Ayric. Coli., Mich. THE VINEYARD. Early Grapes. I FIND that sometimes one grape and sometimes another will come out ahead, according to the season. Usually the Brighton is considerably ahead of the Delaware here. But the Brighton re- quires a warmer season than the Dela- ware, and this year hung back and was not even " a good second " to it. The Tolman (otherwise " Champion," and " Beaconsheld ") is positively the ear liest grape in any season, but can never claim rank as a dessert grape, though very good for jelly making. I prefer it to Hartford. Israella is a very good and early grape. Eumelan is about with it, but has a straggling cluster. Moore's Early is just an early Concord in quality, with a snialler cluster and a larger berry, In quality the Brighton is ahead of everything, and in a warm year is as early as any but Tolman. Salera does fairly with me. — T. If- Hoskins, M.D., Orleans county, Vt., iu Farm and Home. Fertilizers For Grapes. Possibly aside fron) our changeable climate one reason why the grape vine is often diseased in this country is from neglect in properly fertilizing it. The stable manures connnonly used have an excess of carbonaceous matter, and are, besides, too strongly nitrogen- ous in proportion to their mineral elements. The grape \ine is a liberal feeder, but this kind of manure makes it run too much to vino without fur- nishing the material for making fruit. Some kinds of grapes always set too heavily, often three and even four clusters in the present year's shoot. Think how many berries there are in each of these, and one to three seeds in every grape. In elaborating the seed the vine requires plenty of potash and some phosphate. In the fruit these minerals are also found, the potash being especially necessary in changing the green acid pulp of the unripened grape to the luscious clusters which 34 CANADIAN HOm ICULTURIST. are so palatable. The early growth of the grape up to the time it attains nearly full size and forms seeds does not specially demand mineral fertilizers. But aVjout midsummer the overloaded vine falters in carrying its heavy load. The grapes refuse to color, and it is then that mildew and rot generally make their appearance, though the rot is a self-propagating disease which once introduced perpetuates itself from year to year. European vine growers manure the vine mainly with ashes, burning the trimmings and applying them yearly to the root as part of their supply. This furnishes both potash and phosphate. Thinning overloaded vines is always necessary with some varieties. In any case diseased bunches or berries should be cut out at once to prevent spread of the infection. — American Cultivator. Coal Ashes For Vines. Twenty years ago I planted vines in my yard, where I had to do a good deal of tilling in, and the material em- ployed was principally coal ashes. Wherever the ashes came in contact with the vines we had the largest crop of the finest grapes I ever saw, the voots seemed to run riot in the soil to a distance of ten to fifteen feet, and were a mass of fine fibres. The grapes were in large bunches that crowded each other for room, fine, plump, thin- skinned berries, while fruit on vines from the same aged cuttings, from the same parent vines, planted in the natural soil, were late, hard and sour. My varieties were Concord, Catawba and Ives' Seedling. — A. B., in Vick's Magazine/or March. Paper Bag's. Dr. E. E. Case, of Connecticut, fav- ors the use of paper bags for grapes for the following reasons : (1) Protection from insects, birds, dust and predatory fingers. (2) A slightly lengthened period of growth, and therefore a larger size and higher fiavor of the fruit. (3) A more delicate and beautiful color and bloom. (4) Almost complete pro- tection from rot and mildew. (5) Protection from early frosts which may destroy the leaves without injuring the fruit. ^llllllll!lllllllinilllllllllllllllllliaillllliill!l!lllllllllllllilllllllll1!lllllllllll!llillll!llllllllllillllllllllU^ Fl2eWERS f^ ^iiiiiyuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiii^^ SUMMER IN WINTER OR LIFE UNDER GLASS. MASON, PETERBOROUGH. IF I could in the limited space allotted me, make things as beau- tiful and as really delightful on paper as they are in nature, and thus persuade all my readers who are able to construct a small conservatory or greenhouse, to decide at once that before another summer they would have one, I should think I had done a little toward bringing sunshine, if not happiness, into many a home. Let us take a walk out into our greenhouses this cold winter morning. Oh ! you say, this is a Florida climate, if not a tropical one — but I see the thermometer indicates only 68°, sun- shine and all ; why, I would have thought it 80° or 90°. Is this not delightful ? Seethe white Calla Lilies, and all colors of Geraniums. Here are some beautiful Hyacinths just coming into bloom, double and single ; CA NA DIA N IIOR TICUL TURIST. 35 how sweet they are ! You find it is somewhat cooler in this other end of the house ; and here is a i,'rand show of Oinei-arias and Primuhis, all in bloom. We pass into another apartment tind- ini; it warmer. Oh, the roses ! What is there so lovely 1 Here we are in a warmer part, where the foliage plants, especially the beautiful Coleses, of all colors flourish ; but let us now retrace our steps, and finish our talk about vines fur the window and for the hanging basket. One of the most accommodating and easily grown is the is too strong a grower for l)askets, but does nicely for the window, and better still for the verandah. It will run up twenty feet if desired, bearing beauti- ful, bell-shaped flowers of a purple hue. There is also a variety with a white flower, and another with varie gated foliage and purple flowers. This latter kind is not grown from seed, only fiom cuttings. Coba-a seed is large, and flat or thin, with little substance. The seed must be planted edgewise to germinate, for if allowed to lie flat it will not grow, but speedily rot. Another very suitable one for baskets easily grown from seed, and may be had in mixed colors, such as purple, pink and white. It is excellejit for hanging baskets as well as for the win- dow, it will also do well out of doors. The flowers are from one inch to one inch and a-half in diameter. It may be easily grown from the seed. The colors are buf!" with black eye, white with black eye, and self colors of buff, yellow and white. This vine is ex tremely ornamental, and for baskets or vases, there are few plants superior to it. It may also be used in beds out of doors, in which case it should be pegged down like Verbenas. LOPHOSPERMUM is another strong grower which does well in the house, basket or vase. Tt Cl>B/EA SCA.NDBNH 36 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST has fine, large, pink, trumpet-shaped flowers, easily grown from seed. The MOON FLOWKR does fairly well as a window plant, but the verandah is the place for it, and if in good soil, it will well repay the little care it requires with foliage and flowers. The flowers of the true moon- plant average about four inches in diameter, opening in the evening or sometimes after dark, and those words of the poet, though intended for an- other variety of flower, are suitable for this : •' When pleasures, like the midnight flower That scorns the eye of vulgar light, Begin to bloom for sons of night, AwA maids who love the moon." ROSES IN WINTER— CARE, TREATMENT, ETC. Ity F. MITCHELL, INNERKIP, ONi AT the present season this is almost altogether restricted to the conservatory or the window garden. Roses in the open ground if properly cared for in Decem- ber by laying down and protecting as required, will need no further care till spring, excepting to keep a look out for field mice. The best and quickest way to get rid of these destructive little animals is to poison them with arsenic. I find this to be much better for the purpose than strychnine, which I have also tried but with indifierent success. I think this is owing to the crystals or grains of sti-ychnine being so coarse that the mice can easily avoid it. I ■put the arsenic in a newly cut piece of turnip, and place it on the ground in the runways, or where the mice are likely to run, covering with a piece of board in such a way that there is an inch or two of space between the board and the ground, and if there is snow, cover the whole deeply with it. Field mice will eat aImo.st any kind of vege- table, but turnip is the best to use, as frost does not easily destroy it. I cannot recommend ro.ses as strongly as some other plants for house culture in winter. If, howeve)-, they are used in this way I would advise that no effort be made to bring them into bloom until the latter part of winter, when the days are longer and brighter than they are now. It is best at this time of the year to keep the plants resting in the pots in the cellar, or some other cool place. The earth in the pots should be kept rather dry, and if the tempeia- ture should fall a little below freezing occasionally it will do even tender roses no harm. If kept back this way until after midwinter they may then be brought into the light and warmth of a bright dwelling-room window, and if the variety is suitable will soon make a fairly good display of bloom. By the aid of the conservatory, roses can be had at this season as at all others, and before proceeding further I would re- mark that any advice here oflTered is for only those who grow roses for pleasure. It is to the interest of the grower for market to produce his whole crop as aearly as he can at the time when the prices are the highest, while the amateur prefers to have some blooms, at least, at all seasons. The treatment is therefore naturally very different when strong healthy plants and a more or less continuous display of bloom is required, or as in the case of the professional florist whose en- deavor it is to force a heavy crop of bloom at a particular season even at the expense of the after health of the plants. It is best at this season to keep the temperature of the conserva- tory rather low (from forty to sixty degrees will do) and give fresh air when the weather will permit. At this low CA NA DIA N UOR TIC UL TURIST. 37 temperature some care will be required in watering, as wet, sour earth is very injurious to the roots. In jjotting rosos for the winter I always ensure free drainage by placing in the bottom of the pot a ([uantity of turf or sod from which the earth has been sifted or shaken. This is far better than tiie old custon of using broken fragments of pots. A sharp look out should be kept up for tiaces of the red spider and if any, preventive or destructive mea- sures should be used. The foliage should be syringed or sprayed Jis much as pos.sible and leaves which are badly affected should be picked off and burn- ed. The spider can be brouglit under control much more easily now than later on when the sun has more power. Some of the varieties of climbing roses will, I think, give more bloom for l"ss care at this season than any others. These sliould be planted in the earth as they I'oot vei-y freely and donot do well in pots. Some of the old varieties are, I think, still the best. I do not knew of any better than Gloire de Dijon or Lamarque for the non -professional grower. The tirst is a very free, continuous Ijloomer, and the latter with its tough enduring foliage is almost proof against red spider or mildew. If piopagation of hardy roses for the garden is carried on in a conservatory, and proper cuttings can be had, it can be pursued now with advantage. Cut- tings of hardy roses do not require a high degree of heat to form roots. Plants which were struck and potted off in the summer should beat rest now, and should be watered with great care. Theie are many other minor atten- tions or duties that may. arise in con- nection with the care of roses in winter, l)ut the real rose-lover will not find these cares as formidable or laborious as they appear but rather a pleasant and healthful recreation. Jan 7 th, 18SS. FLORICULTURAL. The Wandering Jew. Tradescaxtia, or "Wandering Jew," as it is commonly called, is ;dl, and more than all, that its mythical name indicates. It is bound to live under any and every kind of treatment. Plant it where it is cold, it will "row ; Tkadkdca.ntia. plant it where it is warm, it will giow faster ; plant it where it is wet, it will grow with a will ; plant it where it is dry, it is growing still ; pull it up and throw it away, and it will surprise you with long joints of luxuriant growth. In water it thrives well ; in poor soil or sand better, and in rich soil, better still. Water it with salted water, or saltpetre in the water, and it will con- tinually look as if just returned from a shower bath. The green is the best of all, if well grown. The green and white, distinctly n arked — a very hand- some kind — and also a very rich and growing variety — has a zebra-striped leaf, with a tiny three-leafed Hower. On the whole, this is a most uncom- n\on plant, this " Wandering Jew," — (|uite worthy of its name, and san nevci- be out of favor or fashion. — Farm and Home.. Begonias in the Window. lKol)ligcd to confine myself to one class of plants for window culture, I would select the flowering begonias. 58 CA JVA DIA N HORTIC UL TURIST. They bear dry heat and occasional neglect as well as any, and are not liable to the attacks of insects, while the number and variety of species are large. Next to begonias I would place geraniums. Every one knows how end- less is the variety of shades and forms of these beautiful flowers. Then the scented, the silver-leafed, the bronze, the ivy-leafed, the tri-colored — a charm- ing array. One can have a gay window without any flowers at all. The list of desirable plants is almost endless. — Horticultural Times. Fuchsia Culture. I FIND that with plants which have bloomed continuously all summer there is little hope of their flowering in the winter, unless they are of the Speciosa and Serratifolia varieties. These will ofteii flower eight months in the year, and are called Winter Flowering in the catalogues. Other species can be packed away in boxes, with a light .soil, and kept in a cool, dark cellar, where potatoes will not sprout. They must remain dormant and should have neither light nor warmth to send forth their tiny leaves. All their leaves will drop, and they must not have any water unless the soil becomes too parched, and if the cellar is damp this will not occur. In February or March, if you desire the plants to bloom early, they can be taken up and potted in rich soil, composed of one- third well-decomposed cow manure, and two-thirds rich garden soil. This can be prepared and put into a box when the plants are placed in the cellar. I always have a large box of compost ready for the potting of flowers in the spring, and also to plant annuals and raise cuttings when the garden soil is frozen stifl' or well covered with snow. So prepare a large box of it and a small- er one of sand, and you can start early vegetables as well as flowers in March. — Pop. Gard. The Mud or Saucer System of propagation is practised by taking any convenient flat vessel holding sand, to a depth of an inch or more, into which cuttings are inserted. Keep watered with a tine rose, or the sand will wash out of place. Do not shade, but keep in the sunshine. It is essen- tial that the sand be kept saturated with water, as drying is fatal. Tem- perature from 6.5" to 100° fahr. Most of the soft stemmed plants may be propagated by this means. — Am. Garden. How I Grow My Chrysanthemums. (A paper by George Trufsell before the Montreal Horticultural Society. ] This paper was written in conformity with the conditions upon which the tirst prize was awarded on Chrysan- themums, the plants having been brought into bloom without the aid" of a greenhouse. It may, therefore, be accepted as evidence of what can be accomplished with limited facilities. I do not pretend to give anything new. The cuttings were put in early — some in February, some in March, and potted in foui'-inch pots ; as soon as they required shifting they got six-inch pots, and four weeks after they got ten-inch pots. The soil was of well rotted manure and sods. Sufficient drainage was given, this being an important point. If large pla^.ts are required they must, from April 1st to July 1st, be pinched about twice a week to keep them bushy. The Japanese varieties are inclined to grow upright, and with these the system of management mat- ters little. About June 1st the pots were put outside in rows sufliciently distant from one another to allow a man to pass between, taking care not to let the plants root through the pots ; to pre- vent which they were moved once or twice a week. I recommend training, giving each branch the support of a CA A' A IJJA A IJO R TICIJL TV HIST. 39 stake to prevent it from breakinji with the wind and rains. Chrysanthemums are vigorous feed- ers. 1 suppliefl them with liquid manure at least three times a week ; they were also well watered, to prevent flagging. To prevent Black Fly I steeped tobacco stems in water and syringed the plants. The stimulant used was chiefly cow manure placed in a tub of water, and stable manure placed in a basket set in water. About the end of September 1 erected a house to keep the plants from freezing. I chose the south side of a fence, and placed the end of a twelve-foot scantling on the top rail, the other end resting on a similar scantling in front about three feet from the ground, using no boards in the structure ; the fence thus formed the back, and one end. After nailing bags along the front to keep out the cold, I placed hot-bed lights on the top, and put a box stove inside to heat the place when required. 1 continued to cut the bloom until near Christmas. The Calla Lily. There is no flower for winter bloom ing that has received more atten- tion than the Calla Lily, and, at the same time, has disappointed so often. As soon as the weather will permit it to be set out, the owner can be seen tugging it round to find a suitable place for it to rest during the summer months, previous to repotting for winter. The Calla is fully able to take fare of itself ; all the rest it needs it will take in its own way and own time. Set it out and let it take its chances with other plants, but never water ; if it gets wet with the rain it will be all right, and you will find that it will naturally die down. It may have one or two small leaves during the summer, as the Lily will live as long as there are roots to feed on, as it eats all the sulj- stance out of the roots, and you will tind when you repot it that there is iiotliiiig left that were once roots but dried up, l)iack-looking fibre. In order to repot a Lily properly, empty it out of the pot entirely. The same soil can be used again, as the soil is only a sub- stance through which the plant receives its living ; the growing Lily ^depends on light, heat, and water. Put into the pot the .same soil mixed with the old roots and chopped up leaves ; put as many leaves in the bottom of the pot as you can possibly pack in before putting in your soil, as decompos- ed vegetable matter is really better than animal matter, the latter will produce larger plants, but they seldom bloom when they grow so lai-ge, and if they do it vvill be only one flower during the winter, and that not until near spring. I have Lilies that have not had any dressing, that have grown just in com- mon soil, with the pots set in bowls of water, and the stocks would not mea- sure an inch and a half in circumfer- ence, and they have bloomed freely. After you have finished potting, place the pot in a bowl of water or pan, one that will hold at least a half pint with the pot. This must be kept full of water, as the hot sun will soon dry out all moisture, which is very injurious to the plant at the first starting. Now leave the Lily to take care of itself, and in the course of a week or two you will see it sprouting. The water that is drawn up through the soil by the rays of the sun on the surface of .the soil passes thiough the leaves that have been placed in the bottom of the pot, and thus carries with it carbon gas that is so necessary to plant life. The more decomposed the leaves the more gas. As the leaves unfold they commence taking in carbon from the air, thus, you see, it has a double supply. When the plant is taken into the house, it must have a window where it can have the 40 CAJ^^ADIAiY HORTICULTURIST. sun at least two hours a day, besides having a strong light. Keep the pan filled with liot water during the winter, in order to keep the soil heated ; if the plant should not take up all the water during the day, empty it out and till again with hot water ; Do this daily. There is no reason why a Lily should not bloom, as nature has intended a flower for every plant in its own way, and if properly treated will bring satis- factory results. — Horticultural Times. Using- Floweps to Advantage. The idea of Mr. John Newhali, of Toronto, about an annual distribution every autumn of surplus bedding out plants among the poor classes, thus cheering their homes during the winter months with geraniums, etc., which would otherwise have been destroyed by the frosts, is a good one ; and if the authorities of the Normal School, Osgoode Hall, and Horticultural Gard- ens would so dispose of their surplus each autumn, it would indeed be a blessing to many homes. That every tree, shrub, and plant on such grounds should be labeled with both its common and scientific names. is so patent that it scarcely needs em- phasizing. How such an important means of imparting a knowledge of horticultural nomenclature could have been omitted is the astonishment ! We go still farther, and advocate that the grounds of every high school and colle- giate institute should be made an arboretum with just as many named varieties as space and means would permit. A SOUTHERN aspect is the best for a lean-to greenhouse. If in a position sheltered from the north and east winds, so n)uch the better. Your voiceless lip^s, 0 Howers ! are Hving preachers- Each cup a pulpit, every leaf a book, Supplying to my fancy numerous teachers fi'om loneliest nook. — Horace Smith. The fumes from an oil stove are cer- tainly not good for plants, and such a stove should not be used in a green- house or other place where plants are kept, if other means of heating can be devised. To counteract the bad effects of even the best oil stoves, give as much ventilation as possible. CAiVA DIA S HOliTICi'L TUIilST. 41 C^e C^^nabtan ^oriicufturiaL 4f SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its valuable Annual Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees. REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label. Hints for the Month. Storino Apples. — ^\'e read in many of our contemporary fruit journals, advice about stoi-ing apples and pears in bins, or on shelves and trays, so as to be easily accessible. We have never favored this mode of keeping these fruits, even for home use. In the first place, because we do not find them to keep as well ; and, in the second, be- cau.se in most cellars almost every variety will shrivel more or less. All fruit keeps best in close, air-tiglit barrels, and the more perfectly they can be kept from the influence of the atmosphere, the more e.vcellent the state of preservation in which they will open out when needed. The Coiuiirij (rnitlciiKDi, however, recommends a modification of the tray system which migiit prove useful for pears needed for table use, especially if the fruit were packed in the trays with line haidwood sawdust. The trays are made one foot and a-half by two feet, and with a depth slightly more than the height of the specimens they are to contain, tiius : For apples the trays should be at least three and a-half inches deep. These trays may be piled in the cellar in vertical piles, the bottom of one tray serving as a cover for the one below it, as shown in the illustration : Such trays may be made in the winter season, and be ready for use at the busy season when they would have a ready sale. Low Land for Apple Trees. — A writer in the Ajnericnn Garden claims that low land, naturally well drained, is best adapted to favor strong growth and fruitfulncss of the apple and pear. The arguments are l)ased upon the cal- culations of Prof. Burrill, of the 42 CANAUIAA' HOJrriCULTURIST. University of Illinois, who states a good sized apple tree gives off the amazing amount of 250 gallons of water per day. To supply this, it is evidently necessary for the roots to be in land where the strata fetch the water near the surface. So situated, the writer claims that the apple and pear trees are more vigorous, fruitful and healthy than when grown on liigh and dry lands. Grass and weeds steal the moisture, and hence should be kept down by cultivation until the shade of the trees is sufficient to check them and coun- teract their effects. Hardy Fruits. Whitney's No. 20.— Mr. D. B. Weir, of Illinois, writes in the same Journal of this apple tree, that it is one of the finest of small ornamental trees, perfectly hardy to the far north. It is a pretty thing the year round, clear and bright-looking in winter, with its cone-shaped head and smooth trunk. Its flowers are large and hand- some, followed by large, luxuriant foliage, and then in early autumn covered with its ropes of cherry-red cone-shaped fruit, one-third larger than the well known Transcendant Crab, with the color and shape of the Hys- lop. It is indeed a rich thing. Its fruit is really a good table apple, and the handsomest of the handsome, the first best for the kitchen. Every man in Dakota and Canada should plant twenty trees of the Whitney for use, and every other man a few for use and ornament. BLACKBKHKIES.-The Same writer does not favor planting the hardy varieties of blackberries for the North-West. Even the so-called iron clads winter-kill, and must beprotected. And since it is as easy to protect one variety as another, he advises planting the best and most pro- ductive varieties only, and covering them everv fall. This can be done thoroughly, it is claimed, at about three dollars per acre. Transplanting Thkes. — Mr. D. S. Tioy, in Scientific American, says that one of the most important precautions in transplanting a' tree is to have it in the same position as to the points of the compass as before removal. Nature accommodates itself to circumstances, and the difference in the development of the north and south sides is obvious. If the south side of a tree is turned to the north, death is almost as certain as if the roots were turned toward the- sky. We are not at all convinced by Mr. Troy's arguments. When the writer was engaged in the nursery business, a buyer who was possessed with this notion, once marked every tree before digging it, that he might plant it in the same relative position. We looked upon it then as a silly superstition, and have never yet been convinced to the contrary. But if any of our readers- have any items of experience orobsei'va- tion to give under this head we will be fjlad to receive them. Paris Green a Safe Remedy for Cod- lingr Moth. PuoF. A. J. Cook, says in the Report of the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society, on tliis point. But what of the danger of using such virulent poisons on our fruit? Let me say tliat I have considered that point most fully. I have called in the aid of the microscope, and the chemists' I'eageiits, and both have said, "No danger." I have used fruit thus treated now for seven years, and have no fear of poison. When the chemist's delicate tests can find no sign of arsenic, when the sharp eye of the microscope sees no trace of the poison, nor can find any trace for weeks before the fruit is to be used, I feel that I can safely use and reconmiend these arsenites in this warfare. CA XJ 1)1 A \ IIOUTWUL TURJST. 4;i The Shiawassee Beauty. Pkesidknt F. F. Lvov, of Michigan, on his return from Boston j)aid avisit to Mr. Charles Cibb, of Abbotsford, P.(,). He found this section largely devoted to apple culture, the princii)al variety being the Fanieuse, of which Mr. (Jibb has extensive orchards. He has also a large nuniV)er of trial plantations of fruit and forest trees, and of o i- na mental slii'ubs. Referring to the race of apples, of which the Fanieuse is a type, he men- tions the Shiawassee, as a case in point. It was grown from .seeds of tlie Fanieuse in Oakland county, Michigan, .some thirty oi- forty years ago, and the tree was transplanted to the neigh- boring county of .Shiawa.ssee, whence its name. It was introduced to the public by Mr. Lyon. QUESTION DRAWER Profits of Fruit Culture. li. Can a gooil living l)c niaile out of fruit farming on a moderate stale, and with a very liniiteil capital ? I iiave a good salaiy at office work, and woidd not wish to run in .leht. .J. A. H., Toronto. We cannot too severely condemn the practice of some journals, especially some of those which aie published Ijy men who have fruit trees and other nursery stock for sale, of continually setting forth the gilded side of fruit culture, representing the enormous profits of an acre of strawberries, or of an orchard of peach trees, and never setting foith the dark side, the ditti- culties,tlie disappointments,and failures so continually besetting even the most skilled and experienced fruit-growers. How often does an untimely frost, or an adverse season, cut off' the profits ex- pected from a whole season's industry ! No. Speaking from an experience of twenty years in fruit culture, in one of the very best sections of Ontario, we would not advise any man with a very limited capital, no experience, and no knowledge of the business, to leave a good salary, and to engage in fruit culture for a living. And yet the writer is passionately fond of his chosen occupation, considering it one of the most delightful that can be selected, and he has entire confidence in the ultimate success and prosperity in every fruit grower who understands his busi- ness, and follows it with patient in dustry. The Pear Blight. 7. Of 130 pear trees of various kinds, 'i.') years planted, 1 have left only Bartlett, r^oui.se, Flemish Beauty, Benrre Diel, and White Doyenne which iiave estai)ed hliglit. Have others similar experience? Blight occurs after heavy rain.s in .Inly and August, hot sun causing fermentation in the superabund ant sap.— John McLkan, Owen Soiiml. TiiK kinds you mention are less sub- ject to blight than some others, excejit- ing the Flemish Beauty, which is with us as badly afiected as any variety. Clapp's Favorite, Rostiezer, and Howell have also proved with us remarkably exempt. The blight is not caused by fermentation of the sap, but by a minute living organism called Bac- terium, which is so tiny that it can only be seen by the aid of the mo.st powerful microscope. These retain their vitality from year to year, even in a blighted lind). They float about in the atmosphen;, and find easy access to the sap through the succulent growth of the pear after such heavy rains as you mention in the hot sea.son of .luly and Auffust. The Clinton Grape. S. Are you not a little astray al>out the Clinton Grape? I have always understood that it was a pure Rii)aria, and not a ero.ss be- tween Riparia and Iviibrusca as yf>u say in Oct. No. 87. -B. Ouii statement was based upon the authority of Mr. P. V. Munson. of Dennison, Texas, 1st Vice-President 44 CA JVA DIA N HORTIC UL TURIST. Am. Hort. Soc, who defends his posi- tion in the following letter just received from him. Sir, — In reply to your favor of No- vember 28th, my opinion is that Clin- ton Grape of the Northern States (tirst brought to notice, in N. Y., I believe) is a natural hybrid between the two species, V. Labrusca and Y. Ripaiia. My judgment is based upon botanical characteristics of the variety itself, and that its pure seedlings sport in the two directions, sometimes producing indivi duals which are decidedly Labrusca- like, at others, greatly like Riparia. The Clinton itself frequently shows on well developed canes, continuous ten- drils (a Labrusca characteristic), and the seeds are much more like Labrusca than Riparia. The shade of green in the leaf, the shape of leaf, erect stamens, etc., pulp of berry, size, etc., clearly point to otiier blood than Riparia, and that in every case Labrusca, as the only other species in that region of country which could impart such characteristics. Truly, T. Y. MuNSON. Vitality of Seeds. 9. \V ould you please give a list of seeds showing their respective vitality. The following list is given our read- ers on the authority of the Rural Nev) Yorker, as showing their respective vitality. Year.s. Years. Artichoke . . 5 to 6 Onion 2 to 3 Asparagus ... 2 to 3 Parsley 2 to 3 Beans, all Parsnips 2 to 3 kinds .... 2 to 3 Pea 5 to 6 Beet 2 to 3 Pumpkin . . 8 to 10 Broccoli .... 5 to C Rhubarb .... 3 to 4 Carrot :> to 4 Squash .... 8 to 10 Cress 3 to 4 Lettuce 3 to 4 Corn kept on Melon 8 to 10 the cob 2 to 3 Mustard . . . 3 to 4 Cucumber .. 8 to 10 Okra 3 to 4 Egg plant.. . . 1 to 2 Spinach 3 to 4 Endive 5 to G Tomato 2 to 3 Leek 2 to 3 Turnip 5 to (j Cauliflower . . 5 to 6 Pepper 2 to 3 Celery 2 to 3 Radish.. 4 to 5 Chervil 2 to 3 Salsify 2 to 3 Corn salad . . 2 to 3 Lavender . . 2 to 3 Anise 3 to 4 Sweet niarjo- Balm 2 to 3 ram ' . . . 2 to 3 Basil 2 to 3 .Summer sa- Caraway 2 vory 1 t(j 2 Coriander ... 1 Sage 2 to 3 Dill 2 to 3 Thyme 2 to 3 P«^nnel 2 to 3 Wormwood.. 2 to 3 Hys-soj) 3 to 4 Feptilizeps. 10. What is the value of swamp muck ashes for strawberries and grapevines ? Also, I have quite a quantity of swamp marl, it looks like lime, and seems full of smal shells — some like pin heads. What is the value of it for strawberry plants and grape vines, and what kind of soil is it best for ? Reply by Prof. Panton, Guelph, Ont. Ashes from swamp muck, likely con- tain considerable potash, a very im- portant ingredient in riant f od.— It enables the Chlorophyll of the leaves to perform its functions and thus become an important factor in plant growth. As the plants referred to (strawberries and vines) have much foliage, I think an application of these ashes would be followed by good re- sults. 2. The deposit referred to is marl, quite common in many parts of Ontario. It contains from 70 to 80 per cent, of lime in the form of calcium car- bonate, sometimes small quantities of phosphate of lime, and also some iron, but its chief use is as a lime fer- tilizer. Applied to heavy .soil it makes it more workable by giving lightness and looseness to such. It serves as food directly, and indirectly by rendering available organic compounds in decay- ing vegetation. Best suited for heavy clay lands, on which it may be applied by the waggon load. As a special fertilizer for the plants named, 1 cainiot say that it possesses great value, but as referred to on heavy soil would effect a good physical change, and be followed by favorable I'esults to any plants growing upon it. If the bed of marl is lying low and water-soaked (a common condition, its CA NA I)/ A .V IIORTICUL TURIST. \T) sli(»nl(l l)c (lug out ;iii(l exposed to the weather. 'I'lio fall is the best time to do this, when it may be left in heaps and by sprinj; it will be thoroughly pulverized and ready for aj)plicatioii. Transplanting- Evergreens. 11. Would you kimlly let nie know, iis uoar- ly ii.s p()ssil>le, the exact time for tninsplant- iii:; Fine, Siiruee, and Cedar/ A Srii- scKiiiKK, Montreal, /'. Q. The month of June is usually consid- ered the most favorable time, because tlien the evergreens are just about to push out new growth ; but in our ex- perience the month of May is Ijetter in Canada, in order to get the trees estab- lished in their places l)efore the drouth of summer, and to have the earth set- tled about their roots by the spring Yield of Grapes. \-l. Wliat is tliu yield per acre in the Grimsby seetion ? Some extravagant .•state- ments were made at the time of the annual meeting. — J. C., Anilsri/k, Ont. Thk number of pounds depends upon the variety. The Concord takes the lead in (juantity. In our own vineyard, we average about "JO lbs. per vine, and from three to four tons per acre. Mr. J. R. Pettit, a neighboring vineyardist, has an e.\act acre of Concords, planted 8x10, and the last season marketed by actual count three tons and a half. The largest yield of any one vine was 2") lbs. His Rogers 15 are planted lOx 16, and the large.st yield off" one vine was 30 Ills. He thinks the latter paid better than Concords, as they netted him 4^ cents per lb., while the Concord oidy netted him 2| cents per lb. His Woi'densdid the best, yielding as much per vine as his Concords, anfl netting him 5 cents per lb. Mr. A. H. Pettit has also an acre of Concords planted Sx8 feet apart. At the age of four years he had tiie most remarkable yield often tons of grapes ! and. one season since, he gathered eight tons. Apple-Trees from Cuttings. l.S. An Knglisli paptr suy.s : CuttingK of the matured « ood of any healthy and fairly vigorous-gidwing kind of ap|>le will ttriko readily in tlu; o[)en ground, and in a short time commence to hear fruit exactly .similar to that produced hy the parent plant. 'I'his moie|of propagating apple and otiier fruit trees is now attracting much attention, es- pecially on the (ontinent, and admirable re- siUts are said to be obtained in this way. If so, why go to the trouble of grafting ? .I.e., Ai(/tsn//e. Only under the most favorable con- ditions will the apple cuttings strike readily in the open ground. The pro- fe.ssional gardener, in the moist climate of England, may have no ditliculty, but the amateur, in the dry sunnner of Cantida, would fail. The currant, gooseberry, grape, quince, etc., will grow easily from cuttings, if they have first been buried until the cut has cal- lused ; so will some varieties of pears especially the Leconte and Kietler. Golden Queen. 14. Is tlic ( ioldcn <^»uccn llaspberry perfect- ly hardy. — .1. L. Tho.mi'son, Toronto. As far as it has been tested in On- tario, the evidence is in its favor. Mr. T. C. R)binson has successfully grown at Owen Sound, and tlierefore it should do well at Toronto. It is among the plants for distribution next spring to Ije tested by the members of our Asso- ciation, and we shall soon hear reports concerning it from all parts of Ontario. Grape Syrup. 15. I wish to make grape syrup, (an you suggest how to do iton a tolerably large scale, say (10 gallons at a boiling? 1 ani told ma- ple sugar is sometimes boiled df)wn in large evaporating pans. Would the .same answer for grape juice? If so, 1 should be glad of information how to do it. Can you tell me of any firm who makes them for .sale ? Is there a large demand for grape .syrup?— A I'OOR ViNKVAUDI.ST. We have referred your (piestion to several authorities to reply, but so far without success. Has any reader ex- perience to oti'er ? ■Want of s|)ace compels us to lay over several replies tn ons luitil Marcli Xi Ki 46 CA XA DIA K HORTICUL TURIST. OUR MARKETS. l'HIL.\ Mks-shs. Pancoast & (tRikkitu write un- der date of January 5th. Our market is reooveriuf; satisfactorily from the usual holiday lull ami (juotations below are well maintained. Apples are in good demand and choice stock is >>m ; fine red fruit will command uitt utile jrricex. We quote :— Spitz,$3.2.Tto.^:]..50 bbl. Baldwins S'2.'25to!!!2.50. (^reenings.ii!-2.()0to-2.25. Mixed cars prime winter fruit .$2. 00 to |2. 25. Com mon cooking lower. (Jranberries — Are in ferior supplyfor the season and barely steady. Dark Jersey :$3 GO to $:i 25 per crate ; light Jersey ft2 50to$2 75. Potatoes— of good (juality are in very light supply and all the xotinil iUsirii))le table stock o&eveA finds rea ly sail at outside prices. Poor and unkeeping qualities not wanted. Rose, Burbanks, Fearless and White Star 75c to 80c per bbl, (60 lbs.) Hebrons, 78c to 80c., mixed cars somewhat lower. Onions— are mostly in- ferior and such are dull ; while choice stock connnands full prices, .$3.00, $3.25 bbl. ; 80c to 90c. bushel. Cabbaoe —Scarce and want- ed $10 to $1:1 per 100. If any margin for you please ship : will keep yon posted if you de- sire it. MoNTKKAl,. Apples — The local market continues very quiet. Holders still complain of the poor quality of some of the stocks in store. Sev- eral cars ha\'e been offered Montreal firms from the West, but they were not taken. • We quote prices here at .$2.50 to ^3 per bbl., for round lots, and at .$3.50 to $4 for selee- tions of single barrels. Evaporated Ap- ples— A few enquiries have been received from the Lower Ports, and we learn of sales of evaporated apples at 10 to IO4 in good sized lots in .50 lb boxes. Dried apples are quoted at (jc. to 7c. Cranberries— There is a fair business at $8.50 to |10 per brl — Onions — Spanish onions, .$3.75 to $4 per case ; Montreal reds, $3.. 50 per brl. Cab- bages—Tlie supply is fair and prices remain steady at .$3 to .$5 per 100. Potatoes —Busi- ness continues quiet at 70 to 75c. per bag for car lots, and single l)ags at al)out the same price — TraJe Bvllelni . The Glasgow Market for Grapes. An interesting experiment has been made this year by some Grimsby and Winona grape growers, in shipping grapes to Glas- gow, Scotland ; 150 baskets, or more, were shipped, per steamer Colina, to Simons, Jacobs & Co., Glasgow, who received them in excellent condition, and sold them at pub- lic sale, per catalogue, on the 27th of Octo- ber. The ten pound basket with wooden cover was the package used. The varieties were Concord, Niagara, Isabella and Cataw- ba, and several Rogers. The white grapes from which the most was expected, sold the worst, as they are at a discount in that market, even bringing the shippers in debt for charges of cartage, etc. The prices at which the grapes were sold were about as follows : Niagara, Ic. per lb. ; Concord, 5c. ; Rogers varieties, 5-6c. ; Pocklington, lie. ; Catawba ; 7-8c. The net proceeds of the whole lot was only .$15.40 ! It is evident that it is useless to send white grapes to the British market ; but a profitable trade may possib y be worked up in the black varieties. The following letter accompanying the ac- count sales will also be of interest. Glasgow, 28th October, 1887. Sir, — We regret to think that the interest- ing experiment that you have made in ship- ping grapes to this country has not been attended with perfect success. The whole of the fruit by the Colina arrived in tolerably good form, and all the black A'arieties were favorably received by the buyers, but there is no demand in this country for the Niagara or any other white grapes, as we have a superabundance of excellent green grapes from Spain. These latter are sold in the .streets at from three to four pence per lb. , and we send you a catalogue of the sale of 11,000 lbs., at prices varying from $1.00 to .$4.80 Each barrel contains from 40 to 55 lbs , and the difference in price is caused by the keeping quality of the fruit, some of which will last as long as next May. If yon could make a few more experiments with black grapes, we should then be in a better position to say Mhether this business could be relied on with any degree of safety. Yours faithfully, Simons, Jacobs & Co. CAN.l IHAN llORTK 'U I/I'd HIST. OPEN LETTERS. Profits of Forestry. SiK,-l tliiiik 1 .ail prove tliat it I liiul planted one luiiidrcd acres of tiiiilxr wlii-n you did tlie fruit, I could now Iniy uji any three oiciiards. A factory liere will take all ash and locust at six inches in diameter, and that will grow in a very few years. I fee sure tiiat I can start now, and raise a good many crops of such timl>er in an ordinary lifetime. T. M. (Irovkk, Noi;W(.ni.. Ont. Fruit at Arnprior. SiK, 1 iiave taken your valualde paper now three years. The fir.st year's plant (a Kay's currant) died. J received one the next year along with the Marlhoro raspV)eny. It has made rapid growth, but has not borne. I have four kinds of red currants, P'ay's, Moore's Ruby, Raby Castle And Cherry, none of which bore any to speak . 3/2 SIEOS . MANURE MANURE MANURe i ^^^^m W' _ : ^ Fio. 23 -Em- Elkvation. A large supply of plants can be grown for both kitchen and flower gar- den at a nominal price. Anyladycan carefor the plantsinthis house and derives much pleasure and profit in watching tin; progress of the little pets. The size given is most economic, be- cause the greater (juantity of manure got together the more lasting and cer- tain will be the heat. The bunks for manure are not too wide for conveni- ence of handling stock, which should all be grown ii. boxes of pots, for the convenience of moving it about, as de- sired. The walk should be filled with manure to a height that will only allow the occupant head room in the centre, this can be covered with rough lumber. A space two feet square should be left inside the door to step in, as the door is too low to walk in upright. The bunks should be tilled to within eight inches of the top with suitable manure, and this covered with earth to a depth of three or four inches, spread evenly over the whole surface. The south side of an out-building is the most suitable site, as in this posi- tion it is shielded from the cold north winds. The roof should contain at least sixty feet of glass, four sash of about threeby six feet willbesutticient. I use the storm sashfrommynewdwelling and find these answer as well as sash made for the purpose. The balance of the roof can be made up of inch lumber, and the sash may be placed eighteen inches from each end, .so as to make some shady nooks for plants which prefer the shade. Of cour.se, provisions must be made for ventilation, where necessary. Boxes, one foot wide and two feet long and four inches deep, are suitable for both seeds and cutting.s, the former to be filled with good garden soil, the other with clean sand for cuttings ; bits of sod four inches square arc best for starting cucumbers, melons and such plants as do not transplant well, but they must be moved occasionally to pre- vent their roots from descending to the earth below the sod, and should be transplanted before the third leaf appears. 54 CA NA D I A N HOR TIC UL TURIST. RAMBLES AMONG FRUIT GROWERS.-IV. THE WESTERN NEW YORK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY THIS old and respectable Society met at Rochester on the 25th and 26th of January. The writer, as a representative of our Association, was most cordially received by such men as W. C. Barry, Charles Green, S. D. Wil- lard, J. S. Woodward and others. An interesting feature of the occa- sion was a presentation to Mr. P. Barry, the honored president, of a beautiful cup as a mark of the esteem in which he was held by the members. It was unfortunate that he could not be present owing to ill-health, but his son, Mr. W. C. Barry, responded in suitable terms to the presentation. The following are a few among the items of information which we gleaned from the meeting. CHERRIES. Which are the most pro^fitable for liome use and for market ? Mr.Willard — I would namethe Mont- morency as the best acid cherry — not the large variety, but the Montmorency Oi-dinaire. I would also name the Mont- morency as the best for home use. It is larger, better, and more productive than the Early Richmond. For a dark, sweet cherry, for home use, I would place the Windsor ahead of all others. For an acid market cherry I would name the Montmorency and English Morello. The Montmorency hangs long on the tree and the birds do not injure it. For a sweet cherry for market, I would name the Windsor as the most profitable. I shipped some Windsor to Pliila- delphia last summer and they sold for fourteen cents per lb. The Windsor is also very free from rot. Mr. Green said a friend had grown the Louis Philippe with great success. Mr. Willard said Schmitz Biggareau was one of the very good dark sweet cherries which had lately been intro- duced. The Montmoi'ency is as yet unri- valled for market purposes, often paying at an average of $10 per tree. Which are the best varieties for market? Mr. Willard. — My choice six for market would be (1) Reine Claude, though somewhat tender : (2) French Damson ; (3) Quackenboss ; (4) Lom- bard ; (5) Bradshaw ; (6) Stanton. The latter is productive, late, and of good quality ; it has a beautiful bloom, and is about the size of the Lombard. Which arc the best of the ncicer introduc- tions ? Mr. Willard said that the Early Rivers was proving itself among the best of the early peaches. Hyne's Surprise from Texas is a tine peach, being of the same season as the Alex- ander, which it much resembles, but it is a free stone. Stephen's Rai'eripe is growing in favor, and has come to stay. Cases are known of its being shipped east and bringing $4.00 per bushel. It is a little later than the late Crawford. The Salway ripened a wonderful crop last year, but it has a tendency to overbear. It is in good demand. The Sturteyvant peach is far superior to the Early Barnard. Mr. Willard would prefer one of them to a half dozen Early Barnard at any time. The Foster is a fine peach, but at Geneva it is a sparse bearer. CANA DIAN HOHTlCULTfJlilST. 55 Does the fruit crop pay belter than cuty other crop we can raise ? Mr. Moociy, of Lockport, said, " J tliink the fruit crop is far the most protitahli! of any crop we cmii raise. I know an orcliard of plums and pears of eight acres, twenty-tiiree years plant- ed, which has produced over S40,000. The Kietter is a profitable pear ; we top-grafted a couple of rows, aljout 200 trees, in our orchard, and last year, tlie fourth, we sold tiie fruit .it about $1"J per barrel. ^Ir. J. S. Woodward. -There is no depth to which a mans depravity wont lead him. Any man whose taste leads him to value a pear which the mice wont eat. I don't know what to think of him Mr. Hooker, of Rochester. — I think there are othei- crops which can be raised to greater piofit than the fruit crop : for instance, the growing of nursery stock and vegetable gardening. Mr. Crane, of Lockport. — I have re- ceived more money from an acre of grapes than any one can show from an acit' of apples. Mr. Watson, North Chautau(|ua. — This year we shipjied about ."iOO car- loads of grapes. We think they pay from 8150 to $300 per acre on an average. One gentleman said, I can vouch for the fact that ten acres of onions yielded me about 81,-iOO in one year I Ml-. Uice said that in one yeai- \w. had received $1,900 for the produce of nineteen acres of orchard. Mr. Willard. — This has been an off year witii apples, yet they have sold for more money tlian any other one crop per acre. Not twenty tive per cent, of grow- ers will cull and pack their apples satis- factorily. A thorough reform in this respect is needed. Mr. Pearson .said, that Seneca Co. had received SI 60,000 for its fruit crop the past season. MlM'l) M.WLUK. Does it pay to use it for fniil tn-en ? Mr. Dunning, of Auljurn. — I have liad very gratifying success. I tried it on the Foster Peach and succeeded in getting six bushels of peaches from one good sized tree by its use. Many of tiie peaches would measure nine inches in circumference. The manure is taken from a tank kept near the cow stable. The tank is on wheels and can be drawn about to the orchard and vineyard. It consi.sts largely of urine, and water from cow manure. A gentleman from Michigan had grown Fo.ster peaches eleven inches in circumfeience by the use of ashes and bone dust. IJAIiy MANURE. What is the best mode oftreatim/ it after it leaves the stables ? Mr. Woodward. — No man can afford to draw rain water. All manure should be kept undea* cover, or else drawn out directly to the field as fast as it is made. No man can compost manure so that there will not be a con- stant loss of manure every day he leaves it in a pile. I make some 1,S00 loads of manure each year and always draw it out as fast as made and spread it over the ground at once. If not j)repared to use the manure at once, I keep it covered until wanted, or I compost it in broad flat piles, and cover it vvitli absorbents, such as road dust, muck, straw, leaves, etc. Our orchards do not get manure enougli, so this ([uestion is a very im- portant one to the fruit grower. What proyress are ve imtkiny in pear culture ? Mr. Hooker said that the Saundeis remedy liad proved very succesvsful in checking the pear blight. The formula was : — one peck of lime, ten pounds of 56 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. sulphur, and two ounces of cai'bolic acid, thinned with water to the con- sistency of white wash. This is ap- plied to the tree about the 1st of May, and sprayed upon the foliage just after blooming. Mr. Moody. — Theremedy Mr. Hooker speaks of is good. We use it, and have not lost a tree in three years out of an orchard of 10,000 trees. We use a great quantity of unleached ashes, — 4,000 to 5,000 bushels a year in our pear culture. The varieties are three-quarters Bartlett ; a good many Kieffer ; Duchess and Clapp's Favorite. We have not been as successful with Anjou as formerly. Kieffer has paid us better than any other, but how long it will last I can- not say. We spray every year with London Purple or Paris Green. Mr. Hoag said I never use Paris Green, but keep the bark clean, and cultivate them frequently, thus giving insects no harbor. Mr. Barry. — As an early winter pear the Anjou is unequalled. To succeed that, I would commend the Winter Nelis. It is now the favourite dessert pear for hotels. The Jo- sephine de Malines succeeds the Nelis and these three deserve the highest praise as the leading winter pears. The Winter Nelis is a regular heavy bearer. Lawrence is also an admirable early winter pear and would precede the Winter Nelis. There is no danger of any over pro- duction of choice fruit. Every per- son should have fine pears upon his table every day of the winter ; and until this is done, fruit growers are not yet doing their duty. You can not get enough of good friiit. There is no glut of that, and no fear of there being an over-production. Plant more fruit trees of the best varieties. Mr. Pierce, of Ohio, said that he could not get perfect samples of Winter Nelis on account of curculio stings. COLD STORAGE. Are cold storage houses for fruit a success ? Mr. Moody, of Lockport. — We have a large fruit house, and lately large quantities of ice have been used in it for keeping plums, but it was a fail- ure— fruit kept in it with ice soon de- cays after removal. — I do not favor the use of ice for keeping fruit. A delegate from Michigan condemned cold storage with ice entirely. It had been well tested in Michigan. The meeting lasted two days and was full of life from first to last. A change of name is contemplated making it a State society and looking for State aid, in which case four meet- ings each year will be held at difterent places in the State, the annual one con- tinuing to be fixed for the city of Rochester. MY EXPERIENCE IN FRUIT CULTURE. BY OKORQK MADDOCK, HAMILTON, ONT. FOR several years I have been a member of the Association, yet I never wrote a line of my experience in connection with horticulture, or of the lessons I have learned from the experi- ence of others, who, like myself, have profited by reading its welcome pages each month. I am an amateur, and, therefore cannot enter into a long dis- sertation, but having made my garden my " hobby " and having spent delight- ful hours industriously developing its usefulness, I feel impelled to say a word or two to other amateurs, as CA NA DIA N IIORTICUL TURIST. 57 encourag(Miient to more earnest ell'ort to realize the goal they wish to attain. Some fourteen years ago I purchased a one-tifth acre lot in the west end of Hamilton, and having built a domicile for my family, I proceeded to plant the portion not built upon. At that time, 1 may say, I w=is totally ignorant of the Hrst requisite to become a gardener, and it was only by watching others and never being ashamed to ask for in- formation, that I eventually mastered the rudiments necessary to ])eing called even an amateur. Subsequently I be- came a member of the Horticultural Society and the Hamilton Society, and was a member up to the time of its un- timely death and have been a mourner ever since, as its object was the cultiva- tion of a taste for the beautiful ; and the excellence of its yearly display caused an emulation to exist amongst its members and excited their zeal to excel ; and that was conducive to more refined tastes amongst the working arti- zans of the city. My first planting I found in two years had not been wisely done. T had planted standard apple trees which I found likely to be in a short time an incumbrance, I at once decided to tear them up again. One morning after a stormy night I found five dwarf pears killed by fire blight ; and I lost two cherries by late frost in the spring. My dependence now rested on my grape vines, of which I had a small but .select variety. As these throve T added to them, taking my cue from the experience of the writers in the Horticulturist plus my own ; and to-day I have about forty vines includ- ing nearly all that are considered worth growing, and last season they yielded me the grand total of 1,200 lbs. of grapes. I have never given them any fertilizer but bone dust, and wood ashes unleached ; and I am of the opinion they cannot get anything which will serve them better or make them more profitable. I have also tried my hand at grow- ing grapes under glass. Having an opportunity of puichasing some old sash cheap, I constructed a cold vinery some twenty feet long, ten feet high at back, eighteen in front and twehe feet from toe to heel, or front to back. I planted in this structure one black Ffamburgh, one Muscat Hamburgh, oik; IMu.scat of Alexandria and one Golden Hamburgh. In three years from the planting of the young vines, I had a Ijeautiful crop of Muscat and Black HamVjurghs, and they were ripening beautifully, when one day I noticed a wasp's nest up under the sash. I tried with a stick to dislodge the " varmint," but it was no go. I bethought me of sulphur. I would sulphur them out. To think was to act. I got an iron pot and put the sulphur in and then dropped an hot coke into the pot, hastened out- side and closed the door ; in one hour T returned to see the result ; the smoke had subsided and I could .see inside without opening the door. You can guess what I saw : the labour of three years destroyed with the wasps. Yes, the " varmint" was no more, neither were the grapes or the vines. Nothing daunted, I started again and planted a Muscat of Alexandria and one of Ilicketts, the Welcome. The Muscat died the second year whilst the Wel- come thrived and made great headway- The fir.st time it fruited I was disap, pointed in the size of bunch and berry, but I must confess the flavor was there, and such a flavor ! I have never tasted the like ; it was, to use a plagiarism, like the nectar of the gods. The second year of its bearing it mildewed badly, and I lost patience with it and neglected it, hence the result was I have not been able since to flavor this well-named, beautiful grape. In out- door grapes I may say, I have been fairly successful. I grow Rogers 3, 4, 9, 15, 19, 22 (Salem), ;W, 33, 41, 43, 44, Delaware, Concord, Creveling, Eumelan, Isabella, Clinton (for wine). Adirondack, Hartford Prolific, Lady, Pocklington, Word(>n, Niagara, Jefflcr- son, Liidy Washington, Moore's Enrly. 58 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. Jessica and Catawba. Of course, some of these varieties I have duplicated ; I have three Clintons from which I picked this year 700 lbs. of grapes. I may incidentally remark just here that by reason of the great number of grape growers in this neighbourhood the fruit has become a glut in the market, even when choice grapes are offered for four cents per pound. In consequence I have turned my grapes into wine, that is the Clintons, Delawares, Concords, Isabellas and Catawbas, for which I have found a ready sale. I grow a few plum trees, and in this fruit I have been well repaid. Origin- ally, I planted common blue plum stocks, and after one year's grow^th I budded Victoria, Egg and Lombard on the one stock, and during the past year it was a grand sight to see the full crop, three varieties on one trunk, about three bushels in all. Having a few dwarf apples, I selected a Rhode Island Greening and after re- moving some of the centre limbs I budded it with Duchess of Oldenburgh, and the result during the past year was a magnificent crop of fruit — the Duchess being a most beautiful purple with an indescribable bloom. Whilst they were ripe, the fruit of the parent tree was but the size of walnuts, and green, and afforded a wonderful contrast to the admiring observer. I have grown a few currant and gooseberry bushes. The currant is sub- ject to the borer, whilst the gooseberry is often stripped by the green cater- pillar. The only remedy for which is hellebore sprinkled in the early morning whilst the dew is on the leaves. I have used Paris green, in the pro- portion of one tablespoonful to a patent pail of water, and squirted on my apple and plum trees — a good preventative against the curculio and the other pests which infest our garden. Another preventative is fowls, if they be allowed to run at large they destroy an incrdi- ble number of grubs and insects. In closing my rambling remarks, I would express my pleasure at the improved appearance of our journal and hope to hear of a more extended circulation. FRUIT NOTES. CASTON, CRAIOHURST. I HAVE just received copies of the Horticulturist in its new dress, and am very highly pleased with the improvement, and hope the efforts of the Executive Committee will be ap- preciated as they deserve. All the premiums sent out by the Association to this locality have done well, or at least neai-ly all of them. The Lucretia Dewberry was the only thing that failed with me. There is a tree of the Cat- alpa Speciosa growing in the garden of Robert Minty, Esq., of this place, which was sent out about three years ago. It is considered quite a curiosity by those who saw it growing last summer ; the immense leaves, like those of some rare tropical plant, measuring ten inches in width. It is now about five feet in height, and seems to stand this climate all right. PRUNING. Opinions differ as to the proper time to prune our trees and vines. My ex- perience is that for fruit trees from the 15th to the 30th of June is the proper time. I find that the wounds never bleed and the wounds grow over quicker than if done at any other time. I have tried fall and winter pruning, but would never do it again. I found that if pruned in winter, many of them would bleed all the next summer. For grapes, I prune in November, shortly after the frost has killed the leaves. CA NA DIA N II OR TICUL TURIST. 59 I find it easier to grow grapes in this locality than a good many varieties of apples. They are almost sure to grow if properly cultivated, pruned, and always covered in winter. The trouble most to be feared is fall frost ; but if we can get something as hardy, as pro- lific and as free from disease as the Old Concord, and that will ripen two or three weeks earlier, it would just fill the bill. The Champion comes early, bears pretty well, and that is all that can be said for it. Moore's Early comes in about the same time as Champion, is of pretty fair quality, but a poor bearer so far with me. There are several varieties which I have that ripen ahead of the Concord, but none of them conies near it in productive ness. APPLES. The Ben Davis is an apple we would like to grow here on account of its grand keeping qualities, abundant and early bearing, and fine sound appear- ance in spring. A few years ago it was in high favor and considered hardy enough for this country, but the terri- ble winter of 1884-5 left very few of them living. T would advise top-graft- ing them upon hardy seedlings as the Talman Sweets. I have tried it, and they bear immense crops, when top- grafted on hardy stock. The Wealthy is considered next to the Duchess in point of hardiness, but opinions difier as to the length of time it will keep. 1 have not had it long enough to venture an opinion. The Pewaukee is going to be a favorite here and keeps well, and 1 think would rank next to Wealthy for hardiness. The Red Pound or Simcoe is one of the finest apples in Canada, and perfectly hai dy here. The tree is an upright grower, an early though not very abundant bearer ; fruit large, red, good for desert, one of the best for cooking, and keeps till March or April. I am satisfied that the apple that will keep till spring of a good color, and that is hardy enough to stand our climate, is the one for profit. I expect that we will get among the Russian varieties something yet that will excel in this respect. I believe that it is to the Russian apples we must look for the material to replenish our orchards, and to plant new ones ; for as the country gets cleared up and the forests disappear, we will require hardier fruits to take the place of the old ones. A LARGE VINE, IIOYKS PANTON, SI. TO Hampton Court, a few miles out of London, many a tourist finds his way to see the beautiful residence once occupied by the great Cardinal Wolsey and the magnificent park near Not less attractive is the garden in connection with the palace. In this communication T shall refer to but one thing — the vine planted at the extren)e part of the garden running parallel with the south front of the palace. It was planted in l7(Ji*, and has a circumfer- ence of three and a half feet. It was raised from a cutting, taken from a large vine at Valentine House in Essex. For over one hundred years it has been an interesting object to grape growers and the public who visit the gardens at Hampton Court. It is still luxurious, and at the time of the wri- ter's visit was loaded with luscious fruit. Its wonderful productiveness has been a cjuestion of great dispute, and has been attributed to many causes, among others, that of its roots having 60 CANADIAN HORTICULTUIUST. found their way to some drain. Some think that its roots are in the banks of the Thames, but a short distance away. The roots are supposed to spread over an area of 726 square yards, so that fertilizers spread on the soil within this space have a very beneficial effect on the vine's growth. Water applied within this area also shows its effects very soon, This would seem to indi- cate that the theory of the roots reach- ing the river is erroneous, otherwise drought would have no effect. When the vine is in full growth and the symp- toms of dryness are shown on the leaves ; as soon as water is supplied the symptoms are subdued and the foliage again assumes its natural green, firm and erect habit. The vine has a glass-house for its own accommodation, the dimensions of which is 2200 square feet, the branches are trained along the top of this for 200 feet and bear in fruitful years 2,500 bunches. The fruit is given to the Queen, who it is said distributes it to the inmates of some charitable institutions. King George III. enjoyed its fruit for half a century. In 1822 the stem was thirteen inches in circumference and branches 114 feet, and in one year produced 2,200 bunches of grapes, each bunch averaging one pound weight. This Hampton Court Black Hamburgh Vine has now numer- ous offspring in many places, for many at the proper season secure cuttings and from tliem develop vines. A PROMINENT AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST. MR. P. J. BERCKMANS, President of the American Pomologioal Society. MANY of our Canadian readers have long known and honored the name of Marshall P. Wilder, so long President of the American Pomological Society, whose death we chronicled in Vol. X, page 41. We now take plea- sure in showing a likeness of his suc- cessor, Mr. P. J. Berckmans, who was elected to the ofiice at the meeting last autumn at Boston. This gentlemanis anative of Belgium, where he was born in 1830, and is the son of Dr. L E. Berckmans, an eminent European pomologist. Coming to the United States in 1850 he became in- terested in the country, and purchasing land in New Jersey remained there some six years engaged in his favorite pursuit. He then removed to Georgia, purchasing the property now so well known as " Fruitland," where he de- voted himself to horticultural pursuits with greater zeal than ever. It was he who organized the Georgia State Horticultural Society, of which he has ever since been president, and in 1860 he became a member of the American Pomological Society, of which he suc- ceeded Mr. Cliarles Downing, in 1871, as chairman of the committee on native fruits. Considering his liberal culture, his extended experience, and his horticul- tural knowledge, it is probable that no man in the United States is better fit- ted to fill this position of President of the American Pomological Society than Mr. P. J. Berckmans, of Augusta, Georgia. CANADIAN IIORTICI'LTVRIHT. 61 Flo. 24.— Mr. I'. .1. BKKCKMANB, I'KKHIDKNT ok TIIK AMKRICA.N roMoUOOK.AL SoCIKT 62 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. Ilili;lll!lillllllllllll|l.!illllllllllllllliilllllllllllllllll1hl^!l'i:lllllllllllllirilllllllil«^ WILLOW AND OSIER GROWING. Bt Otto Rands, Shelbirne. HAVING an opinion that the cultivation of certain varieties of the Salix, or willow family, viz. : — Willows proper, Osiers and Sallows — would contribute both pleasure and profit to the cultivator, and gardeners can make a good use of not a few themselves, at least, their brethren in Europe do, for tying rhubarb, aspara- gus, and other garden stuff, in parcels for market. The Salix discolor is es- pecially suited for that purpose. If rods are cut in the fall and winter be- fore the sap rises again in the spring, and thoroughly dried, and packed where they will keep dry, they will remain in good condition for years. When re- quired for use, thoroughly soak in water, and they will work tough and pliable, as when green ; so providing a useful material all the year round. But beside this, there is an active demand for considerable quantities of rods for basket-making purposes, lioth in Can- ada and the United States, most of which are now imported from Europe, and which could and ouglit to be grown at home ; and they will grow well on land too wet for other purposes, any land, except clay, gravel, or chalk, will suit them, providing the water level is from twelve to eighteen inches below tlie surface ; occasional flooding is bene- ficial, rather than not. I have not yet discovered any native varieties suitable for basket-making ; I therefore import- ed fifty varieties from England, in 1883, several of which are doing well. In preparing land for an osier ground, it will pay to sub-soil plow or double dig it eighteen inches deep ; the roots will work better, and you will be able to keep down weeds easier, which must be carefully done, or your crop will prove a failure. Prepare your land in the fall, plant in spring. After leveling and harrowing, prepare sets twelve inches in length, of varie- ties best suited to soil and purpose ; drive them straight down nine inches into the earth, in straight rows, 24 x 24 or 24 X 12, according to variety and intended use, planting the small varie- ties closest. The salix or willow family, consisting of some three hundred varieties, may, for ordinary purposes, be grouped into three comprehensive classes, namely : — 1st, The. Willoivs proper, with leaves smooth, almond-shaped, and more or less lanceolate and serrate ; 2nd, The Osiers, with leaves soft, white, and downy on the under side, oblong, ser- rate and undulate ; 3rd, The Salloivs, with leaves soft, and downy under- neath, round, serrate, and undulate. The botanist will divide the three classes into about three hundred varie- ties, and if you permit a grove of six or eight varieties to stand uncut for three or four years on land in good cultivation, you will soon be able to add new varieties to the list. Class No. 2, Osiers are evidently inter- mediate between the willows proper and the sallows, having in some measure, characteristics of both. For basket- making, I do not grow more than six or eight varieties of class No. 1, viz. : salix kirksia, s. purpurea, s. helix and s discolor cuspidata. Of class No. 2, s. smithiana, S. mollissima and S. viminalis cutis. To be suc- cessful, the crop must be cut every CA NA DIA N HORTICULTURIST. G3 year, between fall and spring, unless poles are wanted, then they ougiit not to stand over three or four years with- out cutting. If you intend to peel the crop, place the butt ends in from four to eight inches of water for small stufl" large stuff deeper. Permit them to remain growing in tlu; s^ ring, until they [peel freely ; after tlie bark is stripped off", the rods might be tho- roughly dried, and tied up in portable sized bunches, and they are ready for market. Fio. 25— Oak-lkavki) Mt. Ahii (see p. .^O). Trees and Shrubs. Many trees may be cut ofl' near th ground after they have obtained ; good start, when they will throw up i mass of vigorous roots which answer all the purposes of shrubs. In this manner one may add greatly variety and attractiveness to of the his 04 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. shrubbery, if the practice is not carried too far. Such clumps always present a novel appearance. They are vigo- rous, clean, shapely. The sprouts may be cut back nearly to the ground every two or three years, allowing new ones to spring up, thus maintaining the de- sired size of grow^th. Most of our rapid growing forest trees are excellent for this purpose upon large lawns. We have good specimens of white ash, basswood, the European field maple (Acer canipestre), and others, grown in this way. The principle can also be applied to the growing of coppices upon large grounds, or about borders. For such purposes the beech and the oaks are preferable. Many trees and shrubs are more at tractive when grown in this way than when allowed to assume their ordinary forms. Examples of such are the ai- lanthus and the sumacs. The ordinary wild, smooth sumac (Rhus ylahra) is one of the finest of decorative shrubs when grown in this manner. Some of the tender exotics, also, may be managed in this way, especially such as make strong growths and bear large or conspicuous leaves. The paulow- nia and some of the magnolias may be cited as examples. Such plants should be given rich soil and good cul- ture to enable them to make a long growth. — //. H. Bailey, in Bulletin 31, Midi. Agric College. illllllllll!l|||llllll!llllllllllllllllll»llllllli;illHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!llllllllillllllllH^^ F120WERS 1^ liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioniiiiiiiiini^^ LILY OF THE yALLEY (CONVALLARIA MAJALIS). By Hermann Simmers, Toronto. A GENUS of plants of the natural order Liliaceae, having terminal racemes of fiowers, a white bell-shaped perianth, and a succulent fruit. Of all the subjects that I have taken up in reference to bulbs and roots, there ai-e but few that the amateur has not a slight knowledge of, but the present subject is probably thoroughly known as regards the fiowers ; but in reference to their general culture some may not be so well acquainted, and I will endea- vor to give some practical points in order to encourage the growth of this extremely popular plant. In the ama- teur's garden, we will always find a shady place, where nothing can be grown with any degree of success ; therefore, if the amateur chances to have such a spot, this will exactly suit the growing of the Lily of the Valley. Should this spot happen to be a soil of sandy loam, the better the chance of success ; as in Europe, where some gardeners raise these by the acre, the .soil is generally of such a nature ; in fact, the plants sometimes received from Europe are surrounded by a thoroughly sandy soil, and this would lead one to inquire how they could raise them with any success ; but the ground is heavily fertilized with well rotted-manure and thoroughly worked before planting. In a like manner then, the amateur may proceed. If the soil has not been dug or fertilized, for a few years apply a lib- eral supply of manure in the fall about the middle of October, and if not ready to plant at that date, they may be planted any time before extreme frost, as they do not make much growth in the fall. Take the plants, or pips as they are termed, and plant them in rows twelve CAiVA DIAN UORTICUL TCJUS T. Go inches apart, and six inches apart in the rows, planting the roots straight down and not spread out, for in the course of a few years the plants throw out so many suckers that the rows will have met, thus making the bed one complete mass of Lilies of the Vall(;y. Many people will say that the beds in such a state will Hower better. Well, yes, there will be tlower spikes, but to have good largo spikes of Howers, I would advise thinning out the small plants, leaving the larger ones, thus giving tliem the advantage of develop- ing their Vjloom ; in fact, cultivating Lily OK the Valley (Convallaria Ma.iali«). them as nearly as possible as you would a vegetable crop, and not allowing them to be the tangled mass of plants so generally seen. In growing the Lily of the Valley for indoors, instructions should be observed similar to those given in the January number of the Horticulturist, with the exception that those parties having conserva- tories, would do well to give tltem bot- tom heat at first ; then gradually cool- ing ofj; to place them in the bright- est aspect the conservatory affords. If this is followed they may bloom for Christmas, taking only about six weeks to Hower. If tlicy an^ to be grown for indoors pick out the strongest plants, if separate, planting about six in a quart pot ; if in a clump, dig up about a dozen, thus allowing for the smaller and weaker plants which are unable to bloom. Liberal applications of a li({uid fertilizer are essential to pioduce a healthy bloom. Double Lily of the Valley is treated similarly to the single flowering with the exception that they do not propa- gate as (juickly, and are not at hII suited for forcing. The flowers are distinctly double and will continue .so, if properly cared for and not allowed to become matted. Convallaria Majalis foliis va- riegatiSjOr with variegattdfoliage,is a no- velty, and much sought after in Europe. The floweis are single with white veined leaves, and are treated similarly to the double Lily of the Valley. They are very pretty whether in flower or not, as its foliage is very striking. Pink Lily of the Valley is spoken of by some gardeners, but it rarely proves true to color, gejierally flowering the ordinary fragrant white. I could mention several other varie- ties, but in my experience they have never proved successful, and I would advise the amateur to wait for some practical experience that may be given at a later period ; as I find nothing dis- couiages a person more than to plant something that will not j)roduce flow- ers corresponding with descriptions given. The double and single types have been of long standing and will repay the amateur's care, if planted under favorable circumstances. GG CA XA DIA X IIORTICUL TUKIST. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1 .00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its valuable Annual Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees. REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label- To Oup Subscpibeps. The Annual Report for 1887 is now being printed and will soon be ready for distribution. We promise our readers a special treat in this volume, which will be two or three times as large as that of 1886, and alone worth the $1.00 to any fruit grower. As it will only be mailed to those who send in their fees for 1888, we hope all who have not yet renewed will do so at once. The time for selecting from our Spring Plant Distribution is extended until the 1st of May, as our friends are sending in a great many new sub- scribers, and we wish to favor as many as possible with a share in it. Hints fop the Month, Pruning the Apple Tree. — Orchar- dists differ very much with regard to the best time for pruning the apple tree. Some advise June, because wounds then made heal more readily than at any other time. Most farmers chose early spring, when the first mild days come, and before they can proceed with other work, and before the sap has begun active circulation. Of late some writers condemn this season as the cause of the bleeding so often seen in apple trees in cold sections. Dr. Hoskins treats of this subject in a paper read before the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, showing that a tree that is not already hiackliearted will not bleed, no matter at what season it is pruned. This black- heartedness is caused by excessive cold in winter, and is common in northerly sections, but unknown in southerly ones. For instance, the Baldwin is always blackhearted in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, while the Siberians and Russians are never in that condition. A tender tree will bleed, if blackhearted, no matter when it is pruned, and the less it is pruned the better. All things considered, we have as yet no reason for condemning the custom of our Canadian fruit growers with regard to the time of prun- ing their orchards, unless some special object is in view, of which we may speak under the head of Summer Prun- ing. CA iVA DIA N II OR TIC VL TIJRIS T. 67 But with rei,'ar(l to t\w coiuinon iiirthod of i)iuniii<,', we have some criti- cisms to orter. The annual butchering to which many orchards are subjected cannot be too severely condemned. On Maplehurst Fruit Farm, our oldest orchard, thoujjfh over seventy-five years of age, would be in prime condition for another twenty live years only for this practice. Indeed those ti-ees wliich, on iiccount of inferiority of kind, were most neg lected by the pruner, are now the heilthiest and finest in the orchard: while the otiiers are rotten at heart, or hollow, from the ruiiing will then consist simply in thinning out all superfluous small branches wiiich tend to cross efvch othei-, and if growing too low, the side brandies may be shor- tened back just beyond some upright ones, as shown Ijy the dotted lines at rt, a. Pkunini; TiiK GiiAPE. — The cold, chilling winds of this month do not favor this work, and yet this is the time when very many vineyardists engage in it. Many systems are advocated, and yet the majority of growers in Canada prune without much regard to any of them. The Fuller system, has l)een already well described and illustrated in these pages, and is one of the tidiest methods, with its main laterals trained along the bottom wire, from which upiights are trained to the upper wires and removed alternately. Many growers about Grimsby practise a variation of this system, which may be termed Fan Pruning^ in which instead of two main laterals, .several canes are allowed to form, and spread out upon the wires like a fan. This mode does not give a vineyard nearly such a regular and tidy appear- ance as the former one. CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. Coal Tar as an Insecticide. — Mr P. Bennett says in the Gardeners^ Monthly, that this is a valuable insec- ticide, and that a valuable powder may be made by running a quantity into a pile of tine sand, until the sand takes up all it will absorb. This powder may be kept for years without losing its value. Shaken over the floor of the poultry-house, no vermin will remain to annoy the fowls. It will drive away the .s(juash bug and any otiier species of hymenoptera in short order. It should not, how ever, be applied to the leaves of the plants. Aphis on Chrysanthemums. — We have tried Persian Insect Powder for this pest with good results ; but the most approved method of destroying them is by use of tobacco smoke, if in a closed place, or tobacco water syringed upon the leaves. QUESTION DRAWER. Best Use of a Bopdep. 16. Can you tell me what is the best use to make of a border about 5 or 6 feet wide ou the west side of a stone wall running north and south and about 8 or 9 feet high ? An answer through the Horticulturist will do. — Derfla. Without seeing the border, or know- ing the kind of soil, the question is a difficult one to answer. We would recommend grape vines planted eight or ten feet apart in a row down the middle of the border, or dwarf pear trees similarly planted. Stpawbeppy Leaves Cupling Up. 17. What is the cause of my Sharpless and Crescent Seedling leaves curling up and be- coming dry ? They look as if an insect had sucked the sap from them.^ — J. C. Oilman, Fredericlon, N. B. We could not give any reliable an- swer without seeing samples of the affected leaves. The Northern Spy. 18. Is the Northern Spy a highly colored apple ? I have some but they do not color much. Would our short seasons prevent hem from coloring. My trees are thrifty and hardy ; well pruned and thinned in the top. I should like to grow more of them, if they made a better appearance. — J. C. G., Fredericlon, N.B. With us in Southern Ontario, the Northern Spy takes on beautifully rich shades of purplish red under favorable conditions. That is, it'must be allowed to hang later than most other varieties, and needs plenty of sunshine. In the shade, they lack color, and on poor soil the fruit is imperfect and knotty. We would suppose the Spy rather tender for New Brunswick, and that such fine, hardy varieties as Wealthy, Winter St. Lawrence, and Scotfs Winter would give you greater satisfaction. Asparagus. 19. Please tell me how to manure and cul- tivate asparagus when the bed is 3 or 4 years old, without disturbing the roots, or does it make any difiference ? — A. J. C, Listovel, Onl. REPLY BY .T. A. BRUCE, HAMILTON, ONT. ■Asparagus. I WOULD advise " Subscriber," about the middle of October to clean off all the dead stalks and weeds from his asparagus bed, and top-dress very lib- erally with old rotten manure, and leave for the winter. As early as the ground can be worked in the spring, give an C'A NA DJA N IIORTIC UL TURLST. additional top-dressing of old rotten manure and trench it down very deeply between the rows (a broad tined spad- ingfork is the proper tool for this work), and give another top-dressing of good rich loam to the depth of ?> to \ inches. The advantages attending the above method of cultivation are, that the blanched part of the asparagus is more tender, the color more delicate, and the Havor improved. Quince. 20. I have a (^iiiacu tliat lias flowered two seasons and some of the fruit grows to the size of smafl nuts and then drops off. What can be the cause?— A. J. C, Listoinel. We suppose that your tree is still quite young, and as yet has not suffi- cient size and maturity to perfect the fruit. Give the tree a good mulch of coal and wood ashes mixed, and keep it well pruned, ajid no doubt you will soon be rewarded with fruit. Apples for Russell County. 21. Are the Haas, Fall Queen, and Shiaw- assee Heauty, one and the same apple, and of what value is it for this part ? — Andrkw Walker, Metcalfe, Un(. The Haas and the Fall Queen are one, and although the former is the commoner name in Canada for the apple, the latter is certainly the more euphonious. Its time of ripening is October and November. We hope to pre.sent our readers with a colored plate of the Haas apple soon. The Shiaw- assee Beauty is an early winter apple, keeping till January. It is said to be a seedling of the Fameuse. Both these apples are worthy of trial in your county. Plums from Seed. 22. I have just received four dozen stones of wild phuns that grow in the valleys and hill sides of Northern Iowa. My recollection of them is that the early ones were delicious. How and when should the stones he planted ? Could seedlings be packed to survive a journey from there? Bko. Candmhjs, St. Patrick's Home, mtlifax, N. S. Plum stones should be planted as soon as gathered, before they have any chance to become dried out. They are best sown like peas, in broad drills, about one inch and a-half deep. The effect of the moisture and the freezing of winter is to crack the .stones, and usu- ally a large number will start to grow the following spring. At the age of one year, they may be transplanted into nursery rows. Vou might perhaps succeed by planting them in boxes now. The young seedlings could be packed with damp moss, and oiled paper so as to come to you by mail from Iowa, OPEN LETTERS. Advice for New Sections. Sill, — I received the .lanuary numhei of the HouTicci.TiKisr to-day. I am very much pleased with its improved appearance and the interesting matter it contains. I have recom- mended your journal to my friends, and I wish you every success. I consider that a jfrave mistake is made in our new townshijis in not jireserving more groves of trees, and in not jilanting mure wiien young trees are so easily i)rocured witiioiit cnst. On iiiir virgin soils, trees grow with astonishing rapiility and with scaicely any failiue. I planted a few Balsam Fir, Spruce and Cedars thirteen years ago. The Balsams are now twenty feet high and two feet in circumference ; and though ]>lanted eight feet apart, tiie branches interlace for half that height, forming a nice wind-break. 1 would advise all, whose orchards and gardens are not properly enclosed, or who have not yet laid out an orchard and garden, to enclose from one to two acres with a wire fence, and then plant Spruce or Cedar six or eight feet anart in a line on the inside, alH>ut six feet from the fence on all sides. By a little annual clipi>ing, in ten years a beautiful hetlge will be formed, sheltering fruits and vegetables, sifting the ^^now evenly over the garden, and itiakitig a suitable cover for the little grey bird to Imild and make their home for I consider them (Uir very l)est friends in the garden. In my next letter 1 will send you a few notes on fruits and Howei-s in the valley of th« Nottawasivga Kiver. Yours truly. rUKDKKHK FOY.STOS. MlNK.slN(;. Ont. 70 CA NA DIA N HOB TIC UL TURIST Grapes for Export. Sir, —I was sorry to hear that the shiimient oi gi-apes to Glasgow had proved so uiireniu- iierative ; this shews us that we must aim for grapes of hi^dicr ([uality and free from foxiness, if we would 1 please the English taste. I hope that object will some day be obtained. We are preparing here to go into extensive tests and experiments in that direction. I have already obtained some good grapes of this character, and by taking these as a starting l)oint and growing seedlings on an extensive scale, I have no doubt but that we shall soon have some good things in this line worth dis- .seminating. Wsi. Saundei!8. EXPERIMENT.VL FaRM, OTTAWA. The English Sparrow. Sir, — In pi-evious numbers of our magazine I have seen discussions (pro and con) on the Eng- lish sparrow ; for my part I think we would be better off without them. I have a Salem gi-ape against the house, and one day when the grapes were ripe, there was quite a flock of the spar- rows on the vine eating the grapes at a great rate ; I have often seen them picking the wheat out of the ear when nearly ripe in the field ; .also on the stooks after cut. Where they are numerous they destroy a great deal. A few weeks ago I saw a beef bone on the street and there the little fellows were picking away at the flesh. I think, if you would ^ive us the price of the different kinds of apples in the English markets in the fall numbers of the HoRTicUTURisT, it would be an improvement ; the growers would then have some idea of their worth. We are at the mercy of the buyers or middle men ; they don't pay anything like what the fruit is worth, in this section at least. From seventy- five cents to $1.25 per barrel for the best winter fruit scarce pays for careful handling. I would like to see an improvement in the prices j^aid here. Waltkr Hick. GoDERicH. Ont. Note. — We hope to be of service to our fellow fruit growers in this respect, by giving quotations for fruit in botlt home and foreign markets. Folding- Sawing Machine. Mr. Thos. Maguirk, of Molesworth, Ont., ' WTites, that unless this machine is different from the one manufactured five or six years ago, he cannot recommend it very highly. He thinks that two men with a common saw would do fully doiible the amount of work in a given time than one man could do with the machine, and w ith just as little backache. Moore's Arctic. Sir, — I saw a question asked by some person about Moore's Arctic Plum. It fruited with me last year for the first time, three years after planting. I believe it will be a good bearer. The Curculio did not interfere with the fruit, but the tree is not proof against black-knot, as represented. What was furnished to me for Rus- sian Mulberry, will si)rout up each season and be killed again in the winter, I would pro- nounce them a failure here, (about 43". 50' N. Latitude), northern ])art county of Perth, Ont. Thos. Maguire. MOLESWOKTH. Kind Words. Sir,— Your paper, the Canathan Hokticui.- TURIST, has so much improved in matter and appearance that I cannot but comi)liment you on it. If you continue it will fill a place long sought after in this Dominion. A few pages devoted to other branches of horticulture must be very acceptable and instructive to the ama- teur class of its readers. We do not like to live on fruit alone. Give them a mixture of fiowers and other subjects and j'ou will have the hearty apiiroval of a large class of your reader.i. Hor- ticulture being my particular branch I will most willingly assist you at any time, should you think you require it. N. Robertson, Supt. Gov't (jroundx Ottawa, Fi.l.„t of the so- ciety. Some idea of the suhjcct matter of the book may be gained from the following selec- tion from the list of subjects : Influence of Flowers in the Home, Defects in Orchard Management, Twenty Years Experience and What I have learned. Value of a Knowledge of the Natural Sciences by the Farmer, etc. Report OK the Mvcoukust, F. L. Scribner, for year 188G. Dept. of Agric, Washington, D.C. We highly commend this work to the study of any one of a scientific turn of mind, or who wishes to experiment in the destruction of such fungi and bacteria as are such formidable ob- stacles to success in fruit culture. This volume treats of The Mildew of the (Jrape, The Black Rot, The Potato Rot, The Pear Blight, etc., and is illustrated with eight plates showing their forms of growth, and three maps showing extent of their distribution. Bulletin No. 1. Experiment Station of THE College of A(!RicrLTri(E, St. Anthony CA XA DIA y no It TIC UL TURJS T. 71 I'ark, Miniiisiita. Reports on Rimsian Apples, Wheat Kxi)eriiiieiit.s and I'otato Culture. Amkhican Caki' CcLTtRK, a monthly Jour- nal devoted to the culture of the Carp, one of the nii)8t valuable of all tiwh for breedini^ in |)onds, and is a species of Cyprinus which lives to a great ajj^e. The journal is published at Younffstown, Ohio, and the subHcrij)tion is only fifty cents per annum. Mr. L. H. Logan is the Kditor ami l'ro|iriet<>r. Vuk's Floral CJi ide kok 1S,S8 has come to hand, witii its interesting collection of illustration!* of the many beautiful Mowers with whicii lie is prejjared to decorate our houses and lawns. It contains three colored plates, vi/. : Fuchsia, I'hcnomenal, Radish and Lettuce, and Banner Oats. Catalogues. Skkdsmkn AM) Fi.dKisrs. The firms in this line seem to be vieing with each other in sending out the most attrac- tive and showy catalogues. In size, each seems larger than its predecessor, and many of them are resplendent with gilt, and rich chronio lithographic colors. (iKK(;()KY's ANNTAr, iLI.tSTR.VrEO RkTAII, Catalocuk of Warranted Seeds, Vegetables, Flowers, and (Jiaiii, grown and sold by James J. H. Gregory, .Marbl.'head. Mass., 1888. John A. Bulck & Co's .A.n.niai. Catai,<.<;i;k of seeds for the season of 188H, corner of King and McNab streets, Hamilton, Ont. V. H. Halum K & .Sons" Fi.orai. .\nm At., 1H88. (.^neens, N.Y. Vaucha.n's Skei) Stokk, 140 Washintong street, Chicago, 111., 1.S88. Ilm'stratki) Ha.ni) B(K)K, 1888. Kawsuns Vegptabh^ and Flower Seeds, 34 South Market street, Uoston, Mass. John IjEWIH Child.s' new and rare and beautiful flowers, 1888. Floral Park, Queen's Co. N.Y. Catalo(!0e ANi> Price Li.st of Fruit and Ornamental Trees, etc. , for sale by Smith & Kerman, at the Dominion Fruit Gardens, .St. Catharines, for the Spring of 1888. (Formerly A. M. Sn ith, pioprietor. ) NrHsKUV.Mf:N. Desckii'TIvk CATAi.OiiiK and (niide to Cul- ture of Fruit and Ornamental Trees, etc., grown and for sale at Wilson's Nurseiies, Ch.itham, Out., F. W. Wilson, Proprietor. DESCKirriVE Cataumjik of Northern grown fruit and ornamental trees, etc., grown by .1. H, Wismer, at liis nurseries. Port Elgin, Ont. A. (i. Hull's Dk.sckii'tive C.vTALoia k of trees, vines, and small fruit plants, grown and for sale at the Central F>uit (Jardens, St. Cath- arines, Ont., 18X8. OUR MARKETS. Philadelphia. (iREEN Fui ITS.— The Ai)i)le market is in good shape and firm for all merchantable stock. J )e- mand is esj)ecially good for choice repacked graded fruit. Fancy Spys, Greenings an«l .Spitz are scarce. .\pples, Spys & Spitz, fancy, l>er bbl .-?0 00 to .s4 00 Apples, Baldwins, fancy, per bbl 3 2.5 to ;? 50 Apples, Baldwins, good to |)rime, i)er bbl 2 50 to .S 00 Apples,(ireenings, fancy, i)er bbl. 3 00 to 3 2n .Vpples, Greenings, good to prime, i)er bbl .... 2 00 to 2 50 Apjiles, Russetts, choice to fancy, per bbl 2 25 to 2 75 .Apples, Winter, No. 2, mixed cars, per i>bl 1 75 to 2 00 Cranberries, N..I., dark, per cnate 3 00 to 3 15 Vel'LEs.—Thr)se who have apples to ship t>ndnn for our apples. The English people are waking uji to the fact that they are paying foreigners .S40.000,0C0 annually for fruit, and urging their own agri- culturists to engnge in fruit culture. For an exami>le we give the following extract from The Horde II It ma I Tinx.s of Fei). 11th :— '' Here is another 'object lessiin ' for F^nglisli fruit-growers. During the pjvst week the prices and demand for American and Canadian apples have increased considerably, in fact almost doubled themselves, in conspipience of the scarcity of English fruit. The ilemaixl for apples, in fact, has l)een, ami is, simply aston- i.shing, and cannot be su) of apples ; and again this last year, I have had, what few others had, a crop nearly as large as the previous year, which proved of a remarkably fine (lualitybothin appearance and freedom from decay. This 1 can only attribute to the free use of potash on the soil about the trees, proving,I think clearly, what has been so often asserted, that potash is a fertilizer essential to the growth of fruit. It has been vei-y efficient in my orchards, more so than anything else I have used. One pear tree which for a long time had small and imperfect fruit, the spring fol- lowing the application of potash pro- duced pears of extraordinary size and singularly free from blemish. I esteem potash as admirably adapted to all kinds of fruits, large and small. — Fnriu and Honw. 78 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. liiiiiepiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiittniiUDiiUHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiDiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiniiniiiiii"^ iiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiidiiiiiiuiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinciiiiH HOW TO PREPARE A HOTBED. BY HERMANN SIMMERS, TORONTO. FOR those that take a deep interest in horticultui'e, and wish to have a supply of plants at a very moderate price, tlie best plan is to attempt a hotbed, and find that he may grow early plants equally as well, and just as early as a market gardener or florist. As will be seen by the illustra- observe the following instructions as to "How to prepare a Hotbed." No person can fully realize the great bene- fit of a hotbed until he has thor- oughly tested it. When the amateur makes a purchase of a few packets of seed, and attempts to raise plants in a box in the house, probably before the plants have properly developed they would be in no better condition than if they had been sown in the open air ; havin» been grown under disadvan- tageous circumstances. He may plant out a lot of puny plants, which would take half the summer to recover, if they ever live that long. Therefore with what satisfaction must any person tion, the bed is made on the level ground, taking fresh strawy horse manure for the foundation of the bed. The manure should be thoroughly shaken up, whilst building the bed, so as not to allow any lumps to interfere with the heat, and thoroughly tramped to keep the heat together. The depth of manure reiiuired should be about eigh- teen inches, and when the manure has been thoroughly tramped, place the frame on this. The frame to be made three inches higher at the upper end. than at the lower, to allow a slight fall. On the frame place the sashes, and allow the beds to remain in this condi- tion for about ten days, when the CANA DIAN HORTICULTURIST. 79 niaiiun; will be siiHicieutly iieatcd to receive the loam upon its surface. The depth of loam required, varies for the purpose for which it is retjuired, but six inches will be an average depth for the amateur. If the hotbed is required for f,'rowing lettuce, radishes, etc., for early use in the house, three to four inches of loam will be sufficient ; but foi- general purposes, as growing plants, etc., six inches of loam is better, as the bed does not dry out so (|uickly, and therefore does not require such repea- ted watering. After the beds have been sown they should be covered each day with some matting during the hottest portion of the day, say from ten to four in the afternoon. At the time of cover- ing, each sash should be shoved down or tilted at one end to allow the bed to air, at the same time prevent the plants from damping otf. Water the beds in the evening after taking the matting off. If the hotbed is started the Krst week in April, which is the Ix'st time for the amateur to commence, the plants may be ready to set out by the first of June. Ventilation should be increased as the plants grow stronger. Aljout the middle of May the sash may gradually be taken off altogether, after which thoroughly drench the plants with water, as the roots will giadually be approaching the manure, and therefore dry out the (luicker. I have endeavoured to be as explicit as possible in explaining the construction of a hotbed, but if there are any little details that the amateur may not exactly understand, the Question Drawer of The Horticulturist may l)e used, and I will only be too happy to answer such questions. I must again say that any person attempting a hotbed will find the ad- vantages equally as great as I have mentioned, and they may have their gardens thoroughly stocked with either flowers or vegetables, at but a trifling expense. SEED SOWING. IIOHKKT.SON', SrrKRISTKNOKM' (iUVKR.N'MKNT OROl'NDS, THIS, if properly done, will often save the cry that the seed was bad. The fault lies more frequently with the sower, and the attender, than anywhere else. Last year, I sowed many sorts, from different seedsmen, and there was only one that I could call bad. Another party sowed pretty much tlie same varieties, and from the .same seedsman : the seeds were in every respect the same, his were nearly all bad in his opinion, whil.st mine were all good. In many years, I have but very rarely got a packet of bad seed. I will describe my mode of procedure ; it may be useful to some one that is afflicted in this way. In our latitude, about the first of April is the best time to sow, and seeds will come on at this time, and l)e as early, as those sown earlier ; the weather being more favorable, unless for some varieties that take a long time to germinate. I shall suppose your hotbed made of fair strength ; -if weak, your seeds may rot. This done, put in your soil. If in frozen lumps, I like it all the better ; a day or two will soon thaw it out, and you will have a nice, free, pulverized soil. Avoid putting it in wet, or it will become hard, and in bad trim when thawed out. Level it with your rake, as nicely as possible. Pass a straight edge over it, and be sure it is so. I make my little drills with a straight piece of half-inch stufl", sharp- ened on the edge, and if not level, some parts will be too shallow and others too deep. Before pressing this into the soil to make your drills, sift some tine soil evenh' over the surface, so that your 80 CA NA DIA N IIORTIC UL TURIHT. seeds may be in tine soil. For large seeds, the same care is not required as for fine ones. It is almost needless to say that larger seeds lequire your drills to be deeper, by pressing heavier on your wood : the piece for this purpose should be the length of the frame. Then sow your seed, and again .sift tine soil evenly over the top, and run a trowel across it to smooth it up. This done, put on your sashes, and cover them up from the sun, and leave them so until you see them peeping through. Don't water, unless the soil is very dry. It hardens the surface : the steam of your bed will generally keep it moist enough for this purpose. Some care should be taken in sowing to put to- gether those that will germinate in about the same length of time ; for it is at the uncovering where most of the bad seeds come in, because if they once germinate, and dry up, the seed is done forever, and it is almost impossible to keep them moist if you expose them to the sun when up, before they gather a few days' strength. Great care must be taken not to" allow the sun to pour directly upon them : light they must get ; but then you can shade them. Air must be attended to, or you will soon have a damp-off. Air must be admitted from the time your soil is placed in the bed. If you don't allow the steam to escape at this stage, your soil may be- come too damp to sow, and after the seeds are sown, if there is too much steam, let it e.scap>3 for a time every day. If you follow these directions, no fear of bad seed, if you get them from a reliaV)le seedsman. There is still an- other thing to be observed ; keep close to the glass, not more than three inches from it, when you sow ; they will sink more or less according to the nature of the manure. If not, it is an easy mat- ter to raise your frames, but it is not likely to be necessary, as sowing so late enables you to expose entirely in a short- er space of time than early sowing does. Outside sowing is just as precarious as the other to meet with success. You sow dry, and that is all ri^ht, until the soil once becomes wet : then it must be kept wet until the plants are through the ground, that is, when tine seeds are used. Large ones do not require the same attention, as they being deeper in the soil, will remain in moisture a longer time. Parties will be seen, where fine seeds are sown, watering with the can and so washing them out, and if the sun is strong an hour after they are dried up. For tine seeds, the better and easier plan is to shade until you see them up. This is where the great failure in most seeds occurs, viz. — al- lowed to germinate, and then to dry up. Prevent this, and all will come out right. ROSE NOTES. BY THE HON. MRS. LA.MBART, NEW EDINBLROII. (A Payer read before the Ottawa Meeting of the F.G.A.) that rose growers in Ottawa have to contend. None of the hardier teas — none of the hybrid teas — none of the hybrid perpetual.' PERHAPS a few remarks— the re- sult of seven years' experience in rose growing, on a somewhat extended scale— may be of interest as supplemen- ting the regular paper on the subject. In the tirst place let us realize that it is not against severity of climate, but against'the length of time during which the roses must remain covered. -none of the mosses — need ever lose one inch of wood from cold if properly covered, but the greatest care and precaution have, in my case, utterly failed to prevent the loss of a CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 81 large number of bushes every winter from decay. Dampness gathers where ventihition is impossible — the iiot suns of early spring turn the imprisoned moisture into steam, and when the snow is gone and the roses come to be examined one is aghast at the mouldering blue-blaek mass of jelly that was once a rose bush, often not more than one or two inches of healthy wood surviving al)Ove ground. This disaster is wholy confined to the hardier roses, which, with their stout woody stems are more readily a prey to decay tlian the leathery pliable stalks of the tender varieties. My La Frances ( nearly a dozen of them ) all vigorous growers have sur- vived many winters, but have never lost one inch of wood from any cause but the pruning-knife, and the Gloire de Dijon, a pure tea, has passed equally well through one winter quite out in the open ground. The Jacqueminots, (on the other hand) and all that hardy Baroness Rothschild race, and the mosses and the provinces, (the hardiest of all,) have come out of their winter sleep little heaps of black ruin. My experience proves that the hard- est of the roses (that is icy hybrid per- petuals, mosses and provinces), will pass the winter without the slightest injury, quite uncovered, if they are planted near a close high fence, and that if planted (juite in the open and left perfectly upright and uncovered the wood will only be killed back to the snow line ; as that is about the ex- tent to which they should be pruned, there will l)e but little damage done to either the bushes or their season's bloom from theii- winter's exposure. 1 have found that, to lessen the risk of decay, it is better not to cover the hardy roses until December, although it is well to peg them down in Novem ber. The teas, hybrid t(>as and poly- anthas should be covered in November — and well and deej)ly covered for a( least a foot or more from the stem all around. Leaves, earth, evergreen l)ranclies, then more leaves and ever- green branches — a goodly pile, — but for the victims of decay nothing does so well as a very light covering of very dry straw. In regard to pruning, several systems are recommended, and 1 have tried them iiU, svith the result that the few concise and simple rules given by George Paul ( the president of the English rose growers,) have proved by far the best for us as well as for England. He makes it a i-ule without excep- tion, to cut out altogether all wood more than two years' old, and to shorten the strongest shoots about one-half. Cut out altogether the weakest and the crowding shoots, and the less vigorous branches cut back to three eyes. These rules apply to hybrid perpet- uals only — Madame Plantier, Charles Lawson, Blairii and all of that class, should have all the wood that has flowered cut out entirely, directly the flowering season is over, thus encourag- ing an immediate growth of new shoots from which the next season's bloom will come. In regard to insects, mildew, etc., I have seen nothing new suggested for some time, but I think that effectual remedies are well known to all rose growers, and only untiring fidelity in using them is required. It may not be generally known how much common soot will add to the beauty, brilliancy and substance of a lose. It should be well mixed with the earth close to the roots, and a very few weeks will show its benefit. It is very inq)ortaMt to keep the rose beds well mulclu^d during the heat of summer, and their foliage sprayed as often MS possible after sunset. (To bt' concluded.) Fuchsia "Storm King." Ul'K readers who have selected the Storm King Fuchsia from our plant distribution will perhaps be interested CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. in the toUowing opinion concerning its value from Currie's Monthly: — " This Fuchsia has perhaps been more largely distril^utecl than any variety in- troduced within recent years. Immense numbers have l^een sold, and have been received by every one with entire satis- faction. It is unquestionably synony- mous with that earlier introduction Frau Kmma Topfer, but that is of little importance to the lover of these plants, who is simply on the outlook foi- a tine Fuchsia, of a certain habit and colour of blossom, regardless of name. By whatever name this variety is known it is certainly the finest ever introduced. As one looks at a tine specimen of it in full bloom he is inclined to think that it is impossible to produce anything in the Fuchsia line superior to this one. The habit of the plant is all that can be desired ; it is inclined to branch freely and maintain a compact growth. A well-grown plant never fails to be a most attractive object, as it is sure to be covered with a rich profusion of flowers. And what flowers ! so large and so double. The corolla is very full, white, suffused and veined wnth delicate rose, sepals well reflexed and l>right crimson. Usually a very double, light coloured Fuchsia will be found a shy grower and consequently difficult to manage, and not very satisfactory ; but this one is a i-obust grower, as much so as the old dark double Elm City, or the single light one Arabella, and fully as free a bloomer as either of these, or any other Fuchsia in cultivation ; there is certainly nothing to equal it." ;i1iiliNIBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII»ilillllllilHlllllllllllllllllllllllllllBlllllllllillllllllllilllllllllll^^ ^^F0RESTRY* + ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii«iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!i!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu^ FORESTS VERSUS ORCHARDS. BY T. M. GROVER, I THINK the fruit growers of On- tario will be more likely than the general public to appreciate the value of forest plantations. As I do not live in a fruit couutry I have not the plea- sure of knowing many orchardists, or how sensitive they may l^e on hearing an ai'guraent on the superior advan- tage of a plantation, but I am sure they will listen to it. The possiljle returns from a matured orchard are great, but great care and the watchful eye of a skilled owner would seem indispensable at all times ; and I would be afraid that like other specialties in farm property orchards could not at all times be sold for their real value, and without continued care might rapidly deteriorate. The Forest when fairly started will require from thi'. owner only attention enough to keep the taxes paid, and skill enough B.A., NORWOOD. once in five years to sell the crop, i.e., the thinnings. And, if for any reason the owner tan no longer hold it, the timber can be sold for its value even Ijy the most rash of agents, heirs or e.xecutors, and the land available for any usual pur- pose I do not know at what price a fruit farm could be sold, or if three or four such properties were on the market at once, could men of the skill and capi- tal required be found to buy at any price ; but it is likely that at any age a forest would more easily be sold than an orchard, and have the further advantage that if not sold, the value would rapidly increase. Although cedar and other wood lots can still be bought for one dollar per acre here, people are beginning to know that timber is valuable in this country. CA NA I) J A N nOli TICUL TURJS T. 83 A siiif^lc pine tree delivcrccl in Buniilo is worth .*1'0U. Very ordinary natural forests are sold noai- Lake Erie at $00 to ?5200 an acre, and it is calculated that much of the walnut of ( )hio, if now standing, would he worth .*?"), UUU per acre. How will aplantation fifteen, twenty- Hve or seventy-tive years old compare with an orcliard of the same age 1 Too many still think that the timber could only be of profit to our grandchildi'cn. Foresters tell us that after a certain age a tree declines. At fifteen years an orcliard would be in its first vigor. A proper plantation can be laid out to furnish saleable wood at any given age, or a proportion of early maturing trees can be interspersed with the slower growing, the Tuost proper gene ral course, but for a special market a forest of a single kind may be quite suitable. All forests can yield a good crop yearly after five years in thinnings, until the whole may be fit to cut. Any of the following trees may be gi'own alone or together and treated in this way : — Hickory, White Asl«, Yel- low Locust, Black Walnut, Cherry, Box Elder, Elm, and these are mer- chantable at all sizes. Ash, Hickory and Elm are in demand for implem(;nts at four and six inches in diiimeter. Locust will furnish railway ties in ten years. Walnut and C'herry will come in for turnings in much less time. The great value of the large trees is well known. Oak in twelve years yields full returns in tanbark and charcoal in manufacturing counties. But thougli the intermediate returns of a forest are greater than ordinary farm cro])s, 1 am speaking now of tin- sole valuer of proper plantations of .say 2,700 trees per acre, four feet apart in their earlier stage.s, or OHO trees at eight feet of fuller growth. I find that many members of the Fruit droweis' A.ssociation have brought up this subject in times past, and in Forestry reports from Ohio and the IJ.8. Government I find several cases fjuoted ; one in Southern Indiana of a fortune realized from twehe acres of pecan nuts. Twenty - three acri'S of Walnut, twenty-three years old, sold for 827,- 000. Yellow Locust standing in one forest eight feet by eight, and cut off clean, yielded several hundred dollars per acre, and in nine years the sprouts from the stumps made 5,000 j)Osts per acre. Hickory has yielded a fine forest in twenty years ; Catalpa, ties in eight years. A lot of seeds which I put in last year attained the following growth the first season : — Bla'k Walnut, 14 inches ; Chestnut, 9 inches ; Catalpa, 2 feet ; White Ash, 1.', feet ; Mulbeny, 12 inches; Yellow Locust, 6 feet 6 inches. A promise to yield some day the retu rns stated. Many ex.amples of great interest are given of timber not (piite hardy here ; but investigation of indigenous trees (n-en here in tlu; backwoods during my short experience in planting, leads to the conclusion that a forest here could ])e laid out ecjual in value to any or- chard. And as orchards are increas- ing in number while forests are dis- ap])earing, b»'foi(> a forest now started would matui-e it will be worth three orchards. 84 CA NA DIA lY HORTIC UL TURIST. THE CUT-LEAVED WEEPING BIRCH. (Di-tula Alba Pcndida.) B V SIMON ROY, B K R L I N . THIS beautiful tree, although of comparatively recent introduc- tion into Canada, is gradually receiv- ing marked approbation from all who take an interest in arborial decora- tion. Its symmetrical form of growtli, m i.-iJS^&.H Si / Fig. 33.— Cut-Leaved Weeping Birch. its slender pendulous twigs, often six feet in length, hanging from the branches, sometimes twisted together into natural wreaths, which sway grace- fully with the wind, its marked and deeply cut foliage, its shining white bai'k, and its fragrant scent in the early morning after a fall of dew, or shower of rain, all combine to make it the most attractive object on the lawn ; but to be viewed to advantage it must be planted singly, with sufficient space not to come in contact with other trees. For cemetery planting no deciduous tree can be more appropriate, even sui'- passing in appearance the common weeping willow (^Salix Bahylonica) of historic fame, on which the captive Is- raelites hung their harps by the banks of the Euphrates, after singing their mournful native melodies. The birch, just alluded to, was dis- covered in a bed of seedlings of the common weeping birch in a nursery in Germany, and being pistillate does not produce seed of itself, unless in close proximity to a monaecious birch ; and even then the seedlings might revert to original conditions. It is vvhat may be termed a Insus nahirff, and can only be perpetuated artificially by \vorking on seedlings of other birches. All birches, either indigenous or exotic, are very desiraljle, either planted singly or grouped with other trees. The white barked varieties produce a fine contrast with those of darker colors. The natural order Betulacse (birches) is indigenous only to the northern hemisphere, and mostly confined to the temperate zone ; some dwarf varieties, however, have been met with on the tundras of America and Asia, within the arctic circle CA A' A I) I A N NO li TICUL Ti'IUST. 85 ^^e Canadian ^oriicuPfurist, SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its valuable Annual Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees. REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label- Hints fop the Month. < jLEANlNf; UP. — One of the tifst things for the orchardist to do, as soon as the iron grip of winter has become relaxed, is to gather up the accumulated rubJjish. E\ery busliel of ashes, wliether coal or wood, .should be utilized, the forniei- being useful as a niulch, especially for trees in sod ; the latter as a special fertilizer for the peach and the gra])e. The closets should be thoroughly emptied of their contents, mixed with either tine dry earth or coal ashes, ajid then applied as a most valuable fertilizer to the young orchard. Indeed the best possible mode of making nightsoil in- odorous, and easily handled, is to have the vault well built with stone or brick walls, with a door in the rear by which it is accessible, and of sucl) a size as to receive all the coal ashes from the house. Of cour.se this applies only to the country outhouses, but it is a most satisfactory method, if only for sanitary reasons. Another manure too often neglRcterr. N. Robertson. Supt. of the Covernment (Jrounds at Ottawa. It was illustrated by photographs show ing sphuidid elleets produced with bedding plants, ;ind explaining the manner of arrangement, ^^'e hope to have these illustrations copied for our Report. We had the pleasure of a visit to the greenhou.ses under this gentleman's care, and were much in- terested in finding one of the most complete collections of greenhou.se plants in Canada. The Peach Crop for 1888. TirosE of us who have engaged largely in peach culture are again in despair. Were it some villain who had broken into our houses and robbed us of from one thousand to three thousand dollars each, we might at least hope for the melancholy satisfaction of see- ing him safely hou.sed in a dungeon, but when old '• Jack Frost " robs us of an equal amount, we can only "grin and bear it " with as much patience as possiljle. When the New Yoik Ifrmld an- nounced that the entire Hudson River crop was ruined and the growers des- pondent, we thought it time to examine our own orchard, and after careful ex- amination, must pronounce the fruit- buds de.stroyed. The same conclusion is reached by most growers in the Orimsby peach region ; reports, how- ever, from the vicinity of the Niagara, river are more favorable. Is there not some means of protect- ing the peach tree, so that at least we may avoid the humiliation of having a large peach orchard, and yet being compelled to buy jieaches for our own family use? The most plausil)le mode of doing this, whicli we have heard of, is the following by J. P. Macomber, in the Rural Neic Yorker. He says: — My method of training peach trees is shown in the figure, where a is the horizontal ti-unk, d a sujijiort to keep the trunk of!' the ground, and e a stake to which the ujiright trunk is fastened. To train a tree, procure one 90 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. not more than a year old, plant it where you wish it to stand, and allow it to grow straight up. Once a week all shoots must be broken off as soon as they can be handled. Break no leaves off the main trunk. Keep this up until a month before frost is ex- pected. The main trunk will ripen its wood sufficiently to endure the winter. About the time of the first hard frost, carefully bend the trunk to the ground, and then fasten it there by a hooked stick driven into the earth, as at b. AVhen the winter has fairly set in, Fig. 38. place a few evergreen boughs or straw over the whole length of the tree, with some light sticks on the covering to keep it from being blown off. In the spring, when the frost is out of the ground, remove covering and the stick that holds the tree down, and allow the latter to resume its upright posi- tion. After it has started to grow, cut off the side branches, leaving but one bud to grow, and treat in the same way as during the previous season. By the fall the trunk will be from six to ten feet high, long enough for a first trial ; bend it to the ground and cover. In the spring, leave the tree down, and allow only one bud to grow. This will push straight up and send out branches, ' only a few of which should be al- lowed to grow, and they should be trained fan-shaped, parallel with the horizontal trunk. Be sure to have a stout stake driven into the ground to fasten the upright trunk to. Other stakes may be driven along the side of the fan to fasten the branches to as needed. In the fall, loosen the head of the tree from all its stakes, and after placing straw or other material on the ground to keep the twigs off the soil, bring the head down sideways to the ground and fasten it there, then put on the covering. The horizontal trunk can, without injury, be twisted sufficiently to allow the head to lie on the ground, and this can be done for a good many years, for this horizontal trunk does not increase in size nearly so fast as the upright trunk does. It must be protected from the direct rays of the sun, else the bark will be killed all the way along the top. I lost some trees this way. I find the neatest way is to swathe the trunk in straw ; with a twine string fasten it to the trunk. Be sure that no water can stand around any part of the tree at any time during the winter. Keep the ground perfectly clean from weeds for a good way from the tree, and mice will not be likely to trouble it in winter, as experience proves that they do not run far on ground that is clear of grass or weeds. Do not cover too early, and do not put on too much covering. This method may appear to require a good deal of work, but when the trees once get into bearing you will find, as I do, that it is considerably less work to put down and cover a tree than it is to prune and cover a grapevine. CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 91 QUESTION DRAWER. Dwarf Apples. 2a. Oa what stock an' tlicse grafted, and what is tli« advantage in planting them ?— W.m. SwiTZKK, Kirktiin, (I'irt/i Cu.) Upon a small foreign growing variety, called the Paradise apple. It is usually propagated by layer.s, and withtheobjcct of using it as stock for dwarfing apple trees, and may be had from any of the large nurseries such as Stone and Wel- lington, Toronto, or Ellwanger and Barry, Rochester. It is hardy and therefore much used in cold sections. Dwarf apples may be planted eight feet apart, but for profitable crops *they are not to be compared with the stan- dards. Best Variety of Apples for Perth Co. 24. What varieties of apples would you re- commend for profit ? They nui.st be hardy.— W. S. KntKTON. Such kinds as Transparent, Astracan, Duchess, Haas, Wealthy, Scott's Win- ter. See also Mr. Caston's notes on the apple, page 59. Tree Blackberry, Russian Apricot and Prunus Simonl. Treatment of Yearling Apple Trees. 25. What is the proper treatment of younj^' trees the second year after grafting? They have grown up strong and sent up a great many sprouts. —A. C. Mc'iJoN.VLO, Dunlop. These sliould be pruned quite early to one straight whip, all suckers and the larger side blanches being closely and smoothly removed with a sharp pruning knife. It is best, however, to leave a few of the smaller side brandies during the summer months, to induce stocky growth of trunk. They need not be topped back until the spring of third year, which is soon enough to form the iiead of the tree If some aie growing crooked it will pay to cut them back nearly to the splice, and train up a fresh slioot. 20. Do you kn(jw anything of these and wo\dd " I.— L. F. Sellkck, 3/or- risburg. they be hardy in Canada. The first is a novelty which has not Ijeen tested in Canada. If you find it good, please report. We planted two dozen Russian apricots two years ago, and most of them have come through the winters well. Note however that Rus- sian apricot is a wide word, and like the term Canadian apple might mean anything from the poorest to the best quality of seedling. Prunus Simoni is hardy and is desirable where the peach fails. Catalpas. 27. Is there any diffeieiue h(!tween C. Si)eci- osa and the .Japanese Hyl)rid Catalpa?- L.F. S., Morrisburg. Yes. C. Speciosa, is a variety which originated in the Western States. It is a large tree, hardy, and very valua- ble for timber, posts, ties etc. on ac- count of its wonderful durability. The Japan Catalpa (Kaempferi) is a small tree of handsome foliage, flowering when quite young. Tulip Tree. 28. Can you tell me anytliinir about the Tulip Tree. Is it jwssible to make it grow in Ontario. What .soil does it thrive best in ?— Acnes Boirn. Reply hy Prof. Panton, Gurlph. The Tulip Tree delights in deep, loomy and fertile soils, such as are found in the rich bottoms that lie along the rivers, and on tiie borders of the great swamps that an> enclosed in the forests. It does well out west around Chatham. Trees of it are growing in Normal School grounds Toronto, and some are growins; in the vicinitv of 92 CA NADIAN HORTICULTURIST. Hamilton. With us it died. Uui climate at Guelph is too severe. Apple Trees to Plant for Fopeign Market. 29. I have 50 acres in Elgin Co., N. lat. 42'-' 30', about three miles north of Lake Erie, on which I propose planting an apple orchard for foreign market—say 1,000 trees to begin with. Soil gravelly sand, naturally ^\■ell drained, and tiled beside. Do you recommend me to plant one or more than one variety ?— D. C. Leitch, Button, Out. More than one, because some years one variety succeeds best, and other years, another. If only one variety. Which would you advi^^e ".' — D. C. Leitch. The American Golden Kusset has proved the most satisfactory in our ex- perience. The fruit is clean and even in form, and commands a high price. Some, however, complain of its being unproductive. If more than one, kindly name the varieties you would recommend. — D. C. L. For your latitude we would suggest the following list, to be subject, how- ever, to alteration according to the local success of each variety : — (1) Maiden's Blush, (2) Gravenstein, (3) Blenheim Pippin, (4) Rhode Island Greening, (5) Baldwin, (6) Tompkins King, (7) N. Spy, (8) American Golden Russet. The Bark Louse. Potato Culture. 31. Is it advisable to plant )iotatoes after strawberries ? or do they draw too much of the same substance from it? — W. G. W. The ploughing under of the straw- berry vines would afford a suitable manure for the potato, if done long enough in advance of planting for their decomposition. Then apply liberally wood ashes, lime and pho.sphates, which are better for the potato than such nitrogenous manures as are required for the strawberry. A half-bushel of salt to a barrel of wood ashes makes an excellent preparation, a large handful being applied to each hill. 30. What do you consider the best and sim- plest method of getting rid of the bark louse on apple trees ?— W. G. W., Dixie. Nothing is better or simpler than to take an old broom and wash the trees thoroughly about the first of June with a preparation consisting of soft soap and washing-soda, with enough water to reduce it to the consistency of white- wash. The writer has used washing soda and water, in the proportion of half a pound to a pailful, with success. See vol. X., p. 1.33. Manure for Strawberries. .32. I have manured my next season's straw- berry plants tolerably well with first-class ma- nure spread on the snow. What fertilizer would help them and the best time to apply it ? The soil being a deep, rich sandy loam. ■ You can use nothing better than well-rotted barnyard manure for straw- berries, unless you can secure dried blood, which is a specific manure for them, because especially rich in nitro- gen. This should be applied in the spring. Mr. .John Harris, of Rochester, recommends nitrate of soda for straw- berries, sown broadcast in spring, at the rate of three or four pounds to the square rod. The Lueretia Dewberry. 33. Will you give me in j'our next number of the Canadian Houticultubist a plan of pruning the " Lueretia Dewberry." I am ])leased with the gi-owth made last season, letting them " go as they please ;" but now they are to " go as I please, " or I will not have room for them on my limited space.— J. K. Masters, Berlin. Grow them in thick matted rows, or beds about four feet wide, cutting them back and thinning out according to judgment. The trailing habit is much in their fa\ or, being a safeguard against the effects of the cold. They may be lifted with a fork, and a heavy mulch spread on the ground, thus keeping down grass and weeds, and raising the fruit from contact with the earth. CA A' A DIA N IfORTICUL TURIST. 93 Our Nurserymen. .■}4. Don't you tliink our uurscrynuii do tliini- si'IvcH injury clmrffiuff so hijrh as fifty cents <•ac.li for sucli iippK' trees as Tetufsky, Alexan- der, Haas, etc. ? I can t)uy them from tlie U. S. athalf that i.rice. -.I.V. NunsKHYMEN wlio sell through agent.s must keep up their prices at the nursery to correspond with the price li.sts used by them. Apple trees cannot be sold through agents at a much lower figure, as the nurseryman must pay a high salary to a good agent. But some of our nurserymen who advertise in these columns, sell direct and employ no agents. You can buy from them at as low a price as you can anywhere in the world. The Bupnet Grape, ;i5. This variety does not ripen with me. Is this a general coruiilaint ?— \V. \V, K., To- ronto. Rkply by a. McD. Allan. Experience has proved the Burnet Grape to be almost worthless in west- ern Ontario, where it does not set fruit properly, and is so subject to the mildew that it is not worth planting. In east- ern and north-eastern Ontario it does far better, in many cases being almost as tine as one of its parents (Black Hamburg). Our Association tested it by sending to our members, and thus have saved many a dollar to the grape growers of this province, who other- wise might, on glowing representations, have been induced to plant it largely. See our back reports. Paekapes for Apples and Pears. 'M). What do yoM consider the l)est packa^je f-r pears and apples '. and what size ''. IvEi'LV nv A. McJ). Allan. TiiK matter of packages is a very im- portant one, and one that ref[uire.s a great deal of experimenting yet before we will have what will be entirely satis- factory lioth in cost and usefulness. Early and fall apples can be shipped to Montreal and Chicago in barrels very well— of cour.se softer kinds must be taken before (piitc; ripe and must not be delayed in transport. Extra fine samples bring far better prices in bas- kets, and I have always found our ordin- ary baskets btfst for pears. Barrels for our apples shouM b(; made nearly straight staved, that is the (|uarter hoops (which should be thick and strong) should be driven down .so near each otiier as to prevent any swelling of the l)ilge when the barrel is pressed full. Experience has shown that our Railway Cos. handle the half-barrels much rougher than whole barrels, otherwise the half-barrels would be best. I would suggest ti-ial of bushel, and half bushel Ijaskets for fine apples if they can be obtained strong enough. The Editor would add that he has for some years practised packing extra choice summer apples and pears in peach baskets, for Canadian city mar- kets, and has found them to give the most satisfactory results where the market is not over stocked. Swanley White Violet. 37. Can you tell me how to make Swanley White Violet flower ? About three years agii I jiurcliased some from J. L. Childs, of Floral Park, N. Y., and so far have not had even a bud ; have tried them in all soils and places, but no bloom yet.— Lkvi 8. Sellkck, Morris hiir(/. Reply by Fkances Mason, Peter boko' With many the Swanley White Vio let is a shy bloomer. A partially shaded locality will be found best, the soil to be composed of peat and about one fourth .sand well enriched with old rotted stable manure, and if planted in a moist situation all the ix'tter, or if not, should be kept .so. A few drench- ings of li(|uid nuxnure during the grow- ing season will help. After the plants are well established flowers will come. 94 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. OPEN LETTERS. Fruit at Goderich, (Huron Co.) Sir, — I have a great variety <>f grapes and have never had one winter killed. The Pock- lington I never tried. The Moore's Early, Worden and Prentiss we had of the F.G. A., are all doing well. Fruit in this section, notwithstanding the dry summer, on the whole did very well, pears I consider were extra good. I found the Beurre Giffard very superior this year, but the Clair- geau was not so good as usual with me. Of all the magazines and j)apers I take I value the Horticulturist the highest. I think we get two or three times the value of our money from the F. G. A. together with the premium and report, and now that the maga- zine is enlarged it is still more valuable. I have been a subscriber for a good many years. I have all the annual reports from the com- mencement except the first, and all the Hor- ticulturists carefully taken care of. fToderich. Walter Hick. Fruit at Brussels, (County of Huron.) Sir,— While enclosing my subscription I would say that I am much pleased with the success and the enlargement of the journal. Among the many good articles is one by Mr. Bucke, of Ottawa, on Winter Protection. I noticed in my grounds this season that low bushes were the most fruitful ; so I have taken Mr. Bucke's plan, and laid them down this fall. But I found them very stiff to bend over, as I had pruned early to cause them to grow low, strong and bushy. Would Mr. Bucke give us an article in a coming number on how to prune and train ras- berry bushes, in view of winter protection and fruitfulness. Our red raspberries were not very fruitful this season, but the black were a fair crop. Gooseberries and currants were good. The grapes were better than ever. The Sharpless and Seneca Queen strawberries did best with us this year. The heat was too great for most kinds of fruit, but. for all that we had a fair crop. Wishing you success in your useful work, and prosperity to the Association. I am yours truly, Brussels. Samuel Fear. Sir,— Since writing you yesterday, I re- ceived a copy of the Horticulturist in its new form, and I must congratulate you on the grand improvement accomplished, not as only regards paper, cover, etc., but the form that it is in now, gives a better opportunity for displaying cuts, etc. Although for my own part, I have recom- mended the Horticulturist, I believe in its new form it will have a better chance to com- mend itself, which I think the yellow cover does not suggest. Every endeavour .should be made t" poi)ularize the paper, as this is the only < oppuitunity in sjjeaking a jjood word for you, and wish you every Huccess. Yours vi-ry truly, Port Klffin. J. H. WisMEU. Forestry. SiK, I notice a lettt ber of the HdUTIci I.T statin;,' tliat he bcliev timber could be rcali/ nary lifetime. Pennit me to say that I in tlie February nuni- lusr. from Mr. U rover, t\ tliat many crops of d ujion durin|>f an ordi- lat.'lv ber for shipbuildini,' is'niwii from seed on my grounds. I liave been planting forest trees of all kinds for forty-two years and can now cut 100 cords of wood from trees planted by myself without missing tlie trees. If farm- ers would only plant the waste places, hill- sides, roadsides, etc., of their farms, they would in a few years have an ample supply of firewood and timber. I shall be happy at all times to show eiKpiirers how to plant, what to plant, and where to plant. Respectfully, (iKOKIJK LksI.IK I'orovto Nurxrrics. REVIEW. Books, etc. How TO (iuovv Straw isKKHiKs. A com- plete guide to strawljeny cultarc either for pleasure or profit. 3*2 pages. Published at the otlice of the Horfinifliiral Time.n, 127 Strand, London, Eng. Price two pence. Written from Englisii standpoint, with varie- ties and manner of culture adapted to tlie Old ("ountry gardens Journals. The Horticulturai, Times, 127 Strand, London, England. This weekly journal came out with Decem- ber in an enlarged and improved form. TiLLi.Ncif AST's Plant Manual, or how to (Jrow Cabbage and Celery, '-Vl pp., publi.shed by F. Tillinghast, La Plume, Pa., for 2oc. The (iakden and Forest, a journal of Horticulture, Land.scape Art, and Forestry. Tribune Building, New York City. The first number of this new weekly journal has come to hand, and at once impresses us fa- vorably as being first-class in every resjiect. Eacii nunibtT contains twelve (juarto \kva*'^ I'f readingmatter by t lie be-t American autlinii til s, upon such subjects as Land.scape ( Jardeniii^'. ^Iaking a Lawn, Hardy Shrubs, Plant Notes, White Pine in Eurojte, etc. Professor CS. Sargent, of Harvard College has the edit(uial control. We commend this journal to our readers as well worth the subscription price of .?4 00 per annum. The Rural New Yorker, 32 Park Row, New York City, has our acknowledgment for furnishing us with the cuts of the Princess Louise aj)ple used in this number. Nurserymen and Florists. Lovktt"s (;rii>E TO Fkltt Ci i.ti re. Spring 1888. J. T. Lovett & Co., Little Silver, N.Y., 48 pages— illustrated— seven colored plates. T. C. Robinson's C.vrALoocE of small fruits and grai)e vines, 1888. Owen Sounti, Ont., illustrated — descrii)tive— colored plate of (Jold- en Queen raspberry. 16 pages. Spkinc Catalocue ok New Strawberries, 18X8. Matthew Crawford, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. A very interesting little book of twenty- eight pages, with directions for strawberry culture. Of the ".Jessie" Mr. Crawford says :— "The best berry for either home use or market, ever introduced . Semiannual Price List of American grape- vines, grown and for sale by Bush & Son, and Meissner, Bushberg, Missouri. S. H. Mitchell's Price Llst of selected fresh Garden and Field Seeds. Box 240, St. Mary's, Ont. Wm. Rennie's Seed Catalo(;ue, 1888. Descriptive, with directions for sowing. 71 pages. Amateur (Iuide and Ili^ustkated C.\ta- LOouE OK Flower AND Garden Seeds, 18SS. 144 pages. Alphabetical arrangement with botanical and scientific names attached, pro- fusely illustrated. General characteristics described. Address, F. E. McAllister, 22 I )ey St. , New York City. Webster Bros., Catalohue of Roses, Dahlias, etc., Hamilton, Out., 1888. 40 pages. Descriptive and illustrated. Reason- able prices. Price List ok Evergreens, Rage». Litfle's Circular of New Strawberries. John Little, (Juelph, Ont. Miscellaneous. Schedule ok Prizes offered by the Mas.sa- chu.setts Horticultural Society "for the year 1888. Rules and regulations. R. Manning, Secretary, Boston, >iass. '96 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. ■¥ MISCELLANY. -^ A Phonetic Garden Romance. BY CHAS. B. SOULE. One morn I .saw a rose of red With perfume rare and sweet, In proud obeisance bow his head Before a Daisy's feet. The crimson blushes on liis cheek Foretold the mission fair, And ere the Knight began to speak, I knew what brought him there. And this is what he said, so low And sweet was every strain, That often since I've longed to go And hear him talk again : — ' ' Ho, daisy here on bended knee I supplicate your grace. This place would MELON-choly be Without your smiling face. " For us To-MA-TO how I long, Twould fill my life with PEAS, And I would sing a joyous song And always have heartsease. " To-night LETTUCE attend the ball, And there we'll skip away, For one, I do not carrot all What anyone may say. " I'll call for you at half -past four With waiting maid and page ; But have no carriage at the door, For this is no cabbage. " Dear Daisy, pray don't be absurd, My love you need not fear. For none before has ever heard Me cauliflower 'dear.' " I stood enchanted with the plan. And heard the Daisy say, " Can't something turnip so we can Arrange it right away ? '' But then — oh, dear--I want to go, But what will poppy say ? I wish we could just slip a — ; oh 1 ca.ntelope to-day." — Prairie Farmer. The gardeuers in India are all Budd- hists.-—y^os^ow Transcript. Two apples kept in a cake box will keep moderately rich cake moist for a great length of time, if the apples are renewed when withered. Pat, for the first time at a hotel table, saw a boarder reach for the celery several times and placidly pro- ceed to dispose of it. Pat gazed in dismay, and turned to his fellow-coun- tryman witli, " Oh ; moi ! he's aitin' the bo'kay ! " Apple Ice. — Stew and strain one quart of apples, add the whites of two eggs, one pint of rich cream, flavour highly with lemon or nutmeg ; stir into the mixture one quart of milk ; sweeten all very sweet, and freeze as ice cream. — Maryland Farmer. The steamer Azorian has cleared from Annapolis, N. S., for London. He cargo consisted of 7,488 barrels of apples and 52,000 feet of deals. The value of the cargo is $29,000, and it was all shipped over the ice bridge. — From Sackville Post, March ;2, 1886'. The English Violet. For the Canadian Eorticulturist. BY M. W. MANLEY, OWEN SOUND. Humble violet, lowly born, Well protected from the storm ; Stooping down, I search and see Petals blue as blue can be Covered deep in leafy bed Wliile a fraj^Taiice 'round is shed. What a li/SMiii you impart To the pitnul aiid lofty heart. But a senihlauce here I find To the pure and noble mind Tr)iling on from hour to hour, Blessing all within its power. Seeking comfort from above, Knowing that our God is love. GERMAN PRUNE. FOR CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST THE Caqadiai] horticulturist. THE GERMAN ^HIS PLUM was so higlily com- mended by the plum growers living in the vicinity of Colling- wood, at our meeting there last summer, that we have had colored plates of it printed for this journal that our readers iiiiglit all have a clear idea of its appear- ance. Few persons will need to be told of its peculiar adaptibility to drying and preserving, for most of us have seen the dried prunes of the groceries, and enjoyed tl:e grateful sauce made by soaking them in water over night, and stewing them slowly with sugar for about an hour. Preserved, this plum is used by the peasants of Central Europe to spread upon the bread in place of butter, and dried, it is exported in'large quantities, espesially from Germany, Hungary and .Saxony. Indeed, in that PRUNE. country, it is considered the most valu- able of all fruit trees. The German Prune reproduces itself quite closely fronj the seed, and there- fore, has been largely propagated in this way. As a result, quite a number of variations have resulted, and yet all the sub-varieties retain the general charac- teristics of the parent. It must not, however, be confused with the Italian Prune, or Fellenburg, which is a dis- tinct kind. The common German Prune is thus described by Mr. down- ing:—Fruit, long, oval, nearly two inches long, peculiarly swollen on one side, and drawn out towards the stalk. Suture distinctly marked. Skin purple, with a thick blue bloom. Stalk three- fourtiis of an incli long, slender, slightly inserted. Flesh firm, creen, sweet and 98 CANADIAN HORTICULTUKIIST. pleasant ; separates from the stone, which is flat, very long, and a little curved. Good to very good. 10th of September. There is a variety grown about Collingwood, which is known as Baker's German Prune, and is highly valued. At our meeting there, Mr. Lewis spoke of it as follows : — I believe the Baker's German Prune is the coming plum in this country, and the one most desirable for planting on a large scale, with a view to ship- ping. Most of our varieties you have to pick and market the whole business in a few days, or you will have them rotting on your hands ; but Baker's German Prune, when tit to market, can be allowed to hang on the tree and await the market for three or four weeks without injury to the plum itself. Another thing ; when you are over- loaded, and have a large quantity of plums that you cannot market any- where else, it is a freestone, and can be easily pitted, and when evaporated, or dried in any other way, is a good salable article, and desirable for that reason. Another point in its favor, in my experience, is, that they bear every year. With me, they have borne every year for six years, and the pres- ent is the first year in which there has been a partial failure, and that I attri- bute to the heavy crop of last year. There is a lady at Nottawasaga, named Mrs. Rose, who has marketed from a few trees a large quantity of these German Prunes yearly in this place, and who, I venture to say, has netted more money from her orchard of plums, in proportion to its size, than any other person in this country. A GREAT BOTANIST. Prof. Asa Gray, of Harvard College. LIKE the shock which is caused by the death of some dear friend, was the sensation experienced by many of us on seeing the announcement of the death of Prof. Asa Gray, the most widely known and esteemed of all modern botanists. How many of us conceived our first love for Botanical Science through the study of his " Lessons in Botany," and in later years find in his " Structural and Systematic Botany," a rich treasury of information. And because the study of Botany has contributed so much to the progress of Horticulture, revealing to us the nature of plant life, and thus placing us in a position to the better care for the useful, and to more effect- ually destroy the injurious, such as the apple scab, the plum knot, the grape mildew, etc., therefore we consider it quite within our province to pay a last tribute to one so noted in this depart- ment. His death occurred at his home in Cambridge, Mass., on the 31st of January last, of paralysis. He was the son of a farmer, and was born in Oneida County, N.Y., in 1810. While still a medical student at Fairfield, he became acquainted by correspondence with Dr. John Torrey, Professor of Chemistry in the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, who was also a writer on Botanical Science. Through this acquaintance it was that Prof. Gray received much encourage ment in a line which soon became his chief and special study, and which has opened up for him so brilliant a career. For thirty years, from 1842 CA NA DIA N noli TICUL T CRIST. 99 fMAki. until 1872, he was Professor of Bot- any at Harvard and director of tiie Botanic gardens. During this time, lie collected and prepared a magniticent herbarium of 200,000 plants, which he afterward donated to the college. We have no room here to refer to his num- erous and valuable works, which will still remain to hand down his name to future generations. Prof. (Iray was a farmer's boy, and his achievements illustrate the possibilities within reacii of the industrious aspirant whether he be rich or poor, city or country born. Through the courtesy of the Ameri- can Florist (of Chicago), we are able to give our readers a most excellent engraving of Doctor Gray, which was originally prepared at a cost of some eighty dollars. It represents to us a genial face and an amiable disposition, such as one might e.Kpect to find in one who makes Nature his study, and who recognises in Nature's beauties the handiwork of Nature's God. 100 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. STRAWBERRIES.— OLD AND NEW. IN LITTLE GKAXTON, ONT. PROBABLY no clepartment of hor- ticulture has received greater at- tention within the last decade than strawberry culture. The production of new varieties by cross fertilization be- tween those bearing the largest and those of the finest flavored, has engaged the attention of the most scientific and careful cultivators, until this noble fruit has been brought nearly to the ideal of perfection. The sti'awberry, among fruits, is more than the rose among flowers. I love it. I have a fondness for the broad leaves that defy the frosty breath of winter, for the pure white blossoms that cheer us first in spring, and for the fruit that breathes the perfume of paradise. Man may construct steam- ships and railroads, disembowel the earth for ores, measure the mountains of the moon, and make his voice heard across old ocean, but God alone cim make a strawberry. Tnere are many things to learn in connection with growing the straw- berry, and the most experienced growers are always learning ; still this need not deter the beginner from entering upon an occupation which is delightful alike for the young, middle-aged and the old. Small fruit growing has many advan- tages over any other occupation. A poor man, woman or child can engage in it and become his own employer. Women have made successful florists, and can make still more successful fruit growers. The labor is light, pleasant, and healthful. It brings one in con- tact with nature when she is at her best. When wintry winds howl and the earth is locked in icy fetters, the fruit grower can use his well-earned leisure as suits him best. If rain stops his work it is little matter, for the thousand rootlets of his plants are working for him day and night. In growing strawberries, use rich soil, givegoodcultureand grow in matted rows, not too wide. Hill culture is not protltable for market purposes. Plant in spring. I would advise beginners to set few varieties, and such as Cres- cent, May King, Covil, Ontario and Mount Vernon for medium early ; and Manchester and Sucker State for late. The first three are the earliest berries grown ; the Ontario has no white tips. I was the first to fruit it in Canada, and those who have it with white tips have not the Ontario. For others who like something large, beautiful, and grand, I will head the list with two of Ci-awford's seedlings, viz. : Summit and Crawford (not for sale) ; next, Jessie, Bubach, Logan, and Ohio. I saw the Jessie and seventy other seedlings alongside of it in June last at Mr. Loudon's home in Wiscon- sin. I have seen many a grand straw- berry sight, but that excelled anything I ever saw ; they lay in heaps there as large as the peach and plum, and not a small berry among them. If spared, as I am testing over twenty new seedlings, and have fruited some of them twice, I will give to any sub- scriber to The Horticulturist who would like it, the truth, and only the truth about them. They do not get any favor shown them more than the ordinary kinds receive, such as Cres- cent and others. There are some of them that will displace many that are now pushed to the front. When the berry season comes, if spared, will be pleased to have a visit from you, Mr. Editor, or others who are interested in the strawberry. My plantation is not large, but I have the largest number of seedlings in the counti'y. 1th March, 1888. CANA DIA N 110 HTICULTU HIST. 101 HORTICULTURAL REMINISCENCES. BV (IBOROK LKSLIK, TORONTO, THINKING it would be of interest to the readers of the Canadian Horticulturist to know sometliing of the beginning of planting and fruit growing in Ontario, when nurserymen and seedsmen were very few and very far between, I take the liberty of jot- ting down and sending you a few re- membrances of those early days. Hav- ing received a few orders from some gentlemen in Toronto for trees and plants, and being requested by them to go to the United States and bring back some nursery stock for sale, I made a journey to New York in October, 18.S8. When I arrived there, I was directed to the Harlem Nursery, owned by Mr. Parmentier. I went there at once, and found he had a good assortment of ornamental trees and shrubs, but no fruit trees of any kind, except some dwarf penrs. I bought some orna- mental trees and shrubs, and then wont to Win. Reid's nursery, Murray Mill, N.Y., where I purchased some apple and cherry trees. I then went to Wm. Smith's seed store on Broadway, New York, where I purchased a modest stock of seeds and a few Norway Spruce, rtfteen inches in pots, the first Spruce that had been imported from the Old Country for sale. I next visited the nursery of Buell & Wilson, at Albany, N.Y. It was a small con- cern, they just beginning business. They had a good stock of plums and moss roses, of which I purchased a few. I then went to Rochester, where there were no nurseries at that time, except a very small one about one acre, just started by Samuel Moul.son, at Bull's Head. Buftalo street. I went to see his place, but he had nothing that suited rne. Messrs. Board man it Kelly were then commencing a nur-sery busi- ness at Brighton, about three miles east of Rochester, but they had nothing large enough for my purpose. I was informed that Asa liowe had a nursery at Greece, five miles south-west of Rochester. I visited his establishment, and found he had some nice apples and cherries, but no plums or pears. I bought some apples and cherries from Mr. Rowe, who was a tine genial man. I had all my purchases packed and shipped to Rochester. I came with them to the east side of the river, near the bridge where horse tramway ended. Came by tramway to the landing, threo miles from Rochester, where there were 1,000 steps going down to the river. A tramway, worked by horse- power, conveyed pas.sengers down to the landing and up to the street, one car going up while the other went down. There was then no landing at Charlotte. I stayed at the landing a day and a-iialf, waiting the arrival of Capt. VoUers schooner, the only vessel then plying between Rochester and Toronto. 1 got my packages on board the schooner, and after twenty hours' sail arrived in Toronto. The next spring I made another trip in search of nursery stock, of which I will give you an account a''ain. GIRDLED TREES. E"^ VERY now and then somebody _^ tells, through the press, how to repair this injury. Diagrams are given showing how to insert the bowed " twigs " or " sprouts," see fig- ures 1 and 2), looking when done like SB, MILTON. the curved meatless ribs of something already dead or of some strange fossil not yet cla.ssitied. Many years ago I abandoned this clumsy mode for the following reasons : — 1st. Tlie slips in- serted to conduct the sap from being 102 CAJVADIAiT HORTICULTURIST. bowed outwardly, are liable to be dis- placed by the passing plow, harrow, cultivator, or even animals or careless persons. 2nd. The slips are in that form too much exposed to the weather, and in danger of drying out. 3rd. A large hollow or space is formed be- tween the curvature of the slips and disbarked trunk wherein wet collects, remains, and establishes decay. My mode, practised for years, is as follows: Take straight, vigorous, well-ripened wood, of last year's growth — draw with pencil and straight-edge two vertical and parallel lines, one-half inch apart on the gnawed trunk, and for two Fig. 39. Fio. 40. inches above and below. With a half inch gouge take out the gnawed wood between the parallel lints to a depth sufficient to about half-bury the slip ; next, with a sharp knife, cut through the bark on the parallel lines an inch- and-a half or two inches above and below the groove made with the gouge. with a half-inch chisel lift carefully, but do not destroy or break the tongue of the bark between these parallel lines. If early in the season the bark will not readily peel and the sharp chisel must be used to separate the liber or inner vital bark from the wood, yet a few fibres remaining and still adhering to the wood will do no harm. Form the slip thus : — Lay the shorter side in the groove above named bringing the sear- fed or feathered ends to rest upon the living albumem above and below, bring down the tongue of the living bark that was raised with the chisel upon the ends, fastening firmly with strips of old leather, kept in place with carpet tacks. Iron is not unfriendly to the apple wood ; besides, as growth proceeds they will be thrown out. Wax well to make air and rain proof. When the girdling has been done near enough to the ground to admit of bank- ing up with earth, I use no wax at the lower insertion. Done in this manner, success is certain — the slip acquiring a thickness of from one to two inches the first season, and causing the ti-ee at that part to look fluted and neat — almost ornamental compared to the old way. THE MILLS.-A NEW GRAPE. WE are indebted to Messrs. EU- wanger ^s: Barry, of Roches- ter, for the accompanying cut of the new grape, which is otTered for sale this spring for the first time. The Mills is a Canadian seedling and was i-aised by W. H. Mills, of Hamilton, Ont., a gentleman who has in time past done much to forward the interests of our Association. The object was to pro duce a variety possessing the high qualities of the foreign grape, in addi- tion to the vigor and productiveness of a native, and in this it appears that Mr. Mills has been successful. It is a cross between the Muscat Hamburgh and the Creveling, and the berry is large, jet black, and covered with a thick bloom. The flesh is described as firm, meaty, juicy, breaking with a Fui. 42.— The Mii.i.s.— A Nkw Grai-e. 104 CA ^A DIA N HOR TIC UL TURIST. rich, sprightly flavor. The skin thick; berries adhere tirmly to the peduncle. The bunch is very large, compact, shouldered, some clusters weighing over twelve ounces. The vine is said to be vigorous, and productive ; foli- age large and healthy. The time of ripening is about with the Concord, and it is a long keeper. We shall be pleased if the experi- ence of Canadian fruit growers should prove it to be what the description leads us to expect, one of the best of black grapes for dessert purposes. SCHOOL DECORATION. BY N. ROBERTSON, SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT GROUNDS, OTTAWA. I WAS very much pleased with some remarks that vere made by members of your Fruit Growers' Asso- ciation at its meeting in Ottawa, over this subject. It is one that needs stirring up. I happened to be placed in a school in Scotland where School Decoration was made one of the principal features. When I look back on the appearance of the school, now many years ago, and compare it with our present country schools, for to them do my remarks most apply, it makes one feel sad. Where the very first branch of intellectual teaching should be exemplified, what do we find 1 delapidated, untidy surroundings, where tidiness and neatness should exist, and make a lasting impression of tidy habits adorning their future homes through life. We are very apt to for- get that those early impressions cling to us with more tenacity than many other circumstances in life, and have a bearing in moulding our habits more than those received at any other time. They should not be placed on a level with things we see, and do at more mature age. Now I will give you a short synop- sis of how this school decoration was done at the school at which I was for- tunate in being a scholar. It was situ- ated sixteen miles from the city of Aberdeen. Scotland, and called the Kem- nay Academy (Kemnay being the parish name). The teacher was a self- made man and devoid of all formality of forms, which often become tedious to children, as well as older persons. Surrounding that school was the play- ground, and the decoration and keep- ing of it was made a means of profit and pleasure in play hours. There were about two acres of ground, which was more than the general school allowance. In what way he got this addition, I am not ableto say, but suppose it must have been through the generosity of the pro- prietor who took a lively interest in ad- vancing education. And well might he be proud of the results, for I cannot compare that school to anything less than the appearance of a gentleman's residence, and an ornament to his estate. You can imagine the effect it produced on those little hearts, enter- ing such a place, made beautiful by their own hands, for they planted and kept it in order in their play hours, a source of much pleasure to them. They felt proud of such a school. Now, the very first objection that will be raised against school decoration will be expense, often a great barrier to instruction, but here this objection does not exist, for the children did the work and furnished the material for decoration. All the teacher had to say was, " if you have any trees or plants that you would like to see grow- ing here bring them along and I will find a place for them, provided there are not too many of one kind." Numer- ous were the memorial trees and shrubs brought to that lawn. It is hardly CA NA DIA N 110 li TICUL TURIST. 10') n(!cessary to say with what delight children will do such a tiling ns this, for we all know how they enjoy it. Fruit growing was the subject least taught but not neglected, for many specimens were cultivated on the back part of the ground. The lawn was frecjuently made the schoolroom in tine days, for he would take those children out doors to learn and recite their lessons. I do not give you all this as being a sample of Scotch schools. I am sorry to say that they were much on a par with the general appearance of our Canadian country ones. This was an exception to all others. Neither do I give it as an example and say all others should follow it. I certainly do, wlieie this could be done, but there are many schools .so weak that it could hardly be within their power. But there is none which could not have trees and shrubs to add beauty and pleasure to the surroundings. Another point that may be argued against this work, and has been urged, is that the children will socn destroy it. Well, all that I can say in vindication of this is, I never saw any tendency to do this, not even a foot-print in the borders of flower beds that surrounded the walks. I have often thought that such ti-aining might be a nu-ans of preventing much destruction on roadways and streets in cities now done by children who have never been taught to respect lawns and borders. Now, what can tje done; about this matter ? Let the attention of (he Minis- ter of Education be called to it. He, being a man of enterprise, will see at once the necessity for this much neederl improvement Were the same means provided as are now in existence for planting trees on roadways, that itself would be ([uite an improvement inthe re gulations, :ind also that a certain (|uan tity of land shall be necessary to each school according to the number of scholars that attend it. Even prizes might be ottered to .schools having the best and neatest kept grounds in each municipality. No one can fathom the immense benelits that will accrue to children from such things as this. An Ornamental Mound, which in its simplicity, we are satisHed would prove handsome, is thus described by an English exchange : — " The centre is occupied by the German Flags (/W*), intermixed with Striped Ribbon Glrass [Phalaris arundiiincen), and the rather steep sides of rocks are clothed with irregular clumps of Perennial Candy- tuft, (Iberis sempcrvirens), flowering freely. The white flowers of the latter, the blue flowers of the llag.s, and the white-striped leaves of the grass har- monize most pleasingly." NOTES ON MARCH NUMBER. IN looking over the March number of Thk HoRTicui/ruRisT I see Mr. Maddock says the gooseberry is often .stripped by the caterj)illar. That should not be, or there will be a poor- crop next year. 1 prefer putting helleboit> on with water, as it can be done at any time, a tablespoonful to a patent pail of water, and put on with a fine ro.se sprinkling can. Also, I find a teaspoon- ful enough of paris green to a patent LONDON, ONT. pail of water to kill any insects. P^ven that much is too strong for hops, for mine were browned with it by one ap- plication. As to asparagus, I am afraid Mr. iiruce's directions would keep many from growing it. As I have been very successful with it, and I will give my mode : I manured and trenched two spades tleep, and laid it ofl" in four feet beds, three lines in a bed, old country 106 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. fashion, putting the plants one foot apart in the line and the crowns three inches under ground. The second batch I planted I merely digged the ground with plenty of manure, having lines eighteen inches apart, and planting a foot apart in the line, using two-year- old plants, though one-year-old would give less work. I commenced to cut a few stray ones the second year. The third year I cut all until June. I let them grow up the first week of July, as soon as peas became plentiful. And as soon as the seed ripened I cut down and top-dressed them with about six inches of manure. In the spring 1 take off the roughest, and put on one bushel of salt to one-eighth of an acre, the size of my patch, and with a fork stir up the surface, not to interfere with tlie plants. You will not have any trouble with weeds after so much salt. I con- tinued that course for twenty-tive years, and my asparagus constantly improved. I have often put as few as tive stalks in a five-cent bunch, sometimes only three. My land was sandy loam. I sold out the land in building lots several years ago, but they have the asparagus as good as ever, and when digging a cellar the roots were down six feet. I made $100 a year off my asparagus, and .$100 off a patch of gooseberries of about the same size or rather less, often having half-a-bushel on one bush. I forgot to say that when I ceased cutting the as- paragus, I hoed and raked the ground level, giving it a good appearance. AN IMMENSE FOSSIL TREE BY .1. II. PA> IN a former communication I de- scribed an immense vine now grow- ing in the Vinery at Hampton Court ; in this, I purpose placing before the reader some information about a fossil tree, said to be the largest ever found. It was discovered in the lower coal measures in a quarry at Clayton, near Halifax, Yorkshire, England, and at- tracted so much attention that people travelled miles to see it, in fact, the proprietor of the quarry made more from exhibiting it, as found in its stony bed, than from the stone quarried near it. A penny admission was all that was asked, and thousands of people threaded their way up the hill to the quarrv to get a glimpse of this monster, a silent monument of the rank vegeta- tion that characterized the foi'ests of the coal-forming period in the earth's history. The writer had the pleasure of seeing this wonderful relic in August of last year. It was discovered twelve J, M.A., GUELPII, ONT. feet below the surface of quarried rock. The stump was imbedded in sandy shale, while the roots rested on a bed of soft blue shale, which some of them penetrate. The stump is three and three-fourths feet high, diameter one way being four and one-half feet, the other three and five-sixths feet, thus forming a sort of oval outline. The roots are by far the most inter- esting, and serve to identify it as be- longing to the genus Stigmaria. The specimen is admitted to be the finest of its kind hitherto obtained in any part of the world. It demonstrates that Stigmaria is a root and not a root- stock ; that the four primary roots radiate from the base of an erect stem ; that each of these roots divide into two forks close to the base of the tree, and that Ijeyond the second branching no further divisions take place ; from that the undivided roots extend to consider- able though varied distances. The following measurements, taken CA NA DIA N no R TICUL TUlilST. 107 with great care, will give an i(l«!a of this gigantic fossil wonder: — a 3 1-5 Distance from 1 fork to end. '' 1 5 Is "o 1 5 a"S i If 1 5.1 ! i ~ a> V s 22 i= x a M .s- « ~i .? s ft. in. Q ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. 1 1 9 4 l» fi 13 17 2 1 54 4 S (> G 12 3 1 4" 5 7 4 12 4 1 4 4 2 4 G 8 (■) 5 1 5i 7 1 r. 3 10 G 1 6" 5 6 3 4 fi 10 7 1 5 7 « 3 2 10 (; 8 7 !l 6 7 16 C. The diameter of the area covered by the branching of the roots is, from north to south, twenty-nine feet six inches, and from east to west, twenty- eight feet, giving a superficial area of 82G square feet. So her(i we (Iiul a tree, which has- been entoniljcd itiillions of years among the shale in which it is embedded, now recalling to us the waving forests of carboniferous plants whose remain.s, during va.st periods of time, have changed to coal — forests in which every shade of green was present but not a single iiow(^r. Animal life was repre- sented by comparatively few species, and the climate was adapted to the production of a rapid, luxuriant vege- table growth; which, as it accumulated, changed to coal, and thus formed the vast sources of the energy required in our progressive age — coal as the liottled energy of the past, and to-day we are taking it out from the vast storehouses (mines) to apply it to practical pur- poses. To the most indiH'erent, this "stoney tree," or better, stump, becomes an ob- ject of great interest, and to the con- templative mind, one of great instruc- tion. Fid. 43.— An Im.mkn 108 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. iiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!H flllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlilllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllU'llllllllllllllll^ ROSE NOTES. BT THE HON. r, NEW EDINBURGH. (Concluded frotn April number.) HER MAJESTY, whicli created such a sensation in the rose world some years ago, seems, from all accounts, never to have bloomed in Canada. I have one bush that came from England two years ago. It has grown vigorously from the first, and last summer it blossomed. The bud was very much larger than the buds in the colored picture with which we are all familiar, in fact it was so much larger than any rosebud I have ever seen, that a perfectly true description of it would be quite incre- dible. Hundreds of people came to see the marvel, and the rose itself proved quite in keeping with the bud, the beau- tiful reddish tea foliage making a lovely finish to the spray when in its full beauty. But the mildew ! worse, even, than the Giant de Battailles. It yet remains to be seen whether this per- fectly peerless rose can be grown in a wholesome condition. If not Mr. Evans, of Philadelphia, who paid so much for a monopoly of Her Majesty, will have more greatness in his posses- sion than may be to his benefit. Merveille de Lyons (that splendid, iiuge, hardy, perpetual, perfect, white rose), has now been quite long enough in cultivation to be more generally known than it appears to be in Canada, and the roses that our grandmothers grew, and which can never be other than lovely, are still enumerated among the suitable roses for us to grow, — of course they are, but we all know that, and now we are asking for the results of experience as to the most reliable of the newer varieties. George Paul, Ellwanger and Barry, Peter Hender- son all give lists which no collection should fail to contain. These lists all difl^er somewhat, but all agree that Charles Lefebre, the large, fragrant, dark velvet vigorous rose is the grand- est of roses, and that everyone should have all that Baroness Rothschild sisterhood, its members being Mabel Morrison, White Baroness, Merveille de Lyons, Baroness de Rothschild, Mme. Massicault and Baroness Nath- aniel de Rothschild. Also that La France must be included, and Alfred Colomb, and Capt Cliristy and Pierre Netting and Magna Charta and — but what is the use of enumerating lovely and inviting varieties on which we might wish to try our skill, when the nurserymen have combined against us ; and it is simply impos.sible to know what rose you have until it blooms. The fact that you ordei- Louis von Houtte, and that the rose you get is labelled Louis von Houtte is of no importance whatever, for, is not Louis von Houtte a diflicult rose to grow and to propagate, and does not the bloom of a Jacqueminot correspond to the printed description of a Louis von Houtte; and if you don't known the diiTerence you will be highly pleased at your own success in growing a rose which all authorities pronounce a difficult floricultural task, and so both you and the nurseryman are benefited. CAN A 1)1 A N 110 li TICIJI. Til HIST 10! » are you not? And is he not really at'tei- all a real benefactor -opinions may dif fer, we rose lovers don't agree with him, but there seems to be no help for us, thi)les in the " Cochrane case" for shi|)ping. Please describe the Cochrane case, and give your opinion of it? —J. F. W1L.SON, Chalhitm. This case was invented by Mr. (^eo. A. Cochrane, of Montreal, and was de- signed for carrying extra choice and tender fruits to market in the best possible manner. By the kindness of Mr. Cochrane we are al)le to show our readers an illustration of this case, which will serve a better purpose than words in describing it. There are four trays, divided into pockets according to the variety of the fruit to be packed, and each tray is set in and filled before adding the next. .A. company w;is 116 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. formed at one time for tlie manufacture of these cases, and shippers who used them found them well adapted to ex- portation of Duchess apples and choice fall pears. No doubt they would be most serviceable also for carrying large, selected Crawford peaches, indeed a similar case is used for this purpose in shipping into Philadelphia market. Mr. R. W. Shepherd, Montreal, says : " I have used the Cochrane case for five years, and packed all my finest speci- mens of Fameuse, Wealthy, and Winter St. Lawrence in them, and hnd it pays well. I have never averaged le~s than $3.00 per case for these varieties. La.st Grafting Laburnum. 42. I grafted a Lahurnuni on to the Locust or Acacia tree last spring, but I did not succeed in getting the scions to grow. Could you give any advice ? I have an idea that the Laburnum might be got to flower in these parts in that way if anyone understood the grafting of it. — Wm. Down, Stratford, Ont. Rcfdy by D. W. Beadle, St. Catharines. I HAVE never attempted grafting Laburnum on Locust. The Laburnum grows so readily and rapidly from seed that there has been no object to be gained, even if successful. I do not believe that the Laburnum would be any more hardy growing on the Locust than on its own root. As both of these season I tried a couple of siiipments of Winter St. Lawrence in cases to Liver- pool and Glasgow, with satisfactory results. For extra fine specimens of fruit, it is certainly more advantageous to pack them in cases of this kind than in barrels. trees belong to the same family {Legf- uminosa^), it is possible that the Laburnum might be made to grow on the Locust. Paris Green and Bees. 41. Will the use of Paris Green for the Cod- ling moth be injurious to bees ? I knew one hive of bees to die from the use of White Helle- bore on currant bushes. — J. L., West Zorra. No doubt an application of Paris Green in time of blossoming would be injurious to the bees. But it is not necessary to apply it at that time ; on the other hand, it is more effectual im- mediately after blossoming time is over. The Great American. 43. Do y(;u know of a strawberry called th Great American ; is it an old or new variety ? — John Leonard, West Zorra. Rep'y by John Little, Uranton. The Great American was one of Mr. Durands seedlings, and none of them have ever been of any value and have long dropped from the list of most catalogues ; there is no one now ofiers it for sale. Subscribers can find it by addressing T. T. Lyons, South Haven, Michigan. CA NA DIA i\ 110 R TIC I 'L 77 7.7.s'y. 117 Rockery for Ferns. 44. Can you jrive me any hints an to the con- truction of a rockery for fernH? — W. V. IJ., HaviHton. Reply hji Francin i^Iasvn, Peterborottfjh. This may be constructed in a similar manner to other rockeries, the only difference being the situation and soil. All ferns delight in shnde and to have success with them, the rockery must be placed under trees or on the north side of a building, high edge or fencp, and the soil to be of a peaty nature similar to what will be found where ferns are growing wild in the woods. The wants of fern life are a cool, moist atmosphere, light soil for the roots to ramble through, and plenty of water, especially in hot, dry weather. Tomatoes. 45. Are they most profitably grown in rich or poor soil, on trellises or on the gi-ound ?— J. C, AulUviUe. Reply hii J. A. Jirucc, Hamilton. Tomatoes like moderately rich soil, it must be dry and warm, if low and damp the growth is too vigorous, and fruit late in maturing. For family gardens, I recommend trellis culture, es pecially where space is limited. For market purposes plant in hills three to four feet apart, and put about a peck of ol to about 32/ ; fair colored Baldwins niucli wanted, and fetch easily from 22/ to 28/, good kinds would fetch much more. Up till recentlv our market has been flooded with Nova .Sc-otians which iiave lieen largely bought up by some .-speculators here. Tliey arrived in large (pi.tntitJes, and the bulk of them arrived in very bad condition, and as these speculators had to realize quickly, prices were depres-sed all round, ajid since the realization of these our market is left bare, hence the demand now. Yours very tndv, J. B. Thomas. COVKNT (iAKDKX MaRKKT. Lo.NDO.N, ENG. Ulh April, ISSS. 118 CA^'ADIA^^ HORTICULTURIST. Fruit in Manitoba. SiK,— I have set out a variety of small fruits, strawberries, gooseberries, currants and grapes, all of which I think will succeed well with us here, and have also been experimenting with hardy apiiles, having now over one hundred apple-trees, two and three years old, all of which have stood the winter well, so far, but the alternate freezing and thawing in the spring being the crucial test, I am unaljle to say what the result will be. Our greatest difficulty here is to get thorough- ly reliable hardy trees, as many of the farmers and fruit fanciers who have attempted apple growing in the past, have been badly victi- mized by tree agents. Nearly all the old settlers here have spent a good deal of money in buying trees, but none have succeeded, either from above cause or through improper handling. To the nurserymen who can supply an apple-tree sufficiently hardy to stand the climate of the North-West, a fortune is waiting, and I firmly believe that of the number who are experiment- ing on this line, some one is bound to succeed. I may also say that all of my small fruits are laid down in the fall and covered, whilst the aijple-trees are "mounded iip " with earth. I will report to you in detail, the several varieties should they come through the winter with any- thing like success. Wishing both your society and its journal the success they merit. I remain, etc. , J. C. Waugh. MoKDEN, Man., Feb. 19, ISSS. News from Mp. Berekmans. My Dear Sh!,— I have been in the high pine lands of Southern Florida since beginning of February, with the hope of securing relief from bronchial trouble of some tenacity, and this I am now assured of, if one is to be the judge of his physical feelings . A day or two since, the mail brought me the March number of the Canadian Horticulturist containing your very kind notice of myself. You are very good to your friends, and 1 thank you sincerely for this courteous compliment. Our friends here antici]iate with pleasure to welcome the Ameri- can PiuiKildoical Society in February next, and you will find that the promise made at Boston will be fulfilled to the letter. With best wishes, I am, dear sir. Yours, respectfully, P. J. Berckmans. Villa City, Fla., March iilst, ISSS. Canadian vs. British Apples. AJcttcrfrom A. McD. Allan, Goderich. Ed. Horticultuei.st,— Some weeks ago a friend of the Fruit Growers' Association in Brampton, sent to me a clipping from The Scotsman, of Edinburgh, Scotland, in which the editor of that journal severely criticised our apples. He claimed that they were raj.idly failing in size, color and flavor, etc., and advo- cated tile extensive jilanting of orchards in Britain, claiming that with proper attention and care growers in Britain w-ould in a few years be able not only to grow enough for the home markets, but an ()ver]>lus for snipping to "New York .-ni.! .M..,,tival " ! I replied fully cliicct to the ^S'coi.wfnn, and it seems my letter lias .-ipiiPared, as I have re- ceived by the last mail a letter referring to the subject which I give in full as follows, thinking that it may be nf interest to our gi'owers here. "To Alex. McD. Allan. "President F.G. A., Goderich, Canada. " Dear Sir, — I have read your letter to the Scotsman of date 13th ult. 1 did not see the article you refer to, but I can't understand how the writer could ever come to such a conclusion that there was any hope of the home-grown apples ever supplanting Canadians here. The idea seems to me to be too absurd to be treated seriously. I have been over twenty-five years in the fruit trade and I dare say I can be sup- ported in what I say by the entire trade, that Canadian apples hold the market and will continue to do so, so long as we get your fruit properly and conscientiously packed. "Yours, etc., " Wm. Carmichael." " Leith, March 5th, ISSS. Experience with New Varieties. Sir, — If my experience in some new varieties of fruits in these parts is of any interest to you here it is. — Of some twelve varieties of grapes the ElDorado is the first choice in my family for eating. The Russian Apricot has stood the two past winters unprotected and unhanned ; not yet fruited. The Kelsay Japan Plum dead, root and branch the first winter, 1886-7. The Ogden Japan Plum, about two-thirds killed, sprouted up very thrifty the past sum- mer, but I think all killed this winter, 1887-8. The Dwarf English Walnut and the Spanish Chestnut, has stood the two past winters un- harmed. The Early Harvest Blackberry dead, root and all, the first winter. The Agawam growing and fruiting nicely. The Golden Queen Rasjjberry about as hardy and jjroduc- tive as the Cuthbert, but not quite as strong a grower. The Shaffer is a very strong grower, hardy and productive. H. McKee. Norwich, Ont. A Correetion. Sir,— I notice in my remarks on your paper in your last issue an error exists, whether on my part or yours I am not sure ; but it looks a little awkward where I say, or should have said, and certainly intended to say Floriculture is my branch, " it reads, "Horticulture is my branch." You will see the import of my state- ment. N. Robertson. Ottawa. CA JVA DIA N HORTICUL TURIST. The Curl of the Peach Leaves. In tlic NiiVfiuliiT iniinhcr you gave a dt'scrip- tinii ..f the curl of the peach' leaves. We have a remedy that wavt-s oui trees, that is for the one season. We take some coals and old leather in a tin pail and han^ them on a jatch fork, and smoke the tree well, and the diseased leaves will all drop in a few days and it will not hurt the fiiiit nor healthy leaves. We have used it foiu' or five seasons and it never failed us. K. Ai.nslie. B.\CO.NSKIKI,I). Note by F. Sfiut(, C/innisI, K.riurimoital Farm. Personally. I should be very apt todouhtthe efficacy of the fumes of hiu-niiitf leather for the destruction of the fuiiLnis (.nxixciix lUJor- maiix, unless it (the fumes) were verv dense and hot, (in wliich cas.- th.- oth.-r I.m vs w,,uld likely 1..- atr.'cted. In tiiis iiicnipl.t.' combustion of leather midoubtedly nuuiy coiiiiioundsof iiitri>- gen (cyanogen to ammonia) are formed, but what effect such, in the fiuantities they are present in sucti fumes, would have ujion the fungus it woidd be difficult to say without direct e.x]teriment, as there api)ears to be no experi- ments of the kind on record. On the other hand, leaves affected by thin funguH, niust have their vitality impaired, and would therefore be the first to succumb to any outside influence of a deleterious nature. In this way the leather- or perhaps other fumes are beneficial in hasten- ing the fall of the diseased leaves. The "Jewel" Grape. Sir,- We have good account of the Jewe lately secured from Mr. Wm. Mead Pattison, of Clarenceville, P.(^.. who fruited this last season, he says : — " I am most favorably impressed with the .lewel which rii)ened in August this year, close on Champion, and I thought a trifle earlier. The vine is vigorous, foliage healthy. Fruit of excellent (juality and does not deteriorate soon after ripening. Herry not as lar^e and bunch as showy as Champion, but this is more than compensated in earliness, cjuality, and other points of value. If it continues to do as well here it will be the most jiopular extra early grai)e. — W. Mead Pattison." STAY.MAN & Black. Leavenworth, Kansas. REVIEW. Books. The BusHHKiui C.\talo(;uk. An illustrated ( ira I >e (J rowers' Manual, by Bush and Son and Meissner. viticulturists, Bushberg, Missouri. Cloth, price .?ll.OO. This is a most valuable book of 152 i>ages and deserves special mention as deserving a place in the library of every vineyardist. After treating of climate, soil "and aspects, there is a most exhaustive chapter (m the true gi-ape vines of the United States, by Dr. (i. Engelmann, in wliich is clearly shown the characteristics of the various species of Labrusca, Cordifolia, Uiparia, ^-Estivalis, etc., and a careful classifi- cation thereof. The next is viticultural re- marks on our American species, with lists of their cultivated varieties. (xrape grafting, trellising, training, Ijruning, diseases, etc., are also carefully dealt with in this work, which closes with a very full descriptive and illu- strated catalogue. Second Annual Repokt of the Forest Commission of the State of New York for the vear 1886. A. L. Prain, Albany, N. Y., Secretary. This work treats in an able manner of the serious residts of the loss of forests, such as the drying up of springs, and the causing of sudrlen and destructive Hoods, and the injury to agi-i- cultural interests, and ably advocates the care- ful i)reseryation of forests still standing. x\ dduess of the eighth meeting of the Ameri- can Horticultural Society, in San Jose, Cali- fornia, January 25th, 1888, by Parker Earle, president of the Society. This excellent addiess may be had by any person w1k> will take the trouble of enclosing 2 cents for jxistage to the Secretary, W. H. Kagan, Greencastle, Indiana. Miscellaneous. The Lamh Phi/,e Essays, from J. A. Wat- son, Cimcord, N.H., (1) Healthy Homes and Foods. (2) Sanitarv conditions of School Houses, etc., (3) Di.sinfection, etc,, against Infectious Diseases, (4) Preventable Causes of Diseases. The Maryland Farmer, publi.shed at Bal- timore, Md., a monthly magazine at -$1.00 jht annum. The Illustrated London News, American edition, published at Potter Building, New York City, 10c. i>er copy with sujiiilement, or S4.00 per annum. Advance i)lates of the illustrations are for- warded every week to New York City, thiis enabling American subscribers to receive this valual)le journal, so ably illustrating the news of the day as (juickly as formerly by mail froir England, and at less than half tlie cost. CiRClLARs from John Little, Granton, on the Ita.sca, the Logan, and other new straw- berries which he now offers for sale. 120 CANADIAN HORIICULTURIST. For the Canadian Horticilturist. MY COUNTRY'S TREE. BY GRANDMA GOWAN, MOUNT ROVAL VALE, MONTREAL. r^ EE how my Maple waves her arms, ^^ So graceful, high in air ! With diamond bracelet ! glittering charms ! And coronal so fair. She is a beauty, and a queen, In her angelic robe, — A radiant garb like hers, I ween. Came from the hand of God ! She's lovely in her white attire, And in her emerald green, In the garden of our primal sire Our Maple was the queen. England claims her royal oaks. With stately spreading bouglis, And roots as tirm as castle rocks, Staunch as feudal vows ! ,,M--^!4« I'd rather claim our Maple Belle With her locks of ruddy glow, '' Trees have tongues," they own her spell In sylvan language low. The cypress, and the dusky pine, Reminds me I am clay ; And makes me look on " Father Time " And fret my hour away ! But the golden gleam of my country's tree Wafts my soul on high. To the Eden prepared for " even me " In the eternal Ijy and by. Hydrangea Paniculata Grandiflora. FOR CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. TH?: Carjadiai] horticulturist. Vol. XI HYDRANGEA PANICULATA GRANDIFLORA ^^^^ SHRUli that carries so /_1 grand a name as this one |"~| must surely be of some A ^_Ai^ importance, judging mere- J ]y from its high sounding title. But great names are so fre- quently employed now-a-days to help the sale of some novelty, that we often regard them with suspicion until we have proved the plant itself upon our own grounds. This shrub, however, has been well tested in Ontario. Some years ago it was distributed by our association among its tnembers, and has proved itself perfectly hardy. We speak not only from our own experience at (frimsby, but would also cite the autho- rity of Mr. Jas. Goldie, of Guelph, who says that it has stood a winter tempera- ture there of 40 degress below zero, and has come out perfectly unharmed This is very remarkable because the other varieties of Hydrangea, such as Thos. Hogg, Otaksa, Hortensia, etc., though most beautiful in flower are too tender for out-door planting in Canada ; even the wild Hydrangea, (H. arbor- escens) is only found in Pennsylvania and southward. Our colored plate well represents one of these flowering shrubs in full bloom. Tiie immense panicles of bloom are made up of hundreds of small blossoms sucli as is shown to the left hand, and these continue growing and developing for six weeks or more, changing gradu- ally from ivory white to pinkish white. The late flowers dry up, and take on a ricli brown color, when they are desir- aljle for winter boquets. The Hydrangea is very susceptible CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 122 to tlie influence of drouth, and in dry seasons, especially if in light sandy soil, it should be well mulched, and occasionally thoroughly drenched with water. The great point in its culture is to keep up a good vig- orous growth, which will usually be succeeded by great masses of bloom in the autumn. Last season was unusually dry, and our hydrangea suftered most severely from lack of such treatment as we have described, the leaves drooping badly, and the flower clusters failing to reach their full development. For a conspicuous place upon the lawn, either as a single specimen, or in a group, it is one of the most desirable of all shrubs. Its time of flowering is in August or September when there are very few other shrubs in bloom, and then there is nothing which can in any way compare with it. SOME PROMINENT CANADIAN HORTICULTURISTS.— IV. DR. L>. W. BEADLE, ST. CATHARINES, ONT. PROMINENT in the list of Can- adian Horticulturists stands the name of Mr. Delos W. Beadle, of St. Catharines. For twenty-four years he was secretary of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario, filling the oftice with most distinguished ability, so that at the present time wherever the progress of horticultural science in Canada is spoken of, his name is also known as an authority upon the sub- ject. We have just had an engraving of Dr. Beadle prepared for this journal and we are sure that our readers will all be pleased to see the face of one with whose writings they are already so familiar. We have no room here for any extended biographical sketch, but wishing to preserve for future genera- tions some account of those who have been the pioneers in Canada of our favorite industry, we have prepared the following brief notice. — Mr. D. W. Beadle inherited a taste for horticulture from his father. Dr. Beadle, of St. Catharines, who was one of our earliest Canadian nurserymen. He was born in that place in October 17th, 1823, and was prepared for col- lege at the Grantham Academy, now St. Catharines Collegiate Institute. In September, 18-il, he entered the Sophomore class in Yale College, New Haven, Conn., where he obtained his B.A. degree in July, 1844, and two years later received his B.A. [ad eundem) from the Univei'sity of Tor- onto. In 1847 he received his LL.B. from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., and in 1848 was called to the bar in the city of New York where he entered upon the practice of his pro- fession in which he continued for about six years. On account of failing health he was led to seek out-door life and occupation, and was admitted by his father to an interest in the nursery business, in which line he has ever since continued. When the Hon. Geo. Brown began the publication of the Canada Farmer, Mr. Beadle undertook the charge of the Horticultural Department, and continued to edit it for several years. In January 1859 the Fruit Growers' Association of Upper Canada was organized in the city of Hamilton with CA XA DIA N 110 R TICUL TURIS T. [23 eighteen menibeis, with Judge Cai:ii)- bell its tirst president, and Arthur Har- vey ree-ording secretary. On the Kith of January, 1801, Judge Logie, of Hamilton, was elected president, and D. W. Beadle, secretary, a position which he continued to till until liis retirement in 1886. Mr. Wm. Saun- ders in his annual address in 1884, as president, says of him, " While I ac- knowledge with pleasure the valual)le aid rendered l)y my much esteemed predecessors in the presidental chaii-, the lamented Logie, W. H. Mills, Dr. Burnet, and P. C. J)empsey, and esteem it an honor to wear their mantle, I feel free to say with no fear of contra- diction, that the Fruit Growers' A.sso- ciation of C)ntario owes its present high position and influence more to its able secretary than to any other man be- longing either to the past or the pre- sent." The Canadian Horticulturist was first l)i< I) W Bf^iiF ^r Catharines Ont issued l)y our A.ssociation in Jan. 1878, as a magazine of si.xteen pages. Since that time it has been increased to twenty-four pages, and has been instru- mental in increasing the membership of our association to a total of over two thousand names. For the editing of this journal ]Mr. Beadle's literary train- ing eminently fitted him, and the iiigh standing attained by tiie journal among the cultured classes of our country leaves ample testimony to his ability for such work. As an evidence tiiat ^Ir. Beadle's abilities were also recognized abroad we may add tliat on the 10th of Nov., 1862, he was elected corresponding member of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, and in Dec. I86:i, by the President, Council and Fellows, a corresponding member of the Horticul- tural Society of London, England. 124 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. CACTUS CULTURE. Could you give a sketch about the management of Cacti at the different times of the year ; when to water or not ; and when they should flower, and how to make them flower, and any other point that may be useful. I am yours truly, F. Dann. Selkirk, April 9th, ISSS. (Reply htj N. Robertson, Superintendent Ooicrnment Grounds, Ottava.) THERE are two things that are imperative in order to he successful with cacti, viz.:^ — a season of perfect rest, and the most perfect drainage. During the winter months, they should be put in some place where this can be attained ; if in a greenhouse, some dry shelf, away from amongst other plants ; if in a house, the garret or some out-of- the-way corner, where tlie temperature does not fall below 45'. Never give them water unless you see them shrivel- ling up, and even a little of this is better for them than moisture. Evade any cold, damp place above all things. In their native habitats they are found growing on the arid plains and moun- tain sides, where they are almost burnt up during six months of the year. Such positions give them perfect drainage also, as when the rainy season comes no Writei cm cvcm- stagnate about them. Much has been said about the proper material in which to grow them. What I use is a good fi-ee loam, mixed with lumps of old lime, rubbish and charcoal. T do not know that those things last named are necessaiy onl> to ensure perfect drainage and keep the soil open, but with this the usual method of plenty of crocks in the bottom of the pots must be carefully attended to. And when the spring comes, give them a good washing to cleanse them from dust and insects, put them in a warm sunny position, don't be afraid of too nmch heat, thf-y will stand a very high tem- peiature and 1)0 benefited by it Water sparingly at first, ,ind increase as they begin to grow. If you have not a high temperature your watering must be carefully done. Cold and dampness are thegreatest enemies they have. Mexico and Brazil are the principal producers of many of them, although they are found in several other tropical regions of America. To enumerate the many different species of them would perhaps be super- fluous in the eyes of many of the readers of your Horticultural paper. In a bo- tanical collection in England, there are over nine hundred species, but I will take only a few of the species most frequently seen. Phyllocacti are those frequently seen in collections and house.s and are known CAiVA DIAX HORTICULTIRISr. 125 by tlicir Hat oi- triaii<,'uliir t'oriiis. 'I'lio colors of their (lowers are ciinison, white and pink. They make a -,Mand show, aiul their flowers will last a consider- able time, if kept in the shade and in a rather low temperature during this sea- son. Opu7ifias, or prickly pears as they are sometimes called, are round stemmed with flat, oblong branches. Of them there are many species, and many of them are of considerable commercial value. O. Cochinellifera and O. Tuna are those upon which the Cochinea sect is fed, and from which the dye cochineal is taken. There are several other uses they are put to in fancy work, such as l)askets, trays, etc. Two of them are found in our North- West Terri- tories. Cereuses are another numerous class, often called the Tree Cacti on account of the great height attained by them. Some reach as high as sixty feet ; some of them run up in straight poles, whilst others branch like a tree, stems are in various forms, riuted and angular. The most commonly known of them are C. McDonaldii and (,'. (Jranditlorus. ]Many of them are night bloomers, flowering only the one night, opening about five p.m. and clos- ing about ten the next morning, some of them very large, measuring as long as twelve and fourteen inches, of the most beautiful and delicate texture antl gorgeous colors. yiatuiiiillnrinx may be said to be round balls covered with prickles. 1 he flowers are thrown up from this round ball, but they do not in general attract the sanie attention by their flowers as the former variety does, but their curious shape always attracts attention. They reijuire a rather Ijctter treatment than the other-s, that is to .say not .so much of dry treatment, and a richer soil. Echinociirti are very similar to the former in most respects, only they have longer spikes and appear more formid- able than the others. Epiphyllums, called Lobster and Crab's-claw Cacti, arc generally found growing on the trunks of tices in their native country Brazil, and they do and look well in a hanging-basket. But they are mostly seen here grafted on the Pereskia stocks and other sorts such as Orandillorus. They are very beauti- 126 CA NA DIA N HORTIC UL TUB 1ST. as it is such a rough job to handle them, and men do not like it, some of their pricks being in the style of a fishing hook, barbed and difficult of extraction. Much confusion has reigned amongst the names of the Cacti. You can or- der by name and think you are getting Mam lLL\Kli 1 t TIWTA ful in their many colours in this shape also. These are a few of the most promi- nent varieties grown. No collection of plants should be without a few of them, if it were for nothing else than for their curious and unique appearance. Planted out on a rockery, or in a bed the differ- ent varieties form a great source of at- traction, which people appreciate. I never care to take tliem from the pots something different from what you have and when you get them they are fre- quently something you have under another name. Now, that such men as Blanc has taken hold of them, you are safe in oi'dering from him, having no fear of this difficulty. Cereus Grandifloru> CA NA DJA N HOR TICUL TUIilST 127 £j!DDDiiiiiiiBiDiiiiiiiiODiiii9iisiiii«gggiiDi]iiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiii{ ii,!iii iiiiiiiiiigi!g!!"i;BiiiiiRisii'jeDiiiiiiDiiii:3iiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiii± iigggiingiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigiiigiiiiiiidiggQiiiiiiuiiUQiiiiiuiiiiiiEiiiiiiw NEW ROSES AS I liave received iiu|uiiies con- cerning the newei' additions to our already large list of roses, it would perhaps not be out of place to reply as far as I can to these inquiries through the columns of our journal. I may preface the very few guarded remarks that I shall make by saying, that with added years, I am developing a won- derful amount of good Scotch caution, and do not now care to positively laud or condemn either a rose or a fellow- being, without a considerable term of close accjuaintance. The Puritan came out last summer. My own experience with it does not amount to much, but I have corres- ponded with those who are better in- formed on it than I am myself, and having summed up the information le- ceived, I think what follows will prove reliable. It is a hybrid tea, white, and when perfect, very beautiful. Some very fine blooms have been produced under glass, l)ut as yet it has not suc- ceeded in the open air. I do not think, on the whole, it will prove so valuable as " The Bride," which came out some months before. l/u, I.NNKKKir. Mhs. John Lain*;, a hybrid j)ei- petual, is perhaps the latest rose out, of which anything is really known. From all I can learn of this rose, T pre- dict it has come to stay. In color it is pink, and it has many qualities to com mend it. It is claimed to be a seed- ling of that fine old variety Frances Michelon. I will write more of this rose so soon as I known more about it. I can now recommend The Bhide more strongly than I did last spring. It is a first-class rose for the amateur. Sou- venir de Victor Hugo has also exceeded my expectations, but its resemblance to older varieties detracts from its value as a novelty. Her Ma.jestv takes a long time to fully pi-ove itself. I got my first plant two years ago, and my eyes have not yet been gladdened by the sight of one bloom. I would advise those im- patient persons who desire a full show of bloom in a few weeks after planting, not to plant largely of this variety. Of other roses introduced in the last few years, I have nothing to say which I liave not said before. JUNE FLOWERS; OR A RAMBLE IN THE WOODS. By Mhs. A. Oiiaiirist, Gikm-i JUNE, the month of flowers, finds our woods and river banks fairly aglow with floral beauty. The tru«' value of flowers is in their form, color, and fragrance. There is no language to describe the exquisite pencilings and shadings of many of our native flowers, rivalling in beauty and sweetness some of their more pretentious exotic re- latives, which can only be brought to 128 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. perfection with the greatest care and culture ; while our natives, if they get any chance at all, bloom quite freely, and amply repay any care or culture bestowed on them. The technicalities of Botany are principally used for the describing and naming of plants, which make it useful and interesting. In this paper I purpose giving a sketch of a ramble in the woods. In crossing the river we notice the common blue flag (Iris versicolor ), or the Fleur-de-Lis of France. We tind it has relatives all over the world, yet our native is worthy of a place among its foreign rivals. We pull one up with the roots and tind it has a creeping root stalk, stem stout and angled on one side ; the leaves are sword- shaped and from half to one inch in width ; they are parallel veined, tell- ing us plainly it belongs to the lily family ; yet the leaves differ somewhat from the ordinaryparallel-veinedleaves. While most leaves spread horizontally and present one face to the sky and the other to the earth, the Iris presents its tip to the sky and its face right and left to the horizon. On careful inspec- tion we tind each leaf is formed folded together lengthwise, so that what would be the upper surface is within, and all grown together, except near the bottom, where each leaf covers the nextyounger. It was from this folding of the leaves that they take the name of equitant leaves. The flower is a lovely purple, veined with white and yellow, having yellow hairs on the petals like little brushes. These hairs are useful in fertilization. When an insect goes in to get nectar, it is covered with pollen and this brush seems to brush the insect off" and it is thus rubbed on the stigma and fertilized. The six petal-like divi- sions of the flower are in two sets of three each. The three outer divisions are reflexed, the three inner erect and smaller, the stamens distinct, the anther of each concealed under a flat and petal- like arching stigma. The colors are charmingly blended, hence the mytho- logical name of the rainbow. In rambling on through the woods we come to a rocky bank. Here we get the Columbine {Aquilegia Canaden- sis), witli its nodding flowers of orange and scarlet. It has five petals which are attached and form five hollow tubes called spurs. It is at the end of these spurs, where the nectar or honey is stored. It is also from these spurs that the plant derives name, Aquilegia, from the fancied resemblance to an eagle's talons. The flowers are very showy and terminate the branches. The leaves are decompound and of a pleasing green color. It has also a sister in the West, a native of the Rocky Mountains, which is blue and white. But we must not remain too long here on this rocky bank with the Aquilegia. Hastening on through the wood we come to a marshy place with a lot of old logs and stumps of trees. Here we find a beautiful little creeping vine. We examine it and it has two pretty little pink bell-shaped flowers. We look up over Botany and find there is only one species, that is Linn(f-a bore- alls. Linn;eus' most intimate friend, Dr. J. F. Gronovius, with the concur- rence of Linna?us, selected this little depressed sweet flowei-ing, long over- looked plant to transmit the illustrious name of the great botanist to posterity. As I have said there is only one species. It is a beautiful little trailing evergreen plant, with long slender branches, bear- ing small ovate or obovate leaves. It sends up erect thread-like flower stalks, which fork near the top. Here are the two gracefully drooping bell-shaped flowers from which the plant derives its common name of twin flower. It grows almost exclusively in woods in cold moist situations, but, although growing in wet places, we never get the roots in water, but high and dry on an old log or stump. It is widely dis- persed over North America, also North- ern Europe and Asia according to some CANA DIA N UORTICUL WRIST 1 21) writers. Its scent is so poweiful espe- cially at night that it may be discover- ed at a consideraljle distance. The Laplanders use a decoction of its flowers as a remedy in rheuniatic complaints. From further research in this same marshy place we get a small green plant with creeping roots. What can this be? We again have recourse to Spotton. We analyze our tlower. At first we think it has four showy white ovate petals, but on examination it has a crowded head of very small greenish white flowers, having four petals, four staniens on the ovary, one style. We turn to the key and find it in the first division, Polypetalus Exogens, Corolla regular, Cornacea- might Ije the order. We turn to the order Cornacea', and it says shrubs or trees. Ours is neitiier a shrub nor a tree, but on reading fur- ther we find this description, " C7o?'rm.s Canadensis (Bunch Berry), stems sim- ple, four to six inches high, stems springing from creeping slender sub- terranean shoots, which are slightly woody, bearing four or six ovate or oval leaves as if in a whorl below the stalked flower head, petal-like leaves of the in- volucre ovate and white." That then is our plant, the Corniis Cnyiadensis. We feel ([uite well repaid for so much searching, having found the name of our plant, also that it is the only Cana- dian genus in the order. But let us look and see if there are not some more plants while we urc here in this mossy bog. Here we find the Afi/osofis palustris (l*'orget-me-not), and there is the pretty little wliite slender Harebell (Caiujianula niniri- noides) witli its graceful nodding white flowers. But oh I on that moss-covered hillock th(;re is the Cyjiripi'dium sjtec- Inbilts with its showy pink and white flowers. It has a sac or pouch not un- like a fishing basket and from each side of the sac extends two arms a little twisted. Then the hood or lip seeins to lean forward, and is a darker pink than the pouch. It is called Lady's Slipper, but I am sure I cannot .see any resem- blance to a slipper, — it must have been a Chinese-lady, — and over there are some spikes of Ladies' Tresses (Spiran- thes). It is very wet here, and there is a flower I have longed to find Calypogon puchellus (Grassy pink) with its purplish pink fiowers born on a slender scape, the flowers being about one inch broad, tlie lip as if hinged at its base, bearded with white yellow on puiple hairs. It is now time we were turning home- ward. In leaving the bog we come to a dry knoll with some pine trees and sandy soil. Are these strawberries or violets in bloom in the end of June ? No. It is Daliharda roptms (or False Violet). Here is also Cypripedium acaule, stemless Lady's Slipper, it has two oral leaves and only one rose-purple flower. There is also a perfect bed of Fyrola, nearly the whole genera re- presented. In climbing the fence we step on the Gmiltheria proriunht'ns (Tea- berry Wintergreen), having flowers and ripe bright red berries on the same plnnt. Ifaving found .so many floral treasures we return home hungry, weary — and foot sore, but happy. CULTIVATION OF THE HOLLYHOCK THE HOLLYHOCK {Althaea ^ rosea), a plant of the natural order Malvacese commonly referred to the same genus with the Marsh Mai low. Briefly it is described thus : It MKRS, Toronto. is a native of India and south of Europe. Unfortunately of late years the Hollyhock has not been culti- vated in our gardens as much as it shouhl be, being one of 130 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. the handsomest plants a person could wish to have for a background effect, and towering as it does with majestic effect over its small subjects, the annuals. The Hollyhock is almost as easily raised from seed as the pansy, the pink and the carnation, etc., is ; but the difficulty lies chiefly in careful- ly wintering them, which probably has been the reason for their partial ex- tinction of late years. Hollyhock seed may be started in a cold frame any time during the month of June, and as soon as the plants have become sufficiently 'established to allow of tliem being handled, transplanted to any ordinary bed in rather a shady locality. Do not defer sowing the seed later than this month, as it is almost impossible for them to get sufficiently established to withstand the winter. My experi- ence with them has been that if sown later than June they will invaribly be frozen through the winter, and even sowing in June and subsequent trans- planting will sometimes discourage the amateur ; because the proper amount of covering required is somewhat puzzling. Too much is sometimes as bad as too little, for if we have a mild winter the plants, having been grown pretty strong, will probably rot with a heavy covering, and the same sometimes happens with the lighter covering. Therefore I would suggest a medium amount of covering, and to plant in a rather secluded spot. If the plants have properly wintered over, plant to their proper situation about the middle of April, as during the cooler weather of April they have a better chance to root, when they will be fully prepared for the warmer weather to follow. I would suggest not to leave them where they were planted the previous summer, as fre- quent transplanting will strengthen their blooming properties. This, the June issue of the Horticulturist, will give amateurs plenty of time to prepare themselves for sowing seed for their plants for next year, and I only hope many will avail themselves of the opportunity of so doing in order to have one of the finest species of plants in their gardens, not on account of its value as suitable for cut flowers, but as a decoration for the garden. CA NA I) I A N IK) A' TICfIL TURIHT. 131 iiii»iiiiniii»iiiiiiiiaitiiiiiiiiioiiifliiiiiiiihfliiyaiiP»»Bii»»iiiiiiiiioiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiMj»>» * -^FeRESTRY-^ + 1^ :iiiiiir''»iittyggiigiiiiiiiDiiiniiiiiiii;'!')giinDgiiiniiioiiioiiiiiiii!iDiii!inii:iiniDiigiitiiiiiDiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit THE WOOD LOT. THE study of forestry for the pur- pose of preserving those small remains of our wild woods now left on most farms will probably be the first prafttical attention given to the subject. When so little is known of forestry it is not surprising that every farm owner has a different theory, not distinct enough however to make many of them take any real care of their wood lots, or to say anything about it unless ap- plied to. It is generally admitted that the forests ought not to be pastured, and there may be a few lots from which cattle are excluded ; but I have not heard of anything more being done and it would be hard to say what should be the next advice to farmers or forest owners. I notice in the last report on prize farms in Ontario it is said that on one of the best of them the wood lot was cleaned up and carefully seeded to grass, and that, since the farm has been drained, the black ash trees are dyingj Tliis is a management which seems con- trary to all principle of forestry, as far as concerns the growth and life of the trees; for the first requisite in forest life is to keep the ground fully shaded — so much so, that grass cannot grow — to keep it moist and free from pack- ing, or the tracking of cattle, and to encourage such a growth that drying winds may not enter. It seems to me that as soon as a wood gets so thin, that grass is seen, its effectual growth is done, and it would pay better to cut ofione or more acres and convert into good meadow land, and if need be, to plant out an acre of old field with .seedlings from the same or other forests. I do not find in the best forests more than fifty large trees per acre, and we know that maples or other trees at eight feet apart (680 to the acre) can be grown till they will make half a cord of wood each ; and if they are thinned judiciously or in any case if really in vigorous life, they will increase faster than any old forest. To preserve a wood lot, if the trees are only of a fair size, thick enough, and few or no dead tops showing, I think it will answer the purpose if it is fenced into one of the ordinary culti- vated fields; what pasturing with cattle may occur m a rotation will not likely injure it, as they will not touch trees if they can get anything else to eat. If very open and exposed to winds it would be well to enclose the bush with a fast-grovving hedge, and in any really open place put in seedlings till the ground is properly covered. Any en- closed wood I have seen, soon gets such a growth of young trees about the mar- gin that it is hard work to get into it, and if the main trees are not too old will in time make a heavy bush. But I have no intention of doing this, unless, on a careful survey, the bush turns out better than it appears at a glance. After counting out the large dead tops, the swamp elms, hollow bass- woods and short lived iron-woods and balsams, there will hardly be enough worth saving, and these woods have been overrun with stock so long that the undergrowth amounts to little. 1 intend therefore to close ofi'the old brush 132 CA .¥A DIA N UORTICULTUlilST. gradually (keeping stock out in the meantime) one or more acres at a time as may be needed for fuel, etc., and then in proper place for forest and shelter, or on the land inconvenient to cultivate, begin a neAv forest by plant- ing out I'egularly just such trees as I want for fuel, manufacturing or pro- tection, to be ready by the time the old forest has been cut away. If the growing trees are of a valu- able kind, and the owner has skill and patience to begin and carry on a judi- cious thinning, an old forest can be rapidly improved, but I fancy most proprietors will leave to a thoughtless employee to do the wood cutting, and it often happens that to pick out inferior or dying scattered trees will make the wood dearer than to buy it, and it may do serious injury. I tind it stated in a late Ontario report that an owner re moved the worthless elms from a lot and soon after found that he had done too much thinning, for the other, and what he thought valuable trees, ceased growing and soon began to fail, and as a rule it will be safer to depend on the new planting for the future forest, at least on such small lots as our farms will retain. To me it is much more encouraging, for in laying out the forest the various trees, the maple for fuel, the hickory, ash and oak for the factory, thie cherry, basswood and walnut for indoor use, the pine and cedar for outside, I feel as if I wei*e furnishing the property with an atti'action for myself and future owners, more than by the big- gest castle I could find room for on the highest hill. The Black Cherry for Foresters. RoBEUT Douglas, the great forest tree planter of the West, pronounces the wild Black Cherry (P. serotina), to be even more profitable to the planter than the Black Walnut. His reasons are ( 1 ) The trees can be planted closer ; (2) They grow easily in dry soil ; (3) They do not injure vegetation beneath ; (4) They attain full size for cabinet makers' use in half the time ; and (5) The wood brings in some markets quite as high a price. CA NA DIA N lion TICUL TUlilST. 133 JRor^icuP^uriet* SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of Its valuable Annual Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees.' REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label. Notes and Comments. Fruit ahout Okillia seems to be a pi'otit;il)le crop aceordiiig to the Orillin Packet. One Duchess of 01denbur<,' apple tree, for instance, thirteen years planted, produced last year nine bushels of apples, which sold in that vicinity for. SI per bushel. Our Association iias about forty members at Orillia, prom- inent among whom is Mr. J. Cuppage. Peaches will not be so great a failure as we at first anticipated. One bud in twelve surviving counts up to a large number upon a tree, and these sur- vivors are showing up their very best for our encouragement. Indeed the spring opens with favorable prospects for the fruit farmer. The pear trees appear laden with bloom, and so do apple, cherry, and otlier trees. Let our fruit growing fraternity resolve upon giving their orchards the very best of care and culture, and to place such fine samples in our markets that Ainericaii shippers shall be driven out by the dis- parity in the products even in spite of the removal of the import duty. Mr. Charles Dhury, of Crownhill, has been made Minister of Agriculture for the Province of Ontario. Membei s of our Association will be glad of the appointment to this oflice of one who was one of our Directors for three years, and who has for four or five years been one of the auditors. He is thus in a position to know exactly the faithful work of our Association in the past in advancing the interests of Canadian farmers by educating them in fruit culture, and to give us the benefit of his counsel in carrying out future schemes of usefulness. JuDr.iNO Fruits — We hope soon to see a carefully arranged scale of points prepared for the use of judges of fruits at all our exhibitions. In poultry, and in live stock, the work has been reduced to a system, so that something like uni- formity, and fairness may be expected from the judges. But not so with our fruits, which are often judged in a most unfair and unsystematic method. It is time our Association considered this subject most seriously, and appointed a competent committee whose duty it should be to prepare a scale of points which could, on approval, be recom- mended for general adoption by all fair 134 CANADIAN HORTICUL TURIST. managers. Some such heads as the following might be used among others, viz : — Nomenclature, Coloring, Flavor, Hardiness, Productiveness, Shipping Quality, Commercial Value, and eacli plate of specimens given points under each head varying from 1 to 5 accord- ing to merit. The sum total of points given would then decide the awards. Hardy Apples. — It was no wonder that at our Ottawa meeting with the thermometer registering from 30° to 40° below zero, our attention was turned largely to such questions as Winter pro- tection, varieties of fruits and orna- mental shrubs adapted to the cold north, etc., notwithstanding the gentle remon- strances of some of our friends of the Experimental Farm who hope to be able to test for us every known variety of fruit Under the head of hardy fruits Mr. Charles Gibb, of Abbotsford, P.Q., sug- gested the following six as his selection of the best liardy varieties of apples : — (1) Yellow Transparent; 2) Golden White; (3) Easpberry; (4) Titovka ; (5) Longfield ; and (6) Arabka. Mr. A. A. Wright, of Renfrew gave the following as his selection of five varieties for Carleton County, viz : — (1) Yellow Transparent ; (2) Duchess ; (3) Alexander ; (4) Scott's Winter, and (5) Wealthy. Spraying Insecticides. — So general has this custom become that it no longer seems necessary for us to em phasize its importance. The cherry and plum trees are sprayed to protect them from the curculio, the apple trees to protect the young fruit from the cod- ling moth and the leaves from the canker worm and the tent caterpillar, and the potato patch to destroy the potato bug ; and for all these the much tested Paris green and water is found equally effective. Many recommend half a pound to iifty gallons of water, but in our experience of its use on a large scale at Maplehurst, this is much more than should be used. One quarter of a pound to fifty gallons of water is quite as effectual, and much less injuri- ous to the foliage. Some have ex- pressed a fear lest the poison might in some way find its way into the interior of the apple, but the fear is quite groundless. Both this and London purple are minerals, and not so ab- sorbed, but washed off by the first rain. The spraying pump is found equally useful in the currant and gooseberry plantation, where tlie sawflies may quickly be disposed of by a careful spraying of the bushes with powdered hellebore and water, at the rate of one ounce to two gallons of water. For the aphis on the cherry, the kerosene emulsion is perhaps the most effective remedy. It may be made in several ways, of which the following is a goud one, viz : — Dissolve half a pound of common soap in one gallon of boiling water, and then add two gallons of kerosene, churning until well emulsi- fied. Then for use add ten parts of water. This also may be applied with the ever useful spraying jiurap. We would also remind our readers of the hyposulphite of soda as a remedy for the apple scab. It may be applied to the young fruit along with the Paris green, one pound of hyposulphite being use to every ten gallons of water. Those kinds which are especially sub- ject to scab should be experimented with most carefully, and the results made public through this journal. That it is useful has been proved, but that it is an effectual remedy has yet to be proved. The Wild Goose Plum. This plum is the Chickasaw type, and grows naturally in great abundance in the favorable situations in the Soutli and West. According to t\\Q American Garden^ Mr. J. R. Hawkins, of Orange Co., N. Y. has had most favorable ex- perience in the cultivation of this vari- CA NA I) I A N IIOR TICUL Tl'lilST. 135 ety, packing tlieiii in peck baskets, and selling them for 90 cents per basket. The plums seem to be curculio-proof, and the trees proof against all diseases. The fruit is used chiefly for dessert, and for table decoration. Two Nice Shrubs. A. S. FuLLEF{, in Aineriraii (inrtle^t, recommends the Japan Quince, and the Dwarf Flowering Almond. The former grafted upon the apple, pear, or haw thorn stock about four feet high ; and the latter budded upon plum stock at about the same height. Sometimes several colors of each may be worked upon the same stock. In Canada, the flowering almond is too tender except for favored localitie.';, but perhaps it would succeed better on the plum stock. Caeti in Mexico. Thk cereuses alone are very numer- ous, and on account of the various colors of their stems make an interest- ing codection. There are said to be over two hundred species of them, mostly natives of tropical America, where the soil is dry and rocky. Oui- engraving gives a Hne notion of the wild appearance of a country where these and other cacti flourish. The traveller seems to be actually hedged in by these terrible spines, which defy nearer approach. Towards the left hand appears an immense agave, of tin; same class as our common century plant, and of which there are over one iiundred varieties. In Mexico they are sometimes used as hedge plants, and also valued for the manufacture of a beverage called "pul((ue," prv pared from the young flower stalks of Agave Americana. To the right is a tin;' specimen of a cereus, tree-like in its form, but not in foliage. Mr. lilanc says the gigantic columnar cactus, cereus giganteus, is ijuite common in the lower part of the valley of Santa Cruz, and is there called the saguarro. It presents a thick fluted column, about the thickness of a man's body, and from thirty to flfty feet in height, with three or four blanches at the top, the whole looking like a gigantic candelabrum. (Jrowing beside the cereus, and also upon the rocks, is to be seen the opuntia, or prickly pear cactus, referred to by Mr. Robertson on page 125. This also is used for fences in Mexico. The Summer Meeting. Thk Summer Meeting of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario will be held at the town of Picton, Prince Ed- ward Co., in the County Council Cham- ber, on Wednesday and Thursday, llth and 12th of July, 1888, beginning at ten o'clock, a.m. Certiticates for reduced fares on all the railways may be had by addressing the Secretary, L. Woolverton, Grimsby, 136 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. Ont. Boats and cars will carry passen- gers at one fare from Trenton to Picton and return. Tickets should therefore be bouglit to Trenton from whence the certificates will entitle the holders to return at a reduced rate. Two certifi- cates will be required in case a through ticket to Trenton cannot be purchased at the starting point. Rates at Royal Hotel, Picton, $1 per day. The following will be the leading TOPICS OF DISCUSSION. (1) " Fruit Growing in the County of Prince Edward," by John P. Wil- liams, Bloomfield. (2) "The Farmer's Fruit Garden." L. Woolverton, Grimsby. (3) " The Farmer's Vegetable Gar- den." (4) " The Production of New Varie- ties of Fruit V)y Hybridization and Seed- lings." P. C. Dempsey, Albany. (5) " Forestry for farmers, or what forest trees will pay the farmer to plant." Thos. Beall, Lindsay. (6) " Growing Fruits for Canning Factories." Wellington Boulter, Picton. (7) "Pear Blight," (with illustra- tions). Prof. J. H. Panton, Agricul- tural College, Guelph. (8) " Growing and evaporating Corn." W. R. Dempsey, Reeve of Amelias burgh. (9) " Conservatories, their manage ment, selection of plants, etc." F. Mit- chell, Innerkip. (10) " The North-West ; probabilities and possibilities of that country for fruit consumption, and for fruit pro- duction." A. McD. Allan, Goderich. QUESTION DRAWER. The following questions have been handed in for the Question Drawer : — 1. In what state and where does the Rose- leaf Hopper pass the winter ? 2. Will it pay the farmer to plant good land to Walnut trees ? 3. How can a natural wood lot of Beech, Maple and Elm be best utilized for profit ? 4. How can we best forward the interest of Horticulture in our Association ? 5. What is the cause of the Fungus-scab on the apple. Why are some varieties subject to it, and others free from it, etc. 6. What is the cost, and what the profits of evaporating apples and other fruits ? 7. What is the best way to pnme and trellis the grape ? S. T(unatoes, what soil is best ? Does it pay to trellis ? 9. Can we improve any of our present methods of marketing fruits ? 10. How may we secure uniformity and fair- ness in the awards of prizes to fruits ? It is hoped that the meeting of Wednesday evening will be enlivened bv local contributions of addresses and QUESTION DRAWER. Planting an Apple Orchard. 47. Will it likely prove a pi-ofitable invest- ment to buy cleared land at twenty dollars an acre, which lies high, and is naturallj' drained, and abounds in shaley lime stone, for the pur- pose of planting out an apple orchard on a large scale ? Also, the following kinds are known to do well on next farm, and on same kind of soil. Can you recommtiid anything better in a 1,000 trees? American (ioldtii Rus- .sett, King Tompkins, Winter Strawberry, Greening and Ribston Pipjiin. The site isa very exposed one, higher than the .surrounding forest trees. A Membkr. Repbj hi/ A. McD. Allan. (1) I IJELIEVE it will pay well. In- eed, my experience for many yeais has Vjeen that the fruit crop was rapidly coming to tlie front, and now it is there, as the best paying crop upon the farm. (2) The kinds named are all such as will pay for export trade. If Baldwin succeeds there I would certainly plant it. And the Blenheim Pippin certainly. I would think Blue Pearmain should do well there, and if so, there is money in it. Force Pumps. 48. Where can the pumj) be purchased, re- ferred to in volume X., p. 134 '.'—J. F., Ottawa. CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 137 FuoM '^N m. Kobei-tson, (^akville. We think it equally good with the Field Force Pump of Rochester. Mr. McD. Allan recommends Brooks' Champion, for sale by Beecher liros., London. It only costs §3.50, and may be used for spraying either large trees, or small bushes. Bark lice. 49. In till- April imiiibcr I iv tice ytiu ifcniiiiiit'iKi noft soa) and wa.>l. 2. In your j.aper, paK<- 2S.5, year 1880. reference is made to dusting grape vines witli "sulphate of iron and lime." Would this he equally efficiicious for the mildew on goose- berry bushes ? If not, woidd sidphur and un- leached ashes be an efficient ap)>lication ? The sulphur killing the i)arasite, while the asiies stimidate the bush to renewed vipor. — J. P. W. Rfpbi 1,11 Mr. I). W. llmilU. SuLPii.\iE of iron and lime are both destructive to vegetable fungi, and 1 presume would be eHicacious for the des- truction of mildew on goosberry buslies, if applied in season. T would expect better results from the sulphate of iron and lime than T would from the sulphate of iron and unleached ashes. If the goose- berry plants need fertilizers, I suggest an application of nitrateof soda andsup- erphosphate of lime to the soil. I have never used the sulphate of iron and lime mixture on gooseberries with a view to destroying or preventing mildew, as I do not cultivate in my garden the varieties of goo.seberries subject to mil- atches, twelve feet square or more being killed out; there are other smaller jilaces wliere the grass is about dead. I have always taken a great deal of i)ride in having a fine'lawn— it is about twelve years since it was sodded— every one remarking how very thick the grass was. Some two years ago I had a tank ]iut up so that I could keei> it green during the hot weatiier. I have a lawn sprinkler that I used a good deal; some days I had it running for an hour or two during the hot sun. I thought perhajis that might have been the cause of it dying out. Last year it was something similar, only not (|uite as bad, and it seemed to come again quicker. I have mjinured it in the fall witji fine rotted manure for the last few years. I would be obliged if you could give me any in- formation with regiirii to its dying out. -W.M. ClIAKJ, .Ii N., Port H«i„. Ri/ili, 1/1/ John A. Bruce, Hamilton. In replying to Mr. Craig's letter respecting the bare spots on his lawn, it is rather a difficult matter to assign the correct cause for such ; it may have been caused by continuous watering from tank during Ijright sunsliine. Ants fre(iuently disfigure a lawn ; a white grub, and often the common 140 CANADIAK HORTICULTURLST. wirewonn, works a deal of mischief ; have seen snow lie till late in the spring, and form into a mass of solid ice, under it the grass would be killed ; it seemed to rot, probably from want of air. AVould recommend Mr. Craig to dig up the bare spots and incorporate some new soil, resod or sow with lawn seed. _^_ Coal Ashes. 64. Coal ashes are strongly recf>mmended for pear trees, etc. Is it necessary to apply manure also ?-W. W. R., Toronto. Coal ashes are of little or no value as a fertilizer. Their chief value for pear trees would be as a mulch, serving to keep the ground moist, and thus promote growth. If the soil needs en- riching, certainly coal ashes would not make it so. Wood ashes are a very valuable fertilizer for all orchard trees, including the pear, because it is about one-tenth potash, a substance which constitutes about one-half the ash of the fruit, while the rest of it is chiefly lime and phosphoric acid, elements which also largely enter into the com- position of fruits. With wood ashes, there will be no need of any other manure; indeed, the nitrogen of barn- yard manure tends to promote too raj^id and succulent a growth of the pear, and predisposes it to blight. Grape Sypup, op Condensed Must. Reply to QueMion No. 15. The Wine and Fruit Grower, a monthly journal published in New York city in the interest of wine mak- ers and vineyardists, replies to question 1.5 as follows : — " We presume the inquirer is talking about condensed grape must. Any fruit juice containing sugar can be condensed into a sugar or syrup by the application of heat. But as great chemical changes are wrought by the heat, it is of the first importance that it should be ap- plied in such a manner as to preserve the constituents of the must in their original relations as nearly as possible. This cannot be done by "boiling," as maple syrup or sugar is made ; it must be done by the application of heat in such a way that the temperature at no time exceeds 140° Fahrenheit. If the higher temperature is reached, the con- stituents are broken down and return to their original elements, and the vol- atile oils containing the bouquet is dis- sipated by evaporation. The product will then have a cooked or burnt taste and smell, and become flat and insipid, and the mineral salts only will remain unchanged. It is clear, therefore, that a method should be adopted by which evaporation could be secured at a low temperature, and this has been done. Two processes have been patented — one an Italian invention known as the Yaryan process, and a German known as the Springmuhl process ; both are in operation in California, and 1000 tons of grape must was condensed this season and shipped to London. " Now as to how it may be done by simpler or home-made appliances, our correspondent will see that it will be necessary to have a jacket-kettle, or evaporating pan, so arranged that the must shall be protected from direct fire heat by a column of water, and that a thermometer must ))e kept in the fluid con.stantly so as to watch and regulate the degree of heat. The best apparatus would doubtless be a jacket-kettle made of copper, so arranged that the must could be stirred, as the stirring would shorten the operation. This answers the first and second question. " Now as to where to purchase such an apparatus, we presume it could be got at any copper-woiker's shop where distillery and sugar-house utensils are made. Coppersmiths are to be found in all cities. " The fourth and last question involves several considerations. It may be said there is no regular market demand for condensed grape must. The fact that the must from 600 tons of grapes used CA NA DIA N 110 li TIC I ' L TUlilS T. 141 last yt'iii" and tlio 1000 tons used this year was all searance. It is jierfectly hardy in our climate, being indigenous to Siberia. Planted among other flowermg shrubs or trees of different colors it would evidently jiroduce a pleasing contrast. If it was better known it would be more generally [)lanted. Probably some of our enterprising nursery men have it in stock, and if not some of the large nurseries in the States that deal in novel- ties will likely have it. Yours, Simon Roy. lUrliiu '■>(), Fil... lSt!S. Experience with the Currant Borer. Mk. T. H. Race, of Mitch.-ll, writ.s that \^r had in 1MH4 two rows of currant bushes of thirty bushes each just coming nicely into bearing. Btit in June he noticed the tops turning yellow, caused, as he soon found, by the currant borer. Not being willing to .sacrifice the affecti-d caii- ])osed to deposit her eggs in the currant Vjimh during the lattei- part of July or early in Sei>- temlM r burrowimr in the ground immediately under the busli during the dav time and coming out after nightfall. The ashi'> were apj-lied in the beginning of July, and tiny t-jtlier caught the fly in the soil at that time and kill<-d her, or they prevented lier from flnding a refuge there and drove her to more inviting quarters. Has anybody a better theory to offer ? Note by ?]niToii. — The cutting off and burn- ing of the old wood which is sickly because hol- lowed by the borer is not so olijectionable a plan as it woidd seem at first, because it pro- motes the giowth of young vigorous wood which is more fruitfvil than the old canes. If the old canes were annually thinned out, and a jilenti- ftd supply of young wood always encouraged, there would be little trouble with the borer. Wood ashes are an excellent fertilizer, there is nothing more valuable. Fruit in Manitoba. Sni, — I am very nnich interested in fruit cul- ture, i)ut in this province we are restricted to small fruits. Ap]»les. cherries, plums and ix-ars are failures here so far, until some more (lardy varieties are introduced. Such straw- berries as Wilson and Crescent succi-ed fairly well with us, although the la.st two seasons have been rather dry for successful crops. It 142 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. would be a great boon to Manitoba if a hardy enough variety of apple tree could be found to resist our winters, but on the prairies shelter belts will require to be grown before any suc- cess will attend our efforts. After a residence of fourteen years in Manitoba I have come to the conclusion that the best conifer to plant in Manitoba is the Scotch Pine. I have tried a number of other kinds of evergreens, all from seed, but the Scotch Pine is the best. Of the deciduous trees the native Box. Elder or soft maple is the most hardy and rapid grower on our prairies. Alex. Stephenson. Melrose, Man. The Apple Ppospeets for 1888. Mr. Joseph Tweddle, of Stoney Creek, M- rites that after five years of very discouraging experience in apple growing, owing to the fun- gus spot, insect enemies, he believes that growers have reason now to take courage and IJrepare for better crops. The fungus has ap- parently disappeared for a time, the dark green foliage of the past seasoh shows a more healthy condition of the trees, and the insects can now be successfully destroyed with Paris Green. He says, — Experience has shown those who have sprayed their trees the past season, that it saves the crop. One prominent fruit grower of Winona harvested and sold nearly $200 worth of apples off an acre thus treated, while on ten acres of young orchard not sprayed not a bushel of good fruit was produced. The trees were of the same age, and of the same varieties. I neglected to spray my own orchard, and although a fair crop setj nearly all were de- stroyed by the Codling Moth. I don't intend to be caught napping another year. Death of Mp. George Smith, Port Hope. Sip,— I regret I have to announce the death of our old friend, Mr. George Smith, who for a number of years acted as your agent here. He went up to Barrie with his son, hojiing the change would do him good, but he died in less than a week after. P. George Watson. Port Hope, 9 May, 188S. Forestry. SrR, — You know the estimate of the humorist on Horace Greeley's " What I know about farming." When I began to talk about forestry I found myself about as far on, and in my en- deavor to learn something of the subject I conclude there is hardly any one in America who knows anything of forestry. I would like very much to appeal to Prof. B. E. Fernow, the director of forestry for the United States, but I hold back, as the opinion I express would not be in as good taste if it came from him. In the last number of Garden and Forest the question is asked, " Why is it not the best policy to cut out the mature wood from a ])ri- meval forest and let the rest grow ?" and it is ans\vered by the professor — ))robal)ly the only possible answer is given, but to me it seems to mean that for a man who knows nothing of forestry, any course would jimbably be wrong. There is one gentleman in Canada sui>i)osed to know something about trees, but I find him flatly contradicted in the public press on some points about timber on the prairie by a settler in the North- West. Garden and Forest tells of another gentle- man, a city forester (in Boston, I think), who proposed to destroy canker worms on the elm trees by boring a hole in the tree and inserting some mysterious jjowder, and says " it seems incomprehensible that a man in such a position could be guilty of such quackery." At a late public meeting of a Fanners' Institute a botanist took credit to himself for establisliin^' tlic fact that the black walnut is hardy in Kasteni Ontario : and in some Ontario reports -Teat doubts are exjiressed on the jioint. But I find that tiiere are plantations from twen- ty-five bushels of nuts, now large enough to bear fruit in Lower Canada. I need not quote all the diverse opinions of tree planters basing their views on special ex- periences or hasty conclusions. I will overlook a genuine mistake too, and congratulate a man who confesses ignorance or error. I want to learn from them all. When I first took an inte- rest in forestry, I enquired into all these at- tempts and tried to follow up all that my neighbor writers or public men could tell me of the subject, seldom, however, to find the fact just what was first rei)orted. After noting all that tree ]ilanters and tree owners could tell me, I suddenly fr.und out, that arboriculture was not forestry. Now, sird in your variefl ex|)erience, if you have trie, forestry I would like to know" if there is any thing to be learned of forestry in Canada ; and I may say that I am now quite conceited as to what I know about forestry, and I think I have told you how far I have got. Forest Beflissener. April 10th, ISSS. Note by Editor. — We are pleased to say that we have the promise of a series of letters under this head from a gentleman who is prac- tically engaged in the work. He writes under the nome de plume of " Forester," and his subject for this number is "The Wood Lot." CA lYA DIA N IIOR TICUL TUKIST. 143 REVIEW. Reports. Ckntr.\l Expkkimental Farm, Otfawa. Rvftort of the Eiitomolnqixt and Botanist. .Tas, Fletcli.-r, F.R.S.C., F.L.S., 1887. Wf would call the .-.special attention of the fruit growing' fi>iiiiiiiinit.\- to the excellent jno.s- pects iif valuable assi.staiice in the i)rosec>itiiin of their work now opening up in connection with the KxiJerimental P'ann at Ottawa. M«re are eniijloyed by the Dominion (Jovernnient the best sjjecialist.s available in agriculture, horticulture, clipniistry, sntoniology and bot- any, uiwn 400 acres of choice land, beautifully situated, with every appliance that money can furnish, all for the benefit, without charge, of every Canadian farmer who cliooses to avail himself or the privileges thereof. And with such a n>an as Wm. Saunders as Director, whose qualifications for his jjosition are acknowledged to be exceptional, we have es- ])ecial occasion for hopefulness. From the authorities of the farm reliable information may be had upon any question affecting the interests of the farmer, fruit grower or gardener, without charge, and even letters go free of jiostage. This report contains forty-two pages, descrip- tive of insects atfectiiiir cereals, root crops and vegetables, fruits and forest and shade trees, with description of latest known remedies. It may be had free o)i application. American Pomolograi- Society. Session of 1887. The proceedings of the twenty-first session of the American Poniological Society, held in Boston, Mass.. S.i)tember 14th, 15th and 16th, 18.S7, together with the State fruit reports and catalogue of fruits, publisheti by the Society. 1888. The president of this .society >s Mr. P. J. Berckmans, Augusta, Florida ; the secretary, C. W. Oarfield, (irand Rajiids, Michigan, and the vice-presidents re]>resent the States in tlie Union and the Provinces of Canada. All pio- gressive Horticulturists who study their pro- fession from a .scientific standpoint, should unite with this society, which is so thoroughly divested of all local interests. One paper of considerable interest in this report is that by H. E. Van Deman, chief of the l)e)>artment of Pomology, on "Identification of Varieties of Hardy Orchard Fruits." Such subjects as " Conunercial Fertilizers," "Pests of the Pouiologist,"' " Behaviour of Fruits in different Altitudes," etc.. are ably treated upon. A valuable scientific paper is also included by Charles (iil)b, ;, 1S8S. A pretty full report of this meeting has al- ready appeared in these columns. The Montreal Horticultural Society. Reports for lSS4-5-(i, houwl in one volume. A very creditable volume. It lacks, however, one very important feature and that is a com- plete index at the end of the whole three vol- umes. How much valuable infoi-niation is often locked up in our libraries beyond our reach just for lack of indexes. The Mas.sachusetts Agricultural Col- lege. Twentii-tilth Annual Report, Januaru, ISSS. H. H. Ooodcll, Amherst, Mass., Presi- dent. Forestry Convention. Proerrdinijs ■. W. Shepherd, jr., has had some eleven years experience with it in the vicinity of Montreal; and says it is hardier than the well-known Fall St. Lawrence. In his list for profit he gives the following order : ( 1 ) Faraeuse (2) Duchess, (3) Canada Baldwin, (4) Winter St. Lawrence ; but he adds that the latter drops from the tree less than any of the other, and is very noticeably free from the codling moth s attacks, when compared with the Fameuse. As a table apple for the months of December and January it is very desir- able, having the dark stripes and splashes of carmine of the Fall St. Lawrence, and a tender juicy flesh somewhat similar to that of the Fa- meuse. In this last characteristic is its chief fault, because like the Fameuse it is too soft to ship well in barrels. However, Mr. Shepherd has tried ship- ping it to England in the Cochrane case with excellent results, and by this means the difficulty of its exportation may perhaps be overcome, at least providing tlie Cochrane case is not too expensive. From the samples which were sent us last winter, we judge that our coloured plate gives a fair representation of this apple. HINTS FOR THE MONTH. PRUNING FOR Fruitfulness. — Whenan apple orapear orchard has been highly cultivated and manured it is sometimes found to produce a very vigorous wood growth, and little or no fruit. This has led cultivators to resort to various expedients for pro- ducing a fruitful condition, and among these summer pruning, performed be- tween the L5th of June and the 20th of July, has been found somewhat effective. The removal of a portion of the limbs of foliage in winter or spring would result in a more vigorous growth, but at this season the shock checks the circulation, and tends to the formation of fruit buds. Root pruning will also tend to de- crease the vigor of a tree, and so induce fruitfulness ; this should not be done in the growing season, but rather in the autumn or early winter. Ringing, or removing a ring of bark fi'om a quarter to half an inch wide, in midsummer, is practiced by some, as it stops the descending flow of sap and compels it to produce fi-uit buds ; but this practice is generally condemned. Bending a limb downward, or tying a band tightly about a branch, will some- times have an equally good effect. We noticed an instance of this in the orchard of a friend, where the childrens' swing rope had been tied about one of CANA DIA iV //OJi TICUL TURIST. 147 the limbs, and as a result tliat limb was weighed down with fruit, while the rest of the tree was barren. We are of the opinion that the cause of so uiuch barrenness in the oi'chard.s of some portions in Western Ontario is to !)(' found, not in a too vigorous growth, but rather in a lack of vigor ; and that the remedy that is more fre- quently needed is better care and culti- vation, rather than any of the cures mentioned above. Too often the apple or pear orchard is e.xpected to go on year after year producing abundant crops without any attention, unpruned, uncultivated, unmanured, subject to bark lice, canker-worra, borer, web- worm, codling moth, etc. ; and then be- cause the acre of orchard does not pay as well as the acre of grain or roots, which has had all the woi-k, and all the man- ure, the owi.er in disgust resolves upon its total eradication. CULTIVATIOX AND FERTILIZATION. — After many years of careful e.xperiment we must give our vote for at least an occasional working up of the apple, pear, and (|uince orchard with the plow and harrow, even when full grown. When the new shoots are less than a foot in length, the foliage a light shade of green, and the fruit is below the average in size, a thorough working up of the soil will be one of the most efiective means of restoration. No doubt where the ground beneath the trees is densely shaded so that it cannot become sod- boundand where by top dressingsof suit- able fertilizers, the soil can be kept suf- ficiently rich, it would be a mistake to introduce the plough. The cherry tree especially needs little cultivation, and little manure ; and the pear tree, if forced to a very vigorous growth, will meet an early death from blight, but on the other hand, if starved, the fruit will be knotty and worthless. Mr. J. S. Woodward, Secretary of the New York State Agricultuial Society, recently stated that an api)le orchard draws more heavily upon the soil than grain growing. One iiundred barrels of apples, in his estimate, re- moved from the land about as much phosphoric acid as one hundred bushels of wheat, and about as much potash as fifty bushels of wheat. He therefore concludes that potash and phosphoric acid are the principal elements which we should take pains to apply to our orchards. The FLAT-nF,Ai)p:ij Apple Tkee Borer. (Chrysobothris femorata.) Hav- ing in time past, lost some valuable apple trees from this unfriendly ex- cavator, we warn our brother orchard- ists against liis depredations. The months of June and July are the season when the parent beetle is most active in her search for a favoiable place under the scaly bark, or in the crevices of the trunks of the apple trees. When an orchard is growing vigorously the young larva seems to be outwitted by the rapid growth of the wood, but when an orchard is grass bound and (rt) Fio. 50. (h) growing very slowly, the trees are almost sure to suffer, and oftentimes, if neglected, will be wholly destroyed. The beetle is about half an inch long, of a shining greenish black above, and like burnished copper underneath, and will be readily recognized from the en- graving. It is said to sometimes at- tack the pear and plum trees, but we have never been troubled with it ex- cept in our apple trees, where it was trouble enough until we knew how to fight against it. The presence of the larva may be detected by the rough, dark, and sometimes cracked state of the bark, usually on the north or north- 148 a A NA DIA N HORTIC UL TURIH T. west side of the trunk, or by the fine chips which they exude from their holes when quite young. A sharp pointed knife will soon discover the hateful intruder, which will be at once seen to be truthfully represented in fig. 56 6, with its great flat head, which is altogether out of proportion to its body. Washing the trunks of the trees at this season with some alkaline solution is the easiest way of saving our orchards from this borer, as for instance with soft soap reduced with a solution of washing soda and water, the latter in the proportion of a quarter of a pound to a gallon. Another formula is : Take one quart of soft soap boiled in tvvo gallons of water, and while hot stir in one pint of carbolic acid. Others recommend a pint of kerosene instead of carbolic acid. By applying such washes as these early in June a double gain can be effected, for it would then also kill the bark lice which threaten to be the destruction of our Canadian orchards, unless the tiny creatures be carefully and persistently fought with until destroyed. At Maplehurst we have been applying various washes during the past two years, pure kerosene, kerosene and soap emulsion, caustic soda and water, wash- ing soda and water, etc., etc., all with good effect ; excepting that the caustic soda, unless much diluted, burned the bark as well as the lice, and the pure kerosene, though effectually destroying all lice, also killed great patches of the bark and threatens the destruc- tion of the tree. In applying these washes we usually take a scrub- bing brush for small trees, and an old broom cut short to stiff bristles for the larger trees, carefully first scraping off the loose bark with an old hoe. For the bark lice one application should be sufficient, but, if the borer is very troublesome, two or three would be more a certain remedy. The Grape Vine Leaf Hopper ( Erythroneura vitis), commonly mis- called "thrip," is very active during this month, and of late years has become so abundant as to cause most serious injuries to many of our vine- yards. The insects pass the winter in the perfect state, under leaves or rubbish, and lay their eggs in spring on the young leaves. In June the larvte hatch out, and after a time develop into perfect insects, continuing their evil work until late in the season. They suck the sap from leaves, working away with their sharp beaks most in- dustriously upon the undei- side, and when disturbed they either dodge about the leaf, or else hop and fly about the vines in swarms. We have had some success in destroy- ing them with blazing torches after first beating the vines with a stick, and also by use of pyrethrum powder. Mr. Saunders in his work recommends the former, and also syringing with strong tobacco water, or soap .suds, or dusting with sulphur and lime. iMr. James Fletcher, in his last report, says the remedy which gives most promise of success is a weak kerosene emulsion, in the proportion of one of kerosene to thirty of water. The Peach-tree Borer. — We would warn all our peach growing fraternity against this very insidious and de- structive enemy of the peacli orchard. Many a tree has been destroyed on account of supposed yellows, or dies of premature old age when a little careful work with a knife would have saved it for many years. The perfect insect has transparent wings, and measures about an inch and a half long from tip to tip. On this account, and on ac- count of its slender body it somewhat resembles some kind of wasp. Its scientific name is ^geria exitiosa. The eggs are deposited during the month of July and August on the bark just at the surface of the ground, and this fact suggest a very simple and effec- tiveremedy which we have employed ef- fectively at Maplehurst for years, viz.. CA .YA DIA N IIOR TICUL Tl 'RIST. 149 mounding up the trunks of the trees in June with tine earth. By this the young larva, or borer, cannot Hnd his way in to the tender bark of the root, where his pleasure is to girdle the tret' before he emerges to enjoy his honors as a full grown moth. The larva when full grown is about half an-inch long and of a pale whitish-yellow colour ; its ugly red head, and black paws are only too familiar to those of us who have year after year had to fish them out of our damaged peach trees, until we learned that '' one ounce of preven- tion was worth a pound of cure." If however anyone has neglected the proper precaution the only means of saving the tree is by faithfully digging out the grub as soon as fruit season is over. Its presence may be very easily detected by the secretion of gum just at tiie surface of the ground. A little clearing away of the earth, and a little probing with the knife or awl, and the scalawag will be found, doing his best to girdle the tree before his little trick is discovered. Remedies. Thf. botanical division of the [Michi- gan Board of Agriculture publishes the following remedies : — For downy mildew and black rot of the grape: — Solution of sulphate of copper — one pound of sulphate in twenty five gallons of water. For soaking grains before sowing to destroy smut : — Solution of sulphate of copper — Hve to eight pounds of sul- phate in ten gallons of water. For blight and rot of the tomato and potato : — Bordeaux mi.xture — four pounds sulphate of copper — four pounds lime and twenty-two gallons water. For mildew and apple scab : — " Kau Celeste'-Dissolveone pound of sulphate of copper in two gallons of hot wator, and when the water has cooled add one and a half pints of commercial ammonia (twenty-two), and when used dilute to twenty-two gallons. The above is .also sometimes modified by the addition of two and ;i half pounds of carbonate of soda. For mildew on roses, celery leaf blight, pear and apple scab : — Sulphide of potassium — one (|uarter to one ounce to the gallon ; also solution of hypo- sulpliite of soda — one pound of soda to ten gallons of water. For mildew on grape vines :— " Li- quid Grison " — boil three pounds each of flowers of sulphur and lime in six gallons of water until reduced to two gallons ; when settled pour ofi' the clear li(juid and bottle it ; for use mix one part with one hundred parts of water. For powdery mildew of the vine, simple solution of half-a-pint of carbolic acid in ten gallons of water. Sulphur in the powder is also used for grape mildew and the powdery mildew of the vine. For tomato and potato blight and rot: — Sulphated sulphur — thoroughly mix three to eight pounds of anhydrous sulphate of copper, with nine to ten pounds of flowers of sulphur, or mi.x two pounds of the copper with twenty pounds of the sulphur and two pounds of air-slacked lime. Other similar remedies are also <'iven. Cut- Worms and Striped Bug's. A WRITER in The Farmer gives the following remedies : — Paris green mix- ed with ten times its weight of flour and sprinkled on sod cut in little squares of 2.\ or three inches, inverted aiul placed at intervals along the rows of cabbages, will kill cut worms. They crawl under the sod, eat the poisoned grass and die. I have found a half clozen dead under one piece of sod. Take a stick six or eight inches long, wrap it with cloth, saturate with kero- sene and stick in the st|uash and cucumljer hills, and the pestiferous little striped bug will stay away. He likes squash but not to the degree that he dislikes kerosene. 150 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. ADVICE TO FRUIT GROWERS AND SHIPPERS. AS the fruit season is now at hand we think it would not be amiss to drop you a few lines regarding the putting up and shipping of fruit, for insertion in your valuable Journal. As Strawberries are about the first fruit to make their appearance, we would recommend that the fruit be carefully and cleanly packed and the baskets well filled. Baskets require to be well tilled because they get a good deal of handling and shaking before they reach market, and if this is not done they will show up slack, and will not sell as rapidly or at as good a price as other- wise. Use the twenty-four quart basket crate in shipping. This package is coming more into favor every season, and we believe that it will eventually entirely supersede all other packages for the shipment of this fruit. It is of a nice suitable size, and comes n-earer to meeting the require- ments of the grower, the carriers, the commission men and the public general- ly, than any other package we have yet seen, and we trust that it will not be long before all growers adopt it. This package is not returnable and this therefore does away with all the trouble and annoyance experienced in past seasons on that account. Raspberries, Blackcaps and Kittatinnys should also be shipped in this package. Other small garden fruit, such as Cherries, Currants, Gooseberries, etc., are pi-e- ferred in the twelve-quart basket and sell most rapidly when shipped in that shape. Plums and Peaches are best shipped in the twelve-quart basket, and Grapes in the sixteen-quart basket. In all instances carefully observe to fill all packages well. Cover baskets nicely and securely with cardinal or blue leno, whichever is the most suitable to the fruit you are shipping, then attach your shipping labels securely to each basket, and write your full name and post oftice addi'ess plainly and distinctly on each label, and thus avoid loss and confusion when they reach market. Apples and Pears can be profitably shipped in the twelve- quart basket when they first commence to come in and are of choice varieties ; but as soon as they commence to come in freely, they do better properly packed in barrels and shipped by freight ; it will cost less to put them up and ship in that way then to put them in baskets and ship by express. Avoid shipping on holidays when possible, as mostly all places of business are closed up, and as a rule arrivals have to be held over until next day or closed out to pedlars at very low figures. Also avoid shipping on late trains as the early closing movement is in operation here, and all grocers are compelled to close at seven o'clock, p.m. Fruit arriving on the morning or early afternoon trains meets with the best and quickest sale, while any- thing by evening trains generally gets left over until the following day. We noticed last season that a great deal of fruit was shipped from the Grimsby section by freight, and when shipped that way it would as a rule reach our market in time for the morning trade, but it frequently arrived in very bad order, possibly, caused by want of proper conveyances by the cartage agents or indifierent handling by the Railway Company. We would like to see the fruit coming by freight as a general thing, providing these difliculties could be overcome. Growers are no doubt all aware of the trouble they have had in past seasons, when shipping by express for want of sutficient accommodation. Trains will not stop at the stations long enough to enable the express people to load it properly, and the consequence is tiiat it is thrown on in any way and CANA DIAN HORTICUL TURIHT. 151 frequently reaches market in very l)!icl shape on that account. We know of no remedy for this unless tluj growers can make some arrangement with the Hallway Com- pany to give them a local or fruit train to run once a day, which will stop at all stations sufficiently long to enable the express people to load the fruit properly, and reach Toronto as early in the day as possible, or say late in the evening when it can be disposed of early the following day. In conclusion we strongly urge all growers to put their fruit up honestly, make it a good straight sample throughout, as good at the bottom as on the top. Buyers here are very keen now and when they once l)uy a package of fruit and find it does not turn out all through the same as on top, they note tlie shippers name and the next time they see any fruit from tiie same shipper, they approach it with great care and will not pay as high a price for it. On the other hand if a buyer sees a brand of fruit come in that he has had before and found it to be honestly put up, he will not wait to look at it a second time, but buy it (juickly. Good brands get to be known as well as bad ones. Trusting these few remarks may be of some benefit to your readers. We remain. Sir, Yours I'espectfully, McWiLLiAM cl' EvERisT, Toronto. SEEDLING PEACHES. Sir, — Yimr mention of tin- i)e;icli fieacli 1 know of. Twice I have dried it, and with the fullest success. The flavour is delicious, and tiie texture all that can be desired. Is not iiere a new fruit industry. If you would like to know more of it, I shall be iiappy to infiirm you. — S. A. ClUZON, Tontntn. SKEDLING, or natural peaches, are usually found to be hardier than such tender varieties as Early and Late Crawford, Old Mixon, etc. Very often after a severe winter our peacli crop has consisted of only such kinds as Hale.s, Purples, and Late Naturals. Nor are seedlings to be altogether dis- pised in Ontario. Indeed it is from them that many of our best varieties have been selected, and by careful at- tention to growing them, no doubt kinds might be originated more suited to our country than many of those now culti- vated. The Early Canada and Bows- laugh's Late are examples of what may be done in this direction, the former a Clingstone resembling the Alexander, and the latter a fine late yellow flesh peach of good quality somewhat re- sembling the Early Crawford. Both of these are Canadian seedlings. The Wager peach is another fine ex- ample of success with seedlings. It originated in New York State, and is very latge, yellow, juicy and of fine flavour. It is comparatively hardy and reproduces itself fairly well from its own seed. We have grown seed- ling peaches at times <|uite extensively at Maplehurst, and while many of them have been unworthy of the room they occupied, we have occasionally found a tree well worthy of cultivation, both on account of size, and because it would bear fruit when tender kinds were cut 152 CA^''ADIA^'' HORTICULTURIST. off. Another advantage is that most seedlings are quite late and ripen after the main crop is over, and the markets are no longer glutted. Most of them too are well suited for drying, being freestones, and of sufficient firmness to be easily parted in halves. Though not at all adapted for the dessert table, they are more desirable in the opinion of the writer, for that prince of dishes for the tea table, known as " feaclies and cream " than any of the sweeter and higher flavoured kinds. They have just enough acid to make them delicious, when served in this Avay. Another excellent addition to our dinner tables of late years is a jar of " pickled ^;eacAes." In our estimation no pickles are half so palatable as these, none so wholesome. Here again the seedling peach is most serviceable. Without seeing a sample of Mr, Curzon's peach, it is impossible to say whether it is a seedling worthy of special propagation or not, and if he would choose to send one to this office at the proper time we should be glad to state how it compares with other seedlings with which we are familiar. TRICKS OF THE TRADE. Bt Parke Earle, President, American Horticultlral Society. ONE grave reason why the build- ing up of regular fruit trade is more difficult than it should be is the irregular quality and serious imper- fections of a inajority of the fruits sent to market. Both the dealers and con- sumers soon get disgusted when they find half the peaches in a basket, or half the apples in a barrel, wormy ; and in the case of the peaches find all of them green, hard and inedible below the top layer ; and even the top course seeming ripe and well colored only when seen through the delusive tarlatan which is bound tightly over them. A basket of green peaches with a goodly supply ot: worms, and with sizable specimens placed on top, and then all covered tightly and beyond examina- tion by a colored netting which makes them all appear blushing with ripeness, is a cheat and a fraud so contemptible and disgusting that it should consign the perpetrator of such a swindle to the tender couch of the county jail. It is only equaled by a barrel of apples that is faced up handsomely at both ends and is filled with scabby and wormy scrubs through the middle. I regret to say that such baskets of peaches and such barrels of apples are forced off upon an innocent buying public by hundreds of thousands every year. I think and hope that the most abused fruit market in the world in this respect is that best of all the fruit markets of the world, the city of Chi- ^cago. 1 will venture the guess here that, of all the millions of people that have this year bought peaches coming through the Chicago market, not one in four has had occasion to bless the growers of the fruit ; and in most cases he has been objurgated, if not cursed. I dwell particularly upon this kind of fruit and this kind of package because it is the most notable example of a wide-spread attempt to deceive the buyer to be found in all our fruit marketing history. It will not be a good excuse to say that red tarlatan is necessary to hold the fruit in place in the basket, because white netting with a very open mesh will serve that purpose equally well and will not obscure the real color. And no well-colored peach can be made more beautiful by any kind of CA J^A DIA N no R TIC UL TURIS T. 153 covering. Is it any wonder that ro- spoctable grocers dislike to trade in our fresh fruits, and tliat the people g(!t sick and weary of buying them, wIumi the opening of evcsry new package is the unveiling of a new deci^ption ? J am a fruit-grower, a fruit-packtu-, and a fruit-buyer, and I stand hei-e in all three capacities to protest, in all the earnestness of my soul, against all kinds of deception in fruit-packing. It is impolitic in the highest degree, and it is unworthy of all decent men. A large dealer not long since .said to me that the whole business of fruit-pack- ing, east and west, north and south, with now and then an e.\ception, is worm-eaten, and rotten with dishonesty. My friends, I hope his denunciation was unjust, and I believe it is far too sweep- ing, but severe criticism is called for. T^t us away with all stufKngs and facings, with all deceptive covering.s, with all undersized packages, with the packing of all green, half-grown gnarly and worm-eaten fruit in any kind of packages. If we must pack poor fruit, put it on top where it will tell its own story. Let us do this, and we shall find that it will pay in money, pay in the plaudits we shall win frou) all men, and in our own self-respect and in- tegrity of souh From Address of Eiyhlh Meeting, San Jose California. 1 54 CA NA DIA N HORTICUL TURIST. giiiiiiipiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ iiiiiiiiiPiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:!iii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiy CRAB CACTUS -(tig. 57.) AS we have a reference to this Cactus, known as Epiphyllum, in our Question drawer, we give a picture of the one most commonly cultivated, viz., E. truncatum, for the benefit of those who have not as yet become acquainted with it. One of its good qualities is that it is a winter bloomer, and by means of several different plants an unbroken succession of bloom may be had from November to February, each plant remaining in bloom for some three or four weeks. It is also a free grower, and easy of propagation. Mr. Blanc says that a very common mode is to graft them on Cereus Speciosissimus stocks, by which means the drooping habit of the Epiphyllum is more gracefully displayed. This Cactus grows on trees in Mexico, and also on rocks among mosses. Its name is derived from the Greek kiti(px.XXov meaning, upon a leaf, having reference to the situation of the flowers. CA .¥A DIA N JIO R TIC UL TURIHT. 155 lllllllllll!lllllllllll!ll!l!lllI110llll!|i!l.:il!!llllll!lililHI"i'!iy''l"' iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiii!'!!iuiiiiiiiiaiiDiiiiiiiiiiiiii»iiiiiii{i;!iiiiuiiiiiiiiiniiPiiiiDByiiHDiiingiiiiiiiuiiiii^ MY FIRST PLANTATION. I!y " KoRKMTKK." I WAS captivated easily when I tirst heard of the easy <,'rowth of a phmtation from seeds, or seedlinj,' trees, and these could be bou^dit at all prices down to fifty cents per tiiousand. There are so many Government reports in the United States and some in Ontario, giving sucli full particulars that it seemed very short work to get it all done ; and so it is, but there are diificulties. In the tirst place the suggestion to raise the stock from seed is unfortunate, true they are as easily raised as vegetables, and a person really interest- ed and experienced in gardening and who has time to give to it, will not have much trouble and will soon bo greatly interested. I tried seeds and have worked at them for several years, without any pre- vious knowledge of the business, and have had fair success, but when the labor was paid for and the losses counted, I found it would be cheaper to buy the seedlings up to two or three years old and a good deal of time; would be saved, but I will continue to I)lant the seed 1 hope just for curiosity, as long as I have any place to plant the trees. No two kinds of seeds come on alike or as one would e.Kpect, and .several varieti(!s said in the Ijooks to' be no more dilHcult than usual ha\e failed entirely. There is no practical benefit in sowing seeds of the coniferous tree.s, and I find that the leading nurseries don't take the trouble to do so, for in Scotland and France where the climate is more suitable, the large nurseries furnish them at very low rates and really supply the trade. Mr. Phipps in his la.st report gives fairly full particulars and instructions for evergreen seed beds, l)ut it a very doubtful benefit unless to biginners, and any body making a business of it had better learn fully in some establish- ed nursery, and amateurs trying and failing are easily discouraged. Starting again I tried to get a small plantation sooner than from seed by importing seedlings — none being offered in Canada. Ti'ees are easily started in this way, but those I got did not act as I expected. I sent for them in good time in the spring but they were longer on the way than I expected and different kinds do better at particular seasons, and when 1 buy any more I will look out for that. The prices of these trees will not prevent any one trying plantations. The small seedlings are not much more by the thou.sand than by the hundred. I think the Black-walnut cost, per 1,000, 80.00; White-oak, per, 1000, 82.00; Box-elder, per 1,000, 81.25; Cottonwood, per 1,000, $2.00; Elm, per 1,000, 83.00; Pine, per 1,000, 83.00; Hickory, per 100, 82.00; and larger trees two or three years old are not usually more than 81.00, 82.00 or 83.00, per 100, and will l)e three oi' four feet high. There apjicar to be a great numl)er of these wholesale nurseries in the northern and western States, and they advertise freely both there and in Canada. The editor of the HoKTlcri/ruuiST may be right when he says, the Canailian nursery- men will supply us with fruit trees as 156 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. cheap as any foreij>n stock, but I cannot find any who will quote a price either for fruit or ornamental trees less than three times as high as the American, without reference to quantity, and as we are all freetraders now I am trying nearly all imported stock, and with proper care in packing by the shipper and in setting in well prepared soil, I found no trouble in my plantation. My experience was how- ever, that the trees two or three feet high were less risk and less expense in small lots. In a plantation of a great many acres the cost might be more an object than the subsequent cultivations, but there are no difficulties in either to prevent us all trying. What is Forestry? What is Forestry ? — It is the same as agriculture— a business. The difference is only in the kind of crop and in the manner of treating the crop. It is the production of a wood crop we are after. This is the crop that grows, or can be made to grow, on those parts of the farm which are useless for all other crops. It is a slow-growing crop, to be sure, but it grows while you are asleep, and you need put it in to the ground but once, where it will thrive without fur- ther care for many years ; and, if pro- perly started, it needs no hoeing, no cultivating, no worrying about the weather. And when you come to reap it, it will prove to yield a profit from ground that would otherwise have been left not only unproductive, but un- sightly in addition. If only for the looks of it, a piece of young timber, thriftily growing, en- hances the value of the farm. There- fore, plant the unsightly waste places to trees, remove those ugly spots from your farm which spoil its good looks. It costs but little more than an occasional day of enjoyable work. Don't figure on the profit of the sticks that you are going to cut ; there is profit indirectly on your surround- ings accruing from such planting which defies all strict financial calcula- tion, besides your own satisfaction which will surely reflect from such work beyond any direct money gain, though this will not be lacking either in proper time. It has been proved over and over again that a good wood- lot will sell the farm — if sold it must be — at a better price than it would have brought without it. And you who are the happy owner of a wood-lot, treat it as the goose that lays the golden eggs ; the eggs will soon be high in price, the goose is worth caring for ! If you cut, don't cut the good trees only, and leave the bad ones to spoil the looks of the lot, and to injure the young growth that would be better off if the gnarly old fellow over head did not stand in its way with shade and drip. Always give some light and room to the young folks ! Forestry means more than tree-plant- ing ; it is the art of managing a wood crop so that it will produce itself spontaneously by the seed from the old trees, and afterwards helping the young growth to make the best timber in the shortest time. Nature will reproduce the forest and grow timber without care if allowed by man, but she takes time, and time is money — at least to a careful man and manager. Then use your odd moments in im- proving your crop ; the axe. too, is a cultivator in judicious hands. — B. E. Fernov), Chief of Forestry Division United States Department of Agri- culture. CA NA DIA N 110 H TICUL TURIST. 157 SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers" Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its valuable Annual Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees. REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label. Notes and Comments. The Plant J)istrihutio\. — In send- ing out the trees and plants for test- ing, we have exercised great cai-e to comply with the wishes of the members, and give each one exactly the plant chosen. Out of a membership of about 2000 it can scarcely be expected that no instances of failure to receive the right plant should occur, but as very few complaints have been received we presume that very few have been dis- appointed. The Ostheim cherry was much called for, and enough could not be furnished for all, hence a few have been asked to wait until fall. The new list is now ready and will, we hope be found more interesting than usual. The plants are all to be fur- nished by reliable Canadian nurserymen and Horists, who are responsible for the (juality and condition of eacli package. In order to secure a share in this distribution, each member must indicate his selection pre\ ious to the time of distributing the plants, as that implies that tli(> applicant agrees to the condition of distril)uti()n, vi/., to culti- vate with care, and in due time be prepared to report thereon tli rough these columns. Anyone, however, who last spring did not receive the plant selected, or who received a wrong plant by mistake, may make two selections from this li.st when paying his next annual members' fee. Thk Ca\adi.\n Horticulturist E.\- PERiMKNTAL GROUNDS. Since he re- ceive so many re(|uests for his cat- alogue, tlie editor of this journal again repeats that he lias now for some years retired from the nursery business, and given his whole time and attention to fruit growing and the study of horti- culture. And although his fruit faru) is already well filled with the mo.st reliable varieties of apples, pears, peaches, cherries, grapes, ((uinces and small fruits that are suited to Canada, he will still devote a few acres to the careful testing of novelties in the in terests of the readers of this journal. At the same time he wholly declijies to receive any plants for testing under any promi.se, implied or understood, of noticing them in these pages. He l.'iS CAiYADIAN HORTICULTURIST. would however acknowledge the follow- ing, as they were sent him out of compliment to the F. G. A. of Ont., whose interests he serves. (1) Scions of the Paragon CJiestnui, from N. M. Engle it; Son, Marietta, Pa. It is claimed to be very large in size, and of excellent quality. We have grafted them on the native variety, Castanea vesca, and hope soon to be able to say whether this new variety is worth being introduced into Canada. (2) A collection of twelve varieties of evergreens from A. Gilchrist, West Toronto Junction, and among them some trees of Sequoia gigantea, the giant of California. Besides these a tree of Wisconsin Weeping Willow, and other plants of interest. » (3) A packet of Saskatoon berries from Rev. Geo. Bell, Kingston. These are the June berries of the North- West, botanically knows as Amelan- chier alnifolia, and may be already known to some as the berries used by Indians in their " berry pemmican." (4) A collection of eighteen hybrid Perpetual roses from F. Mitchell, Innerkip. (5) A collection of fifteen netv varieties of strav)berries, three of each, from John Little, Granton, Ont., among which we notice Itasca, Logan, Mary Fletcher, Ohio, Covil, May King, Hen- derson, Summit, Bubach No. 5, etc., etc. (6) Scions of eight varieties of pears and two of apples from S. D. Willard, Geneva, N. Y. Another new Strawberry. — Mr. T. V. Munson, of Texas, writes the Rural Nero Yorker that he has met with a new seedling strawberry, which surpassed the Jewell, Jesde, or Buback, No. 5. It is large to very large in size, in quality better then the Crescent, and enormously productive. This year he states that it has produced at the rate of 15,000 qts. per acre ! Should it prove equal to promise it will be called, " Parker Earle " out of compliment to the President of the American Horti- cultural Society. A New Variety of Currant. — An exchange says : — The new current introduced last season under the name Crandall is supposed to be a hybrid between the cherry currant and Ribes Aureum. The introducers of this new variety, which originated in Kansas, describe it as bluish black in color when fully ripe, and varying in size from one-quarter to one-half of an inch in diameter, and growing in bunches of five to eight berries each. The flavor of the fruit is said to be peculiar to itself and superior to the English black currant. Professor Budd, of Iowa, has ex- pressed himself as believing the Cran- dall to be valuable for general culti- vation. Vick, the well known New York seedsman, says that the currant worm does not infest this variety, and that it adapts itself to almost any soil. It appears to be especially prized for preserves and jellies. CupI Leaf. Curl Leap in Peaches.— The curf-lccaf disease in peach trees is caused by a small insect called the plant louse. As soon as you see the leaves begin to curl, take strong soapsuds water, and stir in a decoction of tobacco juice ; sprinkle the trees with it. The tobacco juice may be ob- tained by steeping tobacco in water, and stir- ring the juice in the soapsuds water. The above extract which is going the rounds of the public press is some- what misleading. The curl leaf proper is not caused by the plant louse, but is the result of a miscroscopic fungus, called Exoascus deformans, which grows among the cells of the upper portion of the leaf and causes an unnatural thickening and widening of the upper surface, and thus forces the leaf to curl backwards. Fig. 58 shows a cross section of a healthy leaf, the upper surface being represented at a and the under surface at b. Fig. 59 represents the same as swelled and curled by the fungus. This is indicated CANA 1)1 A N IIOirriCUI/rflRIST 159 Fio. 58. — Hkaltiiy Lkak. by the tliick dark lines between the cells, and is the mycelium or vegetative portion which later on develops fruit- This s])riiig we notice Ijowever tliat the peach-tree aphis (Myzus persica;) is very abundant upon the young leaves, sucking the juice from the underside, and thus also causing hol- lows underneatli, and corresponding reddish swellings above, and this no doubt is the curl referred to in the article. Tliese lice may be destroyed with the tobacco decoction, or kerosene emulsion, and the curl thus prevented so far as they are responsible for it ; but so far as we know, no certain remedy has yet been discovered foi- the curl leaf properly so-called. ing branches or asci, in which the spores are produced for the propaga tion of the fungus. Horticultupe in Massachusetts. lluBBEU Fumes as an Insecticide. — At a recent meeting of the Board of Agriculture in Massachusetts, it was asserted that fumes of burning rubber was an e.xcellent insecticide. Mr. Briggs has experimented with it, taking an old rubl er boot and putting it on a bed of coals in an old pan, and carrying it about under his peach trees and grape vines ; and found it drove away the rose-bug entirely. It also drove away the codling moth from the apple trees. He applied it early in the morning while the dew was on. One panful would do all the work on forty trees, walking as fast as possible. His theory is that the leaves retain the smoke, which is disagreeable to the insects. The Yellows. — Prof. Auger, state pomologist of Massachusetts, has been a strong believer in potash as a cure for Yellow.s, but though he has used as much as eight and ten tons a year of ashes in his pe.ach orchard he cannot report complete exemption. The Quince. — At the same meeting Prof. Maynard commended high culti- vation for the (^Hiince, which he said was one of the very best fruits for can- ning, and exceedingly healthful. He has seen quinces of the orange variety, jrrownso lartre that fifteen of them would 160 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. make a peck, and colored finely. These quinces at once attracted attention in the market and sold by count at $G.OO per 100. This was brought about by careful pruning and heavy manuring. A heavy coat two inches deep of well rotted manure was spread about the trees in the fall and in the spring, this was forked in about the tree. The difficulty we have found with quince growing for profit is to find the buyers. Our city cousins seem to know very little about this fruit, and buy it very cautiously. We need some schools of cookery established to open up a better knowledge of the uses of fruits. Silviculture. Prof. John Robinson's lecture on this subject before the Board of Agriculture of Massachusetts, was very interesting. The drift of it was that within fifty years there will be a great deal of timber in the United States. The marketable supply of White Pine from the three great pine producing states, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, will be soon exhausted, indeed the supply in the whole United States is likely to meet a similar fate witliin the next fifty years. He advises a national forest policy and a national forest school. The former would include forest protection, forest guards, commissioners and inspectors. This would give an im- pulse to the study of the subject by opening up positions for duly qualified graduates of the School of Forestry. This latter he would have established on a basis similar to that of Westpoint Military Academy. The course of study should extend over a period of from five to eight years, and graduates given a permanent appointment in the forest service, with opportun-ity of pro- motion. For the state of Massachusetts, Mr. Robinson advises the planting of the White Pine particularly. It is com- paratively free from insects, and en- dures drouth well ; besides it will bring profitable returns in a short time. He also commends the hickory, ash and chestnut. We are glad that in Canada we have gentlemen who are giving their attention to this department of study, sucli as Prof. Brown, Thos. Beall, R. W. Phipps, T. M. Grover, 1. C. Chapais, Hon. H. G. Joly and others ; and we hope that through their zeal our country will be awakened to an in- terest in silviculture by no means be- hind that of her enterprising neighbor, the United States. Fruit Ladder. I HAVE heard of a wheelbarrow fruit-ladder, but don't know exactly how it is constructed. I am an old man, and have no help, I want to make a ladder I can handle alone. Can you help me ?— G. McG. The accompanying cut shows how to make the wheelbarrow ladder. Get two hand-cart wheels, or any light stout wheels. The dimensions of the device may vary to suit circumstances. If the trees are tall, the ladder may be longer and stand straighter, etc. Care must be taken to secure foot of ladder by weights, to overbalance the weight, at top. The board at top of ladder is to set the basket on. — Ohio Farmer. CA XA DIA N no li TIC I 'L TUUJS T. 161 QUESTION Pomace as a Fertilizer. 65. Is the i«)Uiace, or cider mill refuse uf any value as a fertilizer, nr \n it, as many iiersmis hold, positively injurious?— F. M., Iniitrki/i. Rt/ilii Inj Frof. Paiifou, O. A. C, Guclph, Out. Pomace. — There is not much in as a fertilizer, but I believe it might be used profitably by putting it in a compost heap. Alone, I would liave but little faith in its application. An analysis shows seven eight per cent nitrogenous niatei'ial which is the most valuable part of it for fertilizing purposes. Gpubs cutting off Hyacinths. I'ti. 1 would also like to knper. What remedy do you consider the best ?— W. Rtply >»J Jas. FUtchrr, Dominion EntomohKiimt, (Htiuni. I HAVE succeeded in destroying Rose Thrips in the same condition as those you send me either with soap- suds, made to the proportion of half-a- pound soap to a pailful of water, (the soap di.s.solves best when hot-water is used), into this I put one ounce of DRAWER. ( iuholic acid, and churn it well witli a syringe so as to mi.v the carbolic acid well. Tobacco (one-quarter pound) shredded into the soapsuds instead of the carbolic acid, I have also found useful. J have never tried a kerosene emulsion, but believe that in the pro- portion of one of kerosene to thirty of water, it would be found useful. Cacti. 68. Your article on Cacti in the June Horti- culturist will be very useful to me. I am fond of Cacti and desire to get the best I can out of them. I have to large old ones of the Phi/llocacti and have been abundantly gratified by the bloom they have given me these two years past. I bring them on to lihfom by feeding them as soon as January with hot iratrr — quite hot— poured carefully at the toj) of tlie jKjt and also into the saucer, never let- ting a drop stand, however. One of them flowered twice last year. I had kei)t it in the hot house out of doors all summer, and in October it showed buds, (as soon a« it had got used to the window again). This plant however, throws out a great number of leaves nearly round, from the ends of the flat leaves, while out in the sun. I did not like the growth, but wovdd not interfere, hoping they would harden, but they did not, and now, as the plant had rested to the after blooming, I have cut out some of the old long leaves, and a good manj' of the round ones also, to improve, as I hope, the growth of the i)lant. Did I do right? or does it injure a cactus to cut it ? I have two little Mammillarias — or Bachelor's I'illows, as I have heard them called -|>«)or bachelors !— and I shall l)c very glad if I can bring them to bloom. I have also another, an Kpiphyllum, grown from a Viit I got in a boulant is covered with [irickles of the sharpest kind, and these seem to sting. They are very easy to get in, and very hard to get out. It drinks a good deal of water and grows very well. Can you tell me its name and special treatment. Your very obliged servant. --S. A. ClRiOS -Toronto. 162 CAA'ABIA X HORTICULTURIST. Reply hy N. Robertson, Ottava. Your Cacti starting so soon shows plainly it has been in a position with too much excitement for it. The early- start was made before nature was ready for it, hence the leaves did not mature. It became exhausted before it was able to mature, a very weaken- ini;- position to get a plant in. It is more than likely you will have to remove what remains unmatured. Cutting does no harm to them. Mammillarias require a better soil and an evener temperature than most other Cacti. They are plants that like to be kept rather clean of dust and dirt. Don't over water theiu and they flower easily. Epiphyllums will not bear extremes of moisture or di'yne^s when put out in a shady position, but not under trees, at the back of a wall or fence where no drip gets on them. To be able to name the Cacti you have described would be a difficult task from the description. There are so many, so closely allied. Nothing short of a portion of it would do, or seeing the plant. Root Grafts. CO. Kindly tell me how apple gi-afts are cultivated the tirst year. Is there danger of disturbing the roots in cultivation ? I bought a few root grafts this year which came on all right at first but do not look so well now. Have I hoed them too much ? Is there any object in transplanting them till big enough for the orchard as they are to remain on the same farm ? — G. Root grafts need good and frequent cultivation in order to keep the ground loose and moist. If they were properly planted, we do not think you can hoe or cultivate them too much, nor is there danger of disturbing their roots. The danger lies rather in disturbing the scion so as to prevent the union be- tween it and the root before it is com- plete. The slightest knock with the hoe will often do this. The reason they do not now look as well as at first may be due to improper planting. Perhaps the earth was not packed firmly enough about the roots. Transplanting trees once or twice previous to their final setting out is an advantage in nursery work because it encourages the growth of numerous fibrous roots, which can nearly all be removed with the tree, whereas in moving a tree of three or four years of age, that has never been trans- planted, three fourths of the fibrous roots are so far from the trunk that they are cut ofl" in digging. You can avoid the need of transplanting by setting your trees in their final places at two or, at most, three years of age. Princess Louise Apple. 70. Can you inform me where the tree or scions of the Princess Louise Apple can be pro- cured? If there has been an apple found •superior to Fameuse it is a prize and a valuable addition to the apple list. W. CARVER, South Livcr-riwrc, Me. Messrs. Smith tfc Kerman of St. Catharines have full control of this apple, the writer having retained no financial interest whatever. No trees can be bought at present, but the F. G. A. may be able to secure a supply of year- lings for our distribution next spring by which means we hope to see it fairly tested in Ontario. The Grape-Vine Bark-Louse. 71. I enclose you an insect I find on one of my Roger's Grape Vines. I only noticed it yester- day and I thought it was mildew, but I find upon closer inspection that it is the inclosed insect. The loose bark is full of small ones and where the loose bark is off the inner bark and the wood is split and full of the insect, and like bunches of fine white cotton wool. I would send you a piece of the vine but it is in a very fine flourishing condition and it is upon the large wood. Please tell me in the next issue of the Horticulturist what I had better do with the vine ; and the name of the insect ; whether it is injurious to the Grape-V ine or not. — Thos. G. Gaston, Hamilton. The entomological name for this in- sect is Pulvinaria Innumerablis, the firstnamefromLatinpulvinus,a cushion, referring to the cushion-like appearance of the mother insect, and the latter CA NA DIA X IfORTICUL T CRIST. 163 name no doubt refers the innumeral)l(> mass of younji lice concealed beneath. The cotton-like substance continues protruding until about the first of July, when the minute yellowish-white lice issue forth, and attacii themselves to the bark sucking tlie juices. Ihey should be scraped otl" as soon as dis- covered, or if too late for that, try an alkaline wash of two lbs of potash to seven (jts. of water, or the kerosene emulsion elsewhere described. LIGHT ON PREVIOUS QUP:STIOXS. Coal Ashes. The following experience with coal ashes by a writer in the New York Tribune is worthy of note in connec- tion with question 6-t. We judge the good effect produced was however chiefly mechanical, in whi'jh respect no doubt they are beneficial. He says : — One spring day some years ago I dumped a barrel of coal ashes in a corner of my garden. There happened to be a clump of Turner raspberries growing there, which, however, had never before done anything worthy of notice. That summer they took a new in life and tlirew up canes of such size that the following season I gathered much good fruit from them. I did not forget the lesson. My garden is a small one, but it is by nature of rather stiff clay, and from that time till the present I have put nearly all the ashes from botii range and furnace into it. Sometimes 1 heap th(!m around the trees, which they protect excellently from the borer and other in.sects. SometimesI spread them broadcast over the soil, or use them in the compost heap. Moisten- ed and mixed with ground bone I liave found them useful to sow upon the lawn in early spring. The old notion that coal ashes are entirely worthless is certainly wrong. Though not possessing the strong chemical qualities of the wood ash (except so far as wood ashes are present in them), they do, I am convinced, in some measure as.sist to free the undis solved plant food in the soil. Of theit value as a mechanical agent in lighten- ing heavy soils there can be no doubt, as a little experience will show any one that they prevent the heaviest clay from becoming lumpy, and keep it in a condition easily accessible to the tender feeding roots of plants. FRUIT CROP REPORTS. JUDGING by the following letters from our directors concerning the fruit crop prospects in their vari- ous agricultural divisions, this year will be one to rejoice the hearts of the fruit growers. 'I he apples appear to be set- ting well, even the King which usually bears very lightly, and the Baldwin which has been for years a miserable failure in many places. Pears promise to be an abundant yield, with as yet no sign of spot or crack. The Heart and Biggareau cherries are badly bitten by the curculio already (June 13th) and will be very thin in consequence, but tiie Black Eagle, usually a very shy bearer, is heavily loaded. Peaches are showing up well on little side shoots, which no one would ever think of examining in spring time, while the main terminal branches in many parts are barren. Grapes and small fruits are fairly en- couraging, excepting Cuthbert rasp- berries and Kittatinny blackberries, which in many places are more or less winter killed. < )ur readers will I)e interested in the following letters. 1G4 CA^''ADIAS HORTICULTURIST. STORMONT COUNTY. Our Editor asks from each of the Directors of our Association a fruit crop report. He's too good a man to refuse him any reasonable request. But our Board are nearly all men working these days from early dawii till dark, our hoes are bright but our pens are rusty, and night finds us in bad shape for writing in style to be tit for the lively pages of the Hokticul- TUKiST. And here let me say that, without flat- tering the Editor, we have it from very compet- ent judges, and are itleased to add our "own testi- mony to it, that our little monthly is second to none in the Province, and gives evidence that we have a good man at the wheel. The worst trouble the Association has to con- tend with seems to be the premium plant distribution. I know there is much trouble in the arrangement of these, as often the stock of certain plants ordered runs short and the un- avoidable substitution of other things gives poor satisfaction ; but Mr. Woolverton has advised all the Directors, in every case of disappointment, to promise amends for all failures to memljers next year. This faithfully fulfilled will go far to remove a difficulty hurt- ful to us. The season here so, far has been on the whole cold. On the 21st May we had a heavy frost, everything tender succumbed. 1st June we had hail— you are right to hail us as the " cold north.'' For all this the crops are as forward as usual. Rarely have we seen the apple trees with so heavy a show of blossom. But oh, aithless man how many your doubts ! Too much there will be for the trees to bear we say, too mTich for the market, leopard like as of old will be the fruit. These and a thousand other troubles we borrow, bvit our borrowed troubles are often our worst ones. Let us be thankful for present prospects and for the future let our motto be "Hope." Stravherrics. — There is a great difference of opinion as to the advantage nf s])ring or fall planting. I am much in fa\ ni , ,f .l.,!],-- everj' thing in the fall that will ]is>.ii >piiii-- work, but I don't think fall ijlanting (if >trawben-ies does this. I planted three quarters of an acre last fall and as much more this spring, they both did well, but the fall-planted needed more winter covei'ing, an expensive operation, and those planted this spring will be kept clean with half the labor. Gooseberries and Raspherries give promise of a heavy crop. Some of my neighbors tell me their enemy, the worm, has again found them out. I have seen none on my bushes yet, but a timely dose of hellebore will stop their career. I have far exceeded friend Woolverton's re- quest and I dare say have taxed the ijatience of the readers of this sheet. Just a word more to them and I'll pjromise not to trouble them again for many days to come. Summer Work. — In July and August is hard work. I'ni a worker, and delight in work. Far better advice I can give, as to moderation in it, than I can put into practice, but my experience is that a very early start in the morning during the hot weather and « r/ood rest at mid-day is the easiest way of doing a good day's work comfortabl}'. Rise with the birds and get a share of the worms. But as you can't burn the candle at both ends, follow their example at night. John Croil. AuLTsviLLE, June, 18SS. LINCOLN COUNTY. Sir, — It is with pleasure I comply with your request to give a report of the present prosj^ects of fruit in this locality. The acreage of straw- berries will be much below other years. The long continued drouth of 1887 prevented many from planting and greatly enfeebled old planta- tions, but those who succeeded in getting new plantations started will be amply rewarded by fine crops and no doubt good prices. Cherries, strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries are all showing a fine crop. Peaches, Grimsby's specialty, are jiromising a moderate ci-op, not nearly so abundant as last year but will make up in size and quality to quite an extent, pro- bably will fall very little short of last year in the number of baskets. Pears are also setting a fair crop. I have noticed young trees which pro- duced a profusion of bloom have set verj' litttle fruit. Grapes have been a little backward in starting, but are now pushing forth very rapidly and showing fine foliage and lots of fruit. Apples are also setting well, the best in years. The small boy may be seen with his tack hammer putting up berry baskets, the larger boy the peach and grape baskets, the cooper's hooping up the barrels with an eye that means business. I can only bring this to a close by saying the present outlook is cheery indeed. The health- ful appearance of the foliage, the absence as yet of insect enemies, leads one to hope that we are again returning to the good old days when the curculio and the codling moth, the caterpillar and the beetle were not known. May the time soon come again when paris greeir and all deadly weapons of warfare are not i-equired. Yours, etc., A. H. Pettit. Grimsby, June 15th, ISSS. VICTORIA COUNTY. Sir, — Judging from present indications fruit- growers may reasonably expect a fruit crop this season somewhat above average. The past winter seems to have been favorable to fruit trees genei-ally. Although we had much storraj' weather there was no extreme cold, the lowest temperature recorded here being— 30°6 January 22nd. The "oldest inhabitant" never saw a greater profusion of blodin than that we have just now witnessed. Apiilt-s, peaches, plums and cherries all bore a suiier-abundance of blossom. Plums however, have not set well, but pears are well started. It is too soon yet to speak of apples. The weather during the past week having been warm and dry and therefore favorable for the pollen would have left little room to doubt as to the result if the severe storm of yesterday CANA DIAN HOliTlCULTUIilST. 1G5 has not checked the fertilization process too Hoon. All the small fniits, tfoosehernes, currants, and the different varieties of raspberries five i)r(>niise of an unusually lar^e crop. Straw- berries, however, are not looking well, and th«' crop in this vicinity will be short, (irape vines are in excellent condition and never looked better. The tent-caterpillar is unusually plentiful. Tho.s. Be.\ll. LlN'DsAY, June 11th, ISKS. SIMCOE COUNTY. Sir, — With respect to fruit prospects in this section it never was better. Strawberries are thinned considerably by last year's drouth and winter killing, but are looking well now and showing abundance of bloom. Plums have set well and apples never gave greater promise of a large crop than they do now. Graues are very nackward on account of cool weather but are showing considerable bloom, and if we get warm weather the remainder of this month they will no doubt pull up and produce a good crop yet. CllAIGHlUST. G. CaSTON. KINGSTON. Siu,— The spring has been so cold that all vegetation is unusually late, and fruit trees are only now in blossom. It has also been un- usually dry, there not having been sufficient rain to wet the ground since the snow went off. Small fruits. ••Ciirr&nta, gooseberries, and rasp- berries have come through the winter without material injury. The caterpillar has vigorously attacked the gooseberry as usual, and the crop will depend on a vigorous use of remedies. Kasjjberries promise well, but they are already suffering from want of rain. Straw- berries have wintered well, and the blossoms are not injured by spring frosts, but unless abundant rain -jomes soon, the crop will be a failure. Cherries. -^The Red Morello is almost the only sort grown. Blossoms abundant. Plums. — These look well. Blossoms abund- ant. Pears. — Not largely gnnvii. Look well ; full of blossoms. ^/Vj/e.'*.— These have passed the winter wt-U, and with very little injury. The profusion of blossoms is unprecedented. This is proVjalily caused by last year's drouth, which checked the growth to the extent required for an abund- ant formation of fruit buds. Spring frosts have not injmed the blossoms, so that i)resent prospects are favourable for a large crop. All kinds of fruit ns well as spring grain, vegetables antl hay are suffering from the def^ ciencj' of rain. Gkokuk Bkll. Queen's Universitii. PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY. SrR,— This has been one of the coolest seasons and the most backward I ever remember After all it has l)een favorable for the setting of fruit, which bloomed about H days later than usual. Apples gave an abundant blo.ssuni and have set well. The prowpects for an abundant cro|) was never better at this season of the year. Pears are somewhat in advance of the apple, and have set an immense amount of fruit with- out an a|)|)earance of mildew as yet. We can u^uallysee it without the aid of a glass, but I fail to find any yet. Plums and cherries have set an immense crop. Insects will have to l)e fought. They have already made their appearance ; the codling moth and the curculio more particul- arly. Grajx-s and all small fruit have wintered well and i)ronnse an immense crop. Straw- berries are not being jilanted so extensively this spring as formerly. The vegetable crop must be light unless we can discover some means of destroying the cut worm ; the crops are nearly all being cut off by them. P. C. Dejii'sey. Alhlkv, !>th June, ISSS. TORONTO, (York Co.) Silt, — In reply to j-our iiuiuiry regarding the fruit crops, t must say, that being confined to the office as much as I am, I could not give an exact report from my wliole district ; at the same time I have driven into the country in different directions the past week or ten days, considerably, and have also niad<' all pos- sible inquiries, and the universal re|H)rt is, that the fruit crop promises well. Nearly everj- kind of fruit is making a good average showing, and the season being so late, I feel tliat the danger from late frosts is almost past, and we niay look forward to a good fair crop not only in small fruits, but in a]ipli's. pears and plums. Yours truly, ToKOXTO. W. E. Wkllixgton. OXFORD COUNTY. Sir, — In reply to your retpiest for a reiK>rt of the prospect of the fruit crop, I send you the following. Apples have made a great show of bloom, but are not far enough advanced yet to ]>redict definitely what the crop may be. Pears ann, with the exception of the Snyder, are badly winter killed. (irajH-s show a great amount of bloom, but are verj' late. Cherries will be verj' scarce as the black knot has destroyed nearly all the trees. I*". MrrcHKM,. ISXERKIP, JuneUth, WcVcV. 166 CA NA DIA N HORTIC UL TURIST. WENTWORTH COUNTY. SiK, — There is in this section a prospect for an abundant crop of fruit. Apples, pears, plums and cherries have shown a ^aeat pmfusion of bloom, and from iiresent ai)i)earances there will be a full crop. Peaches also promise a fan- crop, particularly on young orchards. Small fruits have passed through the winter in good condition. Strawberries will not produce more than halt a half a crop ; owing principally to tlie drouth of last season new plantations made very little growth. They will also be later than usual on account of the dry cold backward spring. Some vineyards that were very heavily laden last season are starting slowly ; many of the buds on the bearing canes do not start, and do not appear to have been fully matured ; pro- bably the vines have been weakened by the heavy crop and severe drouth of last season. The prospect for a full crop of fruit is good, much better than usual. M. Pettit. Winona, Jinw 10th, ISSS. LAMBTON COUNTY. Sir,— I write in answer to j-our request for fruit prospects for this summer. AiJlles.—Thi^ crop I believe from present appearances will be quite up to the average. A number of the trees have missed, but those which have bloomed have set fruit so well that we expect a good crop. Pears.— Our pear crop was very heavy last year, especially on the Flemish Beauty ; and many of the trees did not bloom this spring. Those which have bloomed have set fruit well and promise a 3rop ; on the whole the pear crop will be light. We are spraying with paris green water to destroy the codling moth. C7icr)Vf6— gave an abundance of bloom, but only a small propor- tion have formed fruit ; crop light. Peaches.— The trees were badly injured during wmter, many of them are killed entirely. No crop in this class. Plums.— This, fruit, though very heavy last year, will likely yield a fair crop this year. They are not quite so thick on the tree but are spread over well and will no doubt be fine fruit. Gooseberries.— 1 have had a few hundred fine bushes of the Industry, White Smith, Crowi Bob, Downing and Smith's Improved. I have them fruiting two years without any sign of mildew yet. The greatest grower is the Downing. Crown Bob is the slowest grower. They all bear well. Smith's Improved bears very abundantly. Among the large sorts White Smith has so far borne the best. This year jurayixo Machine. With this machine it is claimed that a single workman can treat ten or fifteen acres per day. We hope our Canadian vineyardists •wrill not be left behind by French or American growers. Negligent growers will be discouraged and driven out of the business by fungi and insects ; while the enterprising and industrious vineyardist will have all the advantage of an improved market thereby, and suc- ceed in cultivating varieties of special excellence,otherwise rejected because of the difticulties attending their culture. CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 173 THE SUMMER MEETING. THE town of Picton is Ijeautit'uUy situated on a harbor of the same name, and is the cliief town of Prince Edward County. Hithero somewluit out of the course of the regular line of steamers, it will henceforth be no longer at that disadvantage ; for the Murray canal, which will soon be com- pleted, will enable the steamers to sail through the Bay of Quinte, calling at Picton, Belleville and Trenton on tlieir way. Mr. P. C. Dempsey, our director for this county, met us at Trenton and veiy kindly took us out to his fruit farm ; for nothing is so interesting to a fruit grower as a visit to the orchard of a brother fruit grower. Mr. Demp- sey's orchard of about fifty acres, consists chieHy of apple trees, of all the more profitable kinds, together with a good many sample varieties which lie is testing. The varieties which he considers most profitable are the Duchess, the Wealthy and the Ben Davis ; for although the later is poor in quality, yet its even form, good color, and productiveness make it highly valuable for export. His orchard has good and clean cultivation, and being situated upon an elevated slope, shows off to good advantage The meeting at Picton was one of great interest to all fruit growers. Specialists were present in the various departments of Fruit, Flowers and Forestry, and the result was most profitable. Among those participating in the discussion were Chas. Gibb, Vice- President Montreal Horticultural Society ; W. W. Hillborn, Horticul- turist of the Experimental Farm, Ottawa; T. M. Orover, Norwood; Alex. McD. Allan, and many others. The local attendance was compara- tively small, because it had not been well published by members in that vicinity. This was a serious loss of valuable information to the fruit growers of the county, who, had they been notified of the meeting would no doubt have been present in hundreds. Our special thanks are due to the County Council for giving us a most enjoyable trip up the bay some five miles in a steam yacht to visit Glenora ; a picturesque summer resort, with a very curiously situated lake at an elevation of nearly L'OO feet above the Bay of Quinte. How this lake receives its constant supply of beautiful clear water no one seems to know ; whether by means of a submarine con- nection with Lake Erie, or by some more mysterious means. The kind courtesy of the Picton friends did not stop here ; they so strongly urged the officials of oui- As- sociation to remain over for a trip to the far-famed " Sand banks " that we consented ; nor had we cause for re- gret. Fine large excursion carriages were provided, drawn by first-class carriage horses and the ten mile trip was soon made ; showing us a fine farming and fruit growing district on our way, but alas ! parched and baked by reason of one of the most protracted drouths ever known. What a strange sight those sand banks are ! Great hills of sand, white as snow and fine as flour, covering several hundred acres of land, and constantly encroach- ing upon the farms so unfortunately situated. Well worthy was the excursion of the time it occupied, and our friends well deserved our parting cheers and song as the train hurried us away from Bloomfield station : — " For they are jolly good fellows Which nobody can deny." We cannot close this account of our reception at Picton, without making especial mention of Mr. Wellington Boulter, the proprietor of the Bay of Quinte Canning Factory. This 174 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. gentleman began the business in 1882 and has now one of the largest industries of the kind in Ontario. He puts up about half a niillion cans annually, and was the first to ship a car load of canned goods through via C.P.R. to British Columbia. His fruit is put up in such an excellent manner that it is sold without any solicitation for orders, as is evidenced by the fact that last season he shipped six car loads to British Columbia, and twenty-three to Winnipeg. As fruit growers we desire to encourage this industry everywhere, as one which provides for the disposal of our fruits, and largely adds to the profits of the Canadian fruit grower. HORTICULTURAL. Keep the Cultivator Going-, " The Snyder blackberry is good for drying on the bushes," is the criticism of an Illinois blackberry grower. I think this is a slander on the Snyder, I grow blackberries by the tens of acres, and in my thirty years experi- ence, 1887 and one season ten years back were the only ones in which the vines received no rain from the time of blooming until the entire crop was gathered. Even under this test the Snyder did not dry on the bushes, but filled out well till the last berry, and were sold at big figures. The reason most blackberry growers fail in these dry seasons is because they don't properly cultivate. They say it is too dry. This is just why plants need culture, and I give it to them. I do wait until the ground is too dry and hard to run a cultivator through the rows but begin early and cultivate three to four inches deep every ten or twelve days until the crop is gathered, ceasing only in time to allow the canes to mature well. It seems hard to teach most fruit growers this particular trick, and for this reason I make mere money from my raspberries and blackberries in dry seasons than I do when the weather makes them produce good crops with but little labor. I find the Tyler or Souhegan (I cannot see any dift'erence in them) to be very profit- able. They are hardy and early, most all gathered and sold when the Greggs come into market, and are wonderfully productive. If properly cultivated, they keep up with me till the last picking. — [N. Ohmer. — In Farm ayid Home.'\ Growing Strawberpies. Almost every owner of a garden thinks he knows all about growing strawberries, but it is not everyone that tends to them properly. There are only a few varieties that will pay to grow in hills with the runners kept off, and as a rule these kinds are fond of a heavy soil. As examples, the Triomphe de Gand, Jucunda and other large, highly flavored English berries may be thus treated. A portion of the runners, as well as every chance weed, should be taken from the beds now. This will soil the fruit unless covered with a light mulch, but no one should think of growing strawberries without mulching. This berry delights in water, and some of the finest we have ever grown were regularly irri- gated. Although small, the vine is a gross feeder ; the ground must receive plant food with no stingy hand before and after planting. It is a popular delusion that an abundance of manure causes more leaves and less fruit. This may be true with shy berries, but does not hold Lood with all. The Albany in its palmy days could be almost doubled in size by feeding. After the the crop has been gathered the mulch CA If A DIA N IIOR TIC UL TURIST. 175 should be removed, the soil fertlized and cultivated until Autumn, when the mulch may be replaced in the sliape of long straw manure. Strawberries ought always to be grown in rows with sufficient space to run a cultivator between. It pays in many ways, but above all in the matter of clean cultiva- tion, wiiich the bed system rarely obtains. — [Josiah Hooper.— /u Pldladel- pltid, Wei'kly Press.^ The Cause of Peach Yellows. I HAVK had much experience with the peach yellows, and have used all known remedies ; yet some trees would be healthy and others would have the yellows. I Ijelieve the disease is not simply due to lack of potash or of cul- ture or of pruning, or of general man- agement, but to something back of all these, which I shall name as difference of heredity. If we could absolutely get back and behind all bad heredity, all tendency to di-sease and keep free from contagion by all insect influence, I should think we were on the high road to success against the peach yellows. Meanwhile, my advice is to plant only the best trees of medium growth on land of only moderate fertility. Give moderate yearly rations of a special peach manure, and cultivate well up to mid-summer ; but then quit. Remove at once any trees that appear diseased. Prune judiciously so as to get even well-rounded heads. Thin out sufficiently to let in sunlight, and a free circulation of air, doing this just before the buds show color in spring. Thin the crops severely. When the tree is matured, manure liberally. — [P. M. Augur, Connecticut State Pomologist. — In Farm and ffoine.] NEW STRAWBERRIES. By John Little, Granton, oxt. SHALL we test them? "Yes" by all means. And for several reasons, (1) we can then tell if they are true to the claims of the orifjinator; (2) whether they are old varieties bearing new names, and (3) if they are of any value away from the originator, and planted in a different locality and a soil different from that tlie plants came from. Most all of the new varie- ties are tested ' here ' at no little care and trouble and also at considerable expense. Only a few of the old varieties re- main. Since the introduction of tlie Jessie and Bubach, these head the list of those fruited here ; then (4old, Logan, Itasca, Belmont. Of the old varieties I still retain Summit, Craw- ford, and "Ontario." This latter variety is claimed V)y a writer in Orchard and Garden in the July No. to be the " Sharpless." AVith all due respect to the writer of said opinion it is a different plant in leaf and stem, rarely misshappen, rarely a w/iitetip ; being more solid, and a plant more prolific in fruit than Sharpless. A number of seedlings fruited here this fceason, and some of them twice, are worthy of mention. Mr. Loudon's Nos. 15, 22,23,3-t; Mr. Townsend'sNos. 3, 9, 10. I have been induced from the extravagant reports made about the following to test them iiere and com- pare them with the other seedlings growing alongside of them ; — Haver- land, Gandy, Wartield, Boml)a, Car- michael, ^lammoth, Monmouth and Hampden. It is often a wonder to me how some who are in the practice of introducing new varieties and of lauding them with such an amout of praise, that when 76 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. another novelty appears the good points of the former are forgotten, and held in contempt as compared with the value of the one now otlered. I atn led to tliese remarks from a notice in Orchard and Garden, I'egarding Jewel Summit, and Crimson-Cluster. This notice is sent for the benefit of those of little or no experience. "Consider the plants how they fruit." THE SPARROWS' DEATH WARRANT. A BIG CONVEXTIOX IJf CENTRAL PARK IX A BELLICOSE MODE. THERE was a convention yester- day in the Central Park. Ow- ing to the confusion on the Mall the convention was held under the cedars on the Fifth avenue side, near Sixty- eighth street. All the members were in high fea- ther. The subject that had drawn them together was the bill now in the hands of the governor making it a misde meanor to feed a sparrow. The chairman was a lively, fat little fellow, who came to the meeting covered with dust. He had had a little difficulty on the road with a friend who had claimed " first call," on a bluebottle tly. His name was Jack — plain Jack Sparrow, In calling the meeting to order the presiding officer declared the new law which makes it a misdemeanor for any person to feed or shelter sparrows was an outrage. It was a bill that was aimed at every bill owned by every member of the convention. This re- mark made a twitter in the audience, and the chairman lifted one leg up under him, cocked his head to one side and looked very knowing. " I live in one of the city parks," said one of the speakers, " and never did any one an injury. My family for many generations have been fed and taken care of by the visitors of the park. We never had to soil our claws by scratching for our own living, and even when we saw the worms and insects on the trees, we kept away from the horrid creatures, although they sometimes annoyed us dread- fully." The church sparrow followed. His constituents had sent him to the con- vention to have a grievous wrong redressed. " A great beast of a sex- ton has been tearing down the vines that cover the front of our church and des- troyed thus the shelter whei-e hundreds of our homes have been made for many generations. The minister of the church is as great a brute as the sex- ton, for I heard him say only last Sunday, ' I can't hear myself preach for those sparrows. They disturb the peace of the whole congregation. The trustees talk of moving up town to avoid the noise of this neighbourhood, when the only noise to be heard is that of the birds. Pull down every nest and drive them off or they will drive us away.' " A house sparrow, who had built his home over the window of an editor's room came next. " My grievance is one that is heart-rending," said he. " My family has the cosiest place imaginable under the brown stone cai'vings of a window. But there is a dreadful creature who comes home just before daylight and lights the gas in the room, where he opens the windows and smokes until my family are nearly smothered. Then, when we get up about sunrise and talk to our neigh- bours across the street he uses the most horrible language and accuses us poor innocent birds of disturbing his sleep. Why doesn't he take his sleep at night and write his editorials in the daytime 1 I believe he is responsible for the new law, if anyone is, for he CA NA DIA N II on TICUL TURIST. 177 has been writing about our l)eing accountable for the loss of so many shade triMjs by driving off the insect- ivorous birds." A member from New Jersey took the floor. " The State that I have the misfortune to represent," said he, " has long been an enemy to our race. They shoot us over there and then sell us in Washington Market for reed birds. The farmers are our enemies. Sometimes we find a young girl or a child who will try to feed and protect us ; but because we prefer the food put out for the chickens and that which we find in the grain fields, to the bugs and worms they want us to eat, they kill us without mercy. Their law is that a sparrow can be killed every day in the year." Just at this point Cock Robin spoke up. " What were you brought here for, if it wasn't to eat up the measur ing worms that are destroying all the shade trees 1 " This stirred up the belligerent spar- row.s, and the City Hall Park bird called out, " Don't give us any of your sass or we will lick you as we have every bird that has been in our way." " Yes," said a cat bird, " You have driven us away from our woods and orchards, where we were a blessing to the farmer, protecting his fruit from insects that are now killing the trees all over the land." The oriole, grosbeak, cherry bird, woodpeckersand flycatchers joined in the chorus against the spar- rows. " Between you sparrows and the women's bonnets we have been almost exterminated," said a Baltimore oriole, as he fluttered his beautiful orange and black plumage. " So it is with us," chimed in the bluebird. "You have driven us from the homes we made in the hollow trees and old fences, and we, who were the flrst to welcome the fanner in the spring, have been scarcely able to fly from tree to tree for the bugs and worms that we feed upon. You are the enemies of man, not his friends. You are not pretty to look at, and you have not even a voice for singing, you screechy, quarrelsome things." This was too much for the sparrows, and the convention broke up in a row. As usual, the sparrows got the best of it.—N. Y. Herald. 178 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. |llllliyillllllllllllll!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIBIIIIIIOIIIIHIIIIIIIIIillPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIinillll^ ^llllllilDDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIollllllllllllllilllillllllllDlllllllllllllllllllUIIIIIIBin^ THE CULTIVATION OF THE PANSY. V 10 r A Tricolor, the pansy, or heart's ease is very abundant in fields, meadows, woods, etc., in Great Britain and in most parts of Europe ; it is also found in North America, al- though probably introduced there from the Old World. It is a very variable plant, its flowers differing much in size and colour. H. Simmers, Toronto. violet relapse to their wild forms, beautiful garden pan ' e s , the varieties of wliicharein- numerable, The pan- sy, French pens^, pro- bably from the drooping suggestive of of the finest no flower has been cultivation. The finest garden pansies are not preserved or propagated without great difficulty, and require most careful cul- tivation, without which they quickly Fig (,3 - Cas attitude of the ffower thoughtfulness, is one of florists' flowers, and more improved by for which reason they are usually grown from seed. Florists demand that a pansy shall have a round, flat and very smooth edge, the petals thick and velvety, the three lower petals alike in their ground colour, the lines or pencillings in the centre bright and distinct, the two upper petals( which nlwaysdifter olor from tlic others) p (' r f e ctly uniform, the w er mea- ^mlng one- .md-a-halfto two inches i< loss. The 1 I ri;est flow- ers generally are liked for open air cul- ture, which, however, re- uce in size luch more quickly than the smaller varieties. In view of hav- goneinto the general history of the pansy, we mention tlie different classes : — Cassier's five blotched pansy ; Trimardeau, extra large flowering pansy, and common German mixed pansy. Other classes could be men- tioned, but these three are best for general cultivation. Cassier's, five- blotched pansy is the handsomest and most perfect large flowering variety in CAI^A DIA N HORTICULTURIST. 179 cultivjitioii ; it does not produco such a large, flabby flower, but the inarkin;,'s are very distinct, and they retain their size until late in the season. On the contrary, the Triniardeau pansy, for thos(! that admire a very large flower, is just the thing ; but the flower does not retain its size as long as the previous class, therefore, to the general taste it is not as acceptable, dwindling down by the end of the season to almost smaller flowers than the German mixed. Fio. 65.— MixKn German Passv. The German mixed are e.xceedingly pretty, and for general purposes as good as the larger kinds, retaining their size until the end of the season. In the next issue of the Horticultukist I will speak of the mode of cultivation. Propagating Roses by Cuttings. fl/rnE florists who make Ji specialty of raising young roses for the market generally, shortly after this time of year, begin in earnest the Summer propagation. The general method adopted now, is to have a sort of out- of-doors frame-work covered with muslin to keep off" the burning sun's rays — and high enough, aljout the same as an ordinary span roof greenhouse, lieneath this are common hot-beds, a row on eacli side with a walk wide enough for passage between. In the Summer about a foot of good manure IS enough to form the bottom heat. Cuttings are inserted, rarely more than a single eye cutting, into sand, heavily watered to settle the sand, and tlie whole is done. It is an almost sure method of pro- pagation, particularly if there is good half-ripe wood. A similar place would be good to strike almost anything, hence those who have not got much in the way of a propagation house, can in the Sunnner erect one as good as the best for a very suiall outlay of money. The main point, in propagation by cut- tings, especially among soft-wooded plants, or soft wood as a material, is to keep the cutting in a close, moist atmosphere until such times that nature can put forth the effort of a set of new roots, to sustain the evaporation from the foliage. A dry atmosphere or a wilting down of the cutting is generally fatal, while any plant that easily keeps from wilting naturally, or is placed artiHcially favorable to prevent evapora- tion, is what is sought after by the ex- pert propagator. The wet sand theory, which consists of taking any flat vessel, like a saucer, and fllling in an inch of sandy soil, and water an inch above that, will, if placed in the sun even, and cuttings placed in it, be found no mean appliance for rooting a few plants, and is explainable on the theory that the moist atmos- phere immediately surrounding the cutting prevents the wilting spoken of. — Prairie Farvier. ISO CA ^'A DIA N HORTICUL TURIHT. iiiiiimjniiiiniiaiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiij»iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip^ _ -^^FeRESTRY-^ jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:i!!ii(iiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii{iiiiiiiyiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ NUT BEARING TREES. By f^OKESTKR. IN LOOKING over all kinds of trees, or seedlings if in a condition to be handled, the nuts would be sure to be most noticed. Apart from their size there is a certain firmness about them, and in the small tree, such as we would have for plantations, a sturdy health making them special favorites with me, and, I think, with other planters. Among seeds it would seem im- possible that the little wafer of an elm seed would produce as large and strong a tree as the rough hard walnut, and the seed of the eucalyptus which makes such great and rapid growth in warmer latitudes is only a fine powder. Many trees have a seed like a bean or legume which is easy to plant and to rear ; but from a collection of seeds I think both novice and planter would select a nut as certain and reliable and would say to themselves " I would like to see what kind of a tree this would produce." The nut plantation is not raised without some difficulties, as in all seedlings there are variations just when least expected by the inexperienced. After planting the nuts, before they dry out in the fall, in good clean land, we go about the following spring looking for the little trees. I found it surprising how many weeds got up earlier than the nuts. In May pro- bably not one will sprout. In June we are suddenly surprised, a walnut standing up six inches in a single night and a little later the hickories and acorns are starting regularly. The butternut is still slower and on first July none are yet found — soon after an odd one will appear. The chestnut is more satisfactory, for it sprouts vigorously the first thing in the spring, and has a good show of leaf be- fore the weeds start the race. Many acorns and all of these nuts are to be found sprouting still later in the season, and a few will lie over one or two more winters to gather up sufficient moisture before looking for sunshine — seeds of ash, locust, and pines some- times do the same and we do not like to attack the weeds too vigorously for fear of cutting up the precious trees. In the little trees of the first year the nuts so generally send down a strong tap root often longer than the stem that when fit for transplanting there is a most satisfactory appearance of vigor, and the loss of the tap root will not permanently injure the tree, for in practice I find no such results ; as after cutting oft" the tip if broken, the large fleshy root of a walnut has nourishment enough in itself to start it into active growth in any soil. There is only one case I ever heard of in which the tap root is essential to the success of the tree. That is in oak planting on the hills of California where it seems the grandest success has been obtained by planting acorns of the English oak in the place where they are to re- main, and the tap root finds its way to moisture in a position where no other tree can live. In the nursery, if the long root is cut by a tree digger or by a spade a year before the tree is to be moved a full growth of side roots will be induced and the tree may be transplanted at any time. These large rooted seedlings are not too CAN A I) I A N HORTICULTURIST. 181 small, and, carrying such a store of excellent food grow earlier and seem easier to hurry forward in all soils. Among larger trees in forest or park is there; not a greater dignity attached to nut bearing trees than others. The oak of old England is honored above all ; and in our own country is there to be found a grander tree than the walnut or cliesnut ? 1 never weary admiring the foliage of the walnut and buttiu-nut— so firm, as an American writer says, so tropical in appearance — now found here in only i-solated specimens. How much more grand a whole grove of such would look % In groves of second growth oak and hickory, the pliable-looking stems, often forty or tifty feet high, while only six inches in diameter, show a different kind of strength, just as valuable and attractive. Ligliter woods, such as ash larch and cherry, furnish a commodity for market at a earlier age. When look ing at value without considering the as^e the nut tree will take the first place all over America — the West nominally walnut — New England the chesnut and further South the pecan nut and hickory. Are the trees slow growing? I hear so many say they do not plant these trees because they fear life is too short to insure the planter enjoying the shade or the profit of his planting — this only suggests to me promptness in begin- ning and a vain regret that I have allowed even a few years to go by before a love of trees for their owi\ sakes made me willing to plant, let who will reap the product — my pleasure in planting is certain and there may be disappointments many times before tiie harvest. To the Owners of Woodlands. The Pennsylvania Forestry Associatioiu in one of its recent circulars, jjublishes tlu- fiillow- ing clear and forcible recommendations, which are apijlicable to every owner of a forest or of a piece of woodland. You will do a very great service to the agricultural interesta of the Pro- vince if you reproduce them for the Vienefit of your numerous readers. Toronto. A. K. The association wants (^vi'xy farmer-, every owner of a woodland to know : — " That his wood-lot contains a valuable crop, which it will pay him, n(tt oidy to cut down and slaughter, l)ut to manage and utilize judiciously ; "That it is possiblt; to utilize tlie old trees in such a manner that a new, valuable crop is produced instead of the inferior crop, which now so often takes the place of the virgin forest after in- discriminate cutting ; "That as an intelligent manager and husbandman, he would, do better to see to a natural reproduction of his wood- lot, to cut with regard to the spontane- ous young growth, rather than to clear indiscriminately ; " That the time has come when forest destruction must give way to forest management , for timber is becoming more valuable every year, as it grows scarcer in the ctnintry at large ; " That in the woodlands in proper pro- portion lie, to a large extent, the con- ditions of a favorable climate, and successful agriculture ; " That upon forest growth depend healthfulnessandequablenessof climate; "That the forest breaks the force and tempers the fury of the northern and cools and moistens the breath of the southern wind ; " That by its own cooler and moister atniospliere in summer and warmer at- mosphere in winter, it tends to equalize temperature and humidity over the intervening fields ; " That while the open treeless, heated prairie pre\ents the fall of rain, allow- ing moisture-laden clouds to pass over it undrained, we must thank our forest- clad hills and mountains for our more frequent, more gentle, more useful showers ; and, above all, "That the forest cover of the moun- tains preserves the even water How in our springs, brooks and rivers, while 182 CAN A BIAN HORTICULTURIST. its destruction, or even deterioration, increases the danger of floods, washes off" the fertile soil, and tlien brings down unfertile soil into fertile valleys, lowers the water level, and, in general, throws out of balance the favorable conditions for agriculture : " That while we advocate the cutting and using of the wood crop as we need it, we must not any longer, as we have done, squander and waste it ; we must not clear where clearing produces dan- ger to the surrounding country. — Globe. Hampton Court Gardens. (Some fifteen miles from f.ondon on the banks of the Thames is situated one of England's historic palaces, viz., Hampton Court. It is well known to all that this was the residence of Cardinal Wolsey during the reign of Henry the VIJI. It is now held by the crown and open to the public at all times. The palace itself is a fine type of the architecture of Henry the VIII's time and contains some fine pictures in the state apartments, as well as numer- ous other articles of national and historic interest. Hampton Court is also celebrated for its fine gardens, splendid park and urand old trees. Nowhere near London can early landscaping be seen to better advantage than at Hampton Court. The palace stands in its own grounds, or palace gardens, but con- nected with, or adjoining it, is l>iisliey Park. The palace gardens are on the east and south sides of the palace. Those on the east being laid out with shrubs and trees and containing the well known " Maze." The gardens on the south side or in front of the palace are liid out in ornamental walks and flower beds and the carpet or ribbon gardening is here done to perfection. The dark red geranium Jacobi is here used with good effect. Most of the flower beds are of the same shape — about twenty feet long and ten feet wide — but no two are ar- ranged alike Some will be made to resemble a turkey carpet, while others are laid out in solid masses. Among the features of Hampton Court are the grand old chestnut trees. These were planted under the direction of Cardinal Wolsey and are laid out in avenues running south, east and west from the main entrance of the palace. We have never seen finer trees than these and those in Bushey Park. In the latter they are truly grand. It will give you ? ome idea of the beauty of these trees when I tell you that the main avenue or drive from the entrance of Bushey Park to Hampton Court Palace is over a mile long and has five rows of trees on each side of it ; each of these trees is perfection and a study in itself. At this season the chestnut trees are all in full bloom and they are certainly a sight to see and remember. [T. — American Florist. '\ London, June 1. CANADIAN lIOHTICULTUlilST. 183 SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its valuable Annual Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees. REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label. The Annual Meeting. It lias been di^cidcd by the I5nai-d of Directors to unite the Annual and the Winter Meeting of our Association in one, and make one grand meeting of three days duration. Instead therefore of having a meeting in September, at the time when fruit growers are least able to attend, the next meeting will take ])lace in the winter, the dates to be announced later. It has furtlier been decided to hold this meeting in the city of Hamilton. This announc(!ment will be welcome to a large number, for no place could possibly be mon; conveni(Mitly situated to the majority of our fruit growers. Besides it is tlie native city of our Association, for here in the year 1859 the first meeting was held with Judge (Jampl)ell as president. Notes and Comments. Dkstkik'tion ok tiik Elms. — The Srif.titijic American sounds a note of warning concerning the danger to wliich one of our most elegant of park and street trees is likely to become subject. In the vicinity of New York and in the Eastern States, the imported elm leaf Ijeetle is becoming very num- eious. and the larva' is destroying the foliage of both European and American elms, especially however preferring the former. If allowed to go on unchecked this enemy will probably destroy these favorite ornamental trees. It seems that kerosene emulsions, carbolic acid solutions, etc., have been tiied witliout .satisfaction owing to the dilHculty of applying them to large trees. Destruction of the Purple Fim.mje. bulletin No. 1 Hatch Experiment Station, Mass., reports a beetle whicli is destroying this valuable ornamental shruV). It is the jumping Sumach beetle, (Blapharida rhois), an insect about \ of an inch long, with head and thorax of a dull yellow color, which leaps when di.sturbed somewhat like the habit of the small Hea beetles. The eggs de- posited in masses of thirty or forty al>out the loth of May, hatch out in about two weeks, and proceed to their work of defoliation. The; remedy found most successful was spraying with Paris green and water. 184 CA JVA DIA N HO R TIC ULT CRIST. Girdling the Grape Vine.— The same bulletin gives the results of ex- periments conducted by Prof. Maynard, in girdling the vines to hasten ripening of the fruit. This practice has been so generally condemned, as giving increase of size at the expense of quality, that we read with interest the results of any careful experiments. The object with which it has been employed in the past has been chiefly to prepare large specimens for exhibition, and m iny a prize has been in this way won at our fairs. But these experiments have been conducted chiefly for the purpose of hastening the crop for market. The method at first employed was the com- mon one of removing a ring of bark \ of an inch wide early in July from the canes to be removed next pruning, thus avoiding any injury to the vine itself : latterly however a less expensive method has been employed, namely by twisting a No. 20 wire very firmly about the canes the last of June above the point where the cane is to be cut away. The result has been the con- clusion that the increased size and early maturity loas not at the expense of the quality, that the vine was not injured by the process and that the increased price obtained for the early fruit more than paid the expense of the work. The Brighton Grape. — W. M. P. of New York State, says in the Rural Nev) Yorker that his own experience, and that of his neighbours with this grape is that it is unprofitable. He has 300 vines, which bloom well; grow well ; but do not yield on an average more than two pounds per vine. The flavor pleases, but does not command a suflicient advance in market price to make up for lack in quantity. Cabbages in July. — Mr. James Dunlop, of St. Catharines, called at our oflSce on the 20th of July. He was on his way to Hamilton with an enormous load of cabbage heads, in the growing of which he is very successful. He has about .50,000 heads i-eady for the market and has been shipping in every direction for a month past. His plan is to sow the seed in September, winter them under glass, and plant out in April as soon as the ground is ready. The variety which he grows most extensively is the Early Jersey Wakefield, of which he can raise about 10,000 per acre. CURCULIO AND THE ChERRIES. — Mr. C. M. Weed, Entomologist, Ohio Ex- periment Station, reports in Bulletin No. 4, the result of careful experiments. Spraying cherry trees with London purple and with lime to prevent injury by the plum curculio. His conclusions are as follows : — (1.) That three-fourths of the cherries liable to injury by the plum curculio can be saved by two or three application of London purple in a water spray (in the proportion one ounce to five gallons of water) made soon after the blossoms fall. (2.) That if an interval of a month occurs between the last application and the ripening of the fruit no danger to health need be apprehended from its use. As a precautionary measure, however, he would advise in all cases, and especially when there are few rains during this interval that the fruit be thoroughly washed before it is used. (3.) That lime is not so certain in its preventive eflfects as London purple, saving in these experiments only forty per cent, of the fruit liable to injury. The Conn Gooseberry sent us for trial by Mr. P. E. Bucke, Ottawa, has borne its first fruit. In size it is large, bigger than Smith's Improved, or the Industry ; in color it is a very dark green, and its quality is good. The Ottawa is also a large gooseberry, much lighter green in color, and has a thinner skin than the Conn. Neither of these so far has shown any indications of mildew. The Marlboro Raspberry is this year a great success with us. It is heavily laden with the most benutiful fruit ; so large and firm that it would CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 185 carry well and bring the top price in the market. The color is also greatly in its favor, being a delicate light shade of red somewhat resembling the Brandy wine. Its period of ripening is about ten days before the Cuthbert, or about the same time as the Turner. In quality for the table it is inferior to the Turner, or the Clarke The Golden Queen is certainly well named for color. Compared with the Caroline it is a far brighter yellow, and hence much more attractive. Then its firmnoss is another important feature. Such varieties as the Caroline, Herstine, Clarke, etc., which settle so much in the baskets after picking are unsatisfactory for shipping. The P.vitKY Stuawukrry has com- mended itself as a table berry above some two dozen of the more prominent varieties being tested at Maplehurst. The quality is excellent, little, if at all inferior to Triomphe, and its bright glossy scarlet berry is very large and very attractive. GRIMSBY SCENERY. iii- VISITORS to Grims- by all unite in their admira- tion of its natural attra- ctions. Ontario the beautiful ake, so called )y the abori- gines is here •seen from the summit of Ni- agara Escarp- ment to the best advan- tage. Standing on the much frequented elevation fami- liarly known as the "Point," 300 feet above the water level, a most beauti- ful strip of orchard land is spread out before one, with the lake in the back- ground, and it stretches out with in- creasing width until terminated by the Niagara river, and old Niagara town. Often from this "Point" Brock's Monument, as well as some prominent buildings in the city of Toronto, both about 36 miles distant, are visible to the naked eye. Yonder, about two miles east of Grimsby village and along the bank of the lake, almost concealed in a forest of native elm, bass-wood, chestnut, oak and other trees, is the now famous Grimsby Park, in daily connection with Toronto by means of the steamer Greyhound. Avenues, lined with inexpensive but very tasteful summer cottages, are laid out in every direction throughout the grove, within easy reach of the Park Temple. This structure is a most uni(iue. It is 100ft. high, ■"I .r about 7000 people. It is constructed somewhat in the shape of anold fashio.ied bee-hive,an immense cone, without frame-work ; and built wholly of ^'in. lumV)er, of which about one hundred and eighty tlwusand feet were required. Walking along the 186 CAyADIAiY HORTICVLTVRIST. mountain brow for a mile and-a-half westward, we reach another much fre- quented pleasure resort, known as "The Fair view," from which Burlington Heights, Burlington Bay, and Burling- ton Beach are all plainly visible. Here we are in the very heart of the fruit section of this district. Lying just below us is Maplehurst fruit farm and the home of the secretai'y ; and on one side, adjoining, is the fruit farm of Mr. A. H. Pettit, president of Lincoln Co. Farmers' Institute, and on the other that of jMr. E. J. Woolverton, president of the Niagara District Fruit Growers' Co. Orchards and vineyards in every direction are gradually covering the farms, adding mucii to the beauty of the landscape. By the side of the Point is a deep picturesque ravine, running back about a mile to Beamer's Falls, and on the opposite side another interesting emi- nence called "The Split Rock." The grove on the Point itself is some acres, in extent, and atfords a most delightful ramble. The popularity of the Park at the lake suggests equal possibilities for this charming spot. Why is it that so many natural parks in our country are left so long unimproved, and unvalued, until the shortsighted woodsman has entered with his axe, and spoiled their beauty. QUESTION Grafting and Budding-. 72. Is it safe to gi-aft in July ? I do not remember seeing any directions for budding in the C. H. Could you publish some.— G. H. F., Ottawa. Grafting should be done in spring time with scions having undeveloped buds. The process of budding was decribed in Vol. X, p. 189. It is easier than grafting, and answers precisely the same purpose : for stone fruits — indeed such as peaches, plums, apricots, etc.-- it is far better than grafting, for the latter method is almost sure to fail unless in very skilful hands. Budding may be done from about the 1st of July to the middle of September taking fruit trees in order as follows : plums, cherries, pears, apples, quinces and peaches ; the object being to pei'- form the operation at the time when the bark parts freely from the wood, and when the bud to be inserted is somewhat matured. The whole process is a very simple one, and there is no reason why any one of our readers should not have the pleasure and the advantage of practis- ing it. For the benefit of our new subscribers we reproduce the illustra- D RAWER. tions showing the method of operation, which will save many words. The stock to be budded should be of the present year's growth — with the peach this is especially important-and therefore seed- lings which are too small for budding this August, or on which the bud fails to grow, are cut back the following spring to the ground to pro- vide a fresh shoot for the next August. To produce young wood on large apple trees in such places as are required for budding limbs may be cut off in spring time, and such shoots allowed to grow as are most desirable for the purpose. Fig.68 represents a portion of a stick of buds, showing how the leaves are removed leaving a small portion of the petiole CA NA DIA N IIORTICUL TURIST. 187 as a handle, and also the manner of cutting out a bud ready for insertion. The English gardeners remove the small bit of wood from the inside, but we do not tind any advantage in this what- ever, and the work is more speedy with- , 1 I 1 out. The kind of blnde 1^4^- * budding knife slu)uld f^ \^^ have is also shown. m r ^ Fig. 69 a,shows how to make the T cut through the bark which is care- fully opened and the bud pressed into place as at b. The whole is tightly bound as at c, with some soft yarn, a b c or strips of the inner f'u 6',i bark of the bass wood which is preferred by nurserymen to any other material. The bandage should be loosened within a week or two, or the growth will cause it to cut into the wood. The stock above the bud is to be removed the following spring. Orange Rust of the Raspberry. 73. The enclowd leavts, slmw how my bhick raHplierry bimheR an* afft-cted. Thi-y were slightly affecteut niucli wurse this year. Will you give the name, the cauHe and the cure if any ? It dot-« not affect the red raspberries though adjacent or even in contact. I must find a remedy or Hoon go without black Iterries. — I. B. Avr.KswoitTH, Se.V., iiit-nts via New York than here. The goods went direct to the dock at New York. Notwithstanding what the railway and shipping people have said the facts are dead against them, as they had the actual exijerience of a number of different shippers who had put the thing to the test practically. On one occasin- dition. Thty li;i(l also offered to give tliem through bills of lading from any point of ship- ment m Ontario to any point inland, or other- wise in (ireat Britain or on the continent, and were really doing all they could to meet their dem.ands. They had also agreed to issue bills of lading uikjii th«'ir own account, and not on the shijiijer's account as heretofore. They had only been able to secure this advantage in sections where there was railway comi)etition. when they had no competition to deal with one road absolutely refused to give them under any •circumstances. It was a fact that fruit via New York by special trains was passed through much quicker than by the Canadian system of ordinary freight trains. The express com- panies Jbad been spoken of. It was quite suf- ficient for hiio to ]>uint to one instance regard- ing the handling by express companies. Tlie Dominion (iovernment at the time of the Indian ami Col<»nial exhibition paid the express companies iiigh rates for the purpose r>f having fruits intended for that exhibition carried with extra care. The fruits were i>ut uo in neat packages easy to handle but notwitnstanding all their precautions they found that in the handling the soft fruits were smashed almost to pieces. Out of two tons they could only get just sufficient to make a display on the table. In a good many varieties they could not even get this. The whole thing was a disaster as far as the exjiress comjianies were concerned. They had suggested to the railway companies a remedy that would completely get rid of the damage in shunting. It was l)y introducing what tliey called in England "buffers" between the cars, which would obviate the damage in- flicted by slnmting. The freight train system would then be satisfactorj-. He thought the other steamship companies would follow the example of the Beaver line, and in that case they would not ship via New York at all as they prefeiTed to deal with their own Canadian Imea.— Montreal Gazette. OPEN LETTERS. Grenville, P. Q. The OstlieimClierry distributed by F. G. A. Ont., duly reached me, though in my absence. It was carefully jilanted, and is doing well. My Russian Cherries are bearing a few cherries this year. A good many of my Rus. Ai)i)les are also bearing a few fruit. Most of the sorts .stand well and are vigorous growers. Some Duchess Api)les were root frozen on sandy soil where the snow blows off. Promise of plenty fruit of all kinds this season. With i-egards yours truly, JunelfUh, hSSS. ' Robt. H.vmii.ton. Retipement of Mp Gapfleld. Th.vnk you kindly for sending me your paper for the many years 1 have been Secretary, as an exchange for our volumes and bulletins. Fail- ing health has compelled me to retire from active work and may I ask you to continue the exchange, changing" the address to Kdwy C. Reid, Allegan, Mich., my successor in office. I can a.ssiire you tliat Mr. Reid will be always ready to give you information, and fully recipro- -cate any courtesies you may extend t > iiim. Yours truly, Ch.\s. W. G.krfikld, Si'crdari/. Michigan Horticiltlral Society, SecrktauvV Okkice. GuANi) Raimds, Mich., June VUh, ISSS. The Walnut. The Editor HoHTKTT.TrnisT. Sir,— After the question of Walnuts in this climate was si)oken of, Mr. Gibb suggested a possible difficulty which should not be over- looked. He says that although the trees will grow and mature its fruit the wood may not be fully developed and may prove unfit for manu- facturing imrposes. His well known and very exact observation of the natural history and growth ect. It is so well known that apple trees of all .sorts are carried- to their extreme climatic limit, and beyond it until they fail to i)ioduce fruit or wood, it will likely be found tiiat the wood will nr.t be sound, even at the limit where good fniit is produced. This can be easily observed, and of course applies to all trees. Walnut, cataljia and other trees are on trial in i)laces where they are known to be hardy, and in view of the manynew plantations projxised the success of these trees is worthy of all attention. T. M. Groveu. NoKWood, 16 July, 1888. Fpults in Western Ontapio Death of Mp. James Dougall. Sir,— I send you another name for member- ship to your Society, that of a gentleman who has put out over thirty acres in grai>es this spring^ 192 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. I hope to be able to send you other names of those who have gone into this business in a con- siderable way. The fringe of country along the Detroit River, North Essex, bids fair to be a wine country. South Essex, on Lake Erie shore and on Pelee Island have produced quantities of grapes, some wine on the shore and large quantities on the Island. The wine trade in this Northern part of the country, principally by old France French people, has a read}' market in the Province of Quebec. The product and its use is growing. There is plenty of demand for a pure article. If your September meeting is not too far away, I hope to show Barry, Worden, Wilder, Concord, Lindley and lona. And next year an additional lot. Not that we expect to rival the experienced growers of the Niagara District. But the Detroit District has capabilities and we want to show them. While I write, I think it proper to mention — that no mention has yet been made in your Monthly Journal (so far as I have been able to find)— of the death of Mr. James Dougall of Windsor, who died on April 5 last, aged 78 years. Mr Dougall did much for the advance- ment of horticulture, when there were very few promoters of the science. He was well known to nurserymen throughout the country. In some of your older reports, I notice honor able mention made of his work in that connec- tion. I remain. Dear Sir yours truly, W. H. ASKIN. Walkerville, July mh, 18S8. Note. — It would add very much to the interest of our meetings if a larger exhibit of fruits, flowers, ingenious devices for the benefit of fruit growers, samples of canned aud evap- orated fruits, etc., were made. True there are no prizes offered for competition, but what i» done is surely of far more imjxirtance. viz.: the report of our committee upon each exhibit with their criticisms for the benefit of the public. From Chatham. De.\r Sir, — There will be a very poor crop of winter apples here this year ; a good many early apples ; grapes, good ; raspberries, pretty good ; strawberries (all done) were light, and com- pletely demoralized as to season of ripening '^ currants, worse than the average. Farm crops very good. We had nice rains at intervals. Our land stands a drought well. The pastures- have kept extra good. Yours very truly, F. W. Wilson. Ch.\tham, Ont., July 12th, ISSS. REVIEW. New York Experiment Station. Sixth Annual Report. The reports of the botanist in this station have been of special interest to us, because of the useful exjteriments tried with fungicides. The experiment tried with hyposulphite of soda for the apple scab has been noticed in these columns ; now we observe that sulphide of potassium has been successfully used in several experiments for destroying fungi. A solution of the strength of one-half ounce of the sulphide of potassium to a gallon of water was sfjrayed upon the Industry gooseberry, which variety mildews badly at Geneva. The operation was repeated several times in June especially after heavy rains. The result was the destruction of the fungus which had not passed beyond its early white stage. The same remedy is found beneficial in clearing strawberry leaves of the spotting due to the fungus, Ramularia Tulasnei, sometimes called "Sun burn"; and it is believed to be also a remedy for the pear and apple scab. Fortunately for us in Canada, the dryness of the early part of both this and last season has been very effectual in clearing our apples of this latter fungus, by preventing the germination of the spores. How TO GROW Tomatoes.— No. 2 of the Fruit Growers' Library, published by the Horticul- tural Times, 127 Strand, W. C, London, Eng- land. Bulletin No. 5. — Report on the experiments- made in 1887 in the treatment of the Downy Mildew and the Black-Rot of the grape vine, with a chapter on the apjiaratus for applying these remedies. Prepared by F. Lamson Scrib- ner, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, U. S. Calendar of (Queens College and University,. Kingston, Canada, for the year 1888-89. Bulletin No. 1.— Hatch Experiment Station of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, July, 1888. H. H. Goodell, director. The management of the Buffalo Interna- tional Fair, which will be open September 4, have been particularly fortunate in pro- curing the able services of Mr. Vick, of Rochester, to take complete charge of the Horticultural Department. The name of Vick, of Rochester, suggests in itself at all times a vision of blooming plants and fra- grant flowers. :j THE Carjadiai] horticulturist. VuL. XL 1555. No. 9. (J^"eptembp:r 1 "^ Along the (^y^^~^^^ -And sauntei waves his Golden-rod the lanes and hollows, iters round the sunny fields, A-playing with the swallows. The Corn has listened for his step ; The Maples blush to meet him. The gay, coquetting Sumach dons Her velvet cloak to meet him. Come to the hearth, O merry prince ! With flaming knot and embei- ; For all your tricks of frosty eyes. We love your ways, September. — Elh'H M. llnlchinxon. THE PRINCESS LOUISE. AHKiH sounding title for an apple surely! and compli mentary or not to Her ^^ — ^ Royal Highness, accord- ing to the beauty and real worth of tiie apple which bears it. It is not, l.owever, an unnatural one, for we have already among our apples a " King " and a "Queen." Why then not expect a " Princess " l This apple is a true Canadian seed" ling, and i\\\\ original tree is growing 194 CANADIAN IfORTICUL TUMIST. where it tirst sprung up, on that part of Maplehurst Fruit Farm lying upon the side of the so-called " Mountain," at Grimsby. It was first shown at Ham- ilton before the winter meeting of our Association in the year 1879. On page 33 of the report for that year appears the tirst mention in the report of the fruit committee, A. H. Pettit chair- man, as follows: — "A fine sample of seedling, past its season ; a little above medium size, yellow, with a fine, bright blushed cheek, oblong, marked with a light raised streak descending from the calyx ; said to be crisp and juicy, re- sembling the Snow apple in season, from which tree it is probably a seed- ling. The committee suggest, from its beautiful, clear appearance, that it be named " Princess Louise." In the report for 1881, page 93, the fruit committee, A. McD. Allan chairman, again describe it, adding, " Our im pression now is that this Seedling is an improvement on the Snow, and should be brought into more general cultiva- tion." In volume 4, page 74, of Thf, Can- adian Horticulturist, appears a good description of this apple from the pen of Mr. D. W. Beadle, then editor of this Journal, from which we quote the following description : — " In form, this apple is nearly coni- ical, flattened somewhat at both ends. The stem is not very stout, and projects beyond the cavity, which is deep and regular. The calyx is closed, and set in a shallow, slightly wrinkled basin. The skin is smooth, free from all blemishes, and has a very bright, waxy lustre, as though it had been highly polished. Tlie color is a clean, bright carmine, on a transparent,light yellow ground. The surface is moderately sprinkled with light grey dots. No description will convey any adequate idea of the extreme beauty of tliis fruit, which is so very striking that it would command atten- tion in any market from its attractive appearance. But to this rare beauty of appearance it adds excellence of quality. The flesh is pure white, like that of the Snow apple, tender, juicy and nearly as melting, with a richer flavor and higher aroma : indeed, one of the most fragrant of apples. Mr. Woolverton informs us that the tree is about eight years old, is a chance seed- ling of the Snow apple, has borne for three years, the crop being heaviest in alternate years, and that it has estab- lished its character for uniform beauty and excellence of fruit. He considers it to possess all the good qualities of the Snow apple, besides being more beautiful and a better keeper. We fully coincide with him in the opinion that it is destined to take a leading place among our Canadian varieties, and are confident that this fruit will command attention in the English market when- ever it may be produced in sufficient quantity." On page 87 of the present volume, some further items in connection with the history of this apple, and also in the July No. of The Horticultural Art Journal for 1888, published at Rochester. Miss Evvy Smith, daughter of our esteemed Vice-President, has painted a very good picture of this apple, and we now give our readers a copy. The color is not quite the shade of the orig. inal painting, and the abrupt transition CA iVA DIA N 110 R TICUL 'lURlST. 135 from bright c;iriiiiiH" to light yellow, truthful, ;uid does not at all exagger- wliicli is so characteristic, is not repre- ate the l)eauty of a fully developed sented ; but in other respects it is specimen. THE APPLE HARVEST. SEPTEMBER is a busy month with the fruit grower. The early part finds him in the midst of his P.artlett pear harvest, which must be completed quickly before they are over-ripe for shipping; and, later on, full of anxiety to exchange his golden Crawfords for golden dollars before their ephemera^ glory fades. Closely following upon the summer fruits come fall apples and fall peai-s, and then the great harvest of winter apples. No time for pleasure excursions, nor even to attend to fairs, unless at a sacriHce of the most prec- ious days of the whole year. Generally speaking our winter apples are allowed to hang too long to be handled to the best advantage. At one time it was tlie rule to begin gath- ering them about the 9th of October, but the high winds of that month made such havoc with them that we soon changed that rule. The 20th of Sep- tember is none too soon to begin with such kinds as have attained full size and color, and if by that time all the apples upon a tree have not reached maturity, it will pay to make two pick- ings, leaving the greener and smaller ones to grow and color up. Attention to the details of preparing fruit for market always returns a good profit and must not be grudged. Careful handling and careful sorting are of par- amount importance. Many throw apples into the basket as if they were potatoes, or stjueeze them with tliumij and linger as if they were made of stone, and so leave marks which spoil their beauty. Round swing-handle, cloth-lined baskets, attached with a wire hook to the rounds ot the ladders, are the best for apple picking. Most orchardists empty their apples in piles upon the ground, but sorting, in that case, is back breaking work, and every rain delays it. Some empty them in heaps upon the barn floor, but in a large orchard this means much labor in carting. Our custom has been to empty into barrels in the orchard, head up with out pressure, wi-ite the name of apple on the end, and store under cover ; and then in packing empty them out on a packing-table for sorting. For young orchards and scattered varieties this is the best plan we know of, for the im- portant work of packing can then be done in a clean, dry place without mov- ing about with nails and mallets and press from one part of the orchard to another. A handy bushel crate is de- scribed in the Farm and Home, and a similar one is used by the Grimsby Evaporating and Canning Company. Fig. 73 6 representsthiscrate, which may be made 18 inches long, 15 wide and 1 1 deep. Four slats, 3 inches wide, are used for the bottom, tiie two outside ones coming flush with the outside bot- tom slats, to wiiich they are nailed. Handles are cut in the ends, using a 196 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. gauge for marking, as shown at a. These are more convenient for handling than barrels, and, when filled level, can be stored in piles on the barn floor to any height and then emptied out upon the packing-table for sorting. Mr. R. W. Starr, of Cornwallis, N.S , advises packing in the orchard as fast as the apples are picked. This plan is no doubt the most economical, and if the fruit is to be shipped and sold im- mediately, no doubt it is the best. And probably in Nova Scotia and our Northern sections the plan might suc- ceed, but in Southern Ontario we often have, some hot October weather, and we are glad of the opportunity at the last moment of overhauling our fruit, and removing many a decayed apple which was apparently sound when first picked from the tree. This is especially the case with such varieties as King and Cranberry Pippin. But with firm varieties such as Baldwin, Russet and Spy, perhaps the plan would work well and is worthy of a trial. The first requisite for this mode is a movable sorting-tal.le. This is made light and strong of about the following dimen- sions, viz : — length 7 ft., width ;U ft., with a rim around the edge from 4 to 6 inches high. The legs at one end are just long enough to permit of a barrel being^set under the opening, 'and at the other about 4 inches longer so as to give the apples a tendency to roll down to- ward the packer. For convenience of moving some attach wheels to the legs of one end. We copy from the Prairie Farmer a drawing of such a packing- table, believing that it may prove of interest to many of our readers. Of course the first basket-full will need to be carefully laid in the barrel by hand, but after that the packer can so break the fall of the apples with his hands that they will suffer no bruise, and can sort as rapidly as two or three would do, picking them up from heaps on the ground. With this table the packer may follow his pickers from tree to tree, and have each basket-full emptied upon his table as it is brought down from the tree. If he is making two qualities of firsts, or two sizes, of course he would need a second barrel close at hand to receive the extras ; and the seconds, whether from the tree or the ground, may be left in heaps till the choicest are shipped away. Mr. Starr says he uses fine, dry shavings in each end of the barrel, covered with good white or raanilla paper ; and thus pro- CA JVA DIA i\ IK) irriCUL TURIST. 197 tects the fruit jig;iiii.st bruises, ami provides an absorbCiit for any moisture exhaled by the fruit. Yankee ingenuity, which provides us with so many labor-saving devices, is also promising to ligliteu the labor of apple picking. A New Vork State fruit-grower has invented an apparatus constructed chiefly of canvas, somewhat like an inverted umbrella, into which the fruit is shaken from the tree. A small aperture empties the fruit into the Vjaskets. We must confess our fears about thus shaking off our finest apples, but at the same time hope that sonu^ speedier mode may soon prove connnendable, in place of the present slow proce.ss. VICTORIA PARK, NIAGARA FALLS. HV T. 1IOYE8 I'A.S" IT AVING had a desire to spend a 1 portion of my sunnner vacation in the study of practical botany, a few weeks ago I proceeded to Niagara Falls, believing that conditions are pre- sent there which are likely to develop a varied flora. Making headquarters in the vicinity of the Victoria Park, from day to day, for some weeks, excursions were made, not only by myself, but others who became interested in this popular study. To our surprise we found our expectation more than real- ized. Flower after flower was found, that is not obtained in the interior of the Province. Scarcely a trip was made without a new acquisition to our herbarium. No tield was more produc- tive than our Provincial park, in which an exceedingly varied collection of wild plants is found. This beautiful resort possesses conditions admirably suited for the development of plant life, a varied soil, suitable temperature and continual moisture from the ceaseless rising mists, which fall and bathe con- tinually the vegetable forms near the Falls. In one week upwards of 200 species of plants were obtained, and I have reason to believe 400 could be dis- covered. Our visit being made in Julv, most of the species ol)tained are in bloom during that month, consequently many of the spring flowers were not to be seen, and the comprehensive group of Asters had not appeared. Surrounded by such attractive con- ditions, the idea at once was suggested to me, that here we had a most magnifl- cent combination of things suited for the practical study of botany, that here fatigued teachers could repair in vaca- tion, and while becoming reinvigorated for approaching duties, resting beneath the attractive shade-trees of the Park, they could be mastering a subject, which, above all others, should be taught in a practical way. Here in the shade you will always find it cool, no matter how intensely the sun may shine. It certainly is warm in the sun, but that makes the shade more fully enjoyed, and also explains the marvel- lous outburst of plant life in Victoria Park. Would it not be worth while for the park commissioners to have the gardener make a collection of these plants as they bloom each month ? These could be put in an herbarium, named, and so arranged that access to them could be obtained for refer- ence, and thus students of botany be greatly assisted, while spending a vaca- tion at the Falls. Our park would 198 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. thus become a great botanic garden, in which plants indigenous to our Pro- vince could readily be examined. Here we see the " Lover's Walk," " Way to Cascades," etc. Would not a path skirting the bank that bounds the park be well named the " Botanist's Ramble 1" Here as he threaded his way for more than two miles, a magni ticent panorama of plant life would pass before him, and many species be seen, which are comparatively rare away from this phenomenal botanical hunt- ing-ground. Aside from the study of botany geological features of the river are at hand for examination. Thus we have, if our Canadian studentsof science appreciate it, through the wnsdom of our government, an El Dorado for the practical study of two of the most interesting, attractive and instructive departments in natural science. In the past, many avoided going to the Falls on account of exor- bitant charges and the unprincipled conduct of hackmen. A day or two secured the extreme limits of a visit, except to those whose purse was of a more or less inexhaustible nature. Hotels, too, charged excessively, and it did seem as if the tourist, who sought this attractive haunt, must be prepared to spend carelessly. That state of affairs has passed away. The opening of Victoria Park as a free resort for our people has shut out the aggressive hackmen ; once within its gates you hear no more his vexing importunity ; unmolested you may wander along serpentine paths, undisturbed sit at ease on .seats arranged at points, from which inspiring view-s of the great cataract, leaping into the abyss before you, can be seen. At such hotels as the Wesley Park House, commanding a magnificent view of the Falls, for very moderate rates you can secure pleasant roomsanda well furnish- ed table. Thus the barrier of exorbitant charges is swept away, and the time has come when those who can thorough- ly appreciate the works of nature and read from its fragmentary leaves the story of the earth, have placed within their reach the possibility of spend- ing a vacation where rest, pleasure and instruction may be readily found. HORTICULTURAL. Russian Apples. Those who have formed their esti- mates of the dessert quality of Russian apples upon their knowledge of Astra- chan, Oldenburg and Alexander, ought to be told that their judgment is no fairer than it would be to judge Ameri- can apples by the Ben Davis, the Mann, the Willow Twig, or a large list of inferior sorts that are yet largely grown. I do not hesitate to say that, among the 300 or more Russian varie- ties of apples already in this country, there are fully as many kinds which possess fine dessert quality as can be selected from a miscellaneous list of the same number of American sorts. Already m,any have had the oppor- tunity to realize this in Russian apples of the Yellow Transparent class. But a large number of the later Russian, like St Peter, Golden White, Autumn Streaked, Heidorn and Popaff, are still finer in quality, and the same may be said of the winter sorts, like Longtield, Borsdorf, Bogdanoff, and others. They are also handsome apples, and the trees are healthy and productive. So far, however, very late keepers are scarce among them. — [T. H. Hoskins, M. D. — Neicport, Vt.; in Our Country Home.'] CANA DIAN llORTIClU/rURIST. 199 Handling Fruit for Market. Cold storage will not iiuiko good fruit out of poor, Seckel pears into Biirtlett's nor bruised fruit solid. Muth depends on the picking. If the fruit he left on the tree until fully ripe it will not keep ; nor fallen fruit nor that whipped ott' the tree. The fruit should go to the cooler before any sound specimen shows ripeness, and a single pear, apple or grape that is im- perfect may and probably will entirely spoil all that are put with it in the same package. The nearer to the coolei- the orchard is, and the sooner the fiuit is stored after picking, the better it will keep. Where late winter pears and apples are stored they are often, after late picking, put in bushel boxes and stacked on the north side of some building to remain until quite severe weather before going into the cooler. These same boxes are then removed to their places in the retarding house and piled one on another with thin pieces of lumber V)etween them to admit the air. Sununer pears should be picktsd before they ripen and put in the cooler if the best prices are expected. To know whether the fruit is ready, raise a specimen carefully by putting the hand under it, and if it part readily from the tree, although it be "as green as grass " it is ready to ai-tificially ripen. Pears that become mealy on the tree, often rotting at the core, are juicy and delicious if ripened in the low, steady temperature of the cooling-room. A great point in profits is in properly selling what is handled. A good re- putation and neat packing are as necessary as good fruit. Attractive packages and surroundings often .sell the fruit at once. So important is this that very choice cases of fruit often " go begging " for a buyer, while hand- somely a' ranged lot", of inferior varie- ties in poor condition sell rapidly. Evaporating Fruit. This is one of the leading industries in our county. Years ago large quan- tities were dried in the sun, but now it is nearly all done under cover. The price explains the reason. In our local papers common dried apples are ((uoted as retailing at five cents a pound and evaporated at ten cents — a very satisfactory reason truly. Many growers dry their own fiuit, generally using a small dry-house about four feet by six and six feet high, with a little furnace at tlie bottom for heat- ing and racks filling the space above. These are sold for about ;?-?">. Others for greater safety from lire, are made entirely of metal. With one of these, ten bushels can be dried daily. But the most of the evaporating is now done by large establishments, using from 100 to 300 bushels per day. Probably in this town and the next one north there are over a dozen such. The owners evaporate their own fruit and buy from others, either by the bushel delivered or on the trees in t!ie orchard. Last year the price paid by the evaporators varied from 1 .5 cents a bushel for windfalls to 'M) cents for good, picked fruit. Not only are the best portions of the apples saved, but the whole is utilized. The skins and cores are dried and sold for jelly stock, and the small ones are cut up and dried without peeling. Some have also a cider press and use these for cider and vinegar. Whether this evaporating is done in a large dry-hou.se or a small one, the fruit, after being prepared for drying, is exposed to the fumes of burning sul- phur before putting on the racks. This is done to keep it from turning a dark color. " Fire and brimstone " are a necessity for this end — as for bleach- ing in other cases. In these same establishments, botli great and small, raspberries are al.so evaporated in innnense quantities. They are cultivated hereabouts exten- sively for this object — some growers raising from five to twelve acres each. Of course one of the special benefits to any locality from such industries is t!ie 200 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. employment tliey furnish to the neigh- borhoods, especially in berry-picking time. Women and children are then in great demand, and hired girls are wont to desert their mistresses for a few weeks during this period. — Farm and Nome. Selling Direct to the Consumer. Sir,- -I see a good deal of corres- pondence from time to time in regard to the business done in the various British Markets in selling fruits on commission. Viewing the subject from a Canadian standiK)ini,my fxperienceof many years has been quite against deal- ing with commission Iiouses. Sometimes I made money, but oftener lost; and when I examine into the methods they have of doing business, I do not wonder at all at my losses. They only appear to get rid of the fruits in the quickest possible manner, never holding off from a bad market day to find a better price. Then I find in some cases,that the broker either owns or is interested in one or more retail fruit stores, and of course sells to these at a sacrifice, so far as the shipper is concerned. For the past eight years 1 have shipped only to direct orders, and only the choicest samples of fruit, and evei-y year I find orders far more than I can supply ; in fact, we find some of these brokers appoint- ing agents in Canada to purchase fin- est samples and pay cash on delivery at the local railway station. What we want, however, is to get closer to the consumer ; that is, instead of consign- ing to a broker, who generally sells to the wholesale fruitei-er, and he to the retailer, who supplies the consumer, we want to get orders direct from the retailer, so that the consumer will get a better sample of fruit and at a rea- sonable price. — C 07- respondent Horti- cultural Tim,es. VITICULTURAL. Marketing Grapes. Mr. J. H. Skinner gave the follow- ing points, based on the practice in the famous Chautauqua County Vineyards, before his Horticultural Society, some time since : The grapes are all picked by girls. The pickers eacli have a number; and in picking, each one, on tilling a basket, marks with the picking- shears her number on the handle. In this way the responsibility for any careless picking can be traced. Not how much, but how well is the rule. The picker is not allowed to touch the bunches with the hand, but to handle them by the stem. In packing, the clusters are lifted with thumb and finger, and with the sharp pointed grape scissoi's, all green, imperfect or bruised berries are deftly removed. Thus the bloom Oft the grapes is preserved. The fruit, after picking, stands three and four days to wilt, before packing. Of 10,000 baskets sold last season, the average weight was eight and seven- tenths pounds per basket. None but perfectly seasoned baskets ai'e used ; green baskets causing mold. Where Concords have been picked two weeks or over in the warm fall weather, all the cracked and bruised berries will show some mold, but as in picking all these are scrupulously removed, no harm is done. The Concord is never fit for shipping long distances, except it has been first carefully picked, then wilted, and then packed. The packers soon learn to lay in the clusters so as to fill the baskets just level. — Popular Gar- dening. Keeping Grapes. The fruiterers are, at certain seasons of the year, quite constantly in receipt CA NA DIA N UORTICUL TURIS T. 201 of packages of Malaga (Wliiti; Ham l)urg) grapes. So far as is known, tlie valuable packing material (cork thist), in which these grapes usually come, is not returned to the trans-Atlantic vine yardists to be used a second time, noi' is it applied to any specially useful purpose here. Sometimes it is ruth lessly burned ; generally it is wasted. Yet this substance has been found to be as reliable and useful a preservative of our own native grapes, as of the im- ported sort. Of course the stems and peduncles of the bunches will wilt some- what, and turn a dark coloi", as do also those of the fonrign variety, but the fruit itself will, when put away in this material in good condition, continue sound, and in unimpaired quality for a long time. When this packing material is at hand, and it can, as yet, be secured without mucli difliculty, the keeping of grapes l)y this method, especially for family u.se, is attended with .so litth* care and trouble that tho.se who admire this fruit should not fail to avail tliem- .selves of the opportunity atibrded for practising it. Tlie writer, by way of e.vperiment, has tried keeping grapes in this way during the present winter, and as it has succeedeil beyond all his e.\pectation.s, hopes to repeat it next sea.son and thereafter .so long as cork dust can be had by asking for it. The varieties put away were chiefly Gcethe (Rogers No. 1) and Montgomery, a half-haidy white grape of indifferent ([uality, but which seems to keep well. At the date of this writing (Jan. 12th) the bunches of this latter sort remain unbroken, while the berries are as per- fect as when they were put away. — Montreal Witness. STRAWBERRIES. Bulletin No. 5 of the Ohio ivvpcriment Station gives the following result of tests made with the varieties named : liubach. — ^The most luxuriant in foli- age of all varieties tested. It was, how- ever, .somewhat disappointing in fruit, the quantity seemingly being less than such plants ought to produce. The (juality is rather poor, and towards the last of the season tiie berries do not make a good appearance in the basket. On the whole, however, it is a remarkable variety, and possesses sufficient good (jualities to win for it a permanent place on the list of profitable market sorts. It can hardly take high rank for family purposes, but as a market variety it will prove to l)e valuable, and may be planted with safety by commercial groweis. It ripens the main part of its crop ratiier late. It withstands diought well. Crescent. — In most .sections this is still regarded as the most piofitable of the old varieties. It is the standard here both for productiveness and earliness. Cumberland. — Too well known to require an extended notice. It can be t oconunended for private growers only, not being sufficiently productive for market purposes. Covell. — This variety is about one picking earlier than the Crescent, and deserves trial by those who find early berries profitable. It will thrive on light soil, hence could be grown on gravelly or sandy south(>rn exposures, where it would ripen nearly two weeks in advance of most varieties. It yields the bulk of its crop at two pickings, after which the berries are too small to be marketable, even with good cultiva- tion. It is not a profitable market variety, except as indicated, or possibly for forcing. Itn.'icn. — All that can be desired as to productiveness and quality, but the berries are too small for it to become a profitable market variety. 202 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. Jewell. — Essentially the same may be said of this variety as in former re- ports. It will succeed only under favorable conditions, but responds read- ily to high cultivation. It sends out very few runners, and is especially well adapted to hill cultivation. Jessie. — This variety has, for three seasons, given very satisfactory results here, on both fall and spring set plants, and on several different kinds of soil. It does not yield as heavily as the Crescent, but does not fall far below, while the fruit would sell as high in market as that of any other variety, because of its tine appearance and good quality. Commercial growers can hardly fail to tind proiit in the Jessie, and it will surely please am a tears. It is one of the best varieties for the family garden. Some unfavor- able reports have been heard concerning it, as many of the plants first sent out failed to grow, and it does not seem to be equally well adapted to all localities, being rather more restricted in range than the Bubach and Orescent. It is not far from the truth to say that it yields more first-class fruit than any other variety at the Station, but this locality cannot be taken as represent- ing the whole State Every grower ought to try it on his own soil, especi ally if he can sell choice berries at a premium, otherwise he may tind more profit in the Crescent and Haverland. Fall Planting of the Strawberry. What are the wants of the straw- berry when planted in the fall ? The soil for the strawberries should be rich and moist, but not wet. It matters not whether it be sand, clay or muck, so that it furnishes anchorage for the plant and contains an abundance of the elements necessary to its growth. It should be stirred to a good depth, but little or no poor subsoil should be brought to the surface. It is well to have it prepared some little time in advance, so that it may have time to settle somewhat before the plants are set. The surface should be rich. This is especially important with fall-set plants, as their roots have compara- tively little time to go far in search of food. There is another advantage in encouraging surface roots : they are not drawn out nor broken by the expan- sion of the water in the soil when it changes to ice, but rise and fall with the ground. Roots that run deep are apt to be broken or drawn out — as red clover — while white clover roots re- main uninjured, although frozen and thawed a dozen times. If the soil has been enriched for a previous crop, so much the better ; but if not, well de- composed stable manure may be work- ed into the surface either before or after setting the plants. Bone dust and wood ashes will supply all that may be lacking in any soil, and these can be ol^tained in nearly all parts of the country. A plant receives more or less of a check by being taken up and reset, in the growing season, even though this be done in the most skillful manner. The following method 1 have used with great success for more than a quarter of a century : The plants are taken out of damp soil, with great care, divested of all runners and superfluous leaves and thrown into a pail of water. They are then carried to the new bed, and each one taken out as planted. The roots are spread out in fan shape, with the crown even with the surface, and a little damp soil put over the roots and pressed firmly against them. The bal- ance of the soil is then filled in loosely. If the weather be very hot after trans- planting, a little shade during the middle of the day, for a time, will be an advantage. Soon after the plants are set out they will commence to send out runners, which must be cut off as soon as they appear. The soil should be kept well stirred from the time the plants are set until the end of the growing season ; but all deep cultivation should be discontinued after Oct. 1, lest the CA NA I) J A N 110 H TICUL TURIST. 203 surface roots be injured. Plants set in the fall — the earlier the better — will |)ro(luc(! line fi-iiit the following June, and will make a far greater growth than if the planting be postponed till spring. As soon as freezing we£ither comes, the whole surface of the bed should be covered to the depth of two or three inches with straw or any light litter. Early in the spring, when the plants begin to grow, the covering should be removed from over the crown of each plant, and left between to keep the ground moist and the fruit clean. — [M. Crawford, in Farm and Hoiiie.] USES OF FRUITS. Fruits for Health How to Eat Them. TiiK Motiitt^ur cV Horticulture, of Paris, France, is now one of our ex- changes, and we shall have pleasure in occasionally translating an article for the benefit of our readers. The last number, under the head of Hygienic Gossip, says : " For more than one reason fruit should be regarded as both wholesome and curative. Its influence upon the human system has not been sufficiently pointed out, and this is a fault, for we can, with the aid of fruits alone, alleviate, or else completely cure all the ills to which our wretched body is sub- jeet. It is a fact, discovered l)y science, that persons of robust constitu- tion, who eat good fruits in moderation, live to a very advanced age. Yet, for all that, one should just know how to eat them. " Avoid swallowing the skins of pears, peaches and apples, the stones of cherries and apricots, likewise the seeds of oranges and lemons. These in- soluble substances lie heavy upon the stomach, and sometimes cause very serious trouble in the intestines. " Reject the skin of the grape as well as that of the orange ; by itself, the Heshy part of any fruit, when mature, is very nourishing ; but take it as a sort of sul)stantial dish, and not as dessert. Plums, cherries and grapes are not as easy to digest as peaches, which contain a larger proportion of soluble elements ; also, one can recom- mend the latter for weak stomachs. With your fruit eat some dry bread, because it has the effect of cleansing the tongue and enables you the better to taste the flavor of the fruit itself." A doctor once said : " Nothing does more to rid me of patients than the daily use of fruit. It clears the organs of every impurity." Cider Vinegar. Unless near a large market it is often difficult to sell the suiplus of summer and fall apples owing in great measure to their lack of keeping ([uali- ties. One good way to dispose of them is to work them into vinegar. It will not be long now before apples will begin to ripen, and those who have a large number of early apple trees will find the following article from the N. E. Homestead suggestive and of value : Good wholesome cider vinegar is seldom met with nowadays in a grocery. The product called cider vinegar sold everywhereingroceries is manufactured on a large scale directly from alcohol by diluting it with water, adding a little yeast, and exposing the mixture to the air. The last operation is best effected by causing the litjuor to trickle slowly through a cask filled with beech or oak shavings which have been pre- viously soaked in vinegar. This pro- cess is known as the ([uick process of making vinegar, and it is very sharp. It is reasonable to suppose that good vinegar cannot be m.ide in this way. The best vinegar, therefore, can be 204 CA NA DIA N HORTICUL TURIHT. made on every farm from the sugar con- tained in the juice of apples, and is the one in the manufacture of which far- mers are interested, and which is the best for general domestic use. When cider is exposed to air the yeast principle soon begins to operate and cause the first fermentation by which a little starch is converted into sugar, but almost simultaneously the stronger fermentations begin by which the sugar is converted into alcohol. If the temperature is low, and the cider left undisturbed, it will rest here for weeks and perhaps months. With a rise of temperature, or stirring frequ- ently, the third fermentation begins, called the acetic acid. The change will be slow or rapid, according to the atmospheric exposure. If the cider tills the barrel the change will be slow ; if the barrel is half full the exposure will be greater, and the change will consequently be more rajDid. If this amount be stirred vigorously once a week it will be still more rapid, and if stirred once a day it will be more rapid still. These very rapidly made vinegars are always of inferior quality, having a stinging taste. No vinegar can be called a good article that has not a rich "body" and a fine aroma. It cannot be made in a hurry. A certain amount of old stock in casks thoroughly impregnated with acetic acid is necessary for its pro- duction. The cider, after having pass- ed through the ferinentation which converted the sugar into alcohol and precipitated all solid matter to the bottom, or threw off when the cask was full and the bung open, is racked off into other casks. A certain quan- tity, say five gallons more or less, is weekly, during the summer season, drawn out and added to the half-filled hogshead containing stock. After the cider is added to the stock the whole is stirred vigorously. This operation may be repeated once or twice a week, or not so often during the summer, just owing to the tempei'a- ture. Good vinegar cannot be made from poor, watery cider. Sweet apples make the be.st. Unfortunately your city markets are full of poor stufi" quickly and cheaply made from whiskey and water. A little of the former mixed with a large quantity of the lat- ter produces acetic acid very rapidly. This now greatly injures the market for pure cider vinegar. A barrel of pure cider vinegar was offered on the market by a farmer. The grocer, after tasting the vinegar would not buy it, saying that he could not sell it, as his customers wanted sharp vinegar (made out of whiskey) and consequently no sale. Hence we do not see why every fanner who owns an orchard should not only have for his own use the pure cider vinegar, but also sell to those less fortunate in the ownership of an orchard. Unfermented Grape Juiee. A writer in Pacific Rural Press tells his method of making a wholesome beverage as follows : " In the first place, I stem the grapes and press out the juice into a tank, letting it stand over night to settle. In the morning I rack it off and then filter, thus rendering it free from all vegetable matter. I also take a quantity of black grapes and put them in a boiler, letting them come to a boil, in order to produce a dark juice. This juice I also filter. Now, by blending these juices, any shadp of wine I desire is produced, from a light pink to a deep claret color. " I then put the wine in a boiler (which should be of copper, with a faucet at the ))ottom for convenience in bottling), and let it come to a brisk boil, skimming what rises to the sur- face. It is now ready to draw off into bottles, which should be standing in hot water to prevent breaking on the introduction of hot juice. When the bottles are filled they should be corked immediately, and then dipped into melted resin, which seals them air-tight. CA XA DIA N no R TICUL TURIST. 205 " I think that wine made in this way an,'lit. Aft(!r the holidays take cuttings, observing the same rules, etc., substitu- ting a siiallow box for the garden bed, discaiding the old plants altogether, as ,it this season in room-culture, especi- ally, they will have lost nearly all their foliage, except the tips of each branch. But these will make splendid new plants. In the greeidiouse the work is about the .same, except that it is more sure, bottom heat being available with full sunshine. — \_Vick's Magazine for September. | The Garden Walk. In the best kept gravel walk the irrepressible weeds are forever coming up, and unremitting attention is gener- ally re(|uired in keeping these piaths free from them. Pulling the weeds up is objectionable, because of the holes which are made in the walks; salt plentifully scattered is the popular way of killing the weeds, but the great drawback to its use is the wet appear- ance of the gravel, which is caused by the slightest approach to dampness in the atmosphere. Undoubtedly the best method of eHectually de.stroying the weeds, without disturbing the walk, is to u.se diluted carbolic acid, using the proportions of one part acid to a 100 parts of water. This mixture must be applied through a watering pot with the rose on. Great care must be taken that none of the licjuid splashes on to the hands ; also, if the edgings are of Ijox grass, or any other vegetation, the li(iuid must not be allowed to fall on them, as it will destroy them as effectu- ally as the weeds. A somewhat similar plan to the proceeding is to u.se common vitriol diluted in the proportions of one part of vitriol to thirty of water. This must be administered in the same man- ner as the carbolic acid, great care being taken that none of the lirjuid falls either on the borders, or the clothes or boots of the operator. For using the vitriol the evening of a hot day should be selected, and the person using the liquid should pour it on the path while walking backward. A day or two after using the vitriol the dead weeds may be swept np.- -Eji(//ish (iarde)ier. :illllllMlliliinitl|l||yii|i|iiiiif[i||||||||||||||||||||||||||lil||||||lp;illl!!illiiilii|i|ifi.i!!innHii!ii|i,|p^ ^-F0RESTRY iiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:i::'Miiiiii!iiillliiiiiiiilii»liiiiiiillliilliiiiiliiiiiuiiiiiiiyiiMiiuiiDtu^ THE BEST TREES FOR SHADE. ^T^HE best trees that can be planted J[ for aflbrding shade in pastures are those that are hardy, stately, that have wide-spreading liranches, and wliich cast a dense shade during the hottest portions of the summer. Those which grow quickly and can be propagated by means of sprouts and cuttings are to be preferred. Everyone has observed that soft-wood trees grow much more rap- idly than those that produce hard wood, and that nearly all of them succeed best on land that is somewhat low and m.oist. One of the best trees for mod- (u-ately moist land is the American linn, or common bassvvood. The tree is beautiful in all stages of its growth. It is very hardy and attains a large size. Insects are not likely to injure its roots, trunk or leaves. Its leaves are of remarkable si/e, thick, and of an agreeable, green color. It casts a very dense shade, which is agreeable during the hot days of midsummer. It is a 208 CA JVA DIA N HORTIC ULTUKIST. very clean tree and highly ornamental. If the trees are isolated and stand in suitable locations, they ordinarily have very wide-spreading branches. Some- times several trunks will grow close to- gether, and present a very beautiful appearance. The sycamore,button wood, or ''button- ball tree," is another excellent tree for land that is somewhat moist. It is one of the largest trees found on this side of the Rocky Mountains. Along the banks of the Mississippi River and its tributaries it often attains the height of eighty feet, and has a trunk from six to ten feet in diameter. The tree is possessed of great vitality. If the trunk becomes hollow a living shell re- mains around the cavity, which pro- tracts the life of the branches. These hollow trunks Were utilized by the early settlers of many of the Western States for grain bins, smoke-houses, and shelter for fowls and pigs. Hol- low sycamore trunks have afforded shelter to many families of Western pioneers. The trees can be easily prop- agated by seed or ripe wood cuttings of either one or two-year old wood cut late in the spring or early in the fall. The wood is very hard to split, quickly decays, and is of very little value for timber or fuel. Sections of large trunks make good blocks for cutting meat. The tree, however, is of very little value except for ornament and shade, but for these purposes it is very desir- able. For higher land the silver-leaf pop- lar has many advantages. It is readily propagated to cuttings, grows I'apidly, and attains a large size, while its branches extend over a large space, and afford a good shade. The tree is healthy, not liable to be injured by in. .sects, and attains a large size. A few of these trees on a farm serve a useful purpose by way of ornament. The wood makes excellent fuel The tree, however, is very objectionable in one respect. If its roots are broken or disturbed tliey throw up a large num- ber of suckers tliat are very hard to kill or keep in subjection. In planting in a permanent pasture, however, this proneness to throw up sprouts from the roots is not likely to prove a seri- ous objection. If the sod over the roots remains unbroken the suckers will not appear as they do on land that is plowed every year. The silver pop- lar is an imported tree, and we are just finding out what it is good for. When lirst introduced it was planted in lawns, gardens, and on the sides of streets in large towns. The numerous suckers thrown up in land that was cultivated condemned it for these places. It is, however, an excellent tree for produc- ing shade in pastures and for affording fuel. The common cotton or whitewood possesses most of the advantages of the basswood and sycamore, but in an in- ferior degree. It is not as beautiful, and does not produce so dense a shade. When the trees stand at some distance from each other and are kept properly pruned they are quite attractive, and serve as ornaments to well-kept grounds. All these trees are mentioned because they are easily propagated aud grow quickly. Maples, elms, birches, beeches and hickories, are far more valuable for most purposes, and most of them afford good shade. It is necessary, however, to raise the trees from seed, to purchase them from nurserymen, to move them ordinarily long distances, and to wait many years before they will produce much sliade. Ti-ees that are late in leafing out in the spring, which have scant foliage, which are liable to disease or to attacks of insects are not desirable for planting in pas- tures. Neither are trees whose foliage is eaten by cattle or sheep. Tlie quicker a tree grows the shorter will be the time that it will require protection against animals, and the less will be the cost of raising it to a size to afford shade. — Fruit Groinerx' Journal. CA iVA DIA iV HO R TICUL TURIST. 209 'i^ C^e C<^^^^^i^n ^orficufturiaf. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its valuable Annual Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees. REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label. We may congratulate ourselves upon the outcome of our dis- cussions at Picton upon the fruit carrying by railways and steamships for exportation. Our president, Mr. A. ^IcD. Allan, has been interviewed by the leading newspapers of Montreal upon the subject, and to them he ex- plained the points of complaint against tiie railway companies, and that New York lines of steamers gave Canadian siiippers better accommodation than Montreal lines. The result was a general investigation of the whole matter. The lieaver line has already agreed to take Canadian fruit from any points, and give us through bills to any mar- ket, apples to be at their count and not at the shipper's count. They will store them in a separate compartment of their vessels, and give such an atmospheric cool blast that the fruit will be kept in a very fine condition. This line will have the system complete in good time for us in tiieir three finest ships, the Ontario, Huron and Superior. Mr. Allan says ho went over the Ontario and is charmed with the way their " Fan System " works. Besides this they have the latest port ventilation, which is most ingenious and effective. Such exertion in our interests on the part of steamship companies merits our patronage, and no doubt this will be freely accorded, as a re!"erence to M r.J. 15. Thomas' letter shows that exportation of apples promises this year to be more than usually remunerative. The House Spakkow. — The Ameri- can Garden says tliis bird preys upon the elm leaf beetle in the large cities, and, where abundant enougli, prevents its extended ravages. Is it possible that passer domesticus (" (/e<7as/a/?;iv.- this .lav slii|.|M.I t.. Toiont., two baski-ts of ■ri-.ip.-s, :uie. Tliey were ^lown on tile face of a hill looking snutli. Please ituli- lish in the Hoitrici i/ruHisr, and let us hear from other Ki'<»wers about their (^arly shipments. Jo.SKl'll lk)rn.NK, Niiiitles," of which there will be very few shipped this year ; small fruits also were a shorter criip than usual. I do not like the dewberry as well as the blacklierry, for it is much harder to attend to and cultivate. I have been testing some goose- berries this year. The Industry mildewed the most ; then Crown Bob a little, while White- Hinitli was as free from it as the Mouten Seed- ling. Son e .seedlings of it that I have grown now for some time are doing real well. 1 had two black currant seedlings fruit for the first time this year, and although the season was extremely dry, they were splemlid and jndmise well. One of my ro.^es played a strange prank in the way of fioweriiig. It was a White Per- petual Moss, and always gave pun- white flowers until this season, when it sent up a fresh sprout from the root upon which grew l>oth white and bright nme and light pink tlowers at the same time, and some Howers were one half rose coloured .iiul the- other half pine white. Have you ever lieard of such u freak of nature? f have had some seedling roses bloom this season for the first time, among which was a White Scotch, perfectly double anlh, ISSS. [Pei-liaps the Moss Rose liad been budded on otlier stock, from which the fresh shoot sprung. — Ed.] U. S. Apple Crop Prospect for the Fall and Winter of 1888. Al'I'I.KS in tlie .Middle and the Kastern States will average only a light cro]), especially ( Jreeiiings, not over •>."» per cent., excei)ting in hike counties of New York State, where /i(f/(/»v'/(ji iiroinise a very fine yield; but these generally go to New York city for exporting. Pa. and Conn, don't |)roiniiie enough for home In Ohio and Mich, and westward the crop is scattering ; good in sjMits, but in many jilaces very light,ruiining one third (^) to two thirds (.^) a full cro)) in some sections — probably averaging half (l) a crop in the western apj)le .States and of uncertain (juality. Michigan promises very few (ireeiiings. Pears and |)lunis are a lighter croj) than usual in the Atlantic States. Our fruit riutrkel outlook is therefore favour- iihle.-y. \yvoAHT & (iitiKKiTHS, Phila., Aug. ■ t/Kt, /.V,V,S'. The European Apple Crop. Dk.XKSik, I am in ilue receipt of your favour of the 4th inst. I have jxisted you my circular re|>ort. There will l)e nothing to rejmrt to l>e of any practical use to the Canadian fruit growers this month; our sea.son is always later than the other shipping ports in this country : — (1) Because we are in the midst of the best ajiple growing districts. (2) Our wants are well looked after by our continental neighbours, who are jMiuring in their l>roduct as it ripens, but which this season will not last so long as in the past, owing to the shortness of the crop, as well as the failure of it in some ])arts ; hence we may look for a commencement of the ('olonial fruit season about the middle of Septi'iuix-r, and only good eating or large cooking aoples, but no common uit, will do for early sliipinents ; good King apples and Northern Spy will do in October and later. 216 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. CIRCULAR REPORT. In accordance with my usual custom, I have the pleasure of submitting to you my reports regarding the prospects of the ' ' Apple Crop " in the most important European Centres from which London often draws very large sup- plies — France. — The northern sections repent indif- ferent crops, except for "Cider I'rtiit. " South- ern sections, above an average, c^iitciallN- for hose kinds generally forwarded to England. Germany. ^^ly correspondents from the best known districts appear almost unanimous in reporting that there will be almost no apples for export. Belgium. — The reports are more varied ; some districts show a fair average crop, but taking the average yield of past seasons with the probable estimate for this, a limited supply of the best kinds suitable for the English mar- kets can only be reckoned upon. Holland. — Will have a fair average crop, but chiefly of inferior kinds, the better class fruit being a comparative failure. England. — In the jjrincipal apple districts a very early blight pet in which practically des- troyed our prospects; the home sui)i)lies are therefore reported to be the shortest on record. The conclusion to be drawn from the above is, that a much earlier demand must set in, and that London will require a share of the early foreign shipments of prime frviit, although perhaps not to the extent of Liverpool and Glasgow during the first month, but later Lon- d(m will require supplies far exceeding the average of previous years. — J. B. Thoma.s, Oove.nt Garden Market, Lotvkm. 17th Avxiust, 1888. Fruit in Ontario. Tlie dry season has not been withi)ut its effect upon orchard and garden. Although summer apples are rather small in size, fall and winter sorts will likely be well up to the average in size as well as quality- The borer and codlin moth have appeared in a few places, and occasional complaint is made of wormy apples, but the crop generally will be a good one. The pear blight is reported in portions of Kent, but the general yield will be an ordinary one. Stone fruits are all light in yield. Only a few correspondents in Lincoln speak hopefully of the peach ; the majority report the crop as a failure. Plums and cherries are being steadily destroyed by the black knot, and where the plum has escajjed that enemy it has been weakened by the curculio. In some of the Lake Erie counties, however the cherry is reported as having yielded a big crop of large fruit. In the grape growing counties a magnificent yield is anticipated, but in Oxford and Brant the rose bug attacked the vines as tlie grapes were budding and wrought much injury. Other small garden fruits have been about an average, except strawberries, which were hurt by the drouth of last summer and fall. In the County of Grey, where the huckleberry is regarded as a standard fruit, the crop is \\g\\t.— Bulletin for Aug., Bureau of Industries. REVIEW. Transactions of the American Horticultural Society, Vol. v., 1888, W. H. Ragan, Green- castle, Indiana, Secretary. 350 pages, bound in cloth. This volume embraces a report of the 8th Annual Meeting held at San Jose, Cal., Jan. 24, 25, and 26, and at Riverside, Cal., Feb. 7, 8, and 9, 1888, together with ;i full list of papers read, with acciiiii|iaii\ii],i;- discussions, also a sketch of the oveiLunl tiii> by John Clark Ridpath, L.L.D. It is free to members, the fee being $2.00 per annum. Eighth Annual Report of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station for the year 1887. Geo. H. Cook, Neio Brunswick, N. J., Director. A report of the results of analysis of various commercial fertilizers, and the Sorghum Sugar industry. Proceedings at the Thirteenth Annual Meeting of the American Association of Nurserymen, held at Detroit, 1888. C. A. Green, Rochester, N.Y. This volume is got up in an attractive style, and contains many papers of great interest to mirserj men. We would advise all our Canadian nurserymen to unite with this Association and attend its meetings. The objects are relaxa- tion, acquaintanceship, exhibition of fruits, plants, etc., and exchange and sale of stock, and the member's fee is $2.00 per annum. Prize List Central Canada Exhibition Associa- tion, Ottawa, Sept. 24 to 29, 1888. R. C. W. MacCuaig, 39. American Pomological Society. The next meeting will take place atSanford, Orange Co., Florida, beginning Feb. 6, 1889. We hope some Canadian representatives may be in attendance. Thirteenth Annual Report of the Montreal Horticultural Society. 1887-88. 123 pp. Secre- tary, W. W. Dunlop. P. O. box 1145. Mon- treal. T. C. Robivson^s Catalogue and Price List, 1888. Owen Sound, Ont. BIGNONIA. rOR THE CANADIAN HORTICJUURIST. THE Caijadiaq horticulturist. Vol. XI. 1B55. X... 10. THE TRUMPET CREEPER. ^OR tlie more f.avored portions of Ontario the Trumpet Creeper 0tW is one of tlie most desirable of climbing vines. We have tested it at Grimsby for twenty-five years, and although while young the fresh growth was killed back so that it appeared to make very little progres.s, yet every year the main stem gathered strength until at length it became a thing of beauty upon the lawn. In one retired nook, several of these vines have sprung up without care, and twined themselves about the trunk of a Norway spruce tree to the very top, some twenty-five or thirty feet, and a more interesting and attractive plan could not have been devised. The little graceful shoots clothed with pinnate leaves, so beauti- fully contrast with the stiff background of spruce foliage ; and the great showy trumpet-shaped flowers, borne in ter- minal corymbs on the young shoots in August, delight one the more because quite unexpected in such a situation. Another beautiful specimen almost conceals one end of a neighboring stone house ; and, climbing by its tiny rootlets, has even surmounted the roof, and almost hidden the great stone chimney which it decks with its scarlet trumpets. The variety referred to is known as Tecoma radcans, according to Gray, although nurserymen have propagated and .sold it under the name of Bignonia, a name now confined by Ijotanists to another species of woody climber, belonging to the Bignonia family. It may also be interesting to notice that the Catiiipa, so much prized of late as an ornamental tree, is another species of this same family. For the most part the Bignonias are tropical plants, 218 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. and will not succeed in Canada, but with a little protection little difficulty need be experienced by any one with the Teconia rad^cans, T. atrosanguinea, or T. grandiflora. These varieties differ little except in the shade of color of their flowers, and it will be observed that our painting for this number represents the latter of tlie three. The Trumpet flower is found growing wild as far north as Pennsylvania, and in some of the Southern States it may be found climbing to the tops of the loftiest trees, clothing them with wreaths of green, red and orange. The tubes of the flowers are usually three or four inches in length, and sometimes fi v e or six inches. In 1640, this climber was introduced into England, and, it is there highly esteemed. FRUIT PACKING. THE packing table described in September number is being used in our apple orchards with the greatest satisfaction. By means of it one man can pack for three pickers, and that with the greatest comfort. We would not again return to the old custom of emptying out all the fruit upon the ground and then gathering it all up again; it is too troublesome and expensive at the prices for which apples are usually sold. We have instructed the packer to make three classes of fall apples ; No. 1 includes the perfect samples, free from spots, worms, knots, etc. ; while No. 2 includes good cooking apples, but im- pei'fect, and No. 3 those which are tit only for cider. No. 1 goes to a foreign market, No. 2 to a home market, and No. 3 is thrown upon the ground, to be utilized at the close of the season. Of such choice winter varieties as King and Northern Spy we purpose making an additional class of " extra selected^'" for which the largest, finest, and best colored of the No. I's will be selected, and packed in half-barrels. Our first shipment for the British market was made on Thursday, the 13th ult,, and shipments will continue weekly till the end of the season. We will report results for the benefit of our fellow fruit growers, and hope to have something favorable to say concerning the " cold blast " and the " port ventilation " provided for us by the Beaver Line. By reading the mar- ket reports it will be seen that the pro- spects for an export trade in apples are favorable this season, and therefore, notwithstanding the very heavy Cana- dian crop, growers may expect good prices for all prime apples fit for ex- _ port. The great point to be observed is to pack honestly, so that the grade represented shall be faithfully preserved through and through each barrel. It seems too much to expect that all packers will be uniformly honest, and thus establish a national reputation^ but each large grower and shipper can do this for himself if he chooses, and so establish a personal reputation that will be of the greatest possible advan- CA NA DIA N HO R TIC UL TURIH T. 219 tage to him, whether in a home or a foreign market. The practice of brand- ing the head with the name and ad- dress of the grower, is a proper thing, and that which every honest man will willingly do. Wliile packing our apples and pears this season we are more than ever con- vinced of the great benefit of spray- ing our orchard with Paris green. Tn some portions inaccessible to the wag- / ^r\ tree always bore knotty fruit previ- ously, but since being treated to Paris green its fruit has been perfect. The JJartlett pear is especially .subject to produce knotty specimens, due to the work of the curculio, and other insects. Indeed, fully half the crop has to be thrown out for seconds on this account. But for two seasons now, we have sprayed them carefully, and as a result, have had comparatively few knotty /'/■ / \ 1 . / Fio. 75.— Spraykd Bartlett, ij natiral diamkthj. gon, this treatment was neglected, and as a result, an immense crop of Codling moths is being harvested, and innumer- able apples wasted ; while those trees carefully treated are almost free from this mischief-maker. And that is not the only benefit ; indeed, quite as im- portant is the perfection of form of the sprayed fruit. A Duchess apple Fio. 76— Usspkaykd Bartlktt, I nati ral hiamlter pears. The editor of Tlie Country (j'entleman, in a recent number, gives his experience in spraying Bartlett pears, and it corresponds with our own as given above. We copy outlines of two specimens, showing the effect of the treatment as described above, but with us the disfigurement has averaged greater than is here represented. 220 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. A LIST OF HARDY APPLES FOR THE COLD NORTH. WE frequently receive enquiries concerning the raost reliable varieties of apples for the colder por- tions of Ontario and Quebec. Having experience chiefly with such varieties as are adapted to Southern Ontario, we have to depend upon the experience of others with regard to those best suited to the Northern portions. Such kinds as the Baldwin, Greening and Northern Spy, which we grow for the export trade, would be wholly unfitted to withstand the severe winters of list of the best apples for the extreme- north, prepared by Dr. Hoskins, of Vermont, who has given years of patient study and experiment to this particular branch of pomology. For shimmer. — Yellow Transparent, Tetofsky. For autumn. — Duchess of Olden- burgli, Alexander, McMahon's White, St. Lawrence, Switzer. \e»For winter. — Wealthy, Scott's Win- ter, Mcintosh Red, Fameuse, Bethel of Vermont. -McMahon's White. those parts, and therefoi'e others, pos- sibly less valuable in our markets, must be substituted. Indeed it is a great boon to farmers residing in localities where orchardingwaspreviously regard- ed as wholly out of the question, to find that there are apples, of fine quality and appearance too, which may be success- fully grown. Some of these apples have been introduced from Europe, and some have originated in the Western States. For the benefit of our members so situated as to be interested, we sive a Many of these varieties have been tested in Canada and reported upon through these pages. In January, 1887, a colored plate of the Yellow Transparent was given our readers, and the previous year the tree was in- cluded in our plant distribution for general testing. A large number of trees have been top grafted with it and other Russians at Maplehurst, and this year the first specimen of the Transparent was produced. It was in. CA NA D I A A' J/0 R TIC UL TURIST. 221 (juality and waxen lustre, everything claimed for it. The Duchess of Oldenburg has estab- lisiicd its reputation for excellence in all parts of Ontario. There is no more beautiful apple in its season, and it is deservedly popular both for home use and for market ; indeed, no apple except tiie Red Astracan can couipete with it as a fancy apple, in Toronto and INIont- real markets, and even that, beautiful iis it is when fully colored, must yield the palm to it. McMahon's White is a new variety from Wisconsin, very similar to the (Jolden White, No. 978, of the "Depart- ment Russians." At the meeting of the American Pomological Societyat Boston, in 18S7, Mr. Hatch, of Wisconsin, spoke iiighly of it, saying, " It lias stood the temperature of 40' below zero ; nothing in my orchard has ellllllll!llllllllllUllllllllllll!!!!lllilllllllflllllllllliyilllillillllll!!llll'i3lllllllllinilllUyiIMM0DUIIIIIIIUllU THE CLIMATIC PANGE OF TREES. By KOHKISTKK. ONE of my friends, lately removed from London, Ont., to the Capi- tal, said : "It is just as cold in London as in Ottawti, only there is more snow here." " Wait," say I, "just see the difference in the trees." "Well, that is one way to look at it," said he, and abandons the argument. When the fruitgrower tinds the peach will ripen west of Toronto, but not east, even on the lake shore, he will see there is a very slight, but still some difierence in the climate, not per- ceptible, and perhaps not of a kind to be learned altogether from the meteoro- logical reports — a tree planter, as well as the fruit grower, will tell from the success of liis varied stock, all the diversities of temperature, moisture as well as wind and soil. For practical success in either, a careful study of the native trees and fruits is the safest guide. After a little experience is gained, it will be of profit to try many other trees, not yet known to be hardy in the locality ; and perse- severe in the experiment, as frecjuently a variety a little more hardy than its nearest relatives, may be found. I cannot say that for profit it is desir- able to plant any trees not known to be native to the locality, or near it. In tills country new plantations are yet in their infancy, and offer no results to guide us, and in the meantime we must go on planting what we are sure of and experimenting with all others we have any hope of. The Catalpa is a foreign tree, of doubtful hardiness, though I have seen a good tree raised from seed grown at Hamilton, Ont. I have not been far enough south yet to find a Catalpa on which the tip of every limb was not frozen back more or les.s, and I think it took an e.xperi- menter, Dr. Warder, many years to find a variety that was hardy in Ohio. The Catalpa Speciosa introduced by him seems to answer there, and is worth trying in Ontario, but there is a great 234 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. difference between Ohio and Ontario. The Ailanthus has run wild in Ohio, but freezes like a tender rose in Ontario. The Sweet Potato is a main crop there and a curiosity here. Ohio seems to have been the home of the Black Walnut — its soil and climate ex- actly right for it, though the tree grows well from Ottawa to the Gulf of Mexico. The Ash is another tree of great range, moves all over North America without trouble. The Pine seems equal to storms of the north as well as heat of the south, but all trees, like any other emigrants, do not like to move too far at once, and a variety of any tree may be found quite hardy in Canada West, when brought from a northern limit of its natural growth, when the very same variety from Southern seed will fail. Within a still shorter range some individual trees may come out hardy, (like persons with a good constitution) yet all others grown from the same lot of seed may fail ; nurserymen take advantage of this to propagate by grafting from the hardy individual instead of sowing seed. A good deal of disappointment about the Russian mulberry has been caused by a neglect of this care. It certainly grows in colder countries than Ontario, and has been introduced at high prices in small lots here to all fail in a year or two. Nurserymen seeking novelties, and urging them upon the inexperienced, have done a great injury to the fruit interests, as well as to forestry and tree growing. I have a bill of com- plaint against the largest nursery in Ontario for sending me a lot of trees at seventy-five cents each, which they knew could never grow here. Well, they lost money by it as well as myself, and I know better now. For purely ornamental planting the choice of trees may be very extensive, and may include almost any tree, not tropical, in so many places in cities or near houses. The temperature never falls to the real level of the latitude and even one of these unusual trees is a great improvement to the collection ; but alas, how few lawns or parks in Ontario can boast of a collection of trees of any kind. Is there one where any good reason can be found for the choice or position of even one tree, or even for the shape of the land on which it grows. This leads me to think of the size, color, growth, season and life of trees, and what can be done either in a park or plantation with the native trees of Ontario only, and hope that someone may find enough even for one lawn and go and try it. Note. — Forester writes from North- ern Ontario, and from his point of observation is correct in his statements concerning the Catalpa, but in Southern Ontario this tree thrives well. Even the Southern variety, Catalpa bignoni- oides, succeeds at Grimsby, a favored spot on the southern shore of Lake Ontario ; the writer having a tree some twenty-five years planted, and perfectly hardy. The hardy Catalpa, C. Speciosa, is reported successful at Goderich and Collingwood ; it was distributed for testing in the spring of 1885, and the members of our Association should now be able to report upon it from all sections, and we hope they will do so. The Chinese Ailanthus is also perfectly hardy at Grimsby. CA iVA DIA N 110 R TICUL TUIUST. 235 ARBORICULTURAL. Moving Large Trees. A Correspondent of tlie ComUry Gentleman writes inquiring the best method of moving some swamp maples eight to ten inches in diameter, from a swamp to his hiwn, a distance of 1,000 feet, with roots intact. Believing tiie reply to be of interest to many nf our ('aiiadian readers we give it in full : — " There are two modes of removing large trees, represented by the accom- panying cuts. Fig. 79 shows the way in which it is done by lifting the tree from the ground in an erect position, draw- ing it on wiieels to its place of destin- ation, and dropping it into the hole previously made for it. The tree is first loosened by digging, then lifted with the lever 6, the trunk being wound with carpet or sacking, or with straw, to prevent bruising by the chain, wiiich raises it to the hinder wheels of a com- mon farm wagon, run up to the tree from behind. Chains attached to the axle then enable the horse (or )ioi-.ses) hitched to the whiffletree a to draw it. This mode applies well to the removal of evergreens as well to deciduous trees, the branches of which need not be dis- turl)ed on account of the eiect position. In either case, the tops should, however, be made lighter by cutting in the branches so as to present an even natural top. The other mode is repre- sented by tig. 80, and applies mainly to deciduous trees. The tree is first en- tirely loosened by digging, and the two wheels (with the tongue) are run up against it. The top is tied into a com- pact shape, and the tongne of the cart placed erect against it, and both tied securely. They are then brought down horizontally, thus liftin;,' the tree (juite out of the ground, and it is then drawn to its desired place, and lowered in the same way that it was lifted. We cannot promise our correspondent so vigorous a growth for the trees as he desires. However careful and well-conducted the removal is effected, there will be a great check given. Trees six inches in dia- meter and twenty feet high, have thrown out their roots at least twenty feet in every direction, thus occupying a circle forty feet in diameter. A very small pait of this broad circle of roots can be secured and carried with tJie tree, and a considerable check must be given. The tops of the trees niust be lightened by pruning, retaining a sym- metrical form, to correspond in part with the necessary mutilation of the roots. Trees of the size mentioned should have a removed circle of roots eight or nine feet in diameter, and the soil above the roots may all betaken off down tothe massof the fibres to lessen the load. Tho.se from a slicltcrcd swamp ^vfeV. would lie too much exposed to the winds of winter if removed this fall, and the work should be left till spring! Trees two or three inches in diameter may thus be removed with comparative ea.se ; but with a diameter of half a foot, the labor and ditliculty are greatly in- creased. 236 CA A' A DIA N IIOKTIC UL TUB 1ST. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its valuable Annua! Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees. REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label. Notes and Comments. Reliability of Commission Houses. — We sometimes receive inquiries re- specting the reliability of commission houses advertising in this journal. We shall u-se great care to admit to our columns only those whose standing is first-class, and so soon as we hear any- thing unfavorable concerning any of them we shall lose no time in giving notice to our readers. We shall thank any of our readers for information in this line which may prove of general benefit. Regarding the standing of Messrs. Pitt Bros., advertising in the September number, we have so far failed to secure any satisfactory infor- mation. The Winter Meeting at Hamilton. — Our friends of this "Ambitious City," seem much pleased at the prospect of another meeting of our Association there ; and will, we doubt not, do everything in their power to make our meeting one of unusual interest and profit. Should the proposed Dominion Convention, of Fruit Growers take place as proposed at Montreal on the 7th of January, our meeting at Hamilton will be held in December ; otherwise in February. The first session will be held on a Tuesday evening, when the retiring President, Mr. A. McD. Allan will de- liver his annual address, and the elec- tion of directors and ofiicers will take place. The Wednesday and Thursday following will be devoted to discussion of topics which may be classed under the head of fruits, flowers or forestry. We shall be much pleased to receive, at once, lists of subjects, or questions for the meeting, so that they may be enter- ed upon our printed programne. The Plant Distribution for next spring is, we think, an unusually valu- able one, and although primarily in tended only for general testing afid reporting upon new varieties, is indeed no mean advantage to be considered by those who are invited to become mem- bers of our Association. Now is a good time for securing a list of new subscribers in every town, and we will cheerfully send sample copies and blank forms to those applying. In place of commission for the trouble of securing new names, the club raiser may take CA lYA DIA N 110 li TIC UL TURIST. 237 tVoin the list Ijelow ono choice for each iH'w subscriber. /. The Veryennes drape.. — Colour, light amber; productive; fine for win- ter use ; one yecar old. .*. The Winter St. Lawrence Apple. — Supply limited. •J. TJie Princess Louise, or Woolrerton. — A most beautiful Christmas dess.it Apple, rivalling the Maiden's Blush in beauty and excelling the snow apple in (juality ; new ; one year old. .!f. A Hardy Rose Bush eiihev Gabriel Tournier, a comparatively new stan- dard, deep rose coloured variety; Baron Bon Stetten, maroon ; or Paul Neyroji, the largest variety in cultivation. '>. A package of Winter flowerimj Bulbs. — (To be sent out in November, 1888). Containing one Polyanthus Nsrcissus, Grand Monanjue ; one Hya- cinth, Crimson Belle ; and one Ane- mome, double. I). Tiro Chinese Primroses. — Difter- ent colours. 7. Package containing Japan Ivy (Ampelopsis Veitchii), the most beauti- ful of all creepers for a stone or brick wall, needs no support, colors gorge- ously in autumn ; and Geranium, double scarlet or double white.- 8. Four Straivberry Plants, viz : — Two Logan and two Itasca. Two new seedlings, produced l)y J. H. Haynes, of Indiana. The Logan is claimed to be very productive, excellent in (jual- ity, and for keeping and shipping un- equalled. The Itasca is a seedling of the Manclie.ster. Our hope is to see a general effort all along the line, to ex- tend our membership, so that we may feel justified in carrying out our plans for the improvement of this journal for the year 1889. Mr. George Cline, of Winona, is a successful plum-grower in the Niagara district. He has now 3,500 trees planted out in an orchard for market purposes, a portion being now in full bearing. His soil is largely clay loam, and in parts sandy loam, and seems well adapted to plum culture. We value higlily such information as grows out of practical experience, and have prevailed upon Mr. Cline to open the suVjject of "Plum Cultivation for Home Use and Marker," at our winter meeting at Hamilton. QUESTION DRAWER. Grape Vine -Leaf Hopper. 100. ]'. Y tn-day'.H mail I forward s])ecinien of a vine leaf infested by a sspecie.'i of white nudji^e, the leaves of which look brown and die. Some years since my rose trees were affected, year after year, in the same manner, so much so that I dug up a fine collection. On touching the loaves, the [u'sts, which are innumerable, tiy off. Can you inform me of any cure and oblige. TiiOM.\s Si»bali),6((«o" Wfst,a mcmlicr iif thi Fruit (r'nnnrg' AK,s()ciation. The insect referred to in this (juestion is the Leaf Hojiper, referred to on pages 148 and ir)l of this volume. Books on Fruit Culture, 101. Woui.n you ]>lease inform me wiiere T could obtain Downing's work on Fruit, and at what price?— John K. Rich.muw, Ai/hnrr. For this and other Horticultural and Agricultural works, write to the office of the American Ayriculturist, 751 Broadway, New York. A Proposed Bill to Regulate Fruit Packages. 102. 1)K.\H SiK,— It seems to me it is time something like the annex were on onv statute books. This is a rougli, off-hand draft, and doxibtless could be amended to meet the de- mands for honest dealing. An .\ct ever so stringent will commend itself to honest fruit l.ackers, like the members of the Fruit (Jrowers .\s.sociation, and it will also to the better buyer. I hope we soon will haje some protection.— ({. F.WVCETT, OttaiC'l. 238 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. An Act rcHpccting the Packing of Oreen Fruits. All fruit shall be sold by measure or weight. When it is expedient for transportation pur- poses, to use bauds, crates, boxes, baskets, or other package, such shall be of uniform size of its kind, and shall hold a specific quantity, whicl; shall be stamped upon the package in such a way as to be easily seen by the purchaser. Barrels containing apples, and pears or other fruit shall be of such size as to contain two bus- hels and one half-bushel. Baskets shall be of such size as shall contain one and a half pecks. Boxes containing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and other such fruit shall contain one quart. Each measure shall be Im- perial. Fruits sold by weight shall have the net weight legibly stamped on the package. The name of the packer shall be stamped on e\ ery package. All frviit shall be sound and healthy. Apples shall be sound and of uniform size and kind. Any person selling, or offering for sale any fruit in contravention of the provisions of this Act, shall be liable, upon conviction before a court of competent jurisdiction, to a fine of twenty dollars and forfeiture of all the frtiit so sold or offered for sale, for a first offence, and $100 and forfeiture for a second offence, and so on, for each offence. No doubt there is just ground for such complaint as Mr. Fawcett makes, on the part of consumers of fruit, and the proposed Bill, with some amend- ments, can do no harm. We do not, however, see the necessity of making an absolute size for any package, pro- viding the number of busliels, pecks, quarts or pounds is stamped upon it ; tiie one would surely suilice without the other. Nor should a size different from that now generally used, be made compulsive. The apple barrel now used in Canada holds 2| bushels, and nothing would be gained by making it smaller. An imperial quart might be a proper size for a basket to contain strawberries, blackberries and cherries, but it would certainly be too large for raspberries. That all apples in a barrel should be sound when offered in the market would also be ultra vires so far as legis- lation is concerned, for fruit leaving the orchard in a sound condition might be very much decayed by the time it reaches its destination, especially when shipped as ordinary freight. We have shipped pears perfectly sound to Mont- real, and a week's delay upon the road turned them to mush by the time they reached that city. Neither should the grower be prohibited from packing more than one variety in a barrel, else often a barrel of apples would be un- marketable just for want of enough of one sort to till it. That the package should be uniform in size and quality with the face a ppear- ance should, however, be insisted upon, for deceptive packing is as hurtful to the best interests of the grower, as it is deceiving to the buver. Seedling Plum. 103. I ENCLOSE to your address a small sample of a seedling plum, raised by Mr. R. Topham, of Elora. This is the fifth year of bearing, and it has not showed any sign of Black Knot, Our- culio, or any other disease the plum is liable to. It is a strong, healthy tree and a good bearer, and we would like your opinion of it. — W. Gat, President Elora Horticultural Society. The plums came to hand in such bad condition we can scarcely give a decided opinion, or description of them ; but aside from the good qualities mentioned above we see nothing in the plum to commend it. It is a comparatively small green plum, smaller than Reine Claude, and inferior in quality to it or to Coe's Golden Drop, and a clingstone. Possibly its immunity from Black Knot and Curculio, and its productiveness may commend it to planters. Protecting Grapes Fpom Frosts. QuESTiox No. 94 j-eferred to the protection of grapes from September frosts, and the following hint from the Vermont Watchrnan may be of service : " A friend in Northern New England is very successful in growinggrapes, and bringing them to full perfection, on the south side of a tight fence. The vines are trained upon wires attached to the fence-posts. Early varieties (Moore's Early, Delaware, Brighton, Salem, Eumelan, Adirondack) are planted. Frosts are not uncommon in September CA NA DIA iV 110 RTICUL TURIST. 239 but by tlie use of a wide, shelf like, hut slightly sloping board, projecting from near the top of the fence, from the edge of which is hung a curtain of any sort of coarse cotton or bagging, the vines are perfectly protected from them until the succeeding warm days have thoroughly ripened the fruit. The cur- tain has often to be hung up but once, and never more than three times. The trouble and expense are but tririinir." OUR FRUIT MARKETS. Covent Garden Market. SiH,— TIh' r\iliiij,' prices of ajijiles at Liver- pool have been fairly steadj', considering that the early fruit does not generally arrive in very sound condition. Up to the time of writ- ing we have not received any Cclonial or Ainericap aj)i)les for sale in tins market — and we can well do without them till tlie beginning rices current from a Toronto daily of Sept. li), agree so well with our own sales of the same date that we quote them in full. Fruit and Vef/etablts — The fruit season is now at about its most active time and this is es]>ecially so of ])eacties. All kinds of fruit are arriving in quantity, but the number of peaches coming in daily is something enonnous. The steamer (-'hicora, from Niagara, brought over .5,000 parcels of fruit to-day and it is safe to say that at least four-fifths of this quantity were l)eaches. Kvcry deck of the boat was covered and they were i)ned all over the wharf where- ever space could be found for them. The steamer Cibola, which was laid u|>, left this afternoon for Niagara for a cargo of fruit, so arrivals to-morrow may be c. Other kinds lower prices. 240 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. REVIEW. The Dominion Illustrated is a new and most Transactions of the Massachusetts HorticuUu attractive illustrated journal, published by G.E. ral Society for the year 18S7 , Part II., R. Man- Desbarrats & Son, 162 St. James St., Montreal, ning, Boston, Secretary. 16 pages, folio. The engravings are executed by Thirteenth Annual Report of the Montrca the new process of photogravure, which gives Horticultural Society. 1S87-S. W. W. Dunlopj each number the appearance of a collection of Montreal, Secretary first-class photographs. The siibjects are chiefly Canadian scenery, or distinguished Canadians. Among Falls," CATALOGUES. Price List for Fall of 1888 of Hardy Bulbs, =;B^sn,:;^Ei' ^^;^,zfz.^^>^.;z real. Public Gardens, Halifax, Sandford Flem- Wentworth St., Hamilton, Ont. ing. Chancellor Queen's University, Kingston, The MiuvU Strawberry. ~S. D. Krusche, Box Hon. Edward Blake, etc., etc. Such Canadian 824, Piqua, Ohio. enterprises deserve the hearty support of all Bulb Catalogue.— VstW, 1888, John Lewis Canadians, Childs, Floral Park, Queen's Co., N. Y. For the Canadian Horticulturist. MORNING. By Grandma Gowan, Mount Royal Vale, P.Q. Dkar Sir,— I send you a little burst of joy and praise I indulged in this lovely morning. I look on nature with very loving eyes, altho' I am growing very blind and 1 never use glasses. Ah well, the dear Lord, whom I love, will (I am certain) let me have all my senses till my travelling days are over. 1 am very grateful for the length of days he has given me. I will be 73 on March 10th next.— GRANDMA GOWAN, Gowan Cottage, , 1SS8. ^ AIL bright harbinger of day ; Resplendent orb of light ! Whose golden beams doth chase away The sable shrouded night. The crystal dew hangs on the flowers, How sweet the glowing thorn, Ah ! who could waste, in sleep, such houi ' The cheerful dawn of morn.' The feather'd songsters of the air, Their matin hymn doth raise, The warbling little brooks declare The great Creator's praise. The flowers in ecstacy upfling Their fragrant incense high, Alas ! that man should fail to sing A holy psalm of joy ! Arise, and greet the new born rays, And climb the upland lea, Join in nature's song of praise, In nature's Jubilee ! i CRATAEGUS GOCCINEA. FOR THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 1' 1 1 !■: Caijadiai] fiorticulturist. Nn. 11. t , #M-'",, THE THORN TREE. Ml ARK the faire blooming of tlu' Hawthorne tree. Which, finely cloathed in a mbe >f white, Fills full the wanton eye with May'.s delight. — Chaltku : Cmtrt of Love. Maxy of our country roadsides are ornamented in the month of October with a very beautiful species of native Hawthorn, viz. : — Crataegus Coccinea, or Scarlet Fruited Thorn. Its loads of beautiful bright red ovoid haws or fruit, relieved by the dense mass of dark green foliage, certainly present a most attractive appearance. What could be more suitable as a decorative shrub for the lawn at this season of the year? We have also in Canada the C. tomentosa, or Black Thorn, and the C. crusgalli, or Cockspur Tliorn : and all are full of beauty, with their mass of white flowers in the month of May. The English Hawthorn, referred to in Chaucer's lines above, and known to botanists as C. oxycantha, is well known as the favorite liedge plant in England. It is so associated with the floral games of May that it is known to some as the Maybush. and reminds us of the merry May-pole, with its top decked with garlands of the Bowers from this tree, beneath which the happy party crowned their Queen of May. The Poet-Laureate speaks of this custom in his popular poem, the May Queen, thus : — r'' "^PH^' '' ' "^^^iPHii^^" Soon after, hearing of the good work being accomplished by the Fruit- tiro wers' Association, he became a member, and was first elected a Direc- tor in the year 1873. A fluent and pleasing speaker, he was always heard with interest by all in attendance, and honored by his election, in the ve.ii- our e.xhibit of (.'anadian fruit, the medals from which are still in posses- sion of our Association ; and in 1886 he was employed by the Dominion (iovernment, in company with Mr. A. •McD. Allan, to have charge of Canada's fruit exhil>it at the Colonial and Indian Ivvhibition ' 244 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. The subject of this sketch is also favorably known in horticultural circles in Canada as a hybridist, hav- ing devoted much attention to this interesting study, and to the practice of the art. To his success in hybridiz- ing, the Burnet grape, the Trenton apple, the Dempsey pear and the Dempsey potato all bear lasting testi- mony. The Trenton apple, of which we give a description elsewhere, now five or six years fruited, has been offered in the Belleville market, and always brings Mr. E>empsey a fancy price ; the Dempsey pear, a real acquisition, is the result of a cross between the Bartlett and the Duchess some twelve years ago. It partakes of the excellences of both parents, and is in season just before the latter. We hope that Mr. Dempsey, and all others of kindred spirit, may long be spared to brighten our meetings with their good cheei-, and to impart to the inquirers the results of his long experi- ence in fruit culture. THE TRENTON APPLE. Fio. 81.— The Trenton Apple. AMONG the new seedling apples which have come under our notice of late, the Trenton certainly takes a very prominent place. In the Report of 1887, p. 10, the President speaks of it as follows : — " Mr. Derap- Sey has also produced a new apple, the Trenton, by crossing the Golden Russet and Spy. The Trenton has the ap- pearance as if of the Fameuse family ; form and size goes with the Russet parent ; flavor richer than Fameuse ; and color more intense and cover- ing." CAiVA DIAN IIORTICUL 'lUliJST. 245 Two samples lie before us on the table, and certainly are as tempting as any dessert apple could possibly be. The form of the apple is shown in tin; outline, being roundish obtuse coni- cal, with one side of the base rather more prominent than the other. The skin is a green or yellowish ground, with obscure stripes of red on the shady side, deepening in a wine color towards the apex, and dotted with obscure greyish dots ; stem one inch long, set in a funnel-shaped russeted cavity ; calyx nearly closed, set in an uneven basin of medium form ; Hesh white, juicy, melting, sub-acid, fine grained, with a rich aromatic Havor ; October ; very good. THE QUINCE. By Aukicola. THE QUINCE Tree, though not so aspiring as the pear, nor spreading as the apple tree, re- resembles persons of modest mien, and shows its qualities by bearing good fruit. And, if the proof of the pudding is by the taste, the same may be said of the Quince when properly prepared. Then the Quince is not only good in itself, but (like a good man) it com- municates its flavor to the fruits it conies in contact with. It is not only ornamental, but what is more, useful. It makes a tine white show in the spring, and the yellow fruit looks like gold in the fall. Nor does it hold the fruit above our reach like most trees, nor ask you to stoop to gather the golden treasures in the market basket. It belongs to the Rose Family, as does the apple and pear, and it imitates both in its various shapes. It carries also antiquity in its name. It is said to have been the fruit in the garden of the Hesperides, and valued so highly that Argus with his hundred eyes was set to watch ; and it took Hercules, a semi-god, to steal the fruit which no mort.il man could obtain. The Greeks and Romans speak of its savory and health-conferring qualities. Persons who have used the fruit speak of its astringency, and think it tones up the human system without produc- ing that lassitude which some fruits do. The writer was once called on by a customer for a fruit tree, and when he was asked what kiiKl of a tree, he said he wanted " a Squince." Had he called for the Cydonia Vulgaris I might not have understood him (juite so readily ; so in this case a little learn- ing was not, as Pope says, a dangerous thing. The ornamental or Japan Quince is called Cydonia Japonica. There are several varieties of Quinces. The Anger's Quince is used for budding or dwarfing the pear on, the Apple and Pear Quince for market. There is a variety called Rea's Mammoth, said to be of very good quality, larger than the Oiange, and if it were as early in ripening would be the most popular: and one called Champion, 246 CAN A DIA X HORTICULrUBIS'I . which is larger, and very tine, but also why not plant more Quince Trees ? rather late. The writer has about 200 trees Our soil is adapted to this exotic which pay well, selling readily, and tree ; it is valuable for market, it is would if he had double that wholesome, and it is ornamental. Then number. BLUSHED CALVILLE (22 m.:) Bv J. L. BiDD, Ames. Iowa. I HAVE just read Dr. Hoskins' note on the Yellow Transparent in the September number. We cannot grow it at Ames, Iowa, on the College grounds on account of its extreme tendency to blight. But on the same ground Blushed Calville is perfect in tree, and an early and regular bearer of perfect, even-sized fruit that is handsomer and better in quality than Yellow Transparent, Thaler, or Gru- cheoka. When it first came into bearing we supposed it to be a week or so later than Yellow Transparent, but we now find it is ready for home use or market quite as early, and that it will remain juicy and hold its flavor for two weeks or more after it is picked. In this re- spect it equals the Dyer. Taken all in all we think it the best early Apple yet tried for cultivation over a large part of the United States and Canada. It endures at the north quite as well as the Duchess, and its excellent foliage allows it to live and thrive at the south. Breskovka (1.52m) is as good in tree, and the fruit is fully as good for dessert use or market ; but its season is brief, as it becomes water cored when over- ripe. It is astonishingly like Grime's Golden in size, shape, color, and flavor. EXPERIENCE STRAWBERRIES, AT PENETANGUISHENE. CURRANTS, GRAPES, ETC. SIR, — It is a good while since I have sent any of my experience with fruits, so I will give a little of the past summer. In strawberries. Cres- cent, Wilson, and Sharpless did well in spite of the extremely dry weatlier. I fruited a few plants of Jessie. The berry is large and of good quality, but I cannot see where the productiveness comes ill. It also felt the drought more than any other variety. May King seems to be a promising berry — good flavor and very bright, attractive color, and not at all aflected by drought- In currants, Fay's Prolitic is my favorite for size of berry and bunch ; Raby Castle for productiveness. Fay's is also a little the sweeter of the two. CA A^A DIA N IIOirriCUL TURIST. ii7 I also have a number of the Versailles. T like it well for its fruiting (jualities, but it has one bad fault — in a high wind the bush suffers badly. After one windy day last summer, while the fruit was ripening, I picked up whole limbs yards away from the bushes. Ostheim Cherry, received last spring, did well for a time, but has since died. Russian Yellow Transparent Apple and Niagara Grape Vine, received in past years, are doing well, but the Niagara seems to be a slow grower. Catalpa Speeiosa (of which I have six) is a fast growing tree ; it attracts much notice around here. The wood is slightly tender, gets touched a little every winter, but not rnougli to stop the growth. I like the Horticul- turist much in its new dress. I have for some time been trying to extend the circulation around here, but there are not many interested in fruit grow- ing. I have a strawberry in my mixed bed which I wisii you could name for me, that I may avoid it in future. I must have got the plant from a friend, and got no name with it. The plant is large, the berry is a pale pink color, di.scolors when ripe, shape of berry very flat, taste miser- ably sour. I am rooting them out when I come on them in fruiting time. VITICULTURAL. Keeping Grapes. Sir, — In your September number I notice an article on Keeping Grapes. For the last two winters T have kept a few of my grapes witii good success by packing them in a crock, with first, a layer of hardwood sawdust, then a layer of grapes and so on till the crock is full and cover with a piece of board. I packed them in October and took out the last of last winter's lot on May 31, just as fresh and good as wiien they were packed. I think they were Hartford Prolific and grown in a greeniiou.se without artificial heat- ing, 1 iiave grown two sorts of gooseberry, the Crown Bob and Downing, for the last nine years, and have never seen .i speck of mildew. The only manure I apply tn them is wood ashes in the Autuiini. F. . Fprf/its, Sepf. IS, ISSS. The Grape Cure. Hefkhuin(; to the virtue of the new grape cure, the Farm and Vineyard says : — Much interest has been excited in medical circles and the public mind for years past in regard to the alleged curative qualities of the grape, and its efficacy in a large class of stubborn and chronic diseases. The grape cure, as it is properly called, has been in vogue for a considerable length of time in France and Germany, and the method of treatment has been to let the patient eat all the ripe grapes daily that he or she desired in vintage time, and many remarkablecures are regarded as liaving annually occurred. The grape cure has become a well- established fact in America as well as in Germany, ami every day is develop- ing new truths in support of its won- derful efficacy. The eminent Irving C. Koss, M.D., speaking from personal experience, says of it : •' Some years ago. on arriving at Cadiz, after a long vovage and the 248 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. monotonous diet of a sailing ship, and my system being greatly reduced, I determined to try for a time a diet con sisting almost exclusively of grapes. The result was rapid re-establishment of all the bodily functions, and a feel- ing of more than ordinary strength andagility. I was prompted whilein San Francisco, Cal., to resort to the grape cure for the second time ; the result being satisfactory, I recommended the cure to several persons who were much run down with over-work and bad diet, and I had the satisfaction to see a rapid gain both in weight and appetite." It having been sufficiently demon- strated that the methodical and rational use of grape juice breaks up all habits of nutrition, rapidly reconstructs the blood, and exercises a salutary influ- ence upon the nervous system, it fol- lows as a rational sequence that the grape cure would be the natural and most efficacious reinedy for many per- sons in our large cities who, in conse- quence of extreme heat and improperly cooked food, suffer from congested livers and intestinal catarrh, and who delude themselves with the popular fallacy that malaria is the source of all their troubles Overworked clerks and news- paper men, who keep late hours and live on boarding-house fare, may derive from the vegetable milk of the luscious and inoffensive grape a rational means by which to re-establish those physio logical conditions so essential to clear thought and a proper discharge of their wearisome duties — and which is alone worth living. For years past a New York city firm has sold pure grape juice at five cents a "•lass or twenty-five cents a bottle, that can be carried to invalids and old people at their homes. The business of these firms during the grape season has been simply immense. As long as fresh grapes can be had, small hand presses upon the counter are used for expressing the juice, each person select- ing his own grapes, if he chooses, from anv of the different varieties on hand. and paying five cents per glass for what he may drink, and very often the same person will drink two or three glasses. At the close of the grape sea- son they usually grind and press large quantities of grapes, principally Con- cords, the juice from which is filtered or strained and put away in barrels, in a temperature always below 40°, where it will remain fresh and sweet until grapes come a^ain, as fermentation cannot take place in so low a tempera- ture. This is probably but the beginning of the use of " unfermented grape juice " in this country ; and the demand for grapes for this purpose, and as a healtiiful beverage for the people in general, added to the immense quantity to be used in making unfermented wine by evaporation, that will keep in its present state for years, in all cli- mates, and can be shipped cheaply all over the world, will render the over-production of grapes in the United States quite improb- able. Feptilizeps for the Grape. JosiAH H COPES, ill the N. Y. Tribune, says : " Good stable manure thoroughly rotted is the best invigorator for grapes : whether organic fertilizers are best for health and longevity of the vine is anothi-r question. Application of bones to the grape border is of greatest impor- tance, as careful examination of the roots will prove. Ground or unbroken bone is preferable to the material in an unbroken condition, as it allows of a more even distribution and hastens disintegration. Grape-roots, however, will push a long distance in a straight line, to obtain this much-coveted food. Some years :-ince, in removing a vine, it was found that the roots on one side were much stronger than the others, and curiosity as to the cause instigated a careful search for the extremities or feeding rootlets. After several feet had been uncovered the bones of a dead CA NAD I A iV IIOU TICUL TURIST. 249 juiiiual were uneaitlied, liut they were so completely covered with a perfect network of stnall fibres as to he almost indistinguishable. " These rootlets had penetrated into every crack or inecjuality of the bones, which evidently liad been of great service as food for the plant. Beyond (juestion iron in the soil is of great benetit for coloring the fruit. Iron lilings and turnings answer an excellent purpose, and the etiect may be notice- able the first season after application. Above all else the sweepings of a blacksmith shop have given excellent results, as we then secure manure in concentrated form and of a variety of constituents — the horse-droppings, hoof- parings, iron-tilings, etc., combine to form a powerful fertilizer. Perhaps no other plant is more quickly beneiited by the contents of the wash-tub every week. It is a mild solution of potash and appears to be greedily absorbed at once. A plentiful allowance of wood- asln^s forked in the soil in the .spring pays well in the crop of fruit. It may not destroy mildew on the foliage, as some claiu), but it will certainly invigo- rate the plant." IAjw men are able to speak with greater authority than J. 1>. Moore, of Concord, Mass., on grape culture, and this is what he told the New England Farmers' Club about ma- nures : " Any land that is rich enough to bear forty bushels of corn to the acre is rich enough to grow grapes. As far as my course is concerned, I liave not used manure after planting. " I have u.sed applications sometimes of bone and potash .salts, with occasional plaster of Paris mixed with it, because the givape reipiires more or less .sulphur in the soil ; the plaster of I'aris is the cheapest way you can get it. It is sulphate of lime, and does not cost much. You can buy a ton for five or six dollars, and it is as good an appli- cation for that purpose as anything that I know of. "The reason why you don't want to apply animal manure largely to your grapes is, that it induces a rank, coarse gi'owth of wood and foliage, which is unfavorable to the production of fruit. You want a fair, moderate growth of wood and that is all. You want a medium-sized wood. The cane should be about the size of your little linger, and it will bear larger bunches and more of them than if it is three times as large. "You want to have the canes well ripened also. Stimulating the vine l)y animal manure makes it grow until lat(r in the fall, and the wood will not ripen as well. The fruit buds do not thoro- ughly develop until the wood is partially ripe. I think you can make a much stronger fruit l)ud by moderate than by over-manuring." THE SMALL FRUIT GARDEN. Commendable Strawberries. The one berry that 1 can reconnuend with confidence as being earli(!r and more productive than the Wilson, is the Crescent, especially as it succeeds everywhere. It requires very little skill or care to grow it, but after one has it, it possesses so little real merit as a fruit that one can not prize it. The May King is just as n'iiable, about as early, a little less productive, of larger size and better <]uality, dei-idetlly a better berry for home use. From what I have seen and heard, Wartield's No. 2 is more desirable than either of tlie above, and will probably supersede them. As it may be obtained from almost any nurseryman, I would advise 250 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. all to try it in a small way. The Covell is the earliest of all, quite productive, and a firm, attractive-looking berry of good flavor. All that prevents it from being very valuable is its small size. In the matted row, with ordinary cul- ture, the fruit is about an inch in diameter for two or three pickings, and with better culture the size is little, if any, larger. I can scarcely recomme..d it for market. — M. Crawford, Siunmit County, Ohio. Pearl Strawberry. — I have read with interest the note of Mr. E. Wil- liams in a late number, on the behavior of the Pearl on his grounds in New Jer.sey. We can also report unexpected satisfaction with our trial of it under the most trying circum- stances. Our plants, received from the West Jersey Nursery Company in the spring of 1887, were planted on well- prepared ground with such leading, new- sorts as Bubach's No. 5, Jessie, Jewell, Itasca, Great Pacific, and Townsend's 1001. The season proved the dry est and hottest known in the histoiy of the West, yet the foliage on the Pearl remained perfect, and the first of Octo- ber showed a well-tilled matted row, better than anything on the plot, except Great Pacific. When the crop ripened this season it was pronounced by pick- ers and visitors the best in yield of the new sorts, and the evenest, smoothest, firmest-fleshed, and best in quality of any berry. This is high praise and may not be repeated another year, but as it now stands it has done admirably under the most adverse circumstances. —J. L. BuDD, Iowa Agricultural Col- lege. Sir, — As I had been anxious to see the "Jessie " strawberry in fruit, I took a visit to John Little's fruit garden Granton, Ontario, on the 6th day of July, but I was too late as it was nearly over, but he recommended it highly for an early berry. I was also interested to see his own new Seedlings which I found to be a most prosperous success. and was surprised to find so late in season such a berry as his No. 15 (Seedling). It combines large, and equal size, fine color and form, with unsurpassed pro- ductiveness and good quality of fruit. I would say this : if the No. 15 turns out the same as his, in diflTerent soil, it is better than any of the highly praised novelties that I have bought for the last six or eight years, and I have on my own ground all of fifty kinds of strawberries growing. I remain, yours truly, Fred Mayer. Bridgeport, Jtdy 10th, 1888. Copperas as Manure. The first instances are those made under the direction of Professor Mnntz. at the farm school of Vincennes. France. A solution of one per cent, of sul- phate of iron was used ; the quantity corresponded to fifty-eight pounds per acre. On equal lengths of rows the increase was ten per cent, of Dwarf Beans, and within a fraction of ten per cent, on Carrots. From some other trials there was reason to think that a second watering would have been still more beneficial, and this opinion is confirmed by an ex periment made by M. Fischer. Presi- dent of the Section of Horticulture, at Chaillevois, in which an increase of thirty-six per cent, of crop is noted by use of two hundred and seventy pounds per acre. On both of these trials the spaces occupied by the crops and their weight were accurately determined. Other instances are given. One is a dose equivalent to thirteen hundred pounds an acre on a plat of Peas and other vegetables. The Peas pushed with extraordinary vigor and grew to a gigantic size, and the crop was very abundant : the other vegetables pre- sented an equally remarkable develop raent. Another, some Lettuce upon the cop- peras, was used at the rate of eight CA I^A DIA N IK) R TICUL TURIST. 251 hundred pounds per acre ; the phiiits were very beautiful, and leaves very erect. Another case is the successful use of it on a plat of Strawberries. Several instances are given of its ust- on vines with tlie most Ijeneficial eHects, especially on some that w«!r(' greatly enfeebled and supposed to be in a dying condition, and others whose leaves had become a sulphury yellow, indicative to vinyardists of lingering disease ; in the former case the vines took on a new growth, and in the latter the foliage Ijecame perfectly green. Its good eflect on Pear trees is no ticed, in one case transforming, by its action, fruits that were formerly hard and gritty. Roses. Geraniums, Violets, and other plants are mentioned as receiving benelit from its use on them. The conclusion is, that copperas can be employed to advantage on garden crops at the rate of 250 to 900 pounds per acre, using it in a solution of one and one-half per cent., atid repeating the employment three or four times. Vic.k'8 Mmjazine for September. Coal Ashes for Strawberries. E. S. CJuFK, of the New York Experi mcnt Station, .says in the Rural Xev) Y'jrker: "Three years ago, at Dr. Sturtevant's suggestion, a Ijed of Sharp- less strawberries was planted out and heavily mulched with coal ashes. The object was to see if this material would not act beneficially in keeping down weeds. It has done this in a marked degree, but this is not all The yield from the plants has been more abund- ant than from another bed of the .same variety that has received excellent culture of the ordinary kind. The plants have been almost entirely free from blight, though the Sharple.ss blights badly here when grown in the ordinary way. I should have stated that the bed has received no culture since the mulching, except to remove the weeds that were strong enough to grow through the three inches of coal ashes." 252 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. isiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Fl2eWERS fiiiiiiiiiiuniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBiiiiiiiiiiiiiii A FEW POINTS IN REFERENCE TO BULBS FOR THE OPEN AIR. NOW that open-air flowers are over, and tlie flower beds may be cleared of their summer decorations, it would be well to remind the amateur of the advantages gained by planting such beds with a liberal supply of ANN SiMMKKS, TORONTO. life in the garden, where the beds have been tilled with a good selection of bulbs. In a few weeks from the time they make their first appearance, they change the dreary spectacle to one of beauty, and this may easily, as well as spring flowering bulbs. What can be more cheering to a lover of Nature, after the garden has been covered with its usual quantity of snow for three or four months, than to see upon the first appearance of spring some attempt at cheaply, be done by planting certain varieties of open-air bulbs. The keep- ing of the garden well stocked with pretty flowers from middle of April until end of October may be assisted by such fall preparations. Of course. CA NA DIA N lIOliTICUL TV HIST. 253 many people will say what a great deal of bother, and what a time you have to wait before your bulbs Hower ; but to a lover of the beautiful the interval until spring may be tilled up with the attention to your house plants, which extends the growtli of tlowers from one year's end to another, as well as occu- pies the mind in the care and cultiva- tion of raising plants. If the readers of TiiK HOHTICULTURIST have been fol- lowing my articles on the culture of bulbs, the explanations there are given at more length than what I purpose doing here, my idea being only to remind the reader of the proper season at which to plant, which is now. The same beds that have been used for summer flowers may be used again for l)ulbs, for, after clearing the bed of its rubbish, thoroughly spading and manuring it, it is ready for the reception of bulbs. Nothing unusual is necessary in preparing the beds, only to take care to plant at a suitable time. Tn a great many cases people .say : " How can you plant flower seeds ovei' tlie bulbs when they have done flower- ing in the spring ?" Just here is a point where I have found a great advantage in planting deep. Of course they must be planted according to their kinds, because some are larger bulbs, and some bulbs are earlier : but, if most of them are planted on the deep side, they need not be covered during winter, which in many cases is apt to rot the bulbs, on account of ton great warmth. \ have planted qiiaii tities of Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocuses, etc , and always planted deep, without covering, and T have liad very few miss in coming up ; whereas parties covering their beds have frerjuently iiad only half to grow. P(!ople have difterent ideas regard- ing the form in which to plant beds. They look very pretty if mas.sed — one bed with Tulips, another with Crocuses, another all Hyacinths, etc. ; but pretty effects may be obtained by planting a variety in a bed, for a tall variety in the centre such as Narcissus ; then the next row to consist of Tulips, and the next of Hyacinths, with an outside row of Crocuses and .Snowdrops inter- spersed. If a good bright show of colors is wished for, I do not think this could be secured in a better way than by massing double and single Tulips in a bed together. The coloi-s of this beautiful tribe of bulbs are always so brilliant they are always sure to give a good effect. The outlay need not be \ery large ; from fifty to one hundred bulbs in a bed four feet in diameter would be sufficient. As re- gards a scale of depth reijuired in planting : — Crocus may be planted three inches, Tulips six inches, and Hyacinths seven inches. Any other bulbs of the same size may be planted similarly. In conclusion, I would urge every person to try a few beds of these very beautiful flowers, and I feel confident that the result will be an extension of the beds every year. 254 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. ^:H!iifliiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiyiiyiiii«iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin M* tF©RESTRY*ZM '^^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllli!!!IUIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHllllllllllllillllll^ PRUNING AND TRANSPLANTING THE PINE. By J. P. COCKBURN, Gravenhurist, MrSKOKA. DURING the hottest weather in July, 15th to 28th, I pruned a second growth pinery, covering several acres. The trees had grown three to six inches through, and in some clumps the inside branches V^egan to wither for want of light and air. I pruned at this season because I found that the wound quickly and completely varnished itself with the resin formed from the e vapor ated turpentine. The limbs were sawn off close to the seal, which makes the least scar to cover over, and leaves the tree clean without the usual unsightly streams of half-dried turpentine, flow- ing from a bleeding and ulcerating wound, as when pruned out of season. At the same time I transplanted several young pines taking them up out of dry, warm sand, and planting them in like soil, giving them no more attention after the first watering. This was done partly for the sake of experiment, and partly to make shade in my little apiary. 1 now find all are growing finely, while those transplanted in May have all failed. The Pine will grow in any poor soil, and very soon becomes a most beautiful shade tree. In clumps on large grounds they are very desirable. The tree seems to defy the fiercest rays of the hot summers, and seems to delight in a dry, warm situation as well as in a moist situation in a swamp. I believe it can be transplanted with absolute certainty during the latter part of July. I shall try others of the Conifers next year at the same time. Forest Trees From Seeds. We sow all our tree seeds in .spring, and as the following rules are based on our own experience, they apply to spring sowing: — White Ash seeds ripen in early October, and fall after the first severe frost. They sliould be mixed with moist sand and not allowed to become dry before sowing. This same treatment should be followed with all the native Ash family, with one exception,namely, tlie Green Ash, which hangs on longer and will germinate if sown dry ; all others will remain dor- mant until the next .season, if sown dry. Hard Maple seeds ripen early in Oc- tober, and require the same treatment as the White Ash. Soft Maple seeds ripen in spring immediately before, or about the time that .\pple trees begin to blossom. They should be sown within a few days after having been gathered. Elm seeds ripen in spring, and they require the same treatment as those of the Soft Maple. Black Walnuts and all nuts with a pulpy covering may be spread in thin layers, say six inches deep, and cover ed with sods and litter to prevent them dying during the winter, in which case the pulpy covering will be easily dis- posed of in spring. Other Nuts and Acorns, together with .seeds of the Tulip Tree and Basswood, are more safely treated as recommended for Ash and Hard Maple seeds. Catalpa and Ailanthus seeds are kept dry during winter, and sown rather late in spring. CA NA DIA N UOHTICUL TURIS T. 256 Birch and Aider seeds are kej)t dry and sown dry early in sprinjj;. Locust seeds and all those of that family arc kept dry through tiie winter and soaked in hot water immediately before sow- ing. All seeds with a Heshy covering, such as Apple, Cherry, Mountain Ash, Cucund^er Tree, Bullalo Berry, Red Cedar and Holly, are wasiied free from the pulp, mixed with sand, and sown in sj)ring. We make an exception generally with the Red Cedar and the Kolly, as they never germinate evenly in the spring ; therefore, we bury them in a rot heap during two winters and one summer and sow the following spring. Poplar and Willow seeds are very fine and delicate and require skill. close attention and continual moisture during the early part of the season. Therefore it is cheaper and surer to raise them from clippings than from seeds. All seeds mixed with sand must be placed so that water will not stand around them. Frost will not injure them unless in a position where they will freeze dry. A cool shed where they are protected from sun and wind will be a proper place. — R.Dorr; LAS, in Garden and Forest. Care of Shrubs Persoxs who neglect the shrubs, thinking tkey will care for themselves, know little what the same species will be if regularly invigorated with stimu lating fertilizers in autumn or early spring, says an agricultural writer. T prefer the former season, as the manure becomes assimilated by the soil when the roots are beginning to grow and extract nouiishment. Not only will application of manure and frequent stirring of the soil produce an increase of bloom, but the color will be intensified and the size of the individual flowers increased in every instance. Although I think midsummer about the best time to trim siirubs into shape, still it is an operation tijat should ncsver be neglect- ed at any time. Sti-aggling, tangled nuisses of limbs "do'' in a wdd bit of landscape, apart from the cultivated grounds, but there is no excuse for them where beauty of form and careful training should be the rule. In regard to the objection that pruned shrubs present a formal a|)pearance, it may be .said that there is a point at which to .stop the work, contenting one's self with merely cutting off a too vigorous shoot, or even perliaps trimming one side of a shrub to preserve a regular outline. Training shrubs to a single stem, in what is known as the tree form, rarely proves satisfactory in our usually hot, dry climate ; they seem to need a little shade about the roots and steuiS. and foliage furnishes it. Very pretty effects are pi-oduced abroad, however, by this tree-form, in a variety of the stronger growing shrubs, and especially when grafted high, but I doubt if they will ever prove popular here. There is a class of tender shrubs annually killed to the ground that should receive more attention. I allude to such species as Callocarpa purpurea with its mass of autumnal, purplish-violet berries, and Desmodium pendulafiorum bearing beautiful garlands of lovely drooping flowers late in summer. Tiie i,oots of these are rarely injured, and they irrow vigorously. — Ex. !56 CA .¥A DIA N HORTICULTURIST. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its valuable Annual Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees. REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label. Notes and Comments. Enlargement.— We call attention of all members of our Association to the proposed enlargement, of this journal to thirty-two pages. Will all those who read this, and desire such enlargement help it on by sending in as long lists of new subscribers as possible before January 1st. llosES, Six Best ; Winter Care of, ETC. — At our Picton meeting, Mr. F. Mitchell, a successful rose-grower, on being asked which were the best six roses, gave the following as his choice, viz : — Gen. Washington, Victor Ver- dier, La France, Madame Gabriel Luizi't, Co(]uette des Alps, and Prince Camille de Rohan. To keep them clear of insect pests he advised showei'ing them with tobacco water, especially for thrips and aphides. Pruning after spring blooming will cause the busii to send up fresh shoots, and give bloom later on. Near winter the bushes should be covered with cedar boughs, which are better than straw, as the latter favors mildew, and sometimes kills the buslies. It is best to cover all kinds of roses, except Mosses and the old Cabbage rose, and even these are the better for it. If they seem too stiff to bend readily, a little digging on one side will render them more easy to manage. QUESTION DRAWER Seedling Apple from Ottawa. 104. 7 KNci.osK (ill aiKjtheri.iickage) a .sample of a .seedling ai)i)le I jjicked up on the market. The tree has been growing for .several year.s at the foot of "the Laurentians " near this city and i!< said to be otlirrli/ hnrily. This i.s a far .sample of medium size, I saw apples off the .same tree largsr. The ta.ste, to my mind, is against it being a sweet or nearly so, still I thought I would send it along. I cannot say as to its keeping.— G. W. FA\ycE'iT, 0tta7va,0nt, CA .XA I) J A \ IIOR TlCfJJ. TliRlST. This apple is abovr ineclium size, ;ind roundish, oblate conical in form. Skin smooth, yellow, with bright crimson blush. Cavity rather large, funnel shape. Calyx closed in a deep corru- gated basin. Flesh, yellowish white, sweet, tender. If hardy, a fairly good fall eating apple,especiall y for the north. Reany's Seedling- Apple from Chatham. 105. 1 sKM) you hy tliis same mail a sample «if a seedling apple grown by Mr. S. Reany, a few miles from here. Thi.s gentleman exhibited some fine s[)ecinieiis of this fruit at our late fair, and after tasting it I was favorably im- It may Ix; thus described : — Fruit aliovc medium size, almost round. Skin smooth, slightly uneven. Color, rich golden yellow, sprinkled moderately with small grey and light dots. Stalk three quarters of an inch long, inserted in a funnel shaped slightly russoted cavity. Basin abrupt, even. Calyx partially open. Flesh yellow, tine grained, juicy, with sprightly, vinous Havor. Core small. Quality very good to best. We give our readers an outline of ^ section of this apple, and from sample Fio 82.— Rkany'n Skkdmn pressed with its (piality. It is not (|uite rijie yet (Oct. 4) and I faney that lateron the (Hiality would he much improved.— J. H. Wis.mkk, Port Eliiin, (hit. We also tire very favorably impressed with this apple, both for appearance and (juality. It is rather a larger apple than Grimes' Golden and has much the same golden yellow color of skin, but is evidently a fall apple, in season about from October to Decem- ber. sent us judge it to bean excellent table apple. We advise Mr. Reany to send scions to the Experimental Farm, Ottawa, for further te.sting, and also, if he choose, to the writer. Mushrooms, True and False. 106. VVot'LK you please to answer through your HoUTUl l.Tt'lU.sT how to tell the difference i)etween mushrooms .uid to,\dstt colored flowers, soinewh.at reseiii bling the cormiion Mallow, but l;ir<,'er' iSouie of the Altheas were claimed to be hardy when first introduced here, but have not proved so. The oidy plants which can be classed with the Hil)i.scus and which are hardy here, aic the Herbaceous Mallows. The Garden Walk. 8ee page 207. A correspondent in London, Ont., writes : " Boiling water will desti'oy weeds in walks. This is with a thick l)lue bloom on the sunny side, dotted with numerous fawn colored speck.s. Suture distinct, dividing the plum into unetjual parts. Flesh orange, very juicy, rich and e.vcellent, separates freely from the stone. Very good. September. Covering Grape Vines. 110. SiK.— 1 have between eighty and ninety ifiape vnies ; they are Ci.ncords, Modre's Early, Kogers, one each of Pocklington, Amlx-r l^ieen, August (iiant, and half a dozen Ger- niania. The (ienuania is a white grape. I had a si)lendid crop thi.s year and rijtened well, eojisidering the wet fall. But what I want t.. know from you is, Is it necessary after pruning the vines (which I am now doing), to take theni off the trellises and lay theni down and jiar tially cover them ? This I have been in the a cheap and cleanly gi-avel or slat walks." lode for sma ]. habit of doing every fall, with pieces of gre M.d. Now I am told that up west the vii Owen Sound Beauty Plum. lOil. 1 SKNK you l.y expn-ss to-day (< )tt. 8) tliree seedling plums for your inspection. Plea.xe let me knr)w yotu- o])inion through that valuable i)ai.er Thk Hoktici i.ti ki.st. The tree is a very rai)id lu-altliy grower, with thick broad leaves. This is the second year for bear- ing ; the recent rain and storm of Tuesday night has spoiled the ripest and largest of the fruit The tree is grown from a large red plum that is in this neighborliood, from suckers for the last twenty-five years. It is also supposed to be a seedlnig. I have named it the Owen Sound Beauty. Will s^ive you a better le one for the commercial orchard, both on account of its e.\cellence as a ile.ssert plum and its latene.ss of ripening. The fruit may be described as large. nearly globular. Skin brownish purple green vines are not taken frt)m the trelli.se.s. If the trouble wn my raspberry and blackberry canes by laying a bit of rotten sod on the top«, just enough to keep them down. You will kindly give me above information in the next LSSUe of the HoKTK TI.TIHIST. -J.\MKS Kos.\MO.M>, Almotitf. So. It would be veiy unwise in the county of Lanark to omit the pre- caution of laying down the vines in the fall. South of Lake Ontario vines are usually left up, but no doubt it would pay even here to lay them down and cover them with a little earth, in the increased yield of fruit. You are also wise in protecting your rasp l)i'iry and l)lack berry canes. Pear Culture for Profit. 111. I .\M thinking of planting uut a small pear orchard ; woiiUl like t<> have your opinion as to the advisaliility of such a proceeding. Is there a good denumij for pears at paying jirices in our Canadian cities? If so. wliat varieties w.nild it be a«lvisable to plant ? The soil is clay loam ; fruit would have to be ship|>ed by rail. Locdity— about thirty miles west of .St. Thomas, ten miles from Lake Krie. H. HiNK, IhitUm, Out. A pear orchard may be planted in any part of Southern Ontario, on clay 260 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. loam, with a reasonable prospect of fair returns, but we would not feel justified in assuring our correspondent of any extraordinary profits. Only this sea- son the writer has had some 50 bis. of Barletts slaughtered in a glut in the city of Montreal at from $2.00 to $4.00 per barrel, and expenses to be deducted. For a while Toronto market was also glutted That is over now, and Louise and Duchess are selling at good prices. As a rule, from |4.00 to $6 00 per barrel may be reasonably expected for all good varieties of pears in our city markets, but better prices may often be obtained in small towns north of our fruit regions than in such cities as London, Toronto, and Mon- treal. With regard to varieties, there are many that are promising, but we would recommend for summer pears Doyenne d'Ete, Rostiezer, Clapps' Favorite and Bartlett; for fall. Duchess and Louise as dwarfs, and Beurr(^ d'Anjou and Doyenne Boussock as standards ; and for winter, Lawrence, Winter Nelis, and Josephine d'Malines. Facing- Up Peaches. 112. The other day a citizen bought fioiii a Queen street fruiterer for $1.50 each two boxes of Crawford peaches. But when they were opened it was found thac there was merely a layer of Crawfords along the top of each basket, and that all the rest of the contents were of a very inferior vaiiety. Naturally the citizen was indignant, and he ordered the baskets back to the dealer, and asked that they be replaced by genuine Crawfords. But the fruiterer represented that he had bought the peaches for Crawfords, and was not aware that the baskets were loaded up the other way, and declined to make any reparation. The citizen then carried his appeal to the police authorities, and there was informed that he had no remedy unless he could establish that the dealer was aware that the fruit was not of the character represented. Now, is not this putting a premium on ignorance? It is all very well to ar^ue that the fruiterer buys in good faith, and is no party to the fraud com- mitted by the grower and i^acker, but ought not he to ascertain that the fruit is of the kind ordered ? and if he has been victimised he ought to seek his remedy against the shi|)per, just as the retail buyer should have his remedy against the dealer from whom he purchases. The retail dealer has no business to ask the public to share the risks he assumes in buying his stock, perhaps from growers of doubtful methods and questionable honesty, and when he sells a box of Crawford peaches that are not Crawford peaches, no matter whether or not he be a partner in the fraud, the customer has a right to protection, and a right to insist that the dealer shall know what he sells, and, where the goods sujiplied are not according to sample and reijresentations, he ought to fill the condi- tions of sale or refund the money. Besides, a great deal of the most objectionable " facing" is done, not by the fruit-growers, but by the storekeepers, who, by covering up bad fruit with good, make to-day's consignments of fruit carry off the remnants of last week's receipts. — Toronto Globe. We have no pity to waste upon any grower or fruit-dealer who is found practising the contemptible trick of " facing " up his fruit with extra selected specimens, and concealing second class stock in the interior of the package. It is an old saying that "there are tricks in all trades except ours," and truly, if any class of men are supposed to be free from trickery, it is that to which the " honest farmer ' belongs. But now it appears that even among that class there are some who love the dollar better than they do their fair name. We wish to emphatically condemn such trickery as pure dishonesty, and unworthy of any respectable fruit- grower. It brings disgrace upon one of the most attractive, as well as most ennobling, of rural occupations — the culture of fruit trees and vines. Nor does it pay ; for instead of making money he loses it. The shipper of such packages is soon "spotted" by dealers in our markets, and his fruit is looked on with suspicion, and sold at a discount. ('A AA I)/ A y llOliTICUL TVRIST. .'01 On tin- otliei- li.itui, it is nuitt' pos- ibie to build up sucli a reputation for honesty in the market to which one ships that one's fruit is sought after, and even sold in advance at top prices. This is done by grading one's fruit into classes, and always keeping each grade uniform throughout each pack- age. A basket of second-class peaciies scattered through several baskets of tirst-class ones will give the whole a second-class appearance. Our custom is to make three grades of most fiuits, viz. : — extra, tirst-class, and second- class, and to mark the grade and name of the sliipper upon the package. Any fruit uutit for No. 2 is thrown out or fed to stock. We believe, however, that very few fruit-growers in Canada, if any, could be found who would do so mean a trick as the one above described. The temp- tation is great to place a shade larger and Hner Crawfords on the top of a basket, but to face up an inferior variety with them is a meaner act .than we can credit to any membei- of our fraternity. Fruit Evaporating. li;i. Ca.v .voii inform iiie wlitTf a 'fin»\ niacliine for evaporating fruit can be pur- chased? Any amount of apples go to waste in this section, ajul there is a good o])enijig here for that liusiness. The local market is glutted with fall apples, and there is not even a cider mill about. I have a thousand bushels of apjtles alonp the banks of river which are unfit for shipinng. The Canadian Hokticil- TURIST is just what I want in this section. — JosKi'H Book, Rnckford (Leeds Co.) H. D. Moody, 353 King street west, Toronto, makes a very good evaporator. The American Manufacturing Co., Waynesboro", Pa., al.so adverti.se evap- orators. Two Fine French Pears. 114. — I sKNi) you by express to-day two varieties of pears (three of each) that I sup- pose have not fiMiited before in this country The Trioiii|ihe de Vieniie is the pale yellow sort, which I fi'ar will be overri(te when you receivt! it. It fruited with me last year for "the first. The Belle d'Kcully is now in fruit for the first time here. It may not ripen up well, as I nuiy have picked it too early. It is stated to ripen in France the last of August or early in Septenil)er, but here it seems hardly in condi- tion to pick yet. The trees seem to be very prolific bearers, and, if of good fiavor, the size of the fruit should make them i)rofitable for market. I have budded stocks this season for the first. The enclosed descriptions are from Transon Brothers' Catalogue, Orleans, France : — Triomi)he de Vienne — F'ruit very large, and of good (piality ; ripens middle of August. One of the largest pears known. Belle d'Kcully — F'ruit very large, (J inches high and 1 foot in circumference ; flesh fine, very melting, sugary, and vinous ; rij)ening end of August and September. This tree is productive. — W. Hoi.ton, Hamilton, Sept. iJ, These samples came duly to hand, and in good order. The Triomphe de Vienne in general appearance re-sembles a large sized Bartlett, but is more re- gular in outline. The ilesh is also similar in texture, being white, and exceedingly tine grained and buttery ; but it is, if anything, more juicy, and the Havor superior. It is truly a luscious pear, and will, no doubt, be a valuable addition to the few pears worthy of cultivation in the commer- cial orchard in Canada. Of the Belle d'Ecully we cannot speak, for it is still very green and hard in appearance (September 27), except to say that it is a very large pyriforra, and would certainly never come into our markets at the time stated in the descrip- tion above, l)ut would probably be in season with our excellent Duchess. CA .y^ DIA N Hon TIC UL TUNIS T. OPEN LETTERS. From Capleton Place. SiK,— Any snow apples I have seen this year grown in this vicinity, are free from s|)()t,' my own are perfectly clean, whereas last year they were badly affected. I trust this immunity has been general throughout the country. I did not spray my trees with Paris green, as I had berries, etc., growing under them, and in consequence some of them suffered terribly, others escaped with but few apples damaged by the codling worm. Grai)es did well except a few of the late sorts, which did not ripen well on account of the cold wet weather in Sei>- tember. The Niagara grape vine I got from vou last year is doing well ; and I have about a dozen young Jessie strawberry plants from those received this year ; there were two or three berries on them, but they were neither very large nor very well formed. I will expect better results next year. Plums did well. My trees averaged about •me and a half pails (patent) each, and they are all young, say two to three inclies in diam'eter, and they were worth from 75c. to 50c. jier pail, according to time of picking. I had the pleasure of meeting President McD. Allan, at Sault Ste. Marie, on his way west, as we were both staying at the same hotel. He seemed to be : i sy collecting informa- tion regarding the fruit gi-owing cai)abilities of that pretty neighborhood. 'I'rusting that your most useful journal mav have ever increasing prosperity. — Wm. H. WvLiE, Carleton Place, Oct. 12, 188S. Trees and Plants Tested at Maple Grove, Middlesex Co. FROM THE .ASSOCIATION. 1. Fays'' Prolific Currant has done fairly well, and I have set some young bushes froin it. 2. Lucretia Dewberry gave some few lierries last year, and set a great many yourt? plants and gives promise of an fabundart crop this year. I much prefer the ordinar ' blackberries. 3. The Nimjara Grope grew but got l)roken down, and is jmshing bud from the root. 4. The Doyenne Bmismck Pear that was sent to me this year shows some signs of growth. FRO.M OlHEK SOURCES. Roses are my favorites and I find no trouble in growiner them even from seed, of which I have some that has given me very good flowers. I shall have some new ones this season. Of the named varieties, the Gen. Jacqueminot gave me a good display of brilliant flowers until 'ate in the season. Perfection des Blanches commenced quite early and continued until frost ; Comtesse de Serenye is not as hardy as some, but is an excellent rose. La Reine has headed the class in the way of large flowers, aiif the Puritan I'otivto. I also jfot a |>eck from Peter Henderson and I can fully indorse all vour friend says of the I'uritan. Next to the i'uritan I tliink there is no potato e(|ual to the Rosy Morn. Vour friend seeins to have had no luck with his Tree Tomato. I do not know where he got his seed, hut 1 gut a itacket of seed of the "Champion Dwarf Toinato" fron- I'i'ter Henderson, which .seed was sown in a hot bed about the tenth of .April and I think every seed grew, as I raised over sixty ])lants, thirty of which I planted out in .]\\w and I may say I never had better toma- toes, a good size, very even and smooth, Havor excellent. Each plant yielded from a peck to half a bushel. The balanc of the i.laiits 1 gave to my friends who all said they never had better tomatoes. A market gardener wIki grovs s every year over half an acre, asked for some to nave for seed. In color thej' somewhat resemble the .\cme, between that and the Hathaway. The ))ear I got this spring Iuim made a good and healthy growth and I tnist 1 may be spared to report the fruit. I hope to get you a few new subscribers this fall. I consider the report of the Knt« mologi- cal Society worth far more than the dollar I paid in. If farmers and fruit growers would study their interest, your membership should be doubled a)id nuich sunshine would be added to their homes every month when they handed your valuable journal to tln-ir wives and daughters. Wishing you and the society every success. — f'llAs. .Tas. 1m)\, Dchivarr, Ont., Oct. 0, IScSS OUR FRUIT MARKETS. Montreal.— Heavy Apple Exports. TiiK continued heavy sliipnients ..f apples from this port bears out our former statements regarding the abundant croji of fall fruit, as they have surpassed all records of previous seasons to date. For week ending September :i;i, there were shipped from this port 21,7!)<> bbls., making a total of StiA'M bbls. for the season, against 13,155 bbls. for the corresponH2 for the same |)eriod in 1887, showing an increase ..f 34,!)67 bbls The disposition of last week's .■«iiipments from this |)ort were 5,(587 l)l)ls. for Ijiverpool, (j,.")53 bbls. for London, !»,35() fur tJlasguw, 200 bbls. for Bristol, 2!» bbls. for ll.inihurg, and a small shipment to Paris in lioxes. It will be noted that the ex)»orts from Montreal last week were ahead of those from New York, which dealers remind us never occurred before at this season. Some laige .sales of New York State ap]iles have been nuide to Montreal shippers. 7,000 bbl.s. .if Kings having been sold to one firm, costing from «1.25 to §2.20 i.er bbl., or an average of $1.75 jier bbl. laid down here. Several car loads of winter fruit have arrived and were dis|>osed of at ^l.'.tO per bbl. Several nnuid lots of New York State Baldwins have l)eeii sold at .?1 to $1.25 per bbl. at )K)ints of shij.- ment. Western winter apples in this market range from §1.75 to ••?2 j)er bbl. Montreal Kameuse have .s. .Id at $2 in large lots at the orchards, and are being re.sold at §2.25 to ?2..")0. Latest reports from England are di.scouraging owing to the large shipments now arriving there. A private cable was received in this city to-day from Liverpool which read : - "Ston .shipping." Exporters therefme are ai)i)rehending slaughter sales, and state that they will be surj.rised if their expectati..iis are not realized. Messrs. Simon, Shuttleworth & Co. cabled Wednesday's Li\eri.ool market to Mr. Walter Webling as folL.ws: Baldwins lis. to 13s., Kings 18s. to 20s., (in^enings lOs. to 12., Rib- stons 12s. to 14s., Cranberry and 20 oz, lis. to 13s., Jennettings 88. to 10s., Calverts and (ira- vensteins 10s. to 12s. Only the choicest fruit fetched the outside quotations, and the market is very flat except for tine grades of sound fruit. Present sui)plies ex-jeed the ref|uire- ments, but the j.rices are now down to a point which will largi'ly increase consumption. Messrs. Garcia, Jacobs & Co. cabled Wed- nesday's London market as follows :—" Rib- st.ins 17s. to IDs., .lennettings l>s. to lis., Calverts and Gravensteins 10s. to 12s. tonality and condition are being well paid for. but lower grades and conditions are very weak." — Trrt'/r /iiiflctht. Oct. .;, ISSS. Low Prices Explained. TiiK low pries which have been made in the English markets are due to the enormous (juaii- tities of fall apples which went forward. London had still plenty of small fruit on hand, and this had als.. a bad etfect on the prices. I have constantly been saying not to ship in- ferior kinds, and what was the bulk of the apples which have been shipiied '' Not two- thirds of the ditferi-nt varieties weiv wanted in the London market. The croi) being very large nearly all ..v.-r the States and Canada, shippers must j.ay special attention to the varieties and packing. London wants only the best fruit. I am con- vinced that »/«<«/ winti-r apples will do well. - .fos. Hki.I.KMANS, Minilrni/, lUth Octohn; />». Losses in Apples. Shipi'KK.s complain l..udly ..f the lo.s.s.s lately sustained on tneir consignments to (Jreat Bri tain, some having lost $1.00 to ."J1.25 \ht bbl. This, howev.'r. w.is not unexi)ected aft.T tin- 264 CA iVA I) J A A' UORTICUL WRIST. glutted condition of tlie English market with Canadian and American fruit became known. On this market a little better demand has been experienced for choice sound fall varie- ties at $1.35 to i|;i.40 per bbl. Snows have sold in a jobbing way at -Sl.liO, and Montreal Fanieuse at $2. Winter varieties are quoted all the way from $1.90 to iri.15 and $2.20, ac- cording to packing and selection. Several English orders, we understand, have been filled at $2.15 for choice varieties. On the other hand, some quote sales of winter fruit as low as $1.75, and others again say that the transactions referred to at this figure were .short sales.— Tra(/c BnUetin, Oct. 19. packed, will at all times find ready buyers, at fair, if not high, prices. It may be of interest for you to know that the English potato crop will only be two-fifths compared with last year ; and the Scotch and Irish crop is also considerably reduced. Philadelphia. Messrs. Pancoast & GRiFFETHsmake quota- ions as follows under date of Oct. 15 :— Apples are in light supply,and the market is (irm,under a good demand. Pears are in fair demand and steady, under moderate supplies. Grapes are plentiful, but sell readily at quotations. Cran- berries continue firm and active, \vith suijplies well cleaned up. Apples, Maiden Blush, Gravenstine, Twenty Ounce Apples and Black Detroit, choice, per bbl., $2.40 to $2^50 ; apples, other well colored, per bbl., $1.75 to $2.00 ; apples, Genetting, Colvert Pippin, etc., per bbl.. $1.50 to $1.75 ; apples, windfalls and common, per bbl., $1.00 to $1.25 ; quinces, per bbl., as to quality, $2.00 to $3.50 ; pears, Seckel, per bbl., $0.00 to $8.00; pears. Duch- ess, per bbl., $3.00 to $4.50 ; pears. Virgalieu, per bbl $2.00 to $4.00. Liveppool and Glasgow. Messrs. Green & Whinevay, K ,30 Ex- change Buildings, Liverpool, send apple cata- logue of 3,565 bbls. American and Canadian apples, sold during week ending 6th Oct.^ Baldwins sold from 10s. to 14s. ; Kings, lis. to 20s. ; Greenings, 9s. to 10s. New York, October 15th, 1S88. Dear Sir, — Messrs, J. C. Houghton & Co., Liverpcjol, advise by cable that American ap- ples are lower there in consequence of heavy arri- vals. The parcels ex. steamers " City of Rome," " Wisconsin," and " Michigan," together with part of those ex. " Celtic," were disposed of to- day at the following range of prices :— Bald- wins, good, lis. to 12s. ; Baldwins, ordinary, 10s. to 10s. 6d. ; Greenings, 8s. 6d. to lis. ; Spitz, 10s. 9d. to 12s. ; Northern Spy, 10s. to lis. 6d ; Kings, 13s. to 18s. ; Boston Baldwins, 9s. 3d. to 10s. ; Hubbardsons, 9s. 3d. to 9s. 6d. Messrs. James Lindsay & Son, Glasgow, cable the following prices in that market :— Baldwins, 10s. to 13s. ; Greenings, 10s. to lis. ; Canada Red. 12s. to 13s. ; Snow apples, lis. to 12s.— De Long,Mayer & Co., per Josiah Rich. Covent Gapden, London, England. Mr. J. B. Thomas, of this market, writes as follows -.—Our market is much more decided. The weather is becoming colder. Pears and plums nearly over ; apples are therefore being enquired after. Large arrivals from Nova Scotia are expected, but our market can take therp. Good colored, fine fruit, honestly Closer Connection with the English Consumer. Sir, — Looking over your last month's issue I read a letter from one anxious to make the bond closer between consumer and grower. We in England are somewhat slow to adopt any radical alteration in business principles, however paramount the imijortance and conclu- sive the evidence of success in the improvement. This principle of producer getting as near as possible to the consumer has been trum]3eted often enough in our papers, but our producer-s do little towards helping themselves in this matter, partly because probably their capital is exhausted just now without fresh enter]»rises, and secondly because commission salesmen and buyers arc so numerous, and ]irofits are cut so small that it hardly ]jays the uninitiated to at- tempt impi'ovement on that side in this country. But with i-egard to the enormous shipments from Canada, this seems to me different. For producer to reach actual consumer at the dis- tance of 3,000 miles is too much to hope yet. But that the intermediate profits might be re- duced, seems certain. You cannot, Mr. Pro- ducer, touch our English consumer who rarely buys more than his day's supply of fruit, and could not be persuaded to try a barrel of apples even if you offered it at one dollar. Nor can you improve much if you take the next step, i.e., the retail fruiterer. Few indeed of these buy more than two days' supply, at most two or three barrels. But the next, the wholesaleman — the market ^lesman it seems to me should certainly be your limit — he can (if anything like a business) take at least his 100 barrels of mixed sorts, say 20 Baldwins, 20 Spies, 20 Greenings, 20 Kings, and 20 of any other kind in season, whilst special traders would order their 100 Newtowns in addition. If there are no advantages in ship rates in quantities over and above this, then I am surprised this step 1 as not been taken long ago. I for one am quite ready to begin by lodging my references ;vnd offering to pay on bill of lading for a trial shipment, and so procure my own goods direct and save time attending sales and running risk of getting various brands and qualities, and giving the shipper the increased profit on his goods.— F. J. Smith, Fruit Salesman, Spital- fields Market, London. Grand Trunk Railway Favoritism. It is reported to this office that soni" ai)ple shipper in Ontario has a private agreement with the Grand Trunk Railway which gives him a through rate from Western Ontario to Liverpool of 48 cts. per barrel ! We hope this is a mistake, but we are assur- ed of its truth. Such favoritism is unfair. We all should stand upon an even footing in this matter, and if such a contract is given one, it should be allowed us all around, iiiistead of the $1.00 rate now charged us. c p b:5^ •r 0) 01 > yv <»'i':3 llllilll " 3^^ ?^' j: si s THE Caijadiai] horticulturist. Vol. XI, 1888. X... 1 ^" ..^JtVtf^ K - FT J '^r K THE MOVER GRAPE. ALTHOUGH we had prepared a colored plate of greater excellence from an arti- ^"^^ stic point of view for this number, yet we readily give place to this one of the Moyer grape because it represents a Canadian hybrid. We believe it is the duty of our Association to encourage originators of seedling or hybrid fruits in Canada, with the hope of discovering those best littcd for our climate, just as much as it is our duty to protect our membership against humbugs. The year 1887 brought under our notice two new varieties of grapes of Canadian origin, one white and ono red, and both apparently of fair pro- mise. The white one originated on the banks of the Ottawa, and is fully described by Mr. P. E. Bucke in his article in this number, from which it is evident that he is fully convinced of its e.vcellence. Some sample bunches were received at this office a few weeks ago, and impressed us favorably both with regard to size of bunch and ex cellence of flavor. Beyond this we can .say nothing definitely until the grape has been generally tested. The other one referred to is the sub- jectof thisarticle, the Moyer, concerning which alsowecansay but little, either in the way of recommendation or dispar- agement, until we have tested it on our own grounds, and it has been tried in various parts of our Province. Mr. Allen Moyer, of St. Catharines, after whom the grape is named, claims for it many points of excellence, which are now being retailed i!i the American horticultural journals. We hope soon 266 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. to secure enough plants for distribution and thus liave it properly tested. The grape was produced about eight years ago by Mr. W. N. Read, of Port Dalhousie, Lincoln Co., Ontario, by fertilizing the Delaware with Miller's Burgundy. The quality is very good, the flavor being sweeter than the Delaware, though not quite as spright- ly. The bunch is about the size of the Delaware, though not always shoul- dered ; while the berry is a little larger, and the color a good deal darker red. The skin is thin, but tough enough to make it a good shipper. When over- ripe the grape gradually shrivels up and dries into raisins. The vine is said to be vigorous, though a rather short jointed and compact grower, so it may be planted much nearer than such strong growers as the Concord. It is also claimed that it is very hardy, and entirely free from mildew. As with the Northern Light, one great point made in favor of this grape is its earliness, ripening in Lincoln county about August 15th, and a couple of weeks in advance of the Delaware. DISPOSING OF THE APPLE CROP. THE month of October, usually one of the brightest of the whole year in Ontario, was this year one of the most dismal. It seemed as if October and November had changed places to try the patience of the anxious fruit- grower. As a result the apples in many orchards are still ungathered in the first week of November, excepting those which have been blown down by the winds. There are few apple buyers about, and freezing weather may soon be expected, so the question, " What is best to do with my apples ? " is not easily answered. One of our neighbors who has just received a cable quoting prices in London, Liverpool and Glasgow, says : " Unless 1 receive more encouraging- news by the time I have my apples gathered and packed, I will roll them into my cellar." Another says : "I had an offer from a shipper of $1 to $1.15 per barrel for my fruit as it lay in piles in my orchard, so I sold at once." Many have accepted an offer from the Canning Factory Co., who buy at 25 cents per bushel every kind and qual- ity, and ship the choicest and evapor- ate the rest. Well, if it will pay a company to do this, surely it will pay our larger orch- ardists to do it for themselves. A writer in the Farm and Home who lives in Maine, speaking of evaporating apples, says : " If orchardists want the greatest returns from their trees, they must be prepared to dispose of their products in the most economical and profitable way. I have found that to evaporate second quality apples is a good plan, but the fruit must be taken before it is dead ripe, the expense depending great- ly on the condition of the fruit, whether it be badly bruised and soft or not. The fruit I evaporate is nearly all from grafted trees and averages 6 lbs. per bu. CA NA DIA N II OR TICUL TUIilS T. 2(M The avera<^e natural fruit will make \ lbs. per bu. ; Baldwins aiid Greenings, G to 7 ; Kussets, 8. My average expense for evaporating and boxing lias been 3ic. per lb., or at the rate of 20e. per bu. About 10c. is the aveiage price at wholesale for evaporated apples. I use an Ameri- can evaporator that is intended foi- l)leaching apples, but it is not desiral)le. The dry fruit should bo bleached from five to eight minutes in a separate place, and as soon as it is cut and spread on the trays it should go thence directly to the evaporator. There will thus be no complaint of smell or taste of sulphur in the apple. Another fault 1 found with my evaporator wa.^ that it was built to take the apples into the top and deliver them next the furnace. In this way it is impossible to keep the desired amount of heat without scorch- ing the apples. I improved this by entering the apples over the furnace and by taking them out dry at the upper end. Steam heat in pipes would be much more economical than furnace lieat. " Expenses for making, this crop sale- able doubtless vary in different locali- ties. My apples are cut and placed on trays by women at 60c. per day. A man is employed to attend the evapor- ator and he is paid .^1. Six hands dry, on tlie average, 150 lbs. per day. One must not expect to get rich drying apples. The fuel costs me $3 per cord. When one has a (juantity of apples hardly Ht for market, he can get a fair profit by drying them. I consider it safe to dry all that are not worth .i^l per bbl. at the door without the barrels. The fruit is sometimes quite scabby, and when it is so afflicted it seldom pays to pack it for market. I put such fruit through my evaporator and think it pays." The same ditliculty in getting the apple crop properly harvested and packed in time for shipment is evident- ly experienced by our neighbors in New York State, as will be seen from the following extract from the Count nj (jHntleman of Nov. 1, written by a resident of Wayne county : "All through this .section from (As wego to Itochester, a distance of seven ty-tive miles along the lake, tlie apple crop is very large and of fine quality, and not more than one-half gathered. A great many have sold iheir orchards in a lump to the evaporators. Others shake and sell to the evaporators by the one hundred pounds, they paying from 30c. to 32c. i)er hundred delivered. This makes a rapid way to handle them, as a large crop can be gathered in one- quarter the time it would take to pick them, and with labor high and scarce as it is this fall, 1 think it pays as well as to pick and barrel them at present prices. Kings brought 81.7") to §2. Dealers are now paying .$1.25 per barrel for winter fruit, but as most large orchards are not yet gathered there is very little shipping being done." "Why don't you ship to a British market ?" we asked a neighboring orchardist. "Ah!" said he, "I have tried that once too often already." The trouble is very few people will take the trouble to grade apples as thev should be when they must have so much expense put on them as exporta- tion involves. How many separate their first-class apples into large and small sizes ; or pack the large high colored ones separately as extras ? Are these not more often used to face up the infer- ior grades ? And as a result the whole lot sells, not for superior fruit, but for the price of the inferior quality, of which the bulk of the barrel is found to consist. Unless one is prepared to undertake all this trouble, it is no doubt better to sell at home for any certain price, rather than risk a dead loss by shipping to a very distant market. 268 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. THE SEASON AND THE CROPS. By JoiJN Croil, Aultsvillb, Okt. THAT often talked-of individual, the oldest inhabitant, can't tell us of a season like the past one. At the time of oui- summer meeting in July, the country through which I passed fi'om Brockville to Picton, and all the surrounding district, was suffer- ing from long continued drought ; no rain, I am told, had they had since their seed time. I saw the mowing machine at work, but very little to gather after it. Barley and other grain was ripening prematurely. I was told of one farmer, owner of a good hundred-acre farm, who expected to take in his whole crop to the barn in one wagon load, and many farmers vYould hardly get their seed back. Here in Stormont we were more favored. Although we had a short time of hot weather in July, it was not of so long continuance as to injure our crops. About the middle of August a wet time set in, and since then a fine day has been the exception. Doubt- less many who read these pages have seen the seaport town of Greenock in Scotland, notable for rain. Thirteen months in the year, the sailors say, it rains there. Remember, too, they may, the wee laddie's answer to the traveller's inquiry, "Does it always rain here?" " No, it whiles snaws." Well, besides the drenching rains of these months we have had hard frost and snow too ; everything tender is nipped. Grapes, corn, melons and such things as require our full summer, have ripened but im- perfectly. Yet on the whole, we have reason to be thankful for the year's production ; enough we have for man and for beast. The vegetable garden did well. Of the varieties we tried in Beets. — Edmonds Early Turnip is deserving of all the praise given it in the catalogue. Exceedingly sweet and tender in quality, very deep blood red in color, and of good marketable size, we find them preferable to all others. Carrots.— Danver's Half LongOrange, although not a novelty, is worthy of notice as one of the best kinds for family use. Caulijimoer — Vick's Ideal. The best kind we ever raised ; quite early ; large handsome heads, often weighing 10 to 12 lbs. Corn. — Early Corn, for earliness takes the lead ; the ears are of good size, and fair quality. For late use, Stowell's Evergreen still stands un- rivalled. Cucumber. — Burpee's Giant Peru, of large size, perfectly smooth and straight, we value more as a novelty than from any extra excellence in quality ; the same may be said of a kind growing bright yellow, the seed of which Mr. Goldie, of Guelph, picked up in his travels in Holland. Celery. — NeWes Self-Blanching sur- passes in quality all the self-blanching kinds we have tried. Solid, orisp and of delicious flavor. Cabbage.— 'Extra, Early Express. — The earliest, solid, good-sized heads, just the thing for market gardeners. We had some enormous heads of Bur- pee's Sure-head (late variety ). CAiVA DJAN UORTICULTURJST 269 Pea>i. — Aiiiericaii Wonder we sowed as late as 1 8th of August, too late for the bhvckbirds, as they had migrated. Quite as much of a treat as tlie early sowed ones, and more of a rarity. Passing on to the small fruits : — Raspberries, Currants and (iOuse._ berries were a good crop, but the birds claimed the lion share. Strawberries did well. Twelve rows, each 300 feet long, of mixed kinds, yielded about 1000 quarts ; this was the third crop. The previous year we had a rather smaller return from 26 rows of the same length. And that year the Wilson turned out so badly, I ploughed them all under except two rows ; these two were as good as any I had this year. We must hold on to the old Wilson yet. I planted three-quarters of an acre of strawberries, Oct., 1887, and three quarters of an acre this spring. They both did well, but the spring planted ones gave the least work. Tjje wet season has prevented us hoeing or cultivating for the last month, and the weeds have so much got the mastery, I fear there will be no third crop this time. The orchard, which for many years has given us more trouble than proHt, has been a success. The Black Spot, which ruined our fruit and nearly ruined us, too, has nearly disappeared, and our crop was enormous. The fruit was rather small in size» but fairly marketable. Wo have just tini.shod hand-picking oOO barrels. If any readers think that's all fun, let them try it, but I would recommend before beginning to have a bottle of St. Jacob's Oil on hand ; they'll quickly tind out what it's wanted for. Neighbors tell us we will surely make our fortune this year from the orchard. Strange that few of them, during these many years of dire calamity, didn't feel as much disposed to condole with us when we were losing one (if we ever had one to lose). We can boast nothing of years here, but I can of our good Secretary's crop.he being too modest todoit himself. 1 have it from hisown pen that his extra selected apples have been selling in London, England, as high as $i6 00 per barrel. As he has an immense or?hard he must surely be making his fortune, and lest he be exalted over much, 1 think we will have to vote down his .salary. Now, he'll bid me shut up, so, admiring the patience of all who have so far read, I close. AMONG THE STRAWBERRIES. Iiv John I,itti,r, Oiia.sion. Sir, — Will you kindly give me a Allow me lirst to say something about little space in your excellent monthly my visit to a few enthusiasts, who are to say a few words about the straw- also in tlie small fruit business, during berry. All my out-door time is spent the raspberry gathering, among them, and my dreams at night My first visit was to J. Whitston are often about them. St. Marys ; he is a careful cultivator •270 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. and grows large crops both of the straw- berry and raspberry ; he does not ship, but disposes of all his crops in the thriving town of St. Marys. I found one plot of strawberries badly infested with the strawberry root-worm. My next visit was to F. Mayer, Bridge- port. He was in the midst of his red raspberry picking. It would be hard to tind such Clarkes as those were. Al- though they were staked and wired, they were so thrifty in cane it was difficult for the pickers (women) to get through them ; his land is well adapted for fruit ; it is a rich sandy loam. Also he has a promising young nursery of budded plums, cherries, pears and hardy apples — budded from stock had from Mr. J. L. Budd, of Iowa Agricul- tural College. I spent one night and two days with him, and was hospitably entertained, he giving me a drive in his carriage to Waterloo and Berlin. My next visit was to the noted strawberry grower of Ohio, Mr. Craw- ford. I expected to be with him at the horticultural meeting at Euclid, Ohio, on the 7th of September, but did not get to Cleveland till the 8th. I spent 14 days with him and his excellent wife, going with him here and there among the fruit men in the neighbourhood in which he live . It would occupy too much space in the Horticulturist, and might not please many of the readers, to tell what I saw and heard and learned about the strawberry whilst at friend Crawford's. It has always been a treat to me to visit Mr. Crawford's strawberry home ; his grounds are kept in such good order, and his beds are so clean, and rows so far apart, that the different varieties cannot get mixed. I was surprised at his fall plant trade ; mostly every day during my stay his sons were busy filling orders. One day they expressed eight half bushel baskets of potted plants at once. Mr. Crawford attends to his correspon- dence and also to his books ; his varieties are up in the hundred, and the seedlings sent to him for testing are about forty. His experience with new varieties, and what he says about them, can be relied on, and is of much value to all engaged in strawljerry growing. I have all the varieties in his report, and I send it to you. It will save nie a good deal of trouble in writing about them, as my experience is about the same as his. This last strawberry season I had the largest berries, and the best return I have had in son)e years. I head the list with Jessie, Bubach, Summit, Ontario, Pineapple. [Manchester, Cum- berland, Triumph, ]Mt. Vernon, jnid some of the old varieties of seedlings sentfor testing. Eureka (Logan-Itasca), several of Mr. Louden's seedlings also gave very large berries and are produc- tive. If your correspondent '■ (1. J. B." will do as T did — go to the home of the Jessie in the fruiting sea.son— he will see where the productiveness conies in ; or to many places in Canada where they know how to grow the strawberry. Some men when they get a few plants of a new variety, expect too much from it and kill them with kindness : others dont know how to plant and care for him, and so to them they are Avorthless. \ CA NA DIA N IIORTICUL TV R 1ST. 271 THE NORTHERN LIGHT. ''Trills new flaiiiijuit for' i)ul)lic X favor is a white, or rather, green grape, witli a slight green bloom. It originated on the l)anks of the Ottawa some nine years ago, and has produced live crops of fruit. In 1887 it was e.xhibited foi- the first time at the United States Pomological Societies* Exhibition at Boston, where it received marked attention from several leading grape cultivators. Some first class offers have been made for the vine, but none have yet l)een accepted, as it was thought best to have a limited number of plants propagated and tested in the States and Canada. Although the present position of the vine is not favorable for early ripen- ing, l)eiiig shaded for. several hours by a stone building from tli<^ morning sun, it has invarial)ly ripened its bunches under very adverse circumstances every year, when Concords and several of the leading varieties, such as Niagara, Pock- lington and many of Rogeis' hybrids, have failed to mature. It is confidently expected that wlien the vine is placed in a favorable position and carefully pruned and attended to, the fruit will ripen shortly after the (Jhampioii. The vine is a vigorous grower; it has a thick, leathery leaf, of the Concord type ; The bunches are well formed, sometimes shouldered, compact ; berries round and large ; bunch rather long ; berry not pulpy ; seeds separating freely ; skin rather thick ; fruit melting, .juicy, no foxiness in taste or smell perceptible ; fruit stalks and tendrils —especially the latter — red to jtink in color. Already many en(juiries have betui received from leading nurserymen for vines, and good offers for its i»urchas«- have been made. It is hoped by the end of 1889 the owners will have some eight hundred or a thousand vines to dispose of, as they have placed it in the hands of an experienced cultivator to propagate. By the end of next year it is hoped a test on a small scale will be made in several localities at wide distances apart, on varied varieties of soil. When this has been done, and if the test proves successful, the entire stock will either be sold out, or a strong company formed for its propagation and sale. The enormous crops the vine has yielded for the past four years is something almost incredible, and would not have been permitted had it been in the hands of an experienced vineyard- ist ; the effort to ripen the fruit has retarded tiie ripening of the wood. Its northern home will give it an advantjige over its more southern breth- ren : it grew up without care or pro- tection, but for the last few years it has been covered with soil lest some fatality might overtake it, and the life of this magnificent child of nature (|uenched ; it was, tiierefore, thought best to guard it from every source of danger, especially as the mercury along the Upper Ottawa has several times l>ecome solid. The glass in this region sinks below zero on an average from forty to forty-five nights during each winter. The extreme cold appears to have given the plant and foliage their great robustness. 272 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. USES OF FRUITS. Apple Butter. About a year ago, you asked whether the making of the above was among the "lost arts," and, to judge by the recipe for making it which a writer gave you, I don't wonder. I will give you the old Pennsylvania plan that we used to make by, and which we still follow here fifty years later. If people will follow this, and they then say the art is lost, I will quit giv^ ing instructions. To forty gallons of good sweet cider made from sound, ripe apples, use three bushels of selected apples. The cider should be boiled down to one-third or a little less before putting in the apples, which should be pared clean, all specks, bruises, seeds and seed cavities removed. They may be quartered, or cut into eighths, if very large. If in a hurry, the apples can be boiled in a little water before putting into the cider. Stirring should commence as soon as the fruit gets soft, and be kept up carefully until done. At all times prevent the flames of fire striking the kettle above the line of contents. When boiled down to ten gallons it will be done, and it will be an article tit for a king. Put in earthen vessels, and, when cold, dip clean, white paper into good whiskey or brandy, and lay it over the tops. In four months from making, if kept in a gar- ret (the best place), the jars can be inverted on a floor or shelf without running out. Will keep for years, and if made with the right kind of apples, such as Rambo and Smokehouse, or Bellflower, will become as smooth as cheese. There are establishments out west here where they make what they call apple butter, but which the knowing ones call " sass," that sells for twenty- five cents per gallon. I would not take it bestowed, as it invariably ferments, and is a poor article at best. Such as we make would command at least double as much, but even that won't pay unless one is fixed to make it on a large scale. But there are many things that can be afibrded for one's own family use that cannot be made to sell at the market price. — Vick^s Magou- zine for November. Liquid for Preserving Delicate Tissues. Water saturated with camphor - - 100 grams. Chry.stallizable acetic acid ----- 0 "25 Chloride of Clipper --------- 0 "25 ISitrate of copper --------- 0 "25 Theabove is the formulaof theFrench for preserving specimens of fresh fruit for purposes of exhibition. It is claimed that fruits of all kinds are kept perfectly fresh in appearance in this preparation for six months or a year. Apple Pomace and its Use. There is no better way to preserve pomace that contains no straw, than to store it in a silo similar to what is used for making ensilage of green corn fodder. Be sure to have the air ex- cluded from the pomace. Pack the pomace in tightly, and on each layer, which ought not to be over one foot thick, sprinkle a little salt, which I think adds to its palatability. If the pomace is kept from the air, it will remain sweet and retain its bright color tlie entire winter. There is no secret in doing this, and any one can succeed who tries the experiment. Where straw is used in making cider, I always take the pomace from the crib in square cakes, and pack it up closely, as you would anything else of a similar nature, to exclude the air as much as possible. I have made it in a square body about ten feet high, that kept sweet until used. Pomace certainly goes far toward feeding stock, if fed properly. Some advocate letting CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 273 the pomace ferment befoie using, hut I find the reverse of this to be the bet- ter way. It would be u good deal like letting bread get too light or very sour before b;iking, and, at the same time, expect to have good, palatable broad. This is my oxperionce, and I have fed a great deal of pomace. Do not feed it to your horses, as it is liable to give them pain, and does not appear to agree with them in any way. Ppeparation of Fruit Syrups. EvEUVDonv kno\v.s, .'^ays !M. Manclie, in the Archives de Pharmacie, that syrups prepared from the fresh fruit juices are fir preferal)le to any others : but that these syrups, in their fresh state, contain a large amount of car- bonic acid is usually forgotten. When the proce.ss usually in vogue is fol- lowed, and sugar is added to the juices in the cold, a liquid is obtained which soon becomes so dense that the acid finds it difficult to make its e.scnpo when heat is subsequently applied, and the consecjuence is foaming, and some- times a partial caramelizing of the sugar, from the fact that the .syrup makes a denser layer at the bottom while tlie lighter juice is forming on top. To avoid all thi.s, M. Manche recommends that the juice be boiled before any sugar is added, replacing loss from ev.iporation by distilled water. Tlie result is said to be better in every way. Grape Juice for Use. Pure grape juice, unferraented, is one of the most health-giving of things. The most strict temperance person can have no more cause to oppose it than the eating of freth grapes, i.e., pulp and juice toj^etlier. Sinte we mentioned the subject last year, wo learn of a greatly increased interest in it. and that large quantities of the juieo arc being prepared this year for preservation. "We condense some state nients on the subject : The large and increasing grnpo pro- duct of Western New York is forcing a search for new markets, which is now finding vent somewhat in the making of unfermented wine for home use. The great Frenchman, Pasteur, de- stroys the germs of fermentation by heating to 140" to l.')0^' Falir., with- out access of air. This is accomplished by running the liquid through a crooked pipe or "worm," something like the worm of a still. The apparatus in use at the Viticultural Station in Cali- fornia consists of a coil of one-quarter inch block tin pipe, 30 feet long, in- serted in a 15 gallon boiler. A 20 foot coil of the same pipe forms tlio cooler. The capacity of this single pipe is 8 to 10 gallons per hour, wh^n the tank water is kept at about 160°. To insure the success of the operation, of course, it is necesaary to insure against the Pasteuriz.^d wines being again infected with germs by putting it into unclean casks, etc., after this treatment. Another way : Pick the grapes from the stem, and wash. Cook with a little water, as for jelly, until soft ; strain through a flannel bag. To a quart of juice add three-quai ters of a pound of granulated sugar. Let the juice boil, and skim it ; then put in ihe sugar, and cook until dissolved. Put, boiling hot, in self sealing jars or bottles, coiked and sealel boxes and stacked on the north side of some building to remain until quite severe weather before going into the coohsr. These same bo.xes are then removed to their places in the retiring house and piled one on another witjj thin pieces of lumber between them to admit the air. Summer pears should be picked before they ripen and put in the cooler if the best prices are expected. To know whether the fruit is ready, raise a specimen carefully by putting the hand under it, and if it part readily from the tree, althougli it bt! "as green as grass" it is ready to ai'tiHcally ripen. Pears that become mealy on the tree, often rotting at the core, are juicy and delicious if ripened in the low, steady temperature of the cooling room. A great point regarding profits is in properly selling what is handled. A good reputation and neat packing are as necessary as good fiuit. Attractive packages and surroundings often sell the fruit at once. .So ini[)ortant is this that very choice cases of fruit often ■'go begging" for a buyer while hand- somely arranged lots of inferior varie ties in poor condition sell rapidly. — /•' & II. HORTICULTURAL. Northern Spy Apple. The diversity of opinion on the value of this apple is owing to ditieience of soil and treatment. The remark was frequently made when half a century ago this fruit was first intro- duced and disseminated, that it was smaller and more scabby on old trees standing in grass, with crowded and stunted branches, than on vigorous younger trees ; and tin; difference was so distinct that it was pronounced absolutely essential to fair success, to cultivate the ground and to prune in the crowded branches. As a fair average, the apples on the vigorous, young, and well-pruned trees were at least twice as large as those from the old and crowded heads. Cultivators of this variety, who wish handsome and fine specimens, should bear this distinc- tion in mind. — Country Uentleman. Sheep in the Apple Orchard. The advantage of pasturing sheep in the orchard has been frequently spoken of in these columns, but a letter from Mr. J. M. Drew, in the Rural Nkw Yorker, emphasizes it still more in the following terms : — A few days since I had the pleasuie of seeing and learning of a successful 276 CAFADIAiY HORTICULTURIST. method of eradic.itinp; weeds. A large, raature orcliaid, overrun with wild c-urols, CcUiada tliistles, and a score of other weeds, was turned into a sheep pasture ; or possibly it might better be called a sheep-yard, as about lour times as many sheep wore put into the orchard as could be pastured without extra feed. Tliey wore given a liberal allowance of bran and oil meal, with a little corn daily. This method was continued for four summers, at tiie end of which time the orchard liad more than doubled in the quantity of fruit produced, while the quality had been much improved. The ground was then plowed and planted, but no thistles or carrots, and but few other weeds, ap- peared. Mr. J. S. Woodward has about thirty acres in apples, wliiih have been treated in like manner, with the exception of the plowing. hie found that he could keep his sheep cheaper by this method than by hiring pasture. And now the result : Last year he sold nearly $7,000 worth of apples. And this is not all ; the sheep kept in the orchard were bred early, and the lambs sold at an average of $9 per head ; and these are not isolated cases. I met Mr. B. from Virginia, a few hours since, and he gave $8 per head as his average for early lambs last year. As I came home from the State Fair, two days since, I saw a dozen starved and weedy orchards, and a hundred fields that seemed to cry from very hunger. Yesterday I purchased five sheep and two hogs, and how can 1 tell you how thin they were ! True, they were just what I was looking for, for experimental purposes; but what rea- sons can these men give, in the world to come, for half starving their animals in this land of 19,000,000,000 bushels of corn and hundreds of thousands of tons of bi-an, oil-meal, and cotton-seed meal, and millions and millions of acres of land that would laugh with a hundredfold crop if only a little more brains and manure were used. iiiiiii!iiiiii""iiiiiiiiiiill]iiiiniiiiililiiiililiiliiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!'iiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiB^ ,!i.i,j|llllilli:::!!llililllllllUlllllllllllllllllli!llll!l!l!llllillillllillllllllllllllllllMiUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII^ CLIMATIC RANGE OF TREES (Continued). By Forester. some extent, I would hesitate very BESIDES the scientific interest we may take in the growth of foreign trees in our climate, there is a very material interest likely to be affected by the ultimate result or profit to bo expected in a large plantation. Knowing that the English Walnut, Pecan-nut, Filbeit, Ailanthus, Catalpa and Locust are natives of a warmer land than Canada, and that some of them at times have been induced to grow here, and may bo called hardy to much to set out a large plantation here for the sake of the timber. In that part of Ontario called the Lake Erie counties in the Ontario Bureau of In- dustries,and probably from Hamilton to the River St. Clair, the following valu- able trees seem to be at home : Black Walnut, Chestnut.Tulip Tree, Hickory. Buttonwood, and yet a very little to the north they are no longer found wild, and the limit within which they CAA^'ADIAiY aORriCULTURlST. 277 can be cousidercd roliablo is un- certain. I am studying the probable state of a plantation of such trees, or a \o\v^ avenue set with them, and what condi- tion will they be in at the end of twenty, thirty or a hundred years. Very many of these trees in favora- ble ground, and with the timely assist- unco of man, are growing and doing well in this country quite to the north of the proper latitude and in a harshtir climate, alid some of them I think perfectly iiardy, but if a thousand of each of them arc planted now in the region where they grow wild and un- aided, and another thousand of each are set in the northern or central parts of Ontario, how will they compare at the respective periods suggested ? If not cut olf and sold to American lumbermen, such a plantation would be just getting grand in a hundred years, and would be a line grove in twenty in its native land, and would probably renew itself indefinitely. In the more inhospitable north, even of the trees we thought hardy, and which so generally do well and yield fruit in perfection, is it not likely that we will find an increasing proportion failing at each recount — giving evi- dence that it is only a question of time how long trees in exile will endure a severe climate without artificial aid 1 At the end of twenty years the whole number of any of these varieties of timber may be living and doing well, and may be as valuable as any of its kind, or one half or any other pirt may be, and tiie rest may be missing; and although when so well established we generally think the ti'iil over, it may be found that at thirty years the same trees are all, or nearly all, dead — cut ofT by their hard life, or matured before their time. At a longer interval none may b(! loft to tell how they su tiered. I do not infer that it is usele.ss to lay out a plantation of any but native trees — far from it. I think more valu- able timbers may be introduced and so many reach a size fitted for commercial purposes that it may be a most desir- able speculation. I can find no actual cases in America to test the facts, and it may well be that some of the most doubtful will really and finally be acclimatized, and that the forests of the future will keep some of the settlers we bring to it. Some scientific writers tell us that the human race cannot be removed from one climate to another and endure forever — will gradually run out and give place to other types more lately removed ; that the Caucasians have managed to drag out a miserable exist- ence in America only by regular addi- tions of new blood, and when no more emigrants wish to cross the water the time of those who have come will bo short. I cannot get evidence to settle this case any more than any other problem of the trees, but every century adds to our experience, and we are all interested in the argument, even if posterity only is in the result. Humorous. Editor visits a new plantation ; says to his friend — "You are making a fine place of this with all your timber." " Oh, yes, and I hopo the trees will be grown to a good size before you come again !" Editor looks a little curious. 278 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. EXPERIENCE WITH FOREST TREES. By a. D. Ferrier. Fergus, O.nt. I WILL give you a few lines relating my experience regarding Forest Trees. In the year 1835, when I fixed on a site for my house close to Fergus, I determined to save some of the trees around the said site. As I was present daily, I got my choppers to leave such middle-sized trees as I fancied, and a few young ones, and I took care that no burning or logging was done to injure them. All the trees so pre- served did well except the Beeches, which died out ; and the rest, except two or three blown down by gales of wind, consisting of Elms, Maples, Bass- woods, and a few Iron-woods, can be seen at this day. I did not plant any trees till about twenty years after, and since then, now and again, I have planted out a good many. For shelter I planted Norway spruce and Canadian spruce, which seems almost identical with the Norway spruce, and Balsam Fir and white Pine, and these almost never failed. For beauty I have planted out Elms, Maples, Basswoods, British Limes, Tamarac or Larch, and Scarlet Cherry ; besides the various kinds of Poplar. I generally planted in April or May or October, and when I planted I gave each tree some water in the hole, and a watering on the sur- face, and then a mulch of straw, and left them to their chance. I kept the ground close to the tree clear of grass and weeds for three or four years, and then they are safe, as a rule. One thing, however, is absolutely neces- sary ; the ground must be well fenced, as cattle take delight in destroying the young trees. Of course, I got most of my trees from the woods for the trouble of digging and carrying them, but I raised a good many elms in my garden from seed dropped from the old trees adjoining. I got Norway spruces and Lime trees from various nurserymen, and I raised some Austrian pines from seed. The Poplars are all hardy, but greedy of land, and throw out long roots, which send up young trees far and near, so I don't care much for them. The Hemlock is very pretty, but tender, and so is the Butternut, although both grew in the bush when clearing first began. The common Cedar is pretty, and hardy too, and both it and the Larch can be trimmed with the shears into handsome shapes. The common purple Lilac will grow in any soil, and makes a nice hedge, but is very greedy, and spreads fast. The Cedar mates a nice garden hedge and shelter. I never raised trees for sale, but I pruned a small round clump as high as 1 could reach with my saw, and when they were about fifteen years old I thinned them out, and got a lot of good larch, oedar, and fir posts. I always prune ofT the lower branches of the young fir trees and larches for about three years, and the hardwood trees I prune close for about seven feet above the ground. The borer attacks Maples, Basswoods, and Limes, but does not touch the elm. CANADIAN nORTICULTURIST. 279 \^^t (Z^(x\\cxt\(x\\ "^oxiicwUwxi^t SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, $1.00 per year, entitling the subscriber to membership of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario and all its privileges, including a copy of its valuable Annual Report, and a share in its annual distribution of plants and trees. REMITTANCES by Registered Letter are at our risk. Receipts will be acknowledged upon the address label. The Annual and the Winter Meetings of our Association aro hence- forth to be united into one, and to extend over three days time. The result will be, no doubt, an unusually large and interesting gathering. Tiie meeting will be held in the city of Hamilton in February next, a city situated in the heart of the fruit grow- ing districts of Ontario Several gentle men have already promised papers for this meeting, and in order that it may be as varied in programme as possible, we invite members of the Association to send in (questions and subjects for discussion, a full programme of wliiih will appear in January No. New Grapes. — We call the especial attention of our readers to the valuable letter from Ampelograph, upon " New Grapes." This letter deserves a more prominent place in our journal than the one it occupies. Autumn Work amono Trees. — This is the title of a recent editorial in Tlif Garden and Forest, which takes the ground which we have often advocated for Canada, that for our climate spring planting of trees is safer than fall planting. Although, with care, the hardier trees may not be winter killed when planted at this season, yet there is more or less danger of their upheaval by frost, or blown about by the wind. All this has come within our own experience, both with standard apples and dwarf pears. Stone fruits, parti- cularly poaches, should never be planted in the fall in Canada. We give emphasis to this precaution, becau.se so many articles written by nurserymen who are interested in fall sales, have found their way into the public prints, advocating fall planting as tlie most advisable. No doubt this is tl>e best season for selecting the stock from the nursery, before the best is culled out for spring sales, and if one has a dry sandy loam in which to dig a pit and partially bury the trees 280 CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. until spring, it would be wise to pur- chase the stock in tlie fall. In such a case, the bundles sliould be untied, and the earth carefully packed among the roots. The Paris Exposition, 1889. — This Univei-sal Exposition at Paris will open the 5th of May, and close the 31st of Oct., 1889. The U. S. Govern- ment is making special arrangements for a good exhibition of American industries, having appointed special Commissioners who give all informa- tion to intending exhibitors, and arrange to forward yVee of freight be- tween New York and the Exposition all articles received for exhibit. The U. S. Commissioner of Agriculture is also appointing special agents to assist in the display. For instance, Mr. B. F. C^aytDn, editor Wine and Fruit Grower, has been appointed special agent to collect an exhibit of the viticultural products, and in this he proposes to include the following interesting sec- tions : — 1st. The grape is to be illustrated in its fresh state, and so far as practicable, in all its phases of development, includ- ing planting, cultivation, training, methods of harvesting, and preparing for market. These processes will be necessarily illustrated by photo- graphs or drawings, accompanied with brief, concise explanatory notes. This may consist of (a) photograplis or drawings of vines and vineyard>-, illustratinc; every stage of growth, cultivation, training, and harvest- ing; (6) of photographs or draw- ings of tools and appliances used in grafting, budding, planting, culti- vating, training, and harvesting ; (r) of photograplis or drawings of crushing mills, wiue presses, vats, vaults, cellars, distilling machinery (and models of same when obtainable), tools, fixtures, and appliances used in and about the cellars and vaults ; also tools and appliances used in curing and packing raisins, with explanations of uses, «fcc. 2d. Illustrations by sample of the finished products of the giape, in wine, brandy, raisins, or other preparation as a food product. In this phase it is desirable to have each variety of tlie grape and its product illustrated by itself as an individual, combinations and blending being left to private parties. 3d. Statistics relating to products per acre in localities, showi.,g dilTerence in varieties of grapes : cost of planting, culiivating, and harvesting; cost of buildings, tresses, vats, machinery, tools, etc., etc. This should be so arranged as to show approximately the possible profit in the business, and afibrd a guide to those seeking business or opportunity to invest capital. 4th. Illustrations of diseases of the vine and insect pests. Tiiis may be by photographs or drawings, accompanied with descriptions of courses pursued and methods employed in fighting them, and statistics as to results. Lastly, statistics should show quan- tity of wines, A:c., produced from year to year since 187G to date; the aver- age in pounds of grapes, fresh or dried as raisins, etc. Is Canada, we ask, to be left behind in this matter by her enterprising neighbor, and to have no exhibit at this great Exposition ? The Wordex Grape receives further commendation in The Country Gentle- man from Mr. S. D. Willard. He says of it: "Another year's experience has confirmed me in the opinion long enter- tained that this is the best dark-color- ed, early ripening grape that has been introduced, and when more universally known, I believe it will supersede the Concord in every locality where the latter has been planted." (JA iVA J) J A A IIOUTICUL TIJHIST. •JHI Si'UiNu Wac.on KOii Cautinu ApI'LKS. — Mr. Brodie, oE Moutreal, in tJie last report of the M. H. Soc, condemns the very common practice of carrying apples in lumber wagons without springs: — " Always use a spring wagon for carting them. I know a fanner who made a loss of |!20 on a load of Duchess of Oldenberg apples ; he had sold them a couple of days previously for $4 per barrel and brought them to the city in an old lumber wagon without springs, the barrels standing on end. Wli(;n they were opened, what a sight ! all bruised and sunk about a foot down in the barrel. Of course the purchaser would not accept them, so he had to peddle them rouml for what they would bring." PRUiMNfJ OUT rilK UlaCKUKKUY CAN'hs. — Among other work that may engage the attention of the practical gardener at this season is the cutting out of the dead canes in the blank berry and raspberry plantation. Some advocate leaving them until spring for the use they would be in gathering snow for winter protection, but if this is all the precaution taken, we judge the purpose would be poorly served. The advantage is in the ease with which the work can be done after the ground is frozen, and the saving of more valuable time in the spring. We have tried various tools for this purpose. An instrument like tig. 83 is very useful, being a hook niade of steel flattened out and made sharp, the whole being about 20 inches in length We have al.so found ordinary tree pruners with handles about the same length very u.seful ; with these one man first cuts off' th(^ dead bushes and another removes them to the brush boat with a long-handled fork. Fall Pkunin(; Gkapk Vines. — The advantage of this season of the year over the spring for pruning the vine has often been emphasized in these columns. The experience of a writer in Vick's Magazine well agrees with our own, and will be seasonable just now. He says: — "I advise the practice of fall pruning for grape vines over that of spring pruning, I do this becau.se in the fall the ground is hard and firm, and as grape vines are often a part of the garden fruitage, it is more desir able to stand upon a dry, lirm .soil while pruning than upon a wet one, as is often the case in spring. Then, too, the weather is more propitious. In the spring the weather is frecpiently so unfavorable, even until (|uite late, that out door work is almost always delayed. The cntting winds of March are far more severe than the tem[)erature of November, and one not accustomed to great e.xposure freijuently dreads to perform this labor at a season as early as necessary. The weather, however, would furnish but a shallow reason, were it the only one, but it is not. My vines have done l)etter the ne.xt season after fall pruning, and have borne more grapes than when pruned in the spring, and this fact is worth more than a thousand theories and opinions. I am not aware tiiat any exact experiments have been made to test this point ; in my own practice the difference is suffi- ciently marked to warrant my adhesion to tall pruning, but if the product of the vines is no greater the advantages are still with fall pruning. TriE Elberta Peach is a new and very pronn'sing variety, that is again 282 GA JVA DIA JV HORTICULTURIST. inspiring peach growers with hopeful- ness. It is said to succeed both at the north and at the south, and to bring nearly twice as much in New York city as ordinary varieties. It is a yellow peach ripening just l)efore Crawford's Late; it is large, produc- tive and an excellent shipper. The trees are also hardy and begin bearing when quite young. Thk Lucretia Dewberry receives vei'y higli commendation from Mr. A. J. Caywood, of Ulster Co., N.Y. He says they ripen a week ahead of the Early Harvest blackberry, and bring liira as high as 24c. per qt., retail. It serves to keep up steady picking, be- ginning with strawberries, then red raspberries, Lucretia dewberries, black- berries. It is a great bearer with him, and the berries exceed the size of his Kittatinnies, and are sweeter. They are also firmer than blackberries. With regard to planting and training, he saysin Popular Gardening: — "I plant them as I do red raspberries, four feet apart each way, cultivate both ways until the fore part of June, when the renewals get too long to do so. We then direct the renewals of each row along the bottoms of the hills, and cultivate the other way as long as required, and one man has done the directing of our patch in a day. The old canes are taken from the stakes any time after tlie fruit is off, -before tying up in the spring. The renewals are left on the ground all winter, which is sufficient protection here, but if it is necessary to protect thein in colder regions, their prostrate position facili- tates the work. In the spring, one draws the entire hill from under the other hills in the row, and holds them to the stake, while a boy ties them tightly ; this can be done as rapidly as tying red raspberries. I think my patch was the first managed on this plan ; we have tried the winrow system, but like staking the plants better." Protecting Blackberry Bushes. — A writer in the Prairie Farmer writes as follows on this subject, which may just now be interesting to some of our readers : — " I have never found any variety more hardy than Snyder, and when the thermometer gets down 20 or .30 below a few times, your blackberries are so feeble that they don't give you a half crop of fruit. It takes but five minutes to cover a hush that will bear a peck of fruit. Covering should be done after the falling of the leaf. " In covering, use a fork, either a potato or manure-fork ; remove a fork- ful of earth on two sides of the cane at the base ; place your foot at the ba.se of the cane, with the fork on the top, and bend it with the row ; hold it in place, and put on a few forkfuls of earth, and proceed witli the next hill, laying it on the last, putting on just earth enough to hold it down, till the whole row is down. Now. go over the row, and add earth so as to cover the main canes, l)ut it is not necessary to cover all the branches ; the first hold- ing down is usually sufficient. The raoi'e you put on, the more of a job you will have to remove the earth from and under the low in spring." Black Walnut Tree Growing. — A correspondent in London makes someinquiriesupon this subject. Others beside him may be interested in the following remarks in the Iowa Homestead : — " Mr. George Van Houten, who is regarded as good authority in such matters, says if the husks are removed, it is safe to count that about 1,000 nuts will make a bushel. With the husks un, from 500 to 600 per bushel would be a reasonable estimate. Some years many of the nuts are abortive, CA lYA DIAN HORTICUL TURIST. 283 wliilc otlicr years nearly all will •,'ro\v. A fair estimate of their germinating ((ualities can be made by cracking a few, as nearly all plump, natural- appeai'ing kernels will grow under favor- able circumstances. It is best to plant rather more nuts than trees are wanted for, like most nut bearing trees, the» walnut does not transplant easily. After being gathered, the seed should not be allowed to dry ; if shij)ped a distance, the nuts will keep from dry- ing out witli damp moss about them. In the fall they can be planted at once, and covered three or four inches deep in well-prepared ground. If planted in the spring, over winter spread the nuts two or three layers deep, n)ixed with earth or leaves, and covered lightly ; if the ground is moist, at least part of the rains should be kept off, planting as soon as the frost is out of the ground. Good cul- tivation should be given for the first few years, after which Init little fur- ther cave." Fruit Inspkctiox. — This subject, re- ferred to on page 211, ivas carefully gone into by the fruit growers of Nova Scotia two years ago, and it was argued by one member that inspectors should be appointed in every ward throughout the fruitgrowing sections of the country by the municipal councils ; and, further, that the Local Legislature be petitioned to enact a law prohibiting the shipment of apples to either local or foreign markets until tiiey have received the inspector's brand. After a full discussion it was referred to a committee, whose report was that the object sought would be best attained by ainending tin; law in such a way as to compel each grower to stencil upon each barrel his own name, the variety and grade of the fruit. Reo Russet. — The Garden and Forest speaks of the Red Russet as gaining in favor for the vigor and pro- ductiveness of the tree, and the beauty and long-keeping (juality of the fruit. Tluitree is as sturdy as the J>aldwin,and the fruit keeps as long as the Roxl)ury Russet. This does not fjuite accord with our e.xperience with this apple. For beauty of fruit and e.vcellence of (|uality, certainly, it stands very high, and deserves the highest commendation, but at Maplehurst the tree is not as vigorous as the Baldwin, and in keep- ing qualities it is not e(|ual to the Rox- bury Russet. The latter keeps till June, and the former only until April. A Remedy for Parasites of Plants. We now have some foreign journals among our exchanges, both English and French, and among them the Jiul- leiin d'Arhoriculiui'f, de Floricullure ct dti Culturi' F>to.(flri', edited by four gentlemen who are professors in the State School of Horticulture. Ghent, Belgium. We translate an extract which may prove useful to many of our readers : — " The use of sulphate of iron has been recommended very often for con- tending with the enemils which attack certain plants There does not exist a universal panacea, but it is proved that the action of that substance is undeniable in certain cases, providing that the application has been properly made. The Revue llorlicole^ in asserting the excellency of that remedy, in its issue of July 16th, 18S.S. enumerates a series of experiments showing that sulphate of iron can be usefully employed for destroying mosses ; the peronospora of the potato, for fighting cankers of trees, spots of pear.s, gum, brown-rust, dodder the grubs on rose bushes, and the anthracnose of vines. For small plants the .salt should be dissolved in the proportion of one kilogramme to one hectolitre of water, and the .solution sprayed in proportion of one-tenth of a litre to each plant ; for i-ose-bushes the (|uantity of sul- phate should be doubled, and the sprinkling repeated two or three times." 284 CA A^'A DIA A flORTIC UL TURIHT. QUESTION DRAWER. Grape Must. In connection with question No. 15, referred to also on p. 140, the follow- ing from The Wine and Fruit Grower will be of interest to grape-growers : — " Dr. F. Springmuhl's tirst work for the concentration of grape must, situ- ated about one mile north of Clairville, Sonoma county, is nearly completed. a tract of land around Springniuhl sta tion, and a number of houses and cot- tages will be built for the employes of the firm. "Baron von Schilling intends to build a splendid hotel in the valley near the Russian River. " The whole land bought by Drs. Shorb and Springniuhl, except the part Fig. S4.— Kkank's Seklli.n " The huge machinery is adapted to concentrate more than 200,000 pounds of grapes in ten hours, and more than 10,000,000 pounds will be exported this year. " A new town has been laid out, and a railway station, called Springmuhl, has just been erected. " The stockholders of the American Concentrated Must Company have de- cided to largely extend the new Indus try, and to concentrate extract of tan- bark and similar products during the other part of the year. " Dr. De Earth Shorb, of Los An- geles, and Dr. Springmuhl have bought reserved for the town, will be planted with vines, and will be cultivated by employes of the Must Company." — Merchant. Wire Field-Miee Proteetop. 114. We s«nd you, per sample post, a sam ■ pie of our Woven Wire Field-Mice Protector for trees. We were showing: it to Mr. Binn, of this city ; he was very much pleased with it, and suggested our sending you a sample. You will see they form a perfect protection, and are the cheapest thing that could be used. — B. Greknino & Co., Hamilton. We are inclined to think favorably of this woven wire for the purpose mentioned, providing it can be had at CA NAD I A A IIORTICUL TJIRIST. 285 Quince Culture. IIG. Will yuu tell nic all about the Koil. clirriate, culturwand i>rf.fitH division of the G.T.R. We shall be glad to hear from members of our Association respecting their succe.ss with the quince farther north branches, but we would advise a yearly'**ij|||^he variety of the quince which has heading back of one half the new growth in the spring. Mr. Jones leaves only four or five buds on each thrifty young shoot, and says that as a result " the entire outer surface of tree is literally covered with fruit of good size and quality." given us the best satisfaction is the Orange. The Angus is too small ; the Champion is larger, and more regular in form, but rather late, while the ange colors up early in the autumn and sells when the price is best. OPEN LETTERS. Proposed Bill to Regulate Fruit Paekag-es. Sir,— I (lid not intend you to puV)lish that " bill " of mine, or I should have taken more care to have been exact. My idea was that you would take the subject up and have it dis- cussed, but as the deed is done I must make the best of it, even though some think the pro- position worse than it is. I have to ask space to make these explana- tions, and also to answer an objection f>r two. In mentioning quantities, my object was to fill out the sentence so you could readily see my intention. To me it makes no difference what the size of the package is,so long as it is uniform. I had no idea of changing the size. The proposition grew out of this : Passing a fruit store, I bought some plums, but when they were delivered the baskets did not seem as large as those I bought. Upon investigation I found the dealer had one sized basket for exhibition and another for delivery. That was a down- right fraud and should not be allowed. As to packing two kinds of apples in one barrel, there is no objection so long as the fact is made apparent and quantities are stated. Your objection to having both a " standard " and quantities stated would be good if every person knew the standard. How many do you think know the size of a standard quart measure, or even that there is .such a thing V I would not object to any sized package were the quantity it contained legibly stamped on it. The objection to natural decay is all right so far as it applies to the goods after they are shipped, as natural laws and man's perverse- ness are factors too strong for any parlianient. Could a packer prove his fruit in good condition when it was shipped, the effects of the proposi- tion would cease. The difficulty is to reach the packer over the middleman, who ought not to be responsible for the packer's frauds. — G. H. Fawcett.— 0«awa, 15th Oct., 1888. Grapes Tested in Essex County. In looking over the Annual Report, wliich came to hand extremely late (why cannot it be brought out earlier — say, at least, February or March), among niuch that was interesting, I noticed one defect. It lacked that which in past years has given much interest to its pages, I mean the report of the " Committee on New Fruits." Our present President, as Chairman of that committee, in previous years gave us ad- mirable sketches of the novelties in pomologj', which did much to guide many in their pur- chase of new fruits for trial. It is to be wished that the ])resent gaj) may not mean a permanent hiatus in this line of the Association's tasks. Meanwhile, may I forward a short communica- tion to assist in sui)plying in part the lack. After a turn amid the vineyai-ds and gardens of South Essex, a few words about some of the new grapes maj- be of some interest to your readers. First, as to the Blacks : — August Giant -\>i e&vXy, very lai-ge, flattish round berry, small bunch, excellent flovor, poor bear'^i^ Bacchus — Is a true child cf its parent, Clin- ton, rather smaller in berry, perhaps a shade better in quality, good only for wine. Marion — Is first cousin, if not full brother to Bacchus ; needs a long season to bring out its excellencies, extremely acid, otherwise a wine grape only. Cottage— Very early (as early as Morris or Champion), hardy, healthy, good grower and bearer ; cluster and berries average rather smaller than its parent, the Concord; the berries CANADIA iolid, littl<' jui( -not desirable hi best ill (lUJilitv .lev lA^^^J ty of WF RTlCUI/rURIST. 'js; ll|l|K'!« extremely foxy, very all a gelatinous pulj* Earl II Victor T\\t early, hardy blacks, ripens with W little earlier, small in bunch, mediiim it ■ productive, good grower, juicy, ;. ' free from fox, inclined to shri\ Havor if left on long after ripening Hox/iml'n Hccdliny—iiitud grown, i pretty free f>f fox, early as Worden, cluster, enonnous Ijerry (larger than ^^'l! Havor better than Concord, its parent. Among tiie Karly Keds, the Jtrii/lUon retains its general pre-emincn exipiisite beauty and tine flavor, large in i and berry, good grower and bearer, jier free from foxines.s, tender and juicy, with or no jmlp ; it is difficult to surpass; its favilt IS a tendency to mildew in unfavoi seasons, and loss of quality when h f* ' too long on the vine. Amber Queen — Excellent in qua! n not very healthy and bearing <| fective. Jefferson— A good grower and In hardy here ; as juicy and free as Brighton and lona; close large cli is tdHbrrAr large, varymg from pink to a prettily vriiWH -^il. semi-transparent ; thin skin and di li i .n flavor, not as high, vinous and spicx 1 I ' second oidy to it ; late, however, in ripens between Isabella and Cataw i haps as lute as tlie latter ; useless, 1 1 Canada outside of Essex, Kent aii'! i gara district, unless in exceptional -' n that of 1S87. Inclined to overbear : I, l~ l)ruuing. Tnrouj:lii>ut Lake Eri' would pr<)l)abl% ripen in favorable < ,; south side of hou.se or brick wall ; w i ' a little trouble to get. As to the Whites, which have bee of late : Elvira is very hardy, vigorous and \ tive ; large, compact, close handsome el late as Catawba ; (pialitj' abominable ; g white wine, nothing niore. Empire State Vine grower, hardy, bearer, though not as productive as Nia, cluster good, though not largest ; berry large medium, very swept, a little fox, not much pulp ; but the cluster, at least when fully ri|K", IS extremely fragile and berries shell off on the slightest provocation. Etta- Decided improvement on its mother, Elvira; hardy, i>roductive, cluster not fjuite as large or close as Elvira, but berry larger, iirf)re juicy and really fine flavored, subacid ; rTi^ens little if any before Catawba. ./r>t.i?rrt- (iood grower, hardy, healthy, early as Delaware ; bunch medium, very loose, verv small, free of fox, juicy, sweet, not high flavored. iV«a(7a;v/— Great grower, hardy, heavy bearer of large, handsome bunches ; berry h juicy, little pulp, very foxv— the " d< of the whites. Pockliiu/tou Very hardy, fine grower ; mod- erate bearer of smaller bunches than the \i:igara ; berry larger, yellower, lietter quality lii.iii its rival. /'/■'7ianish) gra)>e, but not quite so nd more juicy : splendid shii.iK-r and and admiiai)ly i>ure anf grapes this season, lit one third rii>e and |)icked when the frost ~»ctober 3rd .and 4th compelled me to make rest into wine. The first to ri|>en were the jre's Early, Jessica (a delicious, sweet grajH-,) cord, VVorden, Lindley (the most hardy, gorous grower and best bearer I have,) Agawam (later and more delicate) ; Niagara, Ladv, Martha were iK>t riiK^ enough to tell their flavor. 1 think I allowed too many bunches to grow on the Niagara. K.W. Co.\TK. —CiipeEli.dlxtli, RiiHgeait, Octohcr l''lli. /wv o!^'-^ Winnipeg. Sin, — I feel grieved to see the (|uality of ap|>les fnmi Ontario coming here ; they an- mere culls, with usually a few good apples on the ton of the barrel. The market is flcoded with sucli and the general iinpres.sion ].rev;iil> that we have no better. Prices are down low and shipi)ers are losing heavily. There is a prospect of prices being lower still,but no chance tliat I can see of improvement. If British l>rices are anything near the mark, it would be CAXADIAiV HO ULTURIST. better to send all there that is really good, as freights there are, in any case, much in favor of the shipper compared with freights here. Tt is easily seen, also, that there is a great lack of despatch in the C.P.R. in forwarding freii^^lit here — and as for carriage, the fruit has the appearance of having hnd a more than usually rough handling in passage here. I never saw such imperfect, badly bruised fruit. We certain- ly cannot congratulate the C.P.R. on anything they are doing for Ontario fruit growers. California grapes, which are very fine, w!Jl' practically shut ours out of this inarket this I f .ir. -Alkx. McD. Allan. — Winni pea, O'U. -.',"/, 1S88. G T.R. Denies Favoritism. ,. ^IK, \Mnrs of 2()th received to day. There has bi" n 11.. such rate as 48 cents per barrel from aii\- iMiint in Ontario to Liverpool ; $1.00 .fa M^^ best figure that can be obtained, and *"**■■ this is only good for present shipments. — QuiNN, District General Freight Agent. iUnn, 2'Jth Oct., 1888. OUR FI^UIT MARKETS. Shipping Direct to London. • Regarding shipments direct to this pdrti^ill will not agree that it is cheaper. Tli.' fmgKt may look lower, but the expenses of dock dues, carting, &c., will cost you from Od. to Is. ]<1. per barrel, which, by way of Liverpool, is in elusive, and above all, the fruit gets much ux.io knocked about than coming via Liverpool. You may commence making shipments of Russetts and Spies about the middle of Nov- ember. With Spies you must be assured that they are really xound, hard fruit, otherwise the condition at the time of arrival is bad. Good choice Russetts ought to do well.— J. B. Tnou.\^.— London, mh Oct., 1888. Covent Garden, London, England. Our market has been very good for fair fruit, Greenings making from 12s. to 15s. ; Baldwins, 12s. 6d. to 17s. ; Fancies from 17s. to 25s., but as regards Canadian fruit the arrivals appear to be worse this season than in the past ; the packing is very faulty, as well as the want bf . discrimination as to the class of fruit that will stand the voyage. Ji-. \our American contemporaries have taken tlif Ic-soi] from past years, and with the result that till y take care to pack and ship the proper fruit, with the result that is knocking Cana- ,^HO^u\'^. -London, 20th Oct., 1888. ■ Liverpool. Mhssi;-. Williams, Thomais & Co., writes undfir date of 8th November as follows : — Sir,— Su|i|)]ies of Apples during the week have boon plentiful, but more moderate, con- siiC[uently prices have improved, we quote : l\ings, lOs. 3p. to 18s. 6p. ; Baldwins, 12s. to ,14s.; Greenings, 12s. 6p. to 15s. 9p.; Russets, Hs, '3p. to 15s. 6p.; 20 Ozs. and Ribston ' Pippins, 14s to 17s. 3p.: Various, lis. to 16s. gp. Good green fruit is scarce and wanted. Advices from New York are to effect that shipments from that State will be light for some time, so can recommend your shipping. REVIEW. Transactions loiua Horticultural Societi/,lSS7. — Geo. Van Houten, Lenox, Iowa, Secretai-y. A volume of 437 pages, bound in cloth, and containing many interesting papers, from which we hope to find room for some selections. Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Convention of the Society of American Florists, held at New York City, August 21st, 22nd and 23rd, 1888. W. J. Stewart, Boston, Mass., Secretary. Illustrated and Descriptive Catalor/ue, Sim- mers' Flowering Bulbs. — J. A. Simmers, 147 King St. East, Toronto. Lovett's Illustrated Catalogue of Trees and Plants.-S. T. Lovett, Little Silver, N. J. The American Agriculturist, 751 Broadway, N. Y. The American aloes, our native palms, and the glacier pink, a beautiful flower of the higher Alpine regions, are described and illus- trated in the November number. American Grape Vines — Semi- Annual Price List, Fall, 1888.— Bush & Son & Meissner, Bushberg, Jefferson County, Mo. Wholesale Trade List of the Cayuga Lake Nurseries, also of Foreign Fruit Tree Stock, 4;c. — H. S. Anderson, Union Springs. N. Y. Circular to Nurserymen, concerning next Meeting of the American Association of Nur- serymen at Chicago in June, 1889, at which a nurserymen's institute is to be held. — Chas. Green, Secretary, Rochester, N. Y. Catalogue D'Ognons a Flcnrs, t&c. — H. ScHMiTZ, 20 Rue d Brabant Gand, Belgium. Wholesale Catalogue American Grape Vines, Small Fruit Plant.s, &c.— Geo S. Josselyn, Fredonia, N. Y. Bust (Puccinia graminis)— Bulletin 36, by Prof. J. Hoyes Panton, M. A.; issued by Ont. Dept. of Agriculture. 9GT i 3 1965