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TORONTO 

PUBLIC 

LIBRARIES 

central  library 
reference 


r?r 


ISMETROPQLITAN 
MIBRARY 


THE 

CANADIAN 


HORTICULTURIST. 


PUBLISHED  AT  TORONTO  AND  GRIMSBY,  ONT. 


FRUIT   GROWERS'   ASSOCIATION    OF   ONTARIO. 


VOLUME   IX. 


L.  WOOLVERTON,  M.A.,  EDITOR 

K    OFFICE  ADDRESS -GRIMSBY,  ONT. 


N.  B.— Numbers  I.  to  X.  of  thin  Volume  were  Edited  by  Mr.  D.   W.  BEADLE^ 
of  St.  Catfiarhies,  Ont, 


t 


THE  COPP,  CLARK  COMPANY,  LIMITED, 
GENERAL  PRINTERS,  67  &  69  COLBORNE  STREET,  TORONTO. 

1886. 


THE  GREAT,  NEW  QUINCE, 

"Meech's    Prolific." 

This  sort  bears  very  early, — sometimes  one  year  from  cutting,  and  usually 

a  full  crop  at  three  years.      The  most  prolific  of  all  known  varieties. 

Ripens  between  the  Orange  and  Champion. 


in>n^ 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


JANUARY,  1886, 


[No.  1. 


THE    QUIINCE. 


The  comsumption  of  this  fruit  has 
greatly  increased  within  the  past  ten 
years,  so  that  the  attention  of  fruit 
growers  is  being  turned  to  the  con- 
sideration of  more  extensive  planting 
in  order  to  meet  the  increased  demand. 
Hence  the  question  arises  whether  the 
planter  may  expect  that  an  orchard  of 
quince  trees  will  be  remunerative,  and, 
if  so,  what  varieties  are  most  desirable, 
what  soil  is  best  suited  to  their  growth, 
and  what  cultivation  should  they 
receive. 

With  regard  to  the  question  of  rem- 
uneration it  may  be  sufficient  to  say 
that  this  matter  of  fruit  growing  for 
protit  is  like  every  other  business,  it 
needs  to  be  conducted  with  skill  and 
prudence,  while  prices  will  vary  as  do 
the  prices  of  all  other  products  according 
to  the  supply  and  demand.  If  there  be 
any  branch  of  agriculture  that  calls  for 
the  intelligent  use  of  one's  brains  more 
than  another  it  is  this  very  department 
of  fruit  growing  for  profit.  Not  a  few 
liave  been  sorely  disappointed  just  be- 
•ause  they  have  made  fruit  growing  a 
s(5Condary  matter,  a  sort  of  adjunct  to 
the  usual  farm  oi>eration8.  If  that  way 
of  fruit  raising  was  ever  profitable,  the 
(lay  has  now  passed  ;   they  only  may 


expect  success  who  will  make  this  fruit 
growing  the  business  to  which  all  else 
is  secondary. 

We  shall  endeavor  to  set  forth  the 
conditions  under  which  the  quince  can 
be  successfully  grown  so  as  to  yield 
good  crops,  leaving  it  to  our  readers  to 
determine  for  themselves  whether  they 
can  meet  those  conditions  and  reason- 
ably expect  to  find  quince-growing  for 
market  to  be  remunerative. 

The  quince  will  thrive  best  in  a  rich, 
deep,  clay  loam,  that  is  thoroughly 
drained  of  all  standing  water.  It  ha3 
been  the  fashion  to  plant  the  quince 
bushes  in  some  low,  wet  place  and  let 
them  grow  as  they  may  without  care. 
Experience  has  taught  us  that  this 
method  is  unwise,  that  on  the  contrary, 
they  will  respond  as  readily  to  generous 
treatment  in  well  drained  ground  as 
any  fruit  plant.  The  climate  must  also 
be  taken  into  account.  The  trees  are 
more  hardy  than  the  peach  and  may 
therefore  be  successfully  grown  some- 
what beyond  the  limit  of  peach  culture. 
It  is  not  the  wood  of  the  branches  nor 
the  fruit  buds,  but  it  is  the  root  of  the 
quince  that  is  most  liable  to  be  injured 
by  severe  freezing,  especially  if  growing 
in  a  light   sandy   soil.     Hence  in  our 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


climate  it  will  be  found  that  a  mulch  in 
autumn  will  often  be  serviceable  as  a 
protection  to  the  roots,  thereby  preserv- 
ing the  quince  tree  from  injury. 

The  trees  should  be  planted  about 
fifteen  feet  apart  each  way,  and  the 
ground  kept  clean  by  thorough  cultiva- 
tion with  the  cultivator.  Ploughing 
after  the  trees  have  become  well  estab- 
lished is  likely  to  tear  and  injure  the 
roots,  which  are  fibrous  and  lie  near 
the  surface.  Liberal  annual  manuring 
is  as  important  in  the  quince  orchard 
as  anywhere  else.  Besides  this  a  dress- 
ing of  common  salt  applied  every  spring, 
and  occasionally  during  the  growing 
season,  at  the  rate  of  a  quart  to  each 
tree,  scattered  upon  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  has  been  found  to  have  a  very 
beneficial  efiect.  Pruning  must  not  be 
neglected.  The  trees  need  to  be  kept 
open  that  the  foliage  may  be  fully  ex- 
posed to  the  light  and  air.  This  should 
be  regularly  attended  to  every  spring, 
requiring  then  but  little  labor,  and  only 
such  an  amount  as  that  the  heads  shall 
not  become  a  mass  of  interlacing  brush. 

For  some  time  only  two  varieties 
were  usually  planted,  the  Orange  or 
Apple-shaped  Quince,  and  the  Pear- 
shaped.  Of  these  the  apple  quince  was 
to  be  preferred  on  account  of  its  better 
quality  and  brighter  color.  The  Portu- 
gal Quince  has  been  highly  esteemed 
for  its  fine  quality  and  the  handsome 
color  of  the  flesh  when  cooked,  but  it  is 
not  pfofitable  as  a  market  variety  on 
account  of  its  being  a  shy  bearer.  In 
later  times  we  have  had  brought  to 
notice  Rea's  Quince,  which  is  a  variety 
of  the  Orange  of  large  size  and  by  some 


thought  to  be  the  best  of  all,  but  it  has 
not  proved  to  be  sufficiently  productive 
in  our  climate.  This  was  followed  by 
the  Champion  Quince,  which  comes  into 
bearing  early  and  is  productive,  but 
ripens  quite  too  late  for  our  seasons. 
We  have  now  brought  before  us  a  var- 
iety known  as  Meech's  Prolific.  Its 
origin  is  lost  in  obscurity.  Mr.  Meech, 
of  Vineland,  N.  J.,  found  it  growing  in 
the  grounds  of  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  that  place  who  brought  it  from  Con- 
necticut. After  growing  it  with  the 
other  varieties,  Mr.  Meech  became  sat- 
isfied that  it  was  distinct  from  and 
superior  to  all  of  them.  It  is  some- 
what pear-shaped,  but  said  to  differ 
from  the  old  pear-shaped  quince  by 
ripening  earlier  than  that  variety,  yet 
a  little  later  than  the  Apple  or  Orange 
Quince.  It  is  also  said  to  ripen  earlier 
than  Ilea's  and  decidedly  earlier  than 
the  Champion.  The  particular  merits 
claimed  for  this  variety  are  the  vigor- 
ous, healthy  habit  .of  the  tree,  early 
bearing,  and  great  and  uniform  pro- 
ductiveness. Young  trees  of  two  and 
three  years  old  shew  fruit,  and  con- 
tinue to  bear  so  abundantly  thereafter 
that  it  is  necessary  to  thin  out  the  fruit 
in  order  to  prevent  injury  to  the  trees 
from  overbearing.  Trees  five  years 
planted  yielding  from  eighty  to  ninety 
well-grown  quinces.  The  fruit  is  very 
large,  often  weighing  fiora  twelve  to  fif- 
teen ounces,  of  a  beautiful  golden  color, 
and  possessing  the  peculiar  agreeable 
quince  fragrance  in  a  high  degree.  It  is 
claimed  for  it  that  its  cooking  qualities 
are  remarkably  good,  one  lady  stating 
that  it  cooks  as  soft  as  a  peach. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTCKIST. 


3 


We  are  indebted  to  Messrs.  Hance 
and  Borden,  of  Red  Bank,  New  Jersey, 
for  the  colored  plate  of  this  new  quince 
which  accompanies  this  number.  These 
gentlemen  were  so  favorably  impress- 
ed with  the  good  quality  of  this  variety 
that  they  have  undertaken  its  cultiva- 
tion and  dissemination,  and  to  them  we 
are  indebted  for  the  above  particulars 
concerning  its  characteristics.  Should 
it  prove  to  maintain  in  our  climate  the 
good  qualities  which  they  state  it  has 
shown  in  New  Jersey  of  coming  early 
into  bearing  and  continuing  to  yield 
heavy  crops  of  large,  well  formed, 
highly  colored,  and  highly  flavored 
fruit,  it  will  be  a  most  valuable  acqui- 
sition. 

The  quince  is  most  frequently  used 
for  making  a  marmalade,  by  cooking 
the  fruit  soft,  crushing  the  pulp  and 
sweetening  according  to  taste.  Canned 
quince  is  a  favorite  dish  with  many,  re- 
quiring only  to  be  cooked  soft  before 
adding  the  sugar,  else  the  quince  will 
be  made  tough.  Baked  quinces  are  a 
most  delicious  dish.  The  core  should 
be  punched  out,  the  space  filled  with 
sugar,  and  the  fruit  then  baked  in  a  pan 
containing  just  a  little  water.  Eaten 
with  cream  and  sugar — well,  if  you 
have  never  enjoyed  this  dish,  there  is  a 
most  agreeable  experience  in  store  for 
you. 


root  survives  and  throws  up  strong 
shoots  the  next  summer,  it  does  not 
produce  flowers. 


BIGNONIA  RADICANS. 

Mr.  T.  H.  Mackenzie  has  endeavored 
to  grow  the  Bignonia  radicans  at  Dun- 
das,  but  has  only  had  it  bloom  once  in 
five  years.  The  winters  usually  kill  it 
down  to  the  ground,  and  although  the 


PREMIUMS  FOR  NEW  SUBSCRIBERS. 

For  five  new  subscribers  and  five 
dollars  we  will  send  prepaid  any  one  of 
the  following  collections  of  choice  bulbs 
or  plants.  This  is  an  opportunity  to 
secure  a  fine  assortment  of  beautiful 
flowers  and  valuable  plants  without 
cost,  other  than  the  pleasure  of  doing 
a  favour  to  your  friends  by  introducing 
this  monthly  to  their  notice,  and  of 
enlarging  the  circulation  and  extend- 
ing the  usefulness  of  the  only  horti- 
cultural magazine  published  for  the 
benefit  of  Canadian  lovers  of  fruits 
and  flowers : — 

Collection  No.  1 — One  Chionodoxa 
lucillse,  one  Lilium  longiflorum,  two 
Frittillaria  meleagris,  two  Spanish 
Iris,  and  two  Narcissus  poeticus. 

No.  2 — Five  Tulips,  two  Chinese 
Peonias,  one  Spotted  Calla,  one  Tiger 
Lily. 

No.  3 — A  collection  of  five  diflferent 
Lilies. 

No.  4 — A  collection  of  five  different 
sorts  of  Iris. 

No.  5 — Two  double  and  two  single 
Hyacinths,  and  three  double  and  three 
single  Narcissus. 

No.  6 — Five  herbaceous  perennials 
— Fraxinella,  Dianthus,  Japan  Anem- 
one, Japan  Spirea,  and  Clematis  erecta. 

No.  7 — Three  hardy  flowering  shrubs 
— Hydrangea  paniculata,  Spirea  Van 
Houtte,  and  Purple  Fringe. 

No.  8 — A  collection  of  twelve  differ- 
ent sorts  of  flower  seeds. 

No.  9 — Four  hardy  Roses. 

No.  1 0— Four  Tea  Roses. 

No.  1 1 — Three  Polyantha  or  minia- 
ture Roses. 

No.  12 — Four  Climbing  Roses. 

No.  1 3 — Ten  plants,  to  be  ch6sen  by 
you  from  the  following  list :    Gerani- 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


urns,  single ;  Geraniums,  double ;  Fuch- 
sias, single  ;  Fuchsias,  double;  Petunias, 
double,  blotched  and  fringed  ;  Abutil- 
ons,  rose-coloured  ;  Abutilons,  white  ; 
Abutilons,  straw-coloured  ;  Begonias, 
scarlet ;  Begonias,  rose-coloured ;  Be- 
gonias, white-flowered ;  Coleus,  with 
most  beautifully  variegated  foliage ; 
Hydrangea  Thomas  Hogg;  and  Hy- 
drangea Otaksa.  These  plants  will  be 
securely  packed  and  sent  by  mail.  You 
are  at  liberty  to  choose  the  ten  from 
any  one  or  more  of  these  different  kinds 
of  plants. 

No.  1 4 — Six  beautiful  clove-scented 
carnations. 

No.  15 — Six  Double  Dahlias,  differ- 
ent colours. 

No.  16— Twelve  Gladiolus  bulbs. 

No.  17 — Twelve  Tuberose  bulbs  and 
six  Gladiolus. 

No.   18 — Jessica  Grape-vine. 

No.   19 — A  Niagara  Grape-vine. 

No.  20 — An  Amber  Queen  Grape- 
vine. 

No.   21 — A  pruning  knife. 

No.  22 — Three  plants  of  Hilborn 
Blackcap  Raspberry. 

For  ten  dollars  and  ten  new  sub- 
scribers we  will  send,  prepaid,  any  two 
of  the  above  collections  you  may  desig- 
nate ;  or  if  preferred,  we  will  send  you 
one  strong  yearling  tree  of  the  Russian 
Vladimir  Cherry,  grown  from  trees 
imported  by  the  Fruit  Growers'  Asso- 
ciation direct  from  Russia. 

If  you  prefer  books,  we  will  send  you, 
prepaid,  on  receipt  of  three  dollars  and 
three  new  subscribers.  Every  Woman 
Her  Own  Flower  Gardener,  148  pages, 
bound  in  cloth. 

For  five  dollars  and  five  new  sub- 
scribers, Window  Gardening,  300  pages, 
illustrated  with  126  engravings. 

For  twelve  dollars  and  twelve  new 
subscribers,  Saunders'  Insects  Injurious 
to  Fruits,  436  pages,  440  engravings, 
bound  in  cloth. 

For    fifteen    new    subscribers    and 


fifteen  dollars,  the  Floral  Kingdom,  a 
magnificent  art  book,  splendidly  bound, 
450  pages,  200  illustrations. 


THE  WHITE  FRINGE. 

Mr.  Thos.  H.  Mackenzie,  of  Dundas, 
County  of  Wentworth,  informs  us  that 
he  has  two  trees  of  the  White  Fringe, 
one  of  them  now  fifteen  feet  high,  and 
the  other  ten  feet,  that  they  flower 
freely  every  year,  and  have  done  so 
ever  since  the  fourth  year  from  plant- 
ing, and  that  when  covered  with 
bloom  and  when  ornamented  with  their 
rich  purple  drupes  they  are  most  beau- 
tiful objects.  It  is  now  fully  settled 
that  this  beautiful  shrub  or  small  tree 
is  perfectly  hardy  in  our  Canadian 
climate,  reports  having  been  received 
of  its  flourishing  at  Dundas,  Guelph, 
and  at  St.  Anns  de  Bellevue,  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec. 


OUT-DOOR  FRUIT  FOR  THE  MILLION. 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  F.  P.  Gas- 
sion  for  a  copy  of  a  little  pamphlet  of 
some  thirty-five  pages,  with  the  above 
title,  in  which  the  author  sets  forth  his 
method  of  growing  fruit  of  all  kinds 
with  great  success.  His  management 
is  based  upon  the  theory  that  the  roots 
of  a  tree  are  of  three  kinds,  the  small 
fibrous  roots,  the  lateral  roots,  and  the 
tap  roots,  and  that  the  oftice  of  the 
fibrous  roots  is  to  produce  fruit,  of  the 
laterals  to  produce  wood,  and  of  the 
tap  root  to  anchor  the  tree.  Accord- 
ingly he  cuts  off  the  lateral  roots  every 
second  year  or  so.  If  the  tree  be  four 
inches  in  diameter  at  the  ground,  or  a 
foot  in  circumference,  he  allowed  a 
space  of  two  feet  from  the  tree,  and  cut 
off  the  roots  at  that  distance  from  the 
trunk,  thus  leaving  a  circle  of  roots 
four  feet  in  diameter.  His  time  for 
doing  this  root  pruning  is  in  the  autumn 
after  the  leaves  have  fallen.  After 
cutting  off  the  roots,  he  dresses  the  sur- 


THE    CANADIAN    H0KTICULTURI8T. 


face  of  the  ground  with  a  liberal  supply 
of  good,  solid  manure.  In  the  spring, 
when  the  trees  began  to  open  their 
blossoms,  pails  full  of  liquid  manure 
were  given  them  occasionally  as  long 
as  the  blooming  process  lasted ;  also 
for  some  time  afterwards,  particularly 
if  the  weather  were  dry.  The  fertilizers 
used  were  the  drainings  of  the  stable 
and  cow-house,  fresh  solid  manure  of 
any  kind  well  mixed  with  water,  and 
a  few  handfuls  of  guano  well  stirred 
up  in  a  pailful  of  water. 

As  a  result  of  this  treatment  the 
author  states  that  the  trees  soon  covered 
themselves  with  fruit  spurs,  yielding 
great  quantities  of  fruit.  That  this 
process  of  root  pruning  forced  the  trees 
to  make  short  stitf  wood  well  supplied 
with  fruit  buds.  He  thinned  out  all 
small,  poor  fruit,  and  then  let  the  trees 
bear  to  their  very  utmost.  In  addition 
to  the  manuring,  he  gave  the  trees  an 
annual  dressing  of  lime. 

We  have  no  doubt  but  that  by  this 
method  of  lessening  the  wood  growth 
of  a  tree,  and  at  the  same  time  supply- 
ing the  remaining  roots  with  an  abund- 
ance of  food,  and  thinning  out  the  fruit 
so  that  each  remaining  specimen  shall 
have  sufficient  room  for  full  develop- 
ment, perfect  fruit,  of  fine  appearance 
and  full  flavor  will  be  obtained.  This 
method  is  particularly  to  be  commended 
to  those  who  have  but  small  grounds, 
who  can  attend  to  the  trees  during  the 
season  of  growth,  and  see  that  they  do 
not  suffer  for  lack  of  food  or  moisture, 
and  who  desire  to  have  very  choice 
fill  it  and  of  the  highest  flavor.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  when  the 
loots  are  thus  shortened,  food  and  drink 
must  be  supplied  to  the  remainder,  else 
the  tree  will  suffer,  and  the  fruit,  and 
possibly  the  leaves,  drop. 

Should  any  of  our  readers  have  trees 
that  are  making  too  vigorous  wood 
growth,  and  therefore  yielding  little  or 


no  fruit,  they  will  find  this  root  prun- 
ing process  will  check  the  excessive 
wood  production  and  throw  their  trees 


into  fruit  bearing. 


CODLI]^  MOTH  IN  NEW  ZEALAND. 

We  have  been  favored  by  Mf.  R. 
Hobbs,  of  Auckland,  with  a  copy  of 
the  report  of  the  joint  Codlin  Moth 
Committee  appointed  by  the  Legislative 
Council  and  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  New  Zealand  to  consider  and 
make  suggestions  for  the  proper  work- 
ing of  the  Codlin  Moth  Act,  1884,  with 
the  object  of  checking  the  spread  of  this 
terrible  pest. 

It  appears  from  the  report  that  the 
investigations  of  the  Committee  took  a 
much  wider  range,  and  embraced  scale 
insects,  peach  blight,  &c.  Mr.  T.  Kirk 
prefers  syringing  with  a  weak  solution 
of  caustic  potash,  rather  than  Paris 
Green,  for  preventing  the  Codlin  Moth 
from  depositing  its  eggs. 

The  appendix  to  the  report  contains 
copious  extracts  from  the  Canadian 
Horticulturist  and  the  Report  of  the 
Fruit  Growers'  Association  for  1884. 

In  his  letter  just  received,  Mr. 
Hobbs  states  that  he  has  received  at 
diflferent  times  copies  of  the  Canadian 
Horticulturist  from  Mr.  Twohy,  Hamil- 
ton, but  that  he  wishes  to  become  a 
regular  subscriber,  and  accordingly  he 
encloses  his  subscription  for  two  years, 
1886  and  1887.  He  adds:  "  I  made 
free  use  of  your  Journal  by  taking  ex- 
tracts from  it  re  the  cure  for  insect 
pests,  feeling  sure  also  that  you  would 
be  pleased  to  know  that  the  usefulness 
of  your  Journal  extended  as  far  as  New 
Zealand.  Ours  is  a  grand  country  for 
fruit,  and  our  mild  climate  is  very 
favorable  to  insects  as  well.  We  are 
now  only  beginning  to  realize  the  fact 
that  we  must  do  something  to  keep 
them  in  check  ;  and  it  is  with  this  ob- 


6 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


ject  in  view  that  I  have  been  interest- 
ing myself  in  the  matter."  Mr.  Hobbs 
is  the  chairman  of  the  Committee  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  appointed 
to  inquire  into  the  best  methods  of 
combatinsf  the  codlin  moth. 


THE  HILBORN  RASPBERRY. 

This  is  a  new  variety  of  the  Black 
Cap  family,  an  accidental  seedling  trans- 
planted with  a  number  of  others  by  Mr. 
W.  W.  Hilborn,  of  Arkona.  This  one 
manifested  such  a  decided  superiority 
over  the  others  that  he  has  continued 
to  grow  it  for  over  six  years  past,  and 
esteems  it  to  be  the  most  valuable  of 
all  the  Black  Caps  for  either  home  use 
or  market.  He  states  that  it  will 
average  larger  than  any  of  them,  save 
only  the  Gregg,  is  jet  black,  very  pro- 
ductive, and  the  best  in  quality ;  that 
it  begins  to  ripen  just  after  Tyler  or 
Souhegan,  and  continues  in  fruit  later 
than  most.  The  plant  is  a  strong 
grower,  has  few  thorns,  and  is  as  hardy 
as  any  Black  Cap. 

If  any  of  our  readers  will  send  to 
this  office  five  new  subscribers,  they 
shall  receive  in  the  spring  three  plants 
of  this  new  valuable  Black  Cap  Rasp- 
berry. 


APPLES  IN  ENGLAND. 

Green  &  Whineray's  circular  of  28th 
November,  '85,  quotes  Canadian  apples 
at  Liverpool  as  follows  : — Greenings, 
125.  to  12s.  6d.  ;  Spitzenburgs,  10s.  to 
Us.;  Spys,  8s.  Qd.  to  10s.;  Golden 
Russets,  15s.  to  17s.;  Kings,  12s.  to 
15s.;  Seek-No-Furthers,  9s.  to  lis. 
Total  arrivals  to  date,  209,222  bbls. 


OPINIONS  OP^  THE  PRESS. 

One  of  the  most  worthy  of  the  publi- 
cations of  this  province  is  the  Canadian 
Horticulturist,  edited  by  D.  W.  Beadle, 
of  St.    Catharines.      Amonc:  the  con- 


tributors who  are  recognised  as  authori- 
ties upon  various  horticultural  tojncs, 
is  the  name  of  F.  Mitchell,  of  Innerkip. 
Mr.  Mitchell  is  a  most  successful  florist, 
and  an  intelligent  writer.—  Woodstock 
limes. 


THE  WINTER  MEETING 

Of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Association  of 
Ontario  will  be  held  in  the  Town  Hall, 
Stratford,  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday, 
the  10th  and  11th  of  February,  1886, 
commencing  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
noon of  Wednesday,  and  continuing 
through  both  days  and  evenings. 

We  have  received  notice  that  Mr. 
T.  T.  Lyon,  the  President,  Mr.  E.  H. 
Scott,  the  Chairman  of  the  Executive 
Committee,  and  Charles  W.  Garfield, 
the  live  Secretary,  of  the  .Michigan 
Horticultural  Society,  and  also  Mr.  W. 
H.  Green,  of  the  Ohio  Experiment 
Station,  intend  to  be  present  at  that 
meeting.  They  are  all  eminent  as 
fruit  growers  and  horticulturists,  and 
will  add  very  much  to  the  interest  of 
the  occasion.  We  trust  that  our  mem- 
bers will  not  fail  to  avail  themselves  of 
this  opportunity  of  listening  to  these 
gentlemen. 


THE  ASH-LEAVED  MAPLE. 

Keg  undo  acer  aides.. 
A  writer  in  the  A^nerican  Garden 
says  this  "  is  a  handsome  tree.  The 
top  is  S))reading,  symmetrical  and  grace- 
ful. The  foliage  is  dark  green.  The 
trunk  is  smooth  and  well  proportioned. 
In  point  of  beauty  it  is  excelled  by 
none  of  our  forest  trees.  It  is  equally 
commended  by  its  hardiness.  It  does 
well  in  Lower  Canada ;  [We  saw  it 
growing  most  luxuriantly  at  Winnipeg, 
Manitoba,  where  it  is  not  injured  in  the 
least  by  the  cold  of  winter. — Editor.] 
and  along  the  fortieth  parallel,  it  is 
never  injured  by  the  winter.  Nor  is 
it  injured  by  heat  or  drought." 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTICULTURI8T. 


COLEUS  FIREBRAND    AND  GOLDEN 
BEDDER. 

Mr.  N.  Robertson,  Superintendent 
of  the  Government  grounds  at  Ottawa, 
writes  to  the  Floral  Cabinet  that  Col- 
eus  Firebrand  is  a  grand  object ;  under 
glass  it  assumes  a  brilliant  fiery  appear- 
ance, and  that  in  the  open  ground, 
though  the  sun  destroys  this  delicate 
color,  it  yet  is  superior  as  a  dark  bed 
der  over  any  other  he  has  tried,  Jind  is 
a  fine  addition  to  our  bedding  plants. 
Golden  Bedder  under  glass  seems  to 
him  to  have  no  particular  attraction, 
being  of  a  greenish  white,  but  when 
bedded  out  the  sun  changes  this  to  a 
bright  golden  yellow  that  in  the  dis- 
tance is  most  attractive  and  pleasing 
and  makes  a  splendid  contrast  with  the 
other,  either  planted  alternately  or  in 
lines.  Mr.  Robinson  remarks  that 
Golden  Bedder  with  him  is  much 
dwarfed  in  outside  planting  and  requires 
to  be  kept  on  the  front  line. 


QUESTION  DRAWER. 

What  variety  besides  Concord  would 
you  recommend  for  our  climate  and 
soil  1  The  latter  is  a  light,  gravelly 
ridge,  Iving  between  Blenheim  and 
Buckhorn.  R.  B.  B. 

Reply. — If  wanted  for  your  own 
table,  you  will  find  the  Jessica  a  most 
delicious  white  grape  ;  the  Brighton  an 
excellent  red,  and  the  Wilder  a  mag- 
nificient  black  variety. 

WORMS  ON  grapl:  \i:si^. 

Dear  Sik, — I  send  for  your  investi- 
gation and  opinion  in  regard  to  what 
these  small  worms  are  on  this  grape 
vine.  This  is  one  I  was  transplanting 
this  fall.  Please  let  us  know  through 
the  Canadian  Horticulturist. 
Yours  truly, 

W.  C.  Webster. 


Reply. — We  received  with  the  above 
a  piece  of  a  rooted  cutting  that  was 
quite  dry,  and  could  find  no  worms,  or 
appearance  of  worms,  on  it.  They  must 
have  left  the  vine  during  its  transit  in 
the  mail  bajrs. 


WHAT  THE  PEOPLE  SAY. 

NUTS. 

p.    E.    BUC'KE,   OTTAWA, 

Although  in  Canada  we  have  a 
variety  of  nut-bearing  trees  growing 
wild  in  our  woods,  it  cannot  be  said 
that  any  of  the  nuts  produced  on  them 
are  to  be  compared  with  the  English 
or  Spanish  walnuts,  the  Barcelonas, 
Filberts,  or  sweet  chestnuts  of  the  Old 
World ;  and  after  all,  this  state  of 
thiugs  is  reasonable  enough.  We  do 
not  go  to  the  woods  to  find  snow  apples 
or  Smith's  improved  gooseberries.  In 
the  forests  are  found  the  original  types 
of  cultivated  fruits  only  ;  it  is  left  to 
man  to  improve  on  nature.  Some- 
times, however,  we  have  been  able  to 
adopt  the  improved  forms  of  plants 
that  a  long  course  of  civilization  has 
produced,  but  the  attempts  at  growing 
the  walnut,  filbert  and  chestnuts  im- 
ported from  England  to  Canada  have 
met  with  but  little  success.  In  Ottawa 
the  cold  of  winter  is  entirely  too  severe 
for  any  of  the  above  to  flourish.  The 
filbert  has  dragged  out  a  miserable  ex- 
istence from  year  to  year,  but  the  cat- 
kins which  form  in  the  autumn  do 
not  pass  sufficiently  safe  through  the 
winter  to  shed  their  pollen  in  spring, 
or  else  the  female  flower  buds  are  de- 
stroyed by  the  severity  of  the  cold. 
Whichever  is  the  case,  certain  it  is  that 
when  the  time  for  nuts  is  at  hand  the 
trees  are  found  to  have  produced 
**  nothing  but  leaves."  There  is  little 
doubt,  however,  but  the  hazel,  which  is 
wild  over  a  large  portion  of  the  Domin- 
ion,   might    be    hybridized    by    pollen 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


from  the  English  varieties,  and  a  cross 
obtained  suitable  for  our  wants,  if  not 
so  fine  as  the  British  parent.  In  the 
same  way  perhaps  the  condition  of  the 
native  Canadian  chestnuts  and  walnuts 
(either  the  black  or  the  butternut) 
might  be  ameliorated.  A  cross  be- 
tween the  two  latter  might  be  effected 
with  good  results.  Many  of  the  nut- 
bearing  trees,  such  as  the  walnut  and 
filbert,  having  unisexual  flowers,  the 
process  of  hybridizing  would  not  be 
difficult  if  pollen  could  be  obtained. 
Where  the  male  and  female  organs  are 
situate  in  the  same  flower,  as  in  the 
grape  for  instance,  of  course  the  flower 
has  to  be  artificially  opened  and  the 
male  organs  removed  before  they  are 
sufficiently  advanced  for  the  pollen  to 
impregnate  the  female  portion  of  the 
flower. 

The  Juglans  regia  is  the  variety  cul- 
tivated for  its  nuts  in  Europe.  Its 
home  is  supposed  to  have  been  origin- 
ally in  Persia  or  the  Levant,  from 
which  it  was  no  doubt  carried  to  Eng- 
land by  the  Romans.  The  English 
nuts  are  now  said  to  be  better  flavoured 
than  those  grown  on  the  continent  of 
Europe.  The  word  Juglans  is  sup- 
posed to  be  a  contraction  of  Jovis  glans^ 
"  nut  of  Jupiter."  J.  regia  is  by  no 
means  a  hardy  tree.  It  is  in  fact  so 
tender  that  it  flourishes  better  in  the 
south  of  England  than  in  the  north ; 
nevertheless  the  writer  has  seen  some 
fine  trees  of  this  species  in  Suffolk, 
Norfolk  and  Lancashire,  but  the  trees 
of  Kent  and  Surrey  have  the  repu- 
tation of  producing  the  finest  nuts. 
There  is  a  record  of  a  walnut  tree 
which  grew  in  Welwyn,  Herefordshire, 
whose  umbrageous  branches  covered  an 
area  of  over  two  thousand  square  yards. 
There  is  still  standing  at  Balaclava,  in 
the  Crimea,  a  walnut  tree  said  to  be 
upwards  of  one  thousand  years  old. 
This  tree  yields  its  proprietor  a  yearly 
average  of   eighty  thousand   nuts;    it 


has  been  known  to  produce  as  many  as 
one  hundred  thousand  in  a  single  season. 

There  is  one  way  in  which  our  nuts 
could  be  utilized  as  an  article  of  com- 
merce, and  that  is  as  a  pickle.  Both 
the  black  walnut  and  butternut  when 
in  that  stage  of  growth,  just  before  the 
shell  begins  to  harden,  while  it  is  yet 
sufficiently  soft  to  admit  of  its  being 
penetrated  with  ease  by  a  knitting 
needle,  is  gathered  and  converted  into 
a  most  delicious  pickle.  When  the 
nuts  are  ripe  they  are  sold  on  the  mar- 
ket in  Ottawa  for  about  one  dollar  per 
bag,  but  as  a  pickle  they  would  bring 
in  the  English  market,  and  perhaps  in 
Canada,  ten  or  fifteen  times  that  sum. 
The  writer  has  walnuts  pickled,  as  well 
as  the  ripe  nuts  with  the  outer  shell  on, 
preserved  for  the  Colonial  and  Indian 
Exhibition  to  be  held  in  London  next 
summer. 

The  walnut  of  England  is  a  slow 
growing  tree,  and  as  some  one  has  said 
of  pears,  though  perhaps  not  truth- 
fully, 

"  He  who  plants  pears 
Must  leave  it  to  his  heirs  " 

to  eat  them ;  so  in  Britain  one  genera- 
tion plants  the  J.  regia  and  the  next 
partakes  of  the  nuts.  This  is  by  no 
means  the  case  with  J.  cinerea,  as  I 
have  myself  planted  the  nuts  and  have 
gathered  fruit  from  the  tree  seven  years 
afterwards.  I  have  now  two  trees 
eleven  years  old  which  yielded  last  sea- 
son over  a  bushel  of  nuts.  The  older 
the  walnut  tree  becomes  the  more  nuts 
they  produce,  but  it  takes  more  than 
one  generation  to  obtain  a  tree  that  will 
produce  one  hundred  thousand. 

The  paper-shelled  hickory  is  a  pleas- 
ant nut.  The  tree,  though  slow  of 
growth,  is  of  a  very  clean,  handsome 
appearance  both  of  bark  and  leaf,  and 
should  be  more  extensively  cultivated. 
The  chestnut  is  indigenous  to  the  west- 
ern part  of  this  Province,  and  why  it 
is  not  more  cultivated  it  is  difficult  to 


THK   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


9 


understand.  The  tree  is  thrifty  and  a 
fine  grower.  The  nuts,  though  not  so 
large  as  the  Spanish,  are,  when  roasted, 
much  relished  by  the  children,  and 
overgrown  boys  and  girls  have  been 
known  to  eat  them. 

The  fact  is  our  nut-bearing  trees 
have  been  too  much  neglected.  It  is 
trusted  both  the  subject  and  the  trees 
will  receive  that  attention  which  they 
so  justly  deserve  in  the  columns  of  the 
Horticulturist.  I  should  like  to  call  on 
the  readers  of  our  paper  to  send  to  the 
Editor  any  notes  as  to  their  success  or 
failure  in  trying  to  cultivate  or  im- 
prove our  wild  nuts,  and  I  am  sure  he 
would  give  any  such  information  his 
immediate  attention  and  publication ; 
but  I  fear  did  I  do  so  I  would  be  like 
the  character  in  Shakespeare  who  said, 
''I  can  call  spirits  from  the  vasty  deep," 
to  which  his  friend  replies,  "  And  so 
can  I,  and  so  can  any  man,  but  will 
they  come  when  you  do  call  for  them  V 

If  the  men  of  the  present  day  have 
become  too  ancient  to  enjoy  nuts,  it 
must  not  be  forgotten  there  is  always  a 
large  crop  of  youngsters  coming  on 
who  will  be  glad  of  them. 

The  destruction  of  our  forests  is  no 
doubt  making  our  native  nuts  scarcer  ; 
but  there  is  plenty  of  waste  and  road- 
side ground  that  could  be  utilized  for 
the  reproduction  of  our  nut-bearing 
trees. 

CxRAPES  IN  MUSKOKA. 
Notwithstanding  last  winter  was  the 
coldest  I  have  experienced  in  Muskoka 
and  the  summer  a  rather  cool  one,  my 
grape  vines  produced  very  satisfactorily ; 
one  of  Rogers'  rii)ening  48  lbs.,  another 
23  lbs.,  and  another  18  lbs.  Moore's 
Early  I  got  from  the  Association,  not 
so  free  a  bearer,  10  lbs.  Strawberries 
a  heavy  crop.  Raspberries  light,  being 
mostly  frozen  down  to  the  snow  line. 

F.     W.    COATES. 

Cape  Elizabeth,  Muskoka, 


THE  MOST  DESIRABLE  GRAPES. 

We  addressed  a  card  of  inquiry  to  a 
few  of  our  esteemed  readers,  asking 
them  to  favor  us  with  the  names  of  the 
three  varieties  of  grapes  grown  in  the 
open  air  which  they  valued  most ;  and 
to  state  the  reasons  for  their  preference. 
We  have  been  kindly  favored  with  the 
following  replies  ;  for  which  we  desire 
to  express  our  thanks  : — 

AT   ABBOTTSFORD,    QUE. 

Dear  Sir, — Your  query  as  to  my 
best  three  grapes :  I  fruited  forty-seven 
kinds  last  year.  If  planting  only  five 
kinds  it  would  be  :  (1)  Delaware,  (2) 
Massasoit,  or  Lindley,  (3)  Brighton, 
(4)  Duchess,  (5)  Herbert,  Amenia,  or 
Worden.  This  is  as  near  as  I  can 
answer  your  question. 

Yours  truly, 

Chas.  Gibe. 

at  adolphustown,  ont. 
Dear  Sir, — I  have  your  favor  of 
the  12th  inst.  In  reply,  the  only 
grapes  I  have  are  eight  at  the  foot  of 
my  garden,  and  they  did  not  prove  true 
to  name.  I  have  two  that  seem  very 
hardy  :  one  is  the  Brant,  and  the  other 
Mr.  Williams,  of  Prince  Edward,  told 
me  was  Rogers'  very  best  grape,  but  I 
am  not  sure  of  the  number. 

D.  Young. 

AT    BARRIE,    ONT. 

Dear  Sir, — In  answer  to  your  card 
asking  me  to  state  the  three  varieties 
of  grapes,  grown  in  the  open  air,  most 
esteemed  by  me,  and  why.  I  beg  to 
reply  that  the  only  grapes  grown  by 
me,  in  the  open  air,  and  which  I  care 
to  eat,  are  the  Rogers'  amber  grapes  ; 
Dut  these  are  produced  in  poor  bunches, 
the  berry  is  large  and  to  my  taste  very 
good,  and  the  yield  on  the  whole  is 
good.  It  is  sometimes  injured  by  the 
early  frosts,  but  that  is  the  case  with 
all  grapes  here.      I   find  it  the  most 


10 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTTCULTDRTBT. 


reliable  in  this  climate,  except  the 
Champion,  but  this  grape  I  do  not 
care  to  eat.  The  Delaware  and  Con- 
cord are  tolerably  successful  here,  but 
I  have  no  bearing  vines  of  either,  and 
do  not  speak  from  exi)erience.  The 
only  two  grapes  I  ever  recommend 
here  are  the  Rogers  and  the  Delaware. 
At  the  last  show  in  Collingwood  a 
white  grape  was-  exhibited,  which  I 
would  have  said  w^as  grown  under 
glass  if  I  was  not  assured  on  undoubted 
authority  that  it  was  raised  in  the  open 
air.  It  was  fleshy  and  sweet,  and 
much  like  in  flavour  a  Hamburg  grape. 
I  hope  to  obtain  a  cutting  or  two,  in 
order  to  try  it  here.  If  it  succeeds  I 
should  consider  it  a  great  boon  in  the 
matter  of  open  air  grapes.  I  believe 
its  name  is  noc  known  to  the  grower, 
and  I  have  not  heard  its  history,  but 
hope  to  learn  more  about  it  in  a  few 
days,  and  may  write  you  again. 
Yours  in  haste, 

Wm.  Roys. 

at  brighton,  ont. 

Dear  Sir, — Immediately  on  receipt 
of  your  card,  I  called  on  J.  M.  "Wel- 
lington, Esq.,  Main  Street,  Brighton, 
a  pioneer  in  grape  culture,  established 
over  twenty  years;  and  from  that 
interview  learn  that  the  varieties  of 
grapes  grown  by  him,  not  mentioning 
those  discarded  as  not  suited  to  this 
climate,  are  as  follows  :  —  Delaware, 
Concord,  Isabella,  1 2  diflferent  varieties 
of  Rogers'  hybrids,  Elsinburg,  Ontario, 
Union  Village,  Brighton,  Allen's  Hy- 
brid, Lydia,  Rebecca,  and  Maxatawny. 
His  favorites  for  prolific  bearing  and 
early  ripening  are  Rogers'  Hybrid  No. 
4,  Elsinburg,  and  either  Brighton  or 
Delaware  for  third  place ;  for  size, 
Brighton  has  the  preference.  Dela- 
ware is  small,  but  very  prolific,  with 
hardy  vines. 

These  varieties  ripen  nearly  at  the 
same  time  ;  if  anything   Rogers  is  in 


advance.  Maxatawny,  Lydia,  Rebecca, 
and  Allen's  Hybrid  are  white  grapes, 
of  which  he  gives  the  Maxatawny  the 
preference.  Elsinburg  he  gives  the 
preference  over  the  blue  varieties ; 
while  to  Rogers'  Hybrid  No.  4  he  gives 
the  decided  preference  over  all. 

Hoping  this  may  prove  the  informa- 
tion you  desired, 

I  am,  yours  respectfully, 

D.   W.  DULMADGE. 

AT    BROCKVILLE,    ONT. 

Of  the  grape-vines  purchased  some 
ten  years  since,  I  find  the  Rogers  (No. 
39,  I  think)  a  very  fine,  rich  grape, 
berries  nearly  an  inch  in  diameter, 
bunches  not  large,  amber  color,  tough 
skin,  but  like  full  flavored  Muscat.  I 
gave  some  cuttings  to  my  neighbor, 
Mr.  Cochrane,  a  Jerseyman,  who  says 
they  are  as  fine  as  any  he  met  with  in 
Jersey,  or  on  the  main  coast  of  France  ; 
I  prefer  it  to  all  our  out  door  grapes. 
I  am  sorry  to  say  some  of  these  got 
blighted  this  year,  became  hard  like 
marbles,  and  did  not  ripen  :  I  think  it 
was  owing  to  the  cold,  wet  season. 
Next  I  have  the  jolly  little  amber- 
colored  Delaware,  prolific,  but  small 
bunches  ;  my  wife  prefers  these  to  all 
others  of  our  out  door  grapes.  Then 
there  is  a  black,  luscious  grape,  prolific, 
with  large  bunches,  the  name  of  which 
is  lost :  I  think  it  is  Concord.  Then 
the  Israella,  black,  which  I  like  for  its 
wild  taste,  and  gets  richer  after  a  little 
frost  has  passed  on  it.  Of  the  several 
different  varieties  of  out  door  grapes, 
these  are  the  most  notable.  I  have 
more  satisfaction  with  them  than  with 
those  grown  under  glass. 

Besides  these,  I  have  the  August 
Giant,  and  the  Pocklington  ;  also  the 
Niagara,  the  Yergennes,  and  the  Em- 
pire State,  but  only  the  first  of  these 
has  yet  given  me  any  fruit.  The  Pock- 
lington gives  promise  of  doing  well  ; 
like  the  sweet  water,  it  is  pale  green. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


11 


large  bunches,  and  ripens  early.  All 
my  grapes  have  ripened  this  year,  not- 
withstanding the  cold  season  we  have 
endured.  I  always  lay  them  down  in 
winter,  and  cover  them  with  a  little 
earth.  Samuel  Keeper. 

Brockville. 

AT    BLYTH,    ONT. 

Dear  Sir, — I  grow  Isabella,  Con- 
cord, Martha,  Champion,  Salem,  Pock- 
lington,  Burnet,  and  Clinton. 

Concord,  Isabella,  and  Salem,  in  the 
order  named,  have  done  best  ;  that  is, 
as  to  bearing  and  quality.  Champion 
and  Clinton  are  good  for  wine,  but  not 
tit  for  a  table  grape. 

Yours  truly, 

W.  Sloan. 

AT    BLANTYRE,    ONT. 

There  are  very  few  grown  near  to 
nie.  I  know  of  but  one  place  where 
there  are  a  few  vines  grown  of  Concord 
and  Arnold's  Hybrids,  which  grow  and 
bear  very  well.  I  have  a  few  myself, 
but  they  ai-e  yet  young ;  one,  the  Con- 
cord, fruited  this  last  season  for  the 
first  time.  The  names  of  niine  are 
Concord,  Hartford  Prolific^  Martha, 
Salem,  Worden,  Prentiss  and  Brighton, 
and  three  or  four  ot  Arnolds,  which 
j  are  all  growing  very  well.  I  will  try 
-and  keep  you  informed  how  they  suc- 

i;d  with  me. 

Duncan  Robertson. 

TOO  MUCH  ADVICE. 

Dear  Mr.  Editor,— As  you  invite 
your  subscribers  to  give  their  experi- 
ence anent  their  fruits,  "garden  sass 
and  sich,"  I'll  unload  my  worry  re- 
garding my  grajK^  vine  Jessica,  my 
only  child  "  of  that  ilk,"  who,  with  all 
my  tender  nursing,  has  turned  out  a  | 
pathetic  failure.  Solomon  says,  **  In  ! 
the  nudtitude  of  counsellors  there  is 
wisdom."     But   I   like    best    the    old 


Scotch  saying,  "  O'er  many  cooks  spoil 
the  kail."  One  friend  advised  me  to 
put  bones  under  Jessica.  I  suspect  he 
belonged  to  the  "  Pile  o'  bones  Agri- 
cultural Society."  Another  said,  •'  put 
old  leather  shoes  under  her."  I  thought 
my  "  sweet  girl  graduate "  would  not 
rise  by  degrees  on  that  fare.  As  science 
is  so  bewildering  now-a-days,  I  sat  down 
to  study  what  connection  leather  had 
to  bones,  and  concluded  there  was  an 
affinity,  though,  like  Parian  McFar- 
lane's,  "  pretty  far  removed."  So 
Jessica  got  the  bones  and  an  old  slip- 
per. Then  another  said,  "  keep  her 
eyes  above  ground."  I  did  so.  But 
alas,  this  last  advice  blasted  all  my 
hope  of  ever  "  sitting  under  my  own 
vine."  The  cat  came  along  and  scratched 
poor  Jessica's  "  eyes  out."  Snuffing 
after  the  bones,  no  doubt.  I  took  the 
old  slipper,  and  was  nearly  giving  her 
"a  clout  'i  the  lug,"  when  the  thought 
struck  me  that  cats  are  not  mentioned 
as  forbidden  beasts  in  John's  Revela- 
tion as  dogs  are,  so  puss  was  allowed 
to  shake  the  dust  off*  her  feet  and  clear. 
My  poor  Jessica,  I  fear  she'll  come  to 
''  Lochaber  no  more."  I'll  iiet  another, 
and  abide  by  your  directions  only. 

Grandma  Gowan. 
Montreal. 


CURRANT  GROWING  AT  THE  NORTH. 
Happily  for  the  north  men,  if  they 
cannot  grow  the  more  luscious  fruits  of 
their  southern  neighbours,  if  only  the 
hardiest  apple  trees  will  grow  and  bear 
for  them  their  golden  and  crimson  fruit, 
if  the  finer  and  richer  plums  of  the  yel- 
low, blue  and  white  varieties  refuse  to 
flourish  in  their  rigorous  clime,  and 
though  the  pear  and  the  peach  can 
there  nowhere  be  found,  they  are  still 
fortunate  in  being  able  to  produce  as 
fine  specimens  of  red,  white  and  black 
currants  as  can  be  grown  in  any  part 
of  the  temperate  zone.  No  special  care 
is   required  in   their    planting.     They 


12 


THE   OANA.DIAN    HORTICCTLTDRIST. 


■demand  no  winter  protection,  other 
than  is  natural  to  themselves.  They 
call  for  no  special  treatment  at  any  sea- 
son of  the  year,  but  yield  with  an  un- 
sparing hand  an  abundance  of  beautiful 
wholesome  fruit. 

The  greatest  difficulty  to  be  overcome 
in  growing  currants  of  any  kind,  is  the 
difficulty  experienced  in  getting  people 
to  plant  them.  For  once  planted  it  is 
astonishing  how  much  neglect,  and  even 
abuse,  they  will  stand,  and  yet  yield  a 
very  fair  crop  of  edible  fruit. 

Of  the  red  currant  the  priucipal 
varieties  now  grown  are  the  Versailles 
and  the  Cherry.  Between  these  there 
is  very  little  to  choose,  both  varieties 
being  large  in  size,  quite  productive, 
but  somewhat  acid  even  when  fully 
ripe.  Fay's  new  Prolific  and  Moore's 
JR/uby  are  among  the  newer  varieties. 
Both  of  these  were  fruited  on  my 
grounds  last  season  for  the  first  time. 
I  am,  therefore,  unable  to  speak  posi- 
tively of  their  merits  until  I  have  tested 
them  for  at  least  another  season.  They 
are  both  large  in  size,  and  it  is  claimed 
that  they  are  more  productive  than  the 
other  varieties ;  and  furthermore,  it  is 
said  of  Moore's  Ruby  that  it  is  not  so 
acid  when  ripe  as  the  older  improved 
sorts.  But  notwithstanding  the  large 
size  and  great  productiveness  of  these 
varieties,  no  grower  should  be  without 
a  few  bushes  of  the  Old  Dutch  Red  for 
his  or  her  own  use,  as  what  it  lacks  in 
size,  it  more  than  makes  up  in  sweet- 
ness and  richness  of  flavor.  On  this 
head  it,  as  yet,  has  no  rival. 

Among  the  whites,  the  White  Grape 
seems  to  be  in  greatest  request,  but 
although  attractive  in  appearance  and 
highly  prized  by  the  thoughtful  house- 
wife for  converting  into  jelly,  still  even 
when  at  its  best,  it  is  too  acid  to  be  as 
highly  prized  as  it  otherwise  would  be. 

Among  the  blacks,  Black  English 
and  Black  Naples,  which  very  closely 
resemble  each  other,  have  been  chiefly 


grown  by  market  gardeners,  but  latterly 
they  have  been  somewhat  superseded 
by  Lee's  new  Prolific,  which,  on  all 
points,  is  considerably  more  desirable 
than  its  predecessors.  But  even  this 
variety  is  now  likely  to  be  shorn  of  its 
strength  by  the  Champion  of  England, 
which  nurserymen  say  is  far  ahead  of 
anything  yet  produced. 

CULTIVATION. 

The  currant,  like  any  other  shrub, 
will  respond  invariably  to  good  treat- 
ment. It  succeeds  best  in  a  deep  rich 
soil,  and  when  well  mulched  will  yield 
fruit  at  least  twenty  per  cent,  larger 
than  when  not.  There  is  no  better 
manure  than  wood  ashes,  although 
ordinary  stable  manure  answers  a  very 
good  purpose.  One  thing  in  particular 
has  to  be  carefully  watched,  and  that  is 
for  the  appearance  of  the  currant  worm. 
If  taken  in  time,  and  the  bushes  well 
sprinkled  with  hellebore  water  in  the 
proportion  of  two  tablespoonsful  to  a 
pail  of  watei',  no  evil  results  will  fol- 
low; but  if  neglected,  and  the  bushes 
are  allowed  to  be  stripped  by  them  of 
their  leaves,  you  may  expect  nothing 
but  poor  and  unsatisfactory  results.  If 
you  are  too  poor  to  buy  bushes  from 
the  nurserymen,  go  to  your  neighbors 
garden  in  the  fall  after  the  first  heavy 
frost,  get  some  cuttings  of  the  present 
season's  growth,  merely  stick  them  in 
the  ground  where  you  wish  your  bush 
to  stand,  and  in  a  couple  of  years  you 
will  have  fine  healthy  bushes. 

A.  A.  Wright. 


BRACEBRIDGE  AGRICULTURAL  FAIR 

We  attended  the  Agricultural  Show 
at  Bracebridge ;  were  received  very  cor- 
dially by  the  Directors  and  officers  of 
the  Society ;  acted  as  judge  in  several 
departments.  The  fruits  were  sparse. 
Duchess  apples  were  fair  samples,  some 
others  were  rather  inferior  in  quality ; 
there  were  not   many  in  competition. 


THE   CANADIAN   H0RTICULTDKI8T. 


la 


Of  crab  apples  there  were  two  varieties 
(Hyslop  and  Transcendent)  and  8  en- 
tries. The  fruits  appeared  to  be  held 
back.  The  flowers  were  much  better, 
as  there  was  a  very  good  show  for  a 
new  country  like  Muskoka.  The  vege- 
tables were  excellent  in  size  and  varietv. 

C.  H." 

SOUTH  SIMCOE  AND  ESSA  AGRICUL- 
TURAL SHOW. 
I  attended  the  South  Simcoe  and 
Essa  Agricultural  Show  at  Cooks- 
town  on  the  N.  &  N.  W.  Rys.  ;  was 
received  by  the  Directors  of  the  Society 
and  cordially  invited  to  dinner,  where  a 
large  number  of  happy  faces  met  and 
enjoyed  a  hearty  feast  of  the  viands  set 
before  them.  The  Secretary,  R.  T. 
Bantinor,  Esq.,  of  Cookstown  (who  is 
also  County  Secretary),  presented  me 
with  a  badge  of  welcome,  and  after- 
wards pressed  me  into  their  service  as 
judge  on  fruits  with  two  other  gentle- 
men from  different  parts  of  the  county. 
The  fruits  were  excellent  specimens  of 
the  various  kinds.  Apples — 4  entries 
Duchess  of  Oldenburg,  which  were  fair 
samples;  6  entries  St.  Lawrence,  good 
size  and  shape ;  1 0  entries  of  Snows,  very 
good  ;  4  entries  Alexandei*s,  excellent;  2 
entries  Colverts,  fine  specimens ;  3  en- 
tries Kingof  Tomkins  with  other  fruits. 
Seek  no  Further  and  a  very  fine 
specimen  of  Cayuga  Red  Streak ;  G 
entries  Greenings ;  9  entries  American 
Golden  Russet ;  5  entries  of  grapes — 
Hartford,  Brighton  and  Concord — all 
\  <'ry  fair  samples.  The  vegetables  were 
ifiuarkably  good.  This  jmrt  of  the  coun- 
I  ly  is  making  rapid  strides  in  the  way  of 
improvement  in  all  the  various  branches 
of  gardening,  horticulture  and  floricul- 
ttire.  The  flowers  that  were  shown 
were  a  great  credit  to  all  that  part  of 
the  county.  The  Show  on  the  whole 
IS  a  gi*eat  success.  All  they  want  is 
'  >  become  members  of  the  Fruit  Grow- 
ers' Association.  C.  H. 


SOME  RED  GRAPES. 

{For   the    Canadian  Horticulturist.) 

BY  T.  C.  ROBINSON,  OWEN  SOUND. 

Jeferson. — This  variety  has  been  a 
disappointment  in  two  respects — earli- 
ness  and  hardiness.  Although  the  fo- 
liage apparently  partakes  largely  of  the 
enduring  Concord  type,  yet  it  fails  un- 
aocountably  in  ripening  its  wood  on 
young  vines  to  a  sufficient  degree  to 
withstand  the  severe  winter.  Most 
varieties  grown  here  require  no  winter 
protection  but  our  usually  abundant 
snows  ;  but  the  young  Jefferson  vines 
seem  to  need  something  more.  I  have 
had  it  on  my  place  four  years  without 
getting  a  single  cluster,  but  have  seen 
it  fruiting  with  a  friend  in  town.  The 
fruit  is  certainly  very  fine,  but  I  fear 
it  will  always  be  later  than  Concord  in 
ripening. 

Vergennes. — I  have  not  had  this  as 
long  as  the  preceding  variety  and  the 
vines  are  not  large  enough  to  fruit. 
On  a  friend's  grounds  I  tasted  a  cluster 
that  was  very  good,  though  not  large. 
It  does  not  appear  to  ripen  much  in 
advance  of  Concord,  yet  further  ex- 
perience is  necessary  to  satisfy  me  on 
this  point.  The  wood  ripens  well  with 
me,  and  the  foliage  appears  of  the  hardy 
insect-resisting,  mildew-proof  native 
type.  On  the  whole  I  regard  the  Ver- 
gennes as  well  worthy  of  further  atten- 
tion. 

The  little  Delaware  still  perseveres 
worthily  among  its  red  sisters.  Where- 
ever  it  does  as  well  as  it  does  in  the 
Owen  Sound  district,  it  is  essential  to 
the  completeness  of  any  collection.  Its 
quality  is  the  sweetest  and  its  clear 
waxy  ap]}earance  the  most  beautiful  of 
all  out-door  grapes  in  common  cul- 
tivation, while  its  unusual  compactness 
of  cluster,  and  the  tough  yet  thin  skin 
of  the  berry,  give  it  special  value  for 
market  when  it  is  once  got  into  the 
basket.  What  a  pity  that  both  cluster 
and  berry  are  not  a  little  larger.     Yet 


14 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


give  it  well  drained  rich  clay  loam,  and 
keep  it  from  over-bearing,  and  clusters 
four  or  five  inches  long,  with  berries 
over  half  an  inch  thick  will  delight  the 
grower  in  regions  where  the  foliage  is 
free  from  mildew — as  it  is  here.  But 
the  principal  drawback  of  the  Delaware 
appears  to  me  to  be  its  slow  growth. 
It  is  hard  to  get  a  good  sized  vine  with- 
out thinning  the  crop  to  only  about 
half  of  what  a  Concord  or  Niagara 
might  readily  ripen  with  impunity. 

Agawam  (better  known  as  Roger's 
No.  15). — Will  some  one  please  say  why 
this  sort  should  not  be  kicked  out  of 
at  least  all  northern  grape  regions '? 
But  it  is  a  very  large  grape  ?  Yes  :  a 
little  larger  than  any  other  that  we 
grow.  And  it's  a  great  hearer  ?  It  is. 
And  it  has  a  rich  flavour  ?  Decidedly 
so.  And  it  ripens  rather  early?  It 
does  indeed,  usually  in  advance  of  Con- 
cord with  us. 

But  what  is  the  use  of  size  in  a  grape 
when  the  only  portion  fit  to  swallow  is 
a  circumference  of  juice  which  sur- 
rounds a  large  tough  pulp  too  sour  to 
give  to  the  pigs  1 

Such  are  the  reflections  that  come 
to  .a  man  after  going  systematically 
through  a  pound  of  well-colored  Aga- 
wams  with  the  result  of  just  about  a 
quarter  as  much  substance  fit  to 
swallow  as  could  have  been  got  from  a 
pound  of  Del  a  wares,  and  that  quarter 
only  about  half  as  delicious  as  an  equal 
bulk  of  the  Delaware. 

The  Agawam  is  one  of  the  very  few 
varieties  that  I  have  heard  of  mildew- 
ing in  this  part  of  the  country.  It 
mildews  with  me.  Where  it  is  free 
from  this  it  may  be  good  to  sell ; 
but  I  prefer  to  grow  varieties  that 
I  would  not  be  afraid  to  talk  to  my 
customei-s  about  afterwards.  I  see 
that  Toronto  market-reports  gave  two 
quotations  for  Roger's  Grapes  :  one 
"  Rogers  Sour  "  being  considerably  less 
than  the  other.     Can  it  be  that  No.  15 


crawls    into    the    cellar    that    way    in 
southern  districts,  as  well  as  with  us? 

Salem  (Roger's  No.  22).— Was 
praised  as  among  the  best  of  the 
Rogers'  hybrids  some  years  ago.  ^It 
does  not  seem  to  rank  as  high  as  some 
of  the  others  now.  The  foliage  like 
the  Agawam,  while  large  enough,  does 
not  seem  to  me  to  have  as  much  native 
blood  in  it  as  we  find  in  Lindley  and 
Massasoit,  which  may  account  for  more 
mildew  in  Salem  also,  and  the  irregular 
or  late  ripening  of  the  fruit  when 
there  is  a  full  crop.  It  seems  to  be  a 
good  grower  and  bearer,  and  the  fruit 
is  fine ;  but  we  want  something  more 
reliable. 

Massasoit  (Rogers  No.  3). — Is  more 
reliable  with  us,  and  I  jud^e  every- 
where. It  ripens  soon  after  Champion 
here,  and  probably  will  rank  as  the 
earliest  red  grape  in  common  cultiva- 
tion in  Canada.  The  berry  is  large,  so 
is  the  crop  ;  the  vine  is  hardy  and  an 
excellent  grower,  and  the  foliage  un- 
usually good  for  a  hybrid,  though  not 
as  disease-resisting  as  Concord  and  other 
pure  natives.  The  cluster  is  not  large, 
and  the  berry  is  rather  too  dark  a  red, 
and  not  just  good  enough  in  quality  to 
suit  a  connoisseur.  Stiir  many  people 
would  buy  it  readily  for  Lindley,  and 
consider  it  better  than  Concord.  It  is 
certainly  much  better  than  any  Concord 
we  can  raise  here,  and  can  be  depended 
upon  as  one  of  the  surest  and  most  pro- 
fitable. 

Lindley  (Roger's  No.  9). — I  consider 
this  the  best  red  grape  for  all  purposes, 
of  all  that  I  have  any  certain  know- 
ledge of  The  vine  is  a  fine  grower  ; 
it  bears  well  ;  the  foliage,  for  a  hybrid, 
is  just  next-door  to  the  Concord  family, 
and  will  probably  escape  disease  and 
insects  when  everything  else  fails  ex- 
cept the  Concord-Hartford  tribe;  the 
cluster  is  large,  though  often  loose  ;  the 
berries  rather  large,  of  a  rich  brick -red 
color,    with    bloom  ;    and    the    quality 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


15 


sweet,  ricli,  and  of  about  the  purest 
flavor  of  any  out-door  gra})e  in  ordinaiy 
cultivation.  I  saw  it  in  Barrie  last 
year  with  the  same  characteristics,  and 
it  seems  the  same  in  many  parts  of  the 
country. 

Was  it  the  president  of  the  American 
Pomological  Society  who,  a  few  years 
ago,  called  it  "  the  best  grape  in  the 
world  f  No  :  I  think  it  was  Mr.  Barry 
the  chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Nomenclature  of  that  Society.  Let  us 
pass  it  along  anyway  as  the  Best  Red 
Grape  in  Canada.  I  will  be  uncom- 
monly glad  to  hear  of  a  better  one,  but 
this  is  good  enough  for  me. 

Poughkeepsie  Red  and  Ulster  Prolific 
have  not  yet  fruited  with  me. 

ANOTHER  SEASON'S  EXPERIENCES 
WITH  THE  ROSE. 
Mr.  Editor, — Notwithstanding  that 
former  remarks  made  by  me,  through 
the  medium  of  the  HorticulturiHt,  on 
the  "  Rose,"  received  some  gentle  stric- 
tures from  the  pen  of  a  much  respected 
friend  of  mine— Mr.  Gott,  of  Arkona, 
I  still  hold  as  warm  and  loyal  allegi- 
ance as  ever  to  the  queen  of  flowers. 
In  fact  I  find  that  another  season's 
added  experience  and  association  has 
but  adde^l  to  and  deepened  my  craze 
(if  craze  it  is^  for  this  (as  I  still  claim 
it  to  be)  the  most  beautiful  of  all 
flowers.  I  will,  however,  with  as  little 
efiervescence  as  possible  give  a  few 
notes  on  my  experience  the  past  season 
with  the  rose.  For  the  hardiest  kinds 
of  out-door  roses  the  season  has  been 
a  very  good  one,  while  for  tender  sorts 
and  for  all  kinds  which  are  liable  to 
mildew  it  has  been  very  unfavorable. 
All  red  Colomb,  General  Jacqueminot, 
and  Fisher  Holmes,  among  the  reds, 
fully  sustained  the  reputations  which 
I  accorded  them  last  season,  while 
General  Washington  exceeded  anything 
which  I  have  ever  given  it  credit  for. 
It   bore  blooms  (and  grand  ones)  the 


whole  season  through,  from  June  until 
severe  autumn  frosts.  I  am  still,  how- 
ever, of  the  same  oj)inion  as  formerly, 
that  Alfred  Colomb  is  the  fin(^st,  most 
relia])le,  and  the  most  valuable  rose  of 
its  color  which  I  have  tested.  Another 
red  rose  which  made  a  most  remarkable 
and  beautiful  disi)lay  with  me  early  in 
the  season  was  Maurice  Bernardin.  I 
have  only  one  bush  of  this  variety,  and 
it  is  rather  a  small  one,  but  i  have 
counted  nearly  a  hundred  fine  blooms 
on  it  at  one  time. 

Among  the  pink  or  rose  colored.  La 
France,  Paul  Neyron,  and  Marquise  de 
Castellane,  again  proved  themselves 
worthy  of  all  the  i^raise  I  have  ever 
given  them,  while  Fran9ois  Michelon 
has  this  year  proved  itself  quite  worthy 
of  a  place  with  this  former-mentioned 
beautiful  trio. 

.Baroness  Rothschild  far  exceeded 
anything  it  ever  did  before.  I  have 
formed  a  more  favorable  opinion  of  it 
than  I  ever  held  before.  In  cold,  damp 
seasons  like  the  past  one,  I  think  it 
will  prove  a  valuable  rose. 

Among  the  white  roses,  the  White 
Baroness  has  this  year  carried  off*  the 
palm.  It  is  not  quite  white,  but  its 
symmetrical  blooms  were  so  entranc- 
ingly  beautiful,  that  even  sensible,  mat- 
ter-of-fact visitors  who  came  to  see  it, 
and  who  profess  to  be  quite  above  little 
weaknesses  which  I  am  marred  with, 
were  sometimes  almost  tempted  to  fall 
down  and  give  it  a  little  idolatrous 
worship  like  myself,  I  wish  my  gentle 
critic  of  Arkona  had  been  there,  and  I 
think  he  would  have  forgiven  me  for 
getting  off*  the  solid  earth  occasionally 
when  speaking  of  the  rose.  Madam 
Noraan,  Eliza  Boelle,  and  any  of  this 
tenderest  type  of  the  hybrid  noisette 
family,  were  hardly  up  to  the  standard 
of  former  yeai-s.  The  season,  I  think, 
was  too  cold  for  them.  I  think  this 
will  prove  a  particularly  valuable  class 
of  roses  in  dry  and  hot  seasons.     I  find 


16 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


that  Madam  Noman  retains  its  blooms 
longer,  and  is  less  affected  by  dry  heat, 
than  any  other  rose  I  have. 

Among  the  dark  roses,  Louis  Yan 
Houtte  again  took  the  very  first  place, 
its  only  fault  being  that  the  bush  is  a 
poor  grower  and  is  somewhat  tender. 
Baron  de  Bonstetten  is  also  a  very  fine 
dark  rose,  and  appears  to  be  very  hardy. 
Jean  Liabaud  is  a  very  fine  rose  of  this 
color,  but  did  not  bloom  much  late  in 
the  season. 

Among  the  tender  roses  I  have  not 
much  to  chronicle.  As  I  stated  before, 
I  find  Sunset  only  a  very  slight  im- 
provement on  Perle  des  Jardines,  and 
that,  chiefly,  in  that  it  appears  to  be  a 
somewhat  betier  grower.  The  color  is 
so  nearly  the  same  that  I  have  to  keep 
them  labelled  so  as  to  make  sure  which 
is  the  new  Sunset  which  came  out  with 
such  eclat.  These  are  both  very  fine 
roses  for  the  amateur.  Perle  de  Lyon 
is  another  yellow  rose,  but  one  I  would 
warn  the  amateur  against  meddling 
with.  Mildew  appears  to  be  natural 
to  it.  I  got  one,  but  after  patiently 
doctoring  away  at  it  for  weeks,  during 
which  time  it  infected  nearly  every 
plant  I  had,  I  was  forced  to  cremate  it 
at  last,  and  then  it  took  me  w^eeks  to 
get  rid  of  the  effects  of  it. 

Among  the  newest  arrivals,  I  may 
mention  that  I  have  the  Wm.  Francis 
Bennett.  It  appears  to  be  a  good 
grower,  and  as  soon  as  it  blooms,  which 
will  be  shortly,  I  will  (if  it  is  worthy) 
make  mention  of  it.  I  have  also  other 
new  garden  roses,  such  as  the  Marshall 
P.  Wilder,  and  others,  but  which  have 
not  bloomed  yet,  and  on  which  I  can 
note  no  experience  of  the  past  year, 
but  whose  beauties  I  am  already  look- 
ing impatiently  forward  for  a  coming 
season  to  unfold. 

As  to  the  respective  merits  of  the 
rose  and  the  geranium,  as  called  in 
question  by  my  friend,  Mr.  Gott,  I 
have  nothing  to  say,  more  than  that  I 


am  in  full  and  complete  accord  with  all 
the  good  things  this  gentleman  has  said, 
and  said  so  well,  about  the  geranium. 
I  endorse  them  all,  fully  and  freely,  and 
would  only  feel  over  gratified  if  I  could 
think  I  had  been  in  any  way  instru- 
mental in  bringing  out  so  many  good 
things  as  there  are  in  that  article  from 
his  able  pen. 

Frederick  Mitchell. 
Innerkip,  Nov.  23rd,  1885. 

RASPBEERIES. 

The  raspberry  has  been  planted  very 
extensively  within  the  last  few  years, 
and  is  every  year  becoming  of  greater 
importance  as  a  market  fruit.  The 
fii-st  to  ripen  of  the  blackcaps  was  the 

Tyler — The  berry  is  quite  large,  of 
good  quality,  and  very  productive; 
bush  is  very  hardy ;  it  is  a  little  ear- 
lier than  Souhegan.  I  have  it  planted 
in  rows  side  by  side;  one  part  has 
been  planted  two  years,  the  other  three ; 
and  in  both  cases  the  Tyler  gave  double 
the  number  of  quarts  at  the  first  pick- 
ing, on  bushes  of  the  same  age  and 
size,  and  on  the  same  soil.  If  they 
were  planted  some  distance  apart  it 
would  be  hard  to  notice  the  difference. 
Souhegan  is  sometimes  injured  with 
rust  on  the  plant,  while  Tyler  has 
been  perfectly  free  from  it  with  me. 
These  two  varieties  are  the  best  early 
sorts  in  most  sections ;  it  will  make 
but  little  difference  which  one  you 
have. 

Hopkins  is  next  to  ripen  ;  not  quite 
so  large  as  the  above  ;  I  see  no  special 
value  in  it. 

Mammoth  Cluster  begins  to  ripen 
with  the  second  picking  of  Souhegan ; 
of  good  size ;  a  little  larger  and  quite 
hardy ;  with  good  cultivation  is  very 
profitable. 

Gregg  is  the  largest  and  best  late 
market  berry ;  very  productive,  firm, 
and  when  grown  in  strong  clay  loam, 
is  so  large  that  it  will  sell  well  in  any 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


market;  not  quite  as   hardy  as  Mam- 
moth Cluster. 

Shaffers  Colossal — A  purple  berry 
of  the  largest  size  ;  the  bush  is  the 
strongest  grower  of  any  raspberry  T 
have  seen ;  it  is  also  the  most  produc- 
tive and  hardy.  I  have  been  favour- 
ably disappointed  in  its  hardiness  : 
there  was  no  raspberiy  came  through 
the  past  severe  winter  in  better  condi- 
tion than  Shaffer's.  The  fruit,  if  left 
lo  get  over  ripe,  is  too  dark  and  soft 
'<>   ship  well;  but  when  picked  every 

ly  it  looks  well,  especially  to  those 
who  know  its  unexcelled  canning  quali- 
ties.  There  is  none  in  the  whole  list 
of  raspberries,  either  red,  black  or  yel- 
low, that  suits  my  taste  so  well  with 
cream  and  sugar  ;  it  has  just  the  right 
proportion  of  acid,  when  combined  with 
the  sugar  and  cream,  to  give  that 
S}n'ight]y  flavor  that  causes  you  to  al- 
ways want  one  more  dish  of  them. 

Caroline  is  the  best  yellow  yet  test- 
ed ;  a  cap  variety ;  veiy  productive ; 
of  quite  good  quality  ;  of  a  pink  orange 
color ;  rather  soft  for  shipping  very 
far.  Will  give  fruit  when  others  are 
gone. 

Beehe^s  Golden  Prolific  is  not  of  much 
value;  of  poor  quality,  very  produc- 
tive, medium  size ;  when  a  little  over 
ripe   it  turns  dark,  and  no  one  wants 

buy  it.  Shall  dig  out  most  of  that  sort. 

Turner,  all  things  considered,  is  the 

st   early  red   raspberry  we  have  yet 

-red;  it  always  comes  through    the 
inter  all  right ;  it  is  good  in  quality  : 
1  little  soft  for  shipping. 

Cuthbert — Best  late  red ;  not  as 
hardy  as  Turner,  but  larger  and  later  ; 
quite  firm  ;  the  best  market  berry  we 
"  ive  where  it  will  stand  the  winter. 

Hansell  has  not  done  much  with  me, 
although  T  have  not  given  it  as  good  a 
chance  as  it  should  have.     Will  give 

further  trial. 

Marlboro'  fruited  with  mo  only  on 
spring-set   plants ;    fruit   as   large    as 


Cuthbert,  of  bright  red  color ;  quality 
not  as  good  as  Cuthbert. 

I  have  a  seedling  red  raspberry  from 
Northern  Muskoka  that  fruited  with 
me  this  S(^ason  on  spring-set  plants 
that  is  very  promising.  It  was  sent 
to  me  by  a  man  who  has  fruited  it 
several  years,  and  says  it  is  the  best 
and  most  hardy  of  any  he  has  seen.  If 
it  should  prove  valuable  you  will  hear 
from  it  at  some  future  time.  It  has 
made  a  good  beginning,  but  time  alone 
will  tell  its  weak  and  strong  points. 

I  have  several  new  varieties  that 
have  not  yet  fruited  enough  to  say 
much  about  them,  such  as  Nemalia, 
Rancocas,  etc. 

W.    W.    HlLBORN. 


A  REPORT  ON  GRAPES. 
In  giving  a  report  of  my  grapes  it 
win  be  necessary  first  to  mention  that 
they  are  growing  on  a  bed  of  scaly 
limestone  rock,  covered  with  from  six 
inches  to  a  foot  of  clay  loam.  This 
rocky  bed  is  intersected  with  fissures 
of  about  six  inches  in  width,  leaving 
large  blocks  of  from  eight  to  twelve 
and  fourteen  feet  square.  The  fissures 
are  filled  with  earth,  and  whenever  a 
vine  or  a  tree  gets  its  roots  into  one  of 
them  the  effect  is  soon  visible.  This 
piece  of  ground  is  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Owen  Sound  bay,  about  one  mile 
fi-om  the  shore.  Frosts  do  not  affect 
it  as  much  as  where  there  is  no  lime- 
stone ;  but  the  intense  heat  of  summer 
must  be  tempered  by  mulching  well 
around  the  roots  of  anything  growing 
on  it.  A  number  of  years  ago  I  plant- 
ed on  it  a  number  of  fruit  trees,  several 
vines  of  the  Isabella  grape,  and  one 
vine  each  of  Kogers'  Nos.  4  and  15, 
and  Salem.  They  all  did  well.  The 
Isabellas  have  now  grown  to  be  large 
vines,  and  every  year  yield  abundant 
crops,  but  they  ripen  too  late.  Occa- 
sionally they  ripen  well  and  are  fine 
grapes ;  still  one  looks  for  a  kind  to 


18 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTIOtJLTURIST. 


ripen  earlier  and  be  a  surer  crop.  The 
Salem  does  well  with  me,  producing 
fair  crops  of  choice  fruit.  It  has  never 
mildewed,  but  in  the  season  of  1884  it 
bursted  badly.  Nos.  4  and  15  do  very 
well  too  ;  but,  owing  to  their  being 
planted  too  near  other  trees,  they  seem 
not  so  healthy  and  productive  as  the 
Salem.  Those  three  of  Rogers'  ripen 
about  the  same  time,  and  are  ten  to 
twelve  days  before  the  Isabella.  I 
have  Rogers'  Nos.  3  and  9.  They  bore 
fruit  for  the  first  time  the  past  season. 
They  are  both  good  growers,  but  the 
fruit  of  my  No.  3  is  much  larger  and 
finer  flavoured  than  No.  9.  I  would 
give  it  a  place  next  to  the  Salem  in 
every  respect.  I  planted  Rogers'  Nos. 
43,  44  and  19  last  fall.  They  made 
fair  growth  during  the  summer,  and 
look  to  be  healthy  vines.  I  have  a 
vine  of  the  Eumelan  that  yielded  some 
fruit  for  the  first  time  the  past  season. 
The  fruit  was  very  small.  I  do  not 
think  much  of  it,  and  would  not  plant 
any  more  of  them.  Still,  another  year 
may  make  a  change.  I  planted  a  vine 
each  of  the  Champion  and  Brighton 
about  four  years  ago.  The  Champion 
was  planted  about  five  feet  from  a 
small  peach  tree.  Each  year  it  would 
grow  from  one  to  two  feet,  and  be  all 
dead  the  next  spring,  when  it  would 
start  again  from  the  roots.  Last  win- 
ter the  peach  tree  was  killed,  and  this 
summer  the  vine  grew  vigorously,  and 
seems  quite  difiierent.  The  Brighton 
has  grown  well,  and  this  year  it  would 
have  borne  fruit,  but  they  got  picked 
off".  Two  years  ago  I  planted  a  vine 
each  of  the  Pocklington  and  Lady 
Washington,  and  in  the  spring  of  1 884 
I  got  the  Prentiss  from  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association.  The  Lady  Wash- 
ington is  the  most  delicate-looking  vine 
I  have,  and  if  it  does  not  do  better  an- 
other year  it  will  have  to  go.  The 
Pocklington  is  also  a  slow  grower,  and 
as  yet  I  have  a  poor  opinion  of  it ;  and 


I  may  say  the  same  about  the  Lady ; 
still  the  Lady  has  not  had  the  same 
chance,  being  only  a  one-year  vine 
when  I  got  it,  and  not  a  very  healthy 
looking  one.  Last  year  I  sent  you  a 
report  of  the  Prentiss  I  got  from  you, 
and  spoke  very  highly  of  it.  This  year 
I  can  do  the  same.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  healthy-looking  vines  I  have  got. 
It  has  a  dark  green  leaf  with  a  marked 
freshness  about  it,  and  it  keeps  its 
color  longer  than  any  kind  I  have.  It 
has  made  very  fair  growth,  and  gives 
every  appearance  of  being  a  very 
healthy  plant.  I  have  a  vine,  too,  of 
the  Delaware,  which  seems  healthy, 
and  does  not  exhibit  the  same  tender- 
ness that  I  hear  others  speak  of.  It  has 
grown  well  with  me,  and  I  would  have 
got  some  fruit  ofi*  it  this  year  had  it 
not  met  the  same  fate  as  the  Brighton. 
Last  spring  I  planted  a  Jessica,  a 
Moore's  Early,  as  well  as  a  few  Wor- 
dens,  two  Concords,  and  a  vine  each  of 
Burnet,  Martha,  Cottage  and  Early 
Victor,  and  a  Niagara.  All  of  them 
have  grown  very  well  and  look  healthy, 
and  have  made  quite  a  length  of  per- 
manent wood.  I  will  only  particu- 
larize the  Cottage  and  the  Nia^jai-a. 
The  Cottage  I  got  from  Chas.  A.  Green 
of  Rochester.  It  is  a  seedling  of  the 
Concord,  and,  although  it  was  the  last 
one  I  planted,  it  more  than  doubled 
the  growth  of  any  of  the  others  planted 
the  same  year,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Niagara.  It  seems  strange  to  me 
there  is  so  little  said  about  it  if  it  grows 
as  well  with  others  as  it  has  done  with 
me.  I  will  conclude  with  a  brief 
sketch  of  the  Niagara.  I  got  a  vine  of 
it  in  the  spring  from  Mr.  White  of 
Owen  Sound.  It  took  root  and  began 
to  grow  soon  after  planting,  and  by  the 
fall  it  had  grown  about  ten  feet,  and 
most  of  that  permanent  wood.  It  far 
outstripped  any  of  the  others  of  the 
same  age,  and  if  it  does  as  well  other 
years  with  me  as  it  has  done  this,  and 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


19 


if  it  does  as  well  with  others  as  it  has 
done  with  me,  it  can  easily  be  seen  why 
the  Niagara  Grape  Co.  has  made  such 
efforts  to  keep  it  in  their  own  hands. 
If  it  bears  good  fruit  in  proportion  to 
its  growth,  I  for  one  will  not  rue  the 
price  I  paid  for  it. 

A.  C.  Sloane,  M.B. 


A  SUMMER  m  THE  GARDEN.       . 

(Tb  the  Editor  of  the  Horticulturist.) 

Dear  Sir, — The  faded  and  falling 
leaf,  while  it  reminds  us  that  another 
mile-stone  of  life's  journey  is  reached 
(let  us  hope  running  in  the  right 
road),  tells  us,  too,  t.'iat  summer  is 
ended.  Most  of  your  readers  being 
more  or  less  employed  in  garden  opera- 
tions, a  review  of  the  season's  crop 
may  not  be  without  some  interest.  As 
success  depends  much  on  cultivating 
kinds  the  best  and  most  suited  to  the 
locality,  and  as  these  kinds  can  only  be 
selected  by  the  study  of  our  own  fai- 
lures and  successes  as  well  as  that  of 
our  neighbours,  we  venture  a  word  of 
our  experience  and  solicit  that  of 
others.  "  In  the  multitude  of  counsel- 
lors there  is  wisdom." 

The  present  season  for  most  vegetables 
has  been  especially  favorable.  We 
doubt  if  even  that  oft-spoken  of  char- 
acter the  oldest  inhabitant,  ever  saw  one 
more  so.  On  this  account  the  success  of 
of  this  year  may  be  the  failure  of  the 

xt. 

Beans. — Among  the  multitude  of 
kinds  it  is  difficult  to  name  a  best. 
Our  good  friend,  Mr.  Goldie,  kindly 
sent  me  highly  recommended  seed  of  the 
Lima.  It  is  certainly  not  the  kind  for 
our  cold  section.  It  was  but  started  in  the 
hotbed  ;  to  ripen  it  should  be  there  now. 
In  common  seasons  no  doubt  it  would 
do  better.  The  dwarf  Butter  Bean, 
Golden  "Wax  and  Newington  Wonder 
are  favorites  with  us,  but  of  late  years 
have  spotted  badly. 

Beets. — We  begin  to  think  seedsmen 


have  no  conscience.  We  buy  a  packet 
marked  Long  Blood  Beet,  the  picture 
of  the  pure  thing  is  on  it,  true  to  life, 
is  beautifully  got  up,  5  cents  seems  a 
mere  bagatelle  for  it,  but  it's  the  best 
part  of  the  bargain.  In  this  case  like 
does  not  produce  like  ;  in  all  likelihood 
the  crop  turns  out  to  be  something 
bearing  a  strong  affinity  to  mangel 
wurtzel,  baffling  every  effiDrt  of  the 
cook  to  get  it  into  her  largest  pot;  and 
if  it  did  go  through  the  ordeal  of  cook- 
ing, the  most  fitting  place  for  it  is 
the  swill  tub.  Of  last  year's  novelties 
we  tried  the  Eclipse  early  beet,  but  did 
not  find  it  much  of  an  improvement  on 
the  old  early  Egyptian.  Burpee's  Im- 
proved Extra  Early  Turnip  Beet, 
almost  as  early  and  of  better  quality 
than  the  Egyptian,  we  have  found  ex- 
cellent. 

Carrots. — Of  many  kinds  tried  we 
prefer  the  Half-long  Luc.  They  are 
early,  easily  lifted,  yield  and  keep  well. 
Cabbage. — In  Henderson's  Late  Flat 
Dutch  we  thought  we  had  found  per- 
fection. Early  in  the  season  it  headed 
beautifully,  and  some  of  it  ripened 
early ;  but  now,  when  it  should  be 
ready  for  pulling,  although  of  immense 
size,  there  is  a  large  proportion  of  soft 
unripened  heads.  This  may  be  owing 
to  the  want  of  heat,  but  we  think  as 
much  or  more  weight  of  cabbage,  and 
of  better  quality,  could  be  I'aised  from 
the  Winningstadt  planted  18  inches 
apart  than  from  any  of  the  large 
varieties. 

Cauliflower. — Till  now  we  have  been 
well  satisfied  with  the  Extra  Dwarf 
Ei-furt  variety.  This  year  we  have 
tried  Henderson's  Early  Snowball.  It 
did  not  come  up  to  our  expectations, 
but  as  we  had  a  few  good  heads,  and 
have  it  well  reported  of  by  friends,  we 
must  try  it  again. 

Celery. — Henderson's  White  Plume 
gave  us  less  labour  and  more  satisfac- 
tion  than   any  kind   we  |^have    tried. 


20 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Planted  nearly  on  the  level,  with  only 
one  slight  earthing  up,  about  one  inch, 
which  I  don't  think  it  required,  it 
blanched  beautifully.  I  can  fully  en- 
dorse Henderson's  description  of  it 
when  they  say,  "  It  far  exceeds  any 
known  vegetable  as  an  ornament  for 
the  table.  Its  eating  qualities  are  equal 
to  the  very  best  of  the  old  sorts.  Alto- 
gether we  can't  find  words  to  describe 
its  many  merits  as  it  deserves."  We 
also  tried  Major  Clark's  Pink  Celery 
(new),  but  giving  it  the  same  treatment 
as  the  White  Plume,  i.  e.,  failing  to 
earth  it  up ;  it  is  as  green  to-day  as  we 
were  to  neglect  it. 

Corn  (sweet). — For  this  crop  the  sea- 
son was  unfavorable.  We  had  only  a 
few  dishes  late  in  the  season.  We 
have  found  none  better  than  Moore's 
Early  planted  at  intervals.  Sto well's 
Evergreen  is  also  good  for  a  late  crop. 

Cucumbers. — Who  can^t  grow  them  ? 
Early  White  Spine,  the  catalogues  say, 
is  very  desirable ;  we  have  found  it  so. 

Lettuce. — I  think  I  hear  my  good 
friend  the  Editor  saying,  What  in  the 
world  can  the  Scotchman  tell  us  about 
lettuce?  Muckle,  i.e.,  much.  After 
trying  the  legion  of  kinds,  I  confine 
myself  to  a  kind  I've  grown  for  forty 
years.  If  you  ask  me  for  its  name, 
that's  the  only  thing  about  it  I  don't 
know ;  but,  it  deserves  a  name,  as  Burns 
says,  as  lang  as  rtiy  arm.  Our  worthy 
President  is  full  of  big  names  ;  I'll  get 
one  from  him,  and  you'll  have  it  some 
of  these  days  under  the  head  Novelties. 
Joking  apart,  I  consider  it  very  valu- 
able. Besides  supplying  many  friends 
here,  I  have  sent  it  to  England  and 
Scotland,  and  as  they  have  difficulty  in 
ripening  the  seed  there  .1  have  yearly 
orders  for  it.  I'll  ask  Mr.  Wright,  of 
Renfrew,  to  report  on  it. 

Melons. — A  failure,  I  believe,  all 
over ;  season  too  cold. 

Onions. — On  ground  clean  and  rich, 
sowed  early,  they  are  a  profitable  crop, 


not  otherwise.  This  year  we  could  not 
get  them  sowed  early  enough.  Last 
year  off  \  acre  T  sold  80  bushels  at  65 
cents,  and  had  20  bushels  of  thick 
necks  besides.  Query,  was  it  the  sea- 
son, the  soil,  the  culture,  or  what  the 
cause  It  But  friend  Beall  is  the  most 
successful  grower  of  onions  I  know  of, 
and  he  can  tell  us  how  to  keep  them, 
too.  I  take  it  that  every  Director  of 
our  Association  is  in  duty  bound  to 
make  known  all  he  thinks  worth  know- 
ing. 

Parsnips  seldom  fail.  Left  in  the 
ground  all  winter  they  supply  a  lack  of 
vegetables  in  early  spring. 

Fea.s — the  perfection  of  vegetables. 
So  think  the  black-birds.  As  usual 
they  left  me  nothing  of  the  early  sow- 
ings but  the  pods.  We  have  not  yet 
found  any  variety  come  up  to  the  Am 
erican  Wonder. 

Rhuharh. — Mr.  Wright  kindly  su])- 
plied  us  with  plants  of  the  Victoria 
and  Cahoon's  Mammoth.  They  pro- 
duced leaves  as  large  as  a  good-sized 
umbrella,  and  stalks  as  thick  as  my 
wrist ;  the  quality  excellent.  If  these 
are  a  sample  of  Renfrew  production, 
what  provokes  our  friend  to  complain 
of  his  hard  climate  %  We  cover  our 
plants  in  spring  with  sash  before  they 
are  needed  for  melons,  and  have  it  a 
little  in  advance  of  the  season. 

Salsify  fails  to  repay  us  the  trouble 
of  growing. 

Tomatoes  were  late  of  ripening,  and 
rotted  badly  on  the  ground.  The  May- 
flower variety  is  good  and  early,  but  a 
neighboring  garden  growing  the  Fulton 
Market  had  fine  tomatoes  about  two 
weeks  earlier  than  I  had  the  Mayflower. 
The  Fulton  Market  is  recommended  in 
the  Am^erican  Garden  as  first  early. 

Turnips. — I  never  succeeded  in  grow- 
ing early  turnips  fit  to  eat.  This  year 
I  got  among  the  novelties  ;  and  ex- 
perimenting with  them,  it's  no  novelty 
to  be  disappointed.     The  Early  Millan, 


I- 


THE   CANADIAN    HOR riCULTUKIST. 


21 


recommended  highly,  proved  to  be  bit- 
ter and  unpalatable.  In  Sweedisli 
turnips,  our  Scottish  Champion  and 
Sutton's  Champion,  sowed  3rd  June, 
yielded  us  a  fine  crop  of  splendid  tur- 
nips. Tlie  dei)redations  of  the  black 
lly,  the  greatest  hindrance  to  their  cul- 
ture, we  found  much  lessened  by 
.sj)rinkling  the  plants  as  soon  as  they 
iipear  with  a  solution  of  bitter  aloes, 
'  pounds  to  a  40  gallon  barrel  of  water, 

portion  of  it  boiled   to  dissolve  the 

loes. 
With  varying  seasons  it  is  difficult 

<   name   the   proi)er  time    for    lifting 

•getables.  That  they  still  orrow  is  no 
xcuse  for  leaving  them  till  the  lifting 
of  them,  if  not  risky,  is  unpleasant. 
As  a  rule  we  think  they  should  be 
stored  in  our  section  not  later  than 
15th  October. 

Done  with  the  Gardener,  a  word  to 
the  Cook  may  bring  us  more  thanks. 

Sweet  corn,  cut  off  the  cobs  ripe  as 
for  use,  and  firmly  packed  in  the  usual 
glass  jars,  placed  in  cold  water  on  the 
stove,  and  boiled  three  hours  with  the 
covers  screwed  on,  is  little,  if  any,  in- 
ferior to  fresh  pulled.  Try  it,  readers, 
and  you  will  abandon  the  old  system 
of  drying  it,  or  any  other.  When  re- 
moved from  the  stove  tighten  the  covers. 

John  Croil. 
Aultsville,  Stormont  Co. ,  Nov.,  1885. 

OYSTER  SHELL  BARK-LOUSE. 
Having  noticed  at  different  times,  in 
the  I/orticnlliirint,  remedies  mentioned, 
that  I  considered  inferior,  for  the  des- 
t  ruction  of  the  Scale,  or  Bark-Louse,  on 
I  pple  trees,  and  at  the  same  time  having, 
»  my  own  knowledge,  in  my  possession 
t  very  effectual  remedy,  I  have  often 
t  Iiought  of  mentioning  it  to  you,  which 
I  will  now  do.  When  I  planted  my 
\ oung  orchard,  there  was  an  old  orchard 
in  the  centre  of  the  plot,  and  it  was 
about  three  years  afterwards  that  I 
noticed,    for   the    first   time,   that   the 


trees  of  the  old  orchard  were  literally 
covered,  even  to  the  fruit  spurs,  with 
the  Bark-Louse ;  and  they  had  spread 
into  several  hundred  trees  of  the  young 
orchard.  I  cut  the  old  orchard  down 
and  burnt  the  trees,  branches  and  all  ; 
the  following  year,  in  the  month  of 
February,  or  March,  I  applied  the 
remedy  in  question  with  the  best  re- 
sults, killing  all  the  insects,  excepting 
on  a  very  occasional  tree,  which  another 
dose  the  following  year  cleaned;  and 
to-day,  out  of  8,000  trees,  I  do  not 
know  of  one  that  is  infested  with  the 
Bark-Louse.  The  shells  of  the  old 
louse  remained  on  the  trees  for  a  few 
years,  so  that  many  thought  they  were 
still  infested,  but  they  were  not,  and 
eventually  the  old  shells  were  washed 
off  by  the  rains. 

The  remedy  is  simple  :  Take  small 
cotton  bags,  two  inches  wide  and  three 
or  four  inches  long,  filled  with  the 
composition  ;  and  with  a  little  carpet 
tack  fasten  them  in  the  forks  of  the 
trees,  or  on  the  upper  side  of  the  main 
branches,  in  February  or  March  ;  and 
the  rains  dissolving  the  composition,  it 
makes  its  way  into  the  sap,  and  being 
carried  to  every  part  of  the  tree  poisons 
the  insects  on  whatever  part  they  may 
j  be.  It  is  this  : — 2  lbs.  of  copperas, 
J  lb.  blue  vitriol,  ^  lb.  saltpetre,  4  lbs. 
hard  soap,  4  lbs."*  common  salt.  Pul- 
verize all  but  the  soap,  and  mix  with 
the  soap  thoroughly  ;  then  fill  the  little 
bags,  and  proceed  as  above  directed. 
Yours  truly, 

D.  Young. 
Adolphustown,  Ont.,  Nov.,  1885. 

BRIGHTON  GRAPE. 
The  Brighton  grape  sent  me  some 
time  ago  by  the  Fruit  (Growers'  Asso- 
ciation, bore  a  heavy  crop  this  year, 
and  the  berries  ripened  fully  in  spite  of 
the  backward  season. 

D.  R. 
Montreal,  Nov.  18,  1885. 


22 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


WINTERING  GERANIUMS. 

A  correspondent  wishes  to  know  the 
best  way  to  keep  geraniums  in  a  cellar 
during  winter.  The  treatment  must 
vary  according  to  the  condition  of  the 
cellar.  The  practice  which  is  frequently 
recommended,  of  hanging  the  plants  up 
by  the  roots,  exposed  to  the  air,  can 
succeed  only  in  a  cellar  uniformly  cool 
and  but  few  degrees  above  the  freezing 
point ;  and  the  degree  of  moisture  in 
the  air  must  be  just  such  as  to  retain 
the  natural  amount  in  the  plants,  with- 
out being  so  dry  as  to  shrivel  them  on 
one  hand  or  so  moist  as  to  cause  decay. 
The  plants  must  be  kept  as  nearly  in  a 
dormant  state  as  possible  by  maintain- 
ing a  low  temperature.  There  are  but 
few  cellars  which  possess  all  these  re- 
quisites, and  this  treatment  is  not  likely 
to  succeed  in  most  cases. 

We  have  adopted  the  following  mode, 
which  requires  little  care  and  answers 
well.  A  rather  large  and  well  lighted 
window  is  double  glazed,  and  a  stand 
is  provided  on  which  the  plants  are 
placed  so  as  to  I'eceive  plenty  of  light. 
When  they  are  taken  up  in  autumn, 
nearly  all  the  tops  are  pruned  off,  but 
enough  is  left  for  the  base  of  a  compact 
form,  with  a  small  portion  of  the  young 
foliage,  say  about  one-tenth  or  one- 
twentieth  of  the  leaves  of  each  plant. 
They  are  then  planted  in  moss,  in  a 
shallow  box,  placing  the  box  in  an  in- 
clined position  or  with  a  slope  of  about 
forty-five  degrees,  putting  a  layer  of 
moss  on  the  lower  side,  then  a  row  of 
the  trimmed  plants  and  another  layer 
of  moss  and  row  of  plants  till  the  box 
is  filled.  It  is  then  placed  in  its  posi- 
tion on  the  stand  in  front  of  the  window. 
The  moss  may  be  kept  sufficiently  moist 
by  showering  it  with  a  watering-pot 
once  a  month  or  a  fortnight,  as  it  may 
require,  a  warm  and  dry  cellar  needing 
more  frequent  watering  than  a  damp 


or  cool  one.  In  a  warm  cellar  the 
plants  will  make  some  growth  during 
winter,  and  as  the  leaves  increase  in 
number  they  will  consume  more  mois- 
ture than  at  first.  If  the  cellar  is  quite 
cool  they  will  remain  nearly  dormant, 
and  the  slight  moisture  from  the  moss 
will  preserve  them  from  drying  up. 
Moss  is  much  better  than  damp  saw- 
dust, which  in  its  turn  is  better  than 
soil.  In  moss,  there  is  no  danger  of 
their  becoming  water-soaked  after  water- 
ing, the  natural  supply  being  given  off 
partly  in  the  form  of  vapor. 

The  most  convenient  size  for  the 
boxes  is  about  two  feet  square  and  six 
or  eight  inches  deep,  but  they  may  be 
larger  or  smaller.  An  early  growth  is 
made  the  next  spring  by  puttmg  them 
in  a  hot-bed  for  a  few  weeks  before 
planting  in  open  ground.  A  small  por- 
tion of  a  hot-bed  will  hold  a  large  num- 
ber placed  compactly  together. 

It  is  now  too  late  to  adopt  this  treat- 
ment, except  for  plants  which  have  been 
already  placed  in  cellar  for  wintering 
by  a  more  imperfect  mode. — Country 
Gentleman. 


THE  DEACON  LETTUCE. 

Mr.  Joseph  Harris  writes  to  the 
American  Garden  concerning  this  Let- 
tuce as  follows  : — 

I  have  just  been  to  see  Mrs.  Miiller. 
I  found  her  and  her  daughter  digging 
Potatoes.  I  told  her  that  the  New 
York  Experiment  Station  had  tried  her 
Lettuce,  and  out  of  150  varieties  with 
700  different  names,  her  Lettuce  proved 
to  be  the  best,  and  I  wanted  her  to  tell 
me  all  about  it. 

Ques. — How  long  have  you  grown  \il 

Ans. — Over  forty  years.  I  am  an 
old  woman,  I  shall  soon  be  seventy.  I 
want  to  make  a  good  deal  of  money  out 
of  this  Lettuce,  but  I  cannot  get  about 
as  I  used  to. 

Ques. — Where  did  you  get  it  from  % 


THB  CANADIAN    fiORTICULTtJRiS'T. 


2S 


Ans. — A  French  lady  from  the  place 
where  I  came  from,  near  Strasburg, 
brought  me  some  seed.  Strasburg  is 
in  Germany  now;  but  I  do  not  care. 
This  is  my  country. 

Ques. — And  you  sowed*  the  seed  and 
found  it  good  1 

Arts. — Yes. 

Ques. — Why  is  it  so  good  1 

Ans. — Because  it  is. 

Qices. — I  mean,  why  is  it  better  than 
other  Lettuce? 

Ans. — It  is  sweet  and  tender,  and 
always  makes  a  head  even  on  poor  soil. 
But  the  richer  the  soil  the  better,  and 
you  do  not  sow  it  too  thick,  and  you 
should  sow  it  early. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  daughter,  "  last  year 
mother  was  cleaning  the  seed  in  the 
water  and  threw  the  chaff  on  the  snow, 
and  in  the  spring  when  the  snow  went 
off  the  Lettuce  plants  came  up." 

Ques. — Cannot  you  tell  me  some- 
thing more  about  it  ?  Did  the  French 
lady  tell  you  its  name  1 

Ans. — No.  I  have  told  you  all  there 
is  to  tell  about  it. 

Ques. — You  have  grown  this  same 
Lettuce  ever  since  the  French  lady 
gave  it  you  forty  years  ago.  How  did 
you  manage  to  keep  it] 

A71S. — (Smiling  at  my  simplicity.)  I 
raised  seed  myself.  I  left  some  of  the 
very  best  heads  every  year  for  seed. 
And  the  people  in  Irondequoit  wanted 
us  to  try  some  other  kind.  I  saved  the 
seed  in  another  part  of  the  garden. 
You  know  Lettuce  will  mix.  I  never 
found  any  other  Lettuce  as  good  as 
mine,  and  I  always  grow  the  seed  apart 
by  itself. 

Ques. — How  do  you  manage  to  gi'ow 
Llic  seed  ]     I  can't  make  it  go  to  seed. 
ns. — Some   seasons   you  can't  get 
seed.     But  it  will  keep  for  many 

^rs,  and  the  old  seed  is  just  as  good. 
168.  —  Do  you  do  anything  to  make 
to  seed] 


Ans. — Nothing,  except  to  select  the 
best  heads,  and  then  break  off  the  lower 
leaves  and  open  out  the  head. 

I  imagine  that  this  last  suggestion  is 
valuable  for  general  adoption. 

1st. — It  seems  clear  that  this  so- 
called  "  Deacon  Lettuce "  was  a  good 
variety  to  start  with,  or  the  French 
lady  would  not  have  thought  it  worth 
while  to  have  brought  it  to  this  country. 

2nd. — That  Mrs.  Miiller  by  keeping 
it  firm  and  by  continuing  selecting  the 
best  heads  has  made  it  what  it  is. 

3rd. — It  is  not  any  better  than  it 
should  be.  It  is  good,  or  as  "  Elm  " 
says,  "the  finest  heading  variety  we 
have  grown,"  because  nearly  all  our 
Lettuces  are  so  poor.  I  have  often 
said  that  they  are  a  disgrace  to  seed 
growers  and  seed  sellers.  And  they 
will  continue  to  be  so  till  we  adopt 
Mrs.  Miiller's  method  of  selecting  the 
best  heads  for  seed. 


THE  RICHMOND  PEACH. 

Of  several  varieties  of  peaches  which 
we  put  out  six  years  since,  this  variety 
proves  the  hardiest  and  most  enduring 
tree. 

The  Crawford,  Honest  John,  and 
several  others  standing  near,  have  lost 
from  one-half  to  all  their  trees,  when 
the  Richmond  row  is  full  of  thrifty, 
healthy  trees. 

We  think  that  Dr.  Sylvester  never 
received  the  credit  due  him  for  its  in- 
troduction. 

TJie  fruit  is  full  as  large  as  Craw- 
ford's, and  perhaps  not  behind  it  in  any 
feature  except  for  yellowness  of  flesh, 
which  with  some  is  not  considered  any 
advantage,  while  the  tree  is  much  the 
hardiest. 

It  seems  as  though  the  hopes  of 
peach  growers  might  be  quickened  in 
view  of  the  general  good  appearance  of 
all  peach  trees  this  year,  promising  a 
peach  season  in  the  near  future — per- 
next  year. — Fruit  Notes. 


24 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


BEAUTIFUL  SNOW. 

Beautiful  snow,  beautiful  snow, 

Over  its  bosom  we  merrily  go, 

Now  stars  in  the  heavens  are  shining  bright, 

And  moonbeams  smile  in  the  glittering  night, 

The  earth  in  her  own  virgin  garb  is  dres't, 

And  pearls  from  heaVen  are  strewn  on  her  breast. 

Away,  away  over  the  snow  we  fly, 

Like  a  sporting  cloud  in  the  deep  blue  sky. 

Away  o'er  the  hills  and  the  shrouded  lakes, 

Where  the   snow-clouds   dance — where   the  tempest 

wakes, 
No  spot  on  earth's  bosom,  no  stain  like  care. 
But  boundless  purity  everywhere. 

The  streaming  light  over  the  northern  star 

Now  sends  through  the  heavens  its  radiant  car  ; 

The  peerless  moon  like  a  gem  on  high 

Gladdens  the  clouds  as  they  pass  her  by ; 

A  pure  creation  in  silvery  fleece. 

And  the  breath  of  heaven  is  peace,  s  weet  peace. 

But  the  snow  will  weep  when  the  breeze  of  spring 

The  odors  of  distant  lands  shall  bring  ; 

It  will  start  at  the  summons  and  soon  appear 

On  the  bosom  it  loved  like  a  frozen  tear, 

Like  the  waning  light  of  some  holy  dream. 

That  fades  when  the  morn's  first  smile  is  seen. 

And  thus  like  the  snow  will  each  beauty  fade, 
And  the  lustre  that  wealth  and  power  have  made  ; 
The  young  and  the  old,  the  sage  and  the  throng. 
With  time  irresistibly  borne  along, 
And  our  love  and  our  joj^,  our  hopes  and  fears. 
Must  pass  like  the  snow  from  the  earth  in  tears. 


E/BiNE  Marie  Henriette  is  a  magnifi- 
cent, ever-blooming,  climbing  rose,  of 
strong  and  vigorous  habit.  The  blossoms 
are  a  beautiful,  deep  red  ;  large,  perfectly 
double  and  exquisitely  tea-scented,  It  is 
justly  considered  the  best  of  the  deep- 
colored  climbers. — Floral  World.  [It  will 
not  endure  our  winter  weather,  therefore 
must  be  grown  here  under  glass. — Ed. 
Can.  Horf] 

The  New  Strawberry  "  Amateur." — 
The  Bural  New  Yorker  says  :  "It  was 
not  so  prolific  as  the  Jewell ;  the  berries 
did  not  average  quite  so  large,  and  they 
dropped  from  the  stem  too  easily,  as  if  the 
stems  were  weakened  by  the  tall  leaves 
which  covered  the  fruit  entirely.  The 
quality  is  somewhat  better  than  that  of 
Jewell — the  plants  remarkably  vigorous 
and  free  from  all  disabilities.  We  regard 
the  Amateur  as  at  least  worthy  of  trial." 

The  Spotted  Call  a.  Lily. — The  Spotted 
leaved  Calla — Richardia  alba  maculata — 
when  well  grown,  is  a  very  pretty  plant, 
suitable  for  cultivation  either  in  the  green- 
house or  window  garden.  In  habit  and 
manner  of  growth  it  bears  a  striking  re- 


semblance to  the  common  calla,  although 
the  leaf  is  narrower  and  not  so  long,  and, 
besides,  it  is  beautifully  spotted  with 
silvery  white.  The  flowers  are  somewhat 
smaller,  of  a  creamy  white  color,  with  a 
purple  blush  iji  the  center.  This  plant 
grows  in  the  Summer  only,  and  should  be 
kept  dry  in  the  Winter.  Let  it  remain 
in  the  pot  until  April,  or  until  it  shows 
signs  of  growth  ;  then  repot  in  a  rich, 
moderately  heavy  soil.  In  repotting,  drain 
the  pot  well,  and  during  the  plant's  season 
of  growth  water  freely.  After  flowering, 
water  should  be  gradually  withheld. — 
Chas.  E.  Parnell,  in  Rural  New-Yorher. 


Subscriptions  received  in  November :— F.  B.  Lock- 
wood,  John  W.  Walker,  D.  M.  Malloch,  Dr.  Woodruft', 
John  Wright,  David  Darville,  M.  Milgan,  Alf.  Hoskin, 
S.  Grondyke,  G.  B.  Hudson,  Wm.  Coates,  A.  H. 
Manning,  II.  A.  McCormack,  Mrs.  John  Leslie,  R.  B. 
Whyte,  T.  H.  Mackenzie,  John  Bartley,  W  A.  Ransom, 
E.  Hutcherson,  Hugh  Sutherland,  M.  Reid,  F.  B. 
Coates,  D.  Thomas,  A.  M.  Cosby,  D.  Rutherford,  Alf. 
Parratt,  R.  Currie,  D.  McCrimmon,  J.  A.  Morton,  E. 
Rice,  Miss  Pritchard,  Mrs.  W.  Smith.  Mrs.  Begg,  Mrs. 
Clement,  G.  W.  Town,  Jas.  Hill,  Bird  &  Martin,  W. 
A.  Roblin,  S.  S.  Morden,  Abraham  Vest,  Mrs.  W.  H. 
Whetstone,  H.  H.  Ackley,  Miss  E.  Ainslie,  G.  H. 
Wright,  J.  Hannah,  J.  Walker,  M.  Robertson,  R.  Gray, 
D.  Dorrance,  R.  Steed. 


INDEX  TO  THE  JANUARY  NUMBER. 

Page. 

The  Quince  (Editor)    1 

Bignonia  Radicans  3 

Premiums  for  New  Subscribers  3 

White  Fringe 4 

Out-door  Fruit  for  the  MilliDii 4 

Codlin  Moth  in  New  Zealand  5 

Hilborn  Raspberry 0 

Apples  in  England,  Price  of 0 

Opinions  of  the  Press »J 

Winter  Meeting  of  Fruit  Growcis'  Associaliiui   ti 

Ash-leaved  Maple 0 

Coleus,  Firebrand  and  Gulden  Bedtler 7 

Question  Drawer 7 

Nuts  (P.  E.  Bucke) 7 

Grapes  in  Muskoka  (F.  W.  Coates) 9 

The  Most  Desirable  Grapes    ;'  lo  II 

Too  Much  Advice  (Grandma  Gowan)    11 

Currant  Growing  at  the  North  (A.  A.  Wri.-lit)   11 

Bracebridge  Agricultural  Fair  (C.  Hitklin-) 12 

South  Simcoe  and  Esha  Agric.  Fair  (C.  liukliiiu  ...  13 

Some  Red  Grapes  (T.  C.  Robiiisoi)) 13 

Another  Season's   Exix'rii'Ui't'   wiih   tln'    lies,-  i  i '. 

Mit(;hell) I 

Raspberries  (W.  W.  Ililboni) IC 

ARt'port  on  Grapes  (A.  C   Si«>ane,  M.B.)    17 

A  Summer  in  the  Garden  (J.  Croil)    li» 

Oyster  Shell  Bark-Louse,  Remedy  for  (Dr.  ¥(.1111-).  21 

Brighton  Grape  (D,  R.) lil 

Wintering  Geraniums J-..' 

The  Deacon  Lettuce   -_' 

The  Richmond  Peach l:' 

Beautiful  Snow  (Poetry)    1:  t 

Reine  Marie  Henriette  Rose L'l 

"  Amat  ur  "  Strawberry    2  * 

The  Spotted  Calla  Lily  21 


PftlNTKD  AT  DHK  STEAM   PRESS   ESTABLISHMENT   OF  THE    COPP,    CLARK   COMPANY  (lIMITED),    TORONTO. 


WEIGELA    VARIEGATA 

PAINTED  FOR  THE  CANADIAN  HORTICULTURIST. 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


FEBRUARY,  1886. 


[No.  2. 


THE   VAEIEGATBD-LEAVED    WEIGELA. 


The  effect  produced  by  planting 
shrubs  of  varied  foliage  so  that  the 
color  of  the  leaves  of  the  one  shall  blend 
harmoniously  with  that  of  its  neighbor, 
or  by  contrast  make  that  of  each  more 
striking,  is  ever  pleasing.  Our  shrubs 
are  not  always  in  bloom,  hence  it  is^ 
desirable  that  they  shall  be  so  grouped 
that  the  differing  hues  of  their  leaves 
shall  present  a  pleasing  picture.  It 
has  been  too  frequently  the  custom  to 
place  our  shrubs  singly  on  the  lawn 
instead  of  grouping  them,  whereby  we 
loose  the  opportunity  of  producing  a 
pleasing  foliage  effect,  and  the  benefit 
of  mutual  protection  which  they  give 
to  each  other  when  planted  in  groups. 

We  present  our  readers  with  a  hand- 
some colored  illustration  of  one  of  our 
most  desirable  variegated  foliage  shrubs, 
and  trust  that  many  of  them  will  give 
it  a  trial  ;  planting  with  it,  yet  giving 
this  the  foreground  position,  some  of 
the  other  varieties  of  Weigela.  All  of 
the  shrubs  of  this  genus  are  very  hand- 
some, and  a  group  made  up  of  Weigela 
Candida,  Lavallei,  rosea,  araabilis,  and 
the  variegated-leaved  variety  of  rosea, 
arranged  according  to  their  several 
habits  of  growth,  would  command  ad- 
miration from  every  one. 


The  habit  of  this  variety  is  quite 
dwarf  as  compared  with  that  of  the 
others,  and  compact ;  the  leaves  are  dis- 
tinctly margined  with  white,  and  the 
flowers  are  of  a  light  pink. 

With  regard  to  the  hardiness  of  the 
Weigelas  we  need  more  information. 
Mr.  Gott  speaks  of  them  as  sufficiently 
hardy  at  Arkona,  and  so  does  Mr.  Roy 
at  Owen  Sound,  while  Mr.  Saunders, 
at  London,  says  they  are  sometimes  cut 
down,  and  Mr.  Beall,  at  Lindsay,  says 
they  kill  down  close  to  the  ground. 
Will  not  our  readers  who  have  planted 
the  Weigela  have  the  kindness  to  com- 
municate their  experience  for  the  bene- 
fit of  our  readers. 


PREMIUMS  FOR  1886. 
Some  of  our  subscribers  have  neg- 
lected to  say  which  premium  they 
choose — three  plants  of  Ontario  Straw- 
berry, a  yearling  tree  of  the  Russian 
Yellow  Transparent  Apple,  a  plant  of 
Lucretia  Dewberry,  a  yearling  vine  of 
Early  Victor  Grape,  two  plants  of  the 
Marlboro'  Raspberry,  or  three  papers 
of  seeds,  viz.,  Gipsophila  paniculata, 
Aquilegia  caerulea,  and  Delphinium, 
mixed  colours. 


26 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


THE  WINTER  MEETING 

Of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Association  of 
Ontario  will  he  held  in  the  Town  Hall, 
Stratford,  on  Wednesday  and  Thurs- 
day, the  10th  and  11th  of  February, 
1886,  commencing  at  10  o'clock  in  the 
forenoon  of  Wednesday. 

Railway  certificates  will  be  sent  to 
any  members  who  may  apply  for  them, 
by  sending  a  postal  card  to  the  sec- 
retary, D.  W.  Beadle,  St.  Catharines. 
These  railway  certificates  must  be  pre- 
sented to  the  ticket  agent  when  purchas- 
ing your  ticket  at  the  starting  point, 
and  be  signed  and  stamped  by  him,  and 
afterwards  must  be  presented  to  the 
secretary  at  the  close  of  the  meeting 
and  signed  by  him. 

The  following  hotels  will  entertain 
members  at  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents 
per  day  ;  namely,  Albion,  Windsor  and 
Commercial ;  the  charge  at  the  Royal 
and  Mansion  House  will  be  one  dollar 
a  day.     These  are  all  first  rate  hotels. 

At  a  meeting  of  members  held  in 
Stratford,  a  programme  of  subjects  for 
discussion  was  prepared  which  will  be 
taken  up  at  the  meeting  in  the  order 
here  presented. 

PROGRAMME    OF    SUBJECTS. 

1  — Gardens  and  lawns  in  city  and  coun- 
try. 
2. — Fences;  the  best  and  cheapest  of  the 

future,  or  should  they  be  abolished. 
3. — Ornamental  trees   and    shrubs  and 

forest  trees,  and  hedges  for  protection 

and  shade. 
4. — Tree  planting  on  streets,  road  sides 

and  school  grounds. 
5. — Nut  bearing  trees  suitable  for  this 

section. 
6. — Black-knot    on    plum    and    cherry 

trees,  its  cause,  prevention  and  cure. 
7. — Curculio  and  insect  pests  in  general. 
8. — Grapes,  early  and  best  varieties  for 

cultivation  in  this  section. 
9. — Peaches  and  cherries,   earliest  and 

best  varieties  for  cultivation  in  this 

section. 
10. — Gooseberries,    currants,    raspberries 

and  strawberries,    earliest  and  best 


varieties  for  cultivation  in  this  sec- 
tion. 

11. — Pears,  best  varieties  for  home  use 
and  commercial  purposes. 

12. — Apples,  best  varieties  for  export. 

13. — Quince,  varieties  and  cultivation. 

14. — Plums,  culture  and  best  varieties  for 
this  section. 

15.-^Cranberries  and  huckleberries  ; 
would  it  pay  to  cultivate  ? 

16. — Vegetables,  the  best  and  most  pro- 
fitable varieties  of  cabbage,  cauli- 
flower, celery,  peas,  beans,  corn, 
asparagus,  turnips,  potatoes,  etc.; 
how  to  grow  them  and  destroy  the 
noxious  insects  to  which  potatoes 
and  the  cabbage  tribe  are  subject. 

17. — Floriculture,  amateur. 

18. — Fertilizers  best  for  clay  and  heavy 
clay  loam  soils. 

19. — Drainage,  relation  to  fruit  growing. 

20. — Fruit,  proper  method  of  packing  and 
keeping. 

The  secretary  has  been  advised  that 
a  delegation  of  three  prominent  horti- 
culturists from  the  Michigan  State 
Horticultural  Society  will  be  present 
at  the  meeting,  also  a  representative 
from  the  Ohio  Experiment  station.  It 
is  also  expected  that  some  of  the  lead- 
ing members  of  the  Western  New 
York  Horticultural  Society  will  be  in 
attendance. 

We  expect  a  grand  meeting,  and 
that  members  will  bring  with  them 
samples  of  fruit  for  exhibition,  par- 
ticularly of  seedling  apples  or  pears  of 
promising  qualities. 


CHERRIES   FOR   THE    NORTH-WEST. 

The  visit  to  Russia  of  Professor  Budd> 
of  Iowa,  and  of  Mr.  Chas.  Gibb,  of 
Quebec,  has  brought  to  our.  knowledge 
a  variety  of  cherry  which  thrives  and 
bears  immense  crops  in  a  climate  where 
the  thermometer  indicates  great  severity 
of  cold,  not  unfrequently  falling  as  low 
as  forty-five  degrees  below  zero,  Faren- 
heit.  These  gentlemen  state  that  these 
cherries  are  grown  in  such  large  quan- 
tities in   that  cold   climate  that   they 


THE   CANADIAN   H0KTICULTUBI8T. 


27 


load  whole  trains  with  them  for  the 
city  markets,  and  that  in  quality  none 
of  them  are  so  poor  as  our  Early  Rich- 
mond. The  trees  are  in  truth  only 
bushes,  a  little  larger  than  our  currant 
bushes,  and  are  renewed  by  cutting  out 
the  old  stalks  and  allowing  the  younger 
sprouts  to  take  their  place  as  often  as 
uge  rendei's  them  unprofitable. 

Now  this  cherry  should  be  grown  in 
Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  with  every 
expectation  that  it  will  thrive  there 
and  bear  abundantly.  The  Fruit 
Growers'  Association  of  Ontario  has 
imported  some  of  these  Vladimir 
cherries,  and  has  had  some  trees  pro- 
pagated from  them  which  are  now 
ofiered  to  any  one  who  would  like  to 
give  them  a  trial  in  return  for  a  club 
of  ten  subscribei-s  to  the  Canadian  Hor- 
ticulturist. But  in  order  that  our 
friends  in  the  Northwest  may  be  en- 
abled to  procure  this  cherry  for  trial,  in 
consideration  of  the  expense  of  trans- 
portion,  the  offer  is  now  made  to  them  of 
a  tree  of  Vladimir  Cherry /or  every  club 
of  Jive  subscribers,  accompanied  with 
five  dollars,  the  trees  to  be  securely 
packed  for  transportation  and  delivered 
either  at  the  Express  Office  or  on  board 
the  cars,  without  charge,  as  may  be 
directed. 

PREMIUMS  FOR  OBTAINING  NEW 
SUBSCRIBERS. 

See  the  fine  assortment  of  bulbs, 
plants,  shrubs,  roses,  grape  vines,  books, 
<kc.,  (kc,  which  we  offer  for  obtaining  a 
few  new  subscribers,  on  pages  3  and  4, 
January  number,  1886. 


The  Gladiolus. — Of  the  tender  peren- 
nials, I  find  none  here  so  satisfactory  as 
the  Gladiolus,  It  always  grows  and 
blooms,  is  wintered  in  the  cellar  as  easily 
as  a  potato,  never  rots  or  has  any  disease, 
increases  quite  rapidly,  and  has  a  large 
range  of  color. — Vick's  Magazine. 


WHAT  THE  PEOPLE  SAY  OF  US. 

We  give  below  a  few  extracts  from 
letters  received,  just  as  a  sample  of 
many.  Such  expressions  of  kind  appre- 
ciation stimulate  to  yet  greater  exer- 
tions to  make  the  Canadian  Horticul- 
turist worthy  of  the  support  of  our 
horticultural  brethren. 

The  Dahlia  sent  me  this  year  did 
first  rate  ;  am  well  pleased  with  it.  We 
are  very  much  pleased  with  your  maga- 
zine. It  is  the  best  one  of  the  kind 
we  have  struck  yet,  J.  S.  F. 

Woodstock,  Ont. 

Dear  Sir, — I  consider  the  Canadia/n 
Horticulturist  a  most  valuable  publica- 
tion, so  plain  and  practical,  just  suited 
to  the  needs  of  our  climate  and  people. 

Deans.  A.  C. 

Please  find  enclosed  my  renewal  sub- 
scription to  the  Canadian  Horticul- 
turist, which  I  would  not  like  to  be 
without  at  any  cost.  It  is  a  great 
source  of  pleasure  as  well  as  profit. 

Uxbridge.  T.  D. 

Please  continue  on  as  you  have  done. 
We  do  not  wish  for  any  stories  or  wit- 
ticisms, we  want  solid  facts  and  infor- 
mation. My  locality  is  unfavourable 
to  apples,  plums,  grapes,  raspberries, 
etc.  Strawberries  uncertain.  I  live 
in  a  valley  which  takes  the  frost  readily, 
but  I  like  the  Canadian  Horticulturist 
and  think  everybody  should  have  it. 
Minesing.  S.  Kerfoot. 

Dear  Sir, — No  one  ever  invested 
his  money  in  a  better  way  and  got  more 
for  it,  his  full  penny-worth,  in  return. 
The  Association  is  such  a  credit  to  the 
province. 

Many  housekeepers  must  thank  you 
for  the  recipe  for  making  grape  jam 
with  the  skins  retained,  it  is  such  an 
improvement.  G.  W 

Coboiirg,  Dec.  15,  1885. 


28 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Dear  Sir,  —  The  time  has  come 
around  again  to  renew  my  subscription 
for  the  Horticulturist,  and  I  do  it  with 
pleasure  for  it  is  always  a  welcome 
visitor,  with  its  monthly  store  of 
knowledge  and  instruction,  the  whole 
space  being  devoted  to  those  things, 
instead  of  a  part  of  it  being  taken  up 
(as  many  of  the  periodicals  are)  with 
some  worthless  serial  story. 

W.  Hood. 

Valleyfield,  Dec.  17,  1885. 

Dear  Sir, — Please  find  enclosed  the 
sum  of  one  dollar  being  my  subscrip- 
tion for  the  Horticulturist  for  the  en- 
suing year.  It  has  regularly  paid  its 
monthly  visit  and  has  always  been 
welcomed  as  a  friend.  It  is  so  nice 
after  a  hard  day's  work  to  take  an  easy 
chair  and  forget  all  about  weariness 
and  bad  weather,  and  dull  markets 
while  reading  from  its  clear,  well 
printed  pages,  the  struggles  and 
triumphs  of  fellow  labourers.  I  always 
learn  something  from  each  number, 
and  I  am  always  encouraged  by  the 
perseverance,  displayed  by  your  cor- 
respondents, under  the  many  dis- 
couragements attending  on  horticul- 
tural pursuits.  I  love  my  little  garden, 
but  what  with  untimely  frosts  and 
codlin  moths,  and  currant,  and  goose- 
berry, and  cabbage  worms,  I  feel  like 
giving  up,  but  I  am  getting  knowledge, 
and  I  find  it  true,  that  "  knowledge  is 
power."  I  am  getting  the  upper  hand 
of  my  insect  enemies  and  if  I  cannot 
prevent  frosts  I  can  guard  against 
them.  You  have  asked  so  nicely  for 
your  readers  to  give  their  experience, 
that  I,  for  one,  feel  tempted  to  try, 
just  to  please  you,  you  know,  and  per- 
haps my  experience  may  be  of  use  to 
others.  F.  F. 

Minesing,  Dec,  1885. 

Dear  Sir, — Please  find  enclosed  one 
dollar  for  Canadian  Horticulturist  for 


1886,  having  taken  it  for  several  years 
I  cannot  do  without  it,  for  I  consider 
it   a   most   invaluable    guide   for   the 


garden. 

Toronto,  Dee.  13,  1885. 


W.  B.  Hill. 


QUESTION  DRAWER. 

(1)  I  would  like  to  know  if  coal 
ashes  are  good  for  anything  or  not. 
Are  they  good  for  the  soil,  or  for  bushes 
or  trees  1  (2)  What  is  the  cause  of  lice 
on  apple  trees.  ^    q    ^^j^ 

Dunlop,  Huron  Co. 

Reply.— (1)  Chemists  tell  us  that 
coal  ashes  do  not  contain  sujficient  fer- 
tilizing matter  to  pay  for  applying  them 
to  the  land  for  that  purpose.  It  is, 
however,  said  that  the  application  of 
coal  ashes  to  stiff  clay  soils  is  suflSci- 
ently  beneficial  to  pay  for  the  labor  of 
hauling  and  spreading,  because  of  their 
mechanical  effect  in  loosening  the  soil. 
It  is  also  claimed  by  some  who  have 
tried  them  that  they  are  profitable  as  a 
mulch,  when  applied  to  currant  bushes, 
especially  black  currant  bushes.  (2)  It 
is  not  in  the  writer's  power  to  say  what 
is  the  cause  of  lice  on  apple  trees  ; 
either  bark  li(;e,  or  the  green  lice 
(aphis).  They  are  living  beings,  hav- 
ing the  power  of  reproduction  and  loco- 
motion ;  they  feed  on  the  juices  of  the 
trees ;  and,  when  allowed  to  become 
numerous  produce  very  injurious  effects. 

PIGEON  DUNG. 
I  have  got  a  couple  of  casks  of  pigeon 
dung,  and  I  would  like  to  know  how 
and  what  quantities  to  apply  to  about 
an  acre,  that  is  set  with  grapes,  straw- 
berries, raspberries,  gooseberries,  cur- 
rants, plums,  and  pears.  The  ground 
now  is  rich,   and  well  manured.     By 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


answering   through   the  Horticulturist 
you  would  much  oblige, 

Yours  truly, 

J.  W.  M. 

Reply. — This  is  a  powerful  manure, 
equal  to  the  best  guano,  and  should  be 
applied  with  care.  If  your  soil  be  light 
or  sandy,  it  would  be  advisable  to  com- 
j  »ost  it  with  an  equal  bulk  of  dry  clay, 

omminuting  the  clay,  and  mixing  it 
t  horoughly  with  the  pigeon  dung  ;  and 
apply  this  in  the  spring  by  spreading 
it  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  at  the 
i-ate  of  five  hundred  pounds  to  the 
acre,  just  before  a  rain.     The  object 

night  by  mixing  it  with  dry  clay  in 
an  almost  powdered  state,  and  spread- 
ing it  on  the  ground  just  before  a  rain, 
is  to  fix  the  ammonia  contained  in  the 
}  igeon  dung;  hence,  if  your  soil  be  a 
clay,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  mix 
the  pigeon  dung  with  clay,  but  it  may 
\)Q  spread  directly  on  the  surface,  at  the 
rate  of  three  hundred  pounds  to  the 
acre.  It  is,  however,  desirable  to  apply 
it  during  rainy  weather,  that  the  am- 
monia may  be  carried  into  the  soil,  and 
absorbed  by  the  argillaceous  earth. 

Can  you  inform  me  in  next  number 
(»f  Canafiian  Horticulturist  where  I  can 
obtain  seeds  of  the  Catalpa  speciosa. 
RoBT.  McTntosh. 

Newcastle,  Dec.  12,  1885. 

Reply. — You  can  procure  them  from 
Thomas  Meehan,  Germantown,  Penn., 
U.S.A. 

BINDING  OF  THE  REPORTS. 

It  is  a  pity  the  Reports  of  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association,  and  the  Entomo- 


logical and  Forestry  Reports,  could  not 
be  bound  together,  and  sent  to  the 
members.  They  are  all  valuable,  and 
ought  to  be  in  the  library  of  every 
country  gentleman,  or  indeed  of  every 
man  who  takes  any  interest  in  rural 
affairs,  and  the  development  of  all  the 
rural  industries  of  this  country.  If 
the  government  is  so  parsimonious  that 
it  cannot  afford  to  bind  this  volume  as 
formerly,  I  for  one  would  willingly  pay 
an  increased  annual  subscription,  in 
order  that  I  might  get  them  bound. 
I  am,  etc., 

Benj.  S.  Beley. 
Ferncliffe,  Rosseau,  Muskoka. 

Reply. — It  is  just  because  our  gov- 
ernment is  so  poor  that  ministers  feel 
they  are  not  warranted  in  the  expendi- 
ture necessary  to  bind  these  reports  that 
they  are  sent  out  in  paper  covers.  They 
have  been  earnestly  requested  by  the 
officers  of  the  Association  to  have  them 
bound ;  but  they  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  all 
their  arguments  and  entreaties.  Surely 
if  they  are  worth  printing  they  should 
be  worth  the  binding.  If  all  bound  at 
once,  the  cost  would  be  very  much  less 
than  the  cost  of  having  them  bound  by 
individuals,  one  at  a  time ;  and  so  we 
have  to  pay  this  extra  expense  because 
the  country  is  so  poor. 


(1)  Where  can  I  get  the  Acacia 
Thorn  for  })lanting  a  hedge?  (2)  Where 
can  I  get  dwarf  pear  and  apple  trees  ? 
and  please  name  two  good  varieties  of 
each.  (3)  Please  name  three  goo<l 
kinds  of  standard  pear  trees. 

Brooklin.  JOHN  G.  WaRREN. 

Reply. — (I)  We  presume  that  our 
enquirer  has  the  Honey  Locust  in  mind, 
which  has  been  used  to  some  extent  as 


30 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


a  hedge  plant.  It  is  not  an  acacia,  but 
is  placed  by  botanists  in  the  genus 
Gleditschia.  The  acacias  are  often  in- 
fested with  a  borer ;  and  on  that  ac- 
count are  not  often  used  for  hedging. 
Any  of  our  leading  nurserymen  can 
supply  plants  of  the  Honey  Locust,  and 
likewise  (2)  Dwarf  apple  and  dwarf 
pear  trees.  You  can  have  any  variety 
of  apple  that  you  wish  worked  as  a 
dwarf,  and  nearly  every  variety  of  pear. 
The  apples  are  dwarfed  by  working 
them  on  Paradise  stocks,  and  the  pear 
by  working  on  the  Quince  stock.  Some 
varieties  of  pear  do  not  unite  readily 
with  the  quince  stock  ;  hence  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  double  work  such  varieties ; 
which  means  that  the  quince  is  first 
budded  with  some  variety  that  unites 
well  with  the  quince,  and  then  the 
desired  variety  that  does  not  unite 
readily  with  the  quince,  is  budded  upon 
the  pear  that  is  growing  on  the  quince 
stock.  The  E-ed  Astrachan  apple,  and 
Sherwood's  Favorite,  would  doubtless 
please  you  ;  and  the  Clapp's  Favorite 
pear,  and  the  Louise  Bonne,  for  dwarf 
trees  (3)  For  three  good  varieties  of 
standard  pear,  take  the  Bartlett,  Shel- 
don, and  Seckel ;  these  are  of  fine 
quality. 

(1)  Can  the  Industry  Gooseberry, 
mentioned  in  your  last  paper,  be  pur- 
chased in  Canada,  and  at  what  price. 
(2)  How  much  gas  lime,  say  quarts  or 
bushels,  do  you  advise  to  be  sown  on  a 
patch  of  land  40  x  100  feet?  Soil 
sandy  and  well  enriched  with  stable 
manure.  The  gas  lime  has  been  ex- 
posed all  winter,  and  is  impregnated 
with  petroleum.  J.  P.  B. 


Reply. — (1)  Yes;  at  about  ten  dol- 
lars per  dozen.  (2)  Not  more  than 
five  bushels ;  and  would  advise  spread- 
ing it  now,  and  allowing  it  to  remain 
exposed  to  the  weather  until  spring. 
The  petroleum  impregnation  is  a  feature 
new  to  us ;  not  having  had  any  experi- 
ence with  such  gas  lime  we  should  be 
inclined  to  give  the  petroleum  full  ex- 
posure to  the  air  for  some  time. 


I  would  like  to  ask  you  a  question  if 
you  would  answer  in  the  Horticulturist. 
In  planting  out  a  berry  patch,  does  it 
make  any  difference  which  way  the 
rows  run — north  and  south  or  east  and 
west?  Yours,  etc., 

Cedar  Grove.  SoL.  Reesor. 

Reply. — It  is  not  of  much  import- 
ance which  way  the  rows  run,  but  if 
equally  convenient  would  run  them 
north  and  south,  because  the  ground 
will  then  receive  more  of  the  sun's  rays. 

WHAT  THE  PEOPLE  SAY. 

RASPBERRY    GROWING     AT    OWEN 
SOUND. 

I  raised  a  crop  of  raspberries  this 
year  on  a  plot  of  ground  24  feet  by  CO 
and  this  is  the  26th  year  that  I  have 
grown  them  on  this  same  plot.  The 
varieties  are  mostly  Franconia,  about 
one  quarter  Brinkle's  Orange.  We  had 
three  hundred  and  eight  imperial  quarts 
that  we  measured  ;  there  were  fully  25 
or  30  quarts  extra  of  the  Hauer  (I).  I 
have  never  protected  them  in  the 
winter;  have  had  them  injured  only 
one  winter  in  the  number  of  years  I 
have  grown  them.  Mr.  T.  C.  Robinson 
measured  the  plot  of  ground. 

John  Chisholm. 

Owen  Sound. 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTI0ULTUBI8T. 


31 


PEARS  AND  BLIGHT. 
I  was  very  greatly  delighted  by 
your  recent  reproduction  of  the  article 
on  this  subject  from  the  "  New  York 
Experiment  Station."  The  popular 
Professor  is  evidently  doing  some  pro- 
fitable work  in  this  direction,  and  we 
may  learn  useful  lessons  from  it.  The 
cause  and  cure  of  pear  blight  is  an  old 
question  and  as  virulent  now  as  ever, 
and  these  observations  tend  to  furnish 
a  key  to  a  successful  solution,  and  to  the 
proper  treatment  of  the  pear.  This 
subject  is  of  very  great  interest  to  us 
and  with  a  climate  so  favorable  to  the 
growth  of  the  most  excellent  pears, 
we  should  much  like  to  be  freed  from 
this  pestilent  blight.  If  pears  of  ac- 
knowledged excellence  cannot  be  satis- 
factorily produced  we  must  look  to  those 
of  lower  grades  of  excellence  but  with 
hardier  and  more  robust  nature  in  the 
trees.  A  few  days  ago  I  received  a 
pamphlet  from  a  fruit  company  in  the 
State  of  (xeorgia  advocating  the  great 
merits  of  the  Le  Conte  and  Kieffer  pears 
as  the  most  promising  fruit  investment 
in  that  state.  They  claim  that  these 
trees  are  nearly  and  in  some  localities 
<  j  uite  blight  proof.  This  led  me  to  recall 
^ome  remarks  of  a  gentleman  at  one  of 
the  Western  New  York  Annual  Hor- 
ticultural meetings.  He  said  "that  the 
direction  of  promise  in  pear  growing 
to-day  lay  in  the  lines  of  the  Japan  or 
Chinese  Sand  jjears,  and  our  hopes  for 
the  future  must  come  through  these." 
Tljis  doctrine  of  courae  was  not  nor  is  it 
now  very  grateful,  so  used  as  we  are  to 
looking  to  Belgium  and  France  instead 
of  to  Japan  or  Cliina  for  our  delicious 
pt^ars.  Whether  this  teaching  be  correct 
or  not  there  is  evidently  souiething  in 
the  very  nature  of  the  pear  tree  in  its 
relation  to  our  condition  and  its  treat- 
ment here  that  requires  the  closest  study 
l)efore  its  prosperity  can  be  assured  in 
all  iK)sition8  and  locations  in  Ontiirio. 
But  we   maintain  that  this  will  never 


be  the  case  as  it  is  contraiy  to  our  know- 
ledge of  the  first  principles  of  fruit  grow- 
ing to  expect  it.  In  the  case  of  no  fruit 
do  we  find  that  every  locality  is  equally 
suited  to  its  most  complete  production. 
For  these  reasons  we  will  unhesitatingly 
resort  for  this  purpose  to  the  notion  of 

SELECTION    OF    LOCATIONS 

for  the  pear  as  the  direction  of  our 
surest  and  best  hopes.  I  am  not.  Sir, 
going  to  lead  you  and  your  numerous 
readers  into  every  hole  and  corner  of 
Ontario  to  find  these  locations,  but  I 
am  at  present  simply  intending  to  con- 
fine my  remarks  on  this  subject  to  this 
locality  and  district.  As  you  may  al- 
ready know  there  is  a  fine  promising 
region  of  country  here  bordering  the 
long  and  winding  but  picturesque  and 
beautiful  River  Aux  Sables,  coming  out 
as  it  does  from  the  county  of  Huron  and 
running  through  the  county  of  Middle- 
sex empties  its  volume  of  water  into 
Lake  Huron,  at  a  point  in  this  county 
called  Port  Franks.  Along  the  upper 
I  course  of  this  water  ravine  there  arethou- 
I  sands  of  acres  of  rich  deposit  of  strong 
clay  loamy  soils,  in  undulating  positions, 
i  thoroughly  drained  and  rolling.  These 
!  very  soils  along  this  stream  and  through 
its  adjacent  county,  are  th(^  best  and 
most  promising  location  for  the  suc- 
cessful growth  of  the  pear  that  has 
come  under  our  observation.  In  this 
region,  as  far  as  we  know,  there  have 
been  no  cases  of  pear  blight  in  its 
most  virulent  form  with  its  depressing 
results  of  death  to  the  tree.  The  soil 
throughout  is  a  deep,  heavy,  clay  loam, 
resting  at  a  distance  of  10  to  20  feet 
on  the  rock,  and  is  in  every  direction 
cut  up  and  ravined  by  the  powerful 
force  of  small  streamlets  making  their 
way  to  the  river,  and  the  intersected 
I  high  lands  are  in  some  cases  mound  like 
I  and  hill  shaped  and  in  othei*s  broad  beau- 
I  tiful  table  lands.  We  would  ask  why 
i    not  use  a  region    like  this  of  so   much 


32 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


promise  for  the  special  purpose  of  grow- 
ing pears.  There  is  not  the  least  possi- 
ble doubt  but  that  it  could  be  done.  Up 
to  the  present  the  most  beautiful 
and  charming  Bartletts  and  Flemish 
Beauty  have  been  produced  here,  where 
scarcely  anything  else  could  prosper  or 
grow.  We  have  known  pears  to  be 
planted  on  the  most  desirable  acres 
of  strong  rich  alluvial  soils  that  were 
thought  to  be  ''just  the  thing,"  but 
before  the  trees  came  into  profitable 
bearing  they  were  overtaken  with  blight 
and  their  soft,  sappy  immature  wood  fell 
an  untimely  and  disappointing  prey. 
This  makes  us  to  look  to  "the  hills^' 
from  whence  cometh  our  hope.  But 
we  know  that  this  region  is  not 
the  only  one  of  promise  in  the  bor- 
ders of  our  proud  Ontario.  There 
are  doubtless  many  others  as  accessible 
and  equally  as  good  for  the  successful 
growth  of  pears  were  they  properly 
looked  up  and  utilized.  I  would  beg 
simply  to  throw  out  this  idea  affecting  | 
our  cherished  pears  by  way  of  kindly 
suggestion,  and  hope  that  it  may  be  the 
means  of  drawing  out  the  observations 
of  others  better  qualified,  for  further 
light  and  further  knowledge. 

Very  truly  yours, 

B.    GOTT. 
Arkona  Nurseries,  Nov.  20th.,  1885. 

REPORT  ON  PREMIUM  SEEDS. 

Dear  Sir, — The  three  packets  of 
flower  seeds  duly  reached  me ;  and 
were  sown  in  a  small  piece  of  prepared 
land  carefully  attended  to,  and  I  have 
derived  the  utmost  satisfaction  from 
them.  The  Salpiglossis  were  exceeding 
beautiful  and  were  very  much  admired, 
they  produced  a  long  succession  of  fine 
flowers  of  great  variety  of  color,  the 
veins  and  markings  of  which  were 
lovely.  The  Pinks  also  were  a  success, 
though  not  such  showy  flowers  as  the 
Salpiglossis,  and  the  Striped  Petunias, 
also,  supplied  me  with  a  great  variety  of 


brilliant  hued  flowers ;  and  these,  like 
the  two  former,  remained  in  full  bloom 
until  cut  down  by  the  frost.  I  shall 
be  glad  to  report  you  a  similar  experi- 
ence on  another  occasion. 

J.  L.  Thompson. 


GRAPES  AT  COLLINGWOOD. 

Dear  Sir, — In  the  last  number  of  the 
Canadian  Horticulturist  an  enquiry 
was  made  by  one  of  your  correspondents 
as  to  the  history,  etc.,  of  a  white  grape 
which  was  exhibited  at  the  Northern 
Exhibition  held  in  this  town  last  fall. 
I  can  give  him  the  information  reqiiired. 

A  few  years  ago  I  weeded  out  of  my 
vinery  all  vines  which  I  judgpd  to  be 
of  inferior  quality,  and  having  at  the 
time  a  man  employed  building  another 
vinery  I  gave  him  one  of  the  vines,  a 
Chasselas  Fontainebleu  which  I  procured 
from  your  nursery.  Having  no  vinery 
he  planted  it  in  the  open  air  and  has 
succeeded  in  getting  from  it  good  clus- 
ters of  grapes,  I  believe  every  year.  I 
saw  them  at  tlie  Exhibition  and  they 
are  really  very  fine  and  I  quite  under- 
stand how  the  judges  were  staggered  at 
finding  them  among  the  outdoor  grapes. 
About  the  same  time  I  gave  to  a  boy  em- 
ployed in  my  garden  a  West  St.  Peter's 
which  he  also  planted  in  the  open  air 
and  which  has  produced  good  crops.  It 
does  certainly  seem  strange  that  in  this 
northern  region  we  can  grow  grapes  in 
the  open  air  which  can  only  be  grown 
under  glass  elsewhere,  but  this  locality 
seems  especially  favorable  for  grape 
growing ;  this  year  our  out-door  grajies 
produced  most  luxuriantly  and  the  crop 
ripened  well.  Moore's  Early  is  gen- 
erally the  first  to  ripen,  then  Salem, 
Creveling,  Delaware,  Wilder,  Agawam, 
in  the  order  named,  Jessica  about  the 
same  time  as  Delaware,  Niagara  has  not 
yet  fruited  with  me  but  is  a  very  strong 
rampant  grower,  Prentiss  promises  well, 
Pocklington  a  very  poor  grower,    Lin- 


THE   CANADIAN   HOBTICULTUR18T. 


dley  a  strong  good  grape  but  a  little 
late  Jeffei-son  has  not  grown  well 
with  me,  Worden  a  slow  grower,  on  the 
whole  I  should  say  Wilder  would  be  the 
most  profitable  grape  here  for  any  one 
who  grew  for  the  market.  The  bunches 
are  large,  it  is  a  great  bearer  and  the 
grapes  are  very  handsome  with  a  beau- 
tiful bloom  when  fully  ripe.  I  do  not 
care  for  the  flavour,  but  when  mixed 
with  Delaware  and  Salem  they  make  a 
very  good  wine,  which  is  wholesome, 
unintoxicating,  and,  as  far  as  human 
agency  is  concerned,  an  infinitely  better 
remedy  for  whiskey  drinking  than  that 
most  pernicious  of  all  Acts — the  Scott 
Act,  the  producer  of  peijury  and  of 
secret  drinking.      Yours  truly, 

CoUingwood.  W.  A.  Parlane. 

FAILURE  OF    GRAPE  VINES— WHY? 

My  garden  soil,  is  a  sandy  loam,  with 
a  considerable  depth  of  sand  beneath, 
rather  more  of  sand  than  of  loam,  by 
the  way.  It  is  also  new,  having  been 
brought  into  cultivation  only  recently ; 
has  been  for  some  time  a  waste  com- 
mon and  in  Oct,  1883  I  had  it  enclosed, 
gave  it  then  a  heavy  top-dressing  of 
good  stable  manure,  and  ploughed  that 
and  the  sod  under  and  have  since,  with 
a  liberal  hand,  applied  both  stable 
manure  and  decomposed  leaves.  I  have 
been  very  successful  with  my  vegetables, 
my  radishes,  cabbages,  beets,  carrots, 
parsnips,  etc.,  having  attained  unusual 
size,  but  of  my  vines  I  regret  to  have 
to  give  a  very  different  report,  I  have 
tried  many  of  the  hardiest  kinds,  the 
majority  of  them  died  and  the  sur- 
vivors have  made  very  unsatisfactory 
progress  and  this  aj)pears  the  more  sin- 
gular as  the  apples,  plums,  and  all  the 
small  fruits  grow  luxuriantly,  and  if 
you  could  suggest  a  course  of  cultiva- 
tion by  which  this  deficiency  of  growth 
may  be  overcome  I  would  be  much 
obliged.     I  may  say  that  a  near  neigh- 


hour,  and  old  horticulturist,  reports  a 
similar  experience  with  his  grape  vines 
and  for  which  he  cannot  account  unless 
it  is  the  presence  of  some  constituent  of 
the  soil  injurious  to  the  vines.  I  am 
of  opinion  that  the  soil  is  too  light  and 
have  lately  been  applying  old  stable 
manure  and  phosphates  liberally  and  if 
these  be  suitable  manures  I  may  hope 
for  better  growth  in  the  future,  mean- 
while I  will  be  glad  if  you  can  assist 
me  to  this  desired  end. 

Believe  me  dear  Sir  to  remain 
Yours  very  truly, 

Toronto.  J.  L.  THOMPSON. 

F^UIT  TREES  AND  GRAPE  VINES 
IN  EASTERN  ONTARIO. 

Mr.  Beadle, — As  I  for  many  years 
have  been  growing  fruit  trees  and  given 
it  a  study,  I  here  drop  you  a  few  words 
of  information  on  this  subject,  which  I 
trust  you  will  lay  before  your  many 
readers.  It  is  stated  by  some  that  what 
is  called  the 

BLACK    KNOT 

on  fruit  trees,  is  caused  by  a  fungus,  or  a 
worm.  It  is  not  true.  I  admit  that  flies 
of  a  certain  kind  do  deposit  their  eggs 
or  young  after  the  knot  is  formed,  and 
the  worm  is  sustained  by  the  jelly  or  soft 
wood  of  the  knot.  N  ow  for  the  cause. 
A  hard,  changeable  winter,  with  a  cold, 
wet  spring,  the  sap  well  nigh  froze  out  of 
the  tree.  In  the  spring,  the  ground  and 
air  being  cold,  the  roots  being  covered 
or  submerged  with  water,  the  tree  being 
nearly  lifeless  (frozen),  has  not  i)Ower 
of  attraction  sufticient  to  draw  from  the 
earth  nutriment  for  a  healthy  growth. 
The  water  sap  that  goes  up  the  tree 
meets  the  frozen,  lifeless  sap,  both  com- 
bined is  not  sufficient  for  a  healthy 
growth,  it  remains  stagnant.  June 
heat  sours  the  sap,  and  it  breaks  out 
into  what  is  called  Black  Knot.  It 
should  be  called  Scrofula.  The  same 
is  the  cause  of  bad  blood  in  people.     It 


34 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


breaks  out  in  sores  on  the  surface. 
There  is  no  other  cure,  only  good 
moderate  winter  and  a  fine  warm  spring. 

DEAD    SPOT    ON    TREES. 

The  cause.  In  trimming  large  limbs 
from  a  tree,  the  axe  or  saw  may  chance 
to  bruise  the  bark  next  to  the  cut. 
The  sap  is  bruised,  and  it  soon  turns 
black.  If  it  doth  not  dry  up  soon  with 
heat  of  the  sun,  it  soon  sours,  and  like 
leaven,  it  sours  or  mortifies  the  live 
sap  next  to  it.  If  it  doth  not  dry  up 
with  the  heat  of  the  sun,  it  may  en- 
circle and  kill  the   whole  tree. 

Again,  it  may  be  caused  by  a  clip  or  a 
blow  against  the  tree,  which  will  bruise 
the  sap  or  soft  wood  under  the  bank, 
the  sap  will  turn  red  and  sour,  and 
mortify  the  live  sap  by  it.  Now-  for 
the  cure :  When  you  see  the  bark  look 
dark  and  shrink  to  the  wood,  take  your 
knife  and  cut  along  side  the  dead  bark 
and  live  bark,  or  wood,  to  prevent  the 
dead  or  sour  sap  to  come  at,  or  to  touch 
the  green  sap  or  bark.  Cut  to  the 
wood  one-eighth  of  an  inch  wide  and 
the  cure  is  accomplished.  If  a  limb 
should  wither  and  dry  up  in  June. 
The  cause  :  The  limb  nearly  perished 
in  winter,  there  being  sap  enough  left 
to  cause  it  to  leaf  out,  the  limb  being 
too  dead  to  draw  fresh  sap  to  grow,  it 
dried  up.  The  only  cure  is  to  cut  the 
limb  off  to  the  green  bark  or  wood. 

Now,  sir,  I  have  heard  it  stated  that 
some  have  got  trees,  not  from  my  nur- 
sery, called  the  Mcintosh  Red.  After 
they  had  them  a  few  years  they  froze  to 
death.  Why  they  perished  they  were 
not  the  genuine  or  true  Mcintosh  Red, 
only  bogus  trees,  or  perhaps  grafted 
over  and  over  so.  many  times  in  other 
stock  or  trees.  Perhaps  the  true 
Mcintosh  Red  is  nearly  run  out.  I 
am  the  owner  of  the  original  Mcintosh 
Red.  It  is  over  eighty  years  old.  I 
have  lived  over  seventy  years  within  a 
few  yards  of  it,  given  to  me  by  my 


father  over  fifty  years  ago.  It  is  a 
yearly  bearer.  A  winter  apple.  The 
best  flavored  apple  known.  Fall  of 
1885, 1  sent  several  barrels  to  Glasgow, 
Scotland.  The  remainder  of  my  crop 
I  sold  round  about  Dundas  County 
from  three  and  a  half  to  four  dollars  a 
barrel,  while  the  best  of  other  good 
apples  only  fetched  two  dollars.  1 
send  trees  and  scions  of  the  original 
stock  to  any  ordering  them.  I  am 
raising  trees  from  a  seedling  of  my 
farm.  It  is  a  very  juicy,  sweet  apple, 
larger  than  the  Snow,  ripens  2Uth  of 
August,  keeps  till  October.  When  ripe, 
light  golden  color.  Upright  grower,  a 
heavy  yearly  bearer.  No  sweet  apple 
known  to  equal  it  in  flavor.  The  ori- 
ginal tree  bore  itself  to  death  at  the  age 
of  forty.  I  have  propagated  from  it. 
Along  the  River  St.  Lawrence  many  of 
the  hardy  kinds  do  well.  The  river 
modifies  the  air.  But  six  miles  back, 
where  I  have  my  residence,  from  there 
to  the  Ottawa  River,  it  is  very  trying 
on  fruit  trees  and  grape  vines,  only  the 
hardiest  trees  and  vines  can  be  grown 
here  with  profit.  I  planted  a  few  trees 
of  those  that  were  called  veiy  hardy,  the 
Wealthy  among  them ;  planted  three 
years.  In  the  spring  of  18^5  they 
were  all  froze  to  the  ground.  All  the 
grape  vines  I  did  not  cover  last  fall 
were  froze  to  the  ground  this  last  spring, 
the  Concord  not  excepted.  'AH  grape 
vines  here  in  winter  must  be  covered, 
or  they  will  freeze  to  death.  I  have 
travelled  through  the  Eastern  Town- 
ships for  the  past  ten  years,  and  have  in- 
quired about  the  longevity  of  certain 
trees  that  are  called  hardy.  The  Fa- 
meuse,they  commence  to  die  at  eighteen 
or  twenty  years.  Tallman  about  sixteen 
to  eighteen  years.  Northern  Spy  fifteen 
years,  and  many  hardy  kinds  nearly  the 
same  age.  The  Duchess  of  Oldenburg, 
they  commence  to  die  in  the  top  at  the 
age  of  twenty-eight.  My  native  seed- 
ling, sweet.  Golden  apple,  bore  yearly. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


35 


and  died  at  the  age  of  forty  years.  The 
original  Mcintosh  is  now  over  eighty 
years  old,  is  still  a  good  bearer,  and 
bids  fair  for  many  yeare  more.  It  will, 
I  believe,  outlive  in  Eastern  Ontario 
four  generations  of  the  best  hardy  win- 
ter apple  that  is  known  on  this  Con- 
ent. 

Yours  paternally, 

Allan  McIntosh. 
Dundela  P.O.,  Dundas  Co.,  Ont., 
December  28th,  1885. 

SLANTING  GRAPE  TRELLIS. 

I  can  most  strongly  endorse  Mr. 
Fuller's  system.  (See  Horticulturist 
for  December,  1885,  page  284.)  I  have 
three  Clinton  grape  vines  planted  to 
hide  the  back  of  a  lean-to  shed.  They 
bore  very  little  fruit,  the  bunches  were 
small,  and  always  so  mildewed  they 
were  not  worth  gathering.  By  accident 
the  top  shoots  grew  over  and  spread 
down  the  other  side  of  the  nearly  flat 
roof,  facing  the  north,  until  they  half 
covered  the  surface,  quite  rotting  the 
li  ingles.  And  now  every  year  this 
slightly  sloping  roof  is  by  the  end  of 
September  one  mass  of  beautiful  dark- 
blue  bunches.  It  is  quite  a  sight  to 
stand  upon  a  ladder  and  look  down  at 
them.  And  though  they  are  so  close 
together,  often  in  a  tangled  heap,  lying 
one  upon  the  other,  flat  upon  the  shin- 
gles, with  no  ventilation  under  them, 
they  all  ripen,  and  there  is  little  or  no 
mildew.  My  other  grapes,  on  upright 
trellis  in  the  open  garden,  are  a  com- 
j>lete  failure.  The  situation  near  the 
Lake  (Ontario)  is  too  low  and  damp. 
A  mile  or  two  back,  where  the  ground 
iH'gins  to  rise,  they  succeed  better.  I 
take  no  pains  with  these  grapes  on  the 
roof,  never  pruning  them,  only  cutting 
out  any  dead  wood  occasionally.  And, 
of  course,  they  are  never  covered  or 
protected  in  any  manner. 

With  reference  to  page  211,  Annual 
Report  for  1884, 1  can  fully  recommend 


Mr.  Beadle's  plan  of  making  grape  jelly 
or  jam,  adding  the  skins.  We  formerly 
threw  away  the  skins  with  the  stones, 
but  it  was  always  too  thin.  Now,  by 
using  the  skins,  it  is  much  stiffer,  and 
nicer  to  eat  besides.  Also  it  is  much 
less  trouble  than  one  would  think. 

COBOURO. 

GRAPES  IN  LAMBTOX  COUNTY. 

To  THE  Editor  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist. 

Dear  Sir, — You  card,  dated  12th 
November,  re  varieties  of  grapes  grown 
in  the  open  air  in  this  section  of  coun- 
try, was  duly  received,  but  sickness  and 
deaths  in  my  family  prevented  me  from 
sooner  attending  to  it,  and  left  me  in 
sorrow  to  look  across  that  bourn  from 
whence  none  return. 

The  arduous  efforts  put  forth  by 
yourself  and  other  members  of  the 
"Ontario  Fruit  Growers'  Association," 
in  disseminating  useful  information  res- 
pecting fruit  raising,  and  cultivating  a 
taste  for  the  adornment  of  our  homes, 
through  the  Canadian  Horticulturist, 
merit  the  gratitude  of  all  who  sincerely 
desire  the  welfare  of  our  country. 

The  cultivation  of  fruit  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  pursuits  that  can  en- 
gage the  mind  of  man,  furnishing  an 
endless  variety  of  objects  for  contem- 
plation, exciting  our  wonder,  and  lead- 
ing forth  the  soul  in  adoration  of  the 
providence,  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the 
Almighty  hand  which  bespangles  the 
heavens  with  radiant  orbs,  and  carpets 
the  earth  with  living  gems  no  less  bril- 
liant and  wonderful.  All  is  now  locked 
in  the  cold  embrace  of  winter,  but  with 
the  beautiful  flowers  that  spring  up 
with  the  fii*st  impulse  of  spring,  when 
all  nature  seems  to  teem  with  gladness, 
we  are  filled  with  adoration  at  the  onler 
and  infinitude  of  His  works,  in  which 
we  see  goodness,  beauty  and  glory 
blended. 

We  place  wreaths  on  the  tombs  of 


36 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


our  departed  loved  ones,  and  covfer  their 
last  abode  with  flowers.  Why  then 
should  we  not  surround  our  earthly 
homes  with  Heaven's  buds,  showing  as 
they  do  the  gorgeous  colors  of  the  rain- 
bow, and  reminding  us  of  the  amaran- 
thine flowers  of  fadeless  bloom  which 
luxuriate  in  that  land  where  "  The 
wicked  cease  from  troubling  and  the 
weary  are  at  rest."  In  looking  back  a 
few  years,  it  is  gratifying  to  mark  pro- 
gress in  this  direction,  to  which  your- 
self and  co-workers  have  greatly  con- 
tributed. 

The  grape  is  one  of  the  most  grateful 
and  delicious  of  fruits.  From  the  days 
of  Noah,  ''who  planted  vineyards,"  the 
vine  has  been  the  most  universally  cul- 
tivated of  fruit,  bearing  plants.  The 
promised  land  was  a  land  of  wheat  and 
barley  and  vines.  Throughout  the 
Bible  the  vine  is  represented  as  the 
emblem  of  fruitfulness  and  plenty,  yield- 
ing, as  it  generally  does,  at  an  earlier 
age,  and  in  greater  profusion  than  most 
other  fruits.  Why  then  should  it  not 
be  more  extensively  grown,  seeing  that 
so  large  an  area  of  our  Province,  more 
especially  along  the  borders  of  the  lakes 
and  large  rivers,  is  so  admirably  suited 
for  its  cultivation  1 

Along  the  valley  of  Bear  Creek,  in 
the  County  of  Lambton,  the  soil  is  very 
rich,  and  in  many  places  capable  of  pro- 
ducing abundantly  most  fruits  peculiar 
to  our  temperate  zone,  subject,  however, 
to  the  drawback  that  the  slight  depres- 
sion renders  it  more  liable  to  summer 
frosts  than  where  the  ground  is  more 
elevated,  or  where  the  temperature  may 
be  modified  by  proximity  to  large  bodies 
of  water. 

With  the  slight  experience  I  have 
had  in  raising  grapes  in  this  section,  I 
would  place  them,  taking  all  things  into 
consideration,  in  the  following  order  of 
excellency  : — 

1.  The  Concord.- — This  popular  va- 
riety  succeeds  well.     The   vine    being 


healthy,  vigorous  and  productive.  The 
bunch  of  fair  size,  berries  juicy  and 
sweet,  and  ripening  nearly  two  weeks 
earlier  than  the  Isabella,  which  used  to 
be  the  standard  variety  in  this  section. 
The  vine  is  also  hardier. 

2.  The  Delaware  is  superior  to  the 
Concord  in  flavor  as  a  table  grape  on 
account  of  its  sweet  aromatic  taste,  but 
the  vine  does  not  thrive  so  well  on  clay 
soils  as  the  Concord,  and  is  less  vigor- 
ous. 

3.  The  Eumelan  is  a  hardy,  prolific, 
and  early  variety,  with  a  good  sized 
bunch  resembling  the  Clinton,  to  which 
it  seems  allied,  only  larger  in  bunch, 
and  berry  of  a  bluish  black  color,  melt- 
ing and  sweet,  with  vinous  flavor,  and 
earlier  than  the  two  preceding  varieties. 
Got  the  first  vine  from  the  Fruit 
Orowers'  Association  in  1870. 

4.  Clinton  bears  well  every  year,  and 
the  vine  is  hardy.  In  short,  it  is  our 
best  wine  grape.  Too  acid  for  a  table 
grape,  but  keeps  well,  and  good  for  can- 
ning and  cooking  purposes. 

5.  Isabella,  a  healthy  and  productive 
variety,  and  with  its  large  bunches  and 
berries,  one  of  the  most  profitable  to 
cultivate,  were  it  not  that  our  seasons 
are  too  short  for  it,  sometimes,  to  fully 
ripen  before  fall  frosts.  It  is,  however, 
likely  to  hold  its  place  for  some  time 
amongst  collections  as  an  old  friend. 

6.  C reveling  ripens  with  the  Hart- 
ford Prolific.  Well  flavored  and  berries 
large,  but  set  irregularly  on  the  bunch. 
Vine  hardy. 

7.  Hartford  Frolic. — Vine  not  as 
hardy  as  could  be  desired.  Berries  re- 
semble the  Isabella,  but  ripening  much 
earlier ;  large,  round  and  black. 

8.  Adirondac  is  somewhat  tender, 
and  the  wood  does  not  ripen  well. 
Berries  ripe  before  that  of  the  Hartford 
Prolific,  with  a  sweet  and  agreeable 
flavor. 

The  Burnet  and  several  of  Rogers' 
have  mildewed  so  badly  as  to  be  useless. 


r 


THE   CANADIAN    HOR riCULTUEIST. 


The  Catawba,  in  favorable  situations, 
yields  heavy  crops,  and  in  some  years, 
but  often  requires  more  heat  and  longer 
summers  to  develop  its  tlavor  properly. 

Pressure  of  business  and  advancing 
ye^rs  have  not  allowed  me  to  attend  to 
the  introduction  of  the  many  new  varie- 
ties lately  brought  under  notice,  neither 
have  the  old  standard  kinds  grown  been 
attended  with  such  assiduity  and  care 
as  they  deserved. 

Wishing  you  every  success  in  your 
laudable  endeavors,  through  the  Horti- 
culturist, to  propagate  amongst  the 
farmers  of  Ontario  a  deeper  interest  in 
fruit  raising, 

I  remain,  dear  sir, 

Yours  very  truly, 

James  Watson. 
Moore,  Dec,  1885. 


HORTICULTURAL  DISAPPOINT- 
MENTS. 

Mr.  Editor, — You  invite  all  to  con- 
tribute to  the  interest  of  the  Horticul- 
turist by  giving  their  experience  on 
fruit  culture,  <fec.  I  don't  know  as  my 
experience  will  be  of  any  interest  to 
any  one  else,  but  I  do  know  it  has  not 
been  attended  with  pecuniary  profit,  at 
least,  to  myself  In  the  spring  of 
1884  I  set  out  5,000  Gregg  Raspberry 
plants  which  made  a  fine  growth,  and 
notwithstanding  the  severe  winter  and 
their  exposed  position,  they  were  not 
materially  injured.  The  last  season 
they  made  a  vigorous  growth,  and  I 
picked  1,400  quarts  of  fine  fruit.  In 
August  some  of  the  canes  began  to 
blight,  turning  a  dark  purple  color,  and 
the  leaves  falling  off,  and  at  the  pre- 
sent time  about  1,000  plants  are  des- 
troyed, they  kept  going  until  winter 
set  in.  I  have  examined  a  number  of 
the  bushes,  but  have  not  succeeded  in 
finding  any  insect  in  either  the  cane  or 
root. 

My  Strawberry  plants  (of  this  year's 


setting)  shared  about  the  same  fate. 
Something  eat  the  roots  off  about  two 
inches  below  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
They  commenced  immediately  after 
planting,  and  continued  their  work 
until  winter.  I  could  find  nothing  but 
an  abundance  of  small  ants  in  the  soil. 
Whether  they  were  the  cause  or  not  I 
could  not  ascertain.  I  have  a  small 
collection  of  grapes,  raspberries,  cur- 
rants, (kc,  which  have  not  fruited  yet, 
on  which  I  may  report  at  another  time. 
If  any  of  your  correspondents  would 
enlighten  me  with  regard  to  the  trouble 
with  my  plants,  or  a  remedy,  they  would 
confer  a  favor. 

Yours  respectfully, 

H.    BODWELL. 
Mt.  Elgin,  14th  Dec,  1885. 


SMALL  FRUITS  IN  CANADA  AND 
MANITOBA. . 

To  THE  Editor  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist. 

Dear  Sir, — The  December  Number 
of  your  valuable  publication  just  re- 
ceived. Permit  me  to  express  to  you 
the  pleasure  I  have  had  in  perusing 
carefully  the  numbers  issued  during 
this  year.  Every  monthly  issue  con- 
tained many  hints  of  great  value  to 
those  who  take  an  interest  in  horticul- 
ture either  for  pleasure  or  otherwise. 

On  my  little  farn)  close  to  this  «ity 
small  fruit  was  the  past  season  a  very 
large  crop.  In  raspberries  the  "  Sou- 
hegan  "  was  a  great  success,  the  canes 
bearing  an  enormous  quantity  of  fruit. 
The  ''Cuthbert"  and  "Gregg"  also 
yielded  abundantly,  and  are  well  de- 
serving of  favorable  mention.  All 
three  varieties  are  very  hardy. 

This  fall  I  had  the  pleasure  of  spend- 
ing two  months  on  the  south  side  of 
Manitoba  Lake,  Province  of  Manitoba, 
and  met  a  number  of  settlera  in  that 
section  from  Ontario,  all  well  to  do, 
and  well  pleased  with  the  country,  from 


38 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


whom  I  obtained  glowing  accounts  of 
the  richness  of  that  neighborhood  for 
wheat  raising,  stock  raising,  &c.  They 
all  have  fine  herds  of  Durham  cattle, 
and  have  numbers  of  the  animals  legis- 
tered  in  our  ^'  Canadian  Short  Horn 
Book,"  and  find  ready  sale  for  same. 
West  bourne  Station  and  Post  Office, 
on  the  Manitoba  and  North  Western 
Railway,  being  only  from  three  to  five 
miles  from  their  homes. 

Small  fruit,  such  as  black  currants, 
raspberries,  strawberries,  cranberries 
(high  bush),  grow  wild  in  great  quan- 
tities. Also  three  kinds  of  cherries  and 
plums,  all  wild.  All  making  delicious 
preserves.  We  were  all  highly  de- 
lighted with  our  trip,  and  with  the 
richness  of  the  country  from  all  stand 
points. 

Wishing  the  "  Fruit  Growers'  Asso- 
ciation "  every  success  the  coming  new 
year, 

I  remain,  yours  truly, 

John  Maughan. 
Toronto,  9th  Dec,  1885. 


PEAR-BLIGHT— GRAPE  VINES- 
GOOSEBERRIES. 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  been  much  pleased 
with  the  Magazine  so  far.  It  contained 
a  good  deal  of  practical  and  useful  in- 
formation. 

Blight. — Within  the  last  two  years 
I  have  lost  several  pear  trees  from  4  to 
9  inches  in  diameter,  Duchess,  Bartlett, 
Rosteizer,  Flemish  Beauty,  White  Doy- 
enne, Clapp's,  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey 
and  Sheldon.  I  have  30  or  40  seedling 
pear  trees  from  8  to  10  years  old.  After 
fruiting  I  intend  to  graft  in  the  top 
those  not  proving  good,  (probably  all) 
the  cause  of  so  many  pear  trees  dying, 
I  think,  over-manuring.  /  feel  satis- 
fied of  this.  I  have  lost  none  of  the 
seedlings 

Grape-vines. — Two  years  ago  my  Con- 
cord  grape  vines   on  the  wire  trellis 


were  killed  and  the  Delaware  was  not 
damaged.  This  last  winter  my  Del- 
aware was  killed  and  the  Concord  not 
hurt ;  the  Hartford  Prolific  stood  both 
winters ;  the  Burnet  grape  got  killed 
down  ;  Moore's  Early  died  ;  the  Eume- 
lan  kept  killing  down  every  year  :  about 
dead  now.  Downing  and  Houghton 
gooseberries   have   done  very  well,  no 


mildew. 


Yours  truly, 

D.  Shoff. 


SLANTING  GRAPE  TRELLIS. 

I  see  that  there  is  one  man  after  my 
own  heart,  as  I  have  tried  this  plan  for 
some  years  past,  and  find  it  does  better 
til  an  any  other  way.  I  put  them  about 
eighteen  inches  at  bottom  of  vines  and 
about  three  feet  at  top.  The  bunches 
all  hang  down  between  the  vines.  The 
sun  does  not  strike  so  strong  on  the 
bunches  as  it  does  when  up  straight. 
When  the  sun  strikes  fully  on  the  grapes 
it  has  a  tendency  to  soften  the  skin, 
and  for  that  reason  they  are  not  so  good. 
And  another  reason  I  think  it  better, 
is  the  wind  has  no  chance  to  break  or 
tear  the  vines  loose. 

Alfred  Wagar. 

Napanee,  Lennox  County,  Ont. 


ORANGE  QUINCE. 

I  may  state  that  the  Orange  Quince 
flowered  with  me  for  the  first  time  last 
year,  and  this  is  the  first  instance  I 
know  of  its  flowering  in  this  neighbor- 
hood. A.   J.   C. 

Listowel. 


GRAPES  AT  BRUSSELS. 

As  far  as  I  know  the  Concord  is  most 
generally  grown.  There  have  been  a 
few  Brighton  and  Worden  planted,  but 
they  have  not  done  very  well.  My 
own  few  are   Concord,   excepting  one 

White  Ann  Arbor  I  got  from  , 

and  it  is  like  all  that  comes  from  him. 

Brussels,  Dec,  1886.  J-   W. 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


39 


FRUIT  REPORT  FOR  COUNTY  OF 

LAMBTON  FOR  1885. 

{Prepared  for  the    Annual  Meeting  of  the    "  Fruit 

Growers'  Association  of  Ontario,"  at  Wingham, 

Ont.,  Sept.  16th  and  17th  inst.) 

Gentlemen, — I  am  pleased  to  be 
able  to  make  the  following  report  of 
the  standard  fruits  and  their  culture 
for  the  year  in  our  county.  I  still 
think  that  the  first  place,  both  in  posi- 
tion and  importance,  should  be  given  to 

THE    APPLE. 

Our  soils  are  in  general  admirably 
adapted  for  the  successful  growth  of 
the  apple,  and,  as  a  consequence,  the 
planting  of  apple  trees  continues  to  be 
very  large  and  very  general.  The  time 
will  come  when  this  county  will  be 
noted  among  the  noted  counties  for  the 
production  of  very  excellent  apples. 
The  crop  this  year  was  very  large  and 
very  fine.  It  is  impossible  at  present 
to  gather  the  full  statistics  of  the  crop 
in  barrels  for  the  whole  county,  but  as 
near  as  can  be  ascertained  it  is  close  in 
the  neighborhood  of  125,000  barrels, 
valued  at  $100,000,  with  the  growth  of 
the  trees.  And  in  this  section  alone 
the  marketed  crop  was  40,500  barrels. 
This  is  a  very  large  product,  and  repre- 
sents $37,125  of  positive  income  to  our 
farmers  and  growers  of  this  section 
alone.  An  item  that  they  have  not 
heretofore  calculated  much  upon,  as 
their  apples  formerly  represented  no 
particular  value.  But  when  the  eager 
buyer  comes  into  the  orchard  and  offers 
of  his  own  free  will  to  take  all  their 
apples,  both  fall  and  winter  fruit,  and 
give  them  a  good  price  for  them  right 
in  their  hand,  it  at  once  stamps  the 
crop  as  a  thing  of  real,  positive  value 
that  is  not  to  be  trifled  with.  The 
great  trouble  has  been  that  our  people 
have  planted  too  many  varieties,  but 
they  are  now  gradually  learning  better 
through  reading  and  observation,  and 

Ke  in  their  later  plantings  restricting 
emselves  to  fewer  and  those  mostly 


standard  winter  sorts.  One  of  the 
buyers  told  me  to-day  that  our  apple 
crop  was  by  far  larger  and  better  than 
he  had  any  conception  of.  That  the 
worst  apples  to  handle  were  Fall  Pippins 
and  Snows,  and  that  he  should  sti'ougly 
advise  the  farmers  of  this  section  to  re- 
graft  many  of  their  early  ripening  apple 
trees  with  hard  winter  sorts,  and  then 
our  country  would  be  one  of  the  very 
best  in  which  to  pack  apples  for  distant 
markets.  The  prices  offered  this  year 
have  been  for  fall  apples  75c.  per  barrel, 
and  for  winter  apples  $1  per  barrel  ; 
the  purchaser  to  find  the  barrels  and 
pack  them,  and  the  farmer  to  pick  the 
apples  and  draw  tliem  to  the  market. 
About  one  third  of  the  apples  bought 
were  fall,  and  brought  in  this  section 
$10,125,  and  the  other  two- thirds  being 
winter,  brought  $27,000,  or  a  total  of 
$37,125.  The  sorts  mostly  grown  in 
the  county  have  been,  for  summer, 
Early  Harvest,  Red  Astracan,  Sweet 
Bough,  Tetofsky,  Early  Joe,  ifcc.  These 
are  used  mostly  for  family  purposes. 
For  fall,  almost  everything  is  found  in 
the  section,  but  the  best  and  most  popu- 
lar are  Duchess  of  Oldenburg,  Colvert, 
St.  Lawrence,  Maiden's  Blush,  Fall  Pip- 
pins, &c.  But  in  young  plantations  the 
people  run  into  the  other  extreme,  and 
plant  nothing  but  winter  sorts  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  others.  For  winter, 
Baldwin  best  of  all, afterwards  Northern 
Spy,  Rhode  Island  Greening,  American 
Golden  Russet,  Grimes'  Golden,  Riim- 
bo,  Snow,  Tal man's  Sweet,  Ben  Davis, 
Yellow  Bellflower,  Seek-no-Further, 
Wagener,  &c.  When  we  consider  the 
great  value  of  the  apple  crop,  it  is  quite 
clear  that  greater  attention  will  annu- 
ally be  given  to  it,  and  the  improve- 
ment in  its  management  and  culture 
will  be  very  marked.  The  question  of 
overstocking  the  market  has  been 
brought  up,  the  farmera  at  fii*st  not 
liking  the  prices  offered  for  their  apples, 
but  when  the  net  proceeds  are  consi- 


40 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


dered  they  are  better  reconciled,  and 
appear  perfectly  pleased  with  the  bar- 
gain. The  buyers  have  lost  a  little  on 
their  investments  in  soft  sorts  or  fall 
apples,  and  they  will  in  the  future  be 
shy  at  offering  for  them,  except  for 
home  markets,  as  foreign  shipment  is 
found  to  be  very  unsatisfactory.  They 
say  the  only  alternative  is  for  farmers 
to  regraft  to  harder  and  better  shipping 
sorts.  But  on  the  whole  I  assure  you 
that  this  year,  with  farm  produce  of  all 
kinds  so  low  in  price,  and  business  so 
dull,  and  money  so  hard  to  get,  the 
apple  crop  has  been  a  great  boon,  and 
coming  in  so  easily  without  any  special 
outlay  it  has  helped  very  much ;  as 
some  of  them  say,  they  do  not  know 
what  they  would  have  done  without  it. 

THE    PEAR 

Is  rapidly  growing  to  be  a  very  interest- 
ing variety  of  hardy  and  delicious  fruit, 
and  our  people  are  more  and  more  ap- 
preciating its  real  value.  It  so  happens 
that  in  this  county  we  have  very  much 
excellent  soil,  perfectly  adapted  to  suc- 
cessful growth  of  pear  trees  and  pears. 
We  have  many  acres  of  strong  alluvial 
clay  loams  that,  when  well  under- 
drained,  make  the  very  best  soils  to 
produce  good  pears.  And  even  if  these 
should  be  found  to  be  too  stimulating 
so  as  to  produce  the  much  dreaded  fun- 
gus known  as  blight,  yet  we  are  not 
stopped  in  our  efforts  or  daunted  in  our 
prospects.  We  have  along  the  whole 
course  of  the  beautiful  River  Aux  Sable, 
traversing  our  county,  many  fine  loca- 
tions, splendidly  well  drained  clay  hills 
of  immense  fertility,  that  will  produce 
pear  wood  in  slower  growths  and  per- 
fectly free  from  all  fungus  attacks  or 
blights.  These  can,  and  no  doubt  will 
in  the  near  future,  become  utilized  for 
these  and  similar  purposes  in  many 
broad  acres.  There  is  nothing  but  lack 
of  enterprise  to  hinder  us  from  using 
these  splendid  soils  of  ours  and  pro- 


ducing pears  at  least  equal,  if  not  greatly 
superior,  to  the  far-famed  regions  of 
Lockport  and  Rochester,  N.Y.  The 
crop  this  season  has  been  very  large, 
and  prices  at  one  time  fell  quite  low  for 
such  fine  fruit  as  was  ofiered.  The 
Bartlett  and  the  Flemish  Beauty  are 
still  the  great  staple  pears  of  this  sec- 
tion, and  there  is  more  of  these  pro- 
duced then  all  others  together.  They 
are  so  hardy  in  the  tree,  so  fine  in  the 
fruit,  and  so  productive,  that  everybody 
desires  to  plant  them,  and  will  do  so 
with  the  greatest  assurance  of  the  best 
results  in  the  basket.  The  trees  planted 
are  mostly  standards,  on  pear  roots,  but 
few  dwarfs  are  used.  Besides  these 
old  and  well  known  sorts,  a  few  White 
Doyenne,  Clapp's  Favorite,  Louise 
Bonne  de  Jersey,  and  Seckel  are  grown. 
But  this  last,  though  of  the  highest 
quality,  is  too  small  for  the  market, 
and  consequently  not  popular  amongst 
growers.  The  pears  known  as  Beurre 
pears  are  some  of  them  very  fine  and  of 
excellent  quality.  We  this  year  fruited 
Beurre  Clairgeau,  and  are  very  much 
pleased  with  it  as  a  fine,  showy  pear  of 
excellent  quality.  We  fruited  also  the 
pear  known  as  Dr.  Reeder,  a  middling 
sized,  high  flavored  pear,  that  will  suc- 
cessfully take  the  place  of  Seckel,  and 
the  bearing  qualities  of  the  tree  are 
immense.  As  the  knowledge  and  fine 
tastes  of  our  people  are  annually  culti- 
vated up  to  better  standards,  so  there 
will  be  no  lack  of  pears  and  other  fine 
and  delicious  fruits  to  gratify  these  im- 
proved tastes  and  demands. 

THE    PLUM. 

The  conditions  of  soil  and  climate  for 
successful  plum  culture  are  similar  to 
those  for  the  pear,  and  a  good  pear 
region  is  a  good  plum  region.  There 
are,  however,  some  difficulties  to  plum 
culture,  outside  of  climate  and  soil,  that 
we  do  not  know  how  to  cope  with.  A 
few  years  ago  we  could  raise  plums  in 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTIOULTtJEIST. 


41 


almost  any  quantity,  and  nothing  in- 
jurious seemed  to  affect  them  or  the 
trees,  but  unfortunately  it  is  not  so  now. 
The  fruit  is  attacked  by  the  destroying 
insect,  and  what  is  worse,  the  trees  are 
attacked  by  the  deadly  fungus,  and  dies 
l)efore  our  eyes,  and  no  helpful  hand  is 
offered  to  cheer  us  in  our  despondency. 
<  >ur  only  relishable  repasts  of  plums  is 
HOW  in  the  recollection  how  we  used  to 
feast  upon  them,  and  the  tine  crocks  of 
luscious  preserves  our  mothers  used  to 
put  away  for  our  winter's  entertainment, 
la  some  favored  sections,  however,  the 
plum  was  raised  this  season  in  tolerably 
plentiful  quantities.  Favored  spots  on 
the  lake  shore,  and  well  sheltered  and 
properly  exposed  locations  elsewhere, 
made  some  fine  showings,  and  partly 
supplied  the  home  demand.  Up  north, 
in  our  neighboring  county,  the  crop  was 
simply  enormous,  and  these  plums  came 
down  by  every  express.  There  is  only 
one  other  fruit,  viz.,  the  peach,  that 
will  supply  the  demand  for  plums  ;  but 
this  year  there  being  no  peaches,  every 
plum  near  was  studiously  looked  up. 
The  varieties  most  popular  are  the 
green  plums,  as  Imperial  Gage,  and 
other  Gages,  and  the  Lombard.  The 
larger  plums  are  very  desirable,  but 
these  old  and  smaller  sorts  pay  the  best. 
1  think  the  only  proper  resource  open 
for  us  to  successfully  grow  phims,  as 
ilso  pears  and  peaches,  is  "  the  selection 
f  proper  locations  and  conditions." 
(To  he  continued.) 


THE  INDUSTRY  GOOSEBERRY. 

I  think  that  I  recognize  an  old  Friend 
ill  the  Industry  Gooseberry  and  in  my 

liool-days  all  the  other  kinds  in  my 
i  ither's  garden  were  safe  while  any 
tVuit  remained  on  it.  But  the  name  is 
new.  We  called  it  Red  Jacket.  I  will 
send  you  a  piece  of  wood  and  bark 
from  one  of  my  dead  apple  trees  to  see 
if  the    cause  is    known  to  you.      Had 


several  die  the  last  season,  some    that 
had  been  bearing. 

Robert  Kennedy. 


t 


PEARS,  PLUMS,  AND  CHERRIES. 

To  THE  Editor  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist 

Sir, — To  my  experience  with  apple 
trees  in  November  number,  1885,  page 
249, 1  may  add  a  little  with  other  fruit 
trees.  I  have  tried  one  each  of  three 
varieties  of  pears,  the  Bartlett,  Flemish 
Beauty  and  Lawrence,  but  they  all  died 
of  blight.  The  two  first  named  died 
the  first  summer.  The  Lawrence  stood 
it  for  about  three  years.  In  the  spring 
of  1883,  I  planted  one  each  of  three 
varieties  of  plums,  the  Yellow  Egg, 
Yellow  Gage  and  Imperial  Gage.  They 
were  all  killed  to  the  snow  line  the  first 
winter.  At  the  same  time  I  planted 
one  Early  Richmond  Cherry,  which 
seems  to  be  pretty  hardy  so  far.  I 
have  two  plum  trees  eight  years  planted 
which  are  hardy,  although  their  leaves 
fell  rather  early  this  fall.  I  have  a 
Green  Gage  tree  the  same  age,  which 
will  neither  die  nor  do  well  living.  It 
freezes  back  every  winter,  and  bears 
about  half  a  dozen  plums  each  summer. 

R.  Scott. 
Hopeville. 

EXPERIMENTS  WITH  STRAW- 
BERRIES. 

1.  I  took  285  baskets  of  Wilson 
Strawberries  last  summer  from  90 
square  yards  of  ground.  The  plants 
were  set  in  April,  1883,  in  rows  2 J 
feet  apart.  Simply  kept  clean  and 
slabs  laid  between  the  rows  this  last 
season.  From  the  same  90  yards  I 
took  21  bushels  of  Globe  Mangels  be- 
tween the  rows,  some  of  which  took  a 
prize  at  the  Great  Northern  Exhibition 
in  Collingwood  in   1884. 

2.  This  year  (1885)  I  have  tried  a 
plot  three  rods  by  five  on  the  same 
plan.     The  proceeds  were  (50  baskets  of 


42 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


strawberries  and  65  bushels  of  roots, 
about  half  mangels  and  half  Belgian 
carrots,  leaving  the  ground  well  cov- 
ered with  strawberry  vines  for  next 
year's  crop. 

THE    TREE    BEAN. 

From  one  bean-stalk  called  the  "  Tree 
Bean  "  from  Burpee's,  Philadelphia,  in 
1884, 1  gathered  450  beans.  From  the 
450  I  raised  this  year  twenty  pounds 
some  ounces  of  beans — over  an  Im- 
perial peck  by  measurement. 

NOVA    SCOTIA    APPLES. 

Dr.  Hoskins,  of  Newport,  Vermont, 
three  or  four  years  ago  gave  the  same 
kind  of  notice  about  a  seedling  apple 
that  you  give  from  Mr.  C.  E.  Brown. 
I  sent  to  Dr.  Hoskins,  as  directed 
in  the  Rural.  He  forwarded  some 
"  scions."  This  season  I  had  one  apple 
upon  one  of  them.  It  ripened  in  Sep- 
tember, was  ten  and  a  half  inches  in 
circumference,  weighed  8J  ounces, 
beautiful  in  shape  and  color,  and  de- 
lightful in  taste.  Some  who  tasted  it 
declared  it  excelled  a  peach. 

CoUingwood.       J.  B.  Aylesworth. 

REPORTS  ON  PLANTS  RECEIVED. 

I  have  been  taking  the  Hoticulturist 
for  three  years,  and  I  am  well  pleased 
with  it.  I  think  the  Report  of  the 
F.  G.  A.  worth  the  subscription  price, 
without  saying  anything  about  the 
premiums  we  get  every  year. 

My  Prentiss  Grape-vine  came  through 
last  winter  all  right. 

The  Fay  Currant  bush  did  very  well 
this  summer.  Sol.  Reesor. 

Cedar  Grove,  Dec.  9,  1885. 

The  premiums  so  far  have  done  very 
well.  Moore's  Early  Grape-vine  fruited 
this  last  season,  and  tine  fruit  it  has,  both 
in  size  and  flavour,  >)esides  ripening 
early.  The  Prentiss  has  grown  vigor- 
ously and  will  likely  fruit  next  year.     , 

Valley  field,  Dec.  17,  1885.      W.  HoOD. 


I  am  sorry  to  say  that  both  the 
Worden  and  Prentiss  were  winter- 
killed last  winter,  though  they  did 
nicely  the  year  before  The  Fay's  Pro- 
lific Currant  seems  to  be  growing  well. 
Yours  truly, 

M.  E.  Stanway. 
Mt.  Royal  Vale,  Montreal,  P.  Q. 

I  received  Fay's  Prolific  Currant 
from  you  last  spring,  and  it  is  as  large 
now  as  one  I  got  a  year  ago  that  cost 
me  $1.  I  was  much  pleased  with  the 
manner  it  came  to  hand,  done  up  in 
apple-pie  order.         Alfred  Wagar. 

Napanee,  Lennox  Co. 

My  Catalpa  tree  grew  very  nicely 
last  summer,  but  I  am  afraid  it  will 
not  stand  the  winter,  as  the  first  hard 
frost  killed  the  top  for  about  four 
inches ;  but  I  have  wound  it  well  to 
protect  it. 

Napanee.  John  Gibbard. 

The  Fay's  Currant  which  I  i-eceived 
from  the  Association  last  spring  grew 
remarkably  well  and  seemed  to  be 
worm-proof,  because  when  my  other 
currant  bushes  were  covered  with 
worms  the  Fay's  did  not  show  one. 
Brooklin.  JoHN  G.  Warren. 

Spirea  prunifolia  was  so  well  pro- 
tected by  snow  that  it  flowered  a  little 
this  last  summer.  The  Worden  Grape 
is  dead.  The  Catalpa  grew  well  last 
summer.  How  it  will  get  through  the 
winter  is  doubtful. 

Listowel.  A.  J.  Collins. 

The  Fay's  Prolific  Currant  has  grown 
very  nicely.  I  planted  it  in  rich  clay 
soil. 

London.  D-  McDoNALD. 

The  Prentiss  Grape  I  received  in 
1884  got  frozen  to  the  ground  last 
winter,  and  made  a  very  [)oor  growth 


I 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


48 


this   summer.      Fay's   Currant   that  I 
received  in  1885  grew  very  well. 
Stewartville.  A  LEX.  Stewaht. 

I  received  my  Fay's  Currant  all 
right.  It  has  done  very  well  this 
summer. 

Grassmere.  James  Pickering. 

My  Catalpa  did  nicely.  Its  growth 
is  three  feet  and  one  inch.  It  has  beau- 
tiful foliage.  My  Niagara  Raspberry 
got  killed  back  about  one  third  down 
by  the  frost  last  winter,  but  there  was 
a  tine  crop  of  very  large  berries.  I 
am  very  much  pleased  with  them. 

Port  Dover.  E.  H.  Hyerse. 

The  grape-vine  came  all  right  and 
grew  nicely. 

Unionville.  JoHN  Smith. 

The  Fay's  Currant  did  very  well  with 
me,  and  I  hope  that  it  will  give  me  a 
sample  of  its  fruit  this  coming  season. 

Femhill.  James  M.  Waters. 

The  Catalpa  I  received  last  year  has 
grown  very  well.  I  planted  it  in  a 
grass  plot,  and  gave  it  no  special  care. 

Toronto.  H.  H.  Ardagh. 

The  Hardy  Catalpa  grew  well  and 
promises  to  be  a  very  ornamental  tree. 
The  Prentiss  Grape-vine  sent  me  in 
1 884  has  made  but  little  growth. 


Oakville. 


G.  Hallen. 


Fay's  Prolitic  Currant  that  I  got 
List  spring  did  well.  The  Niagara 
lliispberry  that  I  got  in  1884  sent  one 
fine  shoot  out.  This  spring  it  was 
killed  to  the  ground,  but  the  root  sent 
out  three  fine  shoots,  which  I  will  pro- 
tect if  I  can  from  the  winter. 

Lansdown,  Leeds  Co.  W.  B. 

The  Dahlia  which  was  sent  me  last 
spring  came  to  hand  in  good  time  and 


in  good  condition.  It  bore  a  number 
of  large  and  beautiful  double  blossoms, 
and  gave  me  a  number  of  tubers  for 
next  year's  planting.  My  land  is  a 
sandy  loam.  W.  B.  Hill. 

My  Catalpa  has  grown  very  well. 
Some  of  the  leaves  were  nearly  6  in. 
long  by  4  in.  broad.  It  sent  out  three 
branches — two  grew  about  a  foot  long, 
and  the  other  8  inches.  My  Canadian 
Baldwin  ApjDle  is  alive,  and  has  done 
well  considerinor  the  chance  it  got. 
Last  winter  was  very  severe  ;  some  of 
my  neighbors  lost  90  out  of  a  100  trees 
planted,  and  others  not  quite  so  bad. 
Wm.  Clark. 

St.  Vincent,  Dec.  12th,  1885. 

The  trees  and  plants  I  got  all  came 
in  good  order  and  did  well,  the  Gladio- 
lus excepted.  I  think  my  soil  must  be 
too  heavy  and  cold.  It  made  poor  pro- 
gress the  first  year,  and  failed  alto- 
gether the  second. 

The  Ontario  Apple  is  quite  at  home 
here  and  quite  hardy.  It  had  just  one 
apple  on  it  last  year,  but  the  codlin 
moth  found  it  out  and  it  fell  prema- 
turely, so  I  could  not  know  its  size  or 
flavor.  The  Saunders'  Baspberry  has 
grown  well,  and  is  a  great  bearer  ;  but 
the  fruit  is  small  and  the  color  is  unin- 


viting. 


Gkorge  Forster. 


Owen  Sound,  Ont. 


You  wish  all  subscribers  to  report 
success  on  what  they  have  received  as 
premiums.  The  first  I  had  was  Moore's 
Early  Grape ;  last  year  was  the  third 
season  it  blossomed,  but  as  yet  no  fruit. 
I  expect  next  season  to  be  able  to  re- 
port on  the  fruit. 

The  next  was  the  Worden.  I  had  a 
few  bunches.  They  were  good — I  can 
recommend  them  as  a  good  grape. 

The  Prentiss  is  too  young  yet  to  re- 
port on,  but  will  do  so  in  season. 

The  Fay  Currant   is   growing   well. 


44 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


I  had  it  last  season.     Should  it  bear 
this  year  I  will  report  on  it. 

Luckno^v.  Wm.  Turley. 

The  Burnet  Grape-vine  bore  a  full 
crop  this  year.  A  great  many  of  the 
bunches  had  two  kinds  of  grapes  on — 
one  small,  without  seeds,  sweet  and 
luscious ;  the  other  large,  with  one  or 
two  seeds,  and  not  so  sweet  as  the 
small  ones. 

The  Russian  Apple  sent  last  spring 
has  done  well. 

The  Beurre  Clarigeau  Pear  fruited 
the  first  time  this  year ;  the  frait  was 
fine  looking,  large  in  size,  with  a  fine 
red  cheek,  in  quality  good. 

The  Bloodgood  bore  the  first  time 
this  year.  In  appearance  much  like 
the  Seckel,  near  twice  as  large,  but  not 
so  sweet. 

The  Glass  Plum  has  not  fruited  yet. 

The  Beurre  D'Anjou  Pear  Tree  is  a 
fine  looking  tree ;  it  has  not  been 
touched  with  blight,  yet  it  bears  every 
.year.  I  remain,  yours  truly, 

Newport,  Ont.  James  CowHEllD. 

Sir, — As  you  have  solicited  reports 
I  will  endeavor  to  give  mine.  Bad  as 
it  is,  it  may  benefit  someone.  I  have 
received  Burnet  Grape,  but  have  not 
got  one  good  bunch.  The  Saunders' 
Raspberry  is  too  sour,  but  crops  well. 
Moore's  Early  Grape  is  doing  very 
well.  Senasqua  died  out.  I  have 
planted  the  Prentiss,  Pocklington, 
Lindley,  Massasoit,  Delaware,  Brighton, 
Worden,  Burnet  and  Jefferson  on  the 
south  side  of  greenhouse,  lean  to,  car- 
rying them  through  the  wall  one  foot 
from  the  ground  into  the  inside,  run- 
ning them  under  glass,  English  fashion. 
They  have  done  well  under  the  circum- 
stances, as  they  were  entirely  smashed 
up  on  the  7th  of  June  by  hail,  both 
inside  and  out  —all  trees  and  market 
garden  crops  included.  What  trees  are 
not  dead  will  die  yet,  at  least  some  of 


them.  Now  for  a  little  experience. 
Raspberries  completely  stripped,  broke 
again  and  carried  a  nice  little  crop  in 
September.  Peonias  broke  and  flowered 
in  August,  also  Delphinium.  I  will 
report  on  grapes  in  the  house,  God 
willing,  next  year. 

Port  Hope.  Aaron  Sly. 

Dear  Sir, — As  you  want  reports  on 
premium  plants  and  trees  sent  out  by 
the  Association,  I  will  give  you  a  report 
of  the  premiums  I  have  received  since 
I  became  a  member  in  1878.  The 
Burnet  Grape-vine,  received  that  year, 
is  still  living,  although  is  has  been 
badly  killed  back  the  past  two  or  three 
winters,  owing  to  insufficient  protec- 
tion. It  will  not  stand  the  winter  here 
without  a  covering  of  snow  or  earth. 
Where  I  have  mine  planted  the  snow 
drifted  off".  I  got  a  few  bunches  of 
fruit  from  it  three  years  ago,  but  none 
since.  Moore's  Early  was  a  weak 
grower,  and  after  two  years  I  moved  it 
to  another  place,  thinking  it  might  do 
better ;  but  something  ate  the  buds  as 
fast  as  they  came  out,  and  that  finished 
it.  I  have  not  tried  any  other  grape. 
The  Ontario  Apple  was  too  tender  on 
my  grounds.  The  Wealthy  was  in- 
jured badly  last  winter.  The  new  Rus- 
sian with  the  jaw-breaking  name  did 
not  grow  very  strong.  Saunders'  Rasp- 
berry did  very  well  at  the  first,  but 
was  badly  injured  the  past  two  winters. 
Niagara  also  winter-kills  badly  with 
me.  The  Deutzia  crenata  is  a  rather 
weak  grower,  but  has  not  had  much 
cultivation. 
Hopeville.  R.  ScOTT. 

BOOKS,  &€.,  RECEIVED. 
Alden's  Library  Magazine  is  quite 
the  peer  of  the  great  $4  monthlies,  in 
the  amount  and  high  quality  of  the 
literature  which  it  presents,  though  its 
cost  is  only  the  nominal  sum  of  $1.50  a 
year.     Among  the  contents  are  articles 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


45 


by  such  noted  authors  as  Canon  Farrar, 
Max  Muller,  the  Bishop  of  Carlisle, 
Cardinal  Newman,  Philip  Schaff,  and 
others.  This  magazine  ought  to  have  a 
circulation  of  a  hundred  thousand.  You 
can  get  a  specimen  from  the  publisher, 
John  B.  Alden,  New  York,  for  15  cents. 
"  Elia  "  AND  Charles  Lamb. — A 
unique  genius,  that  of  Charles  Lamb. 
Just  like  nothing  that  ever  appeared 
before  them,  or  has  since  appeared,  are 
the  quaint  and  delightful  "  Essays  of 
Elia,"  a  new  edition  of  which  has  re- 
cently been  issued  by  Alden,  "  The 
Literary  Revolution,"  publisher  of  New 
York.  Turn  to  any  of  your  cyclopedias 
and  they  will  tell  you  that  Charles 
Lamb  was  one  of  the  most  charming 
essayists  that  the  English  language  has 
ever  known,  and  also  that  his  "  Essays 
of  Elia"  are  the  choicest  of  his  works. 
They  are  not  merely  the  first  work  of 
their  class,  but,  like  "  Pilgrim's  Pro- 
gress "  and  "  Robinson  Crusoe,"  they 
constitute  a  class  by  themselves.  The 
volume  is  certainly  one  of  the  most 
delightful  of  the  books  described  in 
Mr.  Alden's  148-page  illustrated  cata- 
logue, which  he  offers  to  send  for  4 
cents,  or  the  16-page  catalogue  which 
is  sent  free.  Address,  John  B.  Alden, 
Publisher,  New  York  City. 

The  Toronto  News  is  published  by 
Edmund  E.  Sheppard,  daily  and  weekly, 
Tlie  weekly  is  now  offered  at  one  dollar 
a  year,  and  with  it  he  gives  to  each 
subscriber  a  dollar's  worth  of  books 
FREE.  The  list  from  which  choice  may 
be  made  comprises  over  thirty  books, 
and  the  prices  quoted  are  the  lowest 
published  rates.  Subscribers  can  select 
from  this  list  such  as  they  may  prefer 
to  the  value  of  one  dollar  at  the  prices 
quoted.  Surely  no  one  need  be  with- 
out instructive  and  entertaining  reading 
matter  on  such  terms  as  these.  He 
further  offers  to  send  the  daily  News 
for  three  months  and  the  weekly  for 
the  remaining  nine  months  of  this  year, 


and  books  to  be  selected  from  this  list 
to  the  value  of  one  dollar  and  seventy- 
five  cents,  for  the  sum  of  one  dollar  and 
seventy-five  cents.  Mr.  Sheppard  as- 
sures us  that  these  unusual  offers  will 
be  carried  out  to  the  letter.  No  'doubt 
they  will,  but  the  profit  on  such  trans- 
actions must  be  microscopical. 

The  Transactions  of  the  American 
Horticultural  Society  for  the  year 
1885,  are  replete  with  most  valuable 
papers.  The  one  on  Cranberry  culture 
by  Mr.  Augur  is  most  instructive, 
pointing  out  in  concise  terms  the  essen- 
tials to  success  in  the  cultivation  of  this 
fruit,  and  that  on  Fungoid  diseases  of 
the  Strawberry  by  F.  S.  Earle,  is  a 
most  valuable  contribution  to  our  know- 
ledge. The  eft'ect  of  the  pollen  of  dif- 
ferent varieties  of  strawberry  upon  the 
size  and  form  of  the  berries  of  pistillate 
varieties  is  ably  discussed  in  a  paper 
on  the  fertilization  of  the  Strawberry 
by  C.  M.  Merwin.  A  most  exhaustive 
paper  on  the  native  Grapes  of  North 
America  is  n\  ell  worth  the  cost  of  the 
whole,  which  may  be  had  by  remitting 
two  dollars  to  Mr.  W.  H.  Ragan,  the 
Secretary,  at  Greencastle,  Indiana  :  or 
better  yet,  by  remitting  $2.30  secure 
Vols.  L,  IL  and  TIL 

The  American  Agriculturist  for 
January  announces  that  it  enters  upon 
the  new  year  under  unusually  auspici- 
ous circumstances.  The  old  editorial 
force,  who  have  been  connected  with 
that  periodical  for  periods,  running  up 
to  a  quarter  of  a  century,  has  received 
further  accessions  in  Dr.  F.  M.  Hexa- 
mer,  so  long  the  editor  of  the  "American 
Garden,"  and  Mr.  Chester  P.  Dewey,  a 
writer  of  national  reputation,  and  Mr. 
Seth  Green,  the  noted  Fish  Culturist. 
The  illustrations,  of  which  there  are  a 
very  large  number,  represent  noted 
horses,  cattle,  pigs,  cows,  new  fruits, 
new  potatoes,  designs  for  new  buildings, 
farm  conveniences,  household  conveni- 
ences, fruits,  flowers,  etc.     There  are 


46 


THE    CA.NADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


nearly  one  hundred  original  articles. 
The  Household  and  Childrens'  Depart- 
ment abound  in  illustrations,  while 
several  new  frauds  are  exposed  in  the 
Humbug  Department.  Price,  $1.50 
per  year;  single  numbers,  15  cents. 
Address,  American  Agriculturist,  751 
Broadway,  New  York. 


AN  EXTENSIVE  FRUIT  FARM. 

The  London  Garden  says  that  Lord 
Sudeley  is  the  only  land  owner  in  Eng- 
land who  has  taken  up  fruit  farming  in 
a  thorough  and  business-like  manner. 
He  has  already  planted  500  acres,  and 
200  more  will  be  at  once  added.  This 
700-acre  fruit  garden  is  not  like  Mc- 
Kinstry's  300-acre  fruit  orchard  on  the 
Hudson,  or  some  of  the  500-acre  peach 
orchards  at  the  South.  It  takes  up  no 
fruit  as  a  specialty,  but  embraces  the 
whole  catalogue  of  large  and  small 
fruits.  It  is  situate  in  the  northern 
part  of  Gloucestershire,  some  forty  or 
fifty  miles  north-east  of  Bristol,  and 
cannot  but  be  well  situated  for  market, 
in  that  full  arrangements  are  made  to 
consume  the  whole  of  the  fruit  in  home 
manufacture.  Although  only  four  years 
have  elapsed  since  planting,  10  tons  of 
strawberries  were  raised  last  year,  and 
it  is  expected  that  100  tons  will  be 
grown  the  coming  season. 

Our  readers  may  judge  of  the  miscel- 
laneoiis  character  of  the  selections  when 
informed  that  the  plantation  includes 
3,000  trees  of  the  best  sorts  of  apples, 
800  pears,  32,000  plums,  including 
9,000  damsons,  50  acres  of  black  cur- 
rants, 100  acres  of  strawberries,  and  60 
acres  of  raspberries.  The  gooseberry 
bushes  number  130,000,  the  black  cur- 
rants number  over  200,000.  It  is  pro- 
bable, we  think,  that  experience  will 
cut  down  the  lists  of  some  of  the  fruits, 
such,  for  instance,  as  the  44  different 
kinds  of  plums,  and  the  45  different 
varieties  of  tlie  gooseberry. 


Shelter  belts  are  regarded  as  impor- 
tant, and  such  quick-growing  sorts  as 
poplars  and  Scotch  firs  have  been 
placed  around  the  plantation  to  shelter 
it  from  prevailing  winds.  Beds  of  osiers 
have  been  planted  along  the  margin  of 
a  stream  and  have  succeeded  so  well 
that  the  addition  of  10  acres  will  sup- 
ply all  the  materials  for  the  baskets 
needed  on  the  estate.  A  nursery  for 
raising  trees  and  bushes  has  been 
formed,  where  standards,  pyramids  and 
bushes  of  all  sorts  are  grown,  trained 
and  worked,  and  the  owner  is  thus  sure 
of  obtaining  what  he  wants.  It  will 
thus  be  seen  that  this  is  a  complete 
establishment  within  itself,  including 
the  raising  of  the  trees  and  plants  for 
setting  out,  the  manufacture  of  the  bas- 
kets for  the  fruit,  and  the  finishing  pre- 
paration of  the  fruit  itself  in  jars  for 
market.  Such  a  plantation  as  this, 
with  the  great  number  of  laborers 
which  it  must  profitably  employ,  affords 
a  favorable  contrast  to  the  large  do- 
mains kept  only  for  hunting  groupds. 
— Country  Gentleman. 


PRUNUS  SIMONI. 

This  new  plum  is  a  native  of  Northern 
China,  Eugene  Simon,  when  French 
Consul  at  Pekin,  sent  specimens  of  it 
to  the  French  Jardin  des  Plantes, 
whence  it  was  disseminated.  Prof. 
Budd  has,  through  his  writinors  in  the 
Prairie  Farmer,  probably  done  more  to 
introduce  this  new  fruit  to  the  Ameri- 
can public  than  any  other  person.  In 
the  issue  of  June  17th,  1884,  he  said  : 
"  Beyond  all  reasonable  doubt  this  tree 
will  prove  a  valuable  ornamental  and 
fruit  tree  on  the  prairies,  wherever  it 
will  endure  our  winters.  The  young 
trees  bore  the  past  test  winter  on  the 
College  farm  far  better  than  our  apple 
trees  of  the  hardiness  of  Ben  Davis. 
*  *  *  In  all  respects  this  is  a 
botanical   curiosity.     In  color  of  bark, 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


47 


and  in  all  points,  except  the  net  veining 
and  color  of  leaves,  it  resembles  the 
peach.  In  appearance  the  fruit  more 
closely  resembles  a  flattisli,  smooth, 
brick-red  tomato,  than  any  of  our  stone 
fruits,  yet  in  smell  and  flavor  it  ap- 
{>roaches  very  near  the  Nectarine." 

Under  date  of  Oct.  14,  the  Professor 
writes  to  the  Prairie  Farmer  :  The  time 
has  come   when  we  can  form  a  correct 
estimate  of  tlie  hardiness  of  tree,  and 
relative   value  of  fruit  of  tliis   unique 
Chinese   tree.      But  our  experience   is 
yet  too  limited  to  guess  at  its  habits  of 
bearing  on  varied  soils,  or  the  status  of 
its  fruit   for  market  purposes ....  The 
favorable  notes  of  the  writer  and  others 
have  been  written  to  encourage  its  trial 
in   a  small  way,  but  some  of  our  pro- 
pagators have  quoted  from  them  in  such 
a  Wivy  as  to  raise  undue   expectations 
r»n  the  part  of  planters    .  .  .  Witli  our 
brief  experience  at  the  West,  its  claims 
to  public   attention  are  :     (I)  In  tree 
and  fruit  it  is  a  queer  mingling  of  the 
nectarine   and   a})ricot.  and  interesting 
as  a   neat,  round   topped  tree   for  the 
lawn,   aside  from   its   value   for    fruit. 
(2)  It  is  hardier  than  the  peach,  but 
possibly  not  quite  as  hardy  as  the  Rus- 
sian apricot  now  claiming  public  atten- 
tion.    (3)  On   the   northern  border  of 
the   peach  belt  it  makes  the  best  trees 
and  V>eai's  best  when  top- worked  on  the 
Miner  plum,     (t)  The  fruit  has   the 
size  and  smoothness  of  the  nectarine, 
with   the  appearance  and  color  of  an 
old-fashioned,   flattened    plum    tomato. 
For  dessert  use  the  fruit  has  a  peculiar 
flavor  and  aroma  when  perfectly  rii)ened 
in  a  dry  climate,  which  many  like,  but 
others  may  dislike.     In  Eastern  France, 
where  it  was  first  introduced,  it  is  liked 
best  for  culinary  use,  and  I  suspect  this 
will    be    our    experience ....  That    the 
Pmnus   Simoni  will   take  the  place  of 
the  peach,   nectarine,   and    best    Apri- 
cots— in  sections  where  the  latter   suc- 
ceed perfectly — we  need    not   believe, 


but  that  it  is  worthy  of  trial  on  the 
north  borders  of  the  peach  belt  we  have 
best  reasons  for  believing. — Prairie 
Farmer. 


SNOW-DROP. 
The  first  flower  of  spring  is  the  deli- 
cate Snow-Drop,  white  as  snow.  Its 
appearance  about  the  first  of  March  is 
a  joyful  surprise.  The  bulbs  are  quite 
small ;  the  leaves  and  flowers  about  six 
inches  in  height.  Plant  in  the  fall,  in 
beds  or  masses  of  a  dozen  or  more,  about 
two  inches  apart,  and  about  the  same 
depth.  They  are  very  desirable  for 
growing  in  pots,  etc.,  in  the  house  in 
winter.  A  dozen  may  be  planted  in 
quite  a  small  pot  or  saucer.  A  few 
planted  on  the  lawn  produces  a  fine 
effect  early  in  the  spring,  and  mowing 
will  not  destroy  the  bulbs,  for  the  leaves 
will  ripen  so  early  that  they  will  be 
pretty  well  matured  before  the  grass 
will  need  cutting.  Perfectly  hardy, 
and  bulbs  can  remain  several  years 
without  removal. 

The  Snow-Flake,  {Leucojum,)  is 
sometimes  called  the  Large  Snow-Drop, 
from  its  resemblence  to  this  delicate 
flower.  It  is  much  larger,  and  more 
robust  in  habit.  Flowers  white,  with 
bright  green  spots.  Once  planted  it 
manages  to  take  caie  of  itself.  This 
does  not  flower  until  later  in  the  season. 
It  flowers  well  in  the  house. —  Vick's 
Floral  Guide. 


Moore's  Early  Grape. — We  desire  to 
speak  a  word  or  so  in  favor  of  Moore's 
Early.  A  more  perfectly  healthy  vine  has 
never  been  raised  at  the  Rural  Grounds. 
The  Concord  bears  larger  bunches,  but 
the  average  size  of  the  bunches  of  Moore's 
Early  is  larger  than  the  average  size  of 
the  Concord's,  w  hile  the  size  of  the  berry 
is  decidedly  larger.  The  quality  is  much 
the  same.  Moore's  Early  ripens  at  least 
ten  days  earlier  than  the  Concord,  and 
the  bunches  ripen  more  uniformly. — 
Rural  Neiv  Yorker. 


m. 


48 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Climbing  Honey  Suckles. — Two  good 
climbing  honeysuckles  are  the  old  fashion- 
ed Dutch  monthly  and  Hall's  Japanese. 
The  first  was  known  to  our  grandmothers, 
although  rarely  seen  now.  It  ha^  no 
odor,  but  the  nankeen  yellow  of  its  open 
flowers  is  always  pleasing.  Hall's  honey- 
suckle is  a  more  recent  introduction, 
and  one  of  the  best  of  the  many  good 
things  Japan  has  sent  us.  The  flowers 
are  abundant,  beautiful  and  fragrant,  and 
last  until  frost,  while  the  leaves  persist 
much  longer.  There  is  no  better  vine  for 
a  trellis,  or  screen,  against  unsightly 
objects. — Philadelphia  Press. 


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J.  Hawke,  T.  Mulcah,  A.  Ronald.  J.  Stewart,  J.  Ste- 
I)hen,  W.  Tenant,  J.  Gibbard,  W.  L.  Bennett,  H. 
Wightman,  H.  DeLong,  J.  P.  Cockburn,  C.  J.  Harris, 
Miss  M.  W.  Harris.  G.  Tooley,  J.  G.  Warren,  A.  La- 
Course,  C.  H,  Peterson,  A.  J.  Collins,  J.  P.  Bucke. 


PRINTED   AT   IHK   3TEAM   PRESS   ESTABLISHMENT   OF  THE   COPP,    Cr>ARK   COMPANY  (LIMITED),   TORONTO. 


PERLE    DES  JARDINS 

PAINTED  FOR  THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


MARCH,  1886. 


[No.  3. 


ROSE   PERLE 

This  beautiful  rose,  of  which  we  pre- 
sent our  readers  with  a  colored  illustra- 
tion, belongs  to  the  class  of  Tea  roses. 
The  late  Hy.  B.  Ellwanger,  in  his  most 
instructive  and  valuable  work  entitled 
•The  Rose,"  says  of  this  class  that  it 
•  may  well  be  taken  as  a  synonym  for 
all  that  is  delicately  beautiful.  What 
refinement  of  color,  what  subdued,  yet 
powerful,  fragrance  do  they  possess. 
They  are  indeed  the  centre  of  loveliness  ; 
like  fair  maids  at  a  reception  surround- 
ed by  admiring  groups,  these  lend 
beauty  to  the  others,  which  may  well 
strive  to  find  a  near  approach  to  their 
sweet  presence,  that  perchance  they 
may  receive  a  smile  and  borrow  beauty, 
diffused  from  their  chaste  loveliness." 

The  Tea  roses  combine  delicate  col- 
oring and  a  most  agreeable  perfume 
with  continuous  flowering.  For  these 
reasons  they  are  the  favorite  class  with 
many  who,  having  "beautiful  roses  in 
their  hearts,"  will  give  them  the  care 
which  in  our  climate  their  tenderness 
makes  imperative.  Nor  is  this  care 
of  such  a  diflScult  or  laborious  nature 
as  to  be  at  all  discouraging  to  an  earn- 
est soul.  They  need  to  be  planted 
where  they  will  be  sheltered  from  the 
sweep   of  bleak  winds,  and  can  catch 


DES  JAHDINS. 

the  first  rays  of  the  morning  sun  ;  away 
from  under  the  shadow  of  overhanging 
trees  or  high  buildings,  yet  where 
groups  of  shrubbery  and  the  resistance 
of  fences  and  buildings  break  the  force 
of  gales,  taming  their  fury  into  gentle- 
ness. And  then,  when  come  the  days 
of  sere  and  yellow  leaf,  when  our  maples 
have  put  on  their  scarlet  robes  and  the 
beech  her  russet  gown,  then  the  Tea 
roses  must  be  carefully  housed  and 
stored  where  they  shall  be  safe  from 
fear  of  frosty  weather. 

The  Perle  de  Jardins  is  one  of  those 
tea  roses  which  possesses  many  excel- 
lent qualities.  It  has  a  very  healthy 
constitution,  which  enables  it  to  adapt 
itself  to  a  variety  of  circumstances,  so 
that  it  is  found  both  among  those  which 
are  recommended  for  bedding  out, 
and  those  for  forcing  under  glass.  A 
rose  in  order  to  be  desirable  for  bedding 
out,  should  be  a  free  bloomer,  of  healthy 
habit,  and  possessing  a  pure  and  stead- 
fast color  of  bloom  ;  and  for  forcing  it 
should  add  to  these  qualities  symmetry  of 
form,  fragrance  and  high  finish  of  flower. 
All  these  qualities  are  found  in  this 
variety  to  such  a  degree  that  it  is  called 
by  our  best  authorities  a  superb  rose  for 
forcing,  and  fine  also  in  the  open  air. 


50 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


This  rose  was  raised  by  Antoine 
Levet,  of  Lyons,  France,  and  sent  out 
by  him  in  1874.  It  is  of  large  size, 
well  formed,  full,  of  a  rich  canary  yel- 
low color.  Those  who  love  to  grow 
roses  will  surely  succeed  with  this,  and 
will  be  abundantly  satisfied  with  the 
exquisite  beauty,  fine  size,  and  great 
abundance  of  its  highly  finished  flowers. 
Canon  Hole  wrote  truly  of  the  rose 
grower  who  would  have  beautiful  roses 
when  he  said,  "  he  must  love  them  well 
and  always.  To  win,  he  must  woo,  as 
Jacob  wooed  Laban's  daughter,  though 
drought  and  frost  consume.  He  must 
have  not  only  the  glowing  admiration, 
the  enthusiasm  and  the  passion,  but 
also  the  tenderness,  the  thoughtfulness, 
the  reverence,  the  watchfulness  of  love. 
His  must  be  no  ephemeral  caprice,  like 
that  of  the  young  knight  who  loves,  and 
who  rides  away  when  his  sudden  fire  is 
gone  from  the  cold  white  ashes.  He  is 
loyal  and  devoted  ever,  in  storm  fraught 
or  in  sunny  days ;  not  only  the  first 
upon  a  summer^s  morning  to  gaze  ad- 
miringly on  glowing  charms,  but  the 
first  when  leaves  fall  and  winds  are 
chill,  to  protect  against  cruel  frost.  To 
the  true  rose-grower  must  the  rose-tree 
be  always  a  thing  of  beauty.  To  others, 
when  its  flowers  have  faded,  it  may  be 
worthless  as  a  hedge-row  thorn,  to  him, 
in  every  phase,  it  is  precious.  The  glory 
which  has  been,  and  the  glory  which 
shall  be,  never  fade  from  his  heart." 


to  be  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long,  and  as 
thick  as  a  small  darning  needle  ;  with 
very  small  black  head,  and  of  a  greyish 
color.  Have  any  of  our  readers  found 
any  such  worms  injuring  the  roots  of 
grape  vines  ] 


WORMS  ON  ROOT  OF  (JRAPE  VINES. 

Mr.  W.  C.  Webster,  Stoney  Creek, 
writes  us  that  the  worms  on  the  grape 
vine  he  sent  to  this  office,  were  thought 


THE  CANKER  WORM. 

Gentle  reader,  have  you  ever  felt 
disposed  to  smile,  with  something  of 
contempt  in  your  heart,  at  the  grown 
up  man  chasing,  net  in  hand,  some 
fluttering  insect,  until  the  sweat  stood 
in  drops  f  Or,  perhaps,  more  charitably 
inclined,  concluded  that  the  poor  man 
surely  had  "a  bee  in  his  bonnet?" 
Possibly  you  wondered  why  any  man 
in  his  senses  should  be  spending  his 
time  after  such  a  childish  fashion,  chas- 
ing a  butterfly  across  the  meadows. 
You  could  not  see  what  possible  good 
could  come  of  such  a  spending  of  time 
and  strength,  and  little  thought  that 
yon  man,  with  his  net  of  gauze,  was 
searching  for  the  key  that  would  open 
the  door  of  your  prosperity. 

Yes,  it  is  even  so.  To  the  labors  of 
the  entomologist  are  we  fruit  growers 
already  greatly  indebted,  and  this  can- 
ker worm  pest  is  an  apt  illustration  of 
the  service  they  have  rendered.  Thetis 
plunged  Achilles  in  the  Styx,  and  made 
him  thereby  invulnerable  in  every  part, 
save  the  heel  by  which  she  held  him. 
He  who  would  slay  Achilles  must  first 
learn  where  was  the  spot  his  weapon 
might  enter.  To  overcome  these  insect 
foes  we  need  to  know  their  vulnerable 
point.  This,  by  the  studies  of  the  in- 
sect hunter,  is  often  revealed  ;  and  a 
knowledge  of  their  life-history  opens 
the  way  to  successful  methods  of  des- 
troying the  insects  or  preventing  their 
ravages. 

There  are  two  insects,  bearing  strong 
resemblances,  but  really  distinct,  which 
are  known  to  fruit  growers  under  the 
one  name  of  canker  worm.     The  un- 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


61 


practised  eye  would  hardly  detect  a 
difference,  and  as  for  the  mischief  they 
d  ),  there  is  no  difference.  Wlien  they 
come  in  f  )rce,  whether  in  the  one  guise 
or  the  other,  or,  as  sometimes  they 
may,  both  together,  every  leaf  is  taken  ; 
and  the  orchard  looks  as  though  &ome 
sirocco  blast  had  swept  it,  scorching  up 
the  foliage.  They  make  clean  work, 
what  "  the  canker  worm  hath  left " 
would  be  starvation  for  the  caterfnllar. 
One  of  these  insects  is  known  as.  the 
Spring  Canker  Worm,  designated  V)y 
entomologists  Anisopteryx  vernata.  The 
worm,  or  larva,  when  full  grown,  is 
ahout  an  inch  long  ;  varying  in  color 
from  greenish  yellow  to  a  dusky,  and 
somecimes  a  dark  brown,  striped  longi- 
tudinally with  numerous  pale,  narrow 
lines.  This  strii>e(l  appearance  is  shewn 
in  fig.  1  ;  c  represents  a  side  view,  and 


L 


FUiUKE    1. 

d  a  dorsal  view  of  one  of  the  s  gments, 
highly  magnified  ;  a,  the  full  grown 
worm  in  the  attitude  which  it  often 
assumes  when  at  rest.  But  this  crea- 
ture is  not  always  a  worm,  iis  its  life 
history  will  shew.  There  are  changes 
in  nature  that  rival  tlie  magic  power 
of  the  glass  slipper;  changes  more  trans- 
forming than  that  of  the  humble  peas- 
ant girl  in  coarse  homespun,  into  the 
witching  piincess  in  silks  and  <liainonds. 
When  this  worm  has  attjiined  its  full 
size  it  ceases  to  feed,  leaves  the  tree, 
and  burrows  in  the  ground  ;  going  to 
a  varying  depth  of  from  two  to  four 
inches,  where  it  forms  a  cell,  which  it 
lines  with  silken  threads.  Tiiis  is  its 
winter  hiding  place,  in  which  it  under- 
goes one  of  its  curious  transformations, 
for  after  completing  its  own  tomb,  it 


throws  off  its  skin  and  becomes  what 
is  termed  a  chrysalis  ;  which,  in  this 
case,  is  a  pale,  greyish-brown  object, 
hardly  half  an  inch  long,  and  the  sixth 
of  an  inch  thick,  tapering  to  a  point  at 
the  lower  end.  Here  it  lies,  like  a 
mummy  in  its  case,  and  seemingly  as 
dead,  until  the  hour  of  resurrection. 
In  the  autumn,  when  most  of  the  leaves 
have  fallen,  and  wintry  frosts  have 
blackened  every  tender  plant,  and  there 
come  those  balmy  days  of  the  south 
wind  which  we  call  Indian  Summer, 
then  a  few  of  these  waken  into  life; 
but  the  greater  part  remain,  cold  and 
still,  until  the  return  of  spring.  Then, 
when  the  buds  are  breaking,  and  nature 
is  rubbing  her  eyes,  they  too  awake  ; 
and  bursting  their  cerements,  creep  out 
of  the  ground.  Not  now  the  crawling, 
looping,  measuring- worm,  that  last  sum- 
mer fattened  on  your  apple  orchard  ; 
but,  in  the  case  of  the  male,  a  silken- 
winged,  airy  creature,  delicate  and 
beautiful ;  for  Cinderella  has  laid  aside 
her  russet  homespun,  and  put  on  her 
robes  of  princely  richness.  You  may 
see  it  floating  about  in  the  sunshine, 
moving  hither  and  yon,  as  though  to 
live  were  a  joy,  and  joy  the  object  of 
its  life. 

An  excellent  representation  of  this 
moili  is  given  at  a,  in  fig,  2.     The  two 


Figure  2. 
fore  wings  are  an  ashen  grey,  almost 
transparent,  an  irregular  whitish  band 
crosses  them  near  the  outer  margin, 
and  there  are  three  interrupted  brown- 
ish lines  between  this  band  and  the 
base  of  the  wings.  In  the  tip  of  each 
of  the.se  wings  is  an  oblique  black  dash, 
and  a   black  line  along  the  border  at 


52 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


the  base  of  the  silken  fringe.  The  two 
hind  wings  are  of  a  very  light  grey 
color,  with  only  a  dusky  dot  near  the 
middle  of  each. 

How  unlike  this  silken-winged  crea- 
ture is  its  mate.  Nature  in  this  in- 
stance seems  to  have  been  very  partial 
in  the  bestowment  of  her  gifts.  He 
can  float  in  the  sunbeams,  and  fly 
whither  he  will;  she,  poor  creature, 
wingless  and  clumsy,  can  only  creep. 
She  may  be  seen  at  h  in  tig.  2.  Her 
body  is  full  of  eggs,  which  are  so  heavy 
that  she  drags  herself  slowly  along 
until  she  reaches  the  trunk  of  the  tree, 
up  which  she  climbs.  At  r/,  in  fig.  2, 
is  a  magnified  segment  of  the  abdomen, 
shewing  the  two  rows  of  reddish  spines 
that  run  transversely  across  each  seg- 
ment ;  c  represents  a  part  of  the  an- 
tenna of  the  female,  and  e  her  oviposi- 
tor, both  magnified. 

The  other  species  is  the  Fall  Canker 
Worm,   Anisopteryx  pometaria.     This 


Figure  3. 

is  shewn,  full  grown,  at  /,  fig.  3,  while 
c  represents  a  segment  magnified  so  as 
to  render  the  markings  more  distinct, 
w^hich  will  be  seen  to  be  broader  and 
fewer  in  number  than  they  are  in  the 


Figure  4. 


Spring  Canker  Worm.     The  wings  of 
|;he  male  moth  are  darker,   a,  fig.   4, 


and  the  fore  wings  are  crossed  by  two 
whitish  bands.  The  female  of  this 
species  h,  fig.  4,  is  also  wingless.  The 
eggs  also  differ  in  appearance  :  Those 
of  the  Spring  Canker  Worm  are  oval, 
6,  fig.  1 ,  and  are  laid  in  irregular  masses, 
often  as  many  as  a  hundred  together  ; 
while  those  of  the  Fall  Canker  Worm 
are  flattened  on  the  upper  surface,  with 
a  puncture  in  the  centre,  and  a  brown 
circle  near  the  border,  and  are  laid  in 
regular,  compact  masses.  See  a,  b,  and 
e,  in  fig.  3  :  a  being  an  enlarged  repre- 
sentation of  an  egg,  b  shewing  the  toj) 
of  it,  and  e  the  manner  in  which  they 
are  placed  compactly  together.  It  will 
also  be  seen  that  the  antenna  of  the 
one,  c,  fig.  2,  is  covered  with  bristles, 
while  that  of  the  other,  c,  fig.  4,  is 
smooth  ;  and  the  abdominal  segments 
of  the  female  of  the  Fall  Canker  Worm 
have  no  bristles,  d,  fig.  4. 

The  full  grown  worm  of  this  species 
also  burrows  in  the  ground,  and  there 
spins  a  cocoon  of  buff  colored  silk, 
within  which  it  changes  into  the  chry- 
salis state,  remaining  in  this  condition 
until  the  autumn.  After  the  first  fall 
frosts,  the  perfect  insects  api)ear,  and 
the  females  seek  the  trunks  of  the  trees, 
up  which  they  crawl  to  deposit  their 
eggs. 

In  the  early  spring,  just  when  the 
buds  have  broken  and  the  tender  leaves 
unfolded,  the  canker  worms  of  both 
species  are  hatched,  and  begin  their 
destructive  work  of  feeding  on  the 
leaves.  The  larger  they  grow,  the 
more  they  eat ;  ti^ veiling  in  countless 
numbers  over  the  tree,  and  leaving  not 
a  leaf  behind. 

It  lias  been  already  stated  that  the 
females  of  both  species  are  wingless. 
This  fact,  for  the  knowledge  of  which 
we  are  indebted  to  the  studies  of 
the  entomologist,  of  that  man  with 
"  a  bee  in  his  bonnet,"  is  the  heel 
of  Achilles,  the  vulnerable  spot  where 
we   may  strike   and   conquer.     If  we 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


53 


can  trap  the  female  on  her  way  up 
the  trunk  of  the  tree,  or  prevent  her 
from  crawling  up,  we  become  masters 
of  the  situation.  Tar,  mixed  with  oil 
or  lard  to  prevent  it  from  becoming 
dry,  refuse  molasses,  printer's  ink,  in 
short  any  very  sticky  substance  smeared 
upon  canvas  or  stout  paper,  say  six 
inches  wide,  and  tied  around  the  trunk 
of  the  tree  so  that  the  female  moths 
will  stick  fast  in  the  adhesive  substance, 
will  effectually  prevent  them  from  get- 
ting up  the  tree.  This  sticky  substance 
must  not  be  allowed  to  get  dry  and 
liard,  else  the  moths  will  crawl  over  it 
but  must  be  renewed  so  as  to  be  always 
in  a  condition  to  hold  them  fast. 
Troughs  of  lead  have  been  fastened 
around  the  tree,  and  kept  filled  with 
oil,  and  found  to  answer  an  excellent 
purpose.  Othei-s  have  used  broad  tin 
collars,  fastened  around  the  tree,  slop- 
ing downwards  and  outwards,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  moth  from  climbing  up. 
in  all  these  cases  care  must  be  taken  to 
have  no  crevice  left  underneath  the 
bandages  or  collars,  not  even  the  smal- 
lest crack  ;  for  the  moth,  foiled  in  her 
attempts  to  climb  the  tree,  will  deposit 
her  eggs  on  the  trunk  below,  and  the 
young  worms  are  so  small  that  they 
can  creep  through  a  very  tiny  crevice. 
We  suggest  as  an  additional  means  of 
defence,  the  washing  of  the  trunk  of 
the  tree  below  the  bandage  or  collar, 
v.  ith  an  alkaline  solution,  either  soap 
or  white- wash  or  potash,  say  one  pound 
of  potash  dissolved  in  two  gallons  of 
water.  This  will  kill  the  eggs  or  the 
young  worms.  These  bandages  should 
be  i)ut  on  about  the  first  of  October, 
and  kept  in  proper  efficiency  until  the 
advent  of  severe  winter  weather,  and 
lenewed  eai-ly  in  the  spring,  as  soon  as 
the  mild  weather  calls  the  moths  from 
tlieir  winter  quartei-s.  With  careful 
attention  to  these  details,  this  formi- 
dable destroyer  of  our  orchards  can  be 
completely  routed. 


ENCOURAGING  WORDS. 

I  like  your  little  publication  very 
much  ;  it  is  by  long  odds  the  best  of 
its  kind  that  has  been  published  in 
Canada  for  the  last  thirty  years. 
Everyone  who  has  a  garden  ought  to 
subscribe  for  it.  John  Forsyth. 

Barrie. 

I  have  taken  the  Canadian  Horti- 
culturist for  two  years,  and  would  not 
now  like  to  be  without  it.  I  think  it 
is  a  very  cheap  publication  for  $1  a 
year,  and  the  report  of  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association  is  included,  which 
is  also  very  interesting  and  useful. 
This  and  your  plant  distribution  make 
it  a  marvel  of  cheapness. 

Caledon  East.         Rev.  J.  GoODMAN. 

I  think  the  last  year  of  the  Horti- 
culturist has  been  the  best  year  of  its 
existence.  God  bless  the  men  of  the 
association  in  their  labor  of  love  in 
spreading  information  throughout  the 
Dominion,  the  useful  and  the  beauti- 
ful, the  fruits  and  the  flowers.  If  the 
loving  Father  has  given  us  so  much  on 
earth  what  must  Heaven  be  with  its 
holiness  and  beauty. 

Bobcaygeon.  Thos.    Gordon. 

QUESTION  DRAWER. 

BEN  DAVIS  APPLE. 

(1)  Please  inform  me  what  is  your 
opinion  of  the  Ben  Davis  as  a  mai-ket 
apple.  Does  it  meet  the  tastes  of  the 
English  people  ?  (2)  Also  please  in- 
form me  which  in  your  opinion  is  the 
best  winter  apple  for  this  section  of 
country.  G.  H. 

Peterboro'. 

Reply. — (1)  We  submitted  the  in- 
quiry about  the  value  of  the  Ben  Davis 
as  a  market  apple  to  two  gentlemen 
who  have  had  experience  in  shipping 


54 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


apples,  and  received  the  following  re- 
plies :  — 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  just  read  your 
letter  with  respect  to  the  Ben  Davis 
apple.  T  have  not  seen  any  quotations 
except  from  New  York,  and  there  they 
were  higher  than  any  other  variety. 
I  sent  my  Ben  Davis  and  Golden  Rus- 
sets to  Montreal,  where  they  were 
bought  and  stored  for  spring  shipment. 
I  got  twenty  five  cents  more  per  barrel 
for  the  Ben  Davis  than  for  any  other 
variety.  It  is  certainly  one  of  the  best 
shipping  apples  we  have,  bat  the  tree 
wants  good  warm  soil,  well  drained,  and 
good  cultivation.  The  fruit  must  be 
thinned  on  the  tree  to  produce  good 
samples,  then  they  will  bring  more  than 
Golden  Busset  or  Northern  Spy. 

P.  0.  Dempsey. 

Albury,  P.  E.  Co.,  23rd.  Jan.,  1886. 

Dear  Sir, — At  present  the  Ben 
Davis  is  an  excellent  apple  to  grow  for 
profit,  as  it  bears  well  and  ships  admir- 
ably, and  takes  well  in  the  British  mar- 
ket. It  is  just  a  question  if  it  will 
hold  its  present  place  in  these  markets, 
as  they  are  becoming  particular  regard- 
ing quality  and  Ben  Davis  is  not  num- 
ber 1  in  that  respect.  Upon  the  whole, 
however,  1  think  it  will  remain  among 
the  shippers  to  England,  although, 
others  will  be  in  advance  in  price  owing 
to  a  better  quality. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Alex.  McD.  Allan. 
Goderich,  Jan.  20,  1886. 

(2)  Probably  no  apple  stands  out  so 
much  superior  to  all  others  as  to  de- 
serve the  distinguished  position  of  the 
"  best  winter  apple.  "  If  there  be  any 
such  apple,'  we  should  expect  to  be  told 
that  it  is  the  Golden  Busset.  Will 
our  readers  in  the  County  of  Peterboro' 
please   to    write    us  and  let  us    know 


which  of  the  winter  apples  grown  by 
them  they  consider  on  the  whole  to  be 
the  best. 


CANKER  WORM. 

Would  you  have  the  goodness  to  in- 
form me  as  to  the  best  method  of  getting 
rid  of  that  pest  which  we  call  down  hei-e 
the  measuring  worm,  from  its  habit  of 
looping  itself  as  it  moves  along.  It  lit- 
erally bares  the  trees  of  every  leaf  and 
appears  to  have  established  itself,  as  it 
comes  along  every  season  with  the  ut- 
most regularity.  Please  favor  me  with 
your  advice  in  this  matter.  I  want  a 
method  of  wholesale  destruction,  for 
their  name  is  legion,  and  oblige, 

Pictou,  Nova  Scotia.  H.  PrimroS'-:. 

Beply. — See  article  on  the  Canker 
Worm  in  this  number. 


WHEN   TO  SPRAY  PLUM   TREES. 

What  time  of  the  year  should  plum 
trees  be  sprinkled  with  Paris  Green, 
as  mentioned  by  one  of  your  correspon- 
dents as  being  a  preventive  of  the  cur- 
culiol  T.  A.  M. 

Parkhill. 

Beply. — As  soon  as  the  fruit  is  set. 
The  curculio  begins  its  work  very  early 
in  the  season,  just  as  soon  as  the  young 
plums  appear. 


LUCRETIA  DEWBERRY. 
How  should  the  Lucretia  Dewberry 
be  treated  1     It  is  something  new  to  me. 
Bowmanville.  C.  T. 

Beply. — The  dewberry  is  a  trailing 
blackberry,  and  may  be  allowed  to  trail 
over  the  ground  or  upon  a  support  of 
some  kind.  Probably  an  inclined  trellis 
like  that  mentioned  for  grape  vines 
(see  p.  284,  December,  1885)  would  be 
an  excellent  support. 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


65 


Is  the  low  bank  of  a  creek  a  good 
place  for  cultivating  the  Lucretia  Dew- 
berry ]  I  have  a  creek  running  through 
my  garden  and  think  if  its  banks  were 
covered  with  dewberries  it  might  prove 
more  profitable  than  wild  grass.  The 
wild  dewbeiTies  grow  in  our  beaver 
meadows.  An  answer  in  the  Canadian 
Horticulturist  will  oblige. 

F.  W.  COATE. 
Cape  Elizabeth,  Muskoka. 

Reply. — The  Lucretia,  being  com- 
paratively a  new  variety  of  the  dew- 
berry, has  not  yet  been  grown  in  very 
many  localities,  hence  it  is  impossible 
to  speak  from  personal  experience,  or 
from  that  of  others.  One  would  cer- 
tainly conclude  that  it  would  thrive 
where  other  varieties  of  the  same 
species  grow  naturally.  Please  to  give 
it  a  trial  and  report  results  for  the 
benefit  of  others. 


CHIONANTHUS. 

I  have  a  fine  lot  of  young  seedling 
Black  Ash,  about  o  feet  high.  Would  I 
succeed  were  I  to  graft  the  Chionan- 
thus  on  a  few,  for  it  appears  it  is 
hardier  than  at  first  supposed?  I 
thought  Muskoka  should  try  it. 


Medora,  Muskoka. 


T.  A.  H. 


Reply. — You  can  graft   it    on  the 
White  Ash  with  better  hope  of  success. 

(1)  Can  the  Catalpa  be  grafted? 
If  so,  on  what  stock  1  My  plant  has 
two  side  shoots,  which  I  would  like 
to  graft.  I  am  going  to  try  on  sev- 
*aal  kinds  of  timber  roots,  and  will 
report  if  successful.  (2)  Please  in- 
orm  me  how  to  gi-ow  the  Mountain 
Vsh  from  seed.,  viz.,  what  process  the 
•  ed  has  to  go  through.  (3)  The 
English  Buck  Thorn  seed.  (4)  The 
Cedar   Tree   seed.      (5)    The   Norway 


and  the  White  Spruce  seed.     (6)  The 
Balsam  Fir  Tree  seed. 
Appin.  John  McIntyre. 

Reply. — It  can  be  grafted  on  seed- 
ling Catalpa  stocks.  (2)  Wash  the 
pulp  clean  from  the  seed  and  sow  in 
sand.  (3)  Same  as  Mountain  Ash, 
(4)  Sow  in  light  sandy  soil,  and  cover 
lightly.  (5)  and  (6)  Sow  in  light 
sandy  soil,  and  screen  from  the  sun. 


SEEDLING  OKANGE  TREE. 

Mr.  Editor. — I  have  an  Orange 
Tree  ;  I  planted  the  pips  myself.  The 
tree  now  is  eight  years  old  ;  a  fine  tree 
it  is,  something  over  one  inch  thick  in 
the  stem,  and  about  three  feet  high, 
and  a  fine  bush  at  top.  I  have  it  in  a 
tub  in  the  house ;  in  the  summer  I 
stand  it  out  doors,  but  it  has  never 
bloomed  yet.  There  are  thorns  upon 
it  over  an  inch  long.  Can  you  kindly 
tell  me  the  reason  it  has  never  blos- 
somed. Is  it  because  it  needs  grafting  ] 
I  never  noticed  whether  they  grafted 
their  young  Orange  Trees  south  or  not, 
but  it  seems  to  me,  if  I  remember 
right,  that  the  trees  there  would  be  in 
full  bearing  at  eight  years  old.  Please 
answer  in  your  usual  way,  through 
the  Horticulturist,  and  oblige. 
Yours  respectfully, 

T.  G.  Gaston. 

16  Inchbury-st.  South,  Hamilton,  Ont. 

Reply.  —  Yes,  it  needs  grafting. 
Seedling  Orange  Trees,  grown  as  they 
must  be  grown  in  our  climate,  are 
very  slow  in  coming  into  bearing. 

THE  CLEMATIS. 

I  find  we  have  the  Clematis  nicely 
classed  in  the  report  of  1883.  Now,  to 
make  it  more  complete,  will  you  name 
or  give  a  list  of  those  Clematis  that  are 
sweet-scented,  other  than  Flammula. 

Medora,  Muskoka.  T.  A.   H. 


56 


THE    CAN  APIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


REPORTS  ON  PLANTS  RECEIVED. 

The  little  Deutzia  is,  I  fear,  no  use 
here,  as  it  is  killed  to  the  ground  every 
winter.  The  Prentiss  Grape  looks  to 
me  a  poor  grower.  Fay's  Currants 
are  growing.  Black  Raspberries  all 
died  ;  they  arrived  all  dried  up  ;  none 
of  them  grew.  This  is  all  now,  Mr. 
Editor.  Wishing  you  a  prosperous 
New  Year. 
Muskoka.  T.  A.  H. 

My  Pear  Trees  have  all  done  well, 
except  Clairgeau.  I  like  Clapp's  Fa- 
vorite extremely  well.  My  apple  trees 
are  all  doing  well.  My  Grimes'  Golden 
Pippin  fruited  well,  fruit  best  quality, 
size  small,  slow  grower.  Ontario  had 
15  or  16  apples,  size  medium  or  large, 
flavor  good,  comes  in  bearing  early,  in 
three  or  four  years  after  planting. 
Swayzie  Pomrae  Grise  had  one  specimen 
last  summer;  looks  like  American 
Golden  Russet.  Grapes  have  not  done 
well  with  me.  Burnet  kills  down  to 
snow  mark  every  winter.  Moore's 
Early  is  not  a  strong  grower  in  my 
grounds.  My  Saunders'  Hybrid  Rasp- 
berry has  done  well,  hardy  and  good. 
I  have  a  Avild  one  growing  in  a  corner 
of  the  fence  on  a  50-acre  farm,  some 
80  or  90  rods  from  the  house,  similar 
in  every  particular  as  far  as  I  can  see, 
even  to  the  color  of  the  fruit.  My 
Hydrangea  paniculata  was  destroyed. 
My  Catalpa  has  done  well. 

Appin.  John  McIntyre. 

In  making  my  report  for  the  last 
season  of  the  things  sent  to  me  by  the 
Horticultural  Society,  I  would  mention 
first  the  Grapes,  the  Worden  and  Pren- 
tiss. They  grew  moderately,  but  have 
borne  no  fruit  yet.  The  Niagara  Rasp- 
berry froze  to  the  snow  last  winter,  so 
did  not  bear  much  fruit.  The  other 
fruits  I  have,  most  of  them  did  well. 
The  Raspberries  grew  strong.  The 
Mammoth  Cluster  Black  Cap  did  well. 


and  bore  a  good  crop  of  fruit.  The 
Gregg  was  frozen  down  to  the  snow 
last  winter,  and  did  very  poorly. 
Gooseberries  did  very  well,  and  bore  a 
good  crop.  The  Strawberries  were 
very  fruitful,  especially  the  Sliarpless. 
The  Bidwell  was  a  failure.  I  have  a 
number  of  other  kinds,  of  which  I  hope 
to  report  favourably  next  season 

Samuel  Fear. 
Brussels,  Jan.  6th,  1886. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  Horticultural 
family  I  will  report :  First,  the  Pren- 
tiss is  a  failure,  probably  my  own 
fault,  as  I  had  just  bought  my  place, 
very  much  out  of  repair,  and  in  my 
haste  to  get  small  fruit  growing  I  made 
several  mistakes.  The  Jessica  is  doing 
well.  I  hope  for  fruit  next  fall.  I 
have  also  planted  Brighton,  Moore's 
Early,  Early  Dawn,  Clinton,  Delaware, 
Roger's  3,  4,  15,  the  inevitable 
Champion  and  others,  besides  a  chance 
seedling  that  fruited  this  fall,  which  I 
am  suspicious  will  make  a  name  by  and 
by.  The  Fay's  Currants  are  doing 
well,  one  I  received  from  C.  A.  Green 
in  the  spring  of  '84  fruited  this  year. 
The  Catalpa  speciosa  is  fairly  started, 
22  inches  high,  strong  and  healthy. 
My  place  is  nicknamed  Hurricane 
Hill ;  it  gets  the  benefit  of  the  breezes 
from  all  directions,  and  the  wind  some- 
times twists  the  bushes  into  withes. 
The  Russian  Mulberry  wintered  with 
slight  injury,  while  my  one  Peach  tree 
was  frozen  to  death  before  Christmas. 
The  Cuthberts  came  through  perfect, 
but  I  can't  make  a  report  worth  a  cent 
until  I  get  more  growth.  I  am  trying 
to  get  a  complete  succession  of  small 
fruits,  from  strawberries  to  grapes. 
Truman  Cooper. 
Picton,  Prince  Edward  Co.,  Ont. 

The  Catalpa  set  out  last  spring  grew 
very  rapidly,  and  seems  to  be  doing 
nicely.     Wil]  it    require  any   pruning 


THE    CANADIAN    HOKTI0ULTDRI8T. 


57 


or  trimming,  and  what  is  the  proper 
time ;  also,  best  time  for  pruning 
grapes  1  J.   E.  R. 

[The  Catalpa  should  be  trained  to  a 
single  straight  stem  until  it  is  about 
six  feet  high,  and  then  allowed  to 
V)ranch  so  as  to  form  a  head. 

The  early  spring  is  the  best  time  to 
{•rune.  If  Grape  vines  are  laid  down 
and  covered  in  the  fall,  in  order  to  pro- 
tect them  with  some  covering  during 
winter,  it  will  be  preferable  to  i)rune 
in  the  fall  just  before  laying  the  vines 
down.] 

The  first  plant  that  I  received  was 
^loore's   Early   Grape,   which    made  a 
feeble   growth    and    then    died.       The 
next  season  I  got  the  Worden,  which 
had  some  fine  bunches  of  grapes  this 
season,  but   they    were   very  bad    for 
dropping  oflf  as  soon  as  ripe.     Is  that  a 
peculiarity  of  the  Worden  1     [No.]     I 
next  got  a  plant  of  the  Prentiss,  which 
has  made  a  fine  strong  growth  this  last 
season.     Last  spring  I  got  Fay's  Pro- 
lific   Currant,   and    it    has    done    very 
well.     So  much  for  the  premium  plants. 
I    grow    Concord,    Wilder,    Brighton, 
Agawam,    Pocklington,    Martha,    and 
some  Niagara  seedlings.     Of  the  Grape 
vines,  my  Wilder,  Agawam,  Concord, 
Worden,   Brighton,    and     Pocklington 
fruited  this  year,  and   I  thought  that 
the    Wilder,    Brighton,   Concord    and 
Worden  were  just  splendid.     I   liked 
them  best  in  the  order  named.    Another 
year's     experience     may     change    my 
opinion.     I  am  also  trying  the  Russian 
Mulberry  ;  it  has    been  planted   three 
years,  and  is  about  7  feet  high  ;   it  was 
about  as  thick  as  a  wheat  straw  when 
I  got  it,  and    root   and   all    about   14 
inches  long.     I  got  some  seed  of  the 
Catalpa  speciosa  last  spring  and  planted 
them  ;   they    seem    to    be    very    easily 
grown  ;  I  have  about  forty  of  them  ; 
some  of  them   grew   about   14  inches 


from  the  seed.  You  told  us  that  you 
would  like  to  hear  from  members, 
hence  this  scribble. 

William  Turnbull. 
Brewster,  P.O.,  Ont. 

I  received  last  year  the  Fay's  Cur- 
rant which  gre^V*  nicely,  but  of  course 
it  is  yet  too  early  to  say  anything  as  to 
final  results. 

Chatham.  J.   A.    Walker. 

The  Fay's  Currant  that  I  got  of  the 
Association  made  a  good  growth  the 
last  season,  and  I  think  that  it  will 
bear  this.  The  Grape  Yine  that  I 
received  the  season  before  has  not 
made  growth  of  wood  to  my  expecta- 
tion, but  was  alive  and  healthy  in  the 
fall.  With  careful  treatment  it  may 
do  well  yet.  I  am  well  pleased  with 
the  way  the  Journal  is  conducted,  and 
the  useful  information  it  contains. 
Paris,  Ont.        JoHN   R.   FOLSETTER. 

The  Prentiss  Grape  Yine  received 
in  the  spring  of  '84  has  done  very  well. 
It  is  not  so  rapid  a  grower  as  the 
Niagara.  Senasqua  is  no  good  here  ; 
giving  it  the  same  care  as  others,  it 
does  not  make  growth  sufficient  to  be 
classed  with  either  Eldorado,  Yergen- 
nes,  Martha,  Delaware,  Rogers  No.  15, 
Janesville,  Moore's  Early,  or  the  two 
first  mentioned.  I  have  one  tree  of 
Yellow  Transparent  Apple  planted  in 
the  spring  of  '84,  two  years  old  when 
planted  ;  it  stood  last  winter  without 
even  a  bud  being  injured  by  frost.  I 
don't  know  the  fruit,  but  if  it  is  as 
good  as  recommended,  I  would  con- 
sider it  the  best  early  apple  for  cold 
countries.  H.  C.  Reid. 

Enterprise,  Addington  Co. 

The  Prentiss  I  had  the  spring  before 
last  has  made  a  fair  growth,  and  is  in 
good    shape    for    fruiting    this    year. 


58 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Fay's  Currant  made  five  good  canes 
last  season,  and  I  am  waiting  to  see 
the  fruit.  E.  Robinson. 

London,  Middlesex  Oo. 

I  beg  to  state  that  we  are  situate  on 
high  and  cold  land.  The  Grape  Yine 
received  three  years  ago  did  not  thrive 
well,  and  last  winter  died.  The  three 
papers  of  flower  seeds  did  well,  and 
gave  entire  satisfaction.  The  Catalpa 
received  last  spring  is  growing  well  at 
present ;  if  it  stands  the  winter  will 
let  you  know.  Henry  Hudson. 

Feversham,  Grey  Co. 

I  only  wish  with  many  others  that 
the  Canadian  Horticulturist  should  be 
enlarged,  and  the  money  wasted  in 
furnishing  plants  and  trees  be  used  for 
that  purpose.  The  only  one  of  the 
articles  sent  me  is  a  small  Apple  Tree 
which  has  never  borne  fruit,  and  a 
bastard  Raspberry,  something  between 
a  Black  Cap  and  a  Red  Raspberry, 
which  yielded  very  little  bad  fruit,  but 
any  amount  of  canes,  which  I  have  dug 
up  and  burned.  I  certainly  think  a 
better  use  can  be  made  of  the  money 
than  squandering  it  in  that  way. 

Palermo.  H.   M.   SwiTZER. 

The  Fays'  Currant  Bush  received 
last  spring  has  made  a  strong,  healthy 
growth.  John  Kaar. 

Brownsville,  Norfolk  Co. 

Dear  Sir, — Although  I  have  been 
a  subscriber  to  the  Horticulturist  for 
several  years,  and  consider  it  an  excel- 
lent investment  for  any  Canadian  who 
has  a  garden,  no  matter  how  small,  I 
have  never  yet  reported  on  the  premium 
plants  received  from  you,  and  will, 
with  your  permission,  do  so  now. 

Saunder^s  Hybrid  Raspberry,  was,  I 
think,  the  first  thing  you  sent  me,  and 
I  have  often  wondered  that  I  read  so 
little  about  it,  as  I  have  found  it  an 


excellent  berry — quite  hardy,  prolific, 
and  of  good  size  and  flavor.  The  color 
may  be  an  objection  with  some,  but 
makes  a  pleasing  variety  when  mixed 
with  red  and  white  berries.  Season, 
middle  of  July  to  middle  of  August ; 
main  crop,  about  1st  August. 

Wealthy  Apple  has  done  so  well  in 
this  neighborhood,  that  I  set  out  20 
in  a  small  orchard  I  planted  in  the 
spring  of  1884,  about  twenty  miles, 
north  of  the  Ottawa  River.  They 
stood  last  winter,  which  was  a  very 
severe  one,  without  showing  any  signs 
of  tenderness,  and  I  consider  them 
hardier  than  the  Fameuse  and  rather 
a  better  keeper,  but  not  quite  equal  in 
flavor. 

Worden  Grape — Very  good  indeed, 
ripens  about  the  same  time  as  Creve- 
ling — is  a  strong  grower,  good  bearer, 
and  quite  hardy  here. 

Prentiss  Grape — Was  planted  spring 
of  18S4,  has  made  tremendous  growth 
during  last  summer,  and  will  bear  this 
year  I  expect. 

Canada  Baldwin — Planted  1884  ;  is 
doing  well  and  is  a  vigorous  grower, 
having  made  at  least  twice  the  pro- 
gress of  a  Russian  apple  (name  un- 
known), received  from  you  at  same 
time. 

Fay's  Currant — Planted  last  May  ; 
made  good  growth,  and  will  doubtless 
be  an  acquisition. 

I  have  also  had  from  you  a  very 
pretty  little  rose  tree,  which  bears  the 
smallest  white  roses  I  have  ever  seen. 
They  are  about  the  size  of  batchelor's 
buttons.  This,  of  course,  is  taken 
indoors  during  winter. 

My  soil  is  a  sandy  loam,  and  is 
liberally  manured  every  year.  The 
climate  is  not  so  severe  as  in  many 
places  to  south  and  west  of  here,  and 
as  we  usually  have  a  pretty  liberal 
covering  of  snow  for  the  three  or  four 
months  of  coldest  weather,  many  small 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


59 


fruits  escape  here  that  are  winter-killed 
in  other  localities.         E.  B.  Meyer. 
C6te  St.  Paul,  Que.,  Jan.  1886. 
BIGNONIA    RADICANS. 

I  notice  that  Mr.  S.  H.  Mackenzie 
lias  not  been  successful  with  Bignonia 
radicans. 

Our  treatment  of  it  here  is  to  lay 
down  the  canes  in  the  fall,  and  give 
them  a  slight  covering  of  earth  or 
straw,  the  same  as  we  do  with  grape 
vines.  Protected  in  this  way,  there  is 
no  trouble  in  getting  it  to  bloom  every 
year.  E.  B.  M. 


WHAT  THE  PEOPLE  SAY. 
CLEMATIS  CULTURE. 

BY   THE    HON.    MRS.    LAMBART. 

As  the  current  Horticultural  jour- 
nals of  our  day  contain  so  many 
enquiries  concerning  the  cultivation  of 
these  beautiful  climbers — enquiries 
that  remain  unanswered — I  am  tempted 
to  offer  a  few  suggestions  on  the  sub- 
ject, whicli  I  do  with  confidence  in 
their  correctness,  as  I  have  long  grown 
the  flower  extensively,  and  have  now 
in  successful  cultivation  more  than 
thirty  varieties  of  it. 

As  to  the  propagation,  I  have 
searched  in  vain  for  information  on 
*he  subject,  and    find    the    authorities 

Inously  silent.  True,  they  can  be 
iHised  from  seed — so  can  roses — and 
with  about  tlie  same  general  result, 
that  is  :  "a  perfect  lottery  what  the 
new  j)lant  will  be  "  ;  but,  to  propagate 
any  vanety  truly,  that  is  quite  another 
mattei-.  That  exhaustive  and  expen- 
sive work  by  Jackman  on  "  The 
Clematis  as  a  Garden  Flower "  says 
"  root  grafting,"  but  we  amateurs  will 
thank  him  with  little  enthusiasm  for 
directions  so  utterly  useless  in  any  but 
professional  hands.  Then  there  is 
"layering"  which  is  also  not  pmc- 
ticable  by  the  amateur,  and,  at  best,  is 
but  a  difficult  and  uncertain  operation. 


The  details  of  the  work,  and  the  a])- 
paratns  necessary  to  perform  the  })vo- 
pagation  by  layering,  are  described  and 
illustrated  by  Prof.  Clausen  of  the 
Imperial  School  at  Nikitr,  in  the  Cri- 
mea, in  the  "Revue  Horticole,"  and 
copied  into  the  April  number  of 
"Vick's  Magazine"  for  1882.  It  is 
too  formidable  an  undertaking  as  there 
described,  on  page  114,  for  me  ever  to 
have  attempted  it,  and  even  now  the 
length  of  the  useless  directions  deters 
me  even  from  copying  the  article. 
But,  if  the  enquirer  is  enthusiastic,  he 
can  easily  procure  the  details  of  the 
work  with  the  references  I  have  here 
given. 

As  to  the  cultivation  of  the  Clematis, 
the  first  and  imperative  requisite  is 
*'  plenty  of  sun  and  air."  Without 
both  of  these  it  is  utterly  im])Ossible  to 
have  any  successful  result.  The  earth 
must  be  dug  out  at  least  two  feet  deep, 
and  at  the  bottom  of  the  trench  six 
inches  of  drainage,  and  then  filled  in 
with  a  mixture  of  sand  and  loam,  but 
the  principal  component  must  be  old 
manure  from  a  cow  stable  ; — in  fact 
the  soil  in  which  the  Clematis  must  be 
grown  in  order  to  flourish  should  be 
just  what  an  Asparagus  bed  is  made 
of,  and  like  it,  must  be  heavily  top- 
dressed  with  old  manure  every  year, 
and  a  soft  and  spongy  consistency  of 
the  soil  be  maintained.  The  secret  of 
large  flowers  depends  uj>on  potash  in 
the  soil,  and  to  meet  this  want,  Jack- 
man,  the  great  English  Clematis  grower, 
has  prepared  a  manure  especially  for 
the  purpose,  but,  as  this  is  not  to  be 
had  in  this  country,  an  excellent  sub- 
stitute and  wonderful  results  are  ob- 
tained by  frequent  waterings  with  a 
weak  lye  made  of  wood  ashes.  It  is 
also  of  great  use  to  mix  powdered  lime 
or  chalk  with  the  soil  when  ])reparing 
the  Clematis  bed.  With  this  treat- 
ment I  have  had  an  unlimited  supply 
of  great  white  stars  from  the  10th  of 


60 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Jane  until  the  1st  of  November,  aver- 
aging 9  to  10  inches  in  diameter,  the 
consistency  of  wax,  the  tc^xture  of 
satin,  and  remaining  for  several  weeks 
in  bloom,  each  flower,  before  falling 
apart. 

In  the  autumn  the  Jackmaiii  and 
Viticella  varieties  should  be  cut  close 
to  the  ground — the  Lanuginosa  varieties 
left  9  inches  long,  and  the  perennial 
wooded  ones  not  pruned  at  all,  but 
carefully  taken  from  the  trellises,  laid 
on  the  ground,  and  covered  (in  this 
climate  of  Ottawa)  with  old  manure 
to  a  depth  of  at  least  12  inches.  In 
the  spring  this  covering  is  to  be  raked 
off,  and  the  long  wood  tied  to  the  trel- 
lises, where  it  soon  sends  out  young 
flowering  shoots  which  bloom  about 
the  10th  of  June,  and  are  followed 
shortly  after  by  the  other  varieties, 
which  send  up  their  blooming  shoots 
from  the  root  every  year,  rapidly  cover- 
ing space  with  foliage  and  flowers.  If 
the  colors  are  carefully  chosen,  a  per- 
fectly radiant  combination  of  colors 
may  be  had  from  June  until  frost. 

As  to  varieties,  I  would  advise 
several  white  ones,  for  although  all  are 
nearly  alike  in  appearance,  the  season 
of  flowering  is  different,  and  if  planted 
together  the  same  flower  seems  in  per- 
petual bloom.  The  same  is  true  of  the 
red  varieties — {not  including  the  Cle- 
matis coccinea,  which  does  not  har- 
monize with  the  others.)  My  favorite 
of  all  is  the  lovely  lavender-colored 
Mrs.  Bateman,  and  the  Blue  Gem  is 
almost  as  fine.  The  Rubella,  Yiticella, 
Rubra  Grandiflora,  and  Madam  Grange, 
are  of  a  fine  red  or  claret  color,  the 
Jackmani,  a  radiant  royal  purple,  but 
a  coarse  loose  flower  when  closely 
examined,  and  the  Velutina  purpurea, 
whicli  is  like  Jackmani,  except  that  it 
is  almost  black  and  of  a  very  velvety 
surface. 

If  these  suggestions  are  found  of  use 
I  will  add  a  few  more  before  the  plant- 


ing season  opens,  hoping  to  stimulate 
the  cultivation  of  what  is  so  perfectly 
within  the  possibilities  in  our  climate, 
and  capable  of  results  which  enrapture 
and  surprise  those  who  see  them  in 
their  beauty  and  profusion  for  the  first 
time. 

January  22nd,  1886. 

GIVE  US  YOUR  EXPERIENCE. 

{For  the  Canadian  Horticultxirist.) 

It  is  some  time  since  that  I,  partly 
in  deference  to  the  nod  of  the  chief  of 
the  Horticulturist's  staff,  and  partly  to 
gratify  the  chronic  caccethes  scrihendi, 
prepared  a  paper  on  the  "Advantages 
and  Art  of  Fall  Planting  of  Trees," 
&c.,  &c  In  the  order,  or  disorder,  of 
events  it  was  mislaid  and  could  not  be 
found  nor  leisure  had  to  prepare 
another,  the  author  not  being  blessed 
with  a  brain  as  fertile  as  that  Spanish 
prodigy.  Lope  de  Vega,  who  could 
write  a  five-act  play  of  Shakesperian 
power  before  breakfast.  So  the  public 
have  been  permitted  to  sleep  on  in 
their  accustomed  and  sinful  arboreal 
apathy.  Just  a  few  days  ago  the 
missing  "  copy "  was  found  together 
with  the  aforesaid  "  Nod  "  snugly  em- 
bowelled  in  its  folds,  like  precious  and 
embalming  spices.  But  no  antiseptic 
could  prevent  it  from  becoming  un- 
seasonable, a  sort  of  post  mortem  affair, 
for  the  Frost  King  had  long  since  in- 
vaded Flora's  domain,  striking  down 
first  the  lovliness  which  stood  nearest 
the  "picket  line"  between  autumn 
and  summer,  and  then  with  brumal 
din,  rush  and  clash  of  storm  and  tem- 
pest, swept  all  before  him.  "  But  the 
Nod.  What  became  of  the  Nod  ?"  O ! 
that  was  an  evergreen,  fresh  and 
flourishing,  and  as  potential  as  ever. 
The  Secretary  has  more  than  once  ex- 
plained that  the  trees  and  plants  dis- 
tributed among  its  members  were  so 
distributed  to  ascertain  their  hardiness, 
product! vness,   profitableness,  as  adju- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


61 


vants,  to  increase  the  comfort,  refine- 
ment, and  happiness  of  every  Canadian 
home.  In  this  sense  it  is  a  patriotic 
task,  but  though  patriotic  it  is  not  self- 
sacriticing,  for  it  is  discharging  a  debt 
')ntracted  by  accepting  the  gifts  on 
he  condition  of  publishing  the  experi- 
nce.  It  is  not  self-sacrificing  because 
it  is  one  of  those  labors  which  carry 
their  rewards  with  them.  Who  has 
not  felt  the  fascination  which  holds  the 
mind  in  delightful  captivity  as  it 
watches  the  development  of  the  useful 
and  beautiful  in  fruits  and  flowers  1  I 
for  one  cheerfully  obey  the  kindly  be- 
hest of  the  Association  to  report,  but 
firstly  beg  to  wedge  in  a  short  para- 
graph on 

REPORTING. 

The  Association  is  not  a  speculation, 
not  a  Credit  Mobillier,  an  institution 
of  hawks  to  capture  pigeons,  that  it 
invites  the  marvellous — the  report  ad- 
yiptandum  vulyus.  The  Fruit  Growers' 
Association  is  none  of  these,  but  a 
community  of  mutual  teachers  and 
learners.  It  therefore  wants  facts  in 
the  form  of  experiences,  most  of  all, 
plain,  broad-footed,  brawny-handed, 
and  proletarean,  if  you  like,  on  the 
one  hand  ;  on  the  other,  scientific,  but 
cautious  ;  aesthetic,  but  ever  rational, 
whilst  exploring  the  realm  of  the 
beautiful.  Again,  it  solicits  all  the 
facts  affecting  the  experiment ;  not  a 
one-sided  array  to  parade  a  pet  theory 
or  thing,  but  both  sides.  The  witness 
not  in  court  may  be  the  very  one  re- 
quired to  complete  the  chain  of  evi- 
dence. The  stereotyj:)ed  expression, 
"in  my  grounds"  such  a  grape  mil- 
dewed, or  such  a  pear  blighted, 
althougli  a  fact,  and  therefore  of  some 
value,  is  not  suflicient.  We  know, 
heoretically  and  practically,  that  differ- 
'uces  of  results  are  mainly  duo  to 
"lifferences  of  treatment,  climate,  soil, 
l>osition,  each  one  of  these  facts  adds 
to  the  value  of  the  other  in  a  cumula- 


tive ratio.  The  problem  cannot  be 
solved  except  by  the  use  of  all  the 
factors.  Yet  how  rarely  are  the  factors 
given.  A  simple  statement  of  success 
or  failure,  little  more.  One  gratifying 
excei)tion  to  this  will  be  found  in  the 
Horticulturist  for  December,  188-"), 
under  the  caption  "  Grapes—  a  Re- 
view." That  review  is  admirable  for 
the  fullness  of  data. 

Let  us  glance  at  a  few  of  the 
agencies  which  more  or  less  modify 
results  or  quite  baffle  our  eflforts  in 
plant  culture.  Climate,  which  may  be 
said  to  include  locality,  aspect,  altitude, 
protection,  air  draughts,  vicinity  to 
swamps  and  small  bodies  of  water.  A 
little  body  of  water  to  tender  plants 
is  what  Pope  says  a  defective  education 
is  to  the  mind.  **  A  little  learning  is 
a  dangerous  thing."  So  are  swamps 
and  small  bodies  of  water.  Here,  also, 
will  come  in  barometric  pressure,  per 
cent,  of  cloudiness,  sudden  extremes. 
These  in  summer,  more  especially, 
afi*ect  development  and  quality  of  fruit, 
in  autumn  the  ripening  of  the  sap,  and 
consequently  hardiness  of  the  plant  to 
withstand  the  winter. 

Then  again  the  soil  and  drainage, 
heavy  or  light,  close  or  porous,  argil- 
laceous, calcareous  or  arenaceous,  and 
so  on.  I  may  almost  say  ad  libiticm, 
ad  infinitum.  There  is  scarcely  a  plant 
known  to  horticulture  that  is  not 
partial  to  some  certain  soil  and  climatic 
conditions,  more  or  less  difiering  from 
the  wants  of  nearly  every  other  plant. 
There  is  scarcely  a  defect  or  difficulty 
hinted  at  above  that  may  not  be  sufli- 
ciently  mitigated  or  overcome  for  all 
practical  purposes  by  the  art  of  the 
skillful  cultivator.  The  facts  and  ex- 
periences which  create  that  skill  it  is 
the  object  of  the  Association  through 
its  reports  and  through  its  organ,  the 
Horticulturist,  to  place  in  the  posses- 
sion of  every  Canadian  who,  however 
luxuriously  he  may  hQ—recubans  sub 


62 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


tegmine  fagi — may  add  to  that  primi- 
tive pleasure  the  still  greater  one  of 
*'  sittinof  under  his  own  vine "  and 
apple  tree,  and  snuffing  the  fragrance 
of  his  own  flowers,  or  yet,  most  gratify- 
ing to  some  and  acceptable  to  all,  say 
with  lago  : 

"  Go  to,  put  money  in  thy  purse." 

Now  for  all  this  we  must  have  each 
other's  experiences.  The  Horticulturist 
can  give  generals,  but  the  particulars, 
the  peculiarities,  the  idiosyncracies  of 
plants  and  places,  can  be  obtained  in 
no  way  but  by  the  members  reporting 
carefully,  concisely,  and  fully. 

Milton,  Ont.  S.  P.  MORSE. 


THE  CURRANT  BORER. 

Is  there  nothing  that  can  be  done  to 
fight  the  Currant  Borer  1  Of  late  I 
have  been  training  my  red  currant 
bushes  on  a  plan  I  found  in  a  book  I 
brought  from  England  entitled  Mul- 
tum  in  Parvo  Gardening,  or  £620 
annual  profit  from  an  acre,  by  Samuel 
Wood.  His  system  was  to  get  upright 
rods  as  soon  as  possible,  then  top  them, 
and  the  laterals  that  grew  during  the 
summer  were  to  be  cut  back  in  the 
fall  to  one  or  two  eyes,  the  same  as 
many  adopt  with  their  grape  vines, 
and  he  (Mr.  Wood)  maintains  that 
this  is  the  right  pruning  for  the  red 
currant  and  that  they  will  bear  im- 
mense crops. 

On  this  plan  I  trained  my  bushes 
last  summer,  but  when  I  went  to  cut 
the  laterals  in  the  fall  I  found  the 
borer  had  made  three  and  four  holes 
in  many  of  the  rods,  and  as  the  only 
remedy,  even  in  Mr.  Saunders'  book  on 
insects,  is  to  cut  the  wood  away,  I 
did  cut  it  away  and  spoiled  all  my 
plans.  Two  bushes  of  Fay's  I  had  to 
cut  almost  to  the  ground. 

Now,  Mr.  Editor,  can  you  not  sug- 
gest a  i-emedy,  or  perhaps  some  of  your 
subscribers  may  have  a  remedy  which 


they  could  give  through  your  valuable 
Horticulturist. 

London,  South.  E.  RoBlNSON. 

Note  by  the  Editor. — Unfortu- 
nately we  have  never  heard  of  any 
other  remedy  than  that  of  cutting 
back  the  rods  of  the  currant  bushes 
far  enough  to  secure  the  worm,  or 
larva,  which  will  be  found  in  the  pith, 
and  burning  the  cuttings  and  thereby 
killing  the  larva  that  may  be  in  them. 
This  is  a  very  unsatisfactory  proceed- 
ing, and  makes  very  slow  headway 
against  the  enemy.  It  is  very  much 
like  burning  up  one's  currant  bushes 
in  order  to  get  rid  of  the  borer.  Can 
any  of  our  readers  give  us  something 
better  1  Has  any  one  tried  any  other 
method  ? 

GOOSEBERRIES. 

T  was  much  pleased  to  see  the  illus- 
tration of  the  "  Industry  "  gooseberry 
in  the  December  number.  This  is  a 
fruit  of  which  I  am  fond,  and  I  am 
fully  convinced  tiiat  if  it  received  that 
care  and  attention  which  it  merits,  it 
would  in  suitable  soil  prove  the  most 
profitable  of  our  small  fruits. 

I  have  cultivated  for  the  last  twelve 
years  the  following  EnoUsh  varieties, 
viz.  :  Whitesmith,  Ocean  Wave,  Red 
Warrington,  and  Crown  Bob.  They 
have  yielded  enormously,  and  have 
never  shown  the  slightest  signs  of  any 
mildew. 

Last  year  T  imported  twenty-two 
other  English  varieties,  which  I  intend 
testing,  and  will  select  such  as  are  suit- 
able and  give  satisfactory  results. 

My  garden  is  a  stitt'  clay,  rendered 
friable  by  coal  ashes  and  plenty  of  stable 
manure.  From  my  own  exi)erience  and 
that  of  others  who  have  cultivated  the 
English  sorts  in  this  neighborhood,  I 


THE   CANADIAN    H0ETICULTURI8T. 


63 


am  persuaded  there  is  little  fear  of  mil- 
dew on  a  clay  or  clay-loam  that  has 
l)een  well  drained,  provided  the  plants 
-r  bushes  are  kept  in  a  good  healthy, 
_a-owing  condition,  by  being  liberally 
mulched  with  manure,  and  that  care  is 
taken  in  digging  or  stirring  the  ground 
:i round  them  not  to  injure  the  roots. 
With  kindest  wishes  for  an  increased 
circulation  for  your  valuable  periodical. 

A.  Morton. 
Brampton,  16th  January,  1886. 


RASPBERRIES- BEST  MARKET 
VARIETIES. 

Souhegan  and  Tyler  are  now  the 
leading  early  Black  Caps.  They  are 
strong  growers,  and  probably  more  pro- 
ductive than  the  older  early  kinds. 

Next  comes  the  well  known  reliable 
Mammoth  Cluster  for  the  medium  sea- 
son. The  fruit  is  very  good,  though 
not  so  large  as  some  others. 

Last  and  largest  comes  the  Gregg. 
The  fruit  is  very  large,  firm  and  dry. 
As  a  fruit  cannot  well  be  firm  and  dry, 
and  at  the  same  time  melting  and  juicy, 
the  quality  of  the  Gregg  is  not  '*  best." 
It  fills  the  basket  and  the  can,  and  does 
not  shrink  much  in  drying.  So  long 
as  the  consumers  do  not  object  to  its 
quality,,  the  growers  need  not  do  so. 
Although  the  Gregg  is  a  strong  grower, 
it  forms  very  wetik  tip  plants,  many  of 
which  must  be  rejected.  Good  plants 
of  this  variety  cannot,  therefore,  be  pro- 
l)agated  as  cheaply  as  those  of  most 
other  Black  Caps.  The  fniit  of  the 
Gregg  adheres  to  the  stem  so  firmly 
that  the  whole  crop  can  be  gathered  in 
a  few  pickings.  Some  one  has  intimated 
that  the  Gregg  is  unsuited  to  a  sandy 
soil.  Upon  such  a  soil  I  grow  berries 
that  astonish  experienced  fruit  dealers. 
Many  persons  do  not  recognize  them  as 
Black  Caps. 

After  growing  many  varieties  of  red 
raspberries  by  the  acre  for  some  years, 
I   can  only  recommend  the  Cuthbert. 


I  have  an  acre  and  a  half  of  this  variety 
in  full  bearing.  I  never  lost  any  Cuth- 
berts  by  winter-killing,  but  a  portion 
of  my  patch  was  "  shortened  in  "  pretty 
severely  last  winter.  Enough  wood 
was  left  to  produce  a  full  crop  of  berries. 
The  Cuthbert  is  a  strong  grower  and 
transplants  remarkably  well.  It  pro- 
duces a  large  crop  of  large,  firm  fruit,  of 
a  good  flavor  and  good  color.  It  takes 
several  weeks  and  many  pickings  to 
gather  all  the  fruit.  It  extends  the 
raspberry  season,  and  for  ten  days  at 
the  end  has  no  competing  red  raspberry. 
An  early  raspberry  as  good  as  the  Cuth- 
bert is  called  for. 

The  Highland  Hardy  is  a  small 
grower  and  small  bearer  of  small,  soft 
fruit. 

The  Hansell  is  worse  in  nearly  all 
respects. 

The  Marlboro'  does  not  promise  very 
well  in  any  respect,  but  we  will  know 
it  better  after  another  year's  trial. 

The  Brandywine,  Turner,  Clarke, 
Philadelphia,  Herstine,  and  others,  are 
mid-season  berries. 

The  Brandywine  is  a  dwarf  grower, 
hardy,  and  produces  fair  crops  of  very 
bright,  medium  sized,  firm  fruit,  of  very 
poor  quality. 

The  Turner  is  a  fine  grower,  and  one 
of  the  hardiest  kinds.  It  gives  two 
pickings  of  nice  looking,  medium  sized, 
softish  fruit,  of  excellent  quality.  The 
later  pickings  give  softer  and  smaller 
fruit,  and  less  of  it. 

The  Clarke  gives  large,  bright,  soft 
fruit,  that  produces  prompt  spontane- 
ous jam.  Sometimes  the  canes  get  dis- 
couraged, and  die  just  when  the  fruit 
ought  to  ripen. 

The  Philadelphia  has  several  good 
points.  It  does  not  incline  to  sucker. 
It  yields  immense  crops  of  dark- colored 
fruit  of  good  flavor.  It  is  good  for 
canning  and  for  raspberry  vinegar, 
though  it  cannot  successfully  compete 
with  the  brighter  kinds  in  the  market. 


64 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


The  remarks  that  apply  to  the  Philadel- 
phia apply  to  the  Hybrids  also. 

For  home  use  the  Saunders  and 
Shaffer's  Colossal  ought  not  to  be  over- 
looked. 

The  Saunders  gives  a  very  rich  color 
to  vinegars  made  from  it. 

At  the  present  time  the  Gregg  black 
cap  and  Cuthbert  red  raspberries  stand 
head  and  shoulders  above  their  com- 
petitors. The  market  grower  who 
plants  mainly  these  two  varieties,  acts 
wisely  so  far  as  we  can  now  know  from 
the  experience  of  the  past.  Ideal  varie- 
ties very  much  better  than  these  exist 
in  many  human  heads.  When  they 
manifest  themselves  in  the  "fruit,"  let 
us  all  rejoice.  E.  Morden. 

-    Niagara  Falls,  South,  Ont. 

REPORT  ON  FRUIT  IN  LAMBTON 
COUNTY. 

{Continued  from  Page  Ul.) 

BY   B.    GOTT. 

THE    CHERRY. 

This  fine  old  fruit  also  is  becoming 
rather  shy  of  profitable  results  in  our 
conditions  and  management.  The  bet- 
ter sorts,  as  those  of  the  old  English 
and  other  foreign  kinds,  with  us  will 
always  be  scarce  and  in  poor  supply,  as 
there  is  a  growing  feeling  that  our 
country  is  not  suited  to  them  ;  and  this 
feeling  is  becoming  very  strongly  rooted 
in  this  county.  The  old  Red  Virginia 
or  Kentish  Red,  known  here  as  the 
old  Red  Sour  cherry,  is  the  only  one 
that  we  can  grow  with  anything  like  a 
decent  success ;  but  if  the  Black  Knot 
attacks  our  trees  as  it  does  in  some  other 
portions  of  the  Province,  then  we  are 
totally  done  as  to  cherries.  Plum  and 
pear  conditions  of  soil  and  climate  are 
not  suitable  conditions  for  cherries. 
They  need  a  something  that  is  not  found 
in  our  county,  and  consequently  they 
are  not  at  home  with  us.  The  markets 
and  prices  are  good,  if  we  could  only 
get  the  fruit.     The  birds  are  our  best 


consumers,  but  not  the  best  paying  cus- 
tomers. 

THE    QUINCE. 

This  fine  fruit  is  growing  in  popular- 
ity, and  there  is  now  a  demand  for  it 
in  our  markets  that  was  not  known  a 
few  years  ago.  T  believe  it  to  be  one 
of  those  fruits  the  demand  for  which 
will  very  largely  depend  upon  the  cul- 
ture and  fine  tastes  of  the  people.  I 
saw  some  very  fine  samples  brought 
into  the  market  this  year,  grown  on 
rather  damp,  loamy  soils,  where  they 
appear  to  do  well.  The  sort  cultivated 
is  mostly  the  Orange  Quince,  and  the 
prices  are  pretty  good,  but  not  suffi- 
ciently so  to  warrant  a  very  large  cul- 
ture. 

THE    PEACH. 

Owing  to  the  severity  of  our  past 
winter  our  crop  of  this  very  popular 
fruit  was  totally  destroyed.  Our  con- 
ditions on  the  whole  are  not  good  for 
the  producing  of  peaches,  although  we 
have,  in  years  past,  grown  some  large 
crops  of  very  fine  fruit.  But  it  is  not 
now  with  us  as  it  once  was,  and  as  in 
the  case  of  plums,  we  have  very  largely 
to  regale  ourselves  with  the  thought  of 
past  enjoyments.  For  the  last  four  or 
five  years  we  have  had  no  crop,  and 
our  people  in  their  faithlessness  refuse 
to  plant  any  more  trees.  Last  spring 
one  gentleman  recklessly  cut  down  a 
fine  promising  orchard  of  peach  trees  as 
cumberers  of  the  ground,  but  I  believe 
he  is  sorry  for  it  now.  Of  course  it  is 
discouraging  enough,  but  we  must  ever 
hope  for  the  best.  The  trees  have  done 
remarkably  well  this  year ;  the  growth 
made  and  the  fruit  buds  matured  are 
cheering,  and  well  calculated  to  stimu- 
late our  hope  for  next  year. 

GRAPES. 

This  crop  is  exceedingly  promising, 
and  is  rapidly  growing  in  popularity. 
The  plants  are  so  hardy,  so  easily  man- 
aged, grow  so  rapidly,  and  produce  so 
abundantly,  that  our  people  plant  them 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


65 


with    the   greatest   confidence.       Then 
.igain,  the  fruit  in  its  improved  forms 
Ls  one  that  everybody  likes,  from  the 
smallest  child  to  the  gray-haired  grand- 
father.    It  is  so  readily  made  up  by  the 
family   into  savory  dishes   that    every 
housewife  wants  a  supply,  be  it  ever  so 
small.     Almost  any  family  can  grow 
them  that  has  only  a  few  square  rods  of 
soil.     Our  conditions  over  this  county 
are  remarkably  favorable,  and  the  pro- 
duce, where  the  vines  are  properly  cared 
for,  is  very  great.     A  good  apple  region 
is  a  good  grape  region,  yet  grapes  will 
sometimes   do  well    in    regions    where 
apples   will  not.      There  are   but  few 
difficulties  in  growing  grapes,  but  few 
rots  or  mildews  but  what  are   easily 
controlled.     And  then  the  best  of  all 
is,  we  have  the  power  to  protect  the 
plant  and  the  crop  from  the  severities 
of  our  winter  seasons,  and  so  ensuring 
our  crop  of  fruit.     This  is  done  by  lay- 
ing down  on  the  ground  before  severe 
frost  sets  in,  and  although  people  are 
sometimes  afraid  of  this  trouble,  yet  it 
is  very  easily  done.     This  season's  crop 
has  been  very  large  and   remarkably 
fine;  almost  all   kinds  doing  well  all 
over  the    county.     The    most   popular 
variety  here  is  still  the  old  substantial 
Concord,  that  has  done  more  good  ser- 
vice for  us  in  this  country  than  any 
other   sort.      This   season    we   fruited 
Worden's  Seedling  and  Moore's  Early, 
though  not  much  difference  in  them, 
yet  they  are  both  very  desirable  sorts, 
and  should  be  largely  planted  for  their 
earliness,    being  about   ten   or   fifteen 
days  before    Concord    this  year.      On 
account  of  our  cold  and  backward  sea- 
son all  sorts  were  very  late  in  ripening, 
being  nearly  two  weeks  later  than  usual, 
but  still  in  due  time  they  ripened  up 
very  nice.     Lady  is  a  beautiful  grape, 
•nd  Jessica  is   also  promising,  but  in 
ir  opinion  the  Brighton  is  worthy  of 
^  cry   extended    culture   as    a    popular 
amateur  fruit.     The  vine  is  hardy  and 


very  prolific,  and  the  fruit  is  possessed 
of  so  many  fine  qualities  that  it  is.  diffi- 
cult to  surpass  it.  There  are  so  many 
excellent  kinds,  all  possessing  one  or 
more  good  points,  that  it  is  hard  to  say 
just  which  is  the  best.  Any  of  them 
are  good,  if  properly  attended  to,  and 
will  amply  repay  the  labor  and  pains 
spent  upon  them.  The  crop  being  so 
large  this  year  our  markets  were"  filled 
to  a  surfeit,  and  the  prices  in  conse- 
quence went  very  low,  but  still  on 
account  of  the  quantity  the  results  to 
the  growers  were  very  satisfactory,  and 
paid  as  well  as  any  other  fruit. 

RASPBERRIES. 

We  are  yet  scarcely  sensible  of  the 
extent  to  which  the  culture  of  this  fine 
fruit  may  be  carried.  The  fiine  new 
sorts,  almost  every  year  brought  out, 
serve  very  much  to  strengthen  the  in- 
dustry, until  it  is  no  uncommon  thing 
to  see  acres  of  them  in  continuous  cul- 
ture. The  ease  with  which  the  young 
plants  can  be  procured,  the  rapidity  of 
their  growth,  the  ease  of  cultivation, 
the  quantity  and  beauty  of  the  fruit, 
and  its  ready  reception  in  almost  any 
market,  all  tend  to  make  the  raspberry 
an  increasingly  popular  favorite  amongst 
all  classes.  Much  of  our  county  is  by 
nature  well  formed  for  extensive  and 
successful  growth  of  this  fruit.  Many 
acres  have  been  grown  in  an  unculti- 
vated state,  the  fruit  from  which  was 
very  beneficial  to  the  early  settlers,  and 
the  remembrances  of  these  gatherings 
is  yet  pleasing.  But  as  the  advancing 
farmer  approaches  these  ''patches,"  they 
immediately  disappear,  and  the  place 
thereof  is  taken  to  grow  other  crops  for 
other  uses.  So  we  have  to  rely  upon 
the  new  plantations  of  improved  kinds 
for  our  daily  supply.  These  are  planted 
out  in  the  spring  of  the  year  in  rows 
six  feet  apart,  and  the  plants  three  feet 
in  the  rows,  and  cultivated  as  for  corn, 
and  tlu^  crop,  when  in  good  bearing, 
will   run  about  2,000  to  3,000  quarts 


66 


THE   CANADIAN   HOBTICULTURIST. 


per  acre.  The  kinds  planted  are  vari- 
ous and  are  divided  by  color  of  fruit, 
as  reds,  blacks  and  whites ;  of  the  reds 
the  Turner  and  Cuthbert  are  the  best, 
and  are  very  popular.  Mammoth  Clus- 
ter is  best  of  the  blacks.  This  season 
the  crop  was  large  and  prices  ran  down 
pretty  low,  but  still  a  good  margin  was 
realized.  On  account  of  the  greatly 
increasing  quantities  used,  the  markets 
will  always  be  glad  to  receive  even  the 
largest  crops  at  very  fair  prices. 

STRAWBERRIES. 

Our  county  is  found  admirably  adapt- 
ed also  for  this  princely  fruit.  They 
are  raised  on  our  soils  in  greatest  pro- 
fusion, and  in  the  highest  style  of  size 
and  quality.  One  grower,  near  here, 
had  about  six  acres  and  16,000  quarts 
this  year.  His  crop  was  one  of  the 
finest  strawberry  sights  witnessed  in 
the  county,  and  realized  him  almost 
"a  fortune."  The  kinds  grown  are 
various,  all  apparently  doing  well;  but 
the  Manchester,  James  Yick  and  Daniel 
Boone,  are  decidedly  excellent,  and  in 
their  behavior  leave  nothing  further  to 
be  desired.  The  crop  this  year  was 
immense,  both  in  quantity  and  quality, 
and  although  it  was  very  late  before 
the  crop  came  in,  yet,  in  the  end,  gave 
the  gi'eatest  satisfaction  to  all  concerned. 

GOOSEBERRIES. 

Many  sorts  of  this  old  popular  fruit 
are  grown  and  with  very  large  success, 
although  this  year,  being  so  cool  and 
wet,  they  were  much  attacked  by  mil- 
dew and  rust.  The  crop  was  large  and 
tolerably  fine,  the  demand  in  the  mar- 
kets good  and  prices  fair.  The  kinds 
mostly  grown  are  Downing  and  Smith's 
Improved,  both  good  sorts. 

CURRANTS. 

This  old  and  jDopular  fruit  is  also 
grown  very  largely  in  all  its  variations 
of  red,  black  and  white.  A  better  and 
more  generous  culture  is  securing  much 


better  results  than  formerly,  and  more 
satisfaction  is  given.  Of  the  reds,  Raby 
Castle  and  Cherry  are  good.  Of  blacks, 
the  Naples  and  Lee's  Prolific  are  re- 
commended. Of  whites.  White  Dutch 
and  Grape  are  best,  and  all  find  a  ready 
market. 

BLACKBERRIES. 

The  growth  of  these  is  something 
amazing,  and  the  crops,  in  favorable 
seasons,  immense  and  beautiful.  It  is 
one  of  those  fruits  that  are  always 
acceptable,  and  of  which  we  can  never 
get  enough.  The  product  is  pretty 
good,  and  the  market  prices  excellent. 
Snyder  and  Kittatinny  are  best  sorts, 
and  give  the  best  returns. 

NUTS. 

The  native  nut  crop  this  year  is 
generally  very  large  over  the  county 
and  very  fine.  The  best  nuts  for  popu- 
lar use  are  the  Hickory,  Walnut,  and 
Butternut,  with  Chestnuts  and  Beech- 
nuts. 
Arkona  Nurseries. 


APPLES,    GRAPES,  AND    STRAW- 
BERRIES. 

We  had  a  good  crop  of  apples  the 
past  season  and  got  $1.25  per  barrel 
for  them.  Our  late  grapes  were  all 
frozen. 

I  see  there  has  been  some  discussion 
as  to  whether  the  strawberry  is  best 
grown  in  rows  or  hills.  I  used  to 
plant  them  in  rows  that  were  three 
feet  apart  and  the  plants  ten  or  twelve 
inches  apart  in  the  row,  and  when  the 
rows  got  too  wide  I  hoed  the  outsides 
of  them  and  in  this  way  I  have  had 
them  as  good  as  ever  for  nine  or  ten 
years. 

You  deserve  great  credit  for  the 
way  you  have  got  up  the  annual  re- 
port. Those  who  do  not  get  it  miss  a 
great  treat  for  the  savinc:  of  so  little 


money. 

Annan,  Co.  Grey. 


William  Brown. 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


67 


GOOSEBERRY  IMPROVEMENT. 


Sir, — A  good  article  by  B.  Gott,  of 
Arkona,  in  Rural  Canadian  moves  me 
to  send  to  the  organ  of  our  fruit 
growers  a  paper  on  the  same  subject. 

The  article  alluded  to  deals  with  the 
improved  American  gooseberries,  and 
siiys  that  no  good  results  have  followed 
crossing  with  the  English  sorts. 

Deep  rich  clay  loam  and  much 
trouble  and  care  are  needed  in  order  to 
secure  reasonably  long  life. 

I  think,  however,  that  our  few  and 
middling  garden  kinds  must  have  re- 
sulted from  crossing  the  native  with 
the  English,  but  that  the  mother 
selected  was  one  of  our  swamp  berries, 
of  low,  weak,  spreading  habit ;  fruit 
smooth  yet  deficient  in  flavor,  size,  and 
sweetness,  whereas  had  the  other  wild 
type  been  chosen  for  crossing  or  im- 
provement we  might  not  now  have 
had  to  complain  that  of  all  our  fruits 
the  gooseberry  is  the  poorest. 

The  taller  sort  of  wild  gooseberry  is 
very  frequently  prickly  •  or  even  spiny, 
but  is  sometimes  almost  or  quite 
smooth,  and  the  flavor  very  fine. 

Last  summer  I  found  a  bush  bear- 
ing smooth  good  sized  fruit,  sweeter 
imd  richer  than  any  English  kind  I 
have  met  with,  save  one  or  two. 

Were  our  best  tall -growing  upland 

itives  crossed  with  suitable  European 

>rts  we  might  expect  what  has  not 

ret  been   attained,   plants  adapted  to 

mr  climate,  fit  for  any  soil,  permanent, 

3eding  little  care  or  training,  averse 

mildew,  and  bearing  large  crops  of 

jh-flavored,  good-sized  fruit. 

From  your  remarks  in  Horticulturist 

am  pleased  to  know  that  Mr.  Demp- 
jy,    Mr.    Saunders,    and    others    are 

)ving  in  this  direction,  and  that  a 
>w  years  may  bring  about  a  great  re- 
)rm  in  the  fruit. 

Our  generally  rough  natives  are  so 

:cellent  for  preserves  that  long  ago  in 


the  United  States  the  fruit  was  named 
the  "  Jam  Berry,"  and  if  for  no  other 
reason  deserves  to  be  saved  from  the 
extinction  which  in  case  of  so  many 
wild  plants  follows  the  clearing  ofi"  of 
our  woods. 

As  an  instance  of  the  permanence 
and  reliability  of  our  upright  growing 
natives,  I  may  state  that  when  the 
country  was  new,  after  trying  many 
English  kinds  and  throwing  them 
away,  I  got  into  the  practice  continued 
fitfully  till  the  present  time,  of  mark- 
ing the  better  specimens  in  harvest 
and  lifting  them  in  the  fall,  by  which 
means  I  obtained  in  a  couple  of  seasons 
a  large  plot  of  bushes  four  feet  apart. 

Without  any  care  most  have  borne 
fruit  for  more  than  25  years,  and  some 
plants  are  6  to  8  feet  high,  so  that  one 
can  place  a  chair  under  and  sit  to 
pluck  or  eat  the  fruit. 

The  native  gooseberries  are  not 
absolutely  free  from  mildew,  though  it 
is  the  exception,  and  not  the  rule  as  is 
the  case  with  the  English  sorts  in 
most  situations. 

Cuttings  strike  with  much  dijficulty, 
but  layers  take  readily  and  soon  make 
fine  roots ;  transplanting  in  the  fall 
never  fails.  They  are  continued  by  a 
natural  system  of  renewal.  Almost 
every  year  tall  straight  twigs  grow 
from  the  crown  of  the  root,  and  in  the 
next  season  these  form  side  branches, 
which  next  year  and  for  several  years 
bear  fruit.  Pruning  merely  consists 
in  reducing  the  number  of  these  young 
stems,  and  in  removing  old  ones  occa- 
sionally. 

The  varieties  are  innumerable,  as 
each  district  has  its  peculiar  sorts  : — 
Small,  large,  rough,  smooth,  sour, 
sweet,  green,  red,  in  various  shades, 
rusty,  purple,  almost  black,  shining  or 
with  a  bloom. 

While  doing  well  under  cultivation, 
there  is  little  or  no  improvement  in 
size   or  quality  of  fruit  thereby,   and 


68 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


from  seed  of  the  largest  and  best  I 
have  never  obtained  offspring  worthy 
of  the  parents. 

Crossing  and  hybridizing  might  give 
better  results.  J.  Cuppage. 

CRAB  APPLES. 

Mr.  EditgRj-^TMs  last  two  years 
past  you  have  been  silent  on  our  some- 
what despised  Grab  Apple.  Have  you 
no  plea  for  them.  They  are  among 
apples  our  truest  friends  here  in  the 
cold  north.  Can  you  not  name  five 
or  six  good  dessert  kinds,  and  good 
keepers.  I  feel  that  we  are  losing 
time  to  neglect  those  valuable  fruits. 
Why  not  improve  those  that  do  so  well 
in  the  north,  for,  at  most,  all  I  know 
of  the  Russians  they  are  not  of  first 
quality  and  not  good  keepers  %  Now, 
Mr.  Editor,  are  they  too  mean  a  fruit 
for  your  notice  ;  have  you  nothing  in 
their  favour  1  They  have  proved  the 
hardiest  apples  we  have  ;  though  hardy, 
they  want  care  and  looking  after.  I 
find  all  over  the  borers  are  at  work, 
and  many  wonder  they  die.  I  have 
dressed  my  trees  as  per  receipt  in  the 
July  number,  1885,  and  believe  it  will 
answer  admirably  if  done  once  or  twice 
each  year.  For  grafting,  I  find  it 
advisable  to  take  the  cuttings  off  in 
the  fall  and  partly  bury  them,  because 
they  are  often  so  badly  hurt  by  our 
severe  winters  as  to  be  doubtful  to 
grow  when  grafted,  if  cut  in  the 
spring.  I  find  this  so,  even  with  the 
Duchess  of  Oldenburg  ;  last  year  I  find 
it  is  with  me,  as  it  was  with  J.  P.  Wil- 
liams, in  July  number,  1885.  It  will 
not  grow  well  when  top-grafted  ;  in  fact, 
I  could  never  make  a  tree  of  the 
Duchess  when  top-grafted.  Now,  dear 
sir,  is  it  the  same  with  all  the  Rus- 
sians *?  Will  the  Yellow  Transparent 
do  well  when  top-grafted  %  Can  you 
tell  me  this,  as  I  do  not  wish  to  lose  or 
waste  time  % 

Muskoka.  T.   A.   H. 


SOME  NEW  BERRIES. 

(For  the  Canadian  Horticulturist.) 

Dear  Mr.  Editor, — With  your  per- 
mission I  would  give  the  readers  of 
your  excellent  monthly  a  notice  of 
some  of  the  new  fruits  that  will  be 
eagerly  sought  for  by  some  and  made 
little  of  by  others  this  coming  spring. 
As  your  are  aware,  sir,  the  strawberry 
is  my  favorite  of  the  small  fruits. 
Hence  it  will  be  the  first  I  notice. 

The  Jewell.  It  has  been  before  the 
public  for  some  time  and  the  only  one 
that  has  been  sent  out  for  testing  in 
different  localities,  and  has  given  satis- 
faction wherever  sent.  No  lover  of 
the  strawberry  need  be  afraid  to  in- 
vest in  a  few  dozen  at  the  price  asked 
for  it.  This  variety  is  from  Connecti- 
cut. 

It  is  reported  of  the  Jewell  that  from 
l-22d  of  an  acre  687  quarts  of  berries 
were  picked  besides  what  was  picked 
by  visitors.  It  is  supposed  it  would 
yield  500  bushels  per  acre. 

It  is  an  old  saying,  sir,  "  when  it 
rains  it  pours." 

2nd.  The  Belmont.  Origin  Massa- 
chusetts. This  variety,  unlike  the 
former,  has  come  like  the  lightning 
flash,  unannounced,  and  fruitmen  are 
led  to  ask  when  will  this  production  of 
new  fruits  end. 

The  following  notice  of  the  Belmont 
I  had  from  the  introducer.  He  says 
as  a  cropper  we  cannot  say  too  much 
in  its  favor.  From  scarcely  a  quarter 
of  an  acre  we  realized  the  net  sum  of 
$596  or  $2,384  per  acre.  What  does 
my  friend  of  Lakefield  think  of  that, 
for  I  presume  neither  of  these  men 
followed  the  slip-shod  plan  of  growing 
the  strawberry. 

Then,  sir,  the  next  wonder  comes 
from  Illinois.  ButacKs  No.  5.  This 
is  only  $5  per  dozen,  and  if  all  that  is 
said  about  this  "  wonderful  "  (may  be 
it  is  the  "  Big  Bob  ")  berry  is  only  half 
true,   nothing  I  have  yet  grown  can 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTI0ULTUBI8T. 


69 


compare  with  it  for  size,  earliness,  and 
fruitfulness.  I  have  grown  almost 
every  variety  introduced  since  1872. 

There  are  two  other  varieties  that  I 
have  gi'own,  namely,  May-King  and 
Ontario.  May-King  is  early  and  On- 
tario medium.  I  am  satisfied  whoever 
gives  them  a  fair  trial  will  not  regret 
the  outlay. 

The  next  wonder  is  in  the  raspberry 
line.  It  is  the  Earhart  Everbearer, 
black.  This  also  comes  from  Illinois. 
Well,  Mr.  Editor,  I  am  dull  in  appre- 
hending when  the  third  season  of 
bearing  of  the  Earhart  begins. 

The  first  two  I  can  understand,  and 
knowing  that  you  can  see  into  these 
mysteries  better  than  most  men,  would 
you  please  tell  when  the  third  term  of 
ripening  the  berry  begins  and  ends. 
In  the  fall  of  1885  we  had  quite  a 
supply  from  the  young  canes  of  ShaflTers 
till  October. 

The  next  great  novelty  is  a  black- 
berry that  has  been  through  a  gradation 
of  names  such  as  "  Topsy,"  "  Uncle 
Tom,"  now  "  Erie."  The  stock  amounts 
to  6,000  plants  ;  it  has  got  into  the 
hands  of  ten  men  who  have  each  a 
share  at  $500  a  share.  These  are  all 
prominent  fruitmen,  and  know  how  to 
handle  the  business. 

My  brother  fruitmen,  please  go  slow 
on  these  two  novelties  till  you  know 
more  about  them.  J,  L. 

Granton,  Jan.  26th.  1885. 


GOOSEBERRIES. 

Gooseberries  are  a  very  profitable 
crop  to  grow  for  market.  They  suc- 
ceed best  on  a  good  strong  loam,  and 
will  well  repay  good  cultivation. 

Unlike  other  small  fruits,  they  are 
ready  to  gather  for  market  as  soon  as 
they  have  nearly  got  their  growth  and 
continue  to  get  better  until  they  are 
fully  ripe,  thus  giving  several  weeks 
in  which  to  gather  and  market  the 
crop. 


The  usual  custom  is  to  use  them  be- 
fore they  are  ri})e  for  canning  purposes, 
and  comparatively  few  ladies  have  ever 
tried  them  when  fully  ripe  for  that 
purpose. 

To  my  taste  there  is  just  as  much 
difference  between  ripe  and  unripe 
gooseberries  as  there  is  between  ripe 
and  unripe  peaches. 

By  using  the  light  colored  varieties 
such  as  Smith's  imp.  and  Downing 
when  fully  ripe  with  white  sugar,  they 
will  make  a  very  light  green  colored 
fruit,  which  looks  very  nice  either  in 
the  cans  or  on  the  table,  the  juice 
all  forms  into  a  jelly,  and  makes  one  of 
the  finest  canned  fruits  we  have. 

VARIETIES. 

English  varieties  are  very  subject  to 
mildew. 

White  Smith  is  the  best  I  have  seen 
among  those  well  tested  in  this  country. 
While  the  bushes  are  young,  (if  plant- 
ed on  clay  loam  and  given  good  culti- 
vation) they  are  quite  free  from  mil- 
dew. The  fruit  is  very  large,  of  a 
greenish  white  color,  good  quality, 
very  productive,  and  a  good  strong 
grower. 

Crown  Boh  is  a  poor  grower  with 
me,  fruit  very  large  dark  red,  quite 
hairy,  of  good  quality. 

Industry.  The  fruit  is  quite  similar 
to  Crown  Bob  in  appearance,  but  a 
little  larger,  and  the  bush  is  a  good 
strong  grower  and  productive,  but  like 
all  other  English  gooseberries  it  will 
mildew  in  many  places,  although  it  is 
much  less  liable  to  mildew  than  Crown 
Bob,  and  many  other  English  varieties. 

American  Gooseberries  are  what  wc 
will  have  to  look  to  for  our  standard 
market  sorts. 

Smithes  Improved  is  the  best  and 
most  profitable  of  any  that  I  have 
seen,  it  is  large,  light  green,  good 
quality,  hardy,  a  strong  grower,  and 
very  productive. 

The  only  fault  I  have  seen  with  it  is 


70 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


that  it  will  crack  if  left  to  get  a  little 
over  ripe. 

All  things  considered,  I  believe  it 
to  be  the  most  valuable  gooseberry 
that  has  been  fully  tested,  for  this 
country,  either  for  home  use  or  market. 

Downing,  fruit  large  very  good, 
light  green,  a  strong  grower,  not  as 
productive  as  Smith's  Improved,  nor 
as  hardy,  mildews  with  me  on  sandy 
loam,  but  not  on  clay  loam.  Not  easy 
to  propagate  from  cuttings,  requires  to 
be  layered. 

Houghton  has  been  more  largely 
grown  than  all  other  varieties  ;  it  is 
small,  red,  very  productive,  and  when 
grown  on  young  healthy  bushes,  on 
good  strong  soil,  and  good  cultivation, 
it  is  of  quite  good  size. 

It  is  so  hardy  and  productive  that  it 
is  still  a  very  valuable  sort  for  market. 

W.  W.  HlLBORN. 
Arkona,  Jan.  30th,  1886. 


WINTERKILLING  OF  THE  ROOT. 

Mr.  Editor, — Allow  me  to  add 
something  to  the  practical  and  sound 
advice  of  our  old  and  esteemed  friend, 
Mr.  A.  M.  Smith,  of  St.  Catharines, 
given  in  November  number  of  the 
Horticulturist,  on  the  subject  of  pre- 
vention of  root  killing  of  fruit  trees  and 
vines  by  exposure  to  extreme  cold  dur- 
ing winter.  It  appears  to  me  that  if 
Mr.  Smith  had  first  explained  the  rea- 
son of  the  injury  more  definitely  before 
giving  the  preventive,  his  already  able 
article  would  have  been  still  more  effec- 
tive in  moving  our  fruit  growers  to 
action  in  making  use  of  his  advice  in 
the  matter.  In  our  experience  and 
observation  in  the  matter  of  grape  root 
killing,  we  have  noticed  that  those 
varieties,  the  roots  of  which  are  most 
fleshy  and  less  fibrous  and  wiry,  are 
more  susceptible  to  injury  in  cases  of 
exposure  to  sudden  freezing  and  thaw- 
ing, from  the  very  fact  that  the  cell 
structure  is  more  easily  bix)ken.     Just 


as  we  find  the  potato  more  easily  des- 
troyed than  the  apple  by  freezing  and 
thawing  on  account  of  the  lack  of  tissue 
or  fibre  in  its  cell  structure,  so  we  find 
some  varieties  of  fruits  of  all  kinds 
more  subject  to  injury  from  the  above 
mentioned  cause  than  others  on  account 
of  the  difference  in  the  cell  structure  of 
the  root.  Of  course  the  varied  condi- 
tions and  situations  and  exposure,  all 
go  to  give  different  results  and  degrees 
of  damage.  For  instance,  in  grapes  we 
find  the  Niagara  root  very  fleshy  and 
with  very  little  fibre,  so  much  so  that 
when  we  were  ploughing  to  our  vines 
last  fall  great  bundles  of  Niagara  roots 
would  gather  on  the  plough  coulter, 
and  when  taken  and  bent  between  the 
fingers  would  snap  off  in  pieces  half 
inch  in  length  without  any  sign  of  fibre, 
while  some  other  varieties  with  tougher 
and  more  wiry  roots  could  scarce  be 
broken  at  all.  Now  it  is  quite  gener- 
ally known  that  when  apples,  potatoes, 
or  any  other  vegetable  with  such  lack 
of  tissue  or  fibre  are  frozen,  that  if  the 
process  of  such  freezing  and  thawing  is 
allowed  to  occur  rapidly,  then  the  cell 
structure  is  sure  to  be  much  worse  in- 
jured than  if  allowed  to  freeze  and  thaw 
more  slowly.  If  this  be  true  theory, 
then  our  friend's  advice  is  just  the 
remedy,  or  rather  preventive,  of  the 
injury  such  roots  are  subject  to.  And 
according  to  the  old  adage,  an  ounce  of 
prevention  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure. 
So  fruit  growers  generally  will  find  it 
much  to  their  advantage  to  protect  such 
iJender  rooted  varieties  by  covering  the 
roots  to  a  distance  of  two  or  three  feet 
around  the  base  or  trunk  of  such  trees 
or  vines  with  coarse  manure,  or  by 
sowing  rye  thickly  about  the  first  of 
September,  after  first  ploughing  to  them 
(as  our  friend,  Mr.  Smith,  has  advised), 
and  thus  prevent  injury  by  retarding 
the  process  of  freezing  and  thawing. 
For  if  the  cell  structure  once  becomes 
broken,   then  the  passage  of  the  sap 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


71 


must  be  obstructed,  and  consequently 
the  vine  must  die.  In  case  of  such 
winters  as  the  present  one  with  us  with 
little  or  no  snow,  and  more  or  less  sud- 
den and  severe  freezing,  and  just  as 
rapid  thaws,  any  trees,  wind-breaks  or 
obstructions  to  prevent  snow  from 
blowing  off  are  of  little  account,  and 
we  must  resort  to  covering  our  vines, 
or  be  in  danger  of  losing  many  of  our 
choice  varieties.  And  at  the  same 
time  we  find  by  experience  on  all  heavy 
lands  other  advantages  from  such  cover- 
ing, such  as  in  the  case  of  rye,  as  spoken 
of  above,  when  ploughed  under  in  the 
spring  tends  to  keep  the  soil  in  an  open 
and  porous  condition,  as  well  as  to  add 
its  fertilizing  properties  as  a  manure  to 
the  soil.  It  also  tends  to  keep  the  ripe 
fruit,  es[)ecially  grapes,  from  becoming 
dashed  with  mud  in  case  of  heavy 
sJiowers  in  the  fall.  And  when  manure 
is  used  it  also  gives  the  two  first  advan- 
tages as  the  rye,  and  helps  to  lessen  the 
work  of  the  first  digging  or  hoeing  in 
the  spring  by  keeping  the  soil  from 
baking.  Deep  planting  is  also  another 
remedy  for  grape  root  freezing,  where  it 
can  be  done  without  being  subject  to 
standing  water  in  the  soil.  And,  of 
course,  no  tree  or  vine  can  be  expected 
to  live  and  prosper  in  wet  soil.  If  you 
til  ink  the  above  of  any  use  to  your 
ic^aders,  use  it,  and  if  not,  let  the  waste 
l)asket  take  it. 

I  am,  yours  respectfully, 

J.    TWEDDLE. 
Stoney  Creek,  Ont.,  Jan.  18,  1886. 


GOOSEBERRIES. 

Dear  Sir, — When  I  purchased  the 
property  on  which  I  now  reside  I  found 
'|uite  a  number  of  what  is  known  as 
I'iUglish  gooseberry  bushes.  I  also 
found  I  could  get  no  fruit  off  them  ; 
Miildew  tliey  would  in  spite  of  sulphur, 
ilted  hay,  etc.  So  two  years  ago  I 
iimipfMl   :il)out  a  bushel  of  ashes  from 


the  coal  stove  around  one  of  said 
bushes  and  was  rewarded  with  a  full 
crop  of  fine  berries  from  it.  Last 
winter  I  served  half  a  dozen  more 
bushes  the  same  with  like  results,  and 
this  winter  shall  continue  the  practice. 

GLADIOLUS. 

A  few  years  since  I  procured  half  a 
dozen  of  the  more  costly  and  finer 
kinds  of  Gladiolus,  such  as  Africana, 
B.  B.  Coutts,  Cameleon,  etc.,  but  they 
would  not  increase  as  the  more  com- 
mon sorts,  and  after  three  years  plant- 
ing I  just  had  the  same  quantity  I 
commenced  with.  So  last  spring  I 
cut  them  in  two,  with  an  eye  in  each 
half.  I  found  they  bloomed  just  as 
strong  and  I  doubled  my  stock. 

I  have  the  best  success  with  the  fol- 
lowing mode  of  culture.  I  may  say 
that  my  soil  is  sandy  with  gravel  sub- 
soil so  that  it  is  perfectly  self-draining. 
First,  I  prepare  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
compost,  fully  one-half  well  rotted 
manure,  then  dig  a  bed  of  required 
size  to  accommodate  what  bulbs  I 
have,  a  foot  deep,  filling  the  same  8 
inches  with  the  compost  and  press 
moderately  firm,  then  set  the  bulbs  on 
top  of  the  filling  about  6  inches  apart, 
then  cover  the  bulbs  with  3  inches  of 
pure,  clean  sand,  and  fill  the  remaining 
inch  with  some  of  the  top  soil  dug  out, 
scatter  the  balance  over  the  garden. 
I  have  raised  bulbs  5  inches  in  diame- 
ter perfectly  free  and  clear  of  blotches, 
scabs,  etc.,  with  bloom  to  correspond. 
I  am,  yours,  J-   S. 

St.  Thomas,  Jan.  1886. 


BURNET  GRAPE— CORRECTION. 

In  the  account  given  liy  me  of  giapes 
grown  in  Muskoka,  in  January  num- 
ber, 1886,  i)age  9,  I  gave  the  wrong 
name  to  the  vine  received  from  the 
Fruit  (Growers'  Association,  it  should 
have  read    Burnet^  not   Moore's  Earlv, 

F.    W.    COATE.  ' 


72- 


THE   CANADIAN   HOETI0FLTURI8T. 


BOOKS,  &c. 

Schedule  of  Prizes  offered  by  the 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society  for 
the  year  1886  ;  competition  open  to  all. 
Robert  Manning,  Sec,  Boston,  Mass. 

Illustrated  Catalogue  of  the  Joseph 
Harris  Seed  Company,  Moreton  Farm, 
Rochester,  N.Y.  1886.  Flower  and 
vegetable  seeds  sent  prepaid  by  mail. 

The  Canadian  Breeder  and  Agricul- 
tural Review  is  published  weekly  in  the 
stock  and  farming  interests  of  Canada, 
corner  Church  and  Front  Streets, 
Toronto,  at  $2.00  a  year. 

Nellis'  Floral  and  Garden  Instructor, 
1886,  a  descriptive  catalogue  of  vege- 
table and  flower  seeds  for  sale  by  the 
A.  C.  Nellis  Company,  Canajoharie, 
N.Y.,  profusely  illustrated. 

J.  A.  Simmers'  Seed  Catalogue  and 
Cultivators'  Guide,  1886,  Toronto,  147 
King  Street  East,  is  very  abundantly 
illustrated,  containing  also  a  select  list 
of  grape  vines,  roses,  gladiolus,  dahlias, 
etc. 

I'he  Canadian  Science  Monthly,  de- 
voted to  the  interests  of  Canadian  Nat- 
uralists, and  the  popular  study  of  the 
natural  sciences,  is  published  by  A.  J. 
Pines,  Kentville,  Nova  Scotia,  at  50 
cents  a  year. 

Peter  Henderson  d:  Co's  Manual  of 
Everything  for  the  Garden,  1886.  A 
handsomely  illustrated  descriptive  list 
of  flower  and  vegetable  seeds,  garden 
and  farm  implements  and  flowering 
plants.  Nos.  35  and  37  Cortlandt 
Street,  New  York. 

Descriptive  Catalogue  and  price  list  of 
Sibley's  tested  seeds,  1886,  Hiram  Sib- 
ley &  Co.  179-183  East  Main  Street, 
Rochester,  N.Y.,  and  12-U  North 
Clark  St.  Chicago,  Illinois.  Contains 
also  a  list  of  Summer  flowering  bulbs, 
plants,  roses,  small  fruits,  implements, 
etc. 


W.  W.  Hilborn's  Catalogue  of  small 
fruits  for  spring  of  1886,  Arkona,  Ont. 
An  unusually  liberal  offer  ot*  new  and 
choice  grape-vines,  raspberries,  currants 
and  strawberries,  together  with  the 
Canadian  Horticulturist  for  a  year, 
will  be  found  on  the  fifteenth  page  of 
this  catalogue. 

Third  Annual  Report  of  the  Board  of 
Control  of  the  New  York  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station.  This  report  is  full 
of  interesting  results  of  experiments  in 
feeding,  in  the  germination  of  com- 
mercial seeds,  nomenclature  of  garden 
vegetables,  classification  of  peas,  testing 
varieties  of  potatoe,  etc.  etc. 

Report  of  the  Entomologist,  James 
Fletcher,  Esq.,  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture, Ottawa,  Ont.  Mr.  Fletcher  will 
be  gratified  to  receive  communications 
from  all  parts  of  the  Dominion  in  ref- 
erence to  insects  injuring  crops  of  any 
description,  also  small  packets  of  insects 
for  identification,  which  may  be  sent 
postage  free  if  addressed  to  the  Ent- 
omologist of  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture, Ottawa. 

The  Horticvltural  Art  Journal,  pub- 
lished by  Mensing  and  Steelier,  Roches- 
ter, N.Y.  every  month,  at  $3.00  per 
year,  is  devoted  to  disseminating  a  cor- 
rect and  faithful  representation  by 
means  of  colored  lithograph  plates, 
made  from  nature  by  skilful  artists,  of 
new  and  meritorious  productions  of  the 
nursery,  seed  garden  and  green-house. 
Each  number  will  contain  four  colored 
plates,  accompanied  by  a  careful  des- 
cription of  the  appearance,  merits  and 
qualities  of  each  subject.  We  trust 
this  new  venture  will  meet  with  the 
support  which  such  an  art  journal  most 
richly  deserves.  The  first  number 
contains  very  beautifully  executed 
plates  of  Marshall  P.  Wilder  Rose, 
Shipper's  Pride  Plum,  Rancocas  Rasp- 
berry, and  Niagara  Grape. 


PRINTED  AT  THK  STEAM  PRKSS  BSTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  COPP,   CLARK   COMPANY  (LIMITED),  TORONTO. 


m^ 


Shipper's    Pride. 

A  plum  of  large  size,  handsome  appearance;  Tree  hardy,  healthy  and  productive- 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


APRIL,  1886. 


[No.  4. 


THE   SHIPPER'S   PRIDE. 

give  our  readers  an  idea  of  the  climate 
in  which  it  originated  and  the  degree 
of  cold  which  it  has  there  endured. 

The  original  tree  is  said  never  to 
have  failed  to  yield  a  good  crop  since  it 
began  to  bear,  while  in  some  seasons 
the  crop  has  been  so  heavy  that  it  be- 
came necessary  to  prop  up  the  branches 
to  prevent  them  from  breaking  down 
beneath  the  load  of  fruit. 

The  plums  are  described  as  being  of 
large  size,  it  being  by  no  means  un- 
common to  gather  specimens  measur- 
ing two  inches  in  diameter  each  way, 
they  being  very  nearly  round.  In 
color  they  are  of  a  very  handsome  dark 
purple,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to 
the  colored  plate,  for  which  we  are  in- 
debted to  the  politeness  of  Mr.  Ander- 
son. The  flesh  adheres  pai-tially  to 
the  stone,  is  Arm  in  texture,  yet  juicy, 
sweet  and  of  good  flavor.  The  fruit 
keeps  well,  is  an  unusually  good 
shipper,  whence  the  name,  and  is  in 
season  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of 
September. 

The  Rural  New  Yorker  says  of  it 
that  it  is  "  a  large,  dark  purple,  oval 
plum,  fine,  juicy  and  sweet."  The 
Gardner's  Monthly  says,  "  a  large, 
round,  dark  purple  plum,  of  excellent 


We  call  the  attention  of  our  readers 
to  tliis  new  plum,  because  from  what 
we  can  learn  concerning  its  claims  to 
the  attention  of  fruit  growers,  it  seems 
to  be  remarkably  suited  to  the  needs  of 
those  who  are  growing  plums  for  mar- 
ket. We  are  informed  by  Mr.  H.  S. 
Anderson,  of  Union  Springs,  N.Y.,  a 
gentleman  in  whose  statements  we 
place  the  utmost  confidence,  that  it 
combines  beauty  of  appearance,  large 
size,  good  flavor,  sufficient  firmness  to 
bear  transportation  well,  and  long- 
keeping  qualities,  with  great  j)roduc- 
tiveness.  These  are  all  important 
points  in  a  fruit  for  the  market,  but 
especially  size  and  beauty,  for  these 
have  much  weight  with  the  purchasing 
public. 

This  plum,  we  are  told,  originated 
near  the  shores  of  Lake  Ontario  in  the 
north-western  part  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  and  the  tree  is  sufficiently  hardy 
to  endure,  without  the  slightest  injury, 
the  severest  cold  of  that  region.  We 
must  confess  that  this  is  not  a  very 
definite  statement  as  to  the  place  of  its 
origin,  seeing  that  the  lake  is  more 
than  a  hundred  miles  in  length  between 
the  Niagara  River  and  Sacket's  Har- 
bor ;  it  may,  however,  be  sufficient  to 


74 


THE   CANADIAN   H0BTICULTURI8T. 


quality."  Messrs.  Offenheiser  &  Son, 
Commission  Merchants  of  New  York 
city,  say  "  that  Shipper's  Pride  plums 
sold  at  one  dollar  per  peck  basket  when 
we  could  not  sell  ordinary  plums  at 
over  fifty  cents  for  same  size  baskets. 
In  our  opinion  they  will  compare  very 
favorably  with  other  varieties  of  same 
size,  and  are  better  keepers."  The  late 
Charles  Downing,  whose  opinion  of  a 
fruit  is  held  in  high  estimation,  said  of 
it :  **  They  are  large  showy  plums  and 
will  no  doubt  sell  well  in  the  market. 
Promises  to  be  valuable  for  market 
and  canning."  S.  D.  Willard,  a  very 
successful  and  extensive  grower  o^ 
plums  for  market  says,  "  I  regard  the 
Shipper's  Pride  as  one  of  the  most 
promising  plums  ripening  at  its  season. 
It  is  good,  and  so  attractive  that  it 
would  seem  it  should  have  a  decided 
value  as  a  market  variety." 

We  can  only  add  that  the  tree  is  a 
strong,  upright  grower,  and  seems  to 
be  possessed  of  a  vigorous  and  healthy 
constitution. 


Delphinium,  mixed  colors.  And  if  you 
have  not  sent  in  your  dollar  for  this 
year's  subscription,  please  do  not  fail 
to  do  so  at  the  same  time. 


TO  OUR  READERS. 

If  you  have  not  already  notified  the 
editor  which  of  the  articles  offered  to 
you  this  spring  you  desire  to  have  sent 
you,  please  do  so  now,  without  further 
delay.  You  have  the  privilege  of  se- 
lecting whichever  one  you  prefer  of  the 
following  articles: — 1.  Three  plants  of 
the  Ontario  Strawberry  ;  2.  A  yearling 
tree  of  the  Russian  Yellow  Transparent 
Apple ;  3.  A  plant  of  the  Lucretia 
Dewberry ;  4.  A  yearling  vine  of  the 
Early  Victor  Grape  ;  5.  Two  plants  of 
the  Marlboro'  Raspberry  ;  6.  Three  pa- 
pers of  flower  seeds,  viz.,  Gypsophila 
paniculata,     Aquilegia    caerulea,     and 


QUESTION  DRAWER. 

NIAGARA  GRAPE. 
When  is  the  Niagara  Grape  Yine  to 
be  cheaper.  J.  D. 

Reply. — You  can  obtain  a  two  year 
old  vine  of  the  Niagara  grape,,  with  the 
seal  of  the  Company  attached  to  it  as  a 
guarantee  of  its  genuineness,  by  sending 
to  this  office  the  names  of  five  new  sub- 
scribers to  the  Canadian  Horticulturist 
together  with  their  five  dollars.  The 
only  cost  to  you  will  be  the  postage  and 
registration  of  the  letter,  five  cents. 
Is  not  that  cheap  enough  % 


REPORTING  PLANTS  RECEIVED. 

Am  I  correct  in  saying  that  all  sub- 
scribers are  invited  to  tell  how  the  differ- 
ent plants  sent  out  by  the  Association 
have  succeeded  ?  Suppose  all,  suppose 
one  half  gave  their  experience,  you 
could  not  insert  one  twentieth  part  and 
many  would  be  offended.  But  suppose 
you  had  room  for  it  all,  what  good  ] 
Mr.  Barry  and  Mr.  Thomas  have  writ- 
ten valuable  works,  would  they  not 
allow  you  to  give  us  monthly  a  chapter 
on  the  understanding  you  would  adver- 
tize the  book?  Excuse  the  liberty  I 
have  taken.  R.  L. 

Maitland. 

Reply. — You  are  correct.  The  ob- 
ject the  association  has  in  view  in  send- 
ing out  these  plants  is  to  obtain  reports 
of  success  or  failure  in  the  different 
localities  in  which  they  are  tried,  thus 
making  the  garden  or  orchard  of  each 
member  an  experimental  station.     The 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


75 


reports  received  will  serve  the  purpose 
of  a  guide  to  others  who  m*ay  reside  in 
that  section  or  in  similar  conditions  of 
climate,  soil,  etc.  Messrs  Barry  and 
Thomas  do  not  tell  us  whetherthe  Early 
Victor  Grape,  for  instance,  will  succeed 
at  Maitland,  or  if  it  succeeds  in  grow- 
ing, whether  it  is  a  desirable  variety  to 
grow  there  as  compared  with  other 
varieties.  They  do  not  tell  us  whether 
the  Yellow  Transparent  Apple  will  be 
valuable  in  the  county  of  Stormont  or 
endure  without  injury  the  winters  in 
Renfrew.  As  yet  there  has  not  been 
any  plethora  of  these  reports ;  in  truth 
members  have  not  been  careful  to  com- 
ply with  the  conditions  upon  which 
these  plants  have  been  distributed. 
When  they  become  too  numerous  for 
publication  in  the  Canadian  Horticul- 
turist they  will  find  an  appropriate  place 
in  the  Annual  Report,  so  that  no  one 
need  be  offended.  If  experimental  sta- 
tions scattered  here  and  there  through 
a  country  are  beneficial,  why  not  in- 
crease their  number  in  the  manner 
attempted  by  the  Fruit  Growers' 
Association  1 


TREES  FOR  FENCE  POSTS. 
Dear  Sir, — I  should  be  much  obliged 
if  you  would  recommend  a  fast  growing 
tree  suitable  for  planting  along  a  wire 
fence,  so  as  they  could  be  used  as  posts 
when  grown. 

Yours  truly, 

S.  G.  Russell. 

Thorabury,  Feb.,  1886. 

Reply. — There  is  nothing  better  than 
le  of  the  maples.  There  are  two  that 
^ill  answer  well  for  this  purpose,  the 
Silver  Maple  and  the  Ash-leaved  Maple. 


Both  of  these  are  rapid  growing  trees, 
and  if  the  shade  from  the  tops  is  not 
wanted  the  branches  can  be  cut  back 
and  the  tops  kept  within  any  desired 
limits.  The  poplars  are  fast  growing 
trees,  but  they  are  objectionable  on 
account  of  their  propensity  to  throw  up 
suckers  from  the  root.  Neither  of  the 
above  mentioned  maples  throw  up 
suckers.  The  Silver  Maple  must  not 
be  confounded  with  the  Silver  Poplar. 
They  are  very  different  trees. 


JAPAN  QUINCE. 
Mr.  Editor, — Will  you  please  answer 
through  the  Horticulturist  whether  the 
Japan  Quince  is  sufficiently  hardy  to 
give  good  satisfaction  for  hedges  as  far 
north  as  Walkerton  and  oblige 

A  Subscriber. 

[Will  some  of  our  readers  residing  at 
or  near  Walkerton  please  to  tell  "  a  sub- 
scriber "  through  the  medium  of  this 
magazine  whether  the  Japan  Quince,  an 
ornamental  shrub  yielding  bright  crim- 
son flowers  very  early  in  the  spring,  is 
perfectly  hardy  in  that  section. — Ed. 
Can.  Hort.] 

GRAPES  FOR  GEORGIAN  BAY. 
Would  you  kindly  name  some  of  the 
best  varieties  of  Grapes  which  you  think 
would  be  adapted  to  this  section  of  coun- 
try. Within  half  a  mile  of  the  Geo- 
gian  Bay,  opposite  Collingwood. 

H.  C. 

Reply. — Early  Victor,  Jessica,  Lady, 
Brighton,  Massasoit,  Moore's  Early. 


PLUM  TREES. 
Dear  Sir, — I  have  a  small  piece  of 
land  adjoining  my  barnyard  where  the 
fowls  will  allow  nothing  to  grow.     It  is 


.T-6 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


about  large  enough  for  to  plant  six  plum 
trees.  Is  it  suitable  for  them,  and  what 
kind  would  you  recommend.  The  land 
is  a  high  dry  clay. 

Henry  Deacon. 
Belgrave,  Feb.,  15th.,  1886. 

Reply. — Plum  trees  will  grow  in 
almost  any  well  drained  soil,  thriving 
best  in  a  strong  clay.  Whether  they 
will  grow  in  the  piece  of  land  adjoining 
your  barnyard  will  depend  upon 
whether  it  is  continually  soaked  with 
drainage  from  the  yard,  certainly  the 
scratching  of  the  fowls  will  not  prevent 
the  trees  from  growing.  The  Yellow 
Egg,  Lombard  and  Bradshaw  are  well 
Jsinown  and  reliable  varieties. 


FLAT  STONES  FOR  MULCHINC; 
Please  give  your  opinion  of  the  use 
of  small  flat  stones  placed  over  the  roots 
of  newly  planted  trees,  instead  of  litter 
etc.  as  a  mulching  process.     I  have  had 
good  success  in  the  use  of  stones. 
And  oblige, 
Toronto.  J.  S. 

[Will  those  of  our  readers  who  have 
tried  mulching  with  flat  stones  please 
to  send  us  the  results  of  their  experience 
for  publication.  Never  having  tried 
them,  we  have  no  opinion  to  express, — 
Ed.  Can.  Hort.] 


HUBBARTON  PIPPIN. 
Mr.  Editor. — Do  you  know  an 
apple  the  Hubbarton  Pippin,  a  large 
red  striped  apple,  deep  smooth  cavity  at 
the  blossom  end,  nearly  as  large  as  the 
King,  and  twice  or  thrice  as  productive  : 
hardy,  and  a  very  strong  grower.  I 
think  of  working  this  apple  largely  if 
I  can  get  scions  on  to  my  Snow  apple 
trees.  It  is  generally  shipped  as  the 
Hubbardston  Nonsuch,  but  is  quite  dis- 


tinct, far  better  grower  and  hardier, 
bringing  a. better  price.  I  had  very 
good  success  this  year  shipping  to  Lon- 
don. Pussets  cleared  $2A'l  all  round, 
P.  Pippins  $3.26  per  barrel. 

J.  P.  Williams. 
Bloomfield  P.  E.  Co. 

Reply. — We  think,  from  your  des- 
cription, that  you  refer  to  the  Blenheim 
Orange,  Blenheim  Pippin,  Blooming 
Orange.  See  Downing's  first  appendix 
page  three.  Without  seeing  the  fruit 
it  is  impossible  to  speak  positively. 

What  is  the  best  thing  to  put    with 
a  hard  clay  soil  for  flowers  1 
Toronto.  ARTHUR  Hewitt. 

Reply. — The  very  best  thing  is  rot- 
ted turf  taken  from  an  old  pasture  field 
of  sandy  soil.  The  turf  should  be 
stacked  over  summer  and  allowed  to  be- 
come well  rotted.  Manure  from  the 
cow-stable,  composted  with  straw,  or 
cornstalks,  so  as  to  incorporate  with  it 
considerable  vegetable  fibre,  will  be 
found  very  valuable  for  clay  soils. 

Thorough  drainage  is  essential  to  suc- 
cess, without  this  there  is  nothing  that 
will  make  soil  friable. 


IS  THE  CANADIAN  HORTICULTURIST 
DETERIORATING  ? 

'*  Some  years  ago  I  thought  there 
was  no  paper  of  its  size  so  valuable  as 
the  Canadian  Horticulturist.  Then 
the  Editor  and  a  few  men  of  experience 
furnished  the  articles.  Now  all  this 
seems  to  be  changed."  R.  L. 

Note  by  the  Editor. — We  are  grati- 
fied always  to  receive  the  kindly  criti- 
cism of  our  readers,  and  publish  the 
above  extract  from  our  friend's  letter  in 
the  hope  that  others  will  be  thereby  en- 


THR   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


77 


couraged  to  express  their  opinions.  We 
had  flatttered  ouraelves  that  the  change 
had  been  for  the  better  ;  that  by  obtain- 
ing the  experience  of  different  cultiva- 
tors in  different  localities  and  using 
different  methods,  we  were  making  the 
magazine  more  valuable  to  our  readers. 
Perhaps  we  are  mistaken,  but  we 
thought  that  as  it  is  not  given  to  any 
one  person  to  know  everything,  nor  even 
to  three  or  four,  so  we  were  increasing 
the  amount  of  knowledge  imparted,  by 
an  increase  in  the  number  of  those  who 
contributed  of  their  personal  experience 
to  its  pages. 


BARK  LICE,  ETC. 

To  THE  Editor. — (I)  I  have  lately 
tried  several  different  remedies  recom- 
mended to  kill  bark  lice  in  apple  trees. 
The  appearance  of  the  lice  remains  the 
same.  How  can  I  tell  if  they  are  dead 
or  alive]  (2)  The  trunks  of  some  of 
my  pear  trees  are  considerably  cracked, 
what  had  I  better  do  to  them  ]  (3) 
What,  if  any,  injury  does  "ringing" 
do  to  a  fruit  tree  ]  ( 4)  In  propagating 
the  grape  vine  will  it  do  to  take  the 
cuttings  off  the  old  vine  in  the  spring 
and  planting  them  at  once. 

Toronto.  R. 

Reply. — (1)  Usually  the  scale  be- 
comes of  a  light  grey  color,  almost  white, 
when  dead.  If  you  will  lift  a  few  of 
the  scales  with  the  point  of  your  knife, 
you  will  be  able  to  ascertain  whether 
there  is  any  living  substance  beneath. 
If  alive  at  this  time  of  the  year  there 
will  be  a  mass  of  eggs  under  each  scale, 
which  will  hatch  about  the  firet  of  June. 

(2)  Wash  the  pear  trees  with  some 
alkaline  solution,  such  as  soft  soap  di- 


luted with  washing  soda  dissolved  in 
water  to  the  consistence  of  a  thick  paint. 
(3)  It  will  usually  cause  that  part  of 
the  tree  or  branch  beyond  the  place 
where  the  bark  is  removed  to  die  pre- 
maturely. (4)  Yes  it  will  do.  But  the 
cuttings  are  more  sure  to  grow,  and  to 
make  more  vigorous  growth  if  they  are 
taken  off  immediately  after  the  leaves 
fall  in  autumn. 


PRUNING  SHADE  TREES. 
Dear  Sir, — Will  you  kindly  inform 
me  through  your  valuable  journal  the 
suitable  or  best  time  to  prune  shade  trees, 
more   particularly    maples    and    much 
Yours  respectfully, 
Jno.  Mulligan. 
Port  Hope. 


oblige. 


Reply. — If  maples  are  pruned  at  all 
severely  in  the  spring  the  sap  will  flow 
from  the  wounds,  hence  we  prefer  to 
prune  them  in  the  fall,  or  else  after  the 
leaves  are  about  half  grown. 


Dear  Sir, — I  purpose  raising  onions 
cabbages,  tomatoes,  &c.,  manuring  with 
ashes.  ( I )  Will  salt  answer  put  on  the 
land  with  the  ashes  1  Is  there  any 
chemical  objection  to  using  the  two  at 
or  near  the  same  time  of  application  % 
(2)  Is  there  any  chemical  objection  to 
using  salt  and  superphosphate  ? 

Jno.  p.  W. 

Homing's  Mills. 

We  sent  the  above  inquiry  to  the 
professor  of  agricultural  chemistry  in 
Cornell  University,  and  received  the 
following 

reply  : 

(1)  In  some  cases  salt  would  be  an  advan- 
tage used  with  woo<l  ashes.  When  salt  is 
applied  with  ashes,  it  causes  the  potash  to 
penetrate  deeply  into  the  soil,  and  for  deep 
rooted  crops  it  would  be  desirable,  but  ob- 


78 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


jectionable  for  surface  rooting  crops.  There 
is  no  chemical  objection  to  using  them  to- 
gether. The  salt  gathers  moisture,  and  in 
this  way  facilitates  the  downward  action  of 
the  potash. 

(2)  No  objection.  The  salt  will  act  with 
superphosphate  similarly  as  with  salt,  and  is 
only  objectionable  when  the  crop  roots  near 
the  surface. 

Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  N.Y. 


REPORTS  ON  PLANTS  RECEIVED. 

When  I  wrote  before  I  forgot  t^ 
tell  you  about  my  Dahlia  which  I  re- 
ceived last  spring.  I  broke  it  into 
two  sets  and  planted  them  late,  yet  I 
had  a  most  beautiful  display  of  fine 
flowers  as  any  one  would  wish  to  see. 
I  would  not  take  three  times  the  price 
of  the  Horticulturist  for  my  flowers 
alone. 

My  flowering  shrub  I  got  the  spring 
before  last  is  doing  well,  but  it  has  not 
blossomed  yet.  My  grape  I  got  in 
1883  is  not  doing  very  well  yet,  but  I 
think  it  is  my  own  fault,  as  I  planted 
it  alongside  of  a  very  strong  vine,  and 
I  think  it  is  shaded  too  much. 


A.  C.  McDonald. 


Dunlop,  Huron  Co. 


As  you  desire  reports  on  premiums 
received,  and  as  you  are  aware  of  the 
high  opinion  I  have  of  the  journal  and 
the  efforts  made  by  your  society,  I 
beg  to  enclose  you  the  following  re- 
port :  The  Burnet  grape  has  grown 
well  with  me,  but  unfortunately  most 
of  the  bunches  have  small  seedless 
grapes  with  a  few  proper  ones  in  the 
bunch.  However  I  have  concluded  to 
give  it  a  chance  in  hope  of  its  yet 
succeeding.  Moore's  Early  and  Wor- 
den  have  exceeded  my  anticipations, 
and  have  fruited  for  this  last  two 
years,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  are 
about  the  best  varieties  for  our  north- 
ern climate  though  I  adopt  the  princi- 
ple of  laying  them  down  and  littering 


as  I  don't  think  any  grape  vine  un- 
covered  would  stand  the  rigour  of  our 
northern  climate.  The  Ontario  apple 
is  just  where  it  ought  to  be  up  here 
and  is  a  decided  acquisition  to  the 
limited  list  of  apple  trees  that  will 
stand  our  winters.  As  to  pears  the 
Clapp  is  the  only  one  that  has  yet  given 
me  any  satisfaction.  The  Hydrangea 
paniculata  will  not,  I  fear,  prove  a 
success.  The  one  I  got  from  you  I 
planted  where  it  is  entirely  sheltered 
by  a  cedar  hedge  on  the  north ;  but  it 
won't  flower.  As  I  put  in  three  others 
I  find  it  is  not  the  fault  of  the  plant, 
so  must  ascribe  it  to  the  climate. 
Barrie,  Simcoe  Co.  J-  R.  C. 


WHAT  THE  PEOPLE  SAY. 

PRUNING  AND  TRAINING  THE 
GRAPE. 

Dear  Sir, — Will  you  kindly  publish 
a  simple  system  of  pruning  and  training 
the  grape.  Give  us  something  practical, 
that  can  be  understood  by  amateurs. 
The  trouble  with  all  you  professionals 
is  that  you  always  begin  your  instruc- 
tions by  assuming  that  the  amateur 
knows  a  great  deal.  Hundreds  of  people 
try  to  grow  a  few  grapes  for  home  use, 
who  know  nothing  and  care  less  about 
the  art  of  propagation.  Begin  your 
instructions  with  the  one  and  two  year 
old  vines  as  they  are  received  from  the 
nursery  in  the  spring,  and  you  will 
much  oblige  many  of  your  readers 
besides. 

'Yours  very  truly, 

Geo.   Sutherland. 

Meaford,  Ont. 

We  are  much  gratified  that  any  of 
our  readers  should  thus  specify  the  in- 
formation they  desire  to  receive.  It 
will  ever  be  a  source  of  pleasure  to  us 
to  endeavor,  as  far  as  in  us  lies,  to  sup- 
ply the  information.     Now  to  the  mat- 


THB   CANADIAN    H0BTI0ULTDBI8T. 


79 


ter  in  hand. 


i 
^ 


-/^^ 


We  will  suppose  that  the 
vines  received  from 
the  nurseryman 
have  been  properly 
planted  in  suitable 
soil,  and  are  ready 
to  stai-t  into  growth. 
The  first  thing  that 
will  require  atten- 
tion as  the  buds  be- 
gin to  start  will  be 
to  make  selection  of 
that  one  which  pro- 
mises to  make  a 
vigorous  growth, 
giving  the  prefer- 
ence, if  there  be 
several,  to  the  one 
nearest  the  ground. 
Rub  off  all  the  rest 
and  allow  only  this 
one  to  grow.  A 
small  stake,  say  a 
strip  of  lath,  should 
be  thrust  into  the 
ground  at  each  vine, 
and  the  growing 
cane  carefully  tied 
to  it  as  it  advances. 
This  will  be  the 
Pio.  1.— Vine  at  the  close  pruning  and  train- 

of  the  first  season.         -^^^      f^^,     ^^le     first 

summer.  At  the  close  of  this  season 
the  grape  vine  will  have  the  appearance 
shewn  in  Fig.  1. 

After  the  leaves  have  fallen  in  the 
lutumn  untie   the  cane  from  its  sup- 

>rt,  lay  it  upon  the  ground  and  cover 
It  lightly  with  earth.  Or  you  may  cut 
it  back  to  two  good,  plump  buds,  and 

>ver  the  stump  with  a  little  mound  of 

ii-th. 

SECOND   SEASON. 

In   the  spring,  if  the  cane  was  not 

ut   back   in  the   previous  autumn,  it 

lould   be  cut  back,  leaving  only  two 

)od    buds    near    the    ground.     From 

these  buds  train  up  two  shoots,  tying 

them   to  the  stake  as  they  grow,  pre- 


cisely as  during  the  first  summer,  only 
that  you  have  two  canes  now  instead  of 
one,  rubbing  off  all  other  buds  that 
may  start  into  growth. 

During  this  season  you  will  make 
preparations  for  putting  up  your  trellis ; 
a  post  at  each  end  of  the  row  of  grape 
vines,  posts  between  at  least  two  feet 
in  the  ground  and  five  feet  above,  and 
set  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  feet  apart. 
Three  wires  will  be  sufficient,  the  lowest 
at  eighteen  inches  from  the  ground,  the 
others  eighteen  inches  apart,  thus  bring- 
ing the  upper  wire  about  four  and  a 
half  feet  from  the  ground.  Number 
twelve  anneal- 
ed galvanized 
wire  will  be 
found  to  be 
strong  enough 
The  end  posts 
should  be  well 
braced  on  the 
side  towards 
the  vines  so 
that  they  will 
not  be  pulled 
over  by  the 
wires.  The 
wires  should 
be  fastened 
tight  at  each 
post  by  staples 
driven  tightly 
over  them  into 
the  wood.  In- 
stead of  wires 
you  can  use 
strips  of  wood 
if  more  con- 
venient. Mr. 
Fuller,  of  your 
place,  recom- 
mends a  slant- 
ing trellis  in- 
stead of  an 
upright,  as 
more  suitable 
in   your  climate ;  and  his  plan  is  very 


Fio.  2. 


-Vine  at  the  end  of  the 
second  season. 


80 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


highly  approved  by  some  others  who 
have  tried  his  method.  You  would  do 
well  to  call  upon  Mr.  Fuller  and  see 
his  trellis.  Mr.  Alfred  Wagar,  of 
Napaiiee,  Lennox  County,  makes  his 
trellis  eighteen  inches  from  the  ground 
at  the  vines,  sloping  back  to  about  three 
feet  from  the  ground  at  the  top.  Mr. 
Fuller  does  not  find  it  necessary  to 
cover  his  vines  in  winter  which  are 
trained  on  the  slanting  trellis.  We 
have  never  tried  any  other  than  the 
upright  trellis. 


At  the  end  of  the  second  season  your 
vine  will  have  the  appearance  indicated 
by  Fig.  2. 

In  the  fall  you  will  again  untie  your 
vines,  and  laying  them  on  the  ground 
cover  them  with  a  little  earth. 

THIRD    SEASON. 

In  the  spring  of  the  third  season, 
your  trellis  being  ready,  uncover  your 
canes,  shorten  them  in  to  about  three 
feet  in  length,  and  stretch  them  in  op- 
posite directions  upon  your  lowest  wire 
or  bar,  in  the  manner  shewn  in  Fig.  3. 


Fig.  3. — Vine  in.  the  spring  of  the  third  year  with  arms  extended. 


When  the  buds  start  allow  only  those 
on  the  upper  side,  at  a  distance  of  about 
eight  inches  apart,  to  grow,  rubbing  off 
all  others.  You  may  find  that  the  buds 
nearest  to  the  stock  do  not  push  vigor- 
ously. This  can  be  overcome  by  fasten- 
ing the  points  of  the  arms  to  the  ground 


for  a  while,  until  the  buds  near  the 
stock  have  got  well  started.  You  will 
tie  these  growing  canes  to  your  trellis 
as  they  progress,  and  when  they  have 
grown  to  the  length  of  about  five  feet 
you  will  pinch  off  the  end.  which  gar- 
deners call    "stopping."     These  canes 


Fio.  ^. — Vine  in  the  autumn  of  third  year. 


will  bear  fruit  this  year,  and  in  the 
autumn  your  vines  will  look  something 
like  the  one  shewn  at  Fig.  4. 


In  the  autumn  of  this  year,  after  the 
leaves  have  fallen,  you  may  cut  back  to 
one  bud  all  the  canes  of  this  season's 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


81 


gi'owth,  except  the  one  at  the  extremity 
of  the  arm  ;  cut  back  this  one  to  about 
three  feet  in  length,  and  having  untied 
your  canes  bend  them  down  and  cover 
with  earth,  if  you  have  used  the  upright 
trellis.  If  you  have  adopted  the  slant- 
ing trellis  of  Mr.  Fuller,  of  Meaford, 
you  can,  he  says,  safely  allow  them  to 
remain. 

FOURTH    SEASON. 

In  the  spring  stretch  out  horizontally 
the  two  canes  at  the  extremities  of  the 
horizontal  arms  for  a  continuation  of 
that  part  of  the  vine,  and  allow  the 
buds  on  the  upper  side  to  grow  in  the 
same  manner  as  you  did  in  the  third 
summer.  Also  train  the  shoot  from 
the  one  bud  that  you  left  at  the  base 
of  the  upright  canes,  just  as  you  did 
the  canes  during  the  previous  summer, 
which,  last  fall,  you  cut  back  to  the 
one  eye.  You  will  now  have  six  or 
eight  canes  on  each  arm  of  your  vine, 
all  bearing  fruit.  In  the  fall  of  this 
year  you  may  cut  all  these  canes  back 
to  one  eye,  or  if  you  prefer  the  plan 
which  many  cultivatoi-s  adopt,  you  can 
ut  back  to  one  eye  each  alternate  cane, 
lud  cut  the  other  canes  to  about  three 
feet  in  length.  If  you  choose  this 
method  you  will  not  allow  any  fruit  to 
remain  on  the  canes  which  grow  from 
the  single  eye,  but  grow  the  fruit  on 
the  lateral  branches  which  will  start 
tVom  the  canes  left  three  feet  long, 
i'hen  when  the  fruit  is  harvested  and 
the  leaves  have  fallen  you  will  cut  back 
the  canes  that  have  borne  fruit  to  one 
i)ud  from  the  horizontal  arm,  and  prune 
the  canes  that  you  trained  up  without 
fruit  to  a  length  of  three  feet  to  bear 
fruit  next  year,  thus  alternating. 

SUMMER    PRUNING. 

The  only  pruning  admissible  in  sum- 
mer is  that  which  is  done  with  the 
thumb  and  finger,  which  consists  in 
stopping  the  lateral  branches  by  pinch- 
ing off  the  end  of  the  lateral  shoot  when 
it   has   developed  three  or  four  leaves 


beyond  the  last  bunch  of  fruit.  Some- 
times we  pinch  back  the  main  cane 
when  it  has  reached  the  top  of  the 
trellis  in  order  to  develop  the  parts 
below  more  fully.  Never  strip  off  the 
leaves  to  admit  the  sunlight  upon  the 
fruit,  but  rather  seek  to  preserve  the 
leaves  in  full  vigor  so  that  they  may 
shade  and  perfect  the  giapes.  Without 
a  good  supply  of  healthy  foliage  the 
fruit  will  not  ripen. 

OVER    BEARING. 

In  our  great  desire  for  an  abundance 
of  fruit  we  are  very  apt  to  allow  our 
vines  to  carry  too  many  clusters.  It  is 
impossible  to  give  definite  instructions 
on  this  point,  as  the  quantity  of  fruit 
that  a  vine  will  bring  to  maturity  de- 
pends upon  the  vigor  of  the  vine.  Our 
fruit  growers  are  not  in  danger  of  taking 
off  too  many  clusters.  But  it  is  a  fact 
that  when  the  fruit  is  well  thinned  out 
the  grapes  will  ripen  earlier,  be  of  finer 
size  and  of  higher  flavor.  It  is  no  un- 
common thing  to  see  a  grape  vine  so 
loaded  that  it  can  not  biing  any  of  its 
fruit  to  maturity,  while  the  grower  con- 
demns the  variety  as  too  late  for  his 
climate,  when  the  fault  is  purely  hi^ 
own. 

We  trust  these  hints  may  prove  help- 
ful to  our  subscribers,  and  if  any  points 
have  not  been  made  sufficiently  plain, 
we  will  esteem  it  as  a  favor,  if  our 
amateur  friends  will  direct  their  in- 
quiries to  the  points  upon  which  they 
desire  further  information. 


COVERING  GRAPE  VINES. 

I  cover  my  grape  vines  in  the  fall 
with  earth,  and  they  turn  out  fresh  in  the 
spring  and  start  right  off  to  grow.  I 
do  not  think  that  sti-aw  is  good  to  cover 
vines  in  winter  as  it  is  liable  to  prove 
a  harbour  for  mice. 

James  Dougal. 

Barrie,  Simcoe  Co., 


S2 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


LIQUID  FOR  PRESERVING  FRUIT. 

It  is  difficult  for  me  to  give  you  a 
formula  for  liquid  for  preserving  fruits. 
I  have  experimented  with  some  13  or 
14  different  preparations,  some  are 
hetter  for  one  sort  of  fruit  and  some 
better  for  others.  A  strong  solution  of 
sulphurous  acid  T  have  found  very  use- 
ful for  light  colored  fruits  which  are 
yellow  when  ripe. 

Salicylic  acid  in  the  proportion  of 
about  a  drachm  to  the  quart  of  fluid, 
the  fluid  consisting  of  four  parts  of 
water  with  one  of  alcohol,  I  have 
found  to  be  very  good  for  dark  colored 
grapes.  The  red  colors  of  apples  and 
pears  I  have  found  to  be  best  preserved 
as  far  as  my  experience  has  gone,  by 
using  a  mixture  of  three  parts  of  gly- 
cerine with  five  parts  of  water  and  dis- 
solving in  it  Boroglyceride  in  the 
proportion  of  two  per  cent.  I  have 
used  several  other  fluids,  among  which 
some  may  prove  better  than  this,  but 
they  have  not  been  tested  long  enough 
to  admit  of  my  reaching  any  definite 
conclusion. 

The  subject  is  a  very  complex  one, 
and  needs  much  experimenting  yet  be- 
fore entirely  satisfactory  conclusions 
can  be  reached,  and  whether  any  treat- 
ment will  ensure  the  permanent  re- 
tention of  the  pinks  and  reds  in  fruits 
with  the  difficulty  of  long  continued  ex- 
posure to  the  bleaching  influences  of 
light  to  contend  with,  is  still  surroun- 
ded with  much  doubt. 

Wm.  ISaunders. 
London,  Ontario. 


THE  MARTHA  GRAPE. 

My  Martha  grape  vines  planted  in 
the  spring  of  1883,  bore  last  fall,  1885, 
for  the  first  time.  Fruit  not  large,  but 
very  sweet,  and  a  good  keeper  having 
eaten  the  last  of  them,  this  month,  Feb  , 
1^^6.  Yours  truly, 

Jos.    WOON. 


A  PRETTY  NATIVE  SHRUB. 

In  speaking  of  our  native  ornamen- 
tal trees,  I  have  never  noticed  any  ac- 
count of  a  tree  that  grows  on  the  mar- 
gins of  streams,  and  produces  clusters 
of  black  berries,  or  rather  fruit,  quite 
sweet,  with  a  flat  seed  in  them.  I 
don't  know  the  name  of  it,  but  I  dare 
say  you  can  give  me  the  information. 
About  two  years  ago  I  got  two  of  them 
growing  in  a  swamp,  on  the  Nottawa- 
saga  Kiver.  I  planted  them  on  the 
top  of  the  hill  in  my  place  ;  and  to-day 
I  look  on  them  as  two  of  the  hand- 
somest trees  or  shrubs  I  have  in  the 
spring.  They  are  covered  with  large 
clusters  of  white  flowers,  a  peculiar 
shade  of  green  leaves  and  thick  foliage,  j 
about  seven  feet  high. 

I  look  upon  this  shrub  as  one  well 
woi'thy  a  conspicuous  place  in  any  of 
our  ornamental  grounds.  Unfortu- 
nately 1  have  never  found  out  any  one 
who  can  name  it  for  me. 

Barrie,  Simcoe  Co.         J.  R.  CoTTER. 


Can 
name  1 


any 


of  our   readers    give  the 


NO  OFFENCE. 


Dear  Sir, — Allow  me  to  say  that  I 
believe  all  the  readers  of  our  Horticul- 
turist heartily  appreciate  the  efforts  put 
fort  by  yourself  and  other  contributing 
members,  in  disseminating  invaluable 
information  in  regard  to  the  cultivation 
of  fruits,  flowers,  etc.,  but  I  do  not 
think  it  was  ever  intended  that  writers, 
in  their  contributions,  should  make  the 
columns  of  our  magazine  a  medium  for 
advertising  something  which  they  are 
interested  in  selling. 

An  article  giving  accurate  descrip- 
tions, modes  of  cultivation  etc.,  we  all 
admire,  but  it  takes  away  more  than 
half  of  the  admiration  and  interest  if  it 
winds  up  with  a  "  pufl*"  for  something 
in  which  the  writer  is  interested  in 
making  sales.     I  submit  this,  believing 


THK   CANADIAN    HOKTIOULTUKIdT. 


83 


it  to  be  the  sentiment  of  the  majority 
of  our  readers,  and  not  from  any  ill- 
feeling  toward  any  individual. 

J.  H.  WiSMER. 

Pt.  Elgin,  Feb.  8th,  1886. 

Note  by  the  Editor. — Our  friend 
is  quite  right,  and  we  trust  correspon- 
dents will  accept  the  criticism. 


.^UME  INTERESTING  LAWN  TREES. 

Dear  Sir, — In  sending  my  sixteenth 
yearly  subscription,  I  think  I  ought  to 
write  a  few  words  on  what  I  have  seen 
and  experienced  in  fruit  and  horticul- 
ture. I  see  by  the  report  of  the  Win- 
ter Meeting  that  the  third  subject  was 
shade  trees,  &c.  Had  I  been  there,  I 
should  have  advocated  four  shade  trees 
that  I  have  taken  much  interest  in  : — 
The  Tulip  tree,  Catalpa,  Widben  Pear, 
and  Monkey's  Puzzle.  The  Maple  is 
the  standard  shade  tree  of  America,  but 
we  want  a  variety.  We  should  not 
like  to  cultivate  only  one  flower  be- 
cause we  thought  it  the  best  and  pret- 
tiest. In  visiting  England  a  few  years 
ago  I  saw  long  rows  of  our  Maples 
planted  in  Kew  Park,  near  London. 
When  I  first  came  to  Canada,  over 
forty  years  ago,  I  saw  several  Tulip 
trees  in  blossom.  In  visiting  St.  Louis, 
ill  the  latter  end  of  June,  several  years 
;tgo,  I  saw  a  number  of  beautiful  shade 
trees  in  blossom.  On  inquiry,  I  was 
told  that  they  were  Catalpa  trees,  but 
Too  tender  for  Canada.  I  hope  the 
\Mriety  that  has  been  sent  out  to  the 
members  will  prove  hardy.  It  will  be 
a  fine  sight  to  see  them  in  full  blossom. 
The  Widben  Pear  is  a  tree  that  grows 
wild  in  Buckingliamshire,  in  England. 
1 1  has  some  appearance  of  the  Mountain 
Ash,  and  I  should  think  it  was  a  species 

f  it.  It  has  bunches  of  berries  like 
the  Mountain  Ash,  but  they  are  sweet 
and  good  enough  to  make  preserves  of. 
The  leaves  are  a  good  deal  like  a  beech 
leaf,   only   white   underneath.      It  ap- 


pears to  be  perfectly  hardy.  I  have 
seen  two  trees  of  them  in  Toronto  ;  one 
in  the  Horticultural  Gardens,  which 
came  through  last  winter  without  the 
least  injury.  I  do  not  know  its  bota- 
nical name.  The  Monkey's  Puzzle,  so 
called  from  its  sharp  points  all  over 
the  tree,  has  scales  on  both  trunk  and 
branches,  like  pine  apples,  so  that  a 
monkey  would  require  boots  on  to  run 
about  it.  In  appearance,  it  is  greatly 
like  the  Austrian  Pine.  It  is  not  iron 
clad  ;  it  suffers  sometimes  in  England 
in  severe  frosts  ;  it  will  grow  in  the 
western  j)art  of  Canada,  and  as  far 
north  as  Toronto.  As  a  lawn  tree,  I 
thought  it  was  the  finest  in  England. 
It  requires  great  pains  in  planting,  and 
not  to  be  exposed  too  much. 

EGLI^TON. 


CHANGE  OF  NAME  NEEDED. 
When  one  is  ordering  trees  or  shrubs 
from  a  nursery  it  is  important  that  he 
should  be  able  to  make  himself  clearly 
understood  ;  therefore,  it  is  essentially 
necessary  that  there  be  but  one  common 
name  for  each  species,  because  more 
leads  to  misunderstanding  and  disap- 
pointment. For  instance,  I  received 
an  order  for  six  Syringas  of  sorts.  I 
kept  ruminating  in  my  mind  for  a  time 
as  to  what  I  had  better  send,  but 
knowing  the  gentleman  from  whom  the 
order  came  to  be  somewhat  scientific, 
I  finally  decided  that  he  must  be  using 
the  technical  name  for  *'  Lilacs."  So 
I  sent  him  six  Lilacs,  two  of  a  sort, 
with  both  technical  and  common  names 
attached.  They  were  quickly  returned 
with  a  note  stating  that  he  did  not 
want  "  Lilacs,"  bnt  "  Syringas,"  com- 
monly known  as  such  ;  so  then  I  knew 
he  wanted  Philadelphus,  or  Mock 
Orange.  With  many,  Syringa  is  still 
the  common  name  for  Philadelphus  ; 
while  the  proper  generic  name  for  LiUc 
is  Syringa.  Hence,  in  order  to  avoid 
confusion,   would   it  not  be  better  to 


84 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


have  the  matter  settled  once  for  all, 
and  either  let  the  Philadelphus  be 
known  by  the  common  name  of  Mock 
Orange,  or  have  the  generic  name  of 
the  Lilac  changed  to  something  else  1 

Some  nurserymen  advertize  the  Sy- 
ringa  or  Mock  Orange,  some  the  Mock 
Orange  (Syringa),  others  the  Philadel- 
phus (Mock  Orange),  or  Philadelphus 
(Syringa),  and  Syringa  (Philadelphus); 
while  we  rarely  find  the  name  Lilac 
accompanied  with  its  generic  name, 
Syringa  ;  yet  if  you  send  to  some  of  the 
best  American  nurseries  for  Syringas 
you  will  certainly  receive  Lilacs. 

Correspondent. 


GOOSEBERRIES  AND  CURRANTS. 

I  notice  discussions  upon  the  above 
fruits  in  the  Annual  Report.  I  would 
like  to  give  some  of  my  experience. 
My  soil  is  called  a  sand,  but  is  largely 
made  up  of  pulverized  shale.  We  get 
immense  crops  of  Houghton  gooseber- 
ries, but  rarely  get  beyond  5  or  6  cents 
per  basket  for  them.  Last  summer, 
for  the  first  time,  they  were  scarcely 
.  saleable.  As  the  anti-Scott  wine  and 
beer  advocates  claim  that  the  low  price 
of  grapes  was  caused  by  the  Scott  Act, 
we  suppose  that  the  Scott  Act  also 
ruined  the  gooseberry  trade.  In  times 
of  great  glut  we  find  that  housewives 
demand  larger  fruit,  which  involves 
less  labor.  The  quality  of  the  Hough- 
ton is  better  than  that  of  the  larger 
varieties.  Downing  does  well  with 
me,  and  sells  more  readily.  Smith's 
Improved  mildews,  and  loses  its  leaves 
by  a  species  of  blight,  probably  of  fun- 
goid origin.  It  started  with  the  Smith's 
in  one  patch,  with  me,  about  3  years 
since.  From  them  it  has  apparently 
struck  the  Downings  and  Houghtons, 
though  with  diminished  power. 

When  the  fruit  is  about  half  grown, 
the  leaves  which  seem  quite  contented, 
one  day  will  be  found  green  and  fresh, 
and  upon  the  ground   the  next   day. 


They  have  struck,  never  again  to  return 
to  their  old  work. 

Black  currants,  with  us,  are  not  pro- 
fitable. The  same  may  be  said  of 
cherry  and  white  grape  currants.  The 
old  Red  Dutch  is  reliable,  but  for  eleven 
years  past  I  have  largely  grown  the 
Raby  Castle,  which  beats  it  in  every 
way.  Its  greatest  merit  is  its  power 
to  hold  its  black  currant  style  of  foliage 
through  the  heat  of  summer.  This 
enables  it  to  ripen  its  immense  crop  of 
fruit  perfectly,  and  to  hold  it  securely 
until  the  berry  season  is  nearly  past, 
when  it  sells  readily  for  good  prices. 

The  plant  is  a  very  strong,  rapid 
grower,  and  takes  the  tree  form  quite 
readily.  The  fruit  is  good,  but  not 
much  larger  than  the  Red  Dutch.  The 
bunches,  when  weather  is  favorable, 
are  very  long. 

As  yet,  I  do  not  know  what  the 
newer  larger  kinds  can  do. 

The  tree  form  has  great  advantages 
in  the  cultivation  and  picking.  As  the 
"  tree "  is  short  lived,  we  must  plant 
as  often  as  once  in  every  seven  years. 
This  is  a  good  plan,  even  where  trees 
are  not  indulged  in. 

E.    MORDEN. 
Niagara  Falls  South,  Ont. 


BIGNONIA  RADICANS. 

Mr.  Editor, — One  of  your  corre- 
spondents, Mr.  Mackenzie,  of  Dundas, 
writes  that  the  Bignonia  radicans  does 
not  flower,  and  is  cut  down  every  win- 
ter. This  should  not  occur  at  Dundas. 
But  if  your  correspondent  will  lay  the 
vines  down  in  the  fall,  and  cover  them 
with  a  light  mulch,  the  result  will,  in 
all  probability,  be  different.  A  lady 
friend  of  mine  pursues  this  plan,  and 
under  her  judicious  treatment  the  Big- 
nonia flowers  abundantly,  even  al- 
though occasionally  the  thermometer 
goes  down  to  twenty-five  degrees  below 
zero. 

I  may  add  that  in  this  quarter  grape 


THE   CANADIAN    H0BTI0ULTUBI8T. 


85 


vines  of  all  kinds  require  similar  treat- 
ment,   save   and   except  the    Clinton, 
which  is  able  to  endure  extreme  cold. 
Durham,  Grey  (Jo.  Yours,  C. 

ACCLIMATING  PLANTS. 

Can  tender  plants  be  made  hardier 
by  any  manner  of  treatment  ?  This 
question  is  suggested  by  a  remark  I  saw- 
lately  in  some  report  (no  matter  where) 
that  a  certain  plant  was  yet  too  tender 
for  Ontario  but  it  could  be  made  hardy. 
We  know  that  animals  and  even  human 
beings  can  become  inured  to  foreign  cli- 
mates, so  that  they  will  be  no  more 
affected  by  climatic  influences  than  the 
aborigines,  even  if  the  transition  be 
from  a  warm  to  a  colder  climate,  but  in 
no  case  do  we  find  that  the  off-spring 
of  the  foreigners  can  endure  intense 
cold  with  less  protection  than  that  of 
the  natives,  who  are  quite  as  liable  to 
be  frozen  to  death  as  they  were  cen- 
turies ago.  I  have  heard  a  great  deal 
aV>out  the  acclimatization  of  fruit  and 
ornamental  trees  and  shrubs,  yet  I  am 
not  aware  of  a  single  instance  in  which 
any  plant  has  become  hardier,  any  more 
than  the  potato  or  tomato,  which  are 
just  as  tender  now  as  when  first  intro- 
duced. 

I  have  been  trying  to  acclimate  many 
half-hardy  shrubs  for  the  last  thirty-two 
years,  and  sometimes  a  succession  of 
moderate  winters  encouraged  me  to  be- 
lieve that  I  had  met  with  partial  suc- 
cess, but  the  hard  snap  of  frost  would 
come  and  kill  all  down  to  the  snow 
line,  leaving  me  just  where  I  began. 
I  find  the  fact  to  be,  that  a  few  degrees 
difference  in  the  intensity  of  the  frost 
decides  the  matter  now  with  all  half- 
hardy  plants,  just  as  certainly  as  it  did 
when  I  fii-st  commenced  to  experiment. 
I  know  that  the  condition  of  the 
young  wood  has  something  to  do  with 
the  enduringness  of  some  shrubs  as 
well  as  trees.  Under  certain  circum- 
stances it  ripens  ea^ly  and  is  hardened 


up  before  the  winter  sets  in,  conse- 
quently it  will  stand  severer  frost  than 
the  young  wood  that  has  been  growing 
luxuriantly  in  rich  moist  land  until  late 
in  the  fall.  This  is  particularly  notice- 
able in' peach  trees,  which  under  the 
same  circumstances  do  not  endure  harder 
frost  than  they  did  thirty  years  ago.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  all  the  tender  pears, 
and  of  some  kinds  of  apples.  Indeed  I  do 
not  know  of  any  tree,  shrub  or  plant  being 
made  hardier,  however  gradual  the  ex- 
posure to  the  frost  may  have  been. 

A  long  experience  has  convinced  me 
that  trying  to  make  tender  plants  hardy 
is  only  a  waste  of  time  and  means,  so  I 
have  adopted  the  practice  of  protection. 

In  making  this  statement  I  do  not 
court  controversy,  yet  I  think  this  is  a 
subject  well  worthy  of  discussion  by 
the  members  of  the  Fruit  Growers' 
Association.  I  have  no  other  motive 
in  view  than  that  of  trying  to  promote 
the  interests  of  the  science. 

I  presume  with  you,  located  as  you 
are  between  the  great  lakes  which  have 
such  a  powerful  influence  on  the  climate, 
all  the  Deutzias  and  many  of  the  half- 
hardy  spiraeas  come  through  ordinary 
severe  winters  with  comparatively  little 
injury.  Here  however  at  the  foot  of 
Lake  Ontario  it  is  different.  Deutzias 
if  left  standing  in  exposed  places  in- 
variably get  killed  down  to  the  snow 
line,  and  as  it  is  the  last  year's  wood 
that  produces  the  best  flowering  stems, 
we  would  get  but  a  poor  show  of  flowers 
under  such  circumstances.  So  now  I 
lift  the  plants  in  the  autumn  and  heel 
them  in  with  their  tops  laid  on  the 
ground,  so  as  to  be  conveniently  covered 
with  tree  leaves  and  evergreen  bi-anches, 
which  sufliciently  protects  tliem  until 
there  comes  a  fall  of  snow,  which  is  the 
best  protection  of  all.  By  this  means 
I  am  enabled  to  lift  my  flowering  shrubs 
in  spring,  in  quite  as  good  condition  as 
they  were  laid  down  in  the  fall,  and 
am    certain  of    a   gorgeous  display    of 


86 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTUBIBT. 


flowers,  even  from  the  very  points  of  the 
young  shoots ;  and  be  it  observed  this 
is  a  convenient  method  of  propagating 
such  shrubs  because  they  are  then  easily 
divided.  I  have  found  this  by  far  the 
most  satisfactory  mode  here  of  growing 
Deutzias,  Altheas,  Almonds,  half-hardy 
spiraeas,  Treepeonias,  Weigelas  and  Hy- 
drangeas ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  that 
under  this  treatment,  the  Viburnum 
plicatum  will  give  entire  satisfaction. 
Some  will  doubtless  object  to  this 
method  as  being  laborious.  I  would 
say  in  reply,  I  have  found  it  to  be  by 
far  the  most  economical  method  of  pro- 
tectipn.  Where  plants  have  grown  too 
large  for  handling,  I  replace  them  by 
smaller  ones,  and  I  with  confidence  re- 
commend this  practice  to  whom  it  may 
concern.  D.  NicoL. 

Oataraqui,  near  Kingston. 

GRAPE  VINE  GROWING  IN  ALGOMA. 

My  experience  in  grape  vine  grow- 
ing here  has  been  varied  ;  good  expec- 
tations and  sad  disappointments.  I 
have  been  trying  them  here  for  eight 
years.  Varieties,  Concord  6  plants, 
Creveling  4  plants,  Delaware  2  plants. 
At  first  the  Creveling  made  the  best 
show,  growing  freely  and  making  great 
show  for  fruit,  but  not  setting  well, 
still  ripening  some  very  good  bunches 
of  fine  berries ;  but  after  fruiting  two 
years  the  leaves  began  to  get  black 
spots  on  them,  then  the  berries  ;  the 
spots  increased  in  size  till  the  berries 
stopped  growing  and  shrivelled  with- 
out ripening.  Next  year  it  was  so  bad 
as  to  stop  the  wood  growth,  and  what 
was  made  never  matured. 

Last  spring  when  the  buds  were  near 
bursting,  I  made  a  paint  of  sulphur, 
clay,  fresh  cow- droppings  and  soft  soap, 
and  brushed  the  canes  all  over  with  it. 
I  have  seen  something  such  used  in 
Scotland  for  vines  under  glass.  The 
gi*apes  all  but  ripened,  though  it  was 
the   shortest,  coldest  summer   I  have 


seen  here.  My  Concords  have  never 
quite  ripened  well,  and  appear  the  ten- 
derest  of  the  lot.  Two  years  ago  my 
vines  were  looking  extra  well  in  May 
and  starting  a  fine  growth,  but  we  had 
a  very  hard  frost  on  the  29th  May 
which  scorched  them  completely.  I 
allowed  them  to  stand  ten  days  to  see  i 
what  they  would  do,  but  only  a  very  % 
few  buds  offered  to  stai*t ;  so  I  rubbed 
off  all  the  buds  and  forced  them  to 
start  again  from  the  root,  when  all  of 
them  did  well,  except  the  two  strongest 
Concords,  which  were  killed  right  out. 
With  me  the  Delaware  has  been  the 
healthiest,  hardiest,  freest  fruiting  of 
the  lot,  ripening  every  season  so  as  to 
be  good  to  eat.  I  have  just  got  the 
following  sorts  for  trial,  which  I  am 
planting  in  a  very  much  better  situa- 
tion, completely  sheltered  from  the 
north  and  west  and  a  good  slope  to 
the  south-east,  namely  :  Lady,  Moore's 
Early,  Cottage,  Champion,  Worden, 
Janesville,  Martha,  Perkins,  Rogers^ 
Nos.  3,  4,  9,  15,  and  Brighton.  My 
first  planting  lies  to  the  west,  and  is 
exposed  to  the  killing  north-west  winds^ 
which  are  very  severe. 

PLUMS. 

I  planted  about  sixteen  sorts  of 
plums.  After  doing  well  for  three 
years  they  all  were  winter-killed  but 
two  Imperial  Gages  and  one  Duane's 
Purple.  Several  of  them  started  above 
the  working,  but  all  have  again  been, 
completely  killed,  except  one  Lombard 
(I  had  three  at  first).  The  Lombard 
and  Duane's  Purple  flowered  last  year, 
and  one  of  the  Imperial  Gages  had 
some  fruit.  The  curculio  is  abundant 
here  on  the  wild  plums,  which  are 
plentiful ;  the  black  knot  is  also  very 
plentiful  on  the  wild  cherries.  This 
winter  has  bo  far  been  mild  ;  last  win- 
ter we  often  had  the  mercury  frozen ; 
usually  we  have  from  three  to  five  feet 
of  snow.  Daniel  Dunn. 

St.  Joseph  Island,  Algoma. 


THE   OA.NA.DIAN    HOBTIOOLTDBIST. 


8T 


STRAWBERRY  NOTES. 
Mr.  Editor, — My  few  notes  on  the 
strawberry  at  this  time  are  for  those 
like  myself  who  love  this,  the  best  (to 
my  mind)  of  all  the  small  fruits,  and 
to  those  who  are  engaged  in  its  culti- 
vation aa  a  source  of  revenue  I  would 
oflfer  a  few  remarks. 

The  cultivation  of  this  valuable  fruit 
is  yearly  increasing  and  with  the  vari- 
eties best  suited  to  the  locality  and 
market  the  grower  lives  in,  even  if 
l»y  bringing  only  a  moderate  price  he 
may  reap  a  fair  recompense  for  his  toil. 
A  well-kept  strawberry  bed  is  an  orna- 
ment to  any  garden,  and  a  profitable 
one,  and  the  labor  required  to  keep  it 
in  order  is  a  pleasant  pastime. 

Any  ordinary  soil  will  grow  straw- 
berries, only  have  it  free  from  weeds 
and  as  rich  as  you  can  afford  to  make 
it,  especially  the  surface.  Last  spring, 
in  raising  plants  for  setting,  I  found 
the  roots  running  across  the  alleys  six 
teen  inches  apart ;  no  mulching,  no 
heaving,  no  root-breaking,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  roots  found  what  they 
needed  for  plant-growth  and  fruit  near 
the  surface.  This  bed  was  fertilized 
with  ashes  from  hardwood.  Bone  dust 
and  ashes  are  the  best  fertilizers  for 
the  strawberry. 

Some  people  advise  planting  the 
strawberry  in  July,  August,  and  Sep- 
tember. I  regard  spring  as  the  better 
time  ;  the  objections  to  fall  setting  ap- 
ply more  to  market  than  garden  cul- 
ture. It  is  often  said  that  in  setting 
plants  in  August  we  may  secure  half  a 
crop  the  next  season.  In  our  experi- 
ence we  have  never  succeeded  in  this. 
The  berries  produced  the  following 
year  from  fall-set  plants  have  always 
been  few  in  number,  and  have  gener- 
ally averaged  small  in  size.  The  plants 
rarely  become  sufficiently  rooted  before 
winter  to  yield  any  amount  of  fruit  the 
next  season. 

By  setting  tha  plants  in  spring  we 


give  them  a  whole  year  to  prepare  for 
a  crop.  The  soil  will  be  in  the  best 
condition,  and  the  weeds  are  easily 
kept  under  control:  We  cultivate  the 
plants  one  season  and  receive  a  bounti- 
ful crop  of  fruit  to  repay  the  cost, 
whereas  if  set  in  the  fall  we  must  cul- 
tivate a  year  and  a  half  before  we  re- 
ceive a  full  crop. 

The  growing  demand  for  small  fruits 
has  more  than  kept  pace  with  the  pro- 
duction, and  large  crops  are  now  mar- 
keted at  satisfactory  prices,  where  a 
few  years  since  a  few  quarts  amply  sup- 
plied the  want.  I  would  say  to  all 
engaged  in  growing  small  fruit,  either 
for  home  use  or  market,  whatever 
variety  does  best  in  your  section  hold 
on  to  it  till  you  find  a  better.  At 
the  same  time  the  quality  of  the  straw- 
berry depends  mainly  on  the  culti- 
vation, on  a  rich  soil,  clean  culture,, 
and  in  not  letting  a  weed  appear. 

In  closing  I  will  mention  a  few  vari- 
eties that  do  pretty  well  in  all  sections 
of  the  country,  viz.  :  Early — Crescent, 
Old  Ironclad,  May  King,  and  Parry. 
The  two  last  named  are  pretty  new  and 
well  worthy  of  trial.  Medium — Cum- 
berland, Triumph,  Ontario,  Daniel 
Boon,  Jewel,  Manchester.  Late — 
Mount  Vernon,  Vineland,  Cornelia, 
Kentucky.  These  varieties,  with  a  few 
more  I  might  mention,  are  the  cream 
of  the  strawberry  family. 

Granton.  JoHN   LITTLE. 

BARK-LOUSE  REMEDY. 

Mr.  D.  Young  in  his  Bark-louse 
Remedy  did  not  say  how  many  bags 
we  put  into  a  tree.  Is  it  one  to  a 
tree,  or  one  to  each  branch  ? 

A.  C.  McDonald. 

Dunlop,  Huron  Co. 

[Will  Mr.  Young  have  the  kindness 
to  reply  to  the  above  inquiry  ] — Ed. 
Can.  Hort.] 


88 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


FRUIT  GROWING  IN  ONTARIO 
COUNTY. 

This  is  the  sixth  year  I  have  sub- 
scribed for  the  Horticulturist.  It  is  of 
inestimable  value  to  me.  I  commenced 
farming  seven  years  ago  under  great 
disadvantages,  not  having  much  expe- 
rience in  farming  as  well  as  horticul- 
ture. With  the  help  of  the  Horticul- 
turist I  have  succeeded  pretty  well. 
My  farm  was  in  such  a  poor  state  of 
cultivation  that  I  was  compelled  to 
plant  fruit  trees  of  the  small  varieties 
in  very  unsuitable  places  for  their  cul- 
tivation. I  set  about  one  hundred  and 
forty  apple  trees,  twenty  pear  trees,  and 
about  the  same  number  of  plums.  The 
apple  trees  are  all  bearing  more  or  less, 
except  the  Spys.  The  pears  have  borne 
since  the  third  year  from  setting.  The 
Flemish  Beauty  is  the  most  prolific  of 
a,ll,  but  it  shows  some  signs  of  blight, 
probably  caused  by  its  vigorous  growth 
and  heavy  bearing,  requiring  more 
nourishment.  One  year  ago  last  sum- 
mer I  gave  them  a  heavy  dressing  of 
wood  ashes  and  copperas.  Last  year 
they  were  quite  recovered  and  bore 
fruit.  Plums  last  year  bore  a  heavy 
crop.  I  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  the 
Weaver.  This  variety  I  grafted  on 
wild  plum  stock,  and  in  the  fourth  year 
from  grafting  I  picked  half  a  bushel 
from  one  tree,  and  a  delicious  plum 
they  are.  My  grapes  bore  a  good  crop 
last  year,  third  year  from  setting.  Con- 
cord and  Worden  are  the  best.  I  must 
speak  a  good  word  for  the  Clinton.  I 
believe  there  is  none  more  profitable 
for  wine.  There  were  two  old  vines  on 
the  farm,  neglected  and  woven  through 
other.  I  trimmed  them  to  the  bare 
stock,  trellissed  them  eight  or  ten  feet 
high;  they  have  borne  a  heavy  crop 
every  year  since,  ripening  as  early  as 
Concord,  and  ripening  every  year.  The 
Brighton  and  Moore's  Early  that  I  re- 
ceived from  the  Society  have  not  fruit- 
ed on  account  of  being  moved.     The 


Brighton   is  a   vigorous  grower.     The 
other  articles  I  received  from  the  So- 
ciety all   grew.     My  other  varieties  of 
grapes  are  too  young  lo  say  much  about. 
Another  year  will  enable  me  to  speak 
more  fully  of  their  merits.     I  cultivate 
several    varieties    of    red   raspberries. 
Highland  Hardy  and  Cuthbert  I  like 
best,  the  first  named  on  account  of  its 
earliness  and  firmness,  which  makes  it 
profitable  as  a  shipper,  while  it  ripens 
as  early  as  the  wild  varieties.     Cuth- 
bert is  about  ten  days  later,  firm,  sweet, 
and  of  good  flavor,  and  continues  in 
bearing  until  the  blackberries  are  ripe, 
of  which   I  cultivate    the  Snyder  and 
Taylor.     I  esteem   them  very  highly; 
they    are  hardy  and   heavy  croppers. 
Of  strawberries  the  Crescent  Seedling 
pleases  me  best,  being  early  and  long 
continued  in    bearing.     It  stands  the 
winter  better  than  the  Wilson,  and  con- 
tinues longer  in  bearing.     The  Black 
Caps  I   do  not  take   much   stock   in. 
The  Mammoth  Cluster  suits  me  best. 
They  do  not  pay  in  field  culture.   Plant- 
ed close  to  a  fence,  with  a  little  atten- 
tion, they  pay  the  best  of  any  plan  I 
have  adopted.     As   I  have  my  small 
fruits  arranged,  we  have  a  succession 
from  the  10th  of  June  until  the  end  of 
August.     We  use  them  as  liberally  as 
we  do  potatoes.     I  have  sold  in  the  past 
as  many  as  would  pay  for  cultivation. 
I  see  no  reason  why  every  farmer  can- 
not cultivate  enough  for  home  use,  and 
not    have    wives  and    family   hunting 
wild  berries,  spending  more  time  than 
it  would  take  to  cultivate  all  they  re- 
quire and  have  a  very  superior  article 
besides.     The  prevailing  excuse  is.   "  I 
do  not  know  how  to  cultivate  them;" 
but  that  difficulty  is  easily  overcome. 
One  dollar  sent  to  D.  W.  Beadle,  St. 
Catharines,  will  get  the  Horticulturist 
for  one  year  and  a  copy  of  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Report.      In  them  you  will 
.  find  all  instructions  for  the  cultivation 
of  fruit,  and  many  more  useful  hints. 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTICULTDRI8T. 


89 


The  investment  is  only  the  price  of  one 
small  turkey  :  try  it,  and  you  will  never 
regret  the  venture.  J.  B.  Burk. 

Brougham  P.  O.,  Ontario  (-o. 


PARIS  GREEN  FOR  CABBAGE  WORM. 

Dkar  Sir, — In  my  remarks  in  regard 
to  using  Paris  Green  on  Cabbage  at 
the  Fruit  Grower's  Association,  in 
Stratford,  I  neglected  to  state  very 
clearly  my  plan  of  mixing  and  applying. 

Lest  any  bad  results  might  occur 
through  any  misunderstanding,  I  beg 
leave  to  state  more  clearly  my  experi- 
ence on  the  subject.  I  put  about  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  Paris  (ireen  to  about 
one-half  bushel  of  Land  Plaster,  mixing 
thoroughly.  This  quantity,  if  kept 
dry,  will  be  enough  for  500  cabbage 
(luring  the  growing  season,  dusting  on 
;i  small  quantity  in  the  evening  as 
soon  in  the  season  as  the  worms  begin 
to  appear,  and  continuing  every  week 
or  ten  days  till  the  cabbage  have  grown 
full  size.  I  would  not  put  any  on 
cauliflowei-s  after  they  begin  to  head 
up,  or  on  cabbage  that  are  bui*sted  or 
open  in  the  head.  In  this  way  I  have 
kej)t  my  cabViage  free  of  worms,  and 
raised  very  heavy  crops.  I  might 
state  also  that  after  I  had  cut  all  the 
good  heads  out  in  the  fall,  leaving  the 
useless  ones  and  all  the  outside  leaves, 
with  the  intention  of  plowing  them 
down,  some  of  my  cattle  got  in  and 
eat  all  they  could  devour  of  them,  and 
none  of  them  seemed  to  suffer  in  the 
least  from  it.  This  was  about  four 
weeks  after  I  had  stopped  using  the 
Paris  Green.  We  have  used  neai'ly 
all  tlie  cabbage  in  our  own  family  for 
the  past  two  seasons,  with  no  bad 
results. 

If  you  think  this  experience  would 
be  of  any  benefit,  you  can  add  it  to 
the  report.        Yours  respectfully, 

Dan  1 61  Dkmpsey. 

Stratford,  Out, 


THE  STRIPED  SQUASH-BEETLE. 

I  wish  to  ask  is  there  really  any 
known  remedy  for  the  striped  bug, 
excepting  the  old  Indian  remedy — 
catch  him,  then  you  may  kill  him. 
Heretofore  I  have  not  suffered  materi- 
ally from  their  ravages.  I  have  gene- 
rally planted  a  few  squashes  through 
the  cucumber  and  melon  patches  early 
to  give  them  their  first  meals,  and  to 
give  time  and  warning  of  their  ap- 
proach. This  method  has  been  all  that 
has  been  needed  till  the  past  summer 
when  they  came  suddenly,  and  in 
swarms.  Had  I  been  away  that  day 
they  would  not  have  left  a  hill  stand- 
ing. Some  strong  hills,  in  the  short 
time  of  two  hours,  were  completely 
riddled,  having  as  many  as  eighty  on 
a  single  hill.  I  must  have  killed  one 
or  two  thousand  the  first  half  day. 

After  three  days  they  were  some- 
what abated.  I  replanted  the  destroy- 
ed hills,  and  then  began  trying  reme- 
dies. First  was  white  hellebore  sifted 
on  till  the  plants  were  covered  ;  second, 
a  table  spoonful  of  carbolic  acid  to  a 
pail  of  water,  applied  with  a  brush, 
drendiing  three  or  four  times  in  two 
hours,  then  adding  two  tea  spoonfuls 
Paris  green ;  but  all  to  no  purj)ose. 
Then  a  friend  came  along  and  told  me 
his  remedy  that  had  never  failed, 
namely,  paper  flags  fastened  to  sticks 
so  as  to  wave  just  above  the  plants.  I 
asked  him  whether  it  must  be  the 
Union  Jack  or  the  Stai-s  and  Stripes  ; 
he  thought  the  <  >ld  Lion  the  best.  How- 
ever, the  little  scamps  did  not  scare 
worth  a  cent,  but  continued  their  work 
if  the  flags  did  not  brush  them  away. 
Another  remedy  was  an  emulsion  of 
sweet  milk,  ten  parts  to  one  of  coal  oil. 
One  neighbor  told  me  he  applied  tliis 
when  they  i*aised  in  a  swarm  l>eforr 
him.  It  was  a  failure  with  me,  as  I 
wet  many  of  their  backs,  but  that  did 
not  stoj)  their  dinnere.  I  aj)plied  it 
with  a  brush  three  times  on  a  small 


90 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


plot  as  fast  as  it  would  dry.  As  a  last 
resort  I  took  clean  Paris  green  and 
sifted  directly  on  the  plant  that  was 
being  eaten.  While  the  upper  surface 
was  covered  with  the  green  they  con- 
tinued to  eat  away  on  the  under  surface 
till  destroyed,  provided  it  kept  dry  and 
without  dew  or  rain.  Some  of  the  first 
application  was  wet  by  a  rain-fall  and 
the  plants  all  destroyed.  For  the  past 
six  years  the  only  remedy  I  have  found 
is  to  hand-pick  them  early  in  the  morn- 
ing as  soon  as  they  appear,  let  the  task 
be  ever  so  great. 

J.  P.  Williams. 
Bloomfield,  P.  Ed.  Co. 

GRAPES. 

Dear  Sir, — It  has  been  stated  in 
the  Horticulturist  that  those  subscribers 
receiving  premium  plants  and  vines 
are  expected  to  report  success  or  other- 
wise as  their  experience  may  be,  and 
give  opinions  in  reference  to  merit  in 
various  locations.  I  send  you  a  little 
experience  I  have  had  with  those  re- 
ceived from  the  Association  and  other 
sources. 

I  do  not  grow  grapes  largely  for 
market,  but  chiefly  for  private  use  as 
table  grapes  (canning  purposes),  and 
presents  to  friends.  I  have  grown  33 
varieties,  and  do  gather  them  by  the 
bushel.  As  for  the  best  varieties,  the 
Delaware  has  till  lately,  say  two  or 
three  yeare,  held  first  place,  but  has 
had  to  take  a  back  seat.  The  Brighton 
now  stands  pre-eminently  victor.  It 
has  steadily  improved  with  age  and 
in  the  strength  of  the  vine  till  this 
year,  as  unfavorable  as  it  has  been 
with  us,  they  were  all  gathered  before 
the  frost,  and  soon  after  the  Champion. 
I  could  pick  bunches  by  the  dozen  of 
J  lb.  weight,  while  a  few  turned  the 
scale  at  IJ  lbs.  I  placed  a  number 
of  different^kinds  of  grapes  in  the  fruit 
room  sepai-ately,  and  all  other  kinds 
had     but    few    customers     while    the 


Brighton  remained.  Visitors  and  all 
parties  testing  it  pronounced  it  the 
best  out-door  grape  they  ever  saw. 
Some  were  kept  to  try  their  keeping 
qualities  ;  they  remained  good  till  near 
J)ecember.  Some  were  dried  some- 
thing like  raisins,  in  a  warm  room. 
They  were  meaty  and  pleasant,  while 
the  Delaware  and  all  others  tested, 
dried  away  to  nothing  but  skins  and 
seeds.  The  Moore's  Early  was  laden 
well  for  a  small  vine,  and  colored  but  a 
little  behind  Champion,  which  was  very 
poor,  some  fine  clusters  being  left  on 
till  frost  came,  but  without  any  im- 
provement as  to  quality  ;  neither  do  I 
think  it  as  good  as.  Champion  for 
cooking.  The  famed  Prentiss,  which 
made  such  a  stir  among  grape  men 
has,  I  think,  got  too  near  the  North 
Pole  ;  except  it  greatly  improves  with 
age,  it  must  be  discarded  and  put  down 
as  worthless.  The  Worden  vine  I 
received  was  a  poor,  weakly  plant, 
scarcely  made  a  live  of  it  the  first  year, 
and  making  but  little  growth  the  second 
year,  has  made  a  very  fine  growth  the 
past  year,  and  will  give  some  specimens 
in  the  near  future.  I  have  set  15 
vines  of  the  Jessica,  and  was  much 
taken  with  the  quality  of  its  fruit  and 
early  fruiting.  The  first  vine  set  out 
the  first  year  set  three  bunches,  the 
only  vine  that  ever  fruited  with  me 
the  first  year.  I  left  only  one-half  of 
the  first  two  bunches  to  ripen.  I  fear 
the  vine  is  quite  tender,  and  will  want 
careful  attention  in  our  northern  cli- 
mate ;  I  hope,  also,  this  will  improve 
with  age  and  strength  of  vine.  Early 
Dawn  fruit  very  like  Clinton ;  quite 
tender,  and  sprightly,  ripened  very 
fine  this  year,  began  to  ripen  in  part 
with  Champion  ;  fruit  keeps  well. 
Hartford  Prolific  does  well  with  me  ; 
very  seldom  fails  to  ripen,  bears  heavily, 
and  is  a  good  canning  variety.  I  had 
this  year  110  bunches  on  one  branch 
of  a  vine,  which  occupied  15  feet  each 


THE   CANADIAN    HOBTI0DLTURI8T. 


91 


way  of  the  trellis,  and  have  discarded 
many,  such  as  the  Adirondac,  for  which 
I  paid  .f  5,00  for  a  small  vine,  Ontario, 
Northern  Muscadine,  Isabella,  Iona,Con- 
cord,  Creveling,  Pocklington,  Rogers' 
15,  19,  22,  43;  the  44  is  the  best, 
though  not  yet  tested  by  me. 

I  have  the  Niagara,  Woodruff,  Jef- 
ferson, Lady  Washington,  Duchess? 
Walter,  Wilder,  Brant,  and  Early  Vic- 
tor. The  Duchess  and  Lady  Washing- 
ton both  fruited  and  partially  ripened ; 
some  berries  of  the  Lady  Washington 
were  very  high  flavored  and  fine.  I 
hope,  in  a  favorable  season,  they  will 
delight  us  with  their  large  and  showy 
clusters,  as  well  as  the  popular  Niagara. 

PLUMS. 

The  Glass  Seedling  Plum  is  very 
fine,  all  that  was  claimed  for  it ;  a 
good,  hardy  grower,  and  fine  bearer  ; 
is  not  surpassed  for  canning,  and  has 
but  few  equals. 

Moore's  Arctic  and  Curculio  proof 
tree  has  blossomed  around  me  in  several 
places,  while  the  larger  and  older  tree 
I  have  has  not  yet  done  so  ;  neither 
have  I  seen  any  fruit  of  it  in  my  neigh- 
borhood, for  the  curculios  destroyed 
them  all  every  time.  It  appears  a 
very  tender  tree ;  I  have  grafted  it  on 
others  several  times  ;  they  have  always 
frozen  in  winter,  besides  common  sorts, 
as  Washington,  Princess,  Peach,  Egg, 
Lombard,  tfec,  have  come  out  all  right. 
My  original  tree  is  still  sound,  and  I 
hope  to  see  the  fruit  this  coming  year. 
I  am  trying  the  Shippers  Pride — the 
trees  have  done  well  so  far  ;  will  report 
on  them  further  on.  The  Russian 
Apple  received  last  spring  has  grown 
fairly,  but  I  do  not  think  they  are  an 
•  xtra  strong  grower. 

fay's    red    CURRANT, 

of  which  we  have  such  splendid  draw- 
ings in  our  paper,  have  surpiissed  every 
other  currant  in  growth  so  far,  except 
the  Raby  Castle  which,   I  think,  will 


fill  the  next  place  to  it  as  far  as  yet 
tested. 

RASPBERRIES. 

I  only  keep  a  few  varieties,  and  have 
held  on  to  the  old  Red  Antwerp  for 
30  yeai-s,  and  have  been  well  pleased 
with  results.  Laterly,  I  have  planted 
Cuthbert,  Philadelphia,  Reliance,  Vic- 
toria, Franconia,  and  several  others. 
I  can't  say  that  I  find  any  surpassing 
the  old  Antwerp ;  the  Cuthbert  comes 
nearest  in  quality  and  productiveness, 
and  stands  second  in  our  list.  We 
gathered  by  the  pailful  off  a  small  plot 
till  we  did  not  want  any  more,  and 
then  gave  pailfuls  away.  The  apple 
crop  is  our  principal  crop.  Small 
fruits  call  for  so  much  time  to  market 
that  we  cannot  attend  to  it. 

APPLES. 

I  am  looking  hopefully  to  the  Rus- 
sian family  for  something  to  turn  up  ; 
some  kind  of  winter  fruit  that  will 
save  with  the  Golden  Russet,  and  prove 
as  prolific  and  showy  as  the  Olden- 
hurgh,  that  will  be  a  strong  and  vig- 
orous grower  to  retop  our  2nd  and  3rd 
class  fruits.  Very  many  kinds  are 
appearing  to  fail  both  in  quality,  quan- 
tity, and  the  general  appearance  be- 
coming nubby-spotted,  worthless  for 
shipping— such  as  the  Snow ;  it  is 
played  out,  constitution  gone,  while 
the  tree  may  be  made  profitable  by 
retopping.  The  Swaar,  Fall  Pippin, 
Yellow  Pippin,  Jeneting,  Benoni,  Yel- 
low Harvest,  and  a  lot  of  others  too 
numerous  to  mention,  and  the  sooner 
the  Fruit  Growei-s  get  into  something 
large  and  fine  the  better !  and  what 
shall  it  be?  Have  you,  Mr.  Editor, 
ever  seen  or  grown  the  famed  Non- 
pariel,  of  Nova  Scotia  ;  I  would  like  to 
try  it  in  Canada.  If  any  of  your 
reader's  can  direct  me  where  I  can  find 
it,  it  will  N3  esteemed  a  favor. 
Yours  truly, 

J.  P.  Williams. 


\)'2 


THE  CANADIAN    HORT1CULTDRI8T. 


GLOXINIAS  AND  GESNKRIAS. 

Tliese  beautiful  plants  are  not  very 
common  in  Canada,  nor  do  I  suppose 
they  ever  will  become  so  in  the  same 
degree  as  the  Geranium  and  a  few 
other  plants  which  can  be  grown  with 
a  measure  of  success  under  very  varied 
conditions,  and  which  T  am  pleased  to 
know  can  be  seen  in  nearly  every  real 
home  in  our  country.  I  am  quite 
aware  of  the  fact  that  neither  Glox- 
inias nor  Gesnerias  will  ever  become 
such  universal  household  necessities  as 
these  plants  I  have  just  alluded  to,  but 
there  is  no  reason  why  they  should  be 
so  very  rare  and  uncommon  as  they 
are.  Well  grown,  perfect  specimens  of 
either  are  nearly  as  beautiful  as  it  is 
possible  for  anything  in  the  floral  king- 
dom to  be.  And  the  Gloxinia  in 
particular,  by  its  neat,  compact  form  of 
growth,  freedom  from  insect  pests,  and 
long  continuance  of  bloom,  has,  with 
the  Gesneria,  much  to  recommend  it 
for  the  conservatory.  After  several 
failures  I  have  had  my  efibrts  to  grow 
these  beautiful  plants  crowned  with 
perfect  success.  Last  season  my  Glox- 
inias were  in  bloom  from  May  until 
September,  and  sometimes  a  dozen  and 
a  half  of  fine  blooms  on  a  single  plant. 

I  will  give  a  brief  outline  of  the 
treatment  required  (or  what  was  suc- 
cessful with  me)  in  the  culture  of  the 
Gloxinia,  and  this  will  in  the  main 
answer  for  both. 

In  the  first  place  get  bulbs  (if  you 
can)  which  have  been  keept  right ;  that 
is,  which,  while  resting,  have  been 
kept  dry,  or  nearly  so,  and  at  a  high 
temperature.  Pot  in  soil  composed 
largely  of  leaf  mould  or  something 
light  and  porous.  Do  not  fill  the  pots 
within  an  inch  of  the  top,  as  later  on 
the  plants  may  need  filling  in  with 
earth  to  make  them  firm.  Cover  the 
bulbs  about  half  an  inch  deep  with 
soil,  and  place  the  pots  in  a  frame  or 
case  in  a  warm  pai-t  of  the  conserva- 


tory." It  is  best  to  have  considerable 
bottom  heat  at  first.  Water  sparingly 
till  after  growth  commences.  Do  not, 
if  possible,  at  this  stage,  or  at  any 
time  wet  the  leaves  or  subject  them  to 
bright  sunlight,  as  either  of  these  mis- 
takes will  destroy  the  velvety  beauty 
of  the  foliage.  After  the  plants  have 
become  well  established,  water  can  be 
given  freely.  Keep  an  even  but  high 
temperature  and  a  humid  atmosphere 
until  the  plants  commence  to  flower. 
The  temperature  may  then  be  lowered 
as  it  lengthens  the  blooming  season. 
After  bloom  has  ceased  withhold  water 
and  place  the  pots  in  a  warm  place  to 
rest  the  bulbs  until  again  required. 
The  Gesneria  requires  the  same  treat- 
ment with  the  exception  that  I  find  it 
best  to  plant  several  bulbs  of  some 
varieties  in  one  large  pot.  A  pot  of 
Gesneria  zebrina,  treated  as  advised^ 
will  form  a  great  bush  nearly  three 
feet  high,  and  at  blooming  time  will  be 
spangled  with  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 
bright  red  and  orange  colored  flowers, 
which,  with  the  rich  velvety  purple 
and  green  of  the  leaves  beneath,  makes 
an  object  of  lare  beauty. 

I  think  among  Gloxinias  that  the 
drooping  kinds  are  the  most  beautiful, 
although  I  know  it  is  considered  pro- 
per to  admire  the  erect  kinds  the  most. 
The  erect  Gloxinia  is  a  somewhat  late 
introduction,  and  has  been  produced,  I 
believe,  by  the  skill  of  the  florist,  and 
is  considered  by  some  as  a  striking  ex- 
ample of  the  way  in  which  art  can 
mend  nature  ;  but  I  cannot  help  feel- 
ing that  much  of  the  gj-ace  and  beauty 
of  a  bell- shaped  flower,  such  as  this  is, 
is  lost  by  turning  it  stifily  upward  at  a 
correct  angle  of  just  so  many  degrees. 
I  would  advise  no  one  to  attempt  the 
culture  of  either  of  these  plants  if  not 
thoroughly  in  earnest  about  it,  for  an 
ill-grown  specimen  of  either  is  a  poor 
object,  and  bears  about  as  much  re- 
semblance to  a  well-grown   and  ])erfect 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


93 


one,  as  a  dirty,  unkempt  arab  waif 
from  the  city's  slums  does  to  a  bright, 
clean,  and  tenderly  cared-for  little 
child.  Frederick  Mitchell. 

Innerkip,  Jan.  27th,  1886. 

GRAPES. 

I  have  to  apologize  for  not  answer- 
ing your  card  of  the  l-'th  December  re 
Grapes.  I  have  removed  from  Bramp- 
ton. Your  card  was  forwarded  in  due 
course  but  it  got  mislaid. 

A  large  variety  of  grapes  are  grown 
around  Brampton  with  success.  My 
own  experience  on  clay  soil  was  in 
favor  of  Delaware,  Massasoit,  and 
Clinton.  Salem  and  Burnet  mildewed 
bad.  Brighton  looked  well  but  had 
not  fruited.  At  the  county  fall  fair  I 
have  seen  some  splendid  bunches  of 
Eumelan,  Merrimack,  and  Wilder  and 
Concord.  Yours  truly, 

Wm.  Miller. 
Oshawa,  Jan.  15th,  1886. 


STRAWBERRY  GROWING. 

Mr.  Editor, — I  have  noticed  in 
some  journals  lately  about  large  crops 
of  straw ben-ies.  Now,  as  I  am  only  a 
novice  in  raising  them  I  thought  that 
r  would  give  you  my  (experience  and 
mode  of  cultivating  them  as  it  is  the 
tii-st  time  I  have  ever  grown  them. 

In  the  latter  part  of  August  I 
jtlanted  one  row  each,  75  feet  long,  of 
tlie  following  kinds  : —  Cumberland 
Friumph,  Miners,  Windsor  Chief,  Park 
Beauty,  Vinoland,  Jei-sey  Queen,  Charles 
Downing  and  Sharpless,  plants  1  foot 
ai)art  in  rows  2},  feet  apart.  In  the 
fall  when  the  plants  were  well  estab- 
lished [  manured  heavily  between  the 
if)ws  with  old  rotted  stable  manure. 
\fter  finest  I  covered  lightly  with  corn- 
.^udks.  In  the  following  spring  I  cut 
ofl'  all  blossoms  and  runners  and  kept 
the  ground  well  hoed  and  hand-weeded 
tlir<)UL,di()ut.     The  next  year  I  allowed 


them  to  make  narrow  matted  rows. 
The  result  was  402  quart  baskets  sold 
at  10  cents  each,  and  90  quarts  used 
in  the  family  ;  1 6  berries  of  the  Jersey 
Queen,  Sharpless,  and  Miners  prolific, 
tilled  several  baskets.  [How  many 
baskets  did  you  fill  with  sixteen  ber- 
ries?— Ed.]  Do  you  consider  this  a 
good  yield  1 

Youra  truly,  J.  W    M. 

Toronto. 

GOOSEBERRIES. 
I  would  like  to  say  a  word  respect- 
ing the  gooseberry  figured  in  the  De- 
cember number  (I88f»).  I  believe  it 
to  be  the  old  Crown  Bob  which  I  can 
remember  for  more  than  thirty  years, 
and  I  suppose  it  was  an  old  berry  then. 
I  have  grown  it  here  in  St.  Thomas 
for  the  last  five  yeai*s  and  I  had  berries 
last  year  nearly  as  large  and  high 
colored  as  shown  in  the  picture.  It 
has  never  mildewed  with  me,  but  is 
not  a  strong  grower  on  my  soil,  though 
very  productive.  1  find  the  Downing 
ahead  of  anything  I  have  seen  here 
yet  for  flavor,  size,  productiveness,  and 
strong  vigorous  growth.  I  grow  some 
five  or  six  varieties  all  under  the  same 
conditions,  get  good  crops  every  year, 
and  have  never  seen  a  particle  of  mil- 
dew. 

St.  Thomaa.  JoHN    WhitHAM. 

PARIS  GREEN  FOR  CODLIN  MOTH. 
T  tried  Paris  green  and  carbolic  acid 
on  three  apple  trees  with  good  results, 
giving  them  three  applications  in  three 
weeks,  the  fii'st  just  as  the  blossoms 
began  to  fall.  One  tree  was  the  Grand 
Sultan  which  had  for  the  last  four 
years  shed  all  the  fruit  but  a  very  few 
irregular  specimens,  the  ground  being 
covered  till  near  all  had  fallen.  This 
year  they  were  smooth  and  glossy,  the 
limV)S  almost  breaking  with  fruit,  and 
not  a  dozen  in  all  fell  before  ripe,  the 
whole  crop  b«»ing  gathered  at  once.      I 


94 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


did  not  see  half  a  dozen  apples  with 
a  sign  of  a  worm  upon  them.  The 
proportions  were  half  a  teaspoonful  of 
Paris  Green,  and  one  tablespoonful  of 
Carbolic  acid  to  about  two-thirds  of  a 
pail  of  water,  and  a  little  lime  to  save 
the  leaves.  I  used  it  on  some  plums 
twice  and  the  leaves  began  to  die ;  I 
stopped  its  use,  but  did  not  save  all 
the  plums. 
Bloomfield.  J.  P.  Williams. 


STYKAX  JAPONIC  A. 
Several  years  ago,  a  plant  named 
Styrax  Japonica  was  introduced  from 
Japan,  Plants  were  advertised  and 
sold  for  two  years,  since  which  time 
only  one  firm  has  had  the  plant  cata- 
logued, so  far  as  I  am  aware.  The 
reason  for  this  is  that  the  plants  never 
flowered,  though  they  were  represented 
as  bearing  beautiful  flowers.  Many 
complaints  followed,  and  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  plant  was  consequently  stop- 
ped. Briefly,  I  wish  to  rescue  the 
Styrax  Japonica  from  its  undeserved 
condemnation  and  place  it  where  it 
rightly  belongs,  among  our  fine  orna- 
mental shrubs.  I  had  one  of  the  first 
plants  sent  out ;  and  though  it  did  not 
flower  for  several  years,  I  kept  on  grow- 
ing it  for  the  sake  of  its  fine  form  and 
beautiful  foliage.  I  have  had  my  reward. 
For  two  years  past  it  has  been  covered 
with  its  beautiful  pendulous,  bell-shaped 
flowers,  which  are  as  white  as  pure 
snow.  The  flowers  are  succeeded  by 
numerous  white,  oval  berries  nearly  an 
inch  long,  which  hang  suspended  to  the 
branches  till  killed  by  frost.  The 
plant  is  beautiful  in  flower  and  in  fruit, 
and  ornamental  at  all  times.  It  is  by 
no  means  the  only  plant  that  will  not 
flower  till  it  has  a  few  years  of  age. 
Any  one  who  is  willing  to  wait  can  not 
fail  to  be  pleased  with  this  plant  at  its 
maturity.  Its  propagation  should  be 
resumed  by  somebody. — Rural  New- 
Yorker. 


GRAPE  VINES  AT  SARNIA. 
Mr.  Peter  Wellington  reports  that 
the  Moore's  Early  and  Worden  were 
both  killed  by  summer  frost,  and  that 
the  Concord,  Clinton,  and  Delaware 
are  the  principal  varieties  grown  in 
that  part  of  the  country. 


BOOKS  &c. 

Native  Grapes  of  the  United  States, 
an  exceedingly  valuable  and  exhaustive 
paper,  read  before  the  American  Hor- 
ticultural Society  at  its  last  meeting, 
by  T.  V.  Munson,  Denison,  Texas. 

The  National  Journal  of  Carp  Cul- 
ture is  the  only  journal  in  the  United 
States  devoted  to  the  subject  of  carp 
culture.  It  was  established  in  1885,  is 
issued  monthly,  at  fifty  cents  a  year. 
Those  interested  in  carp  culture  can 
obtain  a  sample  copy  free  by  addressing 
L.  B.  Logan,  Akron,  Ohio. 

The  Maryland  Farmer,  published 
at  Baltimore,  Maryland,  by  Ezra  Whit- 
man, at  $1.00  a  year,  is  a  monthly 
magazine  of  32  pages,  devoted  to  agri- 
culture, ably  edited  by  a  veteran  agri- 
culturist. It  begins  the  year  1886  in 
beautiful  style,  with  new  cover  of  hand- 
some design,  new  type  and  superior 
paper,  giving  it  a  very  attractive  ap- 
pearance. 

North  East  Europe  Fruits  are  ex- 
haustively treated,  so  far  as  our  know- 
ledge of  them  at  present  extends,  in  a 
Bulletin  of  the  Iowa  Agricultural  Col- 
ledge  just  issued.  It  contains  a  revised 
list  of  names,  with  notes  on  some  of  the 
fruits,  trees,  and  shrubs  from  Nort  East 
Europe  on  trial  in  the  College  grounds, 
and  which  have  been  sent  out  for  trial 
during  the  past  six  years. 

Vick's  Floral  Guide  for  1886  comes 
as  usual  in  beautiful  and  attractive 
garb.  The  cover  is  a  most  artistic  thing 
of  itself,  the  interior  a  charming  pic- 
ture book,  and  the  reading  matter  in- 
teresting and  instructive,  such  as  the 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


95 


article  on  Roses,  Keeping  Fruit,  Onions, 
Mushroom  growing,  the  Young  Garden- 
ers, &c.  Send  ten  cents  to  James  Vick, 
Rochester,  N.Y.,  for  a  copy,  and  if  you 
order  seeds  this  will  be  credited  on  your 
order. 

The  Gardeners'  Monthly  edited  by 
Thomas  Meehan,  and  published  by 
Charles  H.  Marot,  814  Chestnut  Street, 
Philadelphia,  at  $2  a  year,  is  a  most 
welcome  visitor.  It  is  always  filled 
with  valuable  information  on  horticul- 
tural subjects,  and  the  latest  intelligence 
of  new  and  interesting  plants,  fruits,  etc. 
We  advise  our  friends  who  want  the 
best  horticultural  publication  in  the 
United  States  to  send  to  the  publisher 
for  a  copy. 

Alderis  Library  Magazine  is  a  most 
valuable  eclectic  monthly  published  by 
John  B.  Alden,  New  York,  at  the  low 
price  of  $1.50  a  year.  The  January 
number  contains  Premier  Gladstone's 
celebrated  article  on  the  Dawn  of 
Creation  and  Worship,  and  the  Fe- 
bruary number  T.  H.  Huxley's  reply, 
entitled  The  Interpretei-s  of  Genesis 
and  the  Interpreters  of  Nature.  In  the 
March  number  is  an  article  by  S. 
Laing,  on  Mr.  Gladstone  as  a  theologian. 
Other  articles  on  a  variety  of  interest- 
ing and  live  topics  of  the  day  fill  the 
nearly  one  hundred  pages  of  each 
monthly  issue.  Single  numbers  can  be 
had  for  fifteen  cents. 

Portfolio  of  rare  and  beautiful  flowers, 
published  by  James  Vick,  seedsman, 
Rochester,  N.  Y.  is  a  most  beautiful 
and  artistic  production.  The  work  con- 
tains six  large  colored  paintings  of 
natural  size  on  fine  heavy  paper,  twelve 
by  fourteen  inches,  executed  with  the 
utmost  fidelity  to  nature,  and  accom- 
panied by  descriptions  and  information 
relative  to  the  plants  and  the  several 
families  to  which  they  belong,  corres- 
ponding in  elegance  and  interest  with 
Ie  paintings  themselves.  The  Port- 
lio  makes  a    rich  ornament   for   the 


parlour  table,  and  will  be  highly  prized 
by  every  lover  of  the  beautiful  It  may 
be  had  by  sending  .  two  dollars  to  the 
publisher. 

A  Literary  curiosity  is  just  issued  by 
John  B.  Alden,  Publisher,  New  York, 
at  the  low  price  of  50  cents.  It  is  a 
copy  of  a  quaint  poem  which  was  pub- 
lished nearly  half  a  century  before 
Milton's  Paradise  Lost  and  it  is  thought 
by  some  that  Milton's  immortal  work 
was  inspired  by  this  poem.  Only  two 
copies  of  the  original  issue  are  known 
to  be  in  existence,  one  in  the  British 
Museum,  the  other  in  the  Bodleian 
Library.  It  is  entitled  "The  Glasse 
of  Time  in  the  first  and  second  Age, 
Divinely  handled  by  Thomas  Peyton, 
of  Lincolnes  Inne,  Gent.,  1620."  The 
present  reprint  preserves  the  quaint 
spelling,  capital  letters  and  italics  of 
the  original. 

Poultry  for  Pleasure  and  Profit  is 
the  title  of  a  very  neat  little  book  of 
48  pages  by  G.  M.  T.  Johnson,  Bing- 
hampton,  N.Y.,  in  which  the  writer 
treats  of  fowls  under  three  heads  : — 1st, 
those  whose  chief  merit  is  their  beauty  ; 
2nd,  those  whose  specialty  is  for  eggs ; 
and  3rd,  those  best  calculated  for  mar- 
ket, Chapters  are  also  devoted  to  the 
requisites  for  making  the  keeping  of 
poultry  both  pleasant  and  profitable, 
how  to  house  and  yard  them,  how  to 
manage,  feed,  &c.  The  price  of  the 
book  is  only  25  cents.  If  any  of  our 
readers  would  like  to  have  a  copy  we 
will  send  one  on  receipt  of  name  of  one 
new  subscriber  and  one  dollar.  When 
sending  the  name  please  to  state  that 
you  want  this  book. 


British  Orchards. — Last  year  there 
were  194,723  acres  of  fruit  orchards  in 
Great  Britain.  This  year  the  area  has  in- 
creased to  107,532  acres.  Last  year  52,975 
acres  were  devoted  to  market  gardens. 
There  are  now  59,473  devoted  to  this  pur- 
I    pose. 


96 


THK   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


MY  AIN  COUNTREE. 

I  am  far  from  my  hame,  an  I'm  weary  often  whiles 
For  the  longed  for  hame,- -bringin'  all  my  Father's 

welcome  smiles ; 
I'll  ne'er  be  fu  content,  until  my  een  do  see 
The  gowden  gates  o'  heaven,  and  my  ain  countree. 

The  earth  is  fleck'd  wi  flowers,  mony-tinted,  fresh,  and 

gay. 
The  birdies  warble  blithely,  for  my  Fatlier  made  them 

sae ; 
But  these  sights  an*  these  souns,  will  as  naething  be 

to  me 
When  I  hear  the  angels  singing  in  my  ain  countree. 

I've  his  gude  word  o'  promise,  that  some  gladsome 

day,  the  King 
To  his  ain  royal  palace,  his  banished  hame  will  bring  ; 
Wi  sere  an  wi  heart  runnin  oure  we  shall  see 
"  The  King  in  his  beauty,"  in  our  ain  countree. 

My  sins  have  been  mony,  an  my  sorrows  have  been 

sair. 
But  there  they'll  never  vex  me,  nor  be  remembered 

mair  ; 
His  bluid  has  made  nie  white,  his  hand  shall  wipe 

mine  ee, 
Wnen  he  brings  me  hame  at  last  to  my  ain  countree. 

Like  a  bairn  to  its  mither,  a  wee  birdie  to  its  nest, 
I  wad  fain  be  gangin'  noo  unto  my  Saviour's  breast ; 
For  he  gathers  in  his  bosom,  witless,  worthless  lambs 

like  me. 
An  he  carries  them  himsel  to  his  ain  countree. 

He's  faithfu  that  has  promised;  He'll  surely  come 

again  ; 
Hell  keep  his  tryst*  wi  me ;  at  what  hour  I  dinna  ken ; 
But  he  bids  me  still  to  watch,  an  ready  aye  to  be 
To  gang  at  any  moment  to  my  ain  countree. 

So  I'm  watchin'  aye  an  singia'  o'  my  hame  as  I  wait 
For  the  squndin  o"  his  footsteps,  this  side  the  gowden 

gate; 
God  gie  his  grace  to  ilk  a  ane  wha  listens  noo  to  me. 
That  we  may  a'  gang  in  gladness  to  our  ain  countree. 

•  Tryst— appointment. 
—London  Advertiser. 


Keeping  Gooseberries. — Dr.  Hoskin^ 
of  Vermont,  says  it  is  not  generally  known 
that  gooseberries  can  be  perfectly  pre- 
served the  year  round  in  common  bottles 
with  pure  water.  See  that  no  broken  or 
crushed  berries  get  into  the  bottle,  but  all 
sound,  perfect  fruit ;  then  fill  up  with  cold 
spring  or  well  water,  ci>rk  tight  and  set 
away  in  a  cool  cellar.  No  sealing  is  ne- 
cessary. 

Keeping  Grapes. — Fussing  up  grapes 
with  cotton,  sawdust,  paper,  wax,  and  so 


on,  to  keep  them  into  the  Winter,  is  all 
nonsense.  Let  the  grapes  ripen  perfectly, 
and  then  carefully  pick  into  shallow  boxes, 
or  baskets,  and  without  changing  or  dis- 
turbing, keep  them  in  the  coolest  place 
yru  can  command.  That's  all  there  is  of 
it.  The  cooler  the  better,  so  they  don't 
freeze. —  Wine  and  Fruit  Crrower. 

New  Race  of  Pinks.  —  A  French 
nurseryman,  M.  Regnier,  sends  out  a  new 
variety  of  Pink  which  originated  with  him 
under  the  name  of  Alexandre  Regnier. 
"  This  Pink,"  he  says,  "  forms  the  com- 
mencement of  an  entirely  new  and  inter- 
esting race,  the  plant  being  robust  and 
very  harcy.  The  flowers  are  numerously 
produced,  are  borne  on  sturdy,  upright 
stems,  and  never  burst."  The  flowers  are 
sulphur  yellow,  and  the  season  of  bloom- 
ing is  so  long  the  variety  is  called  a  per- 
petual bloomer. — Vick's  Magazine. 

Moore's  Diamond  Grape.  —  As  tlie 
above  grape  was  noticed  in  your  Magazine 
last  season,  and  we  have  one  year's  more 
experience,  I  will  say  a  little  more  about 
it.  Bunch  large,  berry  above  medium  or 
large.  A  most  beautiful  golden  yellow, 
and  of  the  best  quality.  Vine  perfectly 
hardy  and  healthy.  It  rots,  like  nearly 
all  other  grapes,  but  I  don't  care  for  that, 
as  it  is  worth  sacking  if  every  sack  cost 
two  cents,  instead  of  only  one-quarter  of 
a  cent.  It  is  about  as  early  as  any  grape 
in  my  collection  of  sixty  varieties.  I  look 
upon  it  as  one  of  the  coming  grapes. — 
Samuel  Miller,  in  Vick's  Magazine. 

White  Plume  Celery. — Our  White 
Plume  Celery  is  turning  out  very  desirable 
in  spite  of  remarks  in  these  columns  to 
the  contrary.  We  have  two  kinds,  the 
White  Plume  and  the  Improved  White 
Plijme,  the  latter  of  which  is  a  trifle  more 
vigorous  than  the  other,  and  gives  a  few 
more  stalks  to  the  plant  The  outside 
leaves  are  green  or  variegated  ;  the  inside 
leaves  a  cream-white.  'J  he  foliage  looks 
pretty  in  glasses  or  celery  "  boats,"  and 
the  stalks,  though  not  quite  so  tender  as 
celery  blanched  in  the  usual  way,  and 
perhaps  not  quite  so  mild  or  sweet,  are 
yet  very  palatable.  It  is  now  a  question 
whether  this  self -blanching  celery  is  not 
the  best  for  early  use. — Rural  Neiv- 
Yorker. 


PRINTED   AT  THK   STEAM   PRESS    KSTABLISHMKNT   OF   TIIK   COPP,    CLARK   COMPANY  (LIMITED),    TORONTO. 


The    6 


ELMONT. 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


MAY,  1886. 


[No.  5. 


THE   BELMONT 

This  new  strawberry,  an  engraving 
of  which  a})pears  in  this  number  in- 
stead of  our  usual  colored  plate,  was 
raised  by  Messrs.  Warren  Heustis  & 
Son,  Belmont,  Mass.,  U.S.A.  It  has 
been  tested  by  them  for  four  years,  and 
they  say  that  they  have  found  it  to  do 
well  on  both  heavy  and  light  soils. 
They  also  state  that  the  plant  is  of  such 
vigorous  growth  that  it  can  mature  an 
abundant  crop  of  fruit,  which  can  re- 
main a  long  time  on  the  vines  with- 
out injury ;  they  having  realized  from 
10,700  square  feet  of  ground,  scarcely 
a   quarter  of  an  acre,  the  net  sum  of 

The  originators  describe  the  berry  as 
large,  oblong  in  shape,  crimson  in  color, 
very  solid  and  sweet,  and  of  extra 
flavor  and  quality ;  also  that  it  colors 
evenly  and  perfectly,  having  no  hard 
or  unripe  spots,  and  is  quite  remarkable 
as  a  cjirrier  and  keeper. 

This  plant  is  also  said  to  produce 
perfect  blossoms,  yielding  an  abundance 
of  pollen  to  fertilize  the  fruit ;  and  that 
the  blossoms  open  so  late  that  they 
escaped  a  frost  which  occurred  at  Bel- 
mont on  the  thirtieth  of  May,  1884, 
injuring  seriously  all  other  vaiieties. 

The  Fruit  Committee  of  the  Massa- 


STKAWBERKY. 

chusetts  Horticultural  Society  in  the 
Report  for  1883,  state  that  the  special 
prize  of  ten  dollars  offered  by  the  Hnn- 
M.  P.  Wilder,  for  the  four  quarts  of 
the  variety  of  finest  form,  color,  and 
quality,  was  awarded  to  this  new  seed- 
ling, which  in  color  and  quality  re- 
sembles the  Sharpless,  but  is  much 
better  in  form. 

In  the  Report  for  1884,  this  Com- 
mittee states  that  they  visited  Mr. 
Heustis'  grounds  on  the  21st  of  June, 
and  found  the  vines  to  be  of  unusually 
strong  growth,  and  bearing  an  exceed- 
ingly heavy  crop  of  fruit ;  that  the 
berries  were  of  large  size,  good  form 
and  color,  quality  very  much  like  the 
Sharpless,  and  that  the  firmness  of  the 
flesh,  and  exceptionally  good  keeping 
quality  of  the  fruit,  must  make  this  a 
desirable  market  variety. 

Some  of  the  dealers  in  fruits  in  Fa- 
neuil  Hall,  Boston,  Mass.,  say  that  the 
fine  flavor,  aroma,  and  color,  together 
with  its  splendid  keeping  qualities, 
make  the  Belmont  by  far  the  best  they 
handle,  selling  during  the  past  two  sea- 
sons at  least  one-third  higher  than  any 
other  berry  of  its  season.  The  AnieH- 
can  Cultivator,  published  in  Boston, 
stated  last  July  that  the  Belmont  sold 


98 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


in  Quincy  Market  forty  per  cent,  higher 
than  any  other  berry  offered  in  the 
week. 

We  are  indebted  to  Messrs.  Parker 
&  Wood,  dealers  in  plants,  seeds,  agri- 
cultural implements  and  machines,  49 
North  Market  Street,  Boston,  Mass., 
U.S.A.,  for  the  electrotype  of  this  re- 
markable new  strawberry,  which  was 
engraved  from  a  photograph.  We  were 
not  able  to  procure  a  colored  plate  for 
our  illustration,  but  in  all  other  respects 
this  engraving  will  enable  our  readers 
to  form  a  correct  idea  of  the  appearance 
of  this  new  strawberry. 


QUESTION  DRAWER. 

HOW  TO  GROW  ONIONS. 

Can  you  inform  me  in  your  next 
number  the  best  method  for  raising 
good  black  seed  Onions.  I  am  so  much 
pleased  with  your  magazine  I  would 
not  like  to  be  without  it. 

Lakeside.  Oxford  Co.         Sam.  A.  Cole. 

Reply. — To  grow  good  Onions  it  is 
important  that  we  select  suitable  soil 
and  have  it  properly  prepared.  The 
best  soil  for  Onions  is  a  deep,  rich, 
loamy,  mellow  soil,  on  a  dry  bottom, 
that  is  well  underdrained  either  natur- 
ally or  artificially.  The  Onion  will 
not  thrive  in  a  wet,  cold  ground.  A 
sandy  loam  that  is  strong  enough  to 
raise  good  crops  of  corn  or  potatoes^ 
will  make  an  excellent  ground  for 
Onions.  In  making  your  selection  of 
a  place  for  growing  them,  give  pre> 
ference  to  one  that  has  been  previously 
well  fertilized  and  tilled  with  hoed 
crops  and  kept  clean — such  as  has 
raised  a  fine  crop  of  beets  or  carrots. 


Prepare  the  ground  by  ploughing, 
harrowing  it  thoroughly,  breaking  up 
all  lumps,  and  making  it  as  fine  and 
light  as  possible.  Manure  it  with  fine, 
thoroughly  rotted  barn-yard  manure, 
at  the  rate  of  twenty-five  tons  to  the 
acre,  adding  all  the  cleanings  of  the 
pig-stye,  poultry-house  and  earth-closet 
that  can  be  spared,  and  work  these 
into  the  surface  with  the  harrow.  If 
you  can  procure  them,  sow  the  ground 
with  fine  ground  bones,  at  the  rate  of 
a  couple  of  tons  to  the  acre,  for  Onions 
being  an  exception  to  the  general  rule 
of  rotation  in  crops,  you  will  find  the 
bones  of  great  benefit  for  more  than 
one  year.  If  you  wish  to  grow  enor- 
mous specimens  that  will  take  the 
prizes  at  our  Agricultural  Shows,  you 
will  find  nothing  better  than  to  dress 
that  part  of  your  Onion  field  with  a 
barrel  or  two  of  well-rotted  onions, 
in  addition  to  your  other  fertilizers. 

The  surface  of  the  ground  should 
be  finished  off  as  nearly  level  as  pos- 
sible, and  cleaned  entirely  of  stones, 
sticks,  or  rubbish.  If  you  wish  to 
grow  on  a  large  scale  sow  the  seed 
with  a  machine  made  for  the  purpose, 
which  sows  two  rows  at  once,  making 
the  drills,  sowing  the  seed  and  covering 
at  one  operation.  If  you  only  require 
enough  for  home  use,  you  can  make  j 
the  drills  by  hand  about  a  foot  or 
fifteen  inches  apart,  sowing  the  seed 
thinly,  say  about  an  inch  apart  in  the 
drill.  The  drills  should  be  very  shal- 
low, mere  scratches  into  which  to  drop 
the  seed,  and  the  covering  is  best  done 
with  a  light  roller  run  over  the  ground 
lengthwise  of  the  drills. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTIOULTURIBT. 


99 


In  growing  from  seed  it  is  important 
to  procure  the  best  American  grown 
seed.  European  seed  often  fails  to 
form  good,  solid  bulbs.  1^'our  pounds 
of  fresh  seed  will  be  enough  for  an 
acre  sown  with  the  machine,  and  if 
sown  in  the  garden  by  hand  an  ounce 
will  be  enough  for  four  hundred  feet 
of  drill.  Sow  the  seed  just  as  early 
as  it  is  possible  to  get  the  ground  in 
good  condition  ;  the  earliest  sown  yield 
the  heaviest  crop. 

As  soon  as  the  plants  can  be  seen, 
the  ground  should  be  carefully  hoed 
between  the  rows,  either  with  the 
wheel  hoe  or  by  hand,  and  the  weeds 
thoroughly  cleaned  out.  The  hoeing 
should  be  shallow,  taking  care  not  to 
draw  the  earth  up  around  the  plants? 
but  to  keep  the  ground  level  and  clean^ 
As  soon  as  the  Onions  are  an  inch  or 
two  high  they  should  be  thinned  out 
to  two  inches  apart  in  the  row.  They 
may  be  allowed  to  grow  at  this  dis- 
tance for  a  time,  and  the  young  Onions 
used  for  the  table  or  sold,  gradually 
thinning  out  to  four  inches  apart.  In 
field  culture,  or  where  there  is  no  mar- 
ket for  these  very  young  Onions,  they 
may  be  at  once  thinned  out  to  four 
inches  apart. 

Timely  and  thorough  cultivation  are 
of  great  importance  to  the  success  of 
this  crop.  If  the  weeds  once  get  the 
start  they  will  materially  injure  the 
i;rowth  of  the  plants,  if  not  entirely 
ruin  the  crop  ;  hence,  do  not  let  the 
weeds  once  get  a  start,  but  hoe  even  if 
no  weeds  are  visible. 

In  wet  seasons  Onions  sometimes 
grow    thick-necked.     To  remedy   this, 


gently  bend  down  the  tops,  late  in 
July,  with  the  hoe  handle,  which 
checks  the  growth  of  top  and  induces 
the  formation  of  better  bulbs. 


MEALY  BUG. 

Please  tell  me  a  cure  for  Mealy 
Bugs  which  have  got  into  my  little 
greenhouse  and  vinery,  and  seem  hard 
to  conquer.  A.  D.  Ferrier. 

Fergus,  Ont. 

Eeply. — They  are  hard  to  conquer. 
If  you  are  troubled  with  them  on  plants 
in  pots,  set  the  pots  out  of  doors  when 
the  weather  is  suitable,  and  then  with 
your  force  pump  turn  a  strong  stream 
of  water  on  the  plants  and  wash  them 
off.  Be  thorough,  and  turn  the  stream 
on  while  one  remains.  Repeat  the 
operation  in  about  ten  days  and  until 
you  conquer.  The  writer  has  been 
successful  by  pursuing  this  plan  vigor- 
ously. But  in  your  vinery  you  must 
try  another  plan.  Dissolve  a  pound  of 
potash  in  three  gallons  of  water ;  warm 
it  until  it  is  of  the  temperature  of 
130°F.,  and  wash  your  vines  thoroughly 
with  the  solution,  and  repeat  the  opera- 
tion in  a  week  or  ten  days.  If  you  see 
them  making  their  appearance  again, 
and  you  should  maintain  a  careful 
lookout  for  them,  repeat  the  washing. 
If  your  grape  vines  are  in  a  dormant 
condition,  you  may  make  the  solution 
stronger  by  adding  half  a  pound  more 
of  potash. 


FRUIT  IN  BRAUEBRIDGE,  MUSKOKA. 

The  Canada  Baldwin  I  got  in  1884 
did  not  take  root.  The  Fay's  Currant 
in  1885  did  well,  and  the  flower  seeds 
gave  us  some    most  beautiful  flowei*s. 


100 


THE  CANADIAN    BORTICULTURIPT. 


My  orchard  of  over  six  hundred  fruit 
trees,  planted  some  every  year  since 
'78,  is  doing  first-class.  I  have  over 
forty  dilTerent  kinds  of  apples,  about 
seventy-five  plum  trees,  some  of  them 
bearing  well,  also  Early  Richmond 
cherry.  I  believe  I  can  grow  any 
apple  tree  here  that  can  be  grown  in 
Canada.  If  you  could  see  them  in 
bloom  in  summer  you  would  be  sur- 
prised. I  have  the  best  trees  money 
can  get,  and  I  care  for  them  ;  that  is 
the  only  secret  of  success.  Straw- 
berries and  all  small  fruits  do  well ; 
they  cannot  be  beaten  anywhere.  I 
do  not  believe  I  have  lost  a  bud  or  an 
inch  of  young  wood  this  winter  on  any 
of  my  trees.  I  have  the  Russian 
Apricot,  Quinces,  Russian  Mulberry, 
Black  Walnut,  and  Butternut;  also 
ten  or  twelve  kinds  of  Grapes. 

Thomas  Collinson. 

Please  to  tell  us  what  kinds  of 
Grapes,  and  when  they  ripen. — Ed. 
Can.  Hort. 

HEATING  GREENHOUSES. 

Please  give  your  views  on  heating 
greenhouses  by  steam.  Which  is  best, 
cheapest,  and  safest — hot  water  or 
steam.  Grainger  &  Duke, 

Deer  Park,  Ont. 

Reply. — Your  Editor  has  not  had 
sufficient  experience  in  the  use  of  steam 
for  heating  greenhouses  to  be  able  to 
express  a  decided  opinion.  There 
seems  to  be  a  conflict  of  opinion  on 
this  subject  among  those  best  com- 
petent to  decide.  The  first  cost  of 
boiler  and  piping  for  steam  heating, 
should  be  less  than  for  heating  by  hot 
water.  The  cost  of  fuel  for  maintain- 
ing heat  would  be  about  the  same  in 
either   case.     In   large   establishments 


steam  has  the  advantage  of  water  in 
the  matter  of  the  speed  with  which  the 
temperature  can  be  increased  upon  a 
sudden  falling  of  the  thermometer  ou^ 
of  doors.  In  a  small  greenhouse,  where 
the  distance  the  water  has  to  travel 
is  not  great,  this  question  of  speed 
becomes  of  less  importance.  In  steam 
heating  the  pipes  will  cool  quickly  the 
moment  steam  ceases  to  be  generated. 
In  hot  water  the  circulation  will  con- 
tinue as  long  as  the  water  in  the  boiler 
is  warmer  than  that  in  the  return 
pipes.  Steam  heating  will  require 
some  watchfulness  and  judgment  on 
the  part  of  the  manager  to  see  that  all 
is  in  perfect  working  order  continually. 
The  conclusion  on  the  whole  is  this,  we 
would  heat  a  small  private  greenhouse 
with  hot  water,  as  at  present  advised, 
but  a  large  commercial  establishment, 
if  we  were  now  starting  one,  with  steam. 


THE  WINDSOR  BEAN. 

I  shall  be  glad  if  you  could,  through 
the  magazine,  give  any  hints  as  to 
growing  the  broad  or  Windsor  Bean. 
I  and  others  in  my  household  are  very 
fond  of  it,  but  have  not  had  much 
success  with  it  out  here.  New  Zealand 
Spinach  too,  which  in  England 
found  very  profitable  and  nice,  I  am 
unable  as  yet  to  get  to  grow.  Perhaps 
the  seed  of  ihe  latter  may  have  been 
at  fault.  A. 

Jtamilton,  Ont. 

Reply. — Our  soil  being  a  sandy 
loam  we  have  always  found  some  diffi- 
culty with  these  beans,  especially  if 
the  season  was  hot  and  dry.  They 
flourish  best  in  a  rich  clay  loam,  or 
even  a  heavy  clay  soil  that  has  been 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


101 


well  supplied  with  fertilizers.  They 
should  be  planted  as  early  as  possible 
after  the  ground  is  in  working  order 
in  the  spring.  They  may  be  planted 
in  drills  about  three  feet  apart,  and 
three  inches  apart  in  the  drill.  "When 
the  lower  pods  on  the  stalk  are  set, 
pinch  off  the  top  to  insure  the  filling 
of  the  pods.  We  suggest  that  in  order 
to  hasten  their  growth  in  the  early 
part  of  the  season,  so  that  they  may 
not  suffer  when  the  hot  weather  comes 
on,  you  sprinkle  a  little  nitrate  of  soda 
on  the  ground  just  before  a  rain,  on 
each  side  of  thti  drill,  after  the  plants 
have  appeared.  You  probably  can 
procure  it  from  John  A.  Bruce  &  Co., 
Hamilton;  if  not,  you  can  get  it  of 
Brodie  &  Harvie,  10  Bleury  Street, 
Montreal,  in  a  bag  of  about  280  lbs., 
at  3J  cents  per  lb.  You  will  find  it  a 
very  useful  manure  to  use  in  the  early 
spring  to  hasten  the  growth  of  early 
vegetables  before  the  weather  is  warm 
enough  to  supply  nitrates  from  stable 
manures. 

You  will  probably  find  no  difiiculty 
with  New  Zealand  Spinach  in  good 
rich  soil — preferably  a  light  soil. 


is  a  variety  of  Acer  dasycarpum,  and 
grows  freely  when  budded  on  seedlings 
of  the  Silver  Maple. 


PROPAGATING  CUT-LEAVED  MAl'LE. 

What  is  the  mode  of  propagating  the 
cut-leaved  maples  described  in  the  last 
volume  of  the  Canadian  Horticidturist. 
I  have  seen  some  of  them  growing 
beautifully  near  Fredericton.     N.  B. 

Sheffield  Academy,  Sunbury  Co.,  N.B. 

Reply. — Nurserymen  propagate  the 
cut-leaved  maples  by  budding  them  on 
seedling  maples  of  the  same  species. 
For  instance,  Weir's  Cut-leaved  Maple 


REPORTS  ON  PLANTS  RECEIVED. 

It  seems  to  me  useless  to  report  on 
plants  sent  out  by  the  Association  until 
they  have  had  time  to  mature,  so  that 
we  can  give,  not  expectations,  but 
facts.     I  have  acted  on  this  principle. 

In  apples  I  got  the  Canada  and  the 
Wealthy.  Both  have  been  winter 
killed,  and  are  sprouting  from  the 
roots. 

The  Bartlett  pear  flourished  well  the 
first  two  seasons,  but  died  the  third  of 
summer  blight.  I  may  sa^-  I  have 
tried  several  kinds  of  pears,  but  all 
died  at  the  age  of  blossoming,  when  I 
found  the  wood,  trunk  and  branches 
had  rotted  from  the  centre,  leaving 
only  a  very  thin  shell  of  green  wood 
immediately  under  the  bark. 

My  Glass  seedling  plum  is  now  a 
large,  beautiful,  and  apparently  healthy 
tree  ;  but  it  is  a  shy  bearer.  Two  and 
three  years  ago  it  had  a  thin  crop  of 
blossoms,  and  only  from  20  to  30  plums 
each  year.  Last  season  it  had  a  full 
crop  of  blossoms,  but  not  more  than  60 
or  70  plums. 

The  Diadem  raspberry  (sent  out,  I 
believe,  in  mistake  for  some  other 
kind,)  has  done  well  with  me.  Last 
year  it  continued  bearing  till  the  frost 
came.  The  berry  looks  a  little  coarse 
from  the  large  size  of  the  facets ;  but 
it  is  of  large  size,  bright  red  colour, 
juicy  and  well  flavoured. 

In  gi-apes,  Moore's  Early,  received  in 
1882,  has  grown  well.  It  bore  a  few 
in  1884,  and  a  fair  crop  in  1885. 
Bunches  and  ben*ies  about  the  same 
size  as  Champion,  ripens  about  the 
same  time,  and  is  slightly  better  in 
quality.  Worden,  received  in  1883, 
bore  last  season.  It  closely  resembles 
Moore's,  but  is  a  little  better  in  quajity 


102 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


and  a  shade  later  in  ripening.  The 
Burnet  has  proved  a  fair  grower,  not 
too  rampant,  a  moderate  bearer,  bunches 
and  berry  resembling  the  Isabella,  but 
not  quite  so  large,  and  liable  to  be  in- 
terspersed with  a  few  small,  seedless 
berries.  Its  time  of  ripening  is  about 
the  same  as  the  Concord,  and  when 
fully  ripe  its  flavour  is  delicious.  The 
Prentiss,  received  in  1884,  grew  well 
that  season,  but  was  found  dead  next 
spring. 

These  are  all  received  from  the  As- 
sociation that  I  have  to  report  on.  I 
would  only  add  that  it  is  useless  to 
plant  grapes  here  that  do  not  ripen 
with  or  before  the  Concord.  They 
have  all  to  be  covered  in  winter. 

If  the  correspondents  of  your  excel- 
lent journal  would  be  a  little  more 
particular  in  indicating  their  locality, 
it  would  add  much  to  the  usefulness  of 
their  experiences.  For  my  own  part, 
I  have  spent  a  good  deal  of  money, 
time  and  labor  in  experimenting  with 
apples,  plums  and  grapes  highly  recom- 
mended in  south-western  Ontario, 
which  are  utterly  worthless  here. 

HoBERT  Lees. 

Wildwood,  near  Ottawa  City. 

THE   WEIGELA. 

Referring  to  a  note  in  your  February 
number,  the  Weigela  has  grown  and 
blossomed  with  me  six  or  seven  years 
without  winter  protection.    R.  Lees. 

Wildwood,  near  Ottawa  City. 

The  Horticulturist  is  a  very  welcome 
visitor  here,  and  is  always  improving. 

THE    BURNET    GRAPE,    ETC. 

As  Mr.  S.  P.  Morse  gives  some  very 
good  advice  to  the  readers  of  your  pa- 
per to  send  their  experiences,  also 
their  successes  and  failures  in  all  the 
different  branches  of  horticulture,  I 
will  try  in  my  humble  way  to  contri- 
bute my  mite,  in  the  hope  that  others 
m^y  do  the  same. 


The  Burnet  grape  has  only  had  a 
few  grapes  on  it  once,  as  it  kills  down 
badly,  but  I  shifted  it  to  a  more  shel- 
tered place  last  year,  so  I  am  in  hopes 
it  will  do  a  little  better.  Moore's 
Early  has  not  done  very  well,  although 
it  has  not  had  a  very  good  chance  The 
Ontario  apple  has  done  very  well,  and 
I  am  well  pleased  with  the  fruit.  The 
original  tree  has  been  in  bearing  three 
years;  besides,  several  grafts  which  I 
put  on  a  Talman  Sweet  have  been 
bearing  two  or  three  years.  Fay's  Pro- 
lific currant  made  good  growth  last 
season.  The  currant  borer  is  pretty 
bad  here,  having  killed  a  good  many  of 
our  plants.  We  have  had  no  reason  to 
complain  of  the  productiveness  of  most 
of  the  old  varieties  of  currants,  of 
which  we  have  the  common  red  and 
white,  white  grape  and  red  cherry, 
which  we  think  is  very  sour.  We  also 
have  the  Black  Naples  currant,  which 
did  middling  so  long  as  it  got  good 
care.  Gooseberries  do  splendidly  here 
when  properly  attended  to,  and  the 
worms  kept  off  with  hellebore.  Hough- 
ton's seedling  has  been  very  productive. 
We  have  two  or  three  English  varie- 
ties ;  also  the  Downing,  which  does 
very  well.  Peaches  are  a  failure,  ex- 
cept on  very  dry  land,  and  sheltered. 
The  common  early  cherry  does  very 
well,  but  if  we  want  to  get  many  we 
will  have  to  grow  enough  for  the  birds 
and  ourselves  too.         Samuel  Carr. 

Sarnia. 

APPLES,  PLUMS,  GRALES,  ETC. 

I  have  never  yet  sent  you  any  report 
of  my  plants  received  from  the  Associ- 
ation, but  will  endeavour  to  do  so  now. 
My  first  were  a  Wagner  apple  and  Mc- 
Laughlin plum.  Through  neglect  the 
apple  died  last  year,  the  boi-er  having 
girdled  it  just  at  the  collar,  and  being 
engaged  in  other  work  I  neglected  it. 
The  plum  is  yet  alive,  and  I  esteem  it 
very  highly.     I    have  some   Wagners 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


103 


grafted,  and  they  are  splendid  apples. 
I  have  some  in  my  cellar  to-day  (March 
1 1th),  and  they  are  keeping  good.  The 
Ontario  apple  is  doing  well  now,  but  it 
is  subject  to  dead  spots  on  the  bark. 
The  Salem  grape  was  dead  when  I  got 
it,  but  I  have  one  that  I  bought  for 
Salem  that  in  the  last  ten  years  has 
never  borne  a  good  bunch  of  fruit,  and 
I  have  now  cut  it  down.  The  Saunders 
raspberry  has  done  splendidly,  and  I 
haye  never  yet  seen  a  raspberry  carry 
such  an  immense  crop  of  fruit  as  mine 
did  last  year ;  they  were  the  wonder  of 
all  who  saw  them.  The  Worden  grape 
was  doing  well,  but  I  had  a  man  in  my 
garden,  a  new  importation,  and  he 
thought  it  was  a  very  thrifty  weed,  and 
the  hoe  put  an  end  to  its  existence. 
The  Downing  gooseberry  does  well 
here,  but  is  not  quite  as  prolific  as  the 
Smith's  Improved.  The  Prentiss  grape 
I  got  two  years  ago  is  making  a  splen- 
did vine,  and  I  look  for  fruit  this  year. 
The  Wealthy  apple  is  also  doing  well. 
The  dahlias  I  got  last  year  made  a 
splendid  root,  and  I  shall  hope  for 
flowers  this  year. 

I  will  just  add  that  the  pears  I  got 
some  years  ago  have  all  died  by  blight, 
and  so  have  many  others  that  I  have 
planted,  so  I  have  given  up  in  despair. 
Fruit  here  last  year  was  a  good  crop. 

George  Ottaway. 
Barrie,  Simcoe  Co. 

RASPBERRIES,    &C. 

For  three  years  I  have  been  a  sub- 
scriber to  the  Horticulturist,  and  have 
learned  to  prize  it  highly.  Some  of 
the  papers  piiblished  during  the  past 
year  about  strawberries,  grapes,  rasp- 
berries, etc.,  are  alone  worth  many 
times  the  price  of  the  magazine.  The 
lleport  also  contains  an  invaluable 
fund  of  information.  While  I  espe- 
<  ially  prize  articles  written  by  our  vet- 
eran fruit  growers,  such  as  Little, 
Robinson,    Smith,    Spotten,    Hilborn, 


Beall  and  youi-self,  yet  I  am  almost 
as  much  delighted  and  profited  by  the 
information  given  to  and  by  our  ama- 
teur horticulturists. 

In  the  spring  of  1883  I  received  the 
Hansell  raspberry.  It  made  a  good 
growth,  and  has  fruited  the  past  two 
seasons.  It  passed  through  the  winter 
of  1885  very  well ;  killed  back  a  littlfc, 
but  not  enough  to  hurt.  In  fruiting 
I  find  it  a  week  later  than  the  Turner, 
about  the  same  size,  but  light  coloured, 
making  it  difficult  to  know  when  it  is 
fully  ripe ;  besides,  it  is  covered  with 
a  light  bloom  resembling  a  mildew, 
which  spoils  the  aj)pearance.  I  also 
find  the  flavor  very  poor.  I  don't  like 
it  and  can't  recommend  it.  The  Tur- 
ner, Herstine  and  Cuthbert  are  very 
much  superior,  and  cover  the  season 
from  early  till  late  among  the  red  to 
my  satisfaction. 

I  should  like  to  say  a  word  in  favour 
of  Shafier's  Colossal,  which  I  consider 
the  best  canning  berry  grown.  Com- 
bining to  a  remarkable  degree  the 
habit  of  growth  of  both  red  and  black, 
it  also  unites  the  qualities  of  those 
kinds  in  the  fruit,  and  for  size  is 
equalled  only  by  the  Red  Antwerp. 
The  maroon  colour  of  the  berry  is  its 
weakest  point  before  canning,  but 
afterwards  it  gives  the  fruit  a  very 
rich,  deep  colour.  Another  excellent 
feature  is  that  it  never  throws  up 
suckers,  but  propagates  from  the  tips 
like  the  black.  Every  one  who  saw 
the  yield  upon  my  bushes  last  season 
was  astonished.  To  all  your  readers 
who  want  a  profitable  raspberry  for 
home  use,  I  would  say,  try  Shaffer's ; 
you  can't  help  but  like  it. 

In  1884  I  received  the  Prentiss 
grape.  It  is  making  a  fair  growth. 
In  1885  I  received  the  Hardy  Catalpa 
and  a  Russian  apple  tree.  My  Catalpa 
made  a  wonderful  growth,  but  as  it 
was  still  growing  and  putting  out  new 
leaves  when  winter  came,  I  fear  it  will 


104 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


kill  back  considerably.  The  apple  tree 
grew  about  five  inches,  and  promises  to 
do  well. 

Your  correspondents  in  the  March 
number  give  a  somewhat  flattering  tes- 
timony regarding  the  Ben  Davis  apple, 
but  any  one  who  has  once  bought  them 
for  his  own  use  will  not  be  apt  to  do 
so  again.  They  are  too  much  like  balls 
of  sole  leather,  tough  and  tasteless.  As 
long  as  buyers  are  guided  by  appear- 
ance instead  of  quality  they  will  buy 
Ben  Davis,  but  no  longer ;  still  it  may 
pay  the  grower  for  a  few  years  longer. 
E,.  B.  Thornton. 

Orono,  Durham  Co. 


WHAT  THE  PEOPLE  SAY. 
STRAWBERRIES   FOR  THE   FAMILY. 

BY  T.    C.   ROBINSON,  OWEN  SOUND. 

The  requirements  of  a  family  fruit 
are  very  different  from  those  essential 
to  a  market  variety.  The  firmness 
which  implies  safe  transportation  long 
distances  is  entirely  unnecessary  in  a 
berry  that  is  to  be  eaten  directly  from 
the  vine,  or  that  appears  on  the  table 
within  an  hour  after  the  little  fingers 
have  scared  it  from  its  leafy  hiding- 
place.  And  although  size  and  beauty 
are  very  desirable,  they  do  not  rank 
essential,  as  in  the  samples  on  the 
huckster's  stands,  which  are  successes 
or  failures  mainly  according  to  the  de- 
gree of  anticipation  excited  in  the  great 
public  by  their  appearance. 

The  qualities,  then,  to  be  sought  in 
a  fruit  for  the  household  are  : 

1st.    Quantity. 

2nd.  Quality. 

3rd.    Size. 

4th.    Beauty. 

5th.  Earliness  in  one  and  lateness 
in  another,  so  as  to  cover  the  entire 
season. 

Some  persons,  where  there  are  not 
many  children,  would  put  quality  first 
and    quantity    fourth;    but    probably 


most  people  would  rate  u  family  fruit 
according  to  the  foregoing  scale  of 
values. 

According  to  this  estimate,  after 
years  of  careful  testing,  I  consider  the 
following  varieties  of  special  value  for 
family  use : 

Crescent. — I  put  this  first  because  of 
its  earliness.  It  is  the  hardiest  in 
plant  that  I  am  acquainted  with,  and 
the  crop  is  simply  enormous.  With 
me  it  usually  gives  two  pickings  in  ad- 
vance of  Wilson,  and  two  after  Wilson 
is  done,  and  it  gives  equal  pickings  with 
Wilson  all  through  the  Wilson's  sea- 
son. It  will  bear  on  any  soil  where 
the  Wilson  will,  and  many  soils  where 
Wilson  will  not,  and  the  berries  are  as 
large,  more  handsome,  not  as  rich,  but 
sweeter,  and  the  blossoms  will  stand 
frosts  which  kill  the  Wilson's  blos- 
soms. Finally,  it  seems  quite  as  good 
as  Wilson  when  cooked;  hence  for 
home  use  I  consider  it  leaves  no  room 
whatever  for  the  grand  old  Wilson  in 
the  family  garden. 

About  a  week  after  the  Crescent 
comes  in  we  begin  to  pick  ripe  berries 
from  the 

Bidwell. — With  me  this  is  the  best 
family  berry  that  I  have  well  tested. 
Year  after  year  it  comes  to  the  front 
with  its  immense  loads  of  beautiful 
fruit.  The  berries  are  much  sweeter 
and  larger  than  Wilson  or  Crescent, 
and  I  find  the  crop  larger  also  when 
runners  are  kept  off*.  The  plant  is 
about  the  largest  and  healthiest  that  I 
know  of.  Set  in  moderately  rich  soil, 
1 6  inches  apart  in  the  rows,  and  rows  ' 
30  inches  apart,  and  runners  kept  off" 
so  that  no  young  plant  can  take  root, 
the  rich,  tall,  luxuriant  foliage  will 
cover  nearly  the  whole  surface  of  the 
ground.  Many  of  the  berries  thus 
grown  will  measure  from  two  inclies  to 
two-and-a-half  inches  in  length,  the 
shape  being  long  conical. 

Seneca  Queen  ripens  about  the  same 


THE   CANADIAN   H0ETI0ULTUEI8T. 


105 


time  as  Bid  well,  lasts  nearly  as  long, 
and  tastes  about  as  good.  It  does  not 
bear  quite  so  wefl  as  Bidwell  with  me, 
but  I  find  that  it  does  better  than  Bid- 
well  with  some  of  my  friends.  In 
truth  it  seems  to  be  adapted  to  a  wider 
range  of  soils  than  Bidwell ;  so  that  if 
a  person  had  rich,  moist  soil,  about  half 
sand  and  half  clay,  I  would  recommend 
Bidwell  first,  but  if  his  soil  happened 
to  be  very  light  sand,  or  stiff  clay,  or 
very  loose  and  gravelly,  I  would  say 
Seneca  Queen.  In  appearance,  both  of 
plant  and  berry,  these  varieties  are 
very  unlike,  the  Bid  well's  leaves 
spreading  out  wide,  especially  the  first 
year,  and  the  fruit  being  long  and 
pointed,  while  the  leaves  of  the  Seneca 
Queen  stand  very  erect,  and  the  large, 
flattened  fruit  ripens  all  over  at  once, 
with  nothing  of  the  white  tip  so  often 
seen  in  the  Bidwell.  On  equally  good 
soil  I  think  the  berries  of  Seneca  Queen 
average  rather  larger  than  Bidwell  or 
even  Sharpless,  and  the  colour  is  pecu- 
liarly attractive. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  strawberry 
season  we  find  in  its  prime  the  royal 

Sharpless. — It  cannot  compare  in 
productiveness  with  any  of  the  others 
just  described  ;  but  it  is  so  large  and 
delicious  and  late,  that  no  collection 
would  seem  complete  without  it.  I 
have  not  seen  any  other  variety  yet 
which  will  give  so  large  specimens.  I 
weighed  one  from  my  grounds  that 
went  an  ounce  and  a  half,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  that  larger  berries  could  easily 
be  raised.  The  plant  is  very  large  and 
healthy,  and  with  plenty  of  manure  and 
runners  cut  off,  it  will  give  fine  crops. 
Manchester  ripens  about  with  Sharp- 
less. Some  specimens  are  nearly  as 
large  as  the  largest  Sharpless,  and  the 
average  was  larger  with  me  last  sum- 
mer. The  berry  is  remarkably  smooth, 
uniform  and  handsome,  the  crop  fully 
as  large,  I  think,  as  Bidwell — larger 
than  that  of  any  other  I   have   men- 


tioned— and  the  quality  about  as  good 
as  Bidwell  or  Sharpless.  This  fine 
variety  should  never  be  left  out ;  but 
as  the  blossoms  are  imperfect  it  should 
have  every  fifth  row  planted  with 
Sharpless  or  some  other  late  flowering 
and  perfect-blossomed  kind,  or  many  of 
the  blossoms  will  fail  to  produce  fruit. 

Most  of  these  varieties  are  excellent 
for  market — especially  for  a  near  mar- 
ket— but  as  I  have  aimed  to  speak  of 
varieties  for  home  use,  I  have  passed 
by  the  market  value  in  describing  each. 

There  are  other  varieties,  such  as 
Parry,  Early  Canada,  Atlantic,  etc., 
that  are  coming  rapidly  to  the  front  in 
value  for  home  use. 

But  with  these  four  varieties — say 
100  plants  of  each — a  family  of  five 
could  be  supplied  with  delicious  straw- 
berries through  the  tii-st  four  weeks  of 
the  time  when  fruit  is  most  needed, 
with  some  to  preserve  for  winter. 

Any  good  nurseryman  should  supply 
the  plants  for  three  or  four  dollars — a 
moderate  cost  for  such  a  luxury — for 
an  equal  amount  of  fruit  from  the  gro- 
cer's would  cost  $10  at  least,  and  not 
taste  half  as  good. 

THE  DOUBLE  POPPY. 
The  best  plant  at  present  known  for 
consolidating,  by  the  interlacing  of  its 
roots,  the  loose  soil  of  a  newly  made 
embankment  is,  according  to  M.  Cam- 
bier,  of  the  French  Railway  Service, 
the  Double  Poppy.  While  the  usual 
grasses  and  clovers  need  several  months 
for  the  development  of  their  compara- 
tively feeble  roots,  the  Double  Poppy 
germinates  in  a  few  days,  and  in  two 
weeks  grows  enough  to  give  protection 
to  the  slope,  while  at  the  end  of  three 
or  four  months,  the  roots,  which  are 
ten  or  twelve  inches  long,  are  found  to 
have  interlaced  so  as  to  retain  the 
earth  far  more  firmly  than  those  of  any 
grass  or  gmin.  Though  the  plant  is  an 
annual,   it  sows   itself  after   the   first 


106 


THE   CANADIAN    H0ETICDLTURI8T. 


year,  and  with  a  little  care  the  bank  is 
always  in  good  condition. 

Eoyston  Park,  Feb.  24.  NATURE. 


POTATOE  CULTURE. 

Potatoes  may  be  grown  in  any  kind 
of  soil,  but  to  grow  them  of  good  qual- 
ity requires  land  of  a  sandy  nature, 
well  drained.  To  grow  them  for  early 
market  plant  the  sets  in  a  hot-bed  close 
together  about  ten  days  before  setting 
them  out  in  the  field,  so  that  they  may 
have  a  growth  of  an  inch  or  so  in 
length.  Some  start  them  in  boxes  or 
barrels  in  a  kitchen  or  warm  room,  but 
that  is  only  for  small  quantities.  Have 
the  land  ploughed  the  fall  before,  and 
in  the  spring  work  it  well  with  the 
grubber  or  pulverizing  harrow.  Make 
the  drills  thirty  inches  apart.  Closer 
than  that  you  will  not  have  enough  of 
earth  to  fill  them  up  properly,  and 
there  will  be  more  small  ones  and  a 
great  many  sun-burnt  growing  out  of 
the  ground.  Put  one-seventh  cart  load 
of  rotten  manure  to  a  drill  of  three 
acres  in  length.  Plant  the  sets  care- 
fully therein,  about  ten  inches  apart, 
covering  them  gently  with  a  few  inches 
of  earth  with  the  hand  or  feet,  taking 
care  not  to  break  off  the  sprouts  ;  then 
apply  about  fifteen  pounds  of  fertilizer 
(containing  a  good  percentage  of  potash ) 
to  each  drill,  scattering  it  over  the  sets. 
The  sets  being  slightly  covered  with 
earth  protects  them  from  the  fertilizer, 
as  it  is  concentrated,  and  might  injure 
the  sprouts.  Finish  covering  with  the 
plough.  By  using  this  fertilizer  I  have 
had  potatoes  fit  for  market  ten  days 
before  those  where  I  used  no  fertilizer. 
In  a  few  days  the  potatoes  will  be 
through  the  ground.  Keep  the  weeds 
down  by  the  use  of  the  hoe  and  culti- 
vator. When  the  plants  are  long 
enough  they  may  be  moulded  up  with 
the  plough.  By  this  means  of  cultiva- 
tion we  have  had  potatoes  on  our  mar- 


ket by  the  end  of  June,  bringing  from 
two  to  four  dollars  per  bushel. 

For  general  crop  plough  in  the  man- 
iire  in  the  fall,  about  twenty-five  one- 
horse  loads  to  the  acre,  for  manure  in 
the  drill,  especially  cow  manure,  tends 
to  grow  scabby  potatoes.  Draw  drills 
as  for  early  potatoes,  and  use  fertilizer 
also.  Never  let  the  drills  be  drawn  a 
long  time  before  planting  and  covering, 
for  if  the  drills  remain  a  day  or  two  in 
the  hot  sun  the  potatoes  will  get  scald- 
ed and  never  come  up.  It  is  a  good 
thing  to  pass  the  roller  over  the  drills ; 
it  keeps  the  land  moist.  When  the 
potatoes  are  on  the  point  of  coming  up, 
harrow  the  drills  down  with  the  saddle 
harrow  or  a  Scotch  harrow  turned  up- 
side down.  To  kill  the  weeds  use  the 
hoe  and  cultivator,  &c.,  the  same  as  for 
early  potatoes.  We  have  grown  450 
bushels  to  the  acre  cultivated  in  this 
way.  For  early  potatoes  I  like  the 
Early  Vermont  the  best.  It  was  a 
week  earlier  than  the  Beauty  of  He- 
bron and  Early  Rose.  The  Hebron  is 
a  popular  market  variety,  but  rots 
easier  than  the  other  two.  I  raised 
200  bushels  of  Early  Maine  from  7J 
bushels  of  seed.  They  resemble  the 
Early  Vermont.  I  have  not  tested 
them  for  earliness  together.  Old  pas- 
ture land  and  clover  ploughed  in  will 
give  the  largest  yield  of  potatoes. 
Change  your  seed  every  year,  if  possi- 
ble from  land  different  from  your  own. 

M.  G. 


THE  NEW  DUTIES  ON  BERRIES. 

By  the  change  recently  made  in  the 
tariff  of  customs  on  berries,  the  duties 
on  a  crate  containing  54  baskets  is  con- 
siderably increased.  The  old  duty  was 
two  cents  on  a  basket,  which  was  $1.08. 
on  the  crate.  The  duty  is  now  four 
cents  per  pound,  weight  of  package  to 
be  included.  A  crate  containing  54 
baskets  will  weigh  from  90  to  100  lbs., 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


107 


which  will  make  the  duty  from  $3.60  to 
$4  on  each  crate. 


HOW  TO  PRESERVE  FRUIT  FROM 
DECAY. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Montreal  Horti- 
cultural Society,  held  in  February  last, 
Mr.  J.  Fraser  Torrance  read  a  paper, 
which  is  published  in  the  Family  Her- 
ald and  Weekly  Star,  in  which  he  gives 
an  account  of  some  very  interesting  ex- 
periments in  the  matter  of  keeping 
grapes  and  apples  in  a  fresh  state,  by 
packing  them  in  cases  so  that  they  shall 
be  entirely  surrounded  with  infusorial 
earth. 

We  may  state,  by  way  of  explana- 
tion, that  infusorial  earth  is  composed 
of  an  innumerable  quantity  of  very  mi- 
nute shells.  A  cubic  inch  will  contain 
more  than  a  million  of  these  tiny  shells, 
and  as  each  of  these  holds  within  its 
cavity  a  particle  of  imprisoned  air,  it 
follows  that  a  body  of  this  infusorial 
earth,  although  not  exceeding  an  inch 
in  thickness,  becomes  an  excellent  non- 
conductor. For  this  reason  it  is  ex- 
tensively used  as  a  covering  for  steam 
pipes  to  i)revent  the  loss  of  heat. 

Mr.  Torrance  conceives  that  the  con- 
ditions essential  to  the  preservation  of 
vegetable  substances  from  decay  are  the 
maintenance  of  an  uniform  degree  both 
of  temperature  and  moisture  ;  that  it  is 
of  quite  secondary  importance  what 
that  degree,  either  of  temperature  or 
moisture  may  be,  so  long  as  it  be  main- 
tained without  change. 

Acting  upon  this  theory,  he  has  con- 
structed a  double  packing  case,  so  made 
that  there  shall  be  a  space  of  not  less 
than  one  inch  between  the  outer  and 
inner  case  on  all  six  sides,  which  space 
is  packed  full  of  infusorial  earth.  The 
fruit  is  tirst  wrapped  in  manilla  paper 
and  j)acked  in  the  inner  case,  the  inter- 
stices between  the  fruit  filled  with  infu- 
sorial earth  as  the  packing  proceeds. 
When   the  case  is  tilled  the  surface  is 


covered  with  the  earth,  so  that  the  lid 
may  close  firmly  on  the  contents,  suffi- 
cient to  prevent  any  movement  of  the 
fruit  in  handling  the  case.  This  lid  is 
then  covered  with  the  earth  until  the 
outer  case  is  full,  when  the  lid  of  that 
is  closod  and  securely  fastened.  By  this 
means  there  can  no  change  take  place 
in  the  air  immediately  surrounding  the 
fruit,  and  consequently  there  can  be  no 
evaporation  of  its  juices;  while  the  tem- 
perature, by  reason  of  the  non-conduct- 
ing character  of  the  infusorial  earth,  is 
also  maintained  without  change. 

Mr.  Torrance  also  states  that  this 
earth  is  absolutely  tasteless,  and  in  con- 
firmation exhibited  to  the  meeting  ap- 
ples that  had  been  packed  for  four 
months  in  direct  contact  ^\  ith  the  earth, 
and  yet  retained  fully  their  character- 
istic flavor  as  when  first  plucked  from 
the  tree.  Further  than  this,  Mr.  Chas. 
Gibb,  of  Abbottsford,  Que.,  had  packed 
some  fresh  butter  directly  in  this  earth 
for  ten  days,  and  on  testing  it  could  not 
detect  the  slightest  change  in  flavor. 
About  the  end  of  September  last  Mr. 
Torrance  sent  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jack,  of 
Chateauguay  Basin,  some  of  these  pack- 
ing cases,  together  with  a  supply  of  the 
earth,  in  which  they  packed  a  variety 
of  grapes,  Agawam,  Concord,  Delaware, 
Duchess,  Eumelan,  and  Niagara,  also 
some  Alexander  and  Fameuse  apples. 
By  chance  the  cases  containing  this 
fruit  were  left  in  an  open  shed  until  the 
frost  had  become  so  severe  that  the  mer- 
cury fell  to  zero,  but  the  fruit  was  un- 
injured, and  Mr.  Torrance  exhibited  to 
the  meeting  some  of  these  grapes  and 
apples  in  a  perfectly  sound  and  fresh 
condition. 

The  size  of  case  recommended  by  Mr. 
Torrance  is  one  not  exceeding  in  ca- 
pacity a  bushel  and  a  half,  ten  of  which 
would  be  equal  to  one  ton  measurement. 
For  small  or  delicate  fruits  he  substi- 
tutes four  trays  for  the  interior  case, 
placed  one  above  the  other,  and  held 


108 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


securely  in  the  centre  of  the  exterior 
case  by  cleats. 

The  cost  of  case  and  packing  material 
he  states  to  be  as  follows :  the  double 
case,  forty-five  cents;  the  infusorial 
earth,  laid  down  in  Montreal  in  bags  or 
one  hundred  pounds  costing  one  dollar 
and  a  half  per  bag,  each  bag  being  suf- 
ficent  for  three  cases,  would  cost  fifty 
cents,  and  a  quire  of  large  manilla  paper 
at  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  ream  would 
cost  seven  and  a  half  cents,  thus  mak- 
ing the  total  cost  one  dollar  and  two 
and  a  half  cents  per  case. 

He  thinks  that  this  system  of  pre- 
serving fruit  in  a  fresh  state  promises 
to  be  of  value  to  the  fruit  grower  who 
wishes  to  keep  extra  choice  fruit  for  the 
holiday  trade  and  market  it  in  the  cities 
and  towns  in  severe  frosty  weather, 
inasmuch  as  there  will  be  no  danger 
of  it  being  injured  by  the  frost  during 
transportation.  For  such  purpose  the 
cases  could  be  used  an  indefinite  num- 
ber of  times,  year  after  year.  Further, 
that  it  promises  to  be  of  great  value  for 
the  export  of  choice  fruit  of  such  a 
quality  that  the  price  to  be  obtained 
would  be  sufficient  to  pay  for  the  pack- 
age as  well  as  the  freight  and  charges 
and  leave  a  satisfactory  margin  of  pro- 
fit, such  as  would  be  the  case  with 
tomatoes,  nutmeg-melons,  peaches,  and 
very  choice  pears.  Inasmuch  as  these 
cases  can  be  stowed  in  the  hold  of  the 
vessel  without  fear  of  injury  to  the 
fruit,  they  can  be  shipped  at  lower  rates 
for  freight  than  fruit  in  ventilated 
cases,  which  must  always  be  carried 
between  decks.  Also  it  may  be  that 
something  can  be  obtained  for  the  empty 
packing  cases  in  England,  where  such 
articles  are  always  in  demand,  and  like- 
wise that  the  infusorial  earth  could  be 
sold  for  somewhat  near  the  cost,  as  it  is 
quoted  in  the  British  markets  at  from 
about  twenty  to  thirty  dollars  per  ton. 

In  conclusion,  Mr.  Torrance  calls  at- 
tention to  the  facilities  herein  presented 


for  the  safe  shipment  of  our  choice  and 
even  perishable  fruits  next  summer  to 
the  Colonial  Exhibition,  whereby  a 
complete  succession  can  be  kept  up  dur- 
ing the  fruit  season,  and  the  fruit  arrive 
in  a  perfectly  fresh  condition ;  and  as 
the  fruit  can  be  kept  in  these  cases  for 
a  considerable  time  without  fear  of  de- 
cay, it  can  be  allowed  to  remain  stored 
in  the  cases  until  wanted  to  be  placed 
on  exhibition. 

It  is  certainly  to  be  hoped  that  the 
gentlemen  having  the  colonial  fruit  ex- 
hibition in  charge  will  make  a  thorough 
investigation  of  this  matter,  and  fully 
test  the  value  of  this  method  of  preserv- 
ing and  transporting  fruit  in  the  fresh 
state.  Should  it  prove  to  be  what  Mr. 
Torrance  expects,  it  will  open  up  such 
a  market  for  some  of  our  finer  fruits  and 
vegetables  as  will  give  a  new  impulse  to 
their  cultivation,  and  so  increase  the 
volume  of  our  transatlantic  trade. 


PARIS  GREEN  FOR  CUROULIO. 

By  permission  of  Wm,  Boy,  Esq., 
Royston  Park,  Owen  Sound,  to  whom 
the  letter  was  addressed,  we  publish 
the  following  communication  : — 

My  Dear  Sir, — In  conversation  on 
the  train  with  Senator  Plumb,  he  told 
me  that  the  past  two  years  he  has 
successfully  raised  the  most  delicate 
and  finest  fiavored  fruit,  when  for 
fifteen  years  before  they  have  been 
destroyed  by  curculio,  and  moths,  and 
other  insects. 

He  explains  the  reason  by  appli- 
cation of  Paris  Green  to  the  trees  in 
the  following  manner  : — Plums  ;  after 
the  blossom  falls  and  fruit  appears,  he 
mixes,  say  a  dessert  spoonful  of  Paris 
Green  in  a  good  full  pail  of  water,  and 
with  a  large  garden  syringe  squirts  the 
water  on  the  fruit,  leaves  and  branches 
of  the  trees.  This  he  repeats  at  in- 
tervals of  four  or  five  days  or  more, 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  weather, 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


109 


for  three  or  four  times.  He. says  the 
curculio  will  not  go  near  the  Paris 
Green,  and  consequently  the  fruit  will 
be  saved  from  the  insect. 

The  same  treatment  will  save  the' 
most  delicate  apples  from  being  pierced 
by  insects  that  destroy  so  many  of 
them,  and  other  fruit  in  the  same 
manner. 

And  then  after  the  insect  season  is 
past,  there  is  plenty  of  time  for  rain  to 
wash  all  the  Paris  Green  off  the  fruit. 
The  quantity  is  so  small  that  in  any 
case  it  would  do  no  harm,  as  one 
dessert  spoonful  will  do  several  trees. 

I  thought  the  experiment  was  worth 
knowing.  With  kindest  wishes,  I 
have  the  honor  to  be, 

Yours  faithfuUy,  B.  Allen. 

THE  CULTIVATION  OF  HOPS. 

Dear  Sir, — Will  you  please  let  me 
know  through  your  valuable  Horticul- 
turist something  on  the  plantingand  cul- 
tivation of  hops]  I  have  a  piece  of 
very  heavy  clay  land,  sloping  towards 
the  west.  Would  it  be  suitable  for 
hops  ]  How  are  they  propagated  ? 
What  will  it  cost  per  acre  for  plants  ] 
How  are  they  set  out  and  trained  1, 
What  kind  of  manure  is  best]  The 
soil  is  strong. 

Yours  etc., 

W.  H.  Hodges. 

Ops,  March,  4th.,   1886. 

LOCATION. 

In  the  selection  of  a  site  for  the  hop- 
yard  it  is  very  important  that  one  be 
chosen  where  there  is  a  free  circulation 
of  air  and  full  exposure  to  the  sun. 
Low  and  damp  locations  are  to  be 
avoided,  for  the  reason  that  the  hop-vine 
is  subject  to  be  attacked  by  a  vegetable 
fungus  known  as  tJie  mould,  which 
flourishes  in  wet  seasons  and  damp 
locations.  Dryness  checks  the  growth 
of  this  fungus,  hence  the  importance  of 
a  free  circulation  of  air  and  sunlight. 


SOIL. 

As  the  roots  of  the  hop- vine  are 
liable  to  suffer  from  drought  it  is  im- 
portant that  there  be  a  good  depth  of 
soil,  and  that  it  be  abundantly  supplied 
with  vegetable  matter.  Hence  in  pre- 
paring the  ground,  it  should  be  deeply 
andthorougly  sub-soil  ploughed.  Again, 
the  hop  plant  is  very  sensitive  to  super- 
abundance of  water  in  the  ground,  so 
that  in  soils  not  naturally  underdrained 
it  will  be  necessary  to  thoroughly 
underdrain  the  hop-yard.  Stronir,  rich 
land,  having  a  very  considerable  depth 
of  soil  and  thoroughly  drained,  is  an 
essential  requisite  to  success. 

PLANTING. 

The  usual  distance  in  this  country 
is  seven  feet  apart  each  way,  which 
gives  888  hills  to  the  acre.  One  strong 
healthy  plant  is  sufficient  to  each  hill, 
but  planters  usually  set  two  or  three  to 
guard  against  failures  from  any  cause. 
The  roots  should  be  spread  out,  covered 
with  fine  mould,  ])ressed  fijmly  about 
them.  In  England  the  hills  are  raised, 
but  in  our  climate  level  culture  is  the 
rule.  As  the  hop  is  dioecious  it  is 
necessary  to  have  a  number  of  male 
plants  distributed  through  the  plant- 
ation Some  planters  say  that  half  a 
dozen  to  the  acre  is  sufficient,  others 
set  three  times  that  number.  The  best 
plants  are  those  that  have  been  bedded 
in  the  previous  spring  and  made  a 
season's  growth. 

CULTIVATION. 

The  hops  will  require  to  be  su})plied 
with  poles,  two  to  the  hill,  tapered  to  a 
point  at  the  bottom,  and  about  twenty 
feet  in  length.  These  can  be  thrust 
into  holes  made  with  a  crowbar  a  foot 
apart  and  with  the  tops  inclined  from 
each  other.  Two  shoots  may  be  trained 
to  each  pole,  fastening  them  with  woollen 
yarn  as  they  require,  because  of  its 
elasticity.  The  ground  will  requii-e  to 
bo  kept  perfectly  clean  and  mellow  with 


no 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


cultivator  and  hoe  during  all  the  grow- 
ing season.  The  hop-vine  is  an  exhaus- 
tive feeder,  requiring  to  be  abundantly 
supplied  with  potash,  lime,  and  sul- 
phuric and  phoshoric  acids.  Gypsum, 
(sulphate  of  lime,)  Quick-lime,  and 
hard-wood  ashes  should  be  spread  on 
the  surface  and  harrowed  or  cultivated 
in.  Superphosphate  at  the  rate  of  a 
hundred  pounds  to  the  acre  has  been 
used  in  England  with  beneficial  effect, 
when  the  plants  required  to  be  stimu- 
lated into  rapid  growth.  Barnyard 
manure  must  be  supplied  with  liberal 
hand,  and  the  higher  the  stock  are  fed 
the  better  will  be  the  manure. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
every  operation  connected  with  the  cul- 
tivation of  hops  be  performed  promptly 
at  the  proper  time,  from  the  time  of 
setting  the  poles  until  the  crop  is  har- 
vested. 

PROPAGATION. 

Plants  are  raised  by  cutting  off  the 
shoots  of  the  preceding  year  and  plant- 
ing them  early  in  the  spring  in  beds  of 
rich  soil,  where  they  are  kept  clean  and 
well  cultivated  during  the  summer. 

COST    OF    PLANTS. 

We  are  not  able  to  answer  this  part 
of  the  inquiry,  and  request  any  of  our 
readers  who  have  had  experience  on 
this  point  to  communicate  it  through 
the  columns  of  the  Canadian  Horticul- 
turist. Those  who  have  sets  to  sell 
might  do  wf'll  to  advertize  them. 


FRUIT  AT  OWEN  SOUND. 

The  fruit  crop  in  the  immediate  vi- 
cinity of  Owen  Sound  was  in  some 
respects  very  good  the  past  season,  and 
in  others  almost  a  total  failure.  Apples, 
pears  and  plums  were  either  a  very 
small  crop  or  no  crop,  while  straw- 
berries, raspberries,  and  currants  were 
very  good.  Gooseberries  were  not  so 
abundant.  But  we  have  had  perhaps 
the  best  crop  of  grapes  that  has  been 


grown  here  for  some  years.  We  very 
seldom  fail  to  raise  good  crops  of  the 
early  varieties  of  grapes  here.  The 
four  kinds  that  seem  to  be  favourites 
here  are  Moore's  Early  and  Worden  for 
the  best  two  blacks,  and  Lindley  and 
Brighton  for  red.  We  have  not  fruited 
anything  in  the  green  grape  line  that  has 
proved  a  success  yet. 

Thomas  Brownlie. 


Note  by  the  Editor. — Will  Mr. 
Brownlie  do  our  readers  the  favor  to 
inform  them,  through  the  Canadian 
Horticulturist,  what  varieties  of  white 
or  green  grapes  have  been  tried  at  Owen 
Sound,  so  that  those  who  reside  in  that 
vicinity  may  be  saved  the  dissappoint- 
ment  and  expense  consequent  upon 
planting  varieties  known  by  trial  not  to 
succeed. 


SHAKKSPEARE  AND  BERRIES. 

FRUIT    AND    SHADE. 

"  The  strawberry  grows  underneath  the  nettle, 
And  wholesome  berries  thrive  and  ripen  best, 
Neighbored  by  fruit  of  baser  quality." 

Shakespeare,  Henry  V.,  1. 1.  60. 

This  circumstance  so  graphically  no- 
ted by  the  great  dramatist  as  being 
true  in  his  day,  has  also  been  noticed 
by  moderns  as  still  remarkably  true  in 
isolated  cases.  But  this  will  not  by 
any  means  do  for  a  principle  of  action. 
The  practical  facts  underlying  succesful 
fruit  culture  in  any  times,  either  ancient 
or  modern,  are  not  exactly  in  accord 
with  this  statement. 

Neither  would  it  be  either  wise  or 
prudent  to  attempt  to  verify  the  deep 
truthfulness  of  these  statements  by 
planting  choice  Daniel  Boons,  Man- 
chesters,  or  James  Vicks,  or  even  Jewels 
in  the  midst  of  untilled  negligence,  or 
of  rampant  choking  nettles.  Neither 
is  it  found  in  modern  practice  that  the 
finest  results  are  obtained  by  thrusting 
in  a  plant  here  and  there,  even  of  the 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTIOULTUKI8T. 


ill 


best  strains,  amongst  a  numerous  and 
choking  progeny  of  baser  sorts. 

THE    WORLD    MOVES 

and  berry  growing  and  successful  fruit 
culture  is  also  found  in  practice  to  be 
moving  with  it,  and  that  onward. 

The  only  sure  and  praiseworthy 
course  is  to  plant  only  the  best  samples 
of  the  best  sorts  of  fruit  plants,  and 
give  them  the  best  attention  and  the 
best  open  air  culture  possible.  Allow 
no  intruding  or  overshading  plants  to 
occupy  even  the  neighboring  soil,  or 
trespass  upon  the  fertility  of  the 
ground,  or  to  deprive  them  of  that  life- 
giving  and  colour  inspiring  sunshine 
that  all  living  things  are  found  to 
need.  It  will  be  found  by  this  treat- 
ment that  not  only  will  the  "  whole- 
some berries  thrive  and  ripen  best," 
but  they  will  be  in  the  highest  state  of 
))Ossible  perfection.  Oh,  to  think  of 
fields  and  acres  of  these  !  Why,  it 
seems  the  sight  never  dazzled  the  eyes 
of  our  great  teacher,  nor  the  thought 
ever  glanced  across  his  imagination. 
Although 

THE    STRAWBERRY 

will  perhaps  bear  a  moderate  amount 
of  shade,  and  do  better  than  any  of 
our  other  domestic  fruits,  yet  it  is 
found  that  for  best  results  in  product, 
plenty  of  room  for  the  plants,  good 
cultivation,  and  plenty  of  fresh  air  and 
sunshine  are  absolutely  necessary.  Let 
these  remarks  apply  in  all  their  force 
to  tl)ose  who  are 

ECONOMIZING    TOO    CLOSELY 

ill  their  management  of  these  fine 
fruits.  To  those  who,  to  save  space, 
plant  their  grounds  with  the  larger 
lud  more  spreading  fruit  trees,  and  in 
iiiongst  these  plant  smaller  fruits,  as 
^'ra])es,  gooseberries,  currants,  etc.,  and 
111  amongst  these  again,  just  to  fill  up 
you  know,  thrust  in  a  few  choice  straw- 
l»erries,  or  a  starting  of  newest  and 
I  "est  raspberries.     This  practice,  though 


it  may  be  economical  of  ground,  is  not 

by    any    means     profitable,     and    the 

planter  will  be  the  loser  by  the  attempt. 

Arkona,  March  10,  1886.        B.    GoTT. 

WHITE  GRAPES  AT  CLAKENCEVILLE, 
QUEBEC. 

In  compliance  with  your  request,  I 
will  give  your  readers  last  season's  re- 
sults in  grape  culture  here,  but  as  the 
popular  mind  is  at  present  directed 
towards  white  varieties,  my  notes  must 
be  confined  alone  to  the  latest  introduc- 
tions in  these. 

Duchess  has  fruited  here  for  three 
years,  and  its  value  could  not  be  fairly 
estimated  till  last  season,  when  it 
turned  out  highly  satisfactory,  and  pro- 
duced as  fine  fruit  as  was  ever  sent  to 
Canada  by  its  introducer,  Mr.  Cay  wood, 
for  exhibition.  Very  few  new  grapes 
now  produced  are  any  better  than  those 
we  have  long  had  in  cultivation,  and 
only  tend  to  swell  our  list  beyond  due 
proportions ;  but  Duchess  has  come  to 
fill  a  place  for  a  fair-sized  grape  of  su- 
perior quality  and  showy  appearance. 

Masons  SeeAling  will  be  ])erhaps  new 
to  all  your  readers.  Its  parentage  is 
Concord,  to  which  it  bears  resemblance 
in  vigor,  wealth  of  foliage  and  produc- 
tiveness ;  is  fully  as  large  in  berry,  su- 
perior in  quality,  ripens  earlier,  comes 
into  bearing  earlier,  and  seems  to  be 
destined  to  soon  take  the  place  of  Mar- 
tha. It  hails  from  Mascontal,  Illinois, 
and  if  it  continues  to  do  as  well  will  be 
a  decided  acquisition. 

Mr.  Rickett's  new  discoveries  in 
white  varieties  places  his  name  fore- 
most as  a  benefactor  in  fruit  culture. 
His  El  Dorado,  while  equal  to  Concord, 
one  of  its  parents,  in  vigor,  does  not 
partake  of  the  feeble  foliage  of  Allen's 
Hybrid,  its  other  parent,  but  imparts 
its  high  quality  to  the  fruit.  The  berry 
is  large,  with  a  beautiful  bloom,  ripens 
early,  and  thus  far  is  very  promising. 


112 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTIOULTUEI8T. 


His  Lady  Washington,  a  similar  cross, 
runs  to  the  other  extreme  as  to  time  of 
ripening.  Where  frost  holds  off  into 
October  it  may  ripen,  and  its  mammoth 
clusters  can  only  be  produced  by  proper 
care.  His  Naomi  in  foliage  shows  the 
weakness  of  its  Muscat  parentage  late 
in  the  season,  and  its  fruit  is  retarded 
in  ripening  thereby.  In  anticipation 
of  this  it  is  necessary  to  thin  it  out, 
with  this  calculation,  early  in  the  sea- 
son. It  is  a  long  jointed  strong  grower, 
and  for  fine  double-shouldered,  compact, 
large  clusters  of  most  beautiful  color  it 
transcends  any  out-door  grape  that  I 
know  of.  His  Golden  Gem  ripens  early, 
but  its  berry  is  as  yet  quite  too  small 
to  be  of  much  value.  This  may  be 
remedied  in  a  measure  by  liberal  thin- 
ning out  of  clusters.  It  is  very  pro- 
ductive, in  habit  short-jointed,  with 
delicate  small  leaf.  Without  further 
trial  it  would  be  unfair  to  decide  against 
a  grape  Mr.  Ricketts  recommends,  and 
it  may  yet  prove  a  valuable  variety.  I 
have  fruited  a  grape  he  calls  Undine, 
which  looks  at  present  favorable,  being 
of  large  berry,  but  late;  also  his  No. 
346,  a  long,  tapering  bunch,  of  small 
berry,  probably  a  cross  with  a  Vitis 
-i:Estivalis  species,  which  may  improve 
after  a  time.  Erapire  State  has  not 
fruited  here  yet.  There  is  good  evi- 
dence to  lead  us  to  view  this  grape  as 
the  crowning  success  of  Mr.  Ricketts' 
labors.  Early  in  September  last  we 
were  favored  with  specimens  of  its  fruit 
from  its  present  proprietors,  Pratt 
Bros,,  of  Rochester,  N.Y.,  though  T 
first  saw  it  in  Boston  in  lb^81  at  the 
exhibition  and  session  of  the  American 
Pomological  Society.  Its  vigor  and 
health  of  foliage  are  remarkable,  and  the 
fruit  is  as  fine  as  it  is  showy.  Though 
this  variety  has  been  placed  before  the 
public  with  modest  pretensions,  it  may 
in  time  be  found  "  the  grape  for  the 
million." 

Peter  Wyley  gives  promise  of  being  a 


popular  variety,  is  a  strong  grower, 
with  healthy  foliage,  medium  berry  and 
bunch,  very  fine  in  quality,  and  early 
here. 

Pocklington  did  better  this  season, 
and  fruited  as  early  as  Concord,  im- 
proved in  size  and  quality  over  pre- 
vious years.  Much  of  the  prejudice 
against  it  has  arisen  through  its  intro- 
ducers at  first  sending  out  feeble  vines 
propagated  from  unsuitable  wood. 
Though  not  showing  mildew,  its  foliage 
here  is  enfeebled  by  extremes  of  tem- 
perature late  in  summer. 

Prentiss  still  bears  heavily,  and  is  a 
good  market  variety.  Its  foliage  is 
also  affected  by  atmospheric  extremes. 
With  all  such  varieties  the  cultivator, 
early  in  the  season,  should  leave  only 
the  quantity  of  fruit  on  the  vine  which 
the  leaf  can  reasonably  ripen. 

Grein's  Golden  again  bore  very  large 
fruit,  bunches  small  and  berries  loose. 
It  still  drops  from  the  stem  when  ripe. 
It  may,  however,  recover  from  that  se- 
rious failing  as  vine  gets  older;  ripens 
with  Concord. 

Romell's  white  grapes  have  so  far 
been  disappointing.  Faith  is  the  best, 
but  still  small  in  berry  and  late.  His 
July,  though  very  early,  drops  badly  as 
soon  as  ripe.  Amber  I  dug  up  after  a 
fair  trial  as  too  late.  If  Romell's  Su- 
perior does  not  improve  it  will  share 
the  same  fate  next  fall  from  this  cause. 

Minor's  Seedlings,  Belinda,  Antoi- 
nette and  Carlotta,  have  fruited  here  for 
three  years — the  first  quite  early  and  a 
good  cropper  ;  the  second  a  few  days 
late]'  but  better  in  quality;  the  last  has 
proved  late  and  a  shy  bearer.  We  have 
in  the  old  standard  Lady  a  grape  as 
large  as  either  of  these,  of  better  qual- 
ity, and  much  earlier,  though  it  takes 
more  time  for  the  vine  to  arrive  at  a 
good  bearing  condition. 

Purity,  a  Delaware  cross  by  G.  W. 
Campbell,  of  Ohio,  is  a  small  grape, 
which  compensates  for  this  in  exceed- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTI0ULTUR18T. 


113 


ingly  fine  quality,  is  less  vigorous  and 
productive  here  than  Delaware,  but 
without  exaggeration  a  finer  grape  in 
flavor.  A  vine  of  it  should  he  in 
every  collection. 

Still  hold  Lady  and  Martha  as  good 
profitable  varieties ;  Allen's  Hybrid, 
Sweetwater,  and  Dr.  Underhill's  Cro- 
ton  for  tine  quality  of  fruit,  though  un- 
reliable some  seasons.  Empire  State, 
Centennial,  Jessica,  Hayes'  Golden 
Drop,  and  Niagara  have  not  fruited. 

Noah,  Elvira,  Irving,  Astrachan,  Eva, 
Rebecca  and  Perkins  I  have  discarded 
and  dug  up. 

Some  years  since,  from  the  remark- 
able adaptability  of  this  section  for  fruit 
culture,  I  made  a  venture  with  several 
early  foreign  vinery  varieties  to  test  for 
out-door  culture,  but  one  by  one  de- 
parted, leaving  only  White  Sweetwater 
and  Earlv  Auvergne  Frontignan.  The 
latter,  with  good  nursing  and  bagging 
its  elegant  bunches,  gave  good  results 
and  a  rich,  spicy  berry,  resembling  the 
imported  Malaga. 

Yours  truly, 

Wm.  Mead  Pattison. 

Clarenceville,  Que. 

REPORT  ON  TREES,  SEEDS,  &c., 

RECEIVED   FROM  IHE  F.  O.    ASS'n  FOR  TRIAL. 

They  have  nearly  all  j)roved  desirable, 
ome  indispensable,  some  I  would  not 
jM-obably  have  had  but  for  my  connec- 
tion with  the  Society,  and  would  not 
be  without  for  many  times  the  price  of 
membership. 

The  McLaughlin  plum,  Cla[)p's  Fa- 
vorite and  Beurre  d'Anjou  j>eai-s, 
< Crime's  Golden  apple.  Downing  goose- 
'hutv,  Saunders'  Hybrid  raspberry,  are 
1 1  fruits  of  high,  or  highest,  merit  in 
their  respective  classes. 

The  Glass  plum  grows  well,  is  a  fine 
fruit,  but  unproductive,  seems  much 
l)etter  on  limestone  soils. 

The  Red  raspl)eii-y  is  well  flavored, 
but  the  acini,  or  fruit  grains,  crumble 


at  the   touch,   and  it  out-suckers   the 
whole  State  of  Indiana. 

I  have  lost  some  two  or  three  kinds 
by  accident,  and  others  I  have  not 
had  long  enough  to  report  satisfactorily 
upon. 

The  Hydrangea,  thoroughly  hardy, 
is  one  of  the  indispensables,  reinforcing 
the  floral  ranks  at  the  right  time  to 
})revent  a  break  or  halt  in  the  pageant 
of  beauty  and  grandeur,  as  it  marches 
athwart  the  calendar  up  to  when 
"  Stern  winter  shuts  the  scene." 
I  think  that  thorough,  even  severe, 
pruning  out  all  weak  wood  much  im- 
proves the  size  and  richness  of  the 
panicles,  especially  of  the  later  bloom- 
ing, which  otherwise  are  liable  to  fall 
off,  somewhat,  in  these  qualities. 

Fansies. — I  must  not  omit  the  Pan- 
sies.  The  seed  grew  well,  the  flowers, 
exquisite,  and  so  large, — considering 
the  stnun,  two  inches,  full,  over  banner 
and  keel,  and  the  wings, — and  replete 
with  expression.  There  are  some  varie- 
ties that  lack  this  pensi  character- 
istic and  its  charm,  wanting  which  it 
scarcely  deserves  the  name  of  pansy. 
The  white  and  yellow,  though  pretty 
enough  as  flowera.  are  wanting  in  that 
wonderful  look  which  moves  one  to  ask, 

'•  Of  what  may  that  flower  be  thioking  ?" 

I  have  never  seen  a  really  good  picture 
of  the  pansy.  The  artists  do  not  seem 
to  catch  the  spirit  of  the  fairy  dream, 
woven  into  and  pervading  the  form  and 
color.  I  venture  to  predict  that  if  ever 
the  pansy  loses  its  popularity,  it  will  be 
through  the  "  new  variety  "  men  flood- 
ing the  market  with  their  speechless, 
soulless,  idiotic  looking  pets  under  the 
name  of  |>ansies.  I  saved  seed  from 
some  of  the  l)est,  and  the  children  were 
quite  equal  to  the  parents.  They  ob- 
served the  fifth  commandment,  which 
was  very  proper  in  a  flOwer  capable  of 
thinking,  and  therefore  morally  res- 
l)onsible. 

My  Asters  were  not  good.     A  large 


114 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


willow,  with  its  unwelcome  roots  and 
shade,  was  too  near. 

A  word  here  with  respect  to  the 
policy  of  sending  out  trees  for  trial. 
My  personal  experience  is  that  when 
the  recipient  tastes  the  delicate  fruits, 
and  contemplates  the  beauty  of  the 
flowers,  he  feels  the  cords  of  affiliation 
drawing  strongly,  may  I  not  add,  ten- 
derly. At  all  events,  they  address  him 
in  the  name  of  the  Association  in  the 
most  eloquent  language  of  progress  and 
refinement.  Nevertheless,  the  sugges- 
tion of  H.  M.  Switzer,  Esq. ,  of  Palermo, 
is  worthy  of  consideration ;  perhaps  both 
enterprises  are  possible.  But  of  this, 
in  its  proper  time  and  place. 

You  may  expect  me  to  say  something 
of  the  hardiness  of  varieties.  Hardiness 
is  largely  a  matter  of  the  condition  of 
the  tree  at  the  time  of  trial. 

AN    EXPERIMENT. 

Six  years  ago  I  selected  a  young 
native  plum,  about  six  feet  high,  vigor- 
ous, and  standing  on  a  clay  bank,  facing 
south-east.  Sometime  after  it  had  com- 
pleted its  season's  growth,  the  last  of 
August,  I  mulched  it  heavily,  kept  it 
moist,  and  succeeded  in  starting  new 
growth,  I  kept  it  at  that  till  frost. 
Well,  the  winter  killed  that  hardiest  of 
trees,  and  killed  nothing  else  that  I 
had,  not  the  tenderest. 

AN    OBSERVATION. 

In  1884,  just  as  the  leaves  of  trees 
were  about  one-third  grown,  there  came, 
at  the  last  of  May,  a  severe  frost,  accom- 
panied by  a  wintry  wind  from  the 
north-west  for  two  days.  Within  a 
week  I  observed  the  leaves  on  the 
Black  Ash  all  withering  on  high  and 
low  land  alike.  The  trees  never  rallied. 
Our  Black  Ash  are  all  killed,  yet  the 
Black  Ash  is  a  hardy  tree.  Why  then 
was  it  killed  1  Because  it  was  in  just 
that  condition  which  made  it  as  suscep- 
tible to  frost  as  a  tropical  plant.  Some 
other   foresters   suffered    slightly,   and 


some  fruit   trees  considerably,   at  the 
same  time. 

This  locality  is  not  one  to  test  the 
property  of  hardiness.  Although  in- 
land, north-west  of  Lake  Ontario  about 
a  dozen  miles,  and  about  eighteen  north 
of  Hamilton  city,  yet  nearly  everything 
that  thrives  there  can  be  grown  fairly 
well  here.  I  have  peach  trees  seedlings 
thirty-two  years  old.  The  arctic  winter 
of  1884  and  1885  thinned  them  out. 
Some  survived  and  bore  here  and  there 
a  peach,  in  spite  of  the  64°  of  frost  they 
had  endured.  This  unusual  hardiness 
is  due  to  position  and  soil.  The  coun- 
try lies  high  and  rolling,  occasionally 
rolling  up  into  the  picturesque.  Nature, 
when  she  made  our  mountain,  decided 
that  it  should  be  unique.  To  prevent 
the  building  of  any  more  just  such 
mountains,  after  laying  down  the  strata 
of  shale,  gray  band  and  limestone,  com- 
posted the  surplus  debris,  detritus  and 
lithic  chips,  fragments  of  slate  and 
granite,  and  a  large  percentage  of  clay, 
underdraining,  and  occasionally  top 
coursing,  with  sand  and  gravel.  Then 
gashed  and  scored  her  work  every- 
where with  gully  and  gorge  of  all 
imaginable  depths,  through  which  flow 
numerous  streamlets  limpid  and  trouty. 
Thus  she  has  supplied  herself  with  a 
comprehensive  laboratory,  filter,  cruci- 
ble and  alembic,  all  in  one.  She  is 
prepared  to  welcome  almost  every  kind 
of  tree  and  plant,  and  give  each  his 
proper  food  "in  due  season."  What 
with  steady  and  not  fitful  growth,  per- 
fect drainage,  and  well  ripened  wood, 
our  trees  attain  the  utmost  healthiness 
and  hardiness  possible  to  the  genus, 
species  or  variety.  I  have  never  seen 
a  case  of  mildew  on  the  grape.  No 
pear  blight  that  went  further  than  to 
discolor  the  leaves.  I  have  never  lost 
a  branch,  so  doubt  it  being  true  pear 
blight.  The  Black  Knot  never  attacked 
our  plum  and  cherry  till  it  had  ravaged 
the  sand  and  calcareous  soils  adjacent. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


115 


Then  it  stole  in  by  way  of  the  San- 
Culottes,  the  degenerate  "Fence  Corner" 
varieties.  After  thus  establishing  it- 
self, it,  like  the  cholera,  seized  what- 
ever was  nearest  of  the  higher  classes. 

Though  we  have  such  comparative 
immunity  from  diseases,  the  insects 
sufficiently  reinforce  them  to  bring  us 
down  to  average  in  regard  to  quantity. 

The  Tent  caterpillar  came,  did  much 
mischief,  but  is  rarely  seen  now.  The 
fall  web  and  canker  worm  are  here,  but 
not  yet  troublesome.  The  curculio  dis- 
figures some  of  the  thin-skinned  apples, 
and  is  equal  to  the  whole  crop  of  plum 
and  cherry.  Thorough  jarring  saves 
the  fruit.     I  have  not  tried  poisons. 

The  codlin  moth  sometimes,  and  of 
some  varieties,  takes,  with  the  owner, 
about  "share  and  share  alike."  If  the 
Yankees  sent  the  moth  here  to  secure 
a  supply  of  champagne  cider  apples, 
they  succeeded.  Car-loads  are  yearly 
sold  them.  Those  who  have  turned 
their  orchards  into  sheep  and  swine 
pastures  have  nearly  driven  out  the 
moth,  while  the  pork  and  mutton  seem 
none  the  worse  for  the  mixed  diet. 


S.  P.  Morse. 


Oakville,  Halton  Co. 


HOW  rO  PRUNE  THE  CURRANT  AND 
GOOSEBERRY  FOR  PROFIT. 
The  method  I  use  in  pruning  the 
currant,  and  which  will  apply  to  the 
gooseberry  as  well,  differs  in  one  respect 
from  the  usual  advice  given  in  the 
columns  of  the  horticultural  journals 
of  the  day,  viz.:  that  of  cutting  back 
'  lie  new  growth  of  the  terminal  branches 
I  Wont  one  half,  which  will  give  all  the 
lollowing  advantages  over  the  old  sys- 
tem of  pruning,  which  was  simply  to 
cut  out  old  UvSeless  wood,  and  thin  out 
that  which  remained. 

THESK    ADVANTAGES    ARE : 

1st.  Strong,   healthy  growth   at  the 
top  of  the  bush,  where  we  want  it,  and 


not  in  an  increased  number  of  suckers 
or  sprouts  at  the  bottom. 

2nd.  Rank  foliage,  that  will  remain 
all  season  to  protect  the  fruit  from  sun 
scalding,  and  also  prolonging  the  pick- 
ing and  marketing  season. 

3rd.  Larger  fruit  and  longer  bunches, 
for  the  reason  that  all  the  short  bunched 
smalj  currants  are  produced  at  or  near 
the  terminal  buds,  and  these  being 
pruned  off,  leave  only  the  best  to  be 
developed,  and  as  it  is  a  well  known 
fact  that  the  production  of  seed  is  the 
cause  of  exhaustion  of  the  plant,  there- 
fore small  currants  produce  just  as 
much  seed  as  large,  and  these  being 
pruned  off,  relieve  the  bush  of  its  great- 
est burden  or  cause  of  exhaustion. 

4th.  Eegular  bearing,  for  a  strong, 
healthy  bush  is  always  able  to  bear  its 
load  of  fruit,  because,  with  this  mode 
of  pruning  and  its  advantages,  the  bush 
grows  stronger  every  year,  and  with 
these  come 

5th.  Other  advantages,  such  as  very 
large  bushes  with  fruit  further  from  the 
ground,  and  consequently  not  liable  to 
get  splashed  with  dirt,  and  being  able 
to  grow  very  large  plants  less  plants 
are  required  to  the  acre,  and  will  do 
best  planted  not  less  than  5x5  feet, 
or  6  X  6  feet,  when  horse  cultivation 
can  be  used  both  ways,  and  thus  save 
a  great  deal  of  hand  labor. 

6th.  By  this  mode  of  pruning,  all 
the  medium  sized  varieties  may  be 
made  to  produce  almost  as  large  fruit 
as  the  cherry  curi'ant. 

7th.  C^urrant  plantations  will  last  20 
years  or  more,  because  the  vitality  and 
vigor  are  always  kept  up. 

And  while  I  could  name  other  ad- 
vantages for  this  method  of  pruning,  I 
have  only  to  say  that  I  have  tried  it 
on  an  acre  of  different  varieties,  and 
othei-s  have  tried  the  same,  and  we 
have  all  had  results  more  satisfactory 
than  was  anticipated.     I  believe  that 


116 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


with  this  mode  of  pruning,  currant 
culture  can  be  made  to  give  as  good  a 
profit  for  the  capital  invested  as  any 
other  fruit  now  orrown  for  market. 


Stoney  Creek. 


J.    TWEDDLE. 


FRUIT  GROWING  AT  AXE  LAKE. 

Fruit  culture  is  only  in  its  infancy 
here,  we  are  struggling  against-  the 
forest  as  yet.  Small  fruits,  wild  varie- 
ties, and  what  few  that  have  been 
planted  of  improved  kinds  do  well.  I 
am  intending  to  try  some  small  fruits 
this  spring.  There  would  be  a  great 
opening  here  for  the  sale  of  apple  trees, 
provided  they  would  not  winter  kill. 
John  (.lapton. 

Axe  Lake,  Monteitli.  Muskoka. 


THE  CANKER  WORM. 

Dear  Sir, — I  think  from  your  des- 
cription of  the  habits  of  this  pest  there 
should  be  no  difficulty  in  fighting  it 
successfully  by  barring  the  passage  of 
the  moth  up  the  tree,  and  this  can  be 
most  conveniently  and  successfully 
secured  by  tying  loosely  with  a  single 
stout  cord  a  width,  of  say  four  inches, 
of  cotton  batting  around  the  trunk  of 
the  tree. 

I  have,  at  any  rate,  found  this  effec- 
tive in  preventing  caterpillars  ascending 
my  trees.  The  wool  entangles  them  so 
that  they  can  make  no  progress,  and  I 
presume  the  moth  could  not  crawl  over 
it  either.  The  wool  requires  to  be 
examined  occasionally,  especially  on  the 
lower  side  for  larvae,  but  it  is  the  most 
convenient  method  of  protecting  trees 
from  "  crawlers  "  that  I  know. 

H.  Primrose. 

Pictou,  Nova  Scotia. 


SCALE  INSECTS. 

Enclosed  is  "sample"  of  a  supposed 
coccus,  very  injurious  in  my  green- 
house and  orchard  house.  These  speci- 
mens were  taken  from  a  weeping  ash  in 


my  garden,  where  it  is  very  abundant; 
also  in  orchard  house  on  grape  vines 
and  peach  trees,  and  in  greenhouse  on 
Marechall  Neil  and  Gloire  de  Dijon 
Rose  trees.  Henry  Youle  Hind. 
Windsor,  Nova  Scotia. 

Note  by  the  Editor  — Alkaline 
washes  are  the  most  efficient  remedies 
for  these  scale  insects.  A  pound  of 
potash  dissolved  in  three  gallons  of 
water,  and  applied  either  by  spraying 
the  tree  or  by  washing  the  trunk  and 
limbs  thoroughly,  will  kill  these  insects. 
It  is  better  to  apply  it  warm,  if  possi- 
ble, say  at  a  temperature  of  130°  F. 
When  the  young  insects  are  running 
about,  add  to  the  above  solution  flour 
of  sulphur,  at  the  rate  of  half  a  pound 
to  each  gallon.  For  descriptions  and 
drawings  of  many  of  these  scale  insects, 
and  of  their  natural  enemies,  and  arti- 
ficial remedies,  see  Saunders'  Insects 
injurious  to  fruits,  i)ages  390  to  423. 


BLACK  SPOTS  ON  THE  APPLE. 

It  is  now  generally  understood  that 
the  black  spots  on  certain  varieties  of 
our  once  {)opular  varieties  of  the  apple 
are  of  fungus  growth,  which,  however, 
have  not  as  yet  assumed  the  form  of  an 
epidemic,  but  only  confined  to  those 
that  have  been  long  in  cultivation,  such 
as  Fameuse,  Early  Harvest,  Swaar,  &c., 
whilst  those  of  more  recent  introduction 
seem  to  be  entirely  exempt. 

The  reason  appears  to  be  obvious, 
the  varieties  alluded  to  have  passed  the 
meridian  of  the  period  of  existence 
nature  has  assigned  them,  their  loss  of 
vitality  in  order  to  produce  healthy  fruit 
make  them  fit  subjects  for  the  attacks 
of  these  parasites. 

A  seedling  apple  tree  in  this  country 
rarely  exceeds  in  life  more  than  a  cen- 
tury, consequently  only  admits  of  arti- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


117 


ficial  perpetuation  of  the  original  for 
hut  a  very  limited  time,  say  about  half 
that  period.  The  scions,  whether  taken 
from  the  oriojinal  or  from  a  grafted  tree, 
it  makes  no  difference  in  so  far  as 
general  longevity  is  concerned,  they 
being  only  sections  of  the  original, 
nature  not  permitting  any  further  ex- 
tension of  life. 

In  Euro])e  the  apple  tree  from  seed 
will  live  much  longer,  soil  and  climate, 
particularly  the  latter,  being  different ; 
hence  the  reason  why  the  period  of 
raising  grafted  trees  is  more  lengthened. 

In  connection  with  the  apple  I  may 
refer  you  to  the  peach.  All  your  old 
;ind  esteemed  varieties  are  succumbing 
to  the  same  influences,  and  are  dying 
off  with  the  yellows. 

I  observe  that  quite  a  number  of  our  j 
hitherto  abundant  bearing  apple  trees, 
even  although  apparently  healthy  and  i 
in  prime  of  life,  are  beginning  to  show 
a  sparcity  of  fruit  in  comparison  to 
blossoms,  such  as  Pomme  Grise,  Kib- 
ston  Pippin,  Gravenstein,  <fec.,  which 
are  as  yet  exempt  from  spotting,  never- 
theless they  are  old  varieties  in  culti- 
vation and  have  become  enfeebled. 

The   varieties  alluded  to  should  be 
phinted   with   caution,  and  limited   in 
number,  because  in  the  ordinary  course 
of  nature  they  will  soon  become  extinct, 
riie  production  of  new  varieties  should 
by  all  means  be  encouraged,  not  trust- 
ing altogether  to  natural  fertilization. 
\   great  deal  can  be  done  now  in  this 
lore  enlightened  age  by  artificial  means, 
lid  thus  produce  a[)ples  of  a  superior 
jiiaracter  to  those  whicli  are  showing 
evidences  of  extinction. 

The  success  that  has  been  attained 
in  the  strawberry  by  artificial  fertiliza- 
tion is  really  wonderful,  and  that,  too, 
within  the  last  decade,  a  thing  unpre- 
♦Mlented    in    the    era    of    strawberry 
ulture. 

In  corroboration  of  what  I  have 
stated  about  the  apple,  may  very  well 


be  illustrated  by  the  potato,  the  period 
for  its  artificial  perpetuation  by  section 
of  tubers  only  extends  to  some  ten 
years — the  period  that  nature  has  as- 
signed it.  After  a  few  years  of  pro- 
ductiveness it  ceases  to  bo  so,  becomes 
scabby  (a  fungus  growth),  and  finally 
the  rot,  another  variety  of  fungus,  and 
then  the  variety  becomes  extinct,  con- 
sequently, as  a  matter  of  necessity,  it 
becomes  imperative  to  keep  up  a  con- 
tinuous supply  direct  from  seeds. 
Yours  truly, 

Simon  Roy. 

SAUx\DERS  HYBRID  RASPBERRY. 

Mr.  Saunders'  Black  Cap  No.  53, 
distributed  in  1880  by  the  Society,  is  a 
treasure  to  us  :  the  fruit  is  rather  small, 
and  of  a  dull  purple  coloi",  but  so  very 
productive,  we  can  gather  three  pints 
from  this  one  plant,  enough  to  make  a 
pudding,  two  or  three  times  each  season, 
besides  stray  pickings  as  the  childien 
pass  by.  I  find  it  throv\  s  up  suckers 
occasionally  like  the  red  raspberry,  and 
I  have  thus  secured  six  (!xtra  plants. 
The  canes  are  so  strong  they  seem  to 
have  no  chance  to  bend  sufficiently  to 
reach  the  ground  and  glow  from  the 
tips  as  usual.  It  is  quite  hardy  and 
has  no  thorns.  x. 

Cobourg,  Ont. 

GOOSKBERRIES. 

Some  six  years  ago  I  purchased  three 
Crownbob  and  three  Downing  Goose- 
berries, and  they  have  thriven  very 
well,  and  not  a  speck  of  mildew.  From 
long  experience  I  may  state  that  the 
only  manure  I  apply  to  Gooseberries  is 
good  clean  house  ashes  from  wood,  and 
I  think  that  keeps  off  mildew.  I  first 
got  a  hint  of  that  from  the  old  Am. 
Agriculturist,  and  I  had  very  good  red 
Gooseberries.  British,  and  they  didn't 
mildew  either.  A.  D.  Ferbier. 

Fergus,  Wellington  County. 


118 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


THE  OATALPA. 

I  am  afraid  the  "Catalpa"  will  not  be 
found  hardy  enough  for  many  parts  of 
this  Province.  I  have  had  one  here 
(Cobourg)  for  twelve  years,  it  grew  to 
be  five  or  six  inches  in  diameter,  form- 
ing a  handsome  tree,  but  the  young 
shoots  were  often  winter  killed,  and  the 
beautiful  blossoms  did  not  even  attempt 
to  form  any  seed  pods,  as  if  they  were 
only  pistillates.  Two  years  ago  more 
than  half  of  the  top  died  and  had  to  be 
cut  off.  A  friend,  who  saw  it  in  this 
mutilated  condition  last  summer,  told 
me  of  one  he  had  in  his  grounds  near 
Chicago,  111.,  one  twice  as  large  as  mine, 
that  had  been  killed  last  winter. 

My  "Ailanthus"  is  also  too  tender 
for  this  climate,  growing  too  fast  to 
ripen  the  new  shoots,  which  are  thus 
killed  by  the  frost.  It  never  blossoms 
either.  It  has  had  leaves,  the  mid  rib 
of  which  measured  fifty-four  inches. 

Oobourg,  Ont.  X. 

Note  by  the  Editor. — Your  tree 
was  not  the  Catalpa  speciosa,  which  is 
more  hardy  than  C.  bignonoides. 


JAPAN  QUINCE. 

Mr.  Editor, — As  it  appears  to  me 
no  one  ever  answers  any  questions  put 
in  the  Horticulturist  not  replied  to  by 
yourself,  allow  me  to  answer  :  1st  to 
"  A  Subscriber."  The  Japan  Quince 
is  nearly  hardy  at  Ottawa.  I  have 
seen  it  both  in  flower  and  fruit.  It  is 
one  of  our  handsomest  shrubs  and 
should  be  more  commonly  cultivated. 
It  would  be  a  nice  thing  to  send  out 
for  test  by  the  ''  F.  G.  Ass."  As  a 
hedge  plant,  I  do  not  see  what  object 
would  be  gained  by  planting  it,  as  it 
only  grows  two  or  three  feet  high.  As 
a  single  plant  it  is  very  beautiful  ;  its 
habit  is  rather  spreading  than  upright. 


PLUM   TREES   IN   HEN   YARDS. 

No.  2.  Plum  trees  grown  in  hen 
yards  are  usually  very  productive  ;  the 
hen  manure  highly  enriches  the  soil. 
The  birds  will  not  allow  any  sod  to 
grow  in  their  yards,  so  that  the  roots 
of  the  trees  are  not  dried  up  by  the 
absorption  of  the  grass  roots,  besides 
which,  the  hens  are  a  terror  to  any 
curculio  which  come  in  their  way. 
Birds  should  be  kept  which  do  not 
fly,  such  as  Dark  and  Light  Bramahs, 
Plymouth  Rocks,  &c. 

NANNIBERRY. 

3rd.  The  common  name  for  the 
shrub  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Cotter,  Barrie, 
is  the  Nanniberry.  I  think  it  is  one 
of  the  Viburnum  family.  After  frost, 
the  berries  which  hang  in  bunches,  are 
sweet,  juicy,  and  pleasant.  I  fancy  it 
could  be  much  improved  by  cultivation. 
If  Mr.  Cotter  will  furnish  me  with 
some  of  the  flowers  in  spring,  I  will  be 
glad  to  give  him  the  botanical  name. 

PLUMS   FOR  ALGOMA. 

4th.  I  would  strongly  advise  Mr.  D. 
Dunn,  of  St.  Joseph's  Island,  Algoma, 
to  procure  Pond's  Seedling  plum,  and 
the  Glass  Seedling,  especially  the  for- 
mer ;  it  is  the  hardiest  cultivated  plum 
we  have  and  is  of  large  size,  red,  turn- 
ing to  purple  on  one  side  when  fully 
ripe.  Unfortunately,  it  is  rather  a  shy 
bearer. 

PARIS   GREEN    ON    CABBAGE. 

5th.  The  application  of  Paris  Green 
to  cabbage  and  cauliflower  for  the 
destruction  of  the  larva  of  the  Pieris 
rapise  is,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  a  highly 
dangerous  experiment.  A  gentleman 
of  this  city  was  very  badly  poisoned 
by  eating  vegetables  on  which  it  had 
been  used,  perhaps  incautiously ;  he 
did  not  recover  his  health  for  months 
afterwards.  The  use  of  such  active 
poisons  as  Paris  Green  should  not  be 
recommended,  or  used,  on  any  plant  of 
which  anything  but  the  root  is  eaten. 
P.    E.    BUCKE. 


THE  CANADIAN   HOBTIOtLTtJElSt. 


119 


SAUNDERS'  HYBRID   RASPBERRY. 

Dear  Sir, — Having  fruited  Saun- 
ders' Hybrid  Raspberry  for  three  years 
or  more,  I  can  say  that  it  does  splen- 
didly with  me.  My  soil  is  a  clay  Joani. 
The  Raspberry  should  have  a  place  in 
every  garden.  Luke  Bishop. 

St.  Thomas,  Ont. 


BOOKS,  &c.,  RECEIVED. 
Green's  Fruit  Grower,  devoted  to  the 
fruit  farm,  garden  and  nursery,  Charles 
A.  Green,  Editor,  is  an  eight  page 
quarterly  journal,  published  at  Roc- 
hester, N.  Y.  at  fifty  cents  a  year. 
Sample  copy  will  be  sent  to  all  appli- 
cants addressing  Green's  Fruit  Grower, 
Rochester,  N.  Y. 


THE  SALOME  APPLE. 

The  Salome  apple  seems  to  be  grow- 
ing in  favor  in  Illinois,  being  very 
hardy,  productive,  and  a  long  keeper. 
The  apple  is  of  very  good  quality,  size 
only  medium,  color  from  a  light  to  a 
dark  red  or  nearly  so.  Bears  well  an- 
nually, but  more  heavily  alternate 
years.  Keeps  well  until  May  or  even 
June.  The  Western  Rural  says  in  the 
issue  of  June  13th,  that  samples  re- 
ceived at  that  ofl5ce  from  Mr.  A. 
Bryant,  were  then  as  sound  as  bullets, 
and  gave  evidence  of  being  good 
keepers. — Farm  and  Garden. 


HARDIEST  KNOWN  GOOD  PLUMS. 

Mrs.  A.  P.  of  New  Hampshire,  after 
saying  that  Moore's  Arctic  has  not  pro- 
ven hardy,  asks  is  there  a  hardier  plum 
known  of  good  quality. 

On  the  grounds  of  the  Agricultural 
(Jollege  near  Moscow,  and  later  at  Ka- 
zcn,  and  through  Central  Russia,    we 


saw  trees  laden  with  red,  yellow,  blue 
and  dark  purple  plums,  of  really  excel- 
lent quality.  These  cultivated  varieties 
seem  to  have  originated  from  the  ap- 
parently indigenous,  low,  round-topped 
bushes  which  we  found  on  the  edges  of 
the  timber  belts  along  the  Volga  and 
other  streams  of  East  Russia.  In  leaf, 
bud  and  texture  of  fruit,  these  indige- 
nous forms  resemble  the  Prunus  spinosa 
of  Siberia.  We  saw  thousands  of  these 
bushes  laden  with  blue  fruit  with  a  rich 
bloom,  which  were  not  more  than  three 
feet  in  height. 

The  cultivated  varieties  make  low, 
bushy,  round-topped  trees  not  over  ten 
feet  high.  We  imported  small  trees 
from  Moscow  of  red,  yellow  and  dark- 
blue  varieties,  which  we  have  sent  out 
as  Nos.  I,  2  and  3.  The  Russian  names 
received  are  long  and  to  us  unmeaning. 
The  specimens  have  not  fruited  as  yet, 
but  the  foliage  endures  perfectly  our 
hot,  dry  Summer ;  wood  ripens  up  per- 
fectly in  Autumn,  and  has  not  colored 
in  the  least  during  the  past  test  Win- 
ters in  Iowa,  Minnesota,  or  North  Da- 
kota. 

The  question  as  to  their  final  value 
does  not  hinge  on  their  hardiness,  or 
the  quality  of  their  fruit ;  but  on  their 
habits  of  bearing  with  us,  and  their 
relative  exemption  from  the  attacks  of 
the  curculio.  As  they  blossom  late, 
and  the  fruit  develops  rapidly,  they  will 
be  apt,  like  our  native  De  Soto,  Wolf 
Plum,  Rollingstone,  etc.,  to  measurably 
escape  the  curculio  on  account  of  their 
succulence  during  the  period  of  their 
rapid  development. 

We  are  also  testing  a  large  blue  plum, 
called  *'  Moldavka  "  in  Central  Russia, 
with  six  other  sorts  from  Aral.  They 
are  all  as  hardy  as  our  wild  plums  ;  all 
bear  fine  fruit  in  their  native  country, 
and  all  have  the  habit  of  late  bloom- 
ing and  rapid  development  of  fruit. 
— PaoF.  J.  L.  BuDD. 


20 


THK    OANAntAN    FtORTICULTtJRIST. 


MY  FLOWERS. 

(For  the  Canadian  Horticulturist). 

My  garden  treasures  have  gone  to  rest, 
With  a  snowy  mantle  o'er  their  breast ; 
The  first  th;it  drooped  her  drowsy  head 
Was  my  English  rose,  of  ruby  red  ; 
Then  foUoved  her  sister,  pearl  white, 
My  darling  little  "Jacobite." 

And  "  London  Pride  "  fell  to  the  dust, 
As  "  Weeping  Willow"  said  she  must ; 
Her  dying  words  were,  "None  so  i)retty  ;" 
This  vanity  excited  pity 
From  "  Daisy"  and  "Violet,"  modest  dears, 
They  bowed  their  heads  to  hide  their  tears. 

Winking  Marigolds  closed  their  eyes. 
And  gazed  no  longer  on  the  skies  ; 
"Sweet  William"  sighed  and  looked  around. 
His  "  Columbine  "  lay  on  the  ground  ; 
And  such  a  change  came  o'er  Miss  Moss, 
She  grew  so  sallow,  sear,  and  cross. 

My  Scottish  Thistle,  proudly  waving. 
Every  storm  Jtnd  tempest  braving  ; 
He  cares  not  tho'  Old  Boreas  rages. 
As  Scotia's  sons  will  do  for  ages ; 
My  loyal  heart  so  longs  to  press  it. 
But,  "  Nemo  me  impune  laeessit." 

My  blooming  "  Primrose,"  you  shall  rest 
With  me,  within  my  sanctum  nest ; 
Precious  gift,  from  dear  wee  "  Flo," 
Precious  flo  vver,  I  love  you  so. 
Almost  above  all  things  terrestrial, 
My  lovely,  sweet,  "mild-eyed  celestial." 

Ah,  me  !  I  well  nigh  had  forgot 
My  golden-eyed  Forget-me-not ! 
Say,  little  elf.  shall  we  e'er  meet 
Again,  beside  this  garden  seat. 
Sweet  treasured  flowers,  since  we  did  part. 
Deep  winter  lies  within  my  heart. 
Montreal.  Grandma  Gowan. 


VERY  EAELY  APPLES  FOR   THE 
NOllTH. 

The  Yellow  Transparent  has  a  num- 
ber of  rivals  among  the  Russian  apples 
as  to  earliness  of  season,  size  and  qual- 
ity of  fruit,  and  hardiness  of  tree. 
August  6th  my  table  showed  fine 
specimens,  about  equally  mature,  of 
Yellow  Transparent,  Charlottenhaler, 
Transparent  Juicy,  Kremer's  Green, 
Blushed  Calviile,  Breskovka  and  Repka 
Sweet.  These  vary  but  little  in  season, 
and  all  would  pass  in  the  East  or 
South  for  first-class  dessert  fruits  of 
their  season,  which  is  in  advance  of 
that  of  the  R(3d  Astrachan  and  even  of 


the  Tetofsky.  At  this  time  I  wish  to 
call  attention  to  the  two  last  named, 
as  they  are  less  known  and  seem  to 
have  special  merit. 

Breskovka  was  imported  from  the 
grounds  of  the  Agricultural  Institute 
at  Moscow  in  1880.  Root-grafted 
trees  are  already  in  bearing,  and  have 
proven  quite  as  hardy  in  the  North  as 
Duchess.  Tt  has  been  sent  out  for 
trial  as  No.  152  m.  The  tree  is  a  nice 
upright  grower,  with  firm,  thick  foliage. 
The  fruit  in  size,  color  and  general 
appearance,  is  much  like  Grimes' 
Golden  ;  but  the  basin  is  wrinkled 
more,  like  that  of  Tetofsky.  In  firm- 
ness and  weight  the  fruit  reminds  me  of 
the  Swaar ;  yet  the  flesh  is  peculiarly 
juicy  and  tender,  this  year  slightly  in 
advance  of  the  Yellow  Transparent. 
With  further  tests,  on  varied  soils,  it 
may  show  some  defect  of  tree  or  fruit ; 
but  at  present  it  seems  to  lead  the  very 
early  dessert  apples. 

Repka  Sweet.  At  the  west  we 
have  specially  needed  an  early  sweet 
apple  of  good  quality  for  dessert  use. 
This  seems  to  meet  our  wants  fully,  as 
it  is  completely  ripe  on  August  6th,  in 
this  late  season.  It  is  an  early  bearer, 
and  the  fruit  is  of  fair  size,  handsome, 
and  really  of  good  quality  for  table  use. 
In  shape,  ridging  and  color,  it  is  much 
like  Benoni ;  but  the  scarlet  striping  is 
deeper,  and  covered,  next  the  sun,  with 
bloom.  While  it  will  not  be  popidar 
as  a  market  fruit,  it  will  apparently 
fill  a  gap  in  our  Western  and  Northern 
list.  Its  native  home  is  is  Kazan, 
Russia;  hence  it  should  endure  the 
extreme  climate  of  Northern  Dakota. 
If  No.  466  (Repka  Kislaja)  of  the  list 
sent  out  by  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, is  true  to  name,  it  is  probably 
identical  with  Repka  Sweet,  yet, 
singularly  enough,  the  Department 
translation  reads  "  Sour  Turnip." — J. 
L.  BuDD  i/fc  Rural  New-Yorker. 


PRINTKK    AT    lUK  STKAM    PRESS    KhTABMSHMENT    OK   THE    COPP,    CCABK    COMPANY   (UMITEP), 


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LARGE    yvvONTMORENCY. 

PAINTED  FOR  THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


JUNE,  1886. 


[No.  6. 


LARGE   MONTMORETNOT   OHERRT 

Why  is  it  that  our  markets  are  so 
poorly  supplied  with  cherries  at  the 
time  when  this  fruit  is  in  season.     In 


any  of  our  larger  towns  we  will  find 
the  market  usually  well  furnished  with 
other  fruits,  berries  of  all  kinds  are  to 
be  had  in  almost  unlimited  quantities, 
and  there  is  usually  no  lack  of  pears, 
plums  and  grapes.  But  the  demand 
for  good,  ripe  cherries  is  far  in  excess 
of  the  supply. 

Probably  one  reason  of  this  paucity 
of  cherries  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  the  attention  of  fruit  growers  has 
not  been  turned  to  the  production  of 
this  fruit.  Our  horticultural  papers 
have  not  been  filled  with  glowing 
accounts  of  the  "  millions  in  it "  that 
have  been  given  of  many  other  fruits ; 
and  another  reason  may  be  found  in  the 
fact  that  the  growing  of  cherries  for 
market  is  surrounded  with  some  difficul- 
ties which  require  caretul  attention  to 
overcome.  Our  fine  sweet  Bigarreau 
and  Heart  cherries  are  very  apt  to  rot 
on  the  tree  just  as  they  are  becoming 
ri|)e  enough  to  use,  so  that  the  cron  is 
lost,  or  else  gathered  and  sent  to  market 
in  so  unripe  a  condition  that  the  fruit 
does  not  meet  with  a  read^  sale.     And 


again  the  birds  are  very  fond  of  cherries, 
and  sometimes  help  themselves  so  boun- 
tifully as  to  leave  but  little  to  the  owner. 
But  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  grow- 
ing cherries  for  market  are  not  insuper- 
able, and  we  believe  there  is  a  satisfac- 
tory margin  of  profit  to  be  realized  by 
the  fruit  grower  who  will  bring  good 
judgment,  and  attention  to  bear  upon 
the  business. 

We  have  in  what  is  known  as  the 
Duke  and  Morello  class  of  cherries  a 
number  of  fine  varieties  which  are 
eminently  suitable  for  planting  in  our 
climate.  The  trees  are  hardy  and 
healthy,  and  seldom  fail  to  bear  an  abun- 
dant crop.  The  fruit  is  not  apt  to  rot 
on  the  tree  and  if  properly  gathered 
and  handled  not  apt  to  spoil  after  being 
gathered.  Very  few  persons  gather 
cherries  in  the  proper  manner.  They 
should  always  be  gathered  by  seperating 
the  fruit  stems  from  the  tree,  not  by 
seperating  the  stems  from  the  fruit.  If 
gathered  in  this  manner  and  sent  to 
market  either,  as  we  do  strawberries, 
in  quart  boxes,  or  in  ten  quart  baskets, 
they  would  not  soon  spoil  after  being 
gathered.  For  all  culinary  purposes 
and  for  canning  and  drying  this  class  of 
cherries  is  very  highly  esteemed,  most 


122 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


persons  prefering  them  for  these  pur- 
to  the  sweeter  cherries. 


The  Early  Richmond  is  probably  the 
best  known  of  this  class,  this  and  the 
Mayduke  have  been  in  cultivation  in 
this  country  for  a  long  time.  Our 
colored  plate  is  a  fine  illustration  of  a 
variety  not  so  well  known,  but  which 
is  worthy  of  attention  by  all  cultivators 
of  this  beautiful  fruit.  It  is  both  large 
and  of  handsome  appearance,  as  will  be 
seen  by  reference  to  our  illustration,  it 
is  also  juicy  and  rich,  and  when  fully 
ripe  of  a  very  agreeable  acid  flavor. 
These  three  varieties.  Early  Richmond, 
Mayduke  and  Large  Montmorency, 
together  with  the  Royal  Duke,  Reine 
Hortense  and  Empress  Eugenie  make  a 
collection  of  half  a  dozen  sorts  of  great 
excellence,  that  can  be  commended  for 
planting  anywhere  within  the  limits  of 
our  cherry  region. 

A  CANADIAN  SEEDLING  OF  THE 
JAPAN  QUINCE. 

We  have  received  from  Mr.  James 
Stewart,  of  Saltford,  Huron  Co.,  some 
blooms  of  a  seedling  raised  by  him  from 
the  Japan  Quince,  which  are  quite  dis- 
tinct from  any  variety  that  we  have 
ever  seen  or  heard  of  before.  The 
flowers  are  not  uniform  in  color,  some 
being  nearly  all  white,  others  white 
shaded  with  pink,  others  marked  with 
crimson.  The  bush  must  present  a 
beautiful  appearance  when  in  full  bloom. 

THE  ROUGH  OSMODERMA. 

(Osmoderma  ScabraJ 

We  received  some  time  ago  from 
Mr.  C.  Julian,  of  Presque  Isle,  an  in- 
sect, with  the  request  that  we  would 
give  the  name  and  habits.  On  exami- 
nation it  proved  to  be  the  female  of 


Osmoderma  scabra.  In  the  larval  state 
this  insect  feeds  on  decaying  wood  of 
the  apple  and  cherry,  and  in  the  imago 
state  feeds  at  night  on  the  sap  which 
may  exude  from  any  wound  of  the 
bark.  The  injury  done  by  this  insect, 
if  any,  is  of  a  very  trifling  character. 


THE  SUMMER  MEETING 

Of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Association  of 
Ontario,  will  be  held  on  Wednesday, 
July  7th,  1886,  in  the  Council  Chamber, 
at  Lindsay,  Ont.,  commencing  at  ten 
o'clock  in  the  forenoon  and  continuing 
through  the  day  and  evening.  An 
adjourned  meeting  will  be  held  on  the 
following  day,  Thursday,  July  8th,  at 
Bobcaygeon,  commencing  at  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  The  Directors  will 
meet  at  the  Benson  House,  Lindsay,  on 
Tuesday  evening,   July  6th,   at   eight 

o'clock.  D.  W.  Beadle, 

Secretary. 

THE  NONPAREIL  APPLE. 

We  have  received  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Charles  E.  Brown  of  Nova  Scotia  in 
which  he  says  that  he  notices  in  the 
Canadian  Horticulturist  an  inquiry  for 
scions  of  the  Nonpariel  apple,  inspired 
no  doubt  by  an  article  going  the  lounds 
of  the  papers  which  is  an  extract  from 
an  after  dinner  speech  of  the  Hon.  J. 
W.  Longley  at  a  meeting  of  the  Nova 
Scotia  Fruit  Growers'  Association,  and. 
says  that  if  the  inquirer  will  apply  to 
Mr.  C.  R.  H.  Starr,  Secretary.  N.  S. 
Fr.  Grs.  Association,  Port  Williams, 
King's  Co.  N.  S.  he  will  be  pleased  to 
send  them  to  him. 

Mr.  Brown  adds  that  he  has  no  trees 
of  the  Nonpareil ;  cut  down  the  last  in 
disgust,  they  being  in  his  soil  and  clim- 
ate teri'ibly  subject  to  canker,  and  the 
fruit  would  not  grow  there  at  all  ;  nor 
does  he  esteem  the  apple  in  the  least,  it 


THK    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


123 


will  keep  well,  'out  as  for  quality  it  is 
worthless.  It  might  be  better  in  On- 
tario than  in  Nova  Scotia,  just  as  most 
kinds  are.  However  it  was  as  an  ex- 
port apple  that  the  Nonpariel  was  com- 
mended, Mr.  Brown  continues,  and  that 
is  all  right ;  one  will  hardly  find  a  dozen 
really  good  judges  of  quality  among 
one's  own  friends  in  the  best  fruit 
countries,  how  can  we  expect  to  find 
them  among  millions. 

CACTUS  FRUIT. 
We  have  received  from  J.  P.  Cock- 
burn,  of  Gravenlinrst,  a  sample  of  fruit 
which  he  described  in  his  letter  as  a 
new  fruit  of  Muskoka  production,  that 
had  been  just  one  year  in  coming  to  its 
present  ripe  condition.  He  says,  "I 
have  not  tested  any  but  presume  they 
are  good  to  eat,  at  least  it  has  the  frag- 
rance of  a  ripe  pineapple.  Is  it  com- 
mon ]  I  have  never  seen  it  before.  The 
flowers  dry  on  the  end  of  the  fruit  and 
remain  there  until  it  is  ripe." 

We  replied  that  we  had  never  seen 
the  fruit  before,  but  presumed  it  to  be 
the  fruit  of  some  species  of  cactus,  and 
requested  him  to  tell  us  what  si)ecies  it 
was.  In  answer  he  sent  to  us  another 
sample  of  the  fruit  with  the  flower  ad- 
liering  and  the  whole  yet  growing  from 
a  piece  of  the  parent  cactus  plant.  In 
his  letter  accompanying  the  second  spe- 
cimen he  says,  "  I  do  not  know  the  spe- 
<'ific  name,  it  is  generally  known,  I 
l)elieve,  as  the  Sword  Cactus  ;  but  I  am 
of  the  opinion  that  this  is  not  the  cor- 
rect name.  I  am  told  that  they  are  very 
-ood  to  eat  and  considered  a  great  boon 
to  the  weary  traveller  in  some  parts  of 
.Mexico  and  southern  Texas." 

The  piece  of  the  plant  to  which  the 
fruit  was  adhering  greatly  resembles 
one  of  the  Ei)iphylluuis.  The  fruit  is 
ibout  an  inch  long,  somewhat  fig-shaped, 
tf  a  deep  red  color,  which  color  con- 
tinues through  the  pul[),  the  fragrance 
souiewhat  like  that  of  the  pine  apple, 


and  the  taste  like  a  podophyllum,  May 
Apple. 

THE  ANNUAL  MEETING 

Of  the  Association  of  Nurserymen, 
Florists  and  Seedsmen  is  to  be  held  in 
the  buildings  of  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture at  Washington,  District  of  Col- 
umbia, U.S.A.  on  the  16th  of  June  next, 
continuing  three  days.  Any  informa- 
tion concerning  programme  of  proceed- 
ings, hotel  and  railroad  arrangements 
can  be  obtained  by  writing  to  the  Sec- 
retary, D.  Wilmot  Scott,  Galena,  Illi- 
nois, XJ-  S.  A. 

THE  MASSACHUSETTS  HORTICUL- 
TURAL SOCIETY 

Is  offering  special  prizes  for  Hybrid 
Perpetual  Roses  at  the  coming  Rose 
Show,  June  22  and  23rd.,  1866.  A 
prize  of  $30  is  offered  for  the  best  24 
Roses,  named  ;  $25  for  the  best  18  ;  and 
$15  for  the  best  12,  all  named. 

QUESTION  DRAWER. 

MEMBERSHIP  IN'  FRUIT  GROWERS' 
ASSOCIATION  OF  ONTARIO. 
Dear  Sir, — I  am  well  pleased  with 
the  Canadian  Horticulturist.  Could 
you  let  me  know  the  conditions  of 
membership  in  the  Fruit  Growers* 
Association  of  Ontario,  also  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  a  member.  An 
answer  in  the  Horticulturist  or  other- 
wise will  oblige, 

Yours  truly, 

J.  K.  Darling. 

Reply. — Every  subscriber  to  the 
Canadian  Horticulturist  becomes  en- 
titled to  membership  in  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association,  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  which  are :  Ist.  To  re- 
ceive a  copy  of  the  Annual  Report. 
2nd.  To  receive  such  article  from  the 


124 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


list  of  trees,  plants  or  seeds  offered  for 
trial  by  the  Association  as  may  be  pre- 
ferred. 3rd.  To  attend  all  meetings  of 
the  Association,  and  vote  thereat  upon 
the  election  of  Officers  or  other  busi- 
ness. 4  th.  To  contribute  of  his  experi- 
ence in  the  growing  of  fruit,  flowers,  or 
vegetables,  through  the  columns  of  the 
Canadian  Horticulturist,  for  the  benefit 
of  fellow-workers. 


TREES  AND  SHRUBS  FOR  TJIE  LAWN. 

Which  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs 
are  most  effective  on  the  lawn  1 

1.  Planted  singly. 

2.  Planted  in  groups. 
Innerkip. 


M.  H.  M. 


Peply. — Much  depends  on  the  size 
of  the  lawn.  Maples,  Cut-leaved  Birch, 
Maiden  Hair  Tree,  Purple  and  other 
Beeches,  Catalpa  Speciosa,  Horse  Chest- 
nut, &c.,  make  handsome  specimen 
trees  planted  singly,  so  do  the  Ever- 
greens. If  the  lawn  be  large,  they  may 
be  grouped,  planting  the  Beeches, 
Birches,  Maples,  &c.,  in  separate  groups. 
The  shrubs  look  best  in  groups,  j)lant- 
ing  the  Viburnums  in  one  group,  the 
Weigelas  in  another,  and  so  on. 


ARBORVIT^:  PYRAMIDALIS. 

Please  to  let  me  know  through  the 
columns  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist, 
whether  the  Arborvitse  pyramidalis  is 
hardy.  Geo.  Crawford. 

Copleston,  Lambton  Co. 

Peply. — We  presume  that  it  is  per- 
fectly hardy.  We  have  never  heard 
that  this  variety  is  any  less  hardy  than 
the  typical  form,  which  grows  far  to 
the  northward.     Will  those  who  have 


grown  it  in  our  colder  sections  please 
to  give  their  experience. 

LONDON  PURPLE— BARK  LICE. 

( I . )  Please  say  in  your  next  if  Lon- 
don Purple  answers  as  well  as  Paris 
Green  for  Apple,  Plum  and  Peach 
trees. 

(2.)  And  what  is  the  best  remedy  for 
Bark  Licel  j^. 

Toronto,  18th  April. 

Reply. — (1.)  London  Purple  being 
of  very  variable  strength  is  not  as  safe 
to  use  as  pure  Paris  Green. 

(2.)  Strong  alkaline  solutions.  Lye 
from  wood  ashes,  or  potash,  one  pound 
dissolved  in  two  gallons  of  water. 


GRAPE  VINES.  ] 

Allow  me  to  ask  the  following  ques- 
tions : 

1.  Is  it  desirable  to  remove  the  loose 
bark  from  grape  vines  in  the  spring 
when  putting  them  up  % 

2.  Will  growing  lettuce  or  other 
small  things  around  the  roots,  and  thus 
shading  the  ground  until  the  berry  is 
formed  and  partly  grown,  be  an  advan- 
tage? 

Yours  truly, 

W.  C.  Adams,  Y.M.C. 
Toronto,  6th  May,  1886. 

Peply. — 1.  In    the    vinery — under 
glass — it  is  desirable  to  remove  every-    ' 
thing  that   will  harbor  insects.      It  is 
not  so  important  in  the  vineyard. 

2.  We  can  see  no  advantage  what- 
ever in  shading  the  ground  at  any 
time ;  would  prefer  that  it  should  re- 
ceive the  sun's  rays  without  hindrance. 


PERPETUAL  ROSES. 
Dear  Sir, — I  havea  variety  of  hybrid 
Perpetual  Poses   that  has  bloomed  in 
Conservatory  during  winter,  and  I  want 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


125 


them  to  flower  again  next  winter.  Now 
should  they  be  ))lantecl  out  in  spring 
with  ball,  or  should  earth  be  shook  off 
from  the  roots,  and  should  they  be  cut 
back  when  planted  out  ] 

Geo.   Bond. 
Prince  Albert,  Ontario  Co. 

Reply.— r- You  will  do  well  to  shake 
the  earth  out,  prune  both  roots  and 
branches,  the  roots  moderately,  plant 
in  good  strong  soil,  and  cut  off  during 
summer  all  flower  buds  that  appear. 


SPRUCE  TREES. 
Dear  Sir, — Can  you  tell  me  what  is 
wrong  with  my  Spruce  trees.  I  enclose 
a  diseased  twig.  It  will  cover  the 
whole  tree  in  two  or  three  years,  and 
then  the  tree  dies.  What  is  the 
remedy?  John  Sailes. 

Little  Britain,  April  6th,  1886. 

Reply. — We  are  not  able  to  say 
positively  what  is  wrong  with  your 
Spruce  trees.  The  twigs  sent  to  us 
look  as  though  they  had  been  preyed 
upon  by  some  parasite,  such  as  goes 
under  the  general  name  of  mildew^ 
We  suspect  that  there  is  something 
wrong  with  the  soil  in  which  they  are 
trying  to  grow.  Lime  rubbish  we  have 
found  to  be  very  prejudicial  to  most 
Evergreens. 

INSECTS  ON  A  PLUM  TREE. 

Dear  Sir, — T  have  a  Plum  tree  in 
my  garden  known  by  the  name  of  the 
Weaver  Plum  Tree.  Last  September 
I  noticed  that  many  small  black  ants 
were  on  its  branches,  afterwards  a  small 
worm,  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
long,  of  black  color,  having  light  streaks 
on  its  sides,  were  observed  on  the  leaves 
und  caused  them  to  wither.  I  applied 
a  solution  of  Paris  Green  to  them,  but, 


perhaps,  it  was  too  strong,  for  all  the 
leaves  withered  and  fell  from  the  tree 
shortly  afterwards,  but  it  killed  the 
worms.  I  was  afraid  the  application 
would  kill  the  tree,  but  now  the  tree 
seems  healthy  and  budding  fi-eely,  with 
many  blossom  buds  on  it.  The  ants 
are  also  on  it,  and  a  small  dark  grub, 
or  the  larvae  of  some  grub,  are  in  large 
numbers  clustered  around  the  stems  of 
the  blossom  buds.  A  few  of  which  I 
have  enclosed  in  a  small  vial  in  a  tin 
box  for  your  inspection,  which  I  send 
to  your  address  through  the  Post  Office. 
Will  you  be  pleased  to  let  me  know 
what  they  are,  and  the  best  remedy  to 
prevent  them  destroying  the  fruit  or 
the  tree.  Any  information  you  can 
give  me  on  the  subject  will  be  esteemed 
a  great  favor,  and 

I  remain,  yours  truly, 

W.  F.  Ross. 

Woodstock,  April  30,  1886. 

Reply. — The  insects  found  on  the 
buds  were  the  black  aphis.  The  ants 
were  numerous  because  they  feed  on 
the  sweet  liquid  exuded  by  the  aphis. 
Syringing  the  tree  with  strong  tobacco 
water  will  rid  it  of  the  aphides. 

PLUM  AND  PEAR  TREES. 

I  have  a  Plum  tree  named  Smith's 
Orleans,  it  has  been  planted  about  eight 
years,  and  borne  fruit  for  two  or  three 
years.  Last  season  the  bark  began  to 
split  and  part  from  the  trunk  of  the 
tree.  It  has  now  got  about  two-thirds 
round  the  tree  and  about  three  feet  up 
from  the  ground  quite  clear  of  bark. 
I  bound  cow  manure  on  last  season, 
thought  that  might  help  it,  but  it  was 
no  use.  Can  you  give  any  remedy  for 
this  sort  of  thing.  The  fruit  all  drop- 
ped off  last  season  when  about  half 
grown.  I  dont  expect  to  save  this  tree, 
but  may  save  othei*s  if  there  is  any  cure 
for  them. 


126 


THE    CANAPIAN    HORTICDI/rURIST. 


I  have  spent  a  good  deal  of  money 
buying  Pear  trees,  and  have  only  two 
living  now,  one  Yicar  of  Winkfield  and 
one  Sheldon.  They  would  live  and 
thrive  well  for  three  or  four  years,  and 
just  when  blossoming  out  would  die. 
My  soil  is  a  sandy  loam,  which  does 
not  seem  to  suit  Pear  culture.  One  of 
the  Pear  trees  living  is  growing  on  clay 
taken  out  of  the  foundation  of  the  house 
when  I  built  it,  and  bears  a  good  crop 
every  year. 

By  answering  the  abov€  in  the. next 
number  of  Horticulturist,  you  will  much 
oblige  yours, 

J.  Lawless. 

Reply. — The  Plum  tree  is  suffering 
from  some  cause,  probably  the  soil  is 
too  wet,  and  therefore  cold.  What  is 
the  condition  of  the  subsoil  into  which 
the  roots  have  penetrated?  If  that 
be  very  cold  and  usually  saturated  with 
water,  it  will  account  for  the  death  of 
your  Plum  tree. 

It  is  very  evident  that  your  sandy 
soil  does  not  agree  with  Pear  trees. 
You  had  better  get  some  clay  and  make 
a  border  of  it,  into  which  you  can  plant 
Pear  trees  with  some  hope  of  their 
yielding  fruit. 


OYSTER-SHELL  BARK  LICE. 

Can  you  please  answer  the  following 
questions  : 

Enclosed  you  will  find  a  piece  of  bark 
taken  from  one  of  my  Apple  trees. 
What  is  the  insect  attached  to  the  bark, 
and  what  can  I  do  to  kill  them?  I 
have  washed  my  trees  with  soft  soap, 
and  just  water  enough  to  make  it 
spread,  is  that  any  good  ? 

J.  Lawless. 

Reply. — The  insects  are  bark  lice, 
Soft  soap  will  kill  them. 


STRIKING  DAHLIA  CUTTINGS. 

How  do  you  strike  Dahlia  cuttings 

in  the  spring  and  summer? 

Grainger  k  Duke. 
Deer  Park. 

Reply. — We  place  the  dry  tubers  in 
moist  soil  with  sufficient  warmth  to 
start  the  eyes  into  growth.  When  the 
shoots  have  attained  to  a  couple  of 
inches  in  length  we  cut  them  off,  insert 
them  in  a  shallow  box  of  pure  sand  and 
put  them  on  a  gentle  bottom  heat.  As 
soon  as  they  have  struck  root  they  are 
potted  off  into  thumb  pots.  Sometimes 
we  put  the  cuttings  into  thumb  pots 
having  a  large  proportion  of  clean  sand 
mixed  with  the  soil  that  is  in  them, 
and  place  the  pots  on  bottom  heat. 


SALTED  FISH  AS  MANURE. 

What  use  can  we  make  of  a  large 
quantity  of  salt  herrings  which  have 
got  stale?  Would  they  make  good 
manure  for  grapes  ?  How  can  we  pre- 
pare them  so  as  to  get  the  best  results 
from  them  ? 

Grainger  &  Duke. 

Deer  Park. 

Reply. — If  you  have  an  asparagus 
bed  spread  the  fish,  brine,  and  salt  on 
the  bed  between  the  rows  of  plants  and 
dig  them  in  sufficientl}''  deep  to  cover 
the  fish  completely  so  that  no  odor  will 
escape  from  them.  If  you  have  not 
such  a  bed  of  asparagus,  the  fish  can  be 
composted  with  stable  manure  in  alter- 
nate layers,  and  the  heap  covered  with 
soil  until  the  fish  are  absorbed  into  the 
compost.  Use  the  same  as  any  com- 
post wherever  wanted,  in  the  grape 
border  or  elsewhere.     If  the  proportion 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


127 


of  fish  is  very  large,  it  will  be  a  very- 
strong  fertilizer  and  should  be  used 
accordingly. 


HEN^DERSON  STRAWBERRY. 
Do  you   know  anything  about   the 
new  strawberry  "  Henderson  V 

Grainger  &  Duke. 
Deer  Park. 

Reply. — We  have  not  yet  fruited 
the  "  Henderson."  Through  the  kind- 
ness of  Mr.  John  Little,  of  Granton, 
Ont.,  we  have  been  put  in  possession  of 
some  plants  of  this  variety,  and  as  soon 
as  they  shall  have  fruited  we  will  give 
our  opinion  of  its  merits. 

If  Mr.  Little  has  fruited  this  straw- 
berry, will  he  please  to  favor  our  readers 
with  his  estimate  of  its  qualities. 


PEAR  BLIGHT. 
Is  pure  or  raw  linseed  oil  the  best 
for  pear  blight  1  R. 

Toronto. 

Reply. — The  raw  oil,  if  pure,  may 
be  safely  applied,  but  we  need  more 
experiment  to  establish  its  efficacy  as  a 
remedy  for  pear  blight. 


A  WORD  FOR  OUR  CORRESPONDENTS. 

We  frequently  receive  inquiries  cou- 
pled with  the  request  that  we  will 
answer  them  in  the  very  next  number 
of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist.  Some 
of  the  inquiries  that  are  answered  in 
this  number  came  to  us  in  a  letter  bear- 
ing date  April  27th,  yet  requesting  us 
to  answer  them  in  the  May  number. 
This  was  simply  asking  an  impossibility. 
The  May  number  goes  to  press  not 
later  than  the  20th  of  April,  and  in 
order  that  this  can  be  done  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  copy  be  in  the  printer's 
hands  by  the  10th,  which  gives  only 


ten  days  for  setting  up,  sending  the 
proof  to  us,  returning  it  to  the  printer, 
correcting  and  putting  in  page  form, 
sending  again  to  us.  for  final  revision, 
returning  to  printer  and  making  last 
correction.  All  communications  must 
reach  your  Editor's  hands  not  later  than 
the  tenth  day  of  the  month  previous  to 
the  month  of  issue. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

REPORT  ON  PLANTS  RECEIVED. 

Dear  Sir, — I  herewith  send  you  a 
report  of  the  plants  I  have  received 
from  year  to  year  : — In  1883  I  got  the 
Worden  Grape.  It  has  made  slow 
growth,  but  looks  well  this  spring  ;  it 
has  not  fruited  yet.  In  1884  I  got  the 
Prentiss  Gra])e.  It  is  twice  the  size  of 
the  Worden,  seems  quite  hardy  and  I 
think  will  fruit  this  year.  In  1885  I 
got  Fay's  Prolific  Currant.  It  has  made 
good  growth,  but  will  not  fruit  this 
year.  Last  week  I  received  the  Marl- 
boro' Raspberry.  I  am  afraid  they  will 
not  live  :  were  very  dry  when  received, 
appeared  to  have  been  too  long  in  the 
mail  bag.  My  location  is  on  a  northern 
slope,  five  miles  north  of  Lake  Ontario, 
north-east  of  Cobourg.  I  lay  my  vines 
down  in  the  fall,  and  cover  them  with 
earth,  and  in  the  spring  they  come  out 
nice  and  fresh.  J.  Lawless. 

Baltimore,  May  Uth,  1885 

MULCHING  WITH  FLAT  STONES. 

Mh.  Editor, — I  will  give  "  J.  S." 
my  experience  with  flat  stones  for 
mulching  :  I  find  them  superior  to 
any  other  mulching  for  newly  planted 
evergreens  and  deciduous  trees  and 
shrubs.  I  made  the  change  to  them 
three  years  ago,  and  my  yearly  use  of 
them  since  has  proved  to  me  their 
superiority.  I  use  small  pieces  for 
small  trees,  and  larger  ones  for  larger 
trees.     I  do  not  put  them  so  close  to- 


128 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTIOULIURIST. 


gether  as  to  exclude  air.  There  is 
another  advantage  in  using  stones : 
they  steady  the  tree  while  forming 
new  roots.  Yours,  &c., 

M.  O.  H. 
Cowansville,  April  12,  1886. 

VIBURNUM  DENTATUM. 
Dear  Sir, — The  native  shrub  refer- 
red to  on  page  82  of  your  April  No., 
must  be  a  Yiburnum — probably  den- 
tatum,  a  fine  shrub. 

Yours  respectfully, 

P.  Barry. 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  April  6th. 

CURRANT  BORER. 

Sir, — In  leply  to  your  correspon- 
dent's enquiry  in  reference  to  the  "  Cur- 
rant Borer,"  I  may  say  that  when 
residing  in  Japan,  I  found  a  worm  of 
this  nature  a  deadly  enemy  to  many 
fruit  trees,  and  especially  to  apple  trees, 
cherry  trees,  and  other  fruit  trees  not 
indigenous.  The  only  ways  of  stopping 
its  ravages,  were  to  watch  for  the  first 
symptom  of  its  being  at  work,  and  then 
insert  a  fine  elastic  wire  into  its  hole, 
pushing  it  up  and  down  ;  or  to  take  a 
glass  syringe  with  a  fine  point,  and 
pump  kerosine  or  other  like  liquid  into 
the  hole.  I  do  not  know  if  the  borer 
of  this  country  is  the  same  as  that  of 
Japan  :  The  latter  is  a  white  maggot, 
which  works  its  way  by  a  small  hole 
into  the  stem  or  branch  of  the  tree  or 
shrub,  and  hollows  out  a  circular  chan- 
nel up  the  branch,  of  perhaps  two  or 
three  feet  length.  A  little  heap  of  what 
looks  like  sawdust  lies  at  the  foot  of 
the  tree,  as  the  sign  of  his  deadly  lab- 
our— deadly,  for  the  tree  soon  suc- 
cumbs, if  not  attended  to. 

The  climate  of  Japan  (excepting  the 
north)  of  course  difiers  exceedingly  from 
this,  but  perhaps  this  experience  may 
be  useful.  Yours  faithfully, 

A.  J.  Wilkin. 
Pine  Creek,  Calgary,  Ap.  16,  '86. 


GRAPES  AND  STRAWBERRIES. 

As  yet  I  can  say  nothing  definite  of 
the  value  of  the  premiums  received. 
It  was  necessary  to  move  Moore's  and 
Worden  a  year  after  planting,  so  that 
I  am  so  far  unable  to  sit  under  my  own 
vine  without  danger  from  sunstroke. 
In  my  garden  the  soil  is  sandy,  and 
rather  poor.  There  is  a  full  east  and 
south  exposure,  with  a  shelter  belt  on 
the  north  and  north-west.  In  such  a 
situation  Prentiss  made  a  poor  growth 
and  failed  to  ripen  half  of  that,  while 
Moore's,  Worden,  Pocklington  and 
Brighton  ripened  to  the  tips.  Fay's 
Prolific  is  a  vigorous  grower. 

In  August,  1884,  I  purchased  some 
potted  plants  of  Bidwell,  Manchester, 
Sharpless,  Seneca  Queen,  Early  Can- 
ada, Jersey  Queen,  Triple  Crown, 
Shirts,  and  James  Vick.  They  were 
planted  in  rows  in  very  rich  soil,  in- 
clined to  sand,  runners  cut,  and  a  light 
covering  of  straw  thrown  over  the  bed 
after  the  first  freeze  up.  Last  season 
Manchester  and  Seneca  Queen  bore 
heavy  crops  of  very  large,  handsome 
berries ;  Early  Canada  and  James  Vick 
produced  a  large  number  of  berries,  so 
small  that  it  required  a  great  deal  of 
patience  to  pick  them.  The  others  are 
valueless  with  me. 

J.  McN.  Malcolm. 
Norval,  Halton  Co. 


BARK  LICE  REMEDY. 
Mk.  Editor, — When  I  used  the 
Bark  Louse  Remedy,  I  mentioned  to 
you,  my  trees  were  but  three  or  four 
years  old.  One  bag  in  the  fork  of  the 
tree  was  then  sufiicient,  and  I  think 
one  bag  so  placed  would  work  into  the 
sap  generally  and  be  sufficient  for  any 
sized  tree,  yet  I  have  put  it  on  a  fe^v 
large  trees  and  used  from  two  to  four 
bags  to  a  tree,  with  the  view  of  mak- 
ing it  more  surely  effectual,  and  placed 
the  bags  so  that  the  wash  made  by  the 
rains  on  the  ingredients  would  come  in 


THK   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


129 


contact  with  the  trunk  and  trunk  ends 
of  as  many  main  branches  as  possible. 
Yours  truly, 

D.  Young. 
Adolphustown,  P.  E   Co. 

Note  by  the  Editor. — Does  our 
correspondent  suppose  that  the  ingre- 
dients of  the  composition  used  by  him 
are  taken  up  through  the  bark  into  the 
circulation,  and  that  the  sap  is  thereby 
rendered  poisonous,  so  that  the  young 
lice  are  killed  by  feeding  on  it  1 

STRIPED  MELON  BUG. 
I  noticed  in  the  April  number  of  the 
Horticulcurist  that  J.  P.  Williams,  of 
Bloomfield  had  considerable  trouble  in 
getting  rid  of  the  striped  squash  beetle  ; 
if  it  is  the  same  as  the  squash  bug  my 
remedy  would  be  to  i)ut  some  fresh  cow 
dung  into  a  pail,  put  on  some  water, 
stir  it  up,  and  sprinkle  the  vines  and 
plants  with  the  mixture ;  the  beetles 
will  seldom  wait  for  a  second  dose. 

NONPAREIL    APPLE. 

J.  P.  Williams  enquires  for  the  famed 
Nonpariel  of  Nova  Scotia.  I  have 
some  grafts  of  the  above-named  apple 
now  growing,  and  in  another  year  may 
have  some  to  take  off. 

Edw'd  C.  Scarlett. 
Conway,  Lennox  Co. 


GRAPEVINE  TRELLIS. 
Mr.  Editor, — I  cannot  help  expres- 
iiig  my  gratitude  to  the  party  writing 
that  article  on  grape  culture.  I  find 
that  others  have  trouble  with  their 
trellises  as  well  as  myself,  but  I  have 
experimented  until  I  have  got  a  trellis 
that  I  can  recommend  to  any  of  your 
loaders  who  may  require  them.  It  is 
this  :  put  in  your  posts  two  feet  in  the 
ground,  fifteen  feet  apart,  five  feet 
high,  and  then  instead  of  a  wire,  get 
small  cedar  poles,  then  four  inches 
from    the    top   bore  a    two-inch  auger 


hole  and  in  them  fit  your  poles  between 
the  posts  ;  that  serves  for  the  top  wire, 
then  put  in  two  wires  below  the  poles, 
then  the  end  posts  cannot  pull  to- 
gether, which  has  been  all  my  trouble. 
The  wirt-s  must  go  through  the  centres 
of  the  posts,  by  boring  holes  through 
them.  This  trellis  will  stand  any 
amount  of  pressure,  for  the  wire  can 
be  strained  as  tight  as  necessary  with- 
out any  bracing. 

Yours, 

A.  C.  McDonald. 
Dunlop,  Huron  Co.,  Ont. 

AMBER  QUEEN  GRAPE. 

The  Amber  Queen  came  through  the 
winter  without  any  other  protection 
than  the  snow,  in  an  exposed  position, 
where  it  had  been  foi gotten.  Of  course 
it  was  lying  on  the  ground. 

J.    P.    COCKBURN. 
Gravenhurst,  Muskoka. 

THE  JAPAN  QUINCE. 

In  reply  to  the  enquiry  of  "  Sub- 
scriber," Walkerton,  I  would  say  that 
the  Japan  Quince  has  proved  itself  per- 
fectly hardy  here.  Even  in  the  winter 
of  1884-5,  the  severest  known  to  the 
oldest  settlers,  when  nearly  every 
Baldwin  Apple  tree  in  the  neighbour- 
hood suffered,  the  Japan  Quince  came 
through  uninjured.  With  my  experi- 
ence I  can  confidently  recommend  it 
for  hardiness,  while  fur  beauty,  when 
in  bloom,  it  excells  all  other  deciduous 
shrubs.  J.  H.   WiSMER. 

Port  Elgin. 

STRIPED    MELON    BUG    AND    HYD- 
RANGEA PANICULATA. 

I  notice  in  the  Horticulticrist  for 
April  an  enquiry  for  a  remedy  for  the 
the  ravages  of  the  striped  squash  bug. 
I  have  used  saltpetre  for  yeai*s,  with 
the  best  results.  Dissolve  a  tablespoon- 
ful  of  saltpetre  in  a  patent  {)ail  of 
water  and  soak  the  ground  around  each 


130 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


vine  with  the  fluid,  using  about  a  pint 
to  a  hill.  Do  this  after  sundown,  as 
the  bugs  descend  into  the  soil  about 
that  time  for  the  night,  and  they  will 
not  be  in  a  condition  to  come  up  again 
next  morning.  A  second  or  third  ap- 
plication may  be  necessary  where  the 
bugs  are  very  numerous.  The  saltpetre 
will  not  injure  the  plants. 

Another  correspondent  in  the  same 
issue  fears  that  Hydrangea  paniculata 
will  not  prove  a  success  at  Barrie. 
Unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken  I  saw  a 
very  fine  plant  at  Allandale  Railway 
Station  in  August,  1883,  that  had  evi- 
dently bloomed  profusely,  for  the  dead 
trusses  were  still  upon  the  plant. 

Permit  me  to  express  the  gratifica- 
tion I  feel  upon  the  arrival  of  the 
Horticulturist  each  month.  I  consider 
it  invaluable  to  all  who  cultivate  fruit 
or  flowers,  whether  for  pleasure  or 
profit,  particularly  so  to  Canadian  hor- 
ticulturists. 

Yours  faithfully, 

William  Kay. 

Chesley,  Bruce  County. 


STRIPED  BUGS. 

If  Mr.  J.  P.  Williams,  who  had  so 
much  trouble  fighting  the  striped  bugs 
last  season,  will  take  inch  lumber  8 
inches  wide,  cut  in  pieces  14  inches 
long,  nail  four  of  these  together,  and 
over  the  top  fasten  mosquito  netting, 
he  will  have  nice,  handy,  bottomless 
boxes  that  he  can  place  over  each 
squash,  melon  or  cucumber  hill  that 
he  may  desire  to  plant,  and  he  will 
have  the  most  effectual  remedy  against 
striped  bugs  yet  discovered.  If  the 
ground  should  be  uneven,  pull  the 
earth  against  the  sides  of  the  boxes  to 
prevent  the  bugs  from  getting  in  under- 
neath. Put  these  boxes  or  frames  over 
the  hills  as  soon  as  planted  as  they 
answer  the  double  purpose  of  protect- 
ing the  young  plants  against  striped 
bugs  and  late  night  frosts.     They  can 


be  left  on  till  the  squash  plants  crowd 
hard  against  the  netting  and  the  melons 
and  cucumbers  have  made  six  or  eight 
leaves.  By  that  time  they  can  be 
safely  removed  in  ordinary  seasons,  as 
most  of  the  bugs  will  have  disappeared, 
and  the  few  that  may  remain,  in  ex- 
ceptional seasons,  will  not  be  able  to 
harm  the  plants  much  when  they 
have  attained  the  size  indicated.  The 
frames,  if  well  nailed  together  when 
first  made,  will  last  nearly  a  lifetime  ; 
the  netting  will  need  to  be  replaced 
every  three  or  four  years. 

As  soon  as  their  services  are  no 
longer  required  in  the  garden  or  field 
they  should  be  stored  away  in  some 
outbuilding. 

Where  very  large  plantations  of 
squashes  or  cucumbers  are  made  this 
method  is  not  feasible,  but  where  the 
amount  does  not  exceed  the  fourth  of 
an  acre,  this  is  the  cheapest  and  most 
thorough  way  of  disposing  of  the 
striped  bug.  For  melons  and  cucumbers 
the  pieces  can  be  cut  twelve  instead  of 
fourteen  inches  long.  I  think  this  an- 
swers Mr.  Williams'  question,  "  Is 
there  really  any  known  remedy  for  the 
striped  bug?"  in  the  affirmative. 

H.  L.  Janzen. 

Berlin. 


FRUITS  IN  NORTH  SIMCOE. 
As  you  invite  the  members  of  the 
Fruit  Growers'  Association  to  give 
their  experience  in  fruit  growing,  in 
their  respective  localities,  through  the 
columns  of  the  Horticulturist,  a  few 
items  from  the  northern  part  of  On- 
tario may  not  be  out  of  place.  With 
respect  to  a])ples,  the  past  year  has 
given  evidence  of  the  necessity  of  plant- 
ing only  the  very  hardy  kinds.  Of 
course  the  winter  of  1884-5  was  an 
exceptional  one.  But  it  played  sad 
havoc  with  the  apple  orchards  in  this 
county ;  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
trees   were   frozen   to    death.     It    was 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


131 


quite  a  common  sight  last  summer  to 
see  numbers  of  trees  in  every  orchard 
with  yellow  leaves  and  scathed  trunks, 
as  if  they  had  been  scorched  by  fire. 
As  to  the  cause  there  is  a  difference  of 
opinion.  Some  think  it  was  the  rain 
that  fell  about  Christmas,  followed  by 
severe  arctic  weather.  Others  that  it 
was  the  premature  warm  spell  we  had 
in  spring  that  started  the  sap  too  soon, 
and  then  froze  and  burst  the  bark. 
Perhaps  both  are  partly  right.  The 
three  varieties  that  stood  the  best  were  : 
1st,  Duchess ;  2nd,  Talman  Sweet ; 
and  3rd,  Golden  Russet.  I  agree  with 
Mr.  Williams,  who  wrote  in  the  April 
number  that  he  is  looking  to  the  Rus- 
sian Family  for  something  to  turn  up 
to  replace  the  kinds  we  have  now; 
and  if  we  can  get  among  the  Russian 
fruits  an  apple  as  fine  as  showy  and 
as  hardy  as  the  Duchess  and  that  will 
keep  to  spring,  that  would  be  the  apple 
for  North  Simcoe. 

WITH  REGARD  TO  SMALL  FRUITS. 

The  last  year  seemed  very  favourable 
for  grapes  and  berries,  notwithstanding 
the  severity  of  the  preceding  winter. 
But  this  may  be  explained  by  the  fact 
that  grapes  are  mostly  put  down  and 
covered,  and  then  the  snow  lay  very 
deep  and  so  protected  the  small  fruits. 
Strawberries  were  a  splendid  crop,  and 
the  same  may  be  said  of  raspberries. 
The  Cuthbert  is  my  favourite  red,  and 
the  Gregg  the  best  black  cap.  All  the 
varieties  of  grapes  that  I  have,  ripened 
well  — Champion,  Concord,  Moore's 
Early,  Vergennes,  Early  Victor,  Pren- 
tiss, Rogers'  No.  3,  15,  and  17,  Wor- 
den  and  Brighton.  Last  fall  was  ex- 
ceptionally free  from  early  frosts.  We 
can  bring  all  those  varieties  of  grapes 
through  the  winter  all  right  by  cover- 
ing them  ;  the  vines  grow  well  through 
the  summer,  and  if  we  can  only  get 
them  ripe  before  the  early  fall  frosts 
catch  them,  we  can  grow  a  very  fine 
sample  of  fruit. 


Everyone  as  far  as  I  can  learn  in 
this  district  is  highly  pleased  with  the 
premiums  sent  out  by  the  Association. 
The  Catalpas  sent  last  spring  all  grew 
splendid,  also  the  Dahlias  and  Fay's 
Currants.  1  have  not  heard  of  a  plant 
that  failed.  I  only  wish  that  more  in 
this  county  would  join  the  F.  G.  A. 
If  tliey  would  subscribe  to  the  Ilorti- 
cidturist,  and  not  give  so  much  ta 
Yankee  tree  agents  for  worthless  trash 
that  never  lives  to  produce  fruit,  they 
would  be  vastly  benefited.  I  am  highly 
pleased  with  our  little  journal  ;  it  is 
getting  better  every  month.  Every 
farmer,  every  gardener,  and  every  man 
or  woman  who  takes  an  interest  in 
fruit  or  flowers  should  take  the  Horti- 
culturist. G.  C.  C. 
Vespra,  April. 

FRAGRANT  CLIMBING  ROSE. 
How  can  I  tell  you  anything  about 
roses  without  "  carrying  coals  lo  New- 
castle 1 "  Yet  you  say  so  positively  in 
the  report  of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Asso- 
ciation that  you  do  not  know  of  an'i/ 
fragrant  climbing  rose,  that  I  want  to 
tell  you  of  one  that  thrives  here,  al- 
though it  viight  not  in  Canada.  A 
friend  of  mine  here,  Mrs.  Hentzley,  haa 
one  that  covers  her  verandah,  and  is 
fast  running  over  the  roof  of  her  two- 
storey  house.  It  has  a  delightful  odor,, 
very  similar  to  that  of  the  tea  roses, 
and  it  has  the  same  glossy  leaves.  It 
is  evergreen,  and  with  the  thermometer 
at  four  degrees  below  zero,  as  we  had 
it  one  night  in  January,  it  was  not 
hurt  at  all.  She  calls  it  the  Banksia. 
Some  people  here  call  it  Lady  Banks. 
It  is  a  profuse  bloomer,  and  had  some 
blossoms  late  in  the  autumn.  It  is  a 
very  pale  yellow,  and  the  open  rose  is 
not  specially  pretty,  but  the  buds  are 
beautiful.  Mra.  Hentzley  is  trying  to 
start  some  cuttings  for  me,  but  finds  it 
hard  to  make  them  grow.  I  feel  as  if 
I  were  very  officious   in  offering   you 


132 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


this  little  bit  of  information,  but  I  do 
it  because  of  what  you  said  to  the  Fruit 
Growers.       Nellie  Cooke  Peters. 
Dallas,  Texas,  U.  S.  A. 

Note  by  the  Editor.  —  We  are 
under  obligations  to  our  fair  correspon- 
dent for  so  pleasantly  reminding  us 
that  such  comprehensive  expressions  as 
were  used  by  us  on  the  occasion  to 
which  she  refers  are  apt  to  be  mislead- 
ing. We  were  speaking  to  a  Canadian 
audience,  and  had  in  mind  at  the  time, 
and  should  have  so  stated,  such  climb- 
ing roses  as  can  be  grown  in  the  0})en 
air  in  the  climate  of  Canada.  There 
are  many  fragrant  climbing  roses,  but 
they  are  largely  climbing  tea  roses, 
such  as  Gloire  de  Dijon,  or  Noisettes, 
as  Marechal  Niel.  The  Banksia  roses, 
both  the  yellow  and  white,  are  tender 
in  this  climate.  The  climbing  roses 
that  can  be  grown  in  any  considerable 
portion  of  Canada  in  the  open  air  are 
of  the  Prairie  rose  class,  Rosa  rubifolia, 
the  best  of  which  are  the  Baltimore 
Belle  and  Queen  of  Prairies,  but  all 
the  roses  of  this  class  are  scentless,  so 
far  as  they  have  come  under  our  obser- 
vation. Doubtless  at  Dallas,  Texas, 
Gloire  de  Dijon  and  Marechal  Niel 
could  be  grown  in  the  open  air.  We 
saw  a  splendid  specimen  of  Marechal 
Niel  in  Doctor  Kenworthy's  garden, 
at  Jacksonville,  Florida,  covering  a 
space  of  30  by  40  feet. 

BIGNONIA  RADICANS. 
This  plant,  which  is  alluded  to  in 
the  present  month's  number,  is  cer- 
tainly worthy  of  a  place  in  every  garden 
and  grounds.  Care  as  to  protection 
during  winter  is  necessary.     The  great- 


est trouble  to  contend  with  is  its  spread- 
ing propensity,  as  it  would  soon  mono- 
polize the  flower  border.  The  best  way 
to  manage  it  is  to  put  it  into  a  tub  of 
sufficient  size,  cedar  wood  being  the 
best,  then  plunge  into  the  earth  almost 
to  the  surface.  S.  R. 

Berlin. 


PARIS  GREEN  FOR  CABBAGE 
LEAVES. 

It  appears  from  an  article  under  this 
heading  in  the  last  number  of  the  Cana- 
dian Horticulturist  that  Mr.  D.  Demp- 
sey  had  something  to  say  at  the  meeting 
of  the  F.  G.  A.  in  Stratford  with  re- 
gard to  using  Paris  Green  against  the 
ravages  of  the  so-called  cabbage  worm. 
Howevtir  effectual  and  safe  the  applica- 
tion of  Paris  Green  to  cabbage  may 
prove,  in  the  hands  of  expeiienced  and 
careful  men,  I  for  one  would  unhesitat- 
ingly and  utterly  condemn  this  practice 
as  altogether  too  dangerous  to  be  recom- 
mended to  the  general  gardening  com- 
munity. The  use  of  it  on  a  vegetable 
where  the  leafy  part,  on  which  the  i 
Paris  Green  must  be  sprinkled,  is  con- 
sumed, especially  since  Mr.  Dempsey 
recommends  the  sprinkling  to  be  con- 
tinued until  the  cabbages  are  full  grown,  \ 
is  exceedingly  dangerous.  I  grow  from 
8,000  to  10,000  cabbages  yearly,  and 
find  but  very  little  annoyance  from  the 
cabbage  worm.  I  attribute  this  freedom 
from  their  ravages  to  the  fact  that  I 
invariably  plant  nearly  all  of  this 
quantity  in  one  solid  block.  If  for  any 
reason  I  find  myself  obliged  to  plant  a 
few  hundred  heads  by  themselves,  and 
especially  if  near  the  shelter  of  fences, 
buildings  or  orchard,  or  where  the  air 
cannot  circulate  freely,  they  are  sure 
to  be  doomed  to  destruction  through 
the  ravages  of  the  cabbage  worm. 

My  advice  to  all  that  grow,  say  from 
twenty-five  to  a  few  hundred  heads  of 
cabbage,  is  to  select  that  portion  of 
their  garden  that  is   most  exposed  to 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


133 


the  free  circulation  of  the  air.  If  you 
have  no  such  plot  at  your  disposal,  but 
are  hedged  in  on  every  side,  as  very 
many  gardens  are,  by  buildings,  high 
fences  or  orchards,  and  your  calling  is 
such  that  you  cannot  find  the  necessary 
time  to  hand  pick  the  worms,  sooner 
than  resort  to  such  a  dangerous  remedy 
as  Paris  Green,  do  not  attempt  to  grow 
cabbages,  but  buy  them  on  the  market 
of  parties  you  know  are  not  obliged  to 
resort  to  its  use  in  their  cultivation, 
and  devote  your  time  and  ground  to 
the  growing  of  other  vegetables  or 
small  fruits. 

1  have  had  occasion  within  the  last 
ten  years  to  try  many  of  the  remedies 
recommended  for  the  destruction  of  the 
cabbage  worm,  but  the  only  one  I  ever 
found  effectual  and  at  the  same  time 
practical  (aside  from  hand  picking)  was 
to  take  water  when  about  at  the  boil- 
ing poin,t  and  pour  it  over  the  cabbages 
with  an  ordinary  sprinkling  can. 

H.  L.  Janzen. 

Berlin,  Ont. 

THE  MOCCASIN  FLOWER. 

With  reference  to  some  of  our  native 
herbaceous  |)lants  and  shrubs,  alluded 
to  by  Mr.  Goldie  in  the  January  num- 
ber, I  would  beg  to  state  that  the 
Cypripedium  spectabile,  or  as  it  is 
called,  the  Moccasin  Flower,  one  of 
our  most  charming  flowers,  is  difficult 
to  transplant  into  dry,  exposed  ground, 
it  being  a  swamp  orchid.  I  tried  it 
twice,  but  failed  in  both  cases,  the  first 
sj)ecimen  I  bought,  and  the  second  I 
discovered,  and  notwithstanding  having 
brought  along  a  quantity  of  muck  to 
j»lant  it  in,  I  failed  to  get  any  satisfac- 
tory results.  The  only  way  to  treat  it 
successfully  is  to  plant  near  the  edge  of 
;i  [)ond,  or  creek  which  may  be  on  or 
running  through  pleasure  grounds  par- 
tially shaded. 

The  Lobelia  cardinalis,  or  Cardinal 
Flower,  intense  scarlet,  is  more  easily 


handled.  I  found  some  fine  specimens 
of  this  plant  growing  in  a  dried  up 
black  ash  swail,  and  it  will  grow  satis- 
factorily when  planted  in  a  soil  of  a 
similar  character. 

The  Hepaticas  and  Sanguinarias  are 
easily  grown  in  any  common  garden 
soil.  S.   R. 

Berlin. 


WATER  LILIES,  &c. 

Parties  who  have  a  small  pond  near 
to  their  premises  should  not  omit  to 
procure  some  w^ater  lilies  (although  not 
lilies  really,  still  they  are  known  best 
under  that  name).  They  are  easily 
transplanted.  I  have  seen  them  grow- 
ing in  abundance  in  the  township  of 
North  Dumfries,  and  a  few  of  our 
Ranunculus  might  be  transplanted  on 
the  edges.  Our  native  lily  will  bear 
transplanting  very  well.  Some  of  our 
native  shrubs  must  not  be  forgotten, 
such  as  the  Comptonia  asplenifolia 
(sweet  scented  fern),  for  its  fragrance, 
and  the  Potentilla  suffructicosa,  for  its 
pretty  yellow  blossoms.  Both  are 
easily  removed.  S.  E.. 

Berlin. 

THE  WEIGELA  ROSEA. 

This  charming  shrub  is  grown  here 
without  winter  protection,  at  least  on 
my  grounds,  but  in  localities  where  it 
is  exposed  and  partially  winter  killed, 
it  would  be  as  well  to  give  it  protection 
during  winter,  either  by  covering  with 
evergreen  boughs,  or  what  is  just  as 
good,  a  piece  of  packing  sheet,  or  such 
like,  taking  care  to  bend  the  canes 
gently  and  fastening  with  hooked  pegs. 

This  shrub  is  a  native  of  China,  and 
was  introduced  into  Europe  by  Weigel, 
a  Russian  botanist,  hence  its  name. 
There  are  many  varieties  now  in  culti- 
vation evidently  seedlings  of  the  origi- 
nal Rosea,  all  of  which  are  no  doubt 
equally  as  hardy.     The  var.  Variegata, 


134 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


illustrated  and  described  in  the  Feb- 
ruary number  of  the  Horticidturist,  is 
•certainly  an  acquisition,  and  no  person 
having  a  taste  for  gardening  should  be 
without  at  least  one  specimen  on  his 
grounds.  The  Weigela  is  of  easy  pro- 
pagation from  cuttings. 

In  protecting  the  Weigela,  you  may 
at  same  time  apply  the  same  modus 
operandi  to  the  Japan  Quince  {Cydonia 
Japonica),  and  instead  of  having  a  few 
scattering  blossoms  at  the  base  of  the 
rshrub,  you  will  have  a  magnificent 
£oral  blaze.  g    j^ 

Berlin. 


THE  CANKER  WORM. 

Your  article  on  this  subject  is  very 
opportune.  Although  this  pest  or 
rather  insect  epidemic  has  not  reached 
this  locality,  that  I  have  heard  of. 
Some  parties  seem  to  think  it  has,  but 
I  think  it  is  a  mistake.  Possibly  it  is 
the  fall  web  worm  they  allude  to.  None 
are  on  my  premises  yet,  but  I  suppose 
it  is  only  a  question  of  time.  However, 
it  is  as  well  to  be  on  the  lookout,  fore- 
warned is  forearmed. 

The  poor  horticulturist  has  many 
troubles  to  contend  with,  but  must 
content  himself  with  this,  the  only 
satisfaction,  that  there  is  not  much 
danger  of  his  brains  becoming  inert. 

Berlin.  S.    K. 

THE  CURRANT  BORER. 

This  pest,  to  a  considerable  extent, 
can  be  controlled.  The  eojg  from  which 
the  grub  is  hatched  is  usually  de})Osited 
towards  the  tip  of  the  young  shoot  or 
sucker  from  the  base  of  the  bush,  first 
being  very  ingeniously  girdled  in  order 
to  reach  soft  liber  or  pith  ;  and  just  as 
soon  as  you  will  see  the  end  of  the  twig 
lean  out  and  wilt,  then  is  your  time  to 
head  the  grub  oflf  by  cutting  back,  say 
ubout  an  inch  of  che  new  wood,  below 
where  it  was  girdled.      If  allowed,  it 


will  soon  work  its  way  downward,  eat 
its  way  through,  and  get  transposed  to  a 
winged  beetle,  ready  to  engage  in  the 
same  profession  that  its  parents  did 
previousl3^ 

I  could  not  for  a  long  time  under- 
stand why  so  many  currant  suckers 
were  wilting  at  the  tips  ;  finally  I  saw 
the  insect  in  the  act  of  girdling  a  rose 
sucker,  but  being  rather  smart  for  me, 
escaped.  It  appeared  to  be  about 
three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  length, 
with  brownish  scale  wing  coverings, 
and  fly  shaped.  No  doubt  entomolo- 
gists know  it.  Simon  Roy. 

Berlin. 


PANSIES. 
To  have  pansies  for  early  spring 
bloom,  and  all  summer  as  well,  I  sow 
the  seed  in  August.  When  seedlincrs 
are  up  nicely  I  prick  out  and  pot  in 
verbena-size  pots  (one  plant  in  a  pot). 
I  then  thrust  the  pots  into  earth  in 
my  cold  frame  up  to  the  rim,  cover 
with  glass,  and  water  when  required. 
By  the  time  of  first  frost  they  will  be 
beautiful  large  plants,  and  some  of 
them  in  flower.  When  severe  cold  sets 
in  I  cover  the  glass  with  some  old 
boards  to  protect  the  glass,  then  cover 
with  old  vines  and  leaves.  It  is  best 
to  elevate  your  cold  frame  a  few  inches 
to  keep  dry.  I  also  keep  in  such 
frames  carnation  cuttings,  and  other 
plants  that  will  not  stand  our  long, 
severe  winters  very  well.  In  early 
spring  I  uncover  the  frame  to  the 
glass,  and  in  two  weeks  time  their 
saucy  faces  will  be  peering  up  at  you. 
When  the  weather  becomes  somewhat 
settled  I  take  them  out,  tip  them  out 
of  the  pot  and  put  them  into  the  bor- 
der. Be  cautious  about  manuring  with 
strong  manure  ;  a  good  dressing  of  leaf 
mould  I  have  always  found  sufiicient ; 
put  a  little  salt  on  the  surface  to  retain 
moisture,  for  pansies  require  plenty  of 
moisture.     In    dry,    hot    weather   the 


THE   CANADIAN    HORl'IOULTDRIST. 


135 


watering  should  be  done  late  in  the  even- 
ing, after  the  earth  has  cooled  ;  if  they 
are  watered  while  the  ground  is  hot 
they  will  throw  out  strong,  straggling 
shoots  and  often  die. 

Walter  S.  Gamsby. 
Orono,  Ont. 

Note  by  the  Editor. — With  this 
communication  we  received  from  Mr. 
Gamsby  a  most  magnificent  collection 
of  pansy  blooms  of  unusual  size.  We 
took  the  trouble  to  measure  the  largest 
and  found  it  to  be  fully  2 J  by  2  inches. 
Many  of  the  others  were  but  a  little 
less.  Mr.  Gamsby  does  not  tell  us 
where  he  obtained  his  seed.  There  is 
quite  a  difference  as  to  size  in  the 
several  strains  that  are  grown  by 
florists,  which,  combined  with  Mr. 
Gamsby's  excellent  treatment,  may  ac- 
count for  their  great  size. 


JAPAN  QUINCE  AND  WEIGELA. 

I  may  say  that  the  Japan  Quince 
and  the  variegated  Weigela  needs  pro- 
tection during  winter  here. 

George  Bond. 
Prince  Albert,  Ontario  Co. 


STRIPED  MELON  BUG. 

Dear  Sir, — In  the  Horticulturist 
for  this  month  there  is  a  remedy  recom- 
mended for  the  three-striped  Yellow 
Squash  and  Melon  Bug,  which  remedy 
is  a  very  troublesome  one.  For  many 
years  past  I  have  always  planted  to- 
mato plants  near  my  melons,  and  as 
soon  as  the  scent  of  the  tomato  gets 
strong,  which  it  soon  does,  it  banishes 
the  bug  at  once.  This  is  a  certain 
remedy  and  gives  no  trouble.  I  have 
never  known  it  to  fail. 


Toronto. 


Yours  truly, 

W.  W.  R. 


CATALPA  SPECIOSA. 

The  Catalpa  is  hardy  here  and  comes 
out  in  good  condition,  better  than  the 
Russian  Mulberry,  which  is  sure  to 
indicate  the  snow  line  when  developing 
the  buds  in  spring,  all  buds  above  the 
snow  being  at  least  four  days  later  in 
coming  out. 

J.  R  Cockburn. 
Gravenhurst,  Muskoka. 


BARK  LICE  ON  APPLK  TREES. 

As  you  published  the  remedy  for 
bark  lice  I  assume  that  you  do  not  dis- 
credit it.  Its  action,  I  imagine,  is 
purely  as  an  external  wash,  and  not 
that  it  is  absorbed  and  carried  with  the 
sap  through  the  ramifications  of  the 
branches.  C.   E.  B. 


MEETING   OF  THE   MICHIGAN   HOR- 
TICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

The  annual  June  meeting  of  the 
Michigan  State  Horticultural  Society 
will  convene  at  North  Lansing,  on  the 
evening  of  June  15th,  and  continue  for 
three  sessions  on  the  following  day. 
The  exercises  will  be  unusually  inter- 
esting, and  a  novelty  will  be  intro- 
duced in  the  way  of  short  essays  and 
addresses  upon  special  topics  by  classes 
from  the  Agricultural  College,  under 
the  direction  of  Dr.  Real,  Prof  Cook, 
and  Prof  Railey. 

The  meeting  is  arranged  to  follow 
closely  the  semi-centennial  celebration 
at  Lansing,  so  as  to  take  advantage  of 
the  greatly  reduced  railroad  rates,  and 
give  an  opportunity  to  take  in  both 
entertainments  at  one  visit. 

For  further  particulars  address 

Chas.  W.  Garfield, 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  Secretary. 


136 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


THE  POTATO  ROT,— ITS  CAUSE  AND 

REMEDIES. 

By  J.  Hoyes  Panton,  M.A.,  Professor  of  Natural  His- 
tory at  the  Ontario  Agricultural  College. 

The  use  of  the  microscope  in  the  fields 
of  scientific  research  has  revealed  much 
that  is  of  importance  to  man.  Many 
forms  of  disease,  about  whose  origin 
little  was  known,  have  had  much  light 
shed  upon  them  since  this  instrument 
was  employed  in  their  study,  both 
among  animals  and  plants.  We  find 
now  that  man  is  constantly  lashed  by 
invisible  foes — some  attacking  himself 
and  others  the  food  which  he  eats. 
During  the  past  summer  and  fall  a 
striking  example  of  this  occurred  in  the . 
prevalence  of  the  so-called  "  potato  rot," 
which  has  proved  a  great  loss  through- 
out the  Province  and  in  many  parts  of 
the  United  States.  In  the  bulletin 
issued  in  November  from  the  Bureau 
of  Industries,  we  learn  that  the  "  rot " 
prevailed  through  the  whole  southern 
belt  of  the  Province.  In  many  cases 
one-half  to  three-fourths  of  the  crop 
was  destroyed,  and  in  some  it  was  not 
worth  digging.  With  such  disaster 
around  us,  the  questions  are  naturally 
suggested.  What  is  the  cause  of  the 
*'  rot  ? "  and.  What  remedies  can  be 
adopted  *? 

Cause. — This  disease  has  received  a 
great  deal  of  attention  from  botanists 
since  the  days  when  it  became  a  scourge 
in  Ireland  and  other  parts  of  the  British 
Isles,  and  it  is  now  conceded  to  be  the 
result  of  a  minute  fungus  called  Phyto- 
phthora  infestans.  This  attacks  all 
parts  of  the  plant — leaf,  stem  and 
tubers.  By  those  ignorant  of  the  life 
history  of  this  tiny  i)arasitic  plant  little 
attention  is  paid  to  its  appearance  on 
the  tops,  and  no  alarm  is  experienced 
until  the  potatoes  are  affected.  But 
being  very  contagious,  its  presence  on 
the  leaves  should  become  a  serious  mat- 
ter, especially  when  we  remember  that 
it  spreads  with  great  rapidity.     It  is 


usually  indicated  by  the  tops  presenting 
a  blotched,  brownish,  spotted,  dead  ap- 
pearance. A  close  examination  of  the 
potatoes  showing  this  will  discover  in- 
numerable slender  stems  growing  up 
out  of  the  surface  of  the  leaves  and 
stems  of  the  affected  plants.  These 
branch  and  swell  out  at  the  ends  into 
pear-shaped  minute  bodies  (spores), 
which  are  produced  by  millions.  When 
ripe  they  separate  from  the  stem  and 
being  exceedingly  light  pass  into  the 
atmosphere,  where  they  are  wafted 
about,  many  of  them  finally  reaching 
the  ground  or  settling  upon  plants. 
Under  favourable  conditions  of  mois- 
ture and  heat  the  contents  of  a  micro- 
scopic spore  may  push  out  a  long  minute 
tube,  which  can  penetrate  into  any  part 
of  the  potato  plant  and  give  rise  to  the 
fungus ;  or  may  separate  into  several 
distinct  portions  (swarm  spores)  which 
burst  through  the  spore-wall  and  become 
the  source  of  the  parasitic  plant.  The 
mature  plant  which  lives  in  the  tops 
and  tubers  is  very  minute,  and  can  be 
seen  only  by  the  aid  of  the  microscope. 
It  consists  of  many  colourless,  branch- 
ing, thread-like  structures.  These  pene- 
trate the  tissues  of  the  potato  and  feed 
upon  the  juices,  so  that  it  soon  weakens 
and  begins  to  waste  away.  From  the 
thread-like  structures  tiny  stalks  arise, 
assuming  beautiful  plant  like  forms  and 
bearing  upon  their  branches  the  spores 
already  referred  to.  They  live  but  a 
short  time,  but  the  thread-like  structure 
is  perennial  and  hardy,  and  from  frag- 
ments of  it  new  fungi  may  arise.  It 
is  said  by  some  that  another  kind  of 
spore  is  produced  which  can  winter,  and 
thus  give  rise  to  the  organism  in  another 
season.  These  are  the  so-called  resting 
spores,  apparently  for  the  purpose  of 
keeping  the  species  over  certain  periods, 
while  the  spores  already  considered  are 
produced  rapidly  so  as  to  hasten  the 
spread  of  the  fungus  under  favourable 
conditions.      This   minute  microscopic 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTICULTUEI8T. 


137 


plant  is  certainly  a  low  form  of  vege- 
table life,  inca})able  of  manufacturing 
food  from  the  mineral  kingdom,  but 
fastening  upon  other  plants  and  feeding 
upon  their  juices.  A  wet  season  sup- 
plies conditions  well  adapted  for  its 
development,  and  hence  we  find  the 
**  rot "  associated  with  such  weather. 
Thei'e  is  no  doubt  that  many  spores  are 
always  more  or  less  present,  buh  they 
are  prevented  from  being  a  source  of 
trouble  because  the  weather  is  not  suited 
for  their  growth. 

Remedies. — The  "  rot  "  usually  ap- 
pears about  the  first  two  weeks  in 
August,  and  if  the  weather  is  favourable 
its  spread  is  very  rapid,  for  as  soon  as 
the  thread-like  structure  which  arises 
from  the  spore  is  developed  it  imme- 
diately becomes  spore-bearing.  Hence 
the  importance  of  examining  the  plants 
for  the  appearance  of  the  brownish 
spots  that  indicate  the  presence  of  the 
fungus. 

1.  As  soon  as  discovered,  dig  the 
potatoes.  Delay  will  allow  it  to  spread 
to  the  stems,  and  thence  to  the  tubei*s. 
If  it  reaches  these  and  damp  weather 
comes.  "  rot "  will  certainly  appear. 

"2.  After  digging,  the  potatoes  should 
be  put  in  a  cool,  dry  place,  thus  sur- 
rounding them  with  conditions  un- 
favourable for  the  growth  of  the  fungus, 
if  any  happens  to  be  upon  them. 

3.  Growing  early  varieties  is  worthy 
of  consideration,  so  that  they  may 
mature  before  the  sejison  arrives  when 
this  parasite  is  likely  to  afiect  the  crop. 

4.  All  potato  stalks  in  affected  lands 
'lould  be  gathered  and  burned,  so  as 
)  destroy  the  millions  of  spores  which 

may  be  upon  them. 

5.  Use  none  but  good  seed.  If  at 
ill  aff(ected,  reject  them;  and  plant  in 
well-drained  land.  If  the  potatoes  to 
be  used  for  seed  have  been  taken  from 
« (hilars  wliere  affected  ones  were  kept, 
tliey  are  likely  to  have  tlie  microscopic 
spores  on  tliem  an<l  escaj>e  uotico.     It 


would   be   best   to  get  seed  from   un- 
affected districts. 

6.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  remark 
that  it  would  be  injudicious  to  plant 
potatoes  in  the  same  field  the  following 
year  after  a  visitation  of  the  *'rot,"  in- 
asmuch as  the  ground  may  retain  the 
germs  of  the  disease. 

7.  Avoid  planting  upon  heavy  clay 
soil,  but  prefer  a  light  and  dry  sotl. 
This  presents  the  fewest  conditions  suit- 
able for  the  growth  of  the  fungus. 

The  nature  of  our  climate  is  not  so 
favourable  for  the  development  of  this 
injurious  fungus  as  that  of  Britain  ; 
yet  as  we  are  sometimes  visited  by  it, 
and  although  scarcely  viewed  as  a 
scourge,  it  is  well  that  we  should  re- 
member its  nature  and  habits  and 
always  be  ready  to  guard  against  failure 
if  it  appears.  As  last  summer  was 
favourable  for  its  propagation,  great 
care  should  be  exercised  in  the  selection 
of  seed  this  spring. 

The  above  paper  was  prepared  by 
Mr.  Panton  at  the  request  of  the 
Ontario  Department  of  Agriculture, 
and  deserves  the  careful  consideration 
of  all  cultivators  of  the  potato. 


SMALL  FRUITS. 

(Read  htfore  the  East  Lamhton  Farmen'  Institute,  at 
Watjord,  by  W.  W.  Hilborn,  of  ArkonaJ 

There  are  no  fruits  which  can  be  so 
extensively  and  profitably  grown  in 
Ontario  as  the  small  fruits,  and  none 
that  give  such  quick  returns.  No  crop 
on  the  farm  is 

MORE    PROFITABLE. 

While  I  would  not  advise  every  farmer 
to  go  into  growing  small  fruits  for 
market,  I  would  very  earnestly  recom- 
mend all  to  grow  enough  for  their  own 
use  There  is  no  other  way  in  which 
you  can  liave  the  Siime  satisfaction  as 
to  grow  them — not  in  a  small  enclosure, 
where  all  the  work  has  to  be  done  by 


138 


THE  OA.NADIAN    HOETICULTDRI8T- 


hand,  but  out  where  you  have  plenty 
of  room  to  do  most  of  the  work  with 
horse  and  cultivator.  There  is  no  other 
crop  on  the  farm  that  will  pay  as  well 
as  a  good  collection  of  strawberries,  rasp- 
berries, currants,  blackberries,  goose- 
berries and  gi'apes,  if  they  receive 
reasonable  care.  There  are  many  places 
where  it  would  pay  well  for  farmers 
to  go  into  small  fruit  growing  for  mar- 
ket. Every  neighborhood  should  have 
at  least  one  person  engaged  in  small 
fruit  growing  for  market ;  but  to  be 
successful,  those  engaged  in  it  for  profit 
must  have 

A    LIKING    FOR    THB    BUSINESS, 

and  be  willing  to  work,  not  only  with 
their  hands,  but  with  their  brains. 
There  are  many  farmers  that  have 
small  farms,  with  perhaps  two  or  three 
sons,  for  whom  they  would  like  to  buy 
more  land,  but  do  not  find  it  an  easy 
matter  to  do  so,  as  land  is  high  in  price 
in  all  good  localities,  and  times  are  dull. 
If  such  farmers  would  go  into  small 
fruit  growing  they  would  not  require 
more  land,  and  would  find  it  more  pro- 
fitable, that  is,  if  gone  into  intelligently. 
Some  will  say,  "  The  supply  will  soon 
be  greater  than  the  demand."  Why 
not  be  afraid  to  grow  wheat  for  the 
same  reason  1  There  is  not  the  slightest 
doubt  but  that  it  will  pay  as  long  as 
people  continue  to  have  a  taste  for 
fruit. 

THE  PAST  SEASON  WAS  A  FAVORABLE  ONE 

for  strawberries,  and  the  supply  was 
equal  to  the  demand  in  most  parts  of 
the  country,  especially  in  large  towns 
and  cities.  Small  country  places  and 
farmers  in  many  places  did  not  get  a 
full  supply  even  last  year,  when  the 
largest  crop  was  gathered  that  has  ever 
been  grown  in  this  country.  I  sold  five 
hundred  bushels  from  five  acres,  grown 
with  just  good  ordinary  field  culture. 
After  deducting  expenses  for  picking, 
boxes,  marketing,  etc.,  they  give  a  net 
return  of 


FULLY  ONE  HUNDRED  DOLLARS  PER  ACRE. 

The  supply  did  not  equal  one-half  the 
demand  for  raspberries,  currants,  goose- 
berries, and  blackberries,  and  is  not 
likely  to  fully  equal  the  demand  for 
many  years.  . 

At  the  present  time  I  think  it  is 
very  doubtful  if  there  is  any  other  line 
of  our  great  agricultural  industries  of 
Ontario  that  will  give  a  greater  return 
for  the  outlay  required  than  small  fruit 
growing.  Do  not  for  one  moment  sup- 
pose that  you  can  go  right  into  the 
business  on  a  large  scale  and  make  a 
fortune  in  two  or  three  years  without 
any  knowledge  of  the  business.  The 
only  sure  way  to  succeed  is  to  begin  on 
a  small  scale,  and  as  you  gain  practical 
knowledge  of  varieties,  manner  of  cul- 
tivation, marketing,  etc.,  you  can  en- 
large your  plantations  and  do  so  intel- 
ligently. There  is  great  competition  in 
all  branches  of  trade,  but  those  who  are 
not  afraid  to  work,  both  with  their 
hands  and  brains,  need  not  fear  com- 
petition. 

ONE  OF  THE  MOST  IMPORTANT  POINTS 

in  growing  small  fruits  for  market  is  to 
try  always  to  have  them  put  up  in 
nice  packages  and  well  filled  with  good 
fruit,  and  always  sell  the  fruit  for  just 
what  it  is — never  put  the  large  berries 
on  top  of  the  box  and  the  small  ones 
in  the  bottom.  Another  very  impor- 
tant matter  is  to  plant  well-tested  varie- 
ties, and  plant  some  of  all  the  small 
fruits — strawberries,  raspberries,  goose- 
berries, currants,  blackberries,  and 
grapes.  Plant  several  kinds  of  each, 
so  that  you  can  extend  your  supply  of 
fruit  over  as  long  a  period  as  possible, 
which  gives  you  a  greater  length  of 
time  in  which  to  market.  You  can 
also  market  at  a  much  cheaper  rate,  as 
you  do  not  require  so  many  boxes, 
crates,  etc.;  you  also  have  time  to  do 
more  of  the  work  yourself,  thus  re- 
ducing  expenses.      Having  a    regular 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTICULTUEI8T. 


139 


supply  will  help  to  find  you  a  market, 
as  all  dealers  like  to  buy  from  those 
who  can  give  them  the  most  regular 
supply,  and  for  the  greatest  length  of 
time.     I  will  give  a 

LIST  OF  THE  MOST  PROFITABLE  SORTS 

for  market,  so  far  as  tested  in  this 
county.     Fii*st  on  the  list  is 

Strawberries. — For  first  early,  plant 
Old  Iron  Clad  ;  next  early,  Crescent 
Seedling;  for  medium,  Wilson  and 
Daniel  Boone ;  for  late,  Manchester 
and  Atlantic. 

Red  Raspberries. — Turner,  for  early; 
Cuthbert,  for  late.  Shaffer's  Colossal 
is  a  very  dark  red  or  purple  ;  it  is  the 
most  productive  and  best  for  canning, 
and  none  more  hardy. 

Black  Raspberries. — For  early,  Tyler 
and  Souhegan ;  for  medium,  Mam- 
moth Cluster ;  for  late,  Gregg. 

Red  Currants.  —  Victoria,  Raby 
Castle  and  Fay's  Prolific. 

White  Currants. — None  better  than 
White  Grape. 

Black  Currants. — Lee's  Prolific  and 
Naples. 

Gooseberries. — Smith's  Improved  and 
Downing. 

Blackberries. — Snyder. 

Grapes. — Concord,  Worden,  Moore's 
Early,  Delaware,  Rogers'  No,  9  (Lind- 
ley),  and  Brighton. 

The  above  are  all  well-tested  varie- 
ties, and  will 

ADAPT  THEMSELVES  TO  ALMOST  ANY  SOIL, 

and  where  they  will  not  succeed  it 
would  be  useless  to  look  for  any  that 
will  pay.  There  are  some  of  the  new 
grapes  that  show  such  decided  merit 
that  I  will  give  the  names  of  a  few, 
although  I  do  not  like  to  say  much 
about  new  varieties  in  a  paper  of  this 
kind.  Ulster  Prolific  I  believe  to  be 
one  of  the  most  promising  new  red 
grapes  I  have  seen  for  this  country. 
Kmpire  State  and  Niagara  are  both 
very  fine  white  grapes,  and  well  worthy 
of  a  place  in  every  collection. 


BAGGING  GRAPES. 

{From  the  Philadelphia  Weekly  Press). 

The  following  replies  to  inquiries  as 
to  the  results  of  using  bags  upon  grape 
clusters  this  season,  the  difference  be- 
tween fruit  thus  treated  and  that  left 
uncovered,  the  influence  of  the  bags 
upon  early  ripening,  flavor,  bloom, 
soundness,  etc.,  will  be  found  instruc- 
tive. 

IN    NEW   JERSEY. 

I  bagged  some  of  all  varieties  and 
most  of  some  varieties,  the  smaller 
clusters  being  unbagged.  Of  the  Mar- 
tha, Niagara,  and  some  others,  the 
exposed  cluster  was  invariably  worth- 
less, while  those  in  bags  were  perfect 
in  every  respect.  Not  every  cluster 
bagged,  however,  was  perfect.  Some 
would  have  a  berry  or  two  affected, 
others  more.  Occasionally  one  was 
found  entirely  destroyed.  That  bags 
are  a  great  protection  is  abundantly 
proven  in  ray  experience.  I  wish  I 
could  affirm  or  believe  it  was  absolute. 
The  quality  of  the  grapes  bagged  is  not 
in  the  least  impaired.  The  appearance 
is  improved,  the  bloom  is  perfection 
and  the  general  appearance  of  the  clus- 
ters more  attractive  to  the  eye  than 
are  those  grown  outside.  I  think  the 
ripening  is  generally  retarded  a  few 
days,  but  it  is  none  the  less  perfect. 
My  experience  summed  up  is  this : 
That  by  bagging  I  am  sure  of  securing 
a  reasonable  amount  of  fine  fruit ;  with- 
out it  the  result  is  extremely  proble- 
matical. To  put  it  more  plainly,  on 
my  grounds,  as  far  as  the  choice  varieties 
are  concerned,  bagging  constitutes  just 
the  diffei-ence  between  success  and  fai- 
lure. If  I  want  to  be  sure  of  fine 
clusters  of  so  common  a  variety  as 
Concord  I  bag  them. — E.  Williams. 

IN    CONNECTICUT. 

My  first  experience  in  bagging  grapes 
was  on  a  very  limited  scale  four  years 
ago,  with  very  little  faith  that  there 
could  be  any  good  in  it.     However,  to 


140 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


test  the  matter  carefully,  soon  as  the 
fruit  was  well  set  in  early  Summer,  I 
put  a  few  bags  on  each  vine  of  every 
variety  in  our  experimental  vineyard, 
leaving  bunches  unbagged  side  by  side 
with  the  bagged  ones,  and  the  results 
in  the  Fall  were  such  as  to  encourage 
me  to  repeat  the  experiment  the  next 
year  on  a  larger  scale,  and  for  the  ]>ast 
two  seasons  we  have  bagged  all  our 
best  grapes  and  shall  continue  to  do  so 
in  the  futui-e,  for  by  so  doing  we  get 
more  perfect  bunches,  berries  of  larger 
size,  ripening  more  perfectly,  and  a 
more  perfect  bloom  than  the  unbagged 
fruit.  As  to  quality,  four  years'  test 
has  failed  to  show  me  that  it  is  either 
improved  or  injured  by  the  bagging. 
Mildew  has  been  very  prevalent  this 
season,  and  on  some  varieties  we  should 
not  have  had  a  single  perfect  bunch 
had  it  not  been  for  the  bags.  They 
also  serve  as  a  protection  against  frost. 
We  have  had  several  hard  frosts,  and 
yet  every  day  now  we  are  enjoying 
many  of  our  best  varieties  fresh  from 
the  vine,  and  in  a  perfection  of  fresh- 
ness that  we  have  never  seen  at  this 
season  in  grapes  not  so  treated.  So 
much  in  favor-  of  and  nothing  against 
the  system,  except  the  very  light  ex- 
pense of  the  bags  and  pins,  and  the 
labor  of  putting  them  on.  I  believe  it 
will  pay  well  to  bag  the  fruit  in  a 
market  vineyard,  and  I  know  that  for 
family  iise  the  satisfaction  of  having  so 
much  better  appearing  fruit  more  than 
compensates  for  the  slight  expense. — 
J.  H.  Hale. 

IN    ILLINOIS. 

Last  year  I  bagged  a  few  clusters  of 
Concord  and  Diana  grapes  as  an  ex- 
periment. It  proved  so  satisfactory 
that  I  this  year  bagged  most  of  my 
Champion,  Concord,  Diana,  Brighton 
and  Lady  grapes.  All  those  bagged 
ripened  evenly,  were  free  from  specks 
and  blemishes,  and  wei-e  covered  with 
;V  beautiful  bloom,  but  in  the  midst  of 


nearly  every  cluster  a  species  of  small 
spider  had  spun  a  dense  web,  which 
had  to  be  removed  before  they  were 
presental^le. 

About  two-thirds  of  those  left  un- 
bagged were  punctured  or  wholly  des- 
troyed by  gi-asshoppers,  which  were 
very  numerous  and  very  destructive 
this  year.  I  could  see  no  difference  in 
the  time  of  ripening  between  those 
bagged  and  those  not.  We  used  quite 
a  lot  for  dessert,  and  I  noticed  that  the 
bagged  were  always  selecte^l  for  that 
pur|)ose  ;  and  though  the  red  and  white 
varieties  were  somewhat  lighter  in 
color  than  those  exposed,  the  general 
opinion  of  the  family  was  that  they 
were  better  flavored — more  "spark- 
ling." Bagging  made  no  difference  in 
the  color  of  the  black  grapes ;  they 
were  simply  black  and  covered  with  a 
heavy  bloom. — Fred.  Grundy. 

IN    NEW    YORK. 

We  have  for  several  years  past  prac- 
ticed covering  clusters  of  grapes  with 
small  paper  bags.  We  usually  place 
these  bags  on  the  grapes  when  about 
half  grown,  fastening  them  with  a  pin, 
having  first  drawn  the  top  of  the  bag 
about  the  stem  closely,  and  having  slit 
the  lower  corner  of  the  bag  with  a 
knife  to  let  out  any  water  that  might 
gather  in  the  bag  during  a  rain.  Our 
object  in  bagging  grapes  is  to  preserve 
specimens  of  the  different  varieties  in 
the  best  possible  condition.  In  locali- 
ties where  rot  is  prevalent  bags  are 
used  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  rot 
with  good  results.  The  grapes  reach  a 
higher  perfection  of  color  and  quality 
in  the  bags  than  without.  The  bloom, 
which  is  a  prominent  feature  in  the 
grape,  is  undisturbed  in  the  bags,  and 
is  ap])arently  more  noticeable  when 
tlius  protected.  The  only  specimens  of 
Lady  Washington  grapes  we  have  ever 
succeeded  in  ripening  on  our  farm, 
were  those  enclosed  in  paper  bags,  as  it 
has    been    proven    too    late    for    this 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


141 


locality.  It  is  surprising  to  learn  how 
many  grapes  may  be  bagged  in  a  day 
by  a  skillful  person,  who  is  quick 
motioned.  The  expense,  however,  is 
worth  considering,  and  will  prevent 
the  practice  becoming  general,  except 
to  i)revent  rot,  and  to  prevent  the 
depredations  of  birds  and  fowls,  and 
damage  by  frost.  If  one  has  only  a 
few  vines  in  the  garden,  it  is  an  easy 
matter  to  make  them  secure  against 
rot  and  other  serious  dangers  by  bag- 
ging them,  and  tlie  expense  is  hardly 
worth  mentioning  in  such  cases. — 
Charles  A.  Green. 


MAMMOTH  SQUASH. 

In  W.  Atlee  Burpee  tk  Co.'s  Farm 
Annual  for  1886,  Philadelphia,  the 
credit  is  awarded  to  Mr.  Charles 
Hewitt,  of  Lunenburg,  Nova  Scotia, 
of  having  grown  the  largest  squash  on 
record,  292  lbs.,  exhibited  at  the  Do- 
minion Exhibition  in  St.  John  in  1883, 
and  in  1885,  in  competition  with  the 
United  States,  of  having  won  first  and 
second  prizes,  $25.00  and  $10.00,  for 
mammoth  squash  with  262  lbs.  and 
223  lbs.,  and  lirst  of  $25.00  with  206^ 
11)S.  for  mammoth  pumpkin. 

Thinking  it  a  matter  of  interest  to 
learn  Mr.  Hewitt's  methods,  since 
whatever  will  grow  mammoth  will  also 
grow  table  squash,  I  wrote  to  him  re- 
cently for  his  processes  in  detail,  with 
permission  to  publish,  which  he  kindly 
gave  as  follows  : — 

"  Soil,  a  clay  loam,  with  some  sand 
and  chip  manure,  not  too  coai-se,  a 
sheltered,  southerly  aspect.  Prej)are 
the  ground  in  the  fall,  by  digging  a 
liole  5  feet  by  5  feet  1  foot  deep,  in 
which  put  a  bucket  of  tish  offal,  with 
iialf  bucket  of  night  soil ;  replace  the 
soil.  About  20th  April  put  two  seeds 
ill  a  4-inch  pot  and  ])lace  in  a  window 
or  hot  bed  ;  when  in  four  leaves  re- 
move the  weakest  by  cutting  it  off; 
[>ulling  up  may  disturb  the  roots  of  the 


otlier.  Take  a  sash  3  ft.  square,  make 
a  frame  to  fit  with  four  ])ieces  of 
boards,  dig  out  the  hole  made  in  the 
fall  the  full  size ;  in  this  put  a  large 
barrow  load  of  horse  manure,  mixing 
it  with  the  soil  removed,  form  a  mound 
or  hill,  on  which  place  your  frame  and 
sash ;  in  the  centre  put  some  garden 
soil,  \n  which  set  your  plant,  with 
care  not  to  disturb  the  roots  in  remov- 
ing from  the  pot. 

Water  when  dry  with  li{i[uid  manure, 
not  strong,  and  not  touching  the  leaves  ; 
give  air  as  needed.  When  danger  of 
frost  is  past,  and  the  vine  fills  the 
frame,  remove  the  frame,  pick  oft*  bugs, 
let  the  vines  run  and  encourage  them 
to  root  in  adjoining  ground,  which 
should  be  heavily  manured  with  stable 
manure,  mixed  with  fish  offal,  lobster 
factory  offal,  if  convenient. 

Let  the  vine  cover  the  space  of  10  or 
12  feet.  When  fruit  forms,  allow  all 
to  get  as  large  as  cocoanuts.  select  the 
most  healthy  ;  if  from  the  main  vine, 
so  much  the  better,  not  too  close  to  the 
stock,  as  they  feed  from  the  root  joints  ; 
at  the  same  time  pinch  off  the  tip  ends 
of  the  vines  and  laterals,  keep  pinching 
off  as  soon  as  other  laterals  form,  and 
all  fruit  as  soon  as  formed,  allowing 
only  the  one  to  remain  ;  the  concen- 
trated nutriment  immediately  takes 
effect,  and  in  twenty-four  hours  you 
will  be  surprised  to  find  your  squash 
growing  so  rapidly. 

When  very  dry,  water  once  a  week 
with  liquid  manure,  made  from  cow 
dung,  or  from  the  draining  of  the 
manure  heap,  not  too  strong ;  dilute 
with  soft  v\  ater  and  avoid  touching  a 
leaf.  Just  before  a  rain,  strew  some 
su])erphosphate  around  the  plant,  and 
along  the  vines,  and  cover  lightly  with 
soil.  Stirring  the  soil  frequently  is 
better  than  water,  as  the  ground  is  aj)t 
to  V>ake. 

Pegging  down  the  vines  secui*ely 
would    be  a  useful    ])recaution    where 


fc 


142 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


there  is  any  risk  of  disturbance  from 
wind." 

The  above  gives  Mr.  Hewitt's  "  How 
to  grow  mammoth  squash  "  nearly  in 
his  own  words,  and  but  slightly  con- 
densed.— Charles  E.  Brown,  in  Yar- 
mouth Herald. 


BLACKBERRY  NOTES. 

Among  the  blackberries,  the  Snyder 
holds  it  own  as  the  hardiest.  It  is  very 
prolific,  but  the  berries  are  not  large. 
The  Taylor  is  also  quit^  hardy,  though 
less  so  than  the  Snyder.  The  berries 
are  larger.  The  Early  Harvest  seems 
to  be  the  earliest  of  standard  black- 
berries— but  there  is  a  doubt  as  to  its 
hardiness.  The  berries  are  small  and 
jet  black  ;  the  drupes  small  and  uni- 
form. The  Wilson  Junior  is  a  large 
berry  of  fair  quality  and  productive. 
Whether  it  is  hardier  than  its  parent, 
the  Wilson  Senior,  remains  to  be  ascer- 
tained. The  Wachusett  is  nearly  free 
of  thorns.  The  quality  is  good ;  size 
medium ;  but  the  plants  are  very  pro- 
ductive. Stone's  Hardy  is  with  us  en- 
tirely hardy ;  the  berries  of  medium 
size.  The  canes  are  large  and  some- 
what dwarf,  but  they  do  not  bear  fruit 
very  abundantly. 

The  Western  Triumph  is  spoken  of 
in  some  catalogues  as  a  new  variety ; 
but  we  have  had  it  many  years.  It  is 
very  hardy,  but  unproductive  at  the 
Rural  Grounds. 

Crystal  White  is  a  white  blackberry 
of  good  quality,  but  not  hardy.  The 
Minnewaska  is  not  introduced.  It  is 
immensely  prolific;  the  berries  are 
about  the  size  of  the  Kittatinny,  but 
not  so  sweet.  Its  hardiness  is  yet  to 
*be  determined. 

The  Lucretia  Dewberry  is  as  early 
as  the  Early  Harvest.  The  berries 
are  large  and,  when  full  ripe,  of  good 
quality.  It  runs  over  the  ground  or 
may  be  trained  to  a  stake  or  trellis. 
It  is  quite  hardy. — Rural  New  Yorker. 


THE  LARGEST  GRAPE  VINE. 

Though  the  largest  Grape  vine  in  the 
world  is  claimed  to  be  at  Hampton 
Court,  England  (a  vinifera  variety), 
and  another  is  claimed  by  Santa  Bar- 
bara, Cal.  (a  Mission  Grape  vine),  yet 
I  believe  the  farm  of  Jesse  Tarlton, 
seven  miles  from  Lexington,  Ky.,  has 
the  best  right  to  the  honor  of  possessing 
the  largest  Grape  vine,  at  least  in  size 
of  body.  I  measured  it  at  six  feet  from 
the  ground  and  found  it  66  inches  in 
circumference.  It  is  of  the  cordifolia 
(Frost  or  Winter  Grape)  species,  and  is 
probably  200  or  more  years  old.  It  is 
supported  by  an  Elm  nearly  three  feet 
in  diameter,  which  it  entirely  covers, 
and  shows  vigorous  growth  in  many 
branches,  though  partly  dead  on  one 
side  near  the  ground,  caused  by  ex- 
posure to  the  sun  and  trampling  of 
stock. 

A  vine  of  the  same  species,  reported 
in  newspapers  of  Fla.  a  few  years  ago, 
having  a  circumference  of  69  inches, 
has  always  been  regarded  by  botanists 
as  a  '"fish  story,"  so  Kentucky  must 
now  bear  the  palm  till  good  authority 
from  elsewhere  shows  a  circumference 
of  body  over  66  inches,  six  feet  or  more 
from  the  ground. — T.  V.  MuNSON,  in 
Am.  Garden. 


FREESIA. 
The  Freesia  refracta  alba  is  one  of 
the  most  desirable  of  recently  introduc-  j 
ed  bulbs,  and  is  very  certain  to  become  ; 
a  favorite  among  all  classes.  It  was  in- 
troduced here  years  ago  by,  I  think, 
Mr.  Hovey  of  Boston,  but  was  soon  lost, 
so  that  it  may  in  a  sense  be  called  a  re- 
cent introduction.  The  Freesia  is  a 
small  bulb,  easily  grown,  and  bears 
white  flowers  of  the  most  delicious  fra- 
grance. The  flowers  last  a  long  time, 
even  after  being  cut.  It  may  be  forced 
early  in  the  hot-house,  but  will  come 
into  bloom  in  January  and  February  in 
the  ordinary  green-house  temperature. 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTICULTUBI8T. 


143 


Better  still,  it  will  grow  well  and  bloom 
freely  in  the  sitting-room,  if  placed  near 
the  window  and  not  kept  too  hot.  It 
is  a  nice  little  bulb  for  all  our  country 
cousins.  Put  five  or  six  bulbs  in  a 
five -inch  pot.  A  little  freezing  will  not 
hurt  it  when  grown  in  a  low  tempera- 
ture. There  are  two  species  on  sale,  F. 
refracta  alba  and  F.  Leichtlinii,  between 
which  there  is  only  a  trifling  difference 
in  color,  the  latter  having  a  little  more 
yellow  in  the  throat.  Both  are  fragrant, 
but  F.  refracta  alba  is  much  the  better 
plant,  and,  with  me,  has  bloomed  earlier 
than  F.  Leichtlinii.  Flowering  bulbs 
may  be  obtained  from  the  seed  in  a 
single  year,  if  sown  early  and  carefully 
grown  ;  that  is  to  say,  seed  sown  early 
in  the  Spring  will  bloom  the  following 
Winter,  but  not  all  of  them. — Rural 
New-Yorker. 


BOOK  NOTICES. 

The  Michigan  Horticulturist  for 
May,  is  full  of  valuable  papers.  Pub- 
lished by  W.  H.  Burr  Publishing  Co., 
Detroit,  Mich.,  at  $1.00  a  year. 

The  Forestry  Report  of  the  Kan- 
sas State  Horticultural  Society  for 
1885,  is  full  of  useful  information  that 
is  worthy  of  the  careful  consideration 
of  our  people  and  government.  The 
paper  on  the  use  and  abuse  of  our  forests 
is  full  of  eminently  practicable  sugges- 
tions. It  contains,  also,  a  list  of  forest 
trees,  deciduous  and  evergreen,  recom- 
mended for  that  State. 

The  Horticultural  Art  Journal 
for  May  is  embellished  with  four  colored 
lithographs.  As  a  handsome  work  for 
the  library  table  it  is  without  a  peer 
among  American  horticultural  publica- 
tions, and  we  trust  that  it  is  meeting 
with  the  support  it  deserves.  It  is 
perhaps  very  diflScult  to  catch  the  ex- 
act shade  of  color  of  the  purple  filbert, 
in  this  case  the  artist  certainly  can  not 
be  accused  of  having  made  the  foliage 
more  beautiful  than  in  nature. 


Alden's  Library  Magazine. — This 
popular  Magazine^  which,  beginning 
with  the  month  of  May,  was  trans- 
formed from  an  octavo  monthly  into  a 
handy,  small  quarto  weekly,  has  taken 
other  steps  in  the  line  of  progress.  No. 
4  of  the  weekly  issue  appears  in  new 
and  larger  type,  and  also  with  the  ad- 
dition of  a  handsome  cover.  In  its 
new  appearance  it  becomes  one  of  the 
most  attractive  magazines  in  the  field, 
while  it  is  beyond  rivalry  in  economy 
of  cost,  $1.50  per  year.  From  the 
amount  and  quality  of  the  matter  it 
presents  it  is  commonly  considered  even 
superior  to  the  great  four-dollar  month- 
lies. You  can  get  a  specimen  copy  free 
upon  application  to  the  publisher,  John 
B.  Alden,  393  Pearl  St.,  New  York. 

Canon  Farrar's  New  Book. — A  few 
weeks  ago,  when  Canon  Farrar  was 
in  this  country,  tens  of  thousands  of 
people  paid  as  much  as  one  dollar  each 
to  hear  a  single  lecture  delivered  by 
him,  and  were  well  pleased  with  what 
they  got  for  their  money.  Several  of 
the  most  important  of  those  lectures 
and  addresses,  with  other  papers,  are 
now  published  by  John  B.  Alden,  of 
New  York,  and  can  now  be  had  in  a 
very  handsome  cloth-bound  volume,  for 
the  price  of  40  cents.  Some  of  the 
lectures  are  also  published  separately 
in  his  Elzevir  Library,  in  which  form 
the  lecture  on  Dante  sells  for  3  cents ; 
on  Temperance,  2  cents  ;  on  Ideals  of 
Nations,  2  cents;  Thoughts  on  America, 
3  cents.  The  millions  of  intelligent 
people  who  admire  Canon  Farrar,  and 
who  were  not  able  to  hear  him  lecture, 
will  be  delighted  to  find  his  brilliant, 
scholarly,  and  eloquent  thoughts  placed' 
in  this  handsome  form  within  their 
reach.  The  publisher's  illustrated  cata- 
logue, 1  32  pages,  is  sent  to  any  address 
on  receipt  of  4  cents ;  or  condensed 
catalogue  free.  John  B.  Alden,  Pub- 
lisher, 393  Pearl  St,.  N«w  York. 


144 


THE   CANADIAN   BORTICtJLTtRlST. 


MY  NEIGHBOURS  GARDEN. 

Up  to  the  border  of  my  small  domain 

My  neighbour's  garden  stretches  wide  and  sweet ; 
His  roses  toss  against  ray  window-pane  ; 

His  jasmine  wreathes  my  porch  and  doorway  seat. 

My  threshold  every  May  is  cari)eted 

With  pale  pink  petals  from  his  peach-tree  blown  ; 
His  tallest  lilac  lifts  its  plumy  head 

Up  to  the  casement  where  I  sit  alone. 

Waking,  I  hear,  as  dawns  the  morning  light. 
My  neighbour  busy  in  his  bordered  walks. 

Noting  the  added  beauties  born  of  night, 
Pulling  the  weeds  among  his  flower- stalks. 

From  early  March,  when  the  brave  crocus  comes. 
Edging  the  beds  with  lines  of  blue  and  gold, 

Till  the  consoling,  kind  chrysanthemums 
Contend  against  December's  cruel  cold. 

My  neighbour  toils  with  wise  and  patient  hand, 
Scarce  pausing  in  his  work  for  sun  or  shower, 

Evolving  gradually  from  mould  and  sand 
The  germ,  the  leaf,  the  perfect  bud  and  flower. 

A  rare  magican  he— whose  touch  transmutes— 
Helped  by  the  sprites  which  rule  the  airs  and  dews — 

Dry  dormant  seeds  and  dark  unlovely  roots 
To  graceful  shapes  and  richest  scents  and  hues. 

His  garden  teems  with  glad  and  brilliant  lives  ; 

There  wheel  and  dive  the  gauzy  dragon-flies. 
Bees  gather  tribute  for  their  distant  hives  ; 

And  grey  moths  flutter  as  the  daylight  dies. 

Sparrows  and  wrens  sing  songs  which  need  no  words ; 

And  over  flower-cups  scarce  more  bright  than  they, 
Green-winged  and  scarlet-throated  humming  birds 

Hang,  tranced  with  sweet,  then  whirr  and  dan 
away. 

From  branch  to  branch,  beneath  my  watching  eyes. 
His  net  a  black  and  golden  spider  weaves  ; 

And  scores  of  many-colored  butterflies 
Waltz  in  and  out  among  the  dancing  leaves. 

My  neighbour  in  their  midst — thrice  favoured  one  I-  - 
Delves,  plants,  trains,  weeds,  and  waters  patiently. 

Studies  the  alchemy  of  rain  and  sun. 
And  works  his  floral  miracles  for  me. 

For  me  !  not  one  enjoys  this  Paradise 

As  I,  within  my  overlooking  room : 
It  is  not  seen  even  by  the  owner's  eyes 

At  once,  the  whole  wide  stretch  of  growth  and  bloom. 

With  sight  and  mind  absorbed  he  little  thinks 
How  all  his  garden's  sweetness  drifts  to  me— 

How  his  rich  lilies  and  his  spicy  pinks 
Send  incense  up  to  me  continually. 

Yet  still  he  labours  faithfully  and  long 

My  loneliness  to  l)righten  and  beguile. 
Asking  for  all  this  fragrance,  bloom  and  song, 

Not  even  the  small  repayment  of  a  smile. 

Unconscious  friend,  who  thus  enrichest  me, 
Long  may  thy  darlings  thrive,  untouched  by  blight, 

Un  plagued  by  worm  or  frost !  and  may  there  be 
No  serpent  in  thine  Eden  of  delight ! 

And  ye  whose  spirits  faint  with  weariness. 
Count  not  you  work  unvalued  and  tinkown  : 

Cheered  by  your  toil,  some  silent  soul  may  bless 
The  hand  which  strives  not  for  itself  alone. 

Elizabeth  Akbrs  Allen 


How  TO  Make  Alcoholic  Plastic. — 
Melt  10  parts  of  white  rosin  with  one  part 
of  beeswax.  When  thoroughly  melted, 
remove  the  dish  from  the  stove,  and  cool 
until  the  alcohol  will  not  smoke,  then  pour 
in  alcohol—  continuously  stirring — until 
the  mixture,  when  cool,  is  of  about  the 
consistency  of  molasses  in  cool  weather. 
We  do  not  measure  the  alcohol,  but  pour 
in  very  slowly  until  the  stirring  cools  the 
mass.  For  use  in  the  graft-room  it  does 
not  need  warming.  For  use  in  the  open 
air,  we  place  the  dish  on  the  top  of  a  lan- 
tern-like arrangement  with  a  kerosene 
lamp  under  it,  regulating  its  consistency 
by  turning  the  wick  up  and  down.  If 
covered  with  a  white  rag,  we  do  not  find 
this  plastic  to  melt  in  the  sun  to  more 
serious  extent  than  the  common  grafting 
wax.  I  will  add  that  during  the  past  four 
years  we  have  met  severe  losses  in  grafting 
with  wax  softened  with  linseed  oil  — Prai- 
rie  Farmer. 

Grape  Notes. — Lady  Washington  is 
too  late  ;  Jeff(drson  is  also  late  though  of 
of  the  first  quality.  It  is  worthy  of  trial 
where  the  seasons  are  longer  than  at  the 
Rural  Grounds.  Vergennes  is  also  a  red- 
dish grape,  of  fair  quality,  that  keeps  well. 
Eldorado  is  of  superb  quality  and  v^r} 
early — but  it  is  not  a  grape  that  will  sj 
ceed  everywhere.  Moore's  Early  is  fiv^ 
best  early  market  grape.  Eaton,  will  make 
its  mark  as  an  early  black.  The  Niagara 
holds  its  high  reputation  for  fruitfulness 
and  healthiness.  It  is  probably  the  bt  ^t 
market  white  grape  known  at  present. 
Jessica  is  a  very  early  white  grape  of  some 
promise.  F.  B.  Hayes  (white)  is  ha^  ly 
and  of  good  quality  for  a  purely  native 
grape.  Ulster  Co.  Prolific,  (let  us  caU  it 
Ulster)  and  Poughkeepsie  Red,  are  in  every 
way  premising.  Pocklington  is  inferior  to 
several  white  grapes  of  recent  origin.  The 
Woodruff  Red  disappoints  us.  It  is  a  1  w^c 
showj'^,  red  grape,  but  foxy. — Rural  v'< f 
Yorker. 


PBINTBP  AT  THR  ST£AM   PRESS   KSTABLTSHMRNT  OF  THE  COPP,    CLABK   COMPANY  (LIMITED),   TORON'J 


PECIMENS    OF      LACTI 


P 


^■i^-m^  ''^^ 


j^'a.M. 


r.-  i'§^.m0  J- 


Anhalonium  fissurata. 


Mamillaria  pectinata 


Cereus  colubrinis. 


Echinocereus  pectinatus. 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


JULY,  1886. 


[No.  7. 


THE   CACTUS. 


A  much  needed  service  has  been 
rendered  to  cultivators  of  the  cactus 
by  Mr.  A.  Blanc,  of  Philadelphia, 
Penn.,  U.S.A.,  in  the  publication  of 
his  catalogue  of  cactus  plants,  wherein 
is  not  only  a  full  description  of  many 
valuable  varieties,  accompanied  in  many 
instances  with  eniiravinofs  ffivinc;  the 
appearance  of  the  plants  and  of  their 
flowers,  but  also  hints  as  to  their  culti- 
vation, in  which  full  directions  are 
given  concerning  the  soil  to  be  used, 
the  temperature  required,  and  the 
various  details  needing  attention  to 
.secure  success.  Accompanying  this 
neat  little  work  was  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Blanc  oflfering  us  the  use  of  such  of 
the  cuts  as  we  might  wish,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  giving  our  readers  a  better  ap- 
preciation of  the  appearance  of  some  of 
these  very  curious  and  interesting 
[dants,  than  can  possibly  be  given  by 
uny  verbal  description.  We  have 
availed  ourselves  of  this  very  kind 
offer,  and  present  our  readers  in  this 
number  with  a  plate  containing  four 
<lifferent  species. 

To  those  who  wish  to  grow  plants  in 
the  house,  the  cactus  family  offers 
many  varieties  that  will  thrive  in  the 
<lry  and  heated  atmosj^here  of  a  room, 


where  most  other  plants  suffer  and 
often  perish.  Besides,  they  are  very 
patient  of  neglect.  You  may  forget  to 
water  them  for  a  month,  and  they  will 
not  show  proper  resentment  by  droop- 
ing and  dying,  but  patiently  wait  for 
your  return  to  thoughtfulness.  They 
do  not  object  to  sunlight,  nay  the  hot- 
ter and  fiercer  its  rays  fall  upon  them 
the  better  they  thrive  ;  so  that  if  you 
can  give  them  a  shelf  at  the  window, 
and  heat  enough  to  keep  out  frost  in 
winter,  with  water  when  they  are  grow- 
ing and  blooming,  they  will  almost  take 
care  of  themselves  the  rest  of  the  time. 
The  soil  which  they  require  is  any 
good  loam  well  mixed  with  sand,  so 
that  it  shall  be  porous,  and  thoroughly 
drained.  If  the  bottom  of  the  pot  be 
filled  half  way  to  the  top  with  bits  of 
broken  pots,  so  much  the  better.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  they  will  need  but  very 
little  water.  Mr.  Blanc  says  if  the 
whole  tissue  of  the  plants  seems  to  be 
plump  and  full,  no  water  is  needed  ; 
but,  if  there  be  the  slightest  approach 
to  laxness,  or  a  dulness  in  the  surface 
color,  then  water  should  be  given.  In 
the  spring  and  early  summer  when  the 
plants  are  growing  rapidly,  they  will 
require  water  twice  or  thrice  a  week. 


U6 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


In  our  plate  will  be  found  one  species 
taken  from  each  of  four  different  genera, 
which  may  be  considered  as  types, 
shewing  the  style  of  growth  and  of  the 
flowers  of  each  of  these  genera.  And 
yet,  so  varied  are  the  forms  in  each 
genus,  that  no  one  species  will  give 
any  adequate  idea  of  the  numerous 
changes  in  appearance  which  are 
wrought  out  in  nature,  while  retaining 
the  same  structural  habit.  Were  we 
persuaded  that  any  considerable  num- 
ber of  our  readers  are  interested  in  this 
department  of  Flora's  domain,  instead 
of  only  presenting  them  with  an  en- 
graving of  one  species  from  each  genus, 
we  would  devote  several  numbers  of 
the  Horticulturist  to  the  illustration  of 
these  curious  plants,  giving  a  number 
of  species  from  one  genus  on  each 
plate. 

The  Mamillarias,  which  in  our  plate 
is  represented  by  mamillaria  pectinata, 
is  an  exceedingly  interesting  genus. 
Many  species,  says  Mr.  Blanc,  resemble 
exquisite  pieces  of  mechanism  finished 
with  the  greatest  minuteness  and  ac- 
curacy. Others  would  seem  to  have 
undergone  a  kind  of  crystallization,  the 
whole  surface  being  frosted  over  with 
star-like  spiculse  arranged  with  geome- 
trical precision,  while  yet  others  appear 
as  if  covered  with  finest  gossamer.  The 
spines  of  M.  fulvispina  are  ivory  white 
at  the  base,  turning  to  purple  towards 
the  point,  and  regularly  curved  towards 
the  top  of  the  plant.  M.  senilis  has 
such  delicate  spines  that  it  resembles  a 
ball  of  raw  cotton.  The  flowers  of  M. 
pectinata  as  will  be  seen  from  the 
engraving  are  large,  being  nearly  three 


inches  in  diameter  when  fully  expanded. 
The  exterior  sepals  are  of  a  reddish 
green,  the  interior  sepals  yellow,  with 
a  dark  midrib  ;  the  petals  of  a  beautiful 
sulphur  yellow.  M.  pusilla  has  yel- 
lowish white  flowers,  with  a  red  stripe 
through  the  centre  of  each  petal.  The 
flowei-s  of  M.  Rhodantha  are  bright 
rose,  and  those  of  M.  Wrightii  are 
bright  purple.  It  is  impossible  in  the 
brief  space  at  our  command  to  give 
anything  like  an  exhaustive  description 
of  the  many  species  that  are  included 
in  this  genus,  but  enough  has  been 
said  to  shew  that  there  is  a  great 
variety  in  the  appearance  of  the  plants 
and  the  color  of  the  flowers. 

In  the  genus  called  Anhalonium,  vre 
have  some  most  curious  forms.  Per- 
haps the  most  interesting  of  them  all  is 
the  one  known  as  Anhalonium  fissu- 
rata,  an  excellent  representation  of 
which  will  be  found  in  our  plate,  so 
good,  indeed,  that  farther  description 
is  unnecessary. 

We  have  selected  one  of  the  so- 
called  Torch  Cactus  to  represent  the 
genus  Cereus,  a  genus  that  includes 
some  of  the  most  wonderful  and  som 
of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Cactus 
tribe.  This  genus  embraces  two  dis- 
tinct groups  of  species  ;  the  one  group 
grows  erect,  with  rigid  stems,  some  of 
them  attaining  a  height  of  from  forty 
to  sixty  feet ;  the  other  group  has 
slender,  trailing  stems.  In  the  latter 
group  is  found  the  celebrated  night- 
blooming  Cereus,  of  most  delicious  per- 
fume, yet  as  evanescent  as  it  is  beauti- 
ful, fading  before  the  morning. 

The   genus    Echinocereus   is   repre- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


U7 


sented  in  our  plate  by  E.  pectinatus, 
which  Mr.  Blanc  says  is  decidedly  one 
of  the  very  best  for  blooming  that  can 
possibly  be  obtained.  Strong  plants 
often  bear  twelve  to  fifteen  flowers, 
:ind  open  four  or  five  at  a  time.  The 
flowers  are  large,  often  measuring  three 
and  a-half  inches  across,  and  are  of  a 
beautiful  bright  purplish  pink,  and 
very  fragrant.  Next  in  freedom  of 
blooming  is  Echinocereus  coespitosus 
which  bears  large  purple  flowers  ;  some 
varieties  bear  yellow  flowers,  and  others 
dark  rose  and  shining  crimson. 

We  hope  to  be  able  in  some  future 
number  to  give  our  readers  further 
notes  of  this  curious  family  of  plants  ; 
meanwhile,  anyone  can  procure  a  copy 
of  Mr.  Blanc's  "  Hints  on  Cacti,"  by 
(Uiclosing  to  him  the  trifling  sum  of 
fifteen  cents,  addressing  him  at  314 
N'orth  Eleventh  Street,  Philadelphia. 


THE  SUMMER  MEETING 

of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Association  of 
Ontario  will  be  held  in  the  Town  Hall, 
Lindsay,  on  Wednesday,  July  7th, 
1886,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  con- 
tinuing through  the  day  and  evening. 

An  adjounaed  meeting  will  be  held 
at  Bobcaygeon  on  Thursday,  the  8th 
of  July,  at  one  o'clock.  The  members 
will  leave  Lindsay  at  eight  o'clock  on 
Thursday  morning,  by  boat,  pausing  at 
Sturgeon  Point  to  inspect  the  vineyard 
of  Mr.  John  Knowlson,  and  airive  at 
Robcaygeon  in  time  for  dinner  at  noon. 
The  meeting  will  continue  until  three 
o'clock.     Members  can  then  return  by 


fast  boat  to  Lindsay  in  time  to  take 
the  evening  trains  east  and  west. 

Members  intending  to  be  present 
can  have  rooms  secured  for  them  by 
writing  to  Mr.  Thos.  Beall,  Lindsay, 
informing  him  of  their  wishes. 

Members  travelling  by  rail  will 
please  purchase  round-trip  tickets  when 
leaving  home. 

The  Directors  will  meet  at  eight 
o'clock  on  Tuesday  evening,  July  6th, 
at  the  Benson  House. 

The  following  subjects  are  proposed 
for  discussion  : — 

SUBJECTS   FOR    CONSIDERATION. 

1.  Strawberries.— Time  for  planting.     Hills 

or  matted  rows.  Varieties  for  diflferent 
soils.  Name  four  of  the  most  desirable 
varieties  suitable  for  this  locality  ;  for 
market. 

2.  Pears. — Name  four  varieties  suitable  for 

cultivation  here.  What  is  the  best 
mode  of  cultivation  ? 

3.  Plums. — Can  plums  be  profitably  grown 

here?  What  varieties?  What  insect 
pests  are  they  hable  to  ?  What  are  the 
remedies  ? 

4.  Apples.— Why  are  there  so  many  failures 

in  our  apple  orchards  ?  The  right  time 
to  prune  apple  trees.  Should  orchards 
be  cultivated  after  the  trees  commence 
to  bear  fruit  ?  Are  wind-breaks  neces- 
sary ?  Aspects  of  orchards.  Name 
ten  varieties  that  can  be  profitably 
grown  for  market  purposes  here. 

5.  Hoses. — Name  twelve   varieties  suitable 

for  general  cultivation.  Kind  of  soil 
most  suitable.  Insect  enemies.  Reme- 
dies. 

6.  Tulips. — Method  of  cultivation.     Should 

the  bulbs  be  taken  out  of  the  ground 
during  the  summer  ?    At  what  time  ? 

7.  Grapes. — What  varieties  may  be  profit- 

ably grown  in  this  county  ?  The  hardi- 


148 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


est  sorts.  Method  of  planting  and 
trellising.  Comparative  standing  of 
white,  red.  and  black  sorts.  How 
protected  during  the  winter.  The 
proper  season  for  pruning. 
8.  Hedges. — Is  the  common  native  Spruce 
suitable  ?  Black  Spruce  and  Norway 
Spruce  compared.  Proper  time  to 
plant.  How  far  apart.  When  to 
prune. 

DOUGALL'S  SEEDLING  GOOSE- 
BERRIES. 

The  Rural  New-Yorker  says  that 
these  have  not  proven  mildew  proof 
in  the  RuraVs  grounds. 


REMEDY  FOR  MILDEW. 
Put  one  pound  of  sulphur  and  one 
pound  of  lime  in  two  gallons  of  water, 
boil  down  to  one  gallon  ;  of  this  put 
one  wineglassful  into  five  gallons  of 
water  and  syringe  the  plants  therewith 
twice  a  week. 


REMEDY  FOR  GRAPEVINE  MILDEW. 

Prof.  Piley,  writing  to  the  Rural 
New  Yorker,  gives  the  following 
remedy  for  the  downy  mildew  which 
usually  appears  on  the  under  side  of 
the  leaves  in  the  form  of  small  patches 
of  white  down.  Dissolve  a  pound  of 
sulphate  of  copper  in  a  gallon  of  water. 
In  another  vessel  put  two  ))ounds  of 
unslaked  lime  and  pour  over  it  a  quart 
of  water.  After  the  lime  is  slacked 
add  the  solution  of  sulphate  of  copper 
and  make  the  lime  into  a  thin  bluish 
paste,  by  mixing  thoroughly.  This 
mixture  is  to  be  sprinkled  lightly  on 
the  leaves  with  a  small  broom,  but  not 
on  the  fruit.  This  downy  mildew  is 
most  abundant  in  wet  weather,  and  is 
known  to  botanists  as  Peronospora 
viticola. 


THE  SALOME  APPLE. 
Professor  Budd  is  reported  to  have 
said,  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Ameri- 
can Pomological  Society,  of  this  apple  : 
"  It  is  a  very  nice  keeper,  and  good 
grower,  and  would  geiierally  be  called 
hardy,  though  not  as  hardy  as  Fameuse, 
but  more  so  than  Ben  Davis.  It  is  of 
good  quality ;  keeps  well  with  ordinary 
care  ;  rather  small  in  size ;  season,  in 
Iowa,  January  to  March  ;  about  as 
hardy  as  Pewaukee  which  is  more 
tender  than  Wealthy  ;  better  than  Ben 
Davis,  but  smaller." 


TO    PREVENT    GREEN-FLY    IN    THE 
ROSE  HOUSE. 

Spread  a  layer  of  tobacco  stems  two 
inches  deep  and  ten  inches  wide  the 
full  length  of  the  greenhouse  and  give 
them  a  dash  of  water  when  you  are  i 
watering.  The  slight  fumes  constantly  j 
arising  from  the  tobacco  will  keep  the 
green-fly  entirely  in  subjection. — Chas. 
Henderson,  before  the  Florists'  Conven- 
tion. 


QUESTION  DRAWER. 

GRAPES  IN  PERTH  COUNTY. 

Can  you  please  inform  me  (1)  what 
kind  of  Grape  Vines  would  grow  best 
here  (Perth  Co).  Our  soil  is  loamy, 
and  trees  and  vegetables  do  well.  I 
have  a  Grape  Vine,  but  it  does  not  do 
very  well  on  account  of  the  frost. 
Also  (2)  which  is  the  easiest  and  best 
method  of  producing  new  vines  from  a 
branch  of  a  vine.  (3).  Should  the  soil 
be  rich  for  grapes.  (4).  At  what  time 
of  the  year  should  a  person  plant 
branches  for  a  new  vine.  Strawberries 
seem  to  do  well  here  ;  also  gooseberries 
and  currants.  We  have  two  plums 
which  are  Yellow  Gages ;  the  frost 
has  not  hurt  them  yet,  and  we  expect 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


149 


to  have  a  lot   of  fruit  from   them  this 
year. 

Thanking  you  for  so  much  space  in 
your  vahiable  paper, 

I  remain,  yours  respectfully, 
Kirkton,  Ont.  J.  B.  Sparling. 

Replies. — (1)  Early  Victor,  Moore's 
Early,  Linden,  and  Worden,  of  the 
black  varieties  ;  Lady  and  Jessica  of 
the  white  ;  Massasoit  and  Brighton  of 
the  red. 

(2)  The  easiest  and  best  method  for 
most  amateurs  is  by  layering. 

(3)  Grape  Vines  require  rich  soil 
and  generous  feeding  if  they  are  to 
yield  fine  fruit.  However,  they  can 
be  overfed  as  well  as  other  things. 

(4)  The  spring  of  the  year  is  the 
best  time  to  layer.  Lay  down  a  cane 
of  last  year's  growth.  If  you  wish  to 
try  cuttings,  plant  them  in  the  spring, 
but  take  the  cuttings  from  the  vine  in 
the  fall. 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

REPORTS  OF  PLANTS  RECEIVED. 

My  repoi-t  of  plants  received  since  I 
last  wrote.  I  think  the  Hydrangea  was 
the  last  noticed,  which  unfortunately 
lied.  I  believe  the  Moore's  Early 
<;Ji*ape  was  the  next,  and  then  the  Wor- 
den. They  both  lived,  but  have  not 
made  niucli  growth.  Next,  the  Pren- 
tiss, did  not  much  more  than  keep 
alive,  but  unfortunately  my  sheej)  were 
let  in  during  my  absence  and  ate  off 
the  first  shoot  it  made  when  quite 
voung,  and  this  winter  has  finished  it. 
I  found  it  lifted  clear  out  of  the  ground 
vith  the  frost  in  the  spring.  1  planted 
'  oncords  the  same  year  as  the  Worden. 
L'hey  have  done  splendid,  nearly  all 
fruited,  and  all  in  the  same  row  ;  but 


one  end  was  wet  and  cold.  I  did  not 
know  it  then.  I  knew  it  was  good 
land,  and  I  happened  to  plant  those 
three  varieties  on  the  cold  end.  Last 
year  I  got  the  Catalpa;  it  has  done 
well  and  is  living.  I  hope  the  Dew- 
berry will  do  with  me  ;  I  received  it  all 
right.  The  Burnet  Grape,  got  some 
years  since,  never  did  anything,  seemed 
all  the  time  sickly,  and  at  last  it  died. 
My  Ontario  apple  is  a  fine  tree  and  is 
full  of  blossom  just  now.  There  is  a 
great  show  of  blossom ;  trees  and 
shrubs  of  all  sorts  are  covered. 

This  winter  has  been  rather  mild ; 
in  fact  the  winters  are  never  very 
severe  in  this  section.  I  find  the 
Deutzia  crenata  is  not  at  all  injured 
this  year,  but  generally  the  top  of 
shoots  gets  killed  if  not  protected  ;  and 
the  Bignonia  radicans  I  see  growing 
up  a  brick  wall  is  not  in  the  least 
afiected. 

In  looking  over  the  March  number 
of  the  Horticulturist  (I  think  they  are 
getting  better  and  better),  among  the 
many  flattering  testimonials,  reports 
and  questions,  there  is  one  solitary 
grnmbler,  all  the  others  speak  very 
favourably  of  the  premiums  receivec^. 
I  find  this  miserable  raspberry  (the 
Saunders)  that  I  have,  an  enormous 
bearer ;  a  purple  berry,  rather  soft  and 
sour,  but  the  quantity  make  up  for  the 
quality.  I  think,  Mr.  Editor,  that 
forty-nine  out  of  fifty  would  not  want 
the  change  that  })arty  suggested,  because 
the  reports  and  plants  we  get  are  each 
often  worth  the  price  of  the  subscription 
to  any  interested  in  fruit-growing,  be- 
sides the  valuable  magazine.  In  your 
reply  to  S.  G.  Russell  in  the  April 
number  you  state  that  the  Silver 
Maple  does  not  throw  up  suckers.  I 
find  it  the  worst  tree  I  know  that  way  ; 
it  is  worse  than  the  common  poplar. 
A  subscriber  (Walkerton),  asks  about 
the  Japan  Quince  It  is  one  of  the 
hardiest  shrubs  grown  in  this  section. 


150 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


As  regards  R.  L.'s  question,  my  opinion 
is  that  the  Horticulturist  was  never 
better,  in  fact  it  is  improving  all  the 
time.  I  think  your  answer  to  George 
Sutherland,  of  Meaford,  on  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  grape,  is  one  of  the  best 
and  simplest  articles  T  ever  read. 

I  found  that  the  whey  of  milk,  as  re- 
commended by  Mr.  Mclntyre  about 
two  years  since,  a  good  remedy  for  the 
codlin  moth,  as  I  caught  thousands,  and 
hundreds  of  the  small  click  beetles,  be- 
sides a  number  of  large  moths.  I 
found  the  first  Tent  caterpillars  on  the 
22nd  April ;  they  are  not  very  numer- 
ous this  season. 

Walter  Hick. 

Goderich,  Ont.,  22nd  May,  1886. 

Note  by  the  Editor. — Will  Mr. 
Hick  have  the  kindness  to  send  to  the 
office  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist 
a  few  of  the  leaves  of  this  Silver  Maple 
that  throws  up  suckers.  He  can  place 
four  or  five  between  the  folds  of  some 
soft  paper  and  send  them  by  mail  at 
one  cent  for  four  ounces.  We  are  very 
curious  to  see  what  kind  of  Silver 
Maple  he  has.  We  have  been  familiar 
with  the  Silver  Maple  for  some  half 
century,  and  do  not  remember  to  have 
seen  any  suckers  thrown  up  by  that 
tree. 


PROSPECTS  OF  FKUIT  AROUND 
BERLIX. 

The  coming  season  promises  to  be  a 
fairly  abundant  one.  Fruit  trees,  such 
as  pears  and  apples,  show  well  developed 
fruit  buds.  Biennial  bearers,  which 
carried  little  or  no  fruit,  such  as  Golden 
Russet,  Alexander,  Duchess,  and  Red 
Astrachan,  having  had  a  year's  rest. 
The  same  remarks  may  be  applied  to  i 
currants. 

Now,  if  the  season  turns   out  as  I 


anticipate,  having  had  a  steady,  cold 
winter,  I  expect  that  the  early  summer 
frosts  will  be  light,  and  not  do  serious 
damage. 

I  have  understood  from  some  of  my 
neighbours  who  are  in  the  strawberry 
line,  that  the  plants  wintered  well,  and 
with  but  few  upheavals.    Simon  Roy. 

Berlin,  April,  1886. 


SOME  HARDY  PLUMS,  AND  OTHER 
FRUITS. 

Having  purchased  a  home  of  my 
own  in  that  part  of  the  City  of  Ottawa 
known  as  "  Sandy  Hill,"  I  at  once,  in 
opposition  to  existing  theories  as  to 
soil,  climate,  &c.,  planted  in  my  garden 
several  varieties  of  that  best  of  fruits — 
the  plum.  I  was  partly  induced  to 
follow  this  course,  from  the  fact  that 
the  former  owner,  some  eight  years 
before,  had  planted  one  tree — Pond's  ^ 
Seedling — which  appeared  to  be  healthy,  i 
and  which  I  was  informed  had  in  for- 
mer years  borne  some  fine  fruit.  I 
have  since  added  to  my  collection,  and 
now  have  twelve  varieties,  some  of 
which  have  fruited,  and  ten  of  which 
are  now  white  with  blossom,  viz.  : 
Huling's  Superb,  Pond's  Seedling,  Im- 
perial Gage,  Yellow  Gage,  Smith's 
Orleans,  Coe's  Golden  Drop,  Purple 
Gage,  Weaver,  a  seedling  Blue,  and  our  j 
common  wild  variety.  All  of  these  \ 
appear  to  be  hardy,  except  the  Golden  j 
Drop.  One  thrifty  tree  of  this  variety  ' 
succumbed  to  the  cold  of  '83-'84,  and 
another,  which  last  autumn  gave  great 
promise,  has  but  a  few  blossoms.  I 
would  not  advise  anyone  to  plant  it  so 
far  north.  The  Pond's  Seedling  is  a 
good  plum  for  this  section  of  country. 
While  not  ranking  with  the  best  in 
quality,  it  is  so  large,  and  the  tree  so 
hardy,  that  it  must  ever  prove  attrac- 
tive. With  me  it  has  proved  to  be  a 
free  bearer,  having  had  three  full  crops 
in  four  years,  and  for  two  of  which  I 
had  to   prop  up  the  limbs  to  prevent 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


151 


them  from  breaking  clown  with  their 
load  of  fruit.  In  the  spring  of  1883  I 
grafted  a  young  native  tree  with  this 
variety,  and  last  season  picked  there- 
from nearly  half  a  bushel  of  beautiful 
plums,  many  of  which  would  not  have 
suffered  by  comparison  with  those  I 
saw  at  the  Industrial  and  Provincial 
Exhibitions.  I  would  strongly  recom- 
mend this  variety  to  all  who  may  wish 
to  grow  fine  fruit  in  spite  of  Jack 
Frost. 

The  Weaver  is  doubtless  a  near  rela- 
tive of  our  common  wild  plum,  being 
as  hardy,  equally  as  prolific,  and  com- 
mences to  bear  quite  as  young.  A 
small  tree  of  this  variety  planted  in 
April,  1882,  bore  its  first  crop  last 
summer — somewhat  over  a  peck  of 
choice  plums — which  were  delicious 
eaten  from  the  hand.  None  of  this 
variety  were  canned  so  that  I  am  un- 
able to  speak  of  its  cooking  qualities, 
but  I  see  no  reason  to  regard  it  with 
suspicion  in  this  respect.  It  must 
prove  a  profitable  market  plum  as  soon 
>is  buyers  learn  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  ordinary  wild  variety,  to  which  it 
bears  a  striking  resemblance.  I  also 
grow  a  blue  plum,  (a  seedling)  which 
for  canning  purposes  is  not  excelled 
Ijy  any  with  which  I  am  acquainted. 
It  is  a  regular  bearer,  and  quite  hardy. 
The  Imperial  Gage,  Huling's  Superb, 
Smith's  Orleans,  and  the  German  Prune 
also  appear  to  thrive.  The  Lombard, 
which  we  are  so  often  urged  by  tree 
pedlars  to  try  has  not  proved  hardy, 
<lying  back  to  snow  line  each  season. 
To  those  in  the  East  about  to  plant  I 
would  recommend  Pond's  Seedling  for 
size  and  beauty,  the  Weaver  for  i)rofit, 
and  the  Imperial  Gage  or  Huling's 
Superb  for  quality.  I  cannot  under- 
stand why  the  people  of  Eastern  On- 
tario should  grow  those  astringent 
little  red  plums,  which  are  two-thirds 
pit,  one-fourth  skin,  with  just  enough 
nutriment   between  to  support  a  cur- 


culio  during  the  earlier  stages  of  its 
existence,  when  such  varieties  as  I 
have  mentioned  above  might  be  grown 
with  little  more  care,  and  but  a  trifling 
additional  expense. 

GRAPES. 

The  excellence  of  the  grapes  grown 
in  this  section  is  well  known  to  the 
horticulturists  of  the  Dominion,  and 
while  the  quantity  produced,  especially 
of  the  earlier  varieties,  does  not  equal 
the  demand,  causing  us  to  import  from 
points  farther  west,  the  day  is  not  far 
distant  when  all  this  will  be  changed, 
and  the  fruit  of  the  vines  now  being 
planted  in  the  Ottawa  Yalley  will  not 
only  monopolize  the  home  market,  but 
largely  assist  in  supplying  the  require- 
ments of  a  great  and  growing  North- 
west. Nearly  all  the  earlier  varieties 
are  being  cultivated.  Such  a  diversity 
of  opinion  exists  respecting  the  merits 
of  the  various  kinds,  that  one  can 
scarcely  decide  which  is  the  best  for 
general  cultivation.  Yery  much  de- 
pends upon  the  soil,  culture,  &c.  Then 
tastes,  like  doctors,  differ,  and  when 
this  is  the  case  each  must  judge  for 
himself.  While  on  the  whole  I  prefer 
the  Concord,  there  are  many  who  think 
the  Brighton  and  some  of  the  Roger's 
should  occupy  the  first  place.  Any 
kind  ripening  after  the  Concord  would 
be  almost  worthless  to  us  here.  I  am 
cultivating  over  thirty  varieties,  many 
of  which  come  into  bearing  for  the 
fii-st  time  this  year,  and  about  whicli  I 
shall  have  something  to  say  in  a  future 
article. 

The  Russian  Mulberry,  about  which 
so  much  has  been  said  and  written, 
fruited  (?)  with  me  for  the  firet  time 
last  season — that  is,  if  the  tiny  berry 
is  worthy  of  the  ajjpellation.  It  was 
too  small  to  see  without  the  aid  of  a 
magnifying  glass,  and  as  sour  as  a 
Champion  grape  iu  August.  The  tree 
was  planted  three  years  since,  and  was 
then  about  the  size  of  a  lead  pencil. 


152 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


It  grew  so  rapidly  that  my  garden  was 
in  danger  of  being  wholly  shaded  by 
its  branches.  To  avoid  this  I  have 
just  removed  it  to  its  proper  place — 
the  lawn.  For  a  man  blessed  with 
only  an  ordinary  city  lot,  and  who  is 
desirous  of  utilizing  the  major  portion 
for  a  garden,  the  Russian  Mulberry  is 
not  the  tree  he  wants.  But  on  the 
lawn  it  will  give  every  satisfaction. 
It  can  be  sheared  to  any  desired  shape. 
It  will  grow  from  a  cutting  almost  as 
freely  as  a  currant  bush.  It  will  grow 
faster  than  any  other  tree  that  I  know 
except  the  "  Balm  of  Gilead."  It  con- 
tinues to  grow  until  stopped  by  the 
frosts  of  October  or  November,  con- 
sequently the  tips  winter-kill,  but  it 
makes  up  any  loss  so  sustained  by 
growing  at  the  average  rate  of  an  inch 
in  three  days  during  the  following 
summer. 
Ottawa  City.  P.  G.  Keys. 


BLIGHT   ON   THE   PEAR    TREE  AND 
ITS  PROBABLE  CAUSE. 

Various  causes  have  from  time  to 
time  been  assigned  to  pear  tree  blight, 
some  asserting  that  it  is  caused  by  a 
stroke  of  lightning,  being  led  to  this 
opinion  from  the  sudden  wilted  appear- 
ance of  the  tree ;  others  again  hold 
with  tenacity  to  the  opinion  that  it  is 
caused  by  a  fungus,  from  the  fact  that 
«uch  is  frequently  seen  on  the  surface 
of  the  bark  of  affected  trees;  others 
again  suppose  it  is  caused  by  perfora- 
tions of  some  insect  which  poisons  the 
liber,  hence  its  spreading  upwards, 
while  others  nearer  the  point  assert 
that  it  is  caused  by  an  open  winter 
with  alternate  freezing  and  thawing. 

Blight  is  without  doubt  caused  by 
the  action  of  the  frost,  but  not,  how- 
ever, in  winter,  but  in  early  summer. 
It  is  in  the  latter  part  of  spring  or  in 
early  summer  that  the  damage  is  done, 
the  ascent  or  flow   of  the  sap    being 


injured  by  frost,  the  cellular  tissue  and 
capillary  conduits  of  the  sap  are  rup- 
tured immediately  under  the  epider- 
mis, which  is  usually  thin,  on  such 
parts  of  the  tree  so  affected ;  thus  the 
sap  becomes  fermented,  followed  by  de- 
composition and  imparting  a  species  of 
blood-poisoning  to  the  limb.  Other 
effects  of  a  similar  character  may  likely 
occur  in  the  descent  of  the  sap  in  the 
fall,  it  being  overtaken  by  an  early 
frost.  Winter  pears  are  very  subject 
to  this  calamity  in  certain  seasons,  and 
some  summer  pears,  which  apparently 
had  finished  the  descent  of  the  sap, 
will,  upon  warm  weather  late  in  the 
fall,  start  another  flow  of  spp,  which  is 
almost  certain  death  to  the  tree. 
Against  these  two  latter  calamities  I 
cannot  advise  any  precaution.  The 
first  or  blight  proper  may  be  averted 
by  judicious  management,  either  by  the 
selection  of  elevated  sites  retentive  of 
winter  frosts  in  the  ground,  thus  check- 
ing a  premature  fiow  of  the  sap  until 
all  danger  of  late  spring  frosts  are  over, 
or  when  low  or  flat  sites  are  selected, 
with  soil  of  a  porous  character,  mulch- 
ing is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  same 
purpose. 

I  was  on  a  visit  to  Hamilton  some 
ten  years  ago,  or  perhaps  more,  and 
visited  our  old  friend  the  Rev.  Robert 
Burnet,  and  as  a  matter  of  course  I  was 
called  into  the  garden  to  view  his  pear 
trees,  in  which  he  took  much  pleasure. 
I  felt  cheap  when  comparing  his  trees 
with  ours  in  Waterloo  County.  Tlie 
thrifty  appearance  and  fine-looking  fruit 
made  me  wish  that  I  had  a  similar 
site.  I  then  went  over  to  Mr.  Hol- 
ton's,  at  the  east  end,  and  saw  Mr. 
Springer's  apparently  fine  dwarf  pear 
orchard,  which,  of  course,  I  very  much 
admired.  The  following  season  I 
visited  the  same  places  and  saw  that 
the  destroying  angel  had  passed  over, 
such  was  the  complete  character  of  the 
calamity.     Partial      destruction      fre- 


TlIK   CANADIAN    HOKTICCLTURIST. 


153: 


quently  takes  place  and  gives  rise  to 
the  doubtful  opinion  that  some  varie- 
ties are  blight-proof. 

Waterloo  County,  or  at  least  the 
greater  part  of  it,  is  the  most  (or  nearly 
so)  elevated  county  in  Ontario,  and 
geologically  is  in  the  line  of  the  glacial 
drift,  hilly  and  broken,  and  contains  a 
mixture  of  almost  all  soils,  composed 
in  part  of  boulder,  clay,  sand,  gravel 
and  alluvial  soil  strongly  impregnated 
with  calcareous  matter,  and  from  its 
elevated  position  we  are  more  exempt 
from  injuries  caused  by  blight  than  any 
other  county  in  Ontario,  simply  from 
the  fiict  that  the  frost  is  carried  off  by 
the  slightest  breeze  of  wind  and  de- 
posit<xl  in  more  depressed  places.  We 
liere  have  generally  a  fair  crop  of  fruit 
annually.  Last  year  it  was  in  excess 
and  was  almost  a  drug  on  the  market ; 
every  grocery  store  was  fully  supplied 
with  mostly  Flemish  Beauty  and  Bart- 
let,  which  are  the  popular  varieties 
gi'own  here.  Some  inferior  goods  were 
sold  by  the  farmers  (rather  than  to  take 
them  home  again)  at  about  the  same 
price  as  apples,  thus  realizing  the 
wishes  of  the  border  Scotchman  who 
carried  a  banner  in  one  of  Gladstone's 
processions  inscribed,  "  Down  with  the 
Peel's,"  and  when  interrogated  by  a 
bystander  why  he  did  so,  and  being 
asked  if  the  peei*s  had  done  him  any 
harm,  wittily  replied,  *'  Naethin  at  a' 
mon,  but  we  maun  hae  them  doon  tae 
the  same  price  wi  ar[)els,  that's  a','' 
peers  being  the  doric  pronounciation 
'»•  pears. 
I  am  very  doubtful  if  pear-growing 
ill  be  generally  successful  throughout 
'iitario  and  those  parts  of  the  States 
lying  contiguous  thereto,  which  are 
siibjt'ct  to  late  spring  oi   early  summer 

fVosfs. 

TliL'  j)(!ar-tree  is  much  more  sensitive 
1)  external   influences  than  the  apple, 
nd  consequently  requires  more  care  in  ] 
^  cultivation.     It  must  be  borne  in  ' 


mind  that  the  pear  which  we  have  in 
cultivation  is  indigenous  to  Asia  Minor 
and  Persia  and  cultivated  varieties 
thereof,  or  rather  seeds  thereof,  were 
at  first  introduced  by  the  Roman  con- 
querors of  these  countries  into  Italy. 

Ontario  climate  cannot  at  all  be  com- 
pared to  the  fine,  equable  climate  of 
the  countries  alluded  to,  so  we  must 
quietly  submit  to  circumstances  and 
endeavour  to  make  the  best  of  it. 

You  will  observe  that  pears  worked 
on  the  Quince  are  more  subject  to 
blight  than  those  worked  on  the  free 
stock.  The  reason  of  this  is  that  the 
Quince,  Vjeing  indigenous  to  the  Levant, 
will  force  into  the  pear  a  premature 
flow  of  sap,  thus  rendering  the  tree 
more  liable  to  injury.  Various  nos- 
trums have  been  advised  from  time  to 
time  as  specifics,  such  as  sulphate  of 
iron,  iron  filings  and  chips,  and  even 
inserting  sulphur  into  the  stem  of  the 
tree — all  of  no  avail.  I  once  read  an 
article  by  a  writer  on  the  pear  strongly 
recommending  the  placing  of  iron  filings 
around  the  base  of  the  tree  as  far  as 
the  roots  extended  as  a  specific  against 
blight,  giving  as  authority  an  instance 
of  what  he  saw  in  front  of  a  black- 
smiths  shop  at  Yincennes,  Illinois, 
which  had  been  liberally  supplied  with 
the  debris  of  the  shop,  thrown  out,  no 
doubt,  during  the  winter,  when  in  fact 
it  had  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  it  save 
in  retaining  the  frost  later  in  the  sea- 
son ;  no  doubt  the  unsightly  mass 
would  be  cleared  off  in  spring  if  only 
for  appearance  sake. 

Having  worked  a  number  of  pear 
trees  for  my  own  use  at  standard 
height  upon  rough  wildlings,  all  appear 
to  do  well  and  are  bearing  fruit.  They 
have  as  yet  exhibited  very  little  or  no 
blight  and  have  the  advantage  of  a 
hardier  stem  than  those  which  are 
grown  from  buds  or  grafts  worked  low 
down.  Foreign  or  imported  stocks  are 
not  likely  as  a  rule  to  conduce  to  the 


154 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


DEUTZIA  CRENATA. 

The  Deutzia  crenata  received  two 
years  ago  is  not  hardy  enough  to  stand 
the  winter  without  being  covered.  A 
year  ago  I  put  a  barrel  over  it,  putting 
in  straw  around  it,  it  came  through  all 
right;  last  winter  I  thought  I  would 
try  it  by  only  putting  some  straw  around 
it,  but  it  froze  down  to  the  ground. 
W.  Walt  AM. 

Waupoos,  P.  Ed.  Co.,  Ont. 


healthy  base  of  a  tree  worked  on  any 
such  system.  Seeds  from  our  own 
grown  trees  are  preferable.  There  is 
plenty  of  natural  fruit  growing  through- 
out the  country  adapted  for  this  pur- 
pose ;  such  seedlings  will  at  least  have 
one  or  more  degrees  of  acclimatization 
in  their  favor. 

As  a  rule  you  will  find  that  pear 
trees  of  American  origin  are  much  bet- 
ter adapted  to  our  climate  than  the 
generality  of  the  soft- wooded  foreigners 
are,  and  are  likely  to  supersede  them 
in  the  future.  Simon  Roy. 

Berlin,  April,  1886. 

THE  CURRANT  BORER.  ! 

In  March  number  of  the  Horticul- 
turist, I  see  Mr.  E.  Robinson,  of  Lon- 
don South,  asks  a  question  respecting 
the  Currant  Borer.  Some  years  ago  I 
was  troubled  with  this  pest.  I  cut  off 
all  canes  affected  and  burnt  them.  I 
also  dug  or  loosened  the  soil  around 
the  bushes  with  the  garden  fork  for 
about  two  feet  all  round,  in  the  spring 
of  the  year,  and  let  in  my  hens.  You 
would  have  thought  they  would  have 
scratched  the  plants  out  of  the  ground  ; 
but  they  made  a  total  clearing  of  the 
borer,  so  that  I  was  not  troubled  with 
them  for  years  after,  and  always  had 
heavy  crops  afterwards.  I  attributed 
it  to  the  hens  hunting  and  eating  up 
the  larvae  buried  in  the  soil. 

Walter  Hick. 
Goderich,  Ont. 


DRY  EARTH  STORAGE. 

BY   P.    E.    BUCKE,    OTTAWA. 

Few  of  us  are  unacquainted  with  the 
mode  of  storing  the  white  grapes  re- 
ceived from  Spain  and  Portugal  in 
cork  dust  or  chips.  The  grape  itself 
has  no  particular  merits  in  the  way  of 
flavor,  but  it  has  a  thick  skin,  and  is 
known  as  one  of  the  fleshy  varieties  ; 
it  is  therefore  easily  preserved.  This 
grape  is  especially  esteemed  as  a  re- 
freshing article  of  diet  in  winter,  when 
close  warm  rooms  are  crowded  with 
parched  humanity.  Could  this  grape 
be  replaced  by  almost  any  of  our  own 
during  the  same  season,  and  in  the 
same  profusion,  its  place  would  never 
be  missed.  Happily  we  believe  we 
are  on  the  track  of  a  means  which 
points  to  the  end  sought  for.  A  Mr. 
Eraser  Torrance,  late  of  Montreal,  has, 
it  is  understood,  made  a  wonderful 
discovery  as  to  a  new  substance  for 
packing  fruit.  The  article,  like  the 
cork  dust,  is  both  porous  and  dry. 
The  substance  alluded  to  is  infusorial 
earth,  and  is  composed  of  shells  of  a 
very  minute  microscopic  animal  which 
inhabits  the  water  and  liquids  of  various 
kinds.  The  shell  is  so  small  that 
thousands  can  be  lifted  on  the  point  of 
a  knife,  and  if  placed  upon  the  hand 
and  rubbed  with  the  finger,  are  so 
minute  as  to  enter  the  pores  of  the 
skin.  Yet  each  atom,  as  it  were,  is  a 
shell  formed  of  silica.  It  is  claimed,  and 
from  the  experiments  which  have  been 
made  and  investigated  by  some  of  the 
most  eminent  men  in  this  line  in  Canada 
it  seems  justly  that  fruit  packed  in  this 
earth  is  kept  at  an  uniform  temperature, 
neither  heat  nor  cold  will  readily  pass 
through  it.  The  air  spaces  in  the  shell 
act  in  a  somewhat,  similar  manner  as 
the  double  windows  on  our  houses  in 
winter.  It  is  well  known  that  the 
dead  air  space  keeps  the  heat  from 
passing  out  or  the  cold  from  coming  in. 
Considerable  experiments    were    made 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


155 


last  autum  by  Messi*s.  R.  Jack  &  Sons, 
Chateauguay  Basin,  near  Montreal, 
who  packed  quite  a  number  of  varieties 
of  grapes  and  apples.  The  cases  con- 
taining them  were  inadvertently  left 
out  in  a  shed  until  the  thermometer 
had  fallen  well  below  zero  ;  however, 
when  the  box  was  opened  the  fruits 
were  all  in  good  order,  the  frost  having 
failed  to  penetrate  to  them.  The  earth 
is  perfectly  inodorous,  and  imparts  no 
taste  of  any  kind  to  the  most  delicate 
substance. 

Mr.  Chas.  Gibb,  of  Abbotsford,  sub- 
jected it  to  the  severest  test  that  could 
1)6  applied  by  packing  some  butter  in 
it.  It  is  well  known  that  fresh  butter 
is  an  absorbent,  and  is  readily  tainted 
by  being  placed  in  contact  with  any 
foreign  matter.  Even  if  it  is  put  in  a 
place  where  bad  smells  are  detected,  it 
immediately  flavors  the  fresh  article. 
After  ten  days  the  butter  was  taken 
out,  and  no  trace  of  taste  or  smell 
could  be  discovered.  Apples,  or  any 
fruit  that  can  be  readily  wiped  may  be 
packed  directly  in  the  earth,  but  such 
fruits  as  grapes,  currants,  strawberries, 
peaches,  <fec.,  may  be  placed  in  paper 
bags,  which  should  be  packed  in  shal- 
low trays  in  the  earth. 

Mr,  J.  F.  Torrance  has  taken  out  a 
])atent  for  his  boxes,  but  the  earth  can 
be  procured  in  Montreal  at  $1.50  per 
100  lbs.,  by  the  bag.  We  gather  from 
the  Montreal  Star  that  boxes  holding 
•'0  lbs.,  of  earth  can  be  procured  of 
Messrs.  Esplin,  (Montreal),  for  45c. 
ich.  If  such  men  as  Professor  Sterry 
1 1  unt,  Chas.  Gibb,  Robert  Jack,  and  a 
liost  of  other-s  can  be  relied  on,  we 
must  take  it  for  granted  that,  so  far  as 
sted,  it  is  a  marked  success. 

HYDRANGEA  PANICULATA. 

The  Hydrangea  Paniculata  came  out 
nil  right  this  spring  with  a  little  straw 
around  tlie  roots.  W.   W. 

Waupoos,  P.  Ed.  Co.,  Ont. 


CHERRY  TREES  AT  YARMOUTH,  N.S. 

I  tried  Starr's  Prolific  Cherry  many 
years  ago,  grafting  two  or  three  young 
stocks  with  it.  The  trees  made  a 
strong  growth  and  attained  consider- 
able size,  but  failed  to  fruit,  as  do  all 
varieties  tested  here  now,  from  what 
cause  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know.  The 
trees  grow  well,  blossom  abundantly 
and  set  fruit,  but  before  half-grown  all 
drop  off.  I  tried  special  top  dressing, 
manure,  sand,  tfec,  <fec.,  but  at  last  gave 
it  up  and  sawed  off  trees  eighteen 
inches  through. 

In  the  earlier  history  of  the  county 
cherry  trees  succeeded,  but  nowhere  in 
the  county  now.  In  some  parts  of  the 
Province  cherries  do  well,  but  it  is 
mostly  in  very  warm  localities,  and 
there  may  be  some  exceptional  condi- 
tions of  soil. 

C.  E.  Brown. 
Yarmouth,  Nova  Scotia. 


PARIS  GREEN. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  Paris 
Green  is  composed  of  two  active  dan- 
gerous poisons,  viz. :  Arsenic  and  Oxide 
of  Copper,  known  chemically  as  Arsenite 
of  Copper,  and  its  use  as  an  insecticide 
must  be  made  with  extreme  caution 
and  by  a  very  careful  person.  It  is 
certainly  sure  death  to  potatoe  bugs  and 
every  bug. 

In  so  far  as  its  use  to  potatoes  is 
concerned,  it  may  be  applied  with  im- 
punity, as  it  will  only  reach  the  surface 
of  the  ground  ;  but  its  use  for  other 
vegetables,  and  fruit-bearing  trees  and 
shrubs  I  would  not  advocate.  As  ap- 
plied to  cabbages  it  is  extremely  danger- 
ous, and  instances  have  occurred  of  per- 
sons being  poisoned  by  it,  at  least  they 
have  imagined  so. 

Its  use  even  on  plum  trees  as  a  cur- 
culio  remedy  is  at  best  a  risk,  even 
although  washed  off  the  fruit  by  rains 
it  is  not  altogether  cleared  off  the  limbs, 
some  of  it  will  stick  on  without  doubt. 


156 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Rather  risk  having  all  the  fruit  des- 
troyed by  insects  than  that  one  human 
life  should  be  endangered. 

White  hellebore  being  a  weak  vege- 
table poison,  answers  a  good  purpose 
for  rose  slugs  and  currant  caterpillars, 
and  can  be  used  with  more  safety,  as 
it  would  require  a  large  quantity  of  it 
to  produce  any  dangerous  results. 

On  two  occasions  1  used  a  solution 
of  bitter  aloes  on  plum  trees,  with  very 
favorable  results  in  banishing  the  cur- 
culio  ;  but  such  was  its  cathartic  re- 
sults to  myself  and  others  around  that 
I  was  obliged  to  abandon  its  use,  and 
adopted  the  safer  plan  of  jarring  and 
shaking  the  trees.  Now  I  can  save  all 
trouble  in  this  matter.  I  have  only  a 
few  trees  left  out  of  thirty  varieties 
which  I  prided  myself  on  cultivating. 

The  plum  trees  around  Berlin  are 
verging  on  extinction,  and  I  hope  they 
will  carry  black  knot  and  curculio  with 
them.  Simon  Eoy. 

Berlin,  April,  1886. 


EXPERIENCE    WITH    PARIS    GREEN 
FOR  INSECTS. 

Mr.  Editor, — I  duly  received  the 
Early  Victor  grape  and  have  carefully 
planted  it.  It  is  a  fine  little  specimen 
and  is  now  showing  two  vigorous  shoots. 
I  hope  my  experience  with  it  will  be 
more  satisfactory  than  it  has  been  with 
my  other  vines  hitherto. 

I  have  read  the  Report  of  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association  for  1885  with 
very  great  pleasure  and,  I  trust,  also 
with  some  profit.  I  was  particularly 
struck  with  the  experiences  of  the  Pre- 
sident, Messrs.  McD.  Allen,  Hickling, 
Beall  and  othei's  with  Paris  green  on 
various  kinds  of  fruit  trees  ;  so,  a  few 
days  ago,  having  made  the  discovery 
that  the  currant  worm,  though  exceed- 
ingly diminutive,  had  already  began  its 
ravages,  I,  in  accordance  with  the  ex- 
perience above  referred  to,  forthwith 
mixed  "a  teaspoonful  of   Paris  green 


with  a  patent  pailful  of  water,"  and 
syringed  nearly  every  fruit  tree  I  had^ 
and  since  then  I  have  not  been  able  to 
detect  the  smallest  sign  of  either  goose- 
berry or  currant  worm,  or  any  other 
grub  which  infests  fruit  trees  ;  but,  un- 
fortunately, two  or  three  days  after- 
wards I  saw  something  wrong  with  my 
gooseberry  bushes ;  towards  the  lower 
part  of  the  stem  the  leaves  began  ta 
droop,  then  to  shrivel,  then  to  turn 
brown,  just  as  though  a  sharp  frost  had 
struck  them.  We  had  not  had  any 
frost,  so  I  feared  that  Paris  green  was 
the  matter  with  them.  I  was  loth  to 
attribute  the  change  to  that,  but  other 
trees  which  had  also  been  syringed  with 
the  mixture  began  to  exhibit  similar 
symptoms,  until  I  could  no  longer  resist 
the  evidence  before  me  that  Paris  green^ 
and  naught  else,  was  the  cause  of  the 
trouble,  for  the  blight  was  invariably 
in  the  direction  in  which  the  stream 
from  the  syringe  was  applied,  and  the 
parts  beyond,  being  protected  by  the 
foliage  had  always  escaped  injury.  The 
damage  done  is  considerable,  though,  if 
what  I  now  see  is  the  extent  of  it,  it 
wont  be  serious,  and  I  send  you  my 
experience  that  it  may  appear  in  the 
Horticulturist  and  may  be  useful  to 
others. 

My  own  impression  is  that  the  "  tea- 
spoonful" — a  somewhat  indefinite  quan- 
tity— which  I  applied,  is  too  large  a 
dose,  possibly  two  douches  of  half  that 
quantity  would  have  been  in  the  end 
as  efficacious  and  much  less  injurious  to 
the  plant ;  at  any  rate,  I  purpose  to  fol- 
low this  course  in  future. 

I  may  further  add  that  the  trees  in- 
jured are,  proportionally,  in  this  order  : 
gooseberries,  black  raspberries  and 
pears ;  plums,  apples,  red  raspberries, 
blackberries  and  currants,  red  and 
white,  do  not  appear  to  be  affected  at 
all  Yours  truly, 

J.  L.  Thompson. 
Glen  Cottage,  Toronto,  18th  May,  1886. 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


157 


MONKEY'S  PUZZLE  AND  OTHER 
TREES. 

Some  of  tlie  ornamental  trees  refer- 
red to  in  Eglinton's  communication,  in 
-a  late  issue  of  the  Horticulturist,  may 
not  be  generally  known  here  under  the 
name  given  by  him,  such  as  Widben 
Pear  and  Monkey's  Puzzle;  but  accord- 
ing to  the  description  given,  the  first  is 
the  Pyrus  arise,  commonly  known  by 
the  name  of  White  Beam  Tree,  the 
name  Widben  being  likely  a  corruption 
of  the  latter.  The  tree,  as  Darwin 
would  say,  is  the  connecting  link  be- 
tween th(^  apple  and  pear.  The  second, 
the  ^Monkey's  Puzzle,  is,  as  far  as  recol- 
lection carries  me,  the  Arancaria  im- 
l)ricata,  which  I  have  occasionall}^  seen 
growing  in  very  favorable  localities  in 
►Scotland.  It  is  not  at  all  likely  that 
Eglinton  refers  to  the  Gleditchia  tri- 
Hcanthus,  or  Honey  Locust.  This  tree 
is  indigenous  to  America,  and  must  be 
well  known  to  him  under  its  common 
name. 

The  first  is  not  indigenous  to  Britain, 
although  apparently  so  ;  and  the  second 
is  a  sub-tropical  (or  nearly  so)  tree  ;  and 
neither  may  be  generally  suitable  for 
our  climate. 

The  other  tree,  or  large  shrul),  refer- 
ii3d  to  in  T.  B.  Cotter's  communication, 
is,  no  doubt,  from  the  description  given 
))y  him,  the  Amelanchier  Canadensis, 
or  June  Beruy ;  very  common  here 
around  beaver  meadows.  When  in 
l»lossom,  it  Is  very  showy,  and  I  should 
.say  very  desirable,  in  a  shrubbery.  The 
flowers  are  in  racemes,  like  the  wild 
bhick  cheiTy.  Simon  Roy. 

Berlin,  Ont. 


WEIGELA  ROSEA. 

The  Weigela  passed  the  winter  safely, 
with  only  a  little  straw  thrown  over 
the  roots. 

W.  W. 

Waupoos,  I'.  Ed.  Co.,  Ont. 


THE  BOUSSOCK  PEAR. 

In  an  orchard  of  400  pear  trees,  I 
have  about  twenty  Bussock,  purchased 
some  fifteen  years  ago,  and  now  I  Ve- 
gret  that  I  did  not  plant  a  greater 
number  of  them  ;  for  the  reason  that 
the  tree  is  a  regular  bearer,  the  fruit 
excellent,  and  fine  in  appearance. 
Another  advantage  is,  the  slug  does  not 
prey  upon  the  leaf  of  the  tree  as  it  does 
upon  that  of  the  Bartlett  and  some 
other  varieties.  In  order  to  reach  the 
full  excellence  of  the  Boussock,  it 
should  be  picked  fully  ten  days  before 
ripening  on  the  tree,  because  if  left  on 
the  tree  to  ripen  the  fruit  becomes 
puckery  and  sour,  and  because  of  this 
peculiarity  many  have  denounced  the 
Boussock  as  worthless. — Joseph  Lan- 
NiN,  in  Michigan  Farmer. 


THE  "BLEEDING"  OF  APPLE  TREES. 

BY  T.    H.    HOSKINS,   M.D. 

A  recent  writer  says  he  has  trimmed 
apple  trees  every  month  in  the  year, 
and  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
from  May  25th  to  June  25tli  is  the 
best  time,  because  a  wound  made  in 
the  full  flow  of  the  sap  will  begin  to 
heal  immediately.  He  adds  that  March 
and  April  are  the  two  poorest  months 
to  i)rune,  because  there  will  be  a  liquid 
"forming"  (query,  flowing"?")  out  of 
the  wound,  which  will  kill  the  bark 
underneath  the  limb.  Another  writer 
insists  that  March  is  the  best  of  all 
months  to  prune,  because  the  sap  is  not 
then  in  motion,  and  the  wound  will 
dry  before  the  sap  starts,  and  that  then 
the  process  of  healing  will  go  on  most 
favourably,  while  anything  but  very 
light  pruning  in  June  will  greatly 
weaken  and  sometimes  kill  tlie  trees. 
Still  another  writer  says,  shortly  and 
emphatically,  "  Prune  when  your  knife 
is  sharp,"  without  regard  to  season. 
All  these  writere  are  orchardists  of  ex- 
perience. Is  there,,  then,  no  proper 
time   to  prune,  or   no  way  of  intelli- 


158 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


gently   reconciling  the  seemingly  con- 
tradictory views  of  these  practical  men  1 

WHY  APPLE  TREES  BLEED. 

A  widening  accumulation  of  facts 
does,  in  all  disputed  questions,  tend  to- 
wards the  reconciliation  of  conflicting 
opinions.  In  the  thirteen  years  that  I 
lived  in  Kentucky  I  never  saw  an 
apple  tree  "  bleed,"  that  is  to  say,  I 
never  saw  a  flow  of  disorganized  and 
blackening  sap  from  the  stump  of  a 
severed  limb.  In  the  first  years  of  my 
orcharding  in  Northern  Vermont,  this 
so-called  bleeding  exhibited  itself  in 
nearly  every  case  where  a  limb  of  any 
size  was  removed,  no  matter  at  what 
season  the  operation  was  performed. 
It  was  the  most  discouraging  of  my  ex- 
periences at  that  time,  and  I  could  not 
understand  it,  or  find  a  remedy  for  it. 

About  fifteen  years  ago,  at  a  session 
of  our  State  Board  of  Agriculture  in 
the  Champlain  Yalley,  where  this  ques- 
tion of  pruning  and  subsequent  bleed- 
ing was  discussed  by  many  orchardists 
of  that  orchard  country,  one  of  the 
speakers  dropped  the  casual  remark 
that  he  had  never  known  an  apple  tree 
that  was  not  "  black-hearted  "  to  bleed, 
no  matter  at  what  season  it  was 
pruned.  That  thought  was  much  more 
fruitful  to  me  than  my  orchard  had 
been  up  to  that  time,  for  all  my  trees 
were  black-hearted,  except  the  Siberians 
and  Russians,  which  I  at  once  remem- 
bered never  bled,  no  matter  when  they 
were  pruned.  And  at  the  same  time 
I  remembered  that  apple  trees  are 
never  black-hearted  in  Kentucky. 

THE    CAUSE    OF    BLACK-HEARTEDNESS. 

The  state  of  black -heartedness  in  the 
apple  tree  is  unquestionably  the  result 
of  excessive  winter's  cold.  In  New 
England  a  large  proportion  of  the  most 
popular  apples  are  grown  upon  trees 
that  are  more  or  less  black-hearted. 
The  Baldwin  is  always  black-hearted 
in  Maine,  New  Hampshire  and  Ver- 


mont, and  frequently  so  in  the  three 
southern  New  England  States.  Along 
its  northern  limit  it  can  only  be  grown 
when  top-grafted  on  some  hardier  stock. 
With  me  a  Baldwin  tree  or  graft  has 
never  lived  long  enough  to  bear  an  apple. 
Now  if  it  be  true  that  only  black- 
hearted trees  bleed,  then  the  experi- 
ence of  orchardists  must  vary  according 
to  whether  they  are  growing  more 
tender  or  more  hardy  sorts  When  I 
began,  though  I  planted  the  hardiest 
known  of  New  England  sorts,  yet  al- 
most all  my  trees  became  black-hearted 
in  a  few  years.  Now  that  nearly  all 
of  that  class  of  trees  have  been  up- 
rooted from  my  orchard,  and  replaced 
by  the  "  iron-clads,"  I  see  almost  no 
bleeding,  and  when  I  do  see  it  I  know 
the  cause.  I  do  grow  a  few  sorts  that 
suffer  some  in  this  way  (such  as  Fa- 
meuse),  because  of  the  excellence  of 
their  fruit.  The  Fameuse  is  with  me 
about  as  hardy  as  the  Baldwin  in  the 
upper  Champlain  Valley,  and  though 
the  trees  are  short  lived  in  both  cases, 
they  are  planted  because  of  the  merits 
of  the  fruit. 

WHEN    TO    PRUNE. 

In  my  experience  it  makes  no  differ- 
ence at  what  season  a  black-hearted 
tree  is  pruned,  as  regards  the  subse- 
quent flow  of  disorganized  sap,  pro- 
vided the  limb  severed  is  so  large  that 
the  stump  will  not  quite  or  nearly  heal 
over  in  one  season.  This  flow  takes 
place  during  the  whole  growing  season, 
and  injures  (often  kills)  the  bark  over 
which  it  runs.  A  tender  tree,  subject 
to  black-heart,  should  be  pruned  very 
sparingly.  Branches  not  too  large  to 
heal  over  in  one  season  may  be  taken 
off,  and  the  best  time  to  do  this  is  in 
June,  as  the  sap  is  then  too  thick  to 
flow  freely.  But  heavi/  pruning  in 
June  is  a  severe  shock  to  the  tree, 
even  to  the  hardiest  kinds,  and  almost 
surely  fatal  to  any  tender  sort.  Fall 
and  winter  pruning  is  also  injuHous  to 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


159 


lender  sorts,  as  the  bark  around  the 
wound  will  be  killed  for  some  distance, 
and  there  is  little  hope  that  it  will  ever 
afterwards  heal.  But  any  of  the  varie- 
ties that  never  become  black-hearted 
may  be  i)runed  "  whenever  your  knife 
is  sharp,"  remembering  this,  that  June 
pruning  is  a  shock  more  or  less  severe, 
according  to  the  amount  of  wood  re- 
moved. "  Prune  in  summer  for  fruit," 
is  an  old  and  correct  rule,  for  the  very 
reason  that  the  sliock  of  summer  prun- 
ing (like  anything  that  weakens  the 
tree)  tends  to  cause  the  formation  of 
fruit  buds.  The  effect  is  much  like 
that  of  root  pruning,  and  both  must  be 
practised  with  moderation  and  judg- 
ment.— The  Examiner. 


THE  ANIS  APPLE. 

In  the  summer  of  18^2  after  wander- 
ing for  days  through  the  old  orchards 
of  the  Province  of  Kazan,  Kussia — over 
one  thousand  miles  inland  and  on  the 
;")7th  parallel  of  north  latitude — we  ex- 
j)ressed  the  opinion  in  home  letters  ! 
that  the  Anis  family  of  the  apple  could 
endure  lower  temperature  in  a  snowless 
region  than  any  other  really  good  j 
variety  of  apples  in  the  world. 

The  report  then  made,  and  the  com- 
ments of  Mr.  Gibb  and  myself  in  more  i 
recent   bulletins    on    northern   fruits, 
iiave    created   an    urgent    demand  for 
trees,  both  north  and  south. 

As  some  of  the  varieties  have  now 
fruited  on  the  College  Farm  and  at 
other  points  in  the  state,  and  the  com- 
])arative  hardiness  of  the  trees  has  been 
tested  as  far  north  and  west  as  Bismarck, 
Dakota,  and  Western  Manitoba,  we  can 
now  determine  very  nearly  the  correct- 
ness of  our  conclusions,  when  studying 
the  family  in  its  natal  home. 

1.  The  habit  of  the  pink  Anis,  blue 
Anis,  and  mottled  Anis — the  three  best 
varieties — will  not  please  our  nursery- 
men, as  root  grafts  three  years  old  are 
low,   bushy  shrubs,  rather  than  trees 


such  as  purchasers  like  best.  Although 
it  comes  into  bearing  when  very  small 
it  finally  becomes  in  orchard  a  neat 
round- topped  tree  of  the  size  of  a  full 
grown  Tetofsky. 

2.  The  fruit  is  oblate,  basin  very  full 
and  wrinkled,  with  considerable  color 
and  bloom.  In  size  it  comes  nearly  or 
quite  up  to  the  Fameuse.  In  texture 
it  is  firmer  than  the  latter,  but  the  flesh 
is  equally  white.  Mr.  Gibb,  who  is 
very  critical  as  to  quality  of  fruits, 
says,  "It  is  really  a  dessert  apple  of 
fine  quality." 

3.  The  season  varies  with  latitude 
and  amount  of  summer  heat.  At  Ames 
it  is  not  later  than  Fameuse,  but  if 
picked  early  it  will  keep  better  on 
account  of  its  thicker  skin  and  firmer 
flesh.  In  North  Iowa  it  should  keep 
until  mid-winter  with  good  treatment, 
and  in  North  Dakota  it  should  keep 
until  May. 

In  like  manner  in  Russia  it  is  a  fall 
apple  in  the  black  soil  sections  where 
dent  corn  ripens,  and  a  prime  winter 
apple  four  hundred  miles  further  north. 

4.  While  the  tree  succeeds  well 
wherever  tried  as  yet,  it  is  quite  evident 
that  it  will  prove  most  valuable  at  the 
far  north,  where  the  fruit  will  keep 
through  winter. — J.  L.  Budd,  in  Stu- 
dents^ Farm  Journal. 


THE  GLADIOLUS. 
There  are  few  flowers  more  conspicu- 
ous than  a  well  grouped  bed  of  the 
gladiolus.  Stately  in  growth,  free  of 
flowering,  distinct  in  color,  with  a  great 
variety  of  shades,  no  flower  garden  of 
any  pretentions  can  be  said  to  be  com- 
plete without  them.  It  belongs  to  a 
class  of  flowers  that  have  changed 
greatly  in  the  hands  of  the  hybridizer 
and  careful  cultivator,  and  to  the 
French,  it  may  be  said,  we  are  the  most 
indebted  for  the  great  advnnce  made  in 
this  flower.  In  the  olden  time  but  few 
kinds  were  known,  gandavensis  being 


160 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


•one,  and  from  which  many  of  the  pre- 
sent kind  have  sprung. 

The  colors  comprise  the  most  brilliant 
of  orange,  scarlet,  and  vermilion  tints 
upon  yellow  and  orange  grounds,  in- 
cluding many  shades,  from  white  and 
rosy  blush,  and  salmon  rose  tints,  to  a 
salmon  and  nankin;  from  blush  white, 
with  purplish  throat  and  marginal 
streaks  of  pink,  to  light  rosy  salmon 
grounds  with  flakes  of  deep  carmine. 
'Their  period  of  flowering  may  readily 
be  extended  from  July  to  September, 
by  planting  at  separate  times,  from 
March  or  April  to  June.  The  earliest 
planted,  however,  should  be  the  only 
ones  from  which  the  stock  of  bulbs  are 
raised,  as,  although  it  does  not  materially 
affect  the  flowering  by  a  late  planting, 
it  does  not  give  time  to  perfect  a  large 
healthy  bulb. 

Ordinarily  the  simple  increase  of  the 
bulb  will  be  from  two  to  three  fold, 
which  except  in  cases  of  great  scarcity 
of  them  or  new  varieties,  will  answer 
all  purposes,  and  such  increase  is  strong 
enough  to  flower  the  next  year.  But 
in  case  of  new  varieties  or  a  desire  to 
get  a  large  stock  of  any  kind,  the  small 
bulblets  found  at  the  bottom  of  the 
bulb  on  taking  up  in  the  fall,  are  care- 
fully preserved,  and  the  next  spring 
sowed  in  drills  like  unto  seed,  two  or 
three  inches  apart  and  a  foot  in  the 
rows,  where  during  summer  they  will 
have  made  bulbs  from  the  size  of  a 
hazel  to  that  of  a  hickory  nut. 

A  few  of  these  will  flower  the  fol- 
lowing summer  and  all  the  succeeding 
one  by  this  method.  A  stock  can  be 
very  rapidly  increased  with  some  kinds  ; 
however,  it  will  often  happen  that  the 
choicest  or  best  variety  is  a  poor  crop- 
per of  the  bulblets.  New  varieties  are 
the  result  of  seed  crossed  with  dis- 
similar kinds.  Where  the  frost  is  not 
too  severe  or  when  snow  keeps  the 
frost  from  going  deep  in  the  soil,  many 
of  the  kinds  will  often  winter  out  of 


doors,  but  to  secure  the  finest  stalks 
and  individual  flowers  they  should  be 
taken  up  in  the  fall,  as  soon  as  the 
frosts  have  destroyed  the  foliage,  dried 
off  so  that  the  bulb  frees  readily  from 
the  stem,  packed  away  in  a  moderately 
dry  drawer  or  bag — kept  from  freezing, 
and  planted  again  the  ensuing  spring. 
If  left  out  of  doois,  of  course  the  bulbs, 
by  the  natural  increase,  get  crowded 
for  room  and  a  struggle  for  existence 
takes  place,  and  a  quantity  of  medium 
flowers  is  the  result,  instead  of  a  stately 
stalk  with  very  large  individual  flowers 
of  the  clearest  and  most  distinct  color. 
We  have  known  them  quite  success- 
fully grown  as  green  house  plants, 
mainly,  however,  for  cut  flowers.  They 
may  be  had  this  way  in  early  winter 
by  retarding  the  planting  of  the  old 
bulbs  until  July,  or  in  late  winter,  by 
the  planting  of  the  tall  ripened  bulbs 
before  Christmas. — Edgar  Sanders,  in 
Prairie  Farmer. 


EXPERIMENTS  WITH  PARIS  GREEX 
AND  LONDON  PURPLE  IN  THE 

APPLE  ORCHARD. 
Prof.  S.  A.  Forbes  read  an  interest- 
ing paper  at  a  meeting  of  the  Illinois 
State  Horticultural  Society,  detailing 
some  experiments  made  with  Paris 
Green  in  the  ratio  of  one  and  one  half 
ounces  to  four  gallons,  London  purple 
in  half  that  quantity,  and  lime  in  in- 
definite amount.  It  should  be  noted 
that,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  apples 
and  the  abundance  of  apple  insects,  the 
season  was  most  unfavorable  to  the 
success  of  the  remedies. 

All  the  trees  were  thoroughly  sprayed 
eight  times  between  June  9th  and 
September  3rd,  the  Paris  green  being 
applied  when  the  apples  were  the  size 
of  small  currants,  and  the  lime  and 
London  purple  four  days  later.  The 
fallen  apples  were  gathered  six  times 
from  July  16th  onward,  and  those 
remaining  were  picked  as  they  ripened  ; 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


161 


all  of  them,  both  picked  and  fallen, 
16,529  in  number,  were  examined  in- 
dividually for  insect  injuries,  and  those 
due  to  the  codlin  moth  and  curculios 
were  separately  noted. 

The  examination  of  2,418  apples 
from  trees  sprayed  with  Paris  green, 
and  of  2,964  others  from  trees  not  so 
sprayed,  showed  that  21  per  cent,  of 
the  poisoned  apples  were  infested  with 
the  codlin  moth,  and  69  per  cent  of 
those  not  poisoned,  while  22  per  cent, 
of  the  i)oisoned  lot  had  been  infested 
by  the  curculio,  and  20  per  cent,  of 
those  not  sprayed.  Thus,  treatment 
with  Paris  green  had  been  entirely 
ineffective  for  the  curculio,  but  had 
saved  something  more  than  two-thirds 
of  the  apples,  and  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  the  Paris  green  not  only 
protects  the  apples,  but,  by  destroying 
the  insects,  lessens  the  amount  of  future 
injury.  Analysis  of  a])ples  one  week 
after  spraying  with  Paris  green,  a 
lieavy  storm  intervening,  gave  abun- 
dant evidence  that  this  insecticide  could 
not  safely  be  a{)plied  for  some  weeks 
preceding  the  harvesting  of  the  fruit. 

The  comparison  of  1,205  apples  from 
a  single  tree  sprayed  with  London 
purple,  and  2,036  from  a  tree  not  so 
treated,  showed  that  49  per  cent,  of 
the  former  were  affected  by  the  codlin 
moth,  and  59  of  the  latter.  Also  that ' 
•-3  per  cent,  of  the  first  lot  of  apples 
had  been  invaded  by  curculios,  and 
1*3.6  per  cent  of  the  second  lot.  The 
I^ondon  purple  thus  saved  about  one- 
sixth  of  the  apples  which  would  have 
been  sacrificed  to  the  codlin  moth,  and 
was  without  effect  on  the  curculios. 
<  Comparing  these  results  with  those  of 
tlie  Paris  green  experiment,  it  must  bp 
r<;mem))ered  that  the  spmying  with 
London  i)uri)le  began  four  days  later 
than  with  Paris  green,  and  that  only 
half  the  amount  was  used,  though  both 
were  applied  to  the  limit  of  serious 
damage  to  the  foliage. 


From  a  tree  treated  with  lime,  1,706 
apples,  as  compared  with  1,825  apples 
from  a  check  tree,,  show  that  54  per 
cent,  of  the  former  contained  the  apple 
worm,  and  50  per  cent,  of  the  latter, 
thus  indicating  the  uselessness  of  this 
substance  against  the  codlin  moth. 
The  curculios  were  entirely  unaffected, 
and  it  may  be  fairly  concluded  from 
these  experiments  that  it  is  useless  to 
attempt  to  combat  the  plum  curculio 
in  the  apple  orchard  by  insecticide 
applications  to  the  fruit. 

As  bands  for  traps  serve  only  to 
captiire  the  apple  worm  after  it  has 
done  its  mischief,  and  hence  interpose 
only  a  general  })rotection,  and  are  liable 
to  be  rendered  ineffectual  by  the  neg- 
lect of  one's  neighbors,  the  use  of  Paris 
green  will  serve  at  least  as  a  valuable 
addition  to  remedial  measures.  Since 
it  may  be  safely  applied  only  to  the 
Spring  brood,  it  is  best  to  use  both 
bands  and  insecticides,  each  measure 
supplying  the  deficiencies  of  the  other. 
Final  Conclusion. — Attending  only 
to  the  picked  apples,  and  condensing 
our  statement  of  results  to  the  last 
extreme,  we  may  say  that  under  the 
most  unfavorable  circumstances  Paris 
green  will  save  to  ripening,  at  a  pro- 
bable expense  of  ten  cents  per  tree, 
seven-tenths  of  the  ap|)les  which  must 
otherwise  be  conceded  to  the  codlin 
moth,  that  Tjondon  purple  will  appar- 
ently save  about  one-fifth  of  them,  and 
lime  will  save  none.  Furthermore, 
all  these  applications  are  without  effect 
on  the  curculios  in  the  apple  orchard. 


THINNING  FRUIT. 

When  plant<^d  in  good  soil,  good 
thrifty  fruits  will  nearly  always  over- 
load themselves,  and  in  order  to  secure 
the  best,  smoothest  and  largest  fruit, 
considerable  thinning  must  be  done  ; 
this  is  especially  the  case  with  grapes 
and  tree  fruits. 


162 


THE    CANADIAN    HOKTICULTUKIST. 


Choice  apples,  peaches,  pears,  quinces ; 
in  fact,  the  best  of  all  kinds  of  fruit 
command  the  best  prices  and  always 
sell.  Oft  times  the  market  becomes 
glutted  with  poor  fruits,  and  the  prices 
realized  are  really  below  what  it  costs 
to  produce  them  and  sometimes  they 
cannot  be  sold  at  any  price,  while  at 
the  same  time  the  choicest  and  best  are 
selling  at  a  profitable  price. 

Too  many  fall  into  the  error  of  think- 
ing that  by  thinning  they  lessen  the 
quantity  so  much  that  they  prefer  to 
let  the  fruit  all  remain.  This  is  a  mis- 
take, as  well  as  to  think  that  by  thin- 
ning they  lessen  the  profit  on  the  fruit. 
When  a  tree  is  heavily  loaded,  the  fruit 
must  necessarily  be  small  and  this  will 
lessen  the  quantity ;  then  the  fruit 
being  small  will  sell  for  a  less  price, 
and  really  cost  more  to  sell,  and  you 
lose  rather  than  make  by  not  thinning. 
Then  in  addition,  when  a  tree  or  vine 
is  allowed  to  overload  and  mature  the 
fruit  it  is  a  strain  upon  the  vitality  of 
the  tree.  Judiciously  thinning  fruit 
always  pays ;  but  it  requires  consider- 
able courage  when  the  trees  are  laden 
with  young  fruit  to  go  over  and  pull  off 
and  throw  away  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  fruit.  To  one  who  has  never 
tried  it,  at  first  it  would  seem  like  a 
waste  ;  yet  it  has  been  tested  sufficiently 
to  prove  its  value. 

The  work  of  course  should  be  done 
early,  as  soon  after  the  fruit  has  set  as 
possible.  The  longer  the  fruit  grows 
after  setting,  the  more  waste  of  vitality 
of  the  tree,  that  should  go  to  the  ether 
fruit  that  is  left  upon  the  tree  to  ma- 
ture. It  should  be  done  as  evenly  as 
possible  all  over  the  tree,  thin  so  as  to 
give  each  specimen  left  as  much  room 
as  possible.  Close  crowding  makes 
ill-shaped  fruit.  If  you  have  never  been 
in  the  habit  of  thinning  try  a  few  trees 
first  to  see  the  effect,  and  in  a  majority 
af  cases  you  w^ll  conclude  that    it    is 


beneficial. — N.  J.  Shepherd,  in  Michi- 
gan Horticulturist. 

THE    SHIAWASSEE   BEAUTY. 

PROF.  A.  J.  COOK. 

The  other  night  at  tea,  as  we  were 
all  commenting  on  the  delicious  apple 
sauce,  Mrs.  Cook  remarked  that  every 
family  in  the  land  ought  to  have  one 
Shiawassee  Beauty  apple-tree.  The 
sauce  is  of  a  beautiful  pink  color,  and 
has  a  peculiar  and  delicate  flavor  that 
renders  it  a  universal  favorite.  We  are 
often  asked  what  is  it  that  gives  the 
sauce  the  delicious  flavor,  and  our  reply 
that  it  is  Nature's  own  flavoring  stored 
up  in  the  fruit,  is  often  met  with  a  very 
incredulous  look. 

This  excellent  apple  is  doubtless  a 
seedling  from  the  Fameuse  or  Snow, 
which  it  much  resembles.  The  form 
and  color,  both  of  skin  and  pulp,  are 
quite  like  the  same  in  the  Snow.  It  is 
larger,  however,  than  the  Snow,  and 
keeps  much  longer.  We  have  kept  it 
well  into  January — is  much  fairer,  as 
the  tendency  to  scab  and  deformity,  so 
peculiar  to  the  Snow,  is  entirely  absent 
in  this.  But  the  greatest  difference  is 
in  its  spicy  flavor.  While  the  Snow  is 
pleasingly  tart,  it  is  remarkably  taste- 
less. The  Shiawassee  Beauty,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  one  of  the  most  marked 
or  radical  in  this  respect  and  its  flavor 
is  as  delicious  as  peculiar.  I  have  yet 
to  find  the  person  who  does  not  esteem 
it  highly.  The  tree  is  vigorous  and 
spreading.  Of  several  trees  set  out  in 
my  garden  here  in  1876,  among  which 
is  a  Duchess  of  Oldenburg  and  a  Red 
Astrachan,  none  has  made  so  large  and 
fine  a  growth  as  this.  It  is  not  only 
vigorous,  but  it  is  very  hardy.  On  my 
farm  in  the  Shiawassee  County,  Mich., 
I  have  trees  of  this  variety  that  have 
remained  vigorous  and  hearty  all 
through  the  several  hard  Winters  of 
the  last  1 5  years.  It  is  a  very  persis- 
tent bearer,    equal  to   the  Duchess    of 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


163 


Oldenburg.  My  tree,  set  out  in  1876, 
has  borne  every  year  for  five  years,  and 
tills  year  was  a  marvel  of"  beauty,  as  it 
hung  full  of  most  beautiful  apples,  just 
such  as  I  exhibited  from  it  at  Grand 
Rapids.  I  repeat  the  ^^ gude  wife's" 
words  :  "  Every  family  ought  to  have 
one." — Rural  New  Yorker. 


NEW  PLANTS. 

Among  the  new  plants — new  to  me 
— which  I  have  grown  this  year,  there 
are  two  which  I  have  found  to  be  valu- 
able acquisitions.  The  one  is  the 
Dahlia  Glare  of  the  Garden,  and  the 
other  the  bulb  Milla  biflora.  These,  of 
course,  are  not  hardy,  but   are  easily 

I  cared  for  during  the  winter  season. 
Of  the  first,  I  have  one  planted  out 
upon  the  lawn,   which  for  nearly  two 

j  months  past  has  been  continually  cov- 
ered with  its  brilliant  flowers,  never 
loss  than  fifty  and  frequently  over  a 
hundred  at  a  time.  It  has  so  little  the 
appearance  of  a  Dahlia  that  it  has  V>e- 
come  almost  a  daily  occurrence  to  have 

i  passers-by  stop  and  enquire  the  name 
of  the  plant.  The  most  vivid  descrip- 
tion of  it  was  given  the  other  day  by 
one  of  a  number  of  little  girls  passing 
!)y,  who  cried  out,  "  Oh,  look  at  that 
<  'hristmas  tree,  in  there,  upon  the 
Ljijuss."  It  is  one  of  the  Cactus  Dahlia 
type. 

Milla  biflora  has  given,  for  a  month 
past,  an  abundance  of  pure  white,  waxy, 
star-shaped  flowei-s,  an  inch  and  a  half 
iu  diameter  and  highly  fragrant  as  the 
ilay  closes.  As  a  cut  flower,  for  room 
decoration,  it  is  particularly  valuable, 
from  the  fact  that  it  remains  perfect 
for  nearly  or  quite  a  week  after  having 
l»(;en  cut.  My  bulbs  were  started  in 
small  pots  in  a  cold-frame,  and  after- 
wards transferred  to  the  open  ground, 
l)ut  I  presume  the  same  treatment  as 
rcHjuired  for  the  Gladiolus  would  an- 
swer for  it. —  Vick's  Magazuie. 


A  GLUTTED  MARKET. 

'*  This  country  around  Keuka  Lake," 
said  Captain  Smith  Fairchild,  who  com- 
mands the  little  steamer  Urbana,  "  is 
now  one  of  the  greatest  grape  growing 
regions  in  the  world.  The  vineyards 
cover  thousands  and  thousands  of  acres, 
clear  from  the  edge  of  the  lake  up  to  the 
summit  of  the  hills  on  every  side  of  it. 
We  ship  thousands  of  tons  of  all  kinds 
of  grapes  to  the  New  York  market 
every  season,  to  say  nothing  of  the  tons 
and  tons  that  we  mash  up  into  the  best 
wine  on  the  American  Continent.  But 
I  can  remember  the  first  grapes  that 
went  from  here  to  New  York,  and, 
although  there  wasn't  more  than  300 
pounds  of  'em,  they  glutted  the  market. 
That's  a  fact. 

"  Stanley  Fairchild,  my  father,  was 
a  cabinet-maker,  and  Uncle  Billy  Hast- 
ings lived  up  on  the  hill  yonder.  No- 
body had  ever  thought  of  raising  grapes 
as  a  business,  but  Uncle  Billy  had  some 
of  the  finest  grape  arboi-s  that  ever 
tempted  a  youngster.  One  fall  his 
vines  were  so  overloaded  with  grapes 
that  he  didn't  know  what  to  do  with 
'em.  An  idea  struck  him  that  it  would 
be  a  good  thing  to  ship  a  lot  of  'em  to 
New  York.  This  was  in  1847.  There 
was  no  way  to  ship  'em  except  by  lake 
and  canal,  and  Uncle  Billy  thought  the 
best  way  to  do  it  was  to  pack  the  grapes 
in  a  barrel  with  cedar  shavings.  He 
brought  a  big  cedar  block  to  my  father's 
shop,  and  told  him  to  have  it  converted 
into  shavings.  I  was  a  chunk  of  a  boy 
then,  and  father  set  me  to  work  with  a 
plane  to  demolish  that  block.  That 
put  mo  down  on  the  grape  business  at 
once,  and  I  made  a  solemn  wish  that 
the  steamboat  or  the  canal-boat  would 
sink  that  carried  Uncle  Billy's  grapes, 
so  that  the  business  would  end  right 
there.  I  saw  nothing  bright  in  a  future 
that  had  nothing  in  store  for  me  but  the 
making  of  cedar  shavings.  Well,  I 
knoek(Hl  that  block  into  curly  bits  in 


m 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


the  course  of  a  day  or  so,  and  Uncle 
Billy  packed  them  in  with  a  barrel  of 
the  nicest  grapes  that  ever  made  boy's 
mouth  water.  They  got  to  New  York 
all  right,  and  made  a  good  sale.  Uncle 
was  delighted,  and,  like  all  speculators, 
wasn't  satisfied.  Nothing  would  do 
but  he  must  send  off  another  barrel,  and 
he  rolled  another  cedar  block  to  my 
father's  shop,  and  I  was  set  to  work  to 
knock  the  spots  out  of  it. 

"If  this  industry  keeps  growing,  I 
said  to  myself,  "  this  part  of  the  coun- 
tary  don't  hold  me." 

*'  I  peeled  the  second  block  down  to 
nothing,  though,  and  Uncle  shipped  his 
his  second  barrel  of  grapes  to  New 
York.  Time  went  along,  and  one  day 
Uncle  got  a  letter  from  the  party  he 
had  sent  the  grapes  to.  My  father 
asked  him  how  the  business  looked. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  ''  I  made  thirteen 
shilling  clear  on  my  first  barrel,  but  my 
second  one  bust  the  market.  It  woti't 
do  to  put  too  many  grapes  in  the  New 
York  market  at  once." 

"I  went  out  behind  the  shop  and 
howled  for  joy  over  the  failure  of  the 
grape  growing  industry.  But  that 
pioneer  shipment  of  Uncle  Billy's  set 
people  to  thinking,  and  now  the  New 
York  market  can't  get  enough  of  Ham- 
mondsport  grapes. — iV.  W.  Sun. 


KING  HUMBERT  TOMATO. 

I  have  been  much  interested  in  this 
variety,  because  it  seems  to  offer  a  new 
type  of  fruit.  So  far  as  I  know,  this  is 
the  first  strictly  two-celled  red  Toma- 
to that  has  been  sufl&cieTitly  large  for 
table  use.  The  two-celled  Tomatoes 
are  invarably  smooth,  and  are  usually 
earlier  than  the  many-celled  varieties, 
facts  that  should  not  be  forgotten  by  the 
growers  of  new  varieties  of  this  vege- 
table. 

The  plant  of  the  King  Humbert  is 
very   vigorous   and   productive.       The 


fruit  is  oval,  slightly  flattened  longi- 
tudinally, and  thickish  towards  the 
blossom  end  ;  very  smooth  ;  with  neither 
cavity  or  basin,  bright  scarlet,  about 
one-and-three-fourths  inches  in  longest 
diameter,  and  two-and-a-half  inches 
through  the  axis ;  borne  in  clusters  of 
from  five  to  nine.  The  flesh  is  remark- 
ably thick  and  firm  ;  so  firm  indeed,  that 
fruits  picked  and  placed  in  a  dry  room 
will  shrivel  like  an  Apple  before  decay- 
inor — "  Elm  "  in  American  Garde7i. 


RASPBERRY  NOTES. 

Shaffer's  Colossal  still  maintains  a 
high  place  among  the  newer  raspberries. 
Its  color  is  all  there  is  against  it,  and 
that  is  a  mere  prejudice.  Superb  has 
never  pleased  us.  It  bears  for  a  long 
time  large  berries,  with  large  drupes 
that  part  or  "  crumble  "  too  easily.  It 
is  not  for  market  at  all.  The  Marlboro' 
holds  its  place  well.  The  berries  are 
of  the  largest — firm,  of  a  fair  color  and 
fair  flavor.  The  variety  seems  quite 
hardy  and  strong.  The  Rancocas  is 
very  early,  very  firm  and  of  medium 
quality.  The  plants  are  bushy  and 
hardy.  It  ripens  more  berries  in  the 
early  season  than  the  Hansell.  The 
Hansell  is  a  less  vigorous  grower,  less 
fruitful,  though  it  ripens  Jew  berries 
the  first  of  any  red  raspberry  we  have 
tested.  Crimson  Beauty  is  praised  by 
some  and  not  by  others.  It  seems 
the  flowers  are  imperfect  and  that  the 
plants  should  be  set  among  those  of 
other  varieties  to  insure  perfect  fruit. 
The  berries  ripen  early  and  are  of  good 
quality.  The  Rural  finds  this  the  same 
as  the  Imperial,  if  we  may  judge  the 
latter  by  plants  sent  us  by  Secretary 
Holnian,  of  Missouri.  The  Cuthbert 
still  holds  its  place  as  the  best  late  red  ; 
the  Caroline  as  the  best  very  hardy  yel- 
low. The  Montclair  is  an  improved 
Philadelphia.  It  has  never  been  ad- 
vertised much  and  is  not  perhaps  fully 


tflE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


165 


appreciated.     Lost  Rubies  has  proven 
a  failure,  or  nearly  so. 

The  Gregg,  among,  blackcaps,  is,  at 
the  Rural  Grounds,  not  hardy.  The 
berries  are  of  the  largest ;  quality  poor 
It  is  late.  The  Ohio  Blackcap  gives 
the  strongest  and  tallest  canes  of  any. 
It  is  quite  hardy.  Berries  rather  small. 
This  is  far  from  new,  but  it  is  not  well 
known. — Rural  New-Yorker. 


[Note.  — It  is  somewhat  surprising 
that  the  Gregg  should  not  prove  to  be 
hardy  at  the  Rural  New-Yorker  experi- 
ment grounds,  when  here,  in  the  County 
of  Lincoln,  so  much  further  north,  it  is 
only  occasionally  injured  in  exception- 
ally trying  winters.  ~Ed.  Can.  Hort.] 


BAllONESS  ROTHSCHILD  AND  MABEL 
MORRISON. 

Among  the  many  beautiful  Hybrid 
Perpetual  Roses,  one  which  has  played 
a  conspicuous  part  for  the  last  eighteen 
years  is  Baroness  Rothschild,  which 
was  raised  in  France,  in  1867.  It  is  a 
large,  full  and  well  made  flower,  cupped 
form,  and  usually  very  symmetrical. 
The  color  is  a  soft  rose,  or  light  pink. 
It  is  a  free  bloomer,  a  vigorous  grower, 
and  one  of  the  hardiest  of  the  Perpet- 
uals.  It  is  an  excellent  autumn 
bloomer,  and  is  highly  prized  as  an  ex- 
hibition variety.  Its  one  lack  is  a  de- 
ficiency of  odor.  The  foliage  of  this 
flower  stands  iip  close  around  it,  giving 
it  a  fine  setting.  The  fine  form  and 
color,  and  the  other  good  qualities  of 
this  variety  should  secure  it  a  place  in 
•  very  good  collection  of  hardy  Roses. 
I>aroness  Rothschild  is  distinguished 
by  the  number  of  other  fine  sorts  it  has 
given  rise  to  as  sports.  One  of  these, 
Mabel  Morrison,  has  the  characteristics 
of  growth  and  constitution  of  its  par- 
<  nt,  varingonly  by  its  color.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  desirable  of  the  white,  or  so 


called  white,  Hybrid  Perpetuals.  The 
flowers  are  beautiful  in  form,  semi- 
double,  cup  shaped,  usually  a  creamy 
white  on  first  expanding,  and  then 
changing  to  a  delicately  tinted  shade  of 
rose,  and  in  either  aspect  admirable  in 
the  highest  degree.  In  the  close  sett- 
ing of  the  foliage  around  the  flower, 
Mabel  Morrison  even  surpasses  its  par- 
ent, and  this  habit  is  an  attiaction  of 
great  value.  It  originated  in  England 
in  1878,  and  has  not  yet  become  known 
as  widely  as  it  deserves  ;  one  cause  of 
this  is  probably  because  it  does  not  grow 
freely  from  cuttings,  and  many  profes- 
sional rose  growers  in  this  country  pro- 
pagate in  no  other  way.  Some  how- 
ever, increase  it,  as  well  as  several 
other  varieties,  by  budding  on  strong- 
growing  stocks,  and  in  this  way  it 
makes  a  very  satisfactory  plant,  if  pro- 
perly cared  for. —  Vick's  Magazine. 


LAWN  GRASSES. 

As  to  the  grasses  best  adapted  to 
soils  and  situations,  it  may  first  be  said 
that  a  wet  soil  is  hardly  to  be  consid- 
ered as  a  fit  situation  for  a  lawn  ;  never- 
theless there  are  places  where  a  wet 
condition  of  the  soil  cannot  well  be 
avoided,  and  for  such  the  best  grasses 
are  Poa  trivialis,  or  Rough-stalk 
Meadow  Grass,  Alopecurus  pratensis, 
or  Meadow  Foxtail,  and  Agrostis  vul- 
garis, or  Red-top.  For  average  good 
soil  I  have  had  the  best  results  from  a 
seeding  in  about  equal  proportions,  of 
Poa  pratensis,  or  Kentucky  Blue  Grass, 
Festuca  duriuscula^  or  Hard  Fescue, 
Agrostis  canina,  or  Creeping  Bent, 
Cynosurus  cristatu^,  or  Crested  Dog- 
tail,  and  tlie  Pacey  Dwarf  Rye  Gi-ass. 
The  two  last  named  are  especially  ad- 
apted to  light,  dry  soils,  as  they  are 
deep  rooted  and  very  fibrous,  and  will 
continue  green  in  the  dryest  of  weather, 
even  when  the  Kentucky  Blue  is  ap- 
parently dead. 

It   is   a   iirt'iit   mistake   to  stint  the 


166 


THE  CANADIAN   aOETIOULTtJElST. 


seed  when  making  a  lawn.  Three  or 
four  bushels  to  the  acre  should  be  laid 
on,  and  fairly  covered  before  rolling 
down.  The  small  graniverous  birds, 
especially  the  sparrows,  will  be  sure  to 
eat  all  the  seed  left  on  the  surface. — 
American  Garden. 


GOLDEN  QUKEN  RASPBERRY. 
The  Golden  Queen  may  be  termed  an 
albino  of  the  Cuthbert  or  Queen  of  the 
Market,  but  whether  a  seedling  or  a 
so-called  "  sport "  I  am  unable  to  state, 
as  it  was  discovered  growing  in  a  patch 
of  twelve  acres  of  that  variety  in  the 
summer  of  1882,  on  my  farm  in  Camden 
County,  New  Jersey.  I  was  at  once 
forcibly  impressed  with  its  merit  from 
its  vigorous  growth,  large  size  and 
beauty — on  picking  a  few  of  the  berries 
and  tasting  them,  it  is  putting  it  mildly 
to  say  I  was  delighted.  Since  the  day 
it  was  found  1  have  employed  every 
means  of  testing  the  variety  with  the 
object  of  determining  fully  its  charac- 
ter ;  and  from  my  experience  with  it  I 
think  it  may  be  fittingly  described  as  a 
variety  of  six  cardinal  virtues,  viz.:  1. 
In  flavor  it  rivals  (some  have  pro- 
nounced it  superior  to)  that  venerable 
and  highest  in  quality  of  all  raspberries, 
the  *'  Brinckle's  Orange."  2.  In  beauty 
it  transcends  all  other  raspberries  I  have 
ever  seen,  being  of  a  rich,  bright  creamy- 
yellow,  imparting  to  it  a  most  appetizing 
effect,  both  in  the  crate  and  upon  the 
table.  3.  In  size  it  challenges  the  large 
Cuthbert.  4.  In  vigor  it  fully  equals 
its  parent — the  canes  attaining  the 
dimensions  of  the  Cuthbert  or  Queen, 
noted  for  its  strong  growth — and  resists 
heat  and  drought  even  better.  5.  In 
productiveness  it  excels  the  prolific 
Cuthbert.  6.  In  hardiness  it  has  no 
superior.  The  past  unprecedently  severe 
winter  several  rows  of  it  stood  wholly 
unprotected  at  one  side  of  a  large  field 
of  the  Cuthbert,  all  of  which  were  so 
badly   killed   by   the  cold   that   I   was 


compelled  to  mow  them  all  to  the 
ground,  yet  not  a  branch  of  the  Golden 
Queen  was  injured.  In  addition  to  the 
foregoing,  which  is  of  less  interest  to 
the  grower  for  the  family  supply,  but 
of  paramount  importance  to  the  grower 
for  market,  the  berry  is  so  firm  that 
when  pressed  out  of  shape,  it  will,  when 
turned  out  of  the  basket,  resume  its 
true  form  and  not  loose  any  of  its  juice, 
or,  as  is  termed  by  fruitmen,  "  will  not 
bleed ;"  also,  if  allowed  to  become  over- 
ripe on  the  bush,  it  will  not,  as  is  usually 
the  case  with  raspberries,  drop  to  the 
ground  as  soon  as  the  bush  is  disturbed, 
but  retains  a  firm  hold  upon  the  stem. 
"  What  are  its  faults  ?"  some  one  will 
ask.  It  would  indeed  be  a  novel  fruit 
without  any.  And  it  doubtless  possesses 
some.  Yet  I  must  say  they  have  yet 
to  be  manifested,  unless  it  would  be 
desirable  to  have  it  ripen  earlier.  Its 
season  is  that  of  its  parent. — Ezra 
Stokes,  in  Orchard  and  Garden. 


THE  LONGFIELD  APPLE. 
Prof.  Budd  :  "  There  is  one  variety 
of  Russian  apples  which  has  been 
fruited  almost  across  the  continent, 
which  has  exhibited  many  desirable 
peculiarities  for  places  where  something 
hardier  than  Fameuse  is  needed.  The 
name,  as  nearly  as  I  can  give  it  to  you 
in  English,  is  "  Longfield."  The  Rus- 
sian name  is  "  Longerfeldskoe.''  Dur- 
ing the  last  three  years  it  has  been 
loaded  with  fruit  with  me,  making  an 
annual  growth  of  12  to  14  inches  while 
thus  bearing.  It  is  longer  than  the 
Jonathan,  about  the  weight  of  an  ordi- 
nary Missouri  Janet ;  yellow,  with  a 
blush  nearly  equal  to  that  on  Maiden's 
Blush ;  keeps  through  the  winter  at  the 
north.  It  has  been  extensively  tried, 
and  I  think  it  should  now  have  more 
general  notice.  The  quality  is  quite  as 
good  as  that  of  Fameuse,  which  it  re- 
sembles in  texture.  I  do  not,  however, 
consider  it  among  the  hardiest  of  Rus- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


167 


sian  apples,  but  it  is  hardier  than  the 
Fameuse. — Rural  New  Yorker^s  Report 
of  the  American  Pomological  Society. 


WITH  DRAIN 


I5LANCHING  CELERY 
TILE. 


BY    FRED.    GRUNDY. 

The  experience  of  another  season 
lias  served  to  confirm  my  faith  in  this 
practice.  It  is  certainly  superioh  to 
the  laborious  banking  process  when  in- 
telligently managed. 

Celery  intended  for  early  use  should 
be  set  in  trenches  about  three  inches 
leep,  which  should  be  kept  open  in  all 
subsequent  cultivation  of  the  ground. 
When  ready  for  blanching,  all  the 
small  outside  stalks  are  removed,  be- 
cause they  are  of  no  value  whatever, 
leaving  but  three  or  four  stalks  around 
the  heart.  Three  or  four-inch  tile  are 
then  set  over  the  plants,  and  the  earth 
banked  up  Jigainst  them  about  eight 
inches  Ingh.  This  banking  must  be 
done  to  prevent  the  tile  from  becoming 
too  hot  in  the  sun,  which  they  will  do 
to  the  great  injury  of  the  confined 
plants.  Later  on,  when  the  weather 
becomes  cooler,  banking  with  earth  is 
not  required.  The  celery  blanches  per- 
fectly inside  the  tile,  and  comes  out 
clean,  white  and  crisp. 

Our  family  is  small,  and  a  few  stalks 
are  all  we  require  for  a  meal.  To  get 
them  I  lift  the  tile,  break  off  as  many 
as  needed,  in  the  same  manner  as 
rhubarb  stalks  are  broken,  replace  the 
tile  and  the  plant  continues  to  grow 
•ind  supply  fresh,  nutty  stalks,  until 
tlie  ground  freezes.  Fifty  good  plants 
set  in  rich  soil  give  us  a  full  supply  of 
this  delicious  vegetable,  from  the  time 
it  tastes  good  until  Christmas.  At  the 
beginning  of  freezing  weather  the 
plants  are  taken  up  with  some  roots 
and  earth  adhering,  set  in  a  long,  nar- 
row box,  containing  about  four  inches 
of  sand,  and  placed  in  the  cellar. 

I   find    Golden    Heart    Dwarf    and 


Crimson  Dwarf  the  most  suitable  va- 
rieties for  this  section,  and  I  grow 
them  exclusively.  .  I  use  them  with 
tile  one  foot  long  for  bleaching.  For 
the  tall  varieties  of  celery,  tile  eighteen 
or  twenty  inches  long  can  be  procured. 
— Philadelphia  Weekly  Press. 

MEALY  BUG. 

We  have  tried  various  emulsions  of 
kerosene  oil  for  this  pest,  but  with  in- 
diff'erent  results.  Alcohol,  which  is 
the  basis  of  most  insecticides  for  mealy 
bug,  will  do  the  work,  but  it  is  too 
ex})ensive  for  general  use.  The  im- 
ported preparation  known  as  "  Fir-tree 
oil "  is  by  far  the  best  and  most  econ- 
omical remedy  we  have  yet  tried.  It 
kills  the  bug  and  its  eggs,  and  does  no 
practical  injury  to  the  plants.  In 
using  tlie  fir-tree  oil  or  similar  insecti- 
cide, it  is  better,  when  practicable,  to 
dip  the  plants  in  the  preparation.  In 
my  experience  one  dipping  is  as  good 
as  ten  syringings,  and  much  more 
economical,  A  common  error  in  the 
use  of  all  insecticides  is  the  want  of 
persistence  in  their  use.  It  is  much 
better  to  use  a  weak  application  of  any 
insecticide  frequently  than  a  stronger 
dose  of  it  at  less  frequent  periods.  For 
example,  we  have  always  found  it  more 
effective  and  safe  to  fumigate  with  to- 
bacco smoke  our  house  twice  a  week 
lightly,  rather  than  once  a  week  and 
more  heavily. — (^has.  Henderson,  in 
the  Country  Gentleman. 


AUTUMNAL  COLORED  FOLIAGE. 

All  the  gaylussacias  and  vacciniums 
(huckleberries,  cranberries,  etc.,)  turn 
so  brilliantly  that  for  this  reason  alone 
they  are  worth  a  place  in  ornamental 
plantings.  V.  corymhosum  (swamp 
blueberry)  is  sometimes  ten  feet  high 
and  six  or  eight  feet  in  diameter.  It  is 
attractive  in  flower.  The  fruit  is 
beautiful  and    tastes    better    than    it 


168 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


looks.  Its  habit  fits  it  admirably  for 
the  formation  of  specimen  plants,  and 
in  autumn  it  is  fairly  refulgent  with 
glowing  crimson.  When  it  is  remem- 
bered that  this  shrub  is  of  the  easiest 
cultivation,  is  it  not  strange  that  no 
one  plants  it?  Will  the  time  ever 
come  when  American  planters  will 
break  loose  from  traditions  of  Old 
World  gardens,  and  use  the  plants 
adapted  to  the  American  climate  and 
American  surroundings  1 — Philadelphia 
Weekly  Press. 


PLANTING  BULBS  FOR  SUCCESSION 
OF  BLOOM. 

In  planting  my  Dutch  Bulbs  I  re- 
peated a  plan  for  successive  cropping  of 
flowers  in  the  spring,  on  two  small  beds 
that  in  the  past  has  usually  pleased  me 
greatly.  These  beds  are  only  two  feet 
across  and  lie  conspicuously  on  each 
side  of  the  front  walk  near  to  the  steps. 
I  set  out  Crocuses,  Hyacinths  and 
Parrot  Tulips  all  in  the  same  beds. 

My  way  of  planting  was  as  follows  : 
First,  I  dug  up  the  soil  well,  mixing  in 
some  manure  during  the  process,  and 
after  shaping  up  the  top  ti-amped  it 
rather  firmly.  Then  I  dug  out  each 
bed  exactly  five  inches  below  the  sur- 
face. On  this  bottom  fifteen  bulbs  each 
of  Single  Hyacinths  and  Parrot  Tulips 
were  set,  and  covered  with  a  layer  of 
two  inches  of  soil.  This  new  surface 
was  for  the  Crocuses,  and  on  it  I  placed 
six  dozen  imported  bulbs,  dividing  the 
spaces  between  them  uniformly. 

Early  next  Spring  there  will  be  sheets 
of  Oocus  flowers  over  these  beds.  These 
will  soon  be  followed  by  Hyacinth,  and 
later  yet  will  come  along  the  Parrots. 

After  the  Tulips  are  done,  the  same 
beds  are  planted  with  summer  flowers, 
thus  securing  to  me  an  almost  perpetual 
period  of  bloom  from  March  until  Octo- 
ber.— Popular  Gardening. 


JAPAN  ANEMONE. 

These  plants  are  herbaceous  peren- 
nials, with  numerous  radical  leaves,  and 
sending  up  leafy  flowering  stems  a  foot 
to  three  feet  in  height;  these  flower 
stems  branch  several  times,  each  branch 
having  a  leaf  at  its  base,  and  terminated 
by  a  flower.  They  are  wonderfully 
hardy  plants  standing  unprotected  in 
the  lowest  temperature  known  in  the 
Northern  States,  or  from  twenty  to 
thirty  degrees  below  zero,  Fahrenheit. 
To  produce  the  finest  effects  in  the  gar- 
den these  plants  should  be  set  in  masses, 
the  two  colors  near  each  other,  supported 
by  a  background  of  leafy  shrubs. 

As  cut  flowers  for  vases  they  are  valu- 
able, and  they  also  serve  an  excellent 
purpose,  when  potted,  in  furnishing  the 
greenhouse  with  flowers  in  the  autumn 
months,  when  there  are  few  other  flow- 
ers to  enliven  it.  The  plants  are  easily 
increased  by  division  of  the  roots. — 
Vick^s  Magazine. 


THE  JEWELL  STRAWBERRY. 

We  have  found  this  to  possess  more 
points  of  merit  than  any  other  we  have . 
ever  tested,  if  we  may  judge  by  the 
experience  of  two  seasons.  The  plants  ] 
are  very  vigorous  and  free  from  disease.  i 
The  berries  begin  to  ripen  June  12.  | 
The  average  size  is  large  from  the 
beginning  until  the  end  of  the  season- — 
the  form  broadly  conical,  often  flattened 
or  widened  at  the  top.  The  largest 
berries  with  us  measured  four  inches 
in  circumference.  The  color  is  a  bright 
red,  and  the  quality  is  very  good, 
though  not  best.  They  are  firm  enough 
to  ship  to  a  distance.  Its  great  claim 
to  superiority  rests  in  the  vigor  of  the 
plants,  the  uniformly  large  size  of  the 
berries,  and  its  productiveness,  in  which 
latter  respect  it  is  thought  to  stand 
first  among  all  known  varieties  of  straw- 
berries.— Rural  New  Yorker. 


PRINTED   AT   THK   STEAM   PRESS   ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE   COPP,    CLARK  COMPANY  (LIMITED),   TORONTO. 


Mensin?  &  StecKer 


RTiQjE^ J  rvL T T Q  a/A'm  wrii rrri 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


AUGUST,  1886. 


[No.  8. 


SOME  INSECT  EISTEMIES   OF  THE  KOSE. 


So  many  inquiries  have  been  made 
recently  for  some  efficient  and  avail- 
able means  of  combating  the  common, 
yet  at  the  same  time  very  injurious 
insects  that  prey  upon  the  rose,  that 
we  have  thought  it  might  be  acceptable 
to  our  readers  if  we  should  devote  some 
space  to  the  consideration  of  the  habits, 
appearance  and  ravages  of  these  insects, 
at  the  same  time  orivinor  such  su^i^ores- 
tions  as  we  may  be  able  to  offer  for 
their  destruction. 

The  Rose  Slug  has  been  very  abund- 
ant for  several  years,  and  judging  from 
the  pertinacity  it  manifests  in  the  work 
of  destroying  the  foliage  of  our  roses 
year  after  year,  we  have  little  to  hope 
for  in  the  way  of  relief  from  the  labors 
of  its  natural  enemies.  This  insect  is 
one  of  the  Sawflies,  is  known  to  Ento- 
mologists by  the  name  of  Selandria 
rosoe,  and  is  described  by  Harris  as  a 
small  fly  of  a  deep  and  shining  black 
color,  the  body  of  which  is  in  the  male 
a  little  more  than  three  twentieths  of 
an  inch  long,  and  in  the  female  about 
one-fifth  of  an  inch,  while  the  wings 
expand  about  two-fifths  of  an  inch. 
They  come  out  of  the  ground  during 
the  month  of  June,  at  various  times, 
not  all  at  once.     The  females  do  not 


fly  much,  but  may  be  found  during  the 
day  resting  on  the  rose  leaves,  and 
when  touched  they  draw  up  their  legs 
and  fall  to  the  ground.  When  about 
to  lay  their  eggs  they  turn  a  little  on 
one  side,  unsheath  their  saws,  and 
thrust  them  obliquely  into  the  skin  of 
the  leaf,  depositing  in  each  incision  a 
single  egg.  The  eggs  hatch  in  from 
ten  days  to  a  fortnight,  so  that  the 
young  slugs  can  usually  be  found  on 
the  leates  about  the  twentieth  of  June. 
These  have  a  round  head  with  a  black 
dot  on  each  side  of  it,  and  eleven  pairs 
of  short  legs.  The  upper  surface  of  the 
body  is  green,  paler  on  the  sides,  yel- 
lowish underneath,  and  the  whole  is 
soft,  with  a  transparent,  jelly-like  ap- 
pearance. 

These  slugs  eat  the  upper  surface  of 
the  leaves,  leaving  the  veins  and  skin ; 
thus  cjivinw  the  leaves  a  skeletonized 
appearance.  When  they  are  numerous, 
which  has  been  the  case  now  for  several 
years,  there  will  not  be  a  green  leaf 
remaining,  and  the  whole  rose-garden 
will  look  as  if  scorched  by  fire.  When 
these  slugs  have  attained  their  full 
growth  they  drop  to  the  ground,  bur- 
row into  the  earth  to  the  depth  of  an 
inch  or  so,  form  little  cells  in  which 


170 


THE    CANADIAN    HUKIlCLLTURIST. 


they  pass  the  pupa  stage,  emerging 
again  in  the  fly  form  to  repeat  their 
work  of  destruction. 

In  the  summer  of  1840,  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Horticultural  Society  offered 
a  premium  of  one  hundred  dollars  for 
the  most  successful  mode  of  destroying 
these  slugs.  Whale  oil  soap,  in  the 
proportion  of  two  pounds  of  soap  to 
fifteen  gallons  of  water,  sprinkled  over 
the  rose  trees  so  as  to  wet  the  upper 
surface  of  the  leaves  as  often  as  the 
slugs  make  their  appearance,  will  be 
found  effectual.  The  writer,  however, 
prefers  to  use  white  hellebore,  for  the 
reason  that  a  supply  of  this  must  needs 
be  at  hand  to  combat  the  Gooseberry 
Sawfly,  and  is  equally  destructive  to 
this  one  when  applied  in  the  same 
manner.  In  using  the  hellebore  it 
will  be  found  advantageous  to  dissolve 
a  little  alum  in  the  water,  wliich  will 
have  the  effect  of  making  the  hellebore 
adhere  to  the  leaves.  It  is  very  im- 
portant that  the  rose-grower  be  on  the 
watch  for  this  insect,  and  apply  the 
hellebore  or  the  whale-oil  soap  as  soon 
as  the  slugs  appear,  for  they  work  with 
great  rapidity.  Mr.  Harris  says  that 
a  second  brood  makes  its  appearance  in 
August.  We  have  not  noticed  this  to 
be  the  case  here,  and  we  think  that  if 
the  brood  that  works  in  the  latter  part 
of  June  and  the  beginning  of  July  is 
thoroughly  treated  in  the  manner  above 
mentioned,  there  will  be  nothing  to  fear 
from  the  August  brood. 

The  Rose  Leaf  Hopper  is  a  most  pro- 
voking little  pest,  as  agile  as  a  flea,  and 
as  numerous  as  ever  was  the  flea  in 
Tiberias,  where  it  is  said  that  the  king 


of  the  fleas  holds  his  court.  And  a 
cunning  little  fellow  is  he  too,  for  when 
he  sees  you  approaching  from  one  direc- 
tion he  will  hastily  dodge  off*  in  the 
opposite,  and  if  you  press  him  too  close 
he  will  take  to  himself  wings  and  fly. 
Entomologists  call  this  insect  Tettigonia 
rosce.  When  it  first  appears  it  has  no 
wings,  is  a  small  white  creature,  to  be 
found  on  the  underside  of  the  rose 
leaves,  with  its  proboscis  thrust  into 
the  leaf,  from  which  it  is  sucking  the 
juice  or  sap.  As  they  grow  they  cast 
their  skins,  which  may  be  found  adher- 
ing to  the  underside  of  the  leaf,  until 
arriving  at  maturity  they  are  also  sup- 
plied with  wings.  In  the  autumn  they 
secrete  tliemselves  among  fallen  leaves 
or  other  rubbish,  pass  the  winter  in  a 
dormant  state,  appear  again  the  follow- 
ing summer,  lay  their  eggs  and  perish. 
If  they  would  only  die  before  they  laid 
their  eggs ;  but  then,  they  won't. 

The  remedies  that  have  been  found 
most  eflicacious  are  whale-oil  soap,  as 
recommended  for  the  rose-slug,  and 
tobacco-water.  But  in  order  that  these 
may  destroy  the  leaf  hoppers,  they 
should  be  applied  when  the  insects  are 
young.  The  gardener  should  be  on  the 
watch  for  them  about  the  middle  of 
June,  this  season  they  were  abundant 
as  early  as  the  tenth  of  June.  If 
allowed  to  grow  they  become  at  each 
successive  moult  more  tough  skinned, 
and  less  sensitive  to  the  effects  of  the 
tobacco  or  the  whale-oil  soap.  Poisons 
do  not  reach  them,  inasmuch  as  they 
do  not  feed  on  the  substance  of  the  leaf, 
but  subsist  by  sucking  out  the  juices, 
and  in  this  way  causing  the  leaf  to  turn 


THE   CANADIAN    H0BTICDLTDRI8T. 


171 


of  a  sickly  whitish  hue.  It  is  only  by 
the  contact  of  the  liquid  with  their 
bodies  that  they  can  be  destroyed,  hence 
it  is  necessary  that  it  be  thrown  with 
a  garden  syringe  upon  the  underside  of 
the  leaves.  The  late  Geo.  B.  Ellwanger, 
in  his  most  excellent  treatise  on  the 
rose,  says  that  he  has  found  syringing 
the  rose  plants  with  pure  water  so  as 
to  wet  the  underside  of  the  leaves,  and 
then  dusting  on  powdered  white  helle- 
bore, will  destroy  or  disperse  them. 
We  are  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  rea- 
son of  this,  unless  it  be  that,  like  some 
other  creatures  we  wot  of,  they  have  a 
great  aversion  to  pure  cold  water.  The 
hellebore  would  not  be  likely  to  harm 
them.  In  preparing  the  tobacco-water 
some  care  must  be  used  not  to  make 
the  decoction  so  strong  as  to  injure  the 
leaves  of  the  rose  trees.  If  applied  as 
soon  as  the  young  leaf  hoppers  appear, 
it  need  not  be  very  strong  of  the 
tobacco.  Senator  Plumb,  of  Niagara, 
uses  a  light  frame  covered  with  cotton 
of  sufficiont  size  to  enclose  the  rose  bed, 
under  which  he  burns  tobacco  slowly, 
so  as  to  smoke  out  this  troublesome 
leaf  hopper  and  all  other  pests  of  every 
kind  that  prey  upon  the  leaves. 

The  Green-fly  or  Aphis  is  sometimes 
very  troublesome  even  upon  rose  bushes 
in  the  open  air.  They  have  been  ex- 
ceedingly abundant  during  the  present 
summer.  We  presume  that  our  readers 
are  all  familiar  with  this  little  green 
plant  louse,  which  gives  birth  to  living 
young  lice,  which  in  turn  give  birth  to 
othei's,  which  thus  go  on  multiplying 
in  more  than  geometrical  ratio  all 
through  the   season.     In  the   autumn 


males  are  produced,  and  after  pairing 
the  females  lay  eggs,  which  remain  over 
winter,  and  on  the  return  of  spring 
hatch  only  females.  The  natural  enemy 
of  these  plant  lice  are  the  Lady-birds, 
which  in  the  larva  and  imago  state  feed 
upon  them.  But  they  are  not  always 
on  hand  with  suflficient  promptitude,- 
hence  we  are  obliged  to  have  recourse 
to  tobacco-water  or  a  solution  of  whale' 
oil  soap  to  get  rid  of  them.  An  occa' 
sional  sprinkling  with  either  will  usually 
suffice  to  keep  them  in  check. 

The  Rose  Beetle,  fortunately  is  not 
very  generally  diffused  over  the  country. 
It  seldom  appears  upon  plants  growing 
in  clay  soil,  but  seems  to  prefer  light 
sandy  soils.  When  they  do  appear  it 
is  usually  in  swarms,  about  the  time 
the  roses  are  in  bloom,  feeding  not  only 
upon  the  leaves,  but  also  upon  the 
flowers.  The  name  given  to  this  beetle 
by  Entomologists  is  Afacrodactylus 
suhspinosus.  It  is  a  little  more  than  a 
third  of  an  inch  in  length,  with  long 
sprawling  legs,  and  the  joints  of  the 
feet  armed  with  long  claws.  The 
general  color  is  a  yellowish  grey.  After 
they  have  been  feeding  about  a  month 
the  males  perish  and  the  females  enter 
the  ground,  lay  their  eggs,  about  thirty 
in  number,  which  hatch  in  about  three 
weeks,  and  feed  upon  such  roots  as  they 
can  find.  Late  in  the  autumn  the 
larvae  descend  to  a  considerable  depth, 
it  is  supposed  to  be  beyond  reach  of 
frost,  but  return  towards  the  surface  in 
the  spring,  and  forming  a  little  cell 
pass  into  the  pupa  state,  from  which, 
in  June,  the  perfect  beetle,  or  imago, 
emerges  into  the  open  air. 


172 


THE   CANADIAN   H0RTICULTCRI8T. 


The  best  method  of  destroying  them 
is  that  of  gathering  them  by  hand  in 
the  cool  of  the  morning,  at  which  time 
they  are  very  sluggish,  and  putting 
them  to  death.  Tobacco -water  and 
whale-oil  soap  are  of  no  avail  in  this 
contest,  nor  even  white  hellebore. 
Paris-green  will  kill  them,  but  there 
may  be  danger  in  the  use  of  this  power- 
ful poison  in  the  rose-garden  to  those 
whom  we  would  be  most  unwilling  to 
harm. 

These  are  some  of  the  insect  enemies 
of  the  rose,  the  most  common  in  this 
climate  and  the  most  widely  diffused. 
We  trust  our  readers  will  be  able  to 
recognize  them  by  the  description  given, 
and  be  able  by  the  use  of  the  means 
suggested,  greatly  to  counteract  their 
ravages. 


LOUIS  VAN  HOUTTE  ROSE. 

We  present  our  readers  in  this  num- 
ber with  a  colored  illustration  of  what 
is  considered  by  experienced  E-osarians 
to  be  the  finest  crimson  rose  yet  pro. 
duced. 

It  was  raised  by  Lacharme  from  seed 
of  Charles  Lefebvre,  and  sent  out  in* 
1869.  It  is  usually  of  medium  size, 
semi-globular  in  form,  and  highly  per- 
fumed. It  is  a  very  free  bloomer. 
The  plant  is  not  quite  as  hardy  in  our 
climate  as  we  might  wish,  but  well  re- 
pays the  care  needed  to  protect  it  from 
the  severity  of  our  winters. 


EARLY  TOMATOES. 
Mr.    Frank  Evans  picked  the    first 
ripe  tomato  in  his  garden,  on  the  5th 
July. — Orillia  Packet. 


TORONTO  INDUSTRIAL  FAIR. 
We  have  received  a  copy  of  the  Prize 
List  for  the  next  Industrial  Fair,  to  be 
held  at  Toronto  from  the  6th  to  the 
18th  September.  The  book  is  very 
tastily  gotten  up,  and  contains  cuts  of 
different  breeds  of  animals  for  which 
prizes  are  ofiered,  and  also  views  of  the 
City  of  Toronto  and  its  public  buildings. 
Any  of  our  readers  desiring  a  copy  can 
obtain  the  same  by  dropping  a  post 
card  to  Mr.  Hill,  the  Secretary,  at 
Toronto. 


QUESTION  DRAWER. 

BARREN  GRAPE  VINES. 
Dear  Sir, — I  have  three  grape  vines 
come  from  the  seeds  in  my  garden  : 
strong,  healthy,  in  their  third  year. 
Two  of  them  threw  out  some  blossoms 
last  year,  and  this  year  are  quite  full, 
but  on  each  time  the  blossoms  all  fall 
ofi",  leaving  no  fruit.  They  break  much 
earlier  than  any  other  kind  in  my 
garden ;  and  if  fruited  would,  through 
being  earlier  and  abundant,  be  very 
acceptable.  The  other  gives  no  evi- 
dence of  fruit.  Can  you  give  me  any 
information  relative  thereto  %  I  would 
like  to  hear  from  you,  or  from  any  of 
tlie  readers  of  the  Canadian  Horticul- 
turist, whether  I  may  look  for  grapes 
from  them.  The  bunches, — that  is,  in 
blossom, — shape  like  the  Concord. 
Yours  truly, 

H.    M.    SWITZER. 

Palermo,  21st  June,  1886. 

Reply. — It  is  quite  possible  that  th< 
flowers  are  only  pollen  bearmg,  being 
without  ovary  and  jDistil.  In  other 
words,  only  male  organs  are  present  in 
the  flowers,  and  therefore  no  fruit  will 
ever  form.     A  neisrhbor  had  some  seed- 


1 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


173 


ling  grape  vines  which  for  several  years 
bloomed  most  profusely,  shewing  large 
and  most  magnificently  formed  clusters? 
but  no  fruit  appeared.  Happening  to  be 
in  his  garden  one  season  when  they 
were  in  bloom,  the  writer  was  shewn 
these  beautiful  clusters,  and  asked  if  he 
could  tell  why  they  failed  to  set  fruit. 
An  examination  of  the  flowers  revealed 
the  fact  that  there  were  no  fruit  bearing 
organs  present,  that  the  ovary  and  pis- 
til were  not  developed,  hence  that  it 
was  impossible  that  fruit  should  ever 
be  borne  by  these  plants. 


SLUG  SHOT  AS  AN  INSECTICIDE,  &c. 

Dear  Sir, — (1.)  Have  you  had  any 
experience  with  slug  shot  as  an  insecti- 
cide for  apples  and  plums ;  and  is  it  as 
harmless  as  represented,  and  as  effec- 
tive as  Paris  green  1  (2)  Will  the 
Muscat  Hamburgh  Grape  ripen  in  a 
cold  grapery  1  ( 3)  Also  i)lease  say  how 
toad  stools  can  be  exterminated. 

R. 

Toronto,  23rd  June,  1886. 

Reply. — (1.)  We  recently  saw  a 
report  from  a  State  Analyst  to  the  effect 
that  its  usefulness  as  an  insecticide  was 
due  to  the  arsenic  therein.  We  have 
never  used  it.  (2)  In  some  seasons, 
but  seldom  full  flavored.  (3)  Apply 
quick  lime  freely. 


THE  ROSE  LEAF  HOPPER. 

Dear  Sir, — Have  no  cure  for  the 
little  white  insect  that  infests  the  rose 
bushes.  I  have  tried  everything,  but 
so  far  without  success.  Could  you 
refer  me  to  any  remedy  :  my  roses  are 
being  killed  out  rapidly  by  the  insects. 

I  am  delighted  with  your  Canadian 
Horticulturist.     If,  perhaps,  had  I  at- 


tended to  its  contents  a  little  more 
carefully,  I  would  not  now  be  asking 
for  information  to.  destroy  the  lice  on 
the  rose  tree  leaf. 

Sincerely  yours, 

J.  Hamer  Greenwood. 
Whitby,  Ont. 

Reply. — Please  see  article  in  this 
number  on  some  insect  enemies  of  the 
rose. 


THE  CABBAGE  MAGGOT. 
Is  there  any  remedy  for  the  maggot 
in  the  roots  of  cabbage  plants  early  in 
spring  1      It    does    great   havoc    here. 
What  would  a  cure  be  worth  1 

Wm.  Fleming. 
Owen  Sound,  June  30th,  1886. 

Reply. — This  maggot  is  the  larva  of 
a  fly  resembling  somewhat  the  common 
house  fly,  and  is  known  to  entomolo- 
gists as  Anthomyia  brassicse.  It  is 
often  very  destructive  to  young  cabbage 
plants,  sometimes  ruining  the  crop. 
Peter  Henderson  says  that  it  is  never 
troublesome  in  soils  abounding  in  shell 
lime.  If  that  be  the  case,  it  may  be 
that  a  heavy  dressing  of  lime  from  lime- 
stone would  prove  efficacious.  English 
authorities  advise  the  careful  pulling 
up  of  all  plants  affected,  and  burning 
them  so  as  to  destroy  the  maggots  in 
the  plants,  and  the  free  use  of  quick 
lime  applied  to  the  spot  whence  they 
were  taken  to  destroy  any  that  might 
be  in  the  ground.  The  writer  has 
planted  cabbage  on  the  same  piece  of 
ground  for  several  yeai-s  in  succession. 
In  the  two  first  seasons  the  fly  was 
very  troublesome.  A  dressing  of  wood 
ashes,  and  an  abundant  supply  of  stable 


174 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


manure,  have  been  the  only  applica- 
tions made  to  the  soil,  and  this  year 
there  has  been  no  appearance  of  the 
fly.  The  probability  is  that  the  natural 
enemies  of  this  insect  have  increased 
in  sufficient  numbers  to  keep  it  in 
check. 


BLACK-KNOT. 

1 .  Can  the  black-knot  on  the  cherry 
tree  be  cured  ? 

2.  Are  there  any  varieties  not  sub- 
ject to  black-knot  1 

W.  T.  White. 
Eglington. 

Reply. — 1.  We  doubt  if  black- knot 
on  either  cherry  or  plum  trees  has  been 
cured.  The  only  remedy  at  present 
known  is  amputation  as  often  as  it 
appears. 

2.  We  do  not  know  whether  there 
are  any  varieties  that  are  exempt.  We 
have  not  been  troubled  with  black-knot 
on  cherry  trees,  hence  have  not  had  any 
opportunity  to  see  whether  any  varie- 
ties escape.  Will  our  readers  who  have 
had  experience  on  this  point  please  to 
answer  this  question. 


CURRANTS. 

I  send  some  currant  leaves  that  have 
insects  on  them,  and  are  turned  red 
wherever  these  insects  get  on  the  leaves. 
What  is  the  best  remedy  to  use  to  des- 
troy them  and  save  the  currants  1 
Yours  truly, 

W.  C.  Adams. 

Reply. — They  are  green  fly.  Give 
the  currant  bushes  a  syringing  on  the 
under  side  of  the  leaves  with  tobacco - 
water  twice  a  week  until  you  get  rid  of 
them. 


CELERY. 

Dear  Sir, — Kindly  answer  in  next 
issue  of  Horticulturist  the  following 
questions : — 

1.  Do  you  think  it  necessary  to  have 
celery  blanched  before  being  stored  for 
late  winter  use  1 

2.  Would  you  describe  a  cheap  root 
house  for  storing  celery  which  you 
think  would  answer  for  this  cold  part 
of  Ontario. 

3.  Would  a  root  house  made  some- 
thing about  as  follows  answer :  Ground 
excavated  two  feet  below  surface,  then 
board  two  feet  above,  then  on  a  frame 
six  feet  high  twelve  foot  boards  meet 
and  slant  down  sides  with  windows,  all 
of  which  is  banked  and  covered  with 
manure. 

4.  Describe  the  most  approved 
method  of  keeping  cabbage  until  late 
in  spring,  either  in  root  house  or  out- 
side. 

By   answering  the  above   questions 
you  will  confer  a  great  favor  upon 
Yours  truly, 

H.  W.  Campbell. 
Penetanguishene,  Ont.,  June  8th,  1886. 

Reply. — 1.  It  is  not  necessary  that 
it  should  be  blanched  when  stored.  It 
will  blanch  afterwards. 

2  &  3.  Any  house  that  will  exclude 
frost  and  admit  of  ventilation  when 
needed,  and  in  which  you  can  plant  the 
celery  close  together  and  get  at  it  as 
required,  will  do. 

4.  The  usual  method  of  keeping  cab- 
bage over  winter  outside,  is  that  of  a 
trench  wide  enough  to  hold  two  heads 
of  cabbage  abreast,  placed  in  the  trench 
with  the  roots  up,  and  covered  with 
earth  in  the  form  of  a  ridge.  We  have 
not  had  any  experience  of  storing  them 
in  a  cellar  or  root  house,  but  in  that 
case  would  plant  the  roots  in  the  earth. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


175 


SMALL  FRUITS. 

Kindly  inform  me  in  next  issue  if 
convenient : — 

1.  Should  I  cut  away  the  old  wood 
from  raspberry  and  blackberry  bushes 
as  soon  as  fruiting  is  over  to  enable  the 
young  wood  to  ripen. 

2.  Is  it  true  that  the  first  plant  from 
strawberry  runners  will  not  bear  fruit, 
and  that  the  second  must  be  allowed  to 
grow  for  that  purpose.  I  wish  to  grow 
some  potted  plants  for  setting  out  early, 
so  they  may  get  a  good  hold  before 
winter. 

3.  I  enclose  you  a  leaf  from  a  black 
currant  buslj.  I  have  had  a  very  pro- 
mising crop  of  fruit  almost  totally  des- 
troyed by  the  pests  which  you  will 
notice  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  the 
leaves  shrivel  up,  and  then  the  fruit 
naturally  follows  suit.  I  have  used  a 
mixture  of  hellebore  and  sulphur,  two 
parts  sulphur  to  one  of  hellebore  in  a 
strong  solution,  but  my  bushes  seemed 
to  be  woi-se  after  it.  My  crop  for  this 
year  is  gone,  but  can  you  tell  me  how 
to  fight  them  another  time.  I  have 
been  told  that  a  strong  solution  of  soap, 
with  a  handful  of  salt  to  each  gallon  of 
water,  is  good,  but  I  am  afraid  the  salt 
may  kill  the  bush.  This  is  my  first 
year  in  fruit  raising,  which  may  account 
for  my  ignorance  on  the  above  ques- 
tions. 

Yours,  &c., 

C.  H.  Dunning. 

Reply. — 1.  It  is  a  good  practice  to 
cut  out  the  old  canes  when  the  fruit 
has  been  all  gathered. 

2.  We  have  no  faith  in  that  state- 
ment, but  would  take  the  first  strong 
plant.  Try  it  for  yourself,  and  report 
to  the  Canadian  Horticulturist  next 
summer. 

3.  Your  insects  are  aphides  or  green 
flies.    Syringe  with  tobacco- water.    The 


hellebore  will  be  of  no  use,  they  can 
not  eat  it. 


BLACK  APHIS— LADY  BIRD. 

Dear  Sir, — With  this  letter  I  send 
you,  by  parcel  post,  a  package  contain- 
ing specimens  of  insects  taken  from  a 
cherry  tree  and  a  black  currant  bush. 
Those  from  the  cherry  tree,  small  brown 
insects,  have  but  lately  appeared  and 
are  doing  great  damage.  Would  the 
kerosene  emulsion  be  of  any  use  against 
them]  As  for  the  insects  from  the 
black  currants,  I  could  not  tell  whether 
they  were  injurious  or  not,  as  the 
bushes  had  been  badly  injured  by  the 
green  flies,  before  I  observed  them. 

If  they  are  injurious,  please  tell  me 
of  some  remedy,  and  also  one  for  the 
green  fly.  If  this  is  too  late  for  the 
July  number  of  Horticulturist,  please 
answer  by  mail.  I  have  enclosed  stamp 
for  answer. 

I  remain,  yours  obediently, 

John  S.  Warren. 

Brooklyn,  Ont.,  P.O.  Box  5. 

Note  by  the  Editor. — The  insects 
on  the  cherry  leaves  are  the  black 
aphis.  They  are  unusually  abundant 
this  season  over  a  very  large  extent  of 
country.  The  remedy  is  an  applica- 
tion of  tobacco  water  with  a  garden 
syringe  upon  the  underside  of  the 
leaves.  Steep  some  tobacco  in  water 
until  the  liquid  is  of  the  color  of  strong 
cofiee,  and  apply  it  abundantly  every 
three  or  four  days  until  the  insects  are 
killed.  Those  insects  on  the  black 
currant  leaves  are  the  larvse  of  one  of 
the  Lady-birds  which  feed  on  the  green 
fly.  Do  not  do  them  any  harm,  they 
are  your  friends  ;  they  are  fattening  on 
the  green  fly  that  has  been  so  abun- 
dant on  the  leaves  of  your  black  cur- 
rants this  season. 


176 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

GLASS  PLUM. 
The  Glass  Seedling  Plum  which  I 
received  from  the  Association  was  eaten 
down  to  the  stump  two  seasons  in  suc- 
cession, and  afterwards  made  a  strong 
growth  of  about  four  feet  and  was  the 
only  plum  tree  which  stood  the  winter 
of  1880-81  with  me  out  of  about  104  of 
different  varieties  ;  it  has  since  made 
a  good  growth,  but  has  not  yet  borne 
any  fruit.  The  Prentiss  Grape  and  Fay 
Currant  have  both  made  a  good  growth 

London,  Ont.  ^'   ^1^^' 


INSECTICIDES. 

Dear  Sir, — I  send  you  a  paper  con- 
taining an  article  on  an  insecticide 
called  "  Buhach."  My  reason  for  send- 
ing it  is,  that  I  had  not  before  seen  any 
reference  to  it  in  any  of  our  horticul- 
tural publications.  And  if  there  is  any 
better  way  of  getting  rid  of  insect 
pests  than  we  now  know  of  it  would  be 
an  advantage  to  find  it  out.  The  insect 
pests  seem  to  be  unusually  bad  this 
3^ear.  The  hellebore  is  effectual  for 
the  currant  worm,  but  seems  to  have 
no  effect  on  rose  bushes.  My  neighbor, 
Mrs.  Wade,  says  the  aphis  on  her  rose 
bushes  seem  to  gi-ow  fat  on  it.  The 
latter  are  very  bad  on  my  rose  bushes, 
as  well  as  the  little  white  insect  that 
lodges  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf. 
Latterly,  I  have  been  trying  a  weak 
solution  of  Paris  Green  and  carbolic 
acid,  but  not  long  enough  to  know  the 
result. 

There  is  an  insect  powder  sold  by  the 
druggists  here  at  10  cents  per  ounce 
(on  enquiry,  I  was  told  a  pound  of  it 
would  cost  me  $1),  that  is  produced 
from  same  species  of  plant  that  is  re- 
ferred to  in  the  article  above  mentioned. 
The  druggist  showed  the  description  of 
it  in  the  U.  S.  Dispensator}^,  where  it 
is  called  Pyrethrum  anacylis,  grown  on 


Mediterranean  Coast  of  Europe,  &c. 
That  grown  in  California  is  called  Py- 
rethrum cinnerariafolium.  It  would  be 
interesting  to  us  outsiders  to  have  this 
mentioned  and  discussed  at  some  of  the 
meetings  of  the  F.  G.  A.  I  humbly 
suggest,  and  that  is  all  I  assume  to  do 
in  thus  bringing  the  matter  to  your 
notice. 

I  have  been  spraying  my  plum  trees 
with  Paris  Green  and  carbolic  acid. 
A  teaspoonful  of  former  and  about  t^vo 
tablespoons  of  the  latter  (the  carboKc 
acid  is  somewhere  between  the  crude 
and  refined ),  mixed  in  a  pail  of  water, 
and  sprayed  on  with  a  large  syringe. 
I  have  only,  on  examination  so  far  as 
I  could  reach,  been  able  to  find  but  one 
plum  on  each  of  three  trees  with  the 
mark  of  the  curculio  on  it.  One  of  my 
trees  is  the  Glass  Plum,  got  from  the 
Association  some  years  ago.  It  is  now 
a  fine  tree,  some  fifteen  feet  or  so  high, 
and  spreading  in  proportion.  It  is 
loaded  with  fruit  this  year.  It  had  not 
borne  any  the  previous  two  years,  but 
had  a  heavy  crop  in  1883;  perhaps  I 
allowed  it  then  to  bear  too  heavily. 
The  fruit  was  very  fine. 

The  frost  nipped  the  young  leaf  buds 
of  my  Catalpa  this  spring,  but  it  is  now 
throwing  out  vigorous  shoots.  My 
dewberry,  got  this  spring,  is  also  shoot- 
ing out  nicely.    Yours  respectfully, 

Wm.  Dickson. 

Parkhill,  June  12th,  1886. 

Note  by  the  Editor. — The  Green 
fly  can  be  subdued  by  frequent  syring- 
ings  with  tobacco  water,  say  twice  a 
week,  until  they  disappear.  White 
hellebore,  buhach,  Paris  Green,  and 
such  like  poisons,  will  have  no  effect 
on  green  fly,  in  as  much  as  they  can 
not  be  eaten  by  them,  but  the  external 
application  of  tobacco  water  will  kill 
them. 


fHK    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


177 


THE   ABELE    OR    SILVER   POPLAR— 
NOT  THE  SILVER  MAPLE. 

Dear  Sir, — As  requested,  I  forward 
a  few  leaves  of  the  silver  maple  grown 
here.  The  first  I  knew  planted  was  in 
front  of  the  central  school,  it  made 
enormous  growth,  a  great  spreading 
tree,  and  on  account  of  the  silvery  ap- 
pearance of  the  under  side  of  the  leaves 
and  the  glossy  surface  of  the  upper  side 
it  became  a  great  favourite,  but  after  a 
few  yeai-s  people  found  it  a  great 
nuisance,  because  it  suckered  so  much. 
Those  at  the  school  are  all  destroyed. 
There  was  several  trees  of  it  also  planted 
on  the  court  house  square  (so-called), 
but  I  see  they  are  trying  to  get  rid  of 
them  also.  We  have  the  silver  poplar 
as  well. 

W.  Hick. 

Goderich,  8th  July,  1886. 

We  are  under  obligations  to  Mr. 
Hick  for  his  kindness  in  complying 
with  our  request  that  he  would  send  us 
some  leaves  of  the  tree  known  in  his 
vicinity  as  the  silver  maple,  but  which 
had  the  bad  habit  of  throwing  up  suck- 
ers from  the  roots.  It  is  very  much  to 
be  regi-etted  that  this  poplar,  for  it  is 
one  of  the  varieties  of  the  poplar  known 
as  Abele  and  Silver  Poplar,  should 
have  come  to  be  called  silver  maple. 
It  is  not  a  maple  at  all,  of  any  variety. 
The  silver  maple,  known  to  botanists 
as  Acer  das/ycarpum,  is  a  very  fast 
growing  tree,  much  used  for  road-side 
I)lanting,  the  leaves  of  which  are  blight 
green  above  and  silvery  white  beneath, 
but  not  coated  with  such  a  thick  cover- 
ing of  white,  downy  material,  too  heavy 
to  be  called  pubescence,  as  is  found  in  j 
this  poplar.  They  are  also  more  deeply  i 
cut  and  sharper  pointed  than  those  of  \ 
the  poj)lar.    We  were  greatly  surprised,  , 


on  reading  Mr.  Hick's  previous  com-- 
munication,  that  the  silver  maple  should 
be  accused  of  throwing  up  suckers,  and 
felt  confident  that  there  must  be  some 
mistake.  We  trust  that  he  will  do 
what  he  can  to  correct  the  impression 
that  seems  to  have  got  abroad  that  this, 
poplar  is  the  silver  maple.  It  is  toa 
bad  that  so  useful  a  tree,  one  so  hardy, 
so  vigorous,  so  easily  transplanted,  so 
free  from  the  fault  of  suckering,  should 
have  been  confounded  with  the  silver 
poplar. 

The  silver  poplar  wdiich  Mr.  Hick 
mentions  above  as  being  also  grown  in 
his  section,  is  doubtless  another  variety 
of  silver  poplar,  possibly  that  knowiL 
to  botanists  as  F.  canescens. 


BEES  AS  HELPERS  IN  THE  ORCHARD. 

I  would  like  to  hear  or  read  a  dis- 
cussion on  the  subject  of  whether  an 
apiary,  kept  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  an  orchard  or  fruit  garden,  produced 
any  perceptible  difference  in  the  yield 
of  fruit,  in  comparison  to  any  other 
orchard  or  fruit  garden  not  being  in 
close  proximity  to  where  honey  bees 
are  kept,  but  having  other  equal  natu- 
ral advantages. 

This  question  may  appear  to  be  ridi- 
culous on  the  face  of  it,  but  I  should 
think  that  it  is  important  to  ascertain. 

We  have  much  yet  to  learn  of  the 
secrets  of  nature,  and  what  we  have 
attained  to  is  like  a  drop  in  the  bucket, 
or  the  first  step  in  the  ladder. 

The  relations  of  the  various  king- 
doms of  nature  to  each  other  are  but 
imperfectly  understood.  Goethe,  the 
German  poet,  relative  to  the  dawn  of 
light  entering  into  the  human  mind, 
illustmtes  it  by  the  figure  of  a  young 
man,  with  open  book  in  hand,  exclaims, 
as    he   sees    the    rising    sun    j)artially 


178 


THE   CANADIAN   H0RTICCLTUBI8T. 


obscured  by  a  passing  cloud,  "  Licht 
maher  licht  yets"  (Light,   more  light 

yet).  _ 

This  is  precisely  what  we  want  as 
horticulturists. 

Yours  truly, 
Berlin,  Ont.  SlMON  EoY. 

[Will  some  of  our  readers  please 
give  the  results  of  their  observations. — 
Ed.  Can.  Hort.] 


A  SCENTED  CLIMBING  ROSE. 

Perhaps  you  will  think  me  a  critic, 
but  I  beg  to  differ  from  you  in  your 
statement  in  June  Number  Horticul- 
turist, page  132,  where  you  state  that 
all  of  the  Prairie  Roses  are  scentless. 
The  Baltimore  Belle,  one  of  those  you 
named,  has  a  lovely  perfume.  If  I 
thought  it  would  retain  its  scent  I 
would  send  you  some  of  them,  as  they 
■are  now  in  full  bloom  and  beauty. 

W.  Hick. 

Goderich,  Ont. 

We  have  been  into  the  garden  and 
gathered  some  roses  of  the  Baltimore 
Belle.  There  is  more  perfume  than  we 
thought  it  had,  and  certainly  it  can  not 
be  called  scentless. 


FRUIT  PROSPECTS  NEAR  GODERICH. 

When  I  sent  you  my  last  I  stated 
that  we  had  a  great  show  of  blossom, 
but  we  had  frost  at  the  time  the  apple 
trees  were  in  bloom,  and  I  find  the 
apple  crop  is  very  light,  caused  no  doubt 
by  the  frost.  The  small  fruits,  as  straw- 
berries, raspberries,  gooseberries  and 
•currants,  are  very  plentiful,  and  a  lot 
of  cherries;  but,  dear  me,  the  cherry 
birds  or  waxwing  is  swarming  almost, 
so  that  it  has  been  a  job  to  get  a  few 
•cherries  to  eat,  and  the  Robins  take 
their  share  too.  From  what  I  see  the 
plums  are  not  suffering  so  much  from 


the  little  turk  this  season  as  usual. 
We  have  had  hot  dry  weather  for  some 
time,  so  that  the  land  is  much  in  want 
of  rain. 

Yours  truly, 

W.  Hick. 
Goderich,  Ont. 

ROSES— TWELVE    GOOD    VARIETIES, 
SOIL,  INSECT   ENEMIES,  ETC. 

Finding  it  impossible  for  me  to  attend 
the  meeting  of  the  Fruit  Growers'  As- 
sociation in  Lindsay,  I  will,  here  at 
home,  make  a  few  notes  on  NTo.  5  in 
the  list  of  subjects  for  consideration. 
The  subject  given  is,  ''  Roses. — Name 
twelve  varieties  suitable  for  general 
cultivation,  kind  of  soil  most  suitable, 
insect  enemies,  remedies."  I  presume 
the  term  "  general  cultivation "  refers 
to  out-door  cultivation.  The  more  ex- 
perience I  have  with  roses  the  more  care- 
ful I  become  in  passing  judgment  as  to 
which  are  really  the  best.  Three  weeks 
ago  everybody  who  came  into  my  gar- 
den pronounced  Baron  de  Bonstetten 
and  Jean  Liabaud  to  be  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  any,  but  the  dry  heat  of  the 
present  time  has  sadly  marred  the 
beauty  of  these  rich  fleeting  flowers,  and 
less  pretentious  roses  (which  at  the 
former  time  no  one  had  a  word  of 
praise  for),  as  General  Washington, 
Annie  Wood,  Countess  de  Serenye, 
Francois  Michelon,  and  other  good 
stand-bys  are  now  the  noticed  and  ad- 
mired ones.  And  I  find  that  occasion- 
ally some  of  our  best  roses  will  not,  for 
some  cause  or  other,  come  up  to  their 
proper  standard  of  excellence  through- 
out a  whole  season.  I  would  not  like, 
therefore,  to  say,  when  such  is  the  case, 
and  when  there  is  so  many  good  roses 
to  choose  from,  that  the  selection  below 
is  the  very  best  that  can  be  made,  but 
it  is  a  good  one,  and  as  good  a  one  as 
I  can  think  of  just  now.  The  list  is, — 
Louis  Yan  Houtte,  Baron  de  Bonstet- 
ten, General  Jacqueminot,  Alfred  Col- 


THK   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


179 


omb,  Annie  Wood,  Anne  de  Dieabach, 
Francois  Michel  on,  Paul  Neyron,  Vic- 
tor Yerdier,  La  France,  Madam  Noman, 
and  Coquette  des  Alps. 

Some  of  these,  I  know,  have  faults, 
and  quite  serious  ones,  as  Louis  Van 
Houtte,  Paul  Neyron,  Victor  Verdier, 
La  France  and  Madam  Noman  are  all 
quite  tender,  and  then  again  Louis  Van 
Houtte  and  Madam  Noman  are  also 
very  poor  growers,  and  Victor  Verdier 
is  scentless,  and  General  Jacqueminot 
is  not  full,  but  all  of  these  roses  with 
the  failings  I  have  mentioned,  have  also 
other  wonderful  points  of  excellence  of 
such  a  nature  that  they  could  hardly 
be  dispensed  with  in  a  garden  in  which 
only  a  dozen  kinds  of  roses  are  grown. 
These  are  all  old  well  tried  kinds  and 
in  the  order  given  pretty  well  cover  the 
range  of  colors  from  very  dark  to 
white. 

Now,  as  to  soil.  In  the  first  place 
have  it  so  drained,  naturally  or  arti- 
fically,  that  water  will  not  stand  for 
any  period  of  time,  at  any  season,  even 
at  the  depth  of  the  lowest  root,  as 
standing  water  will  invariably  kill  the 
roots  of  roses,  I  think  that  the  reason 
so  many  roses  put  in  such  an  apparently 
sickly  existence  and  produce  such  poor 
flowers  is  that  the  deep  roots  which  are 
the  life  of  the  plant  have  all  been  killed 
in  the  winter  preceding,  by  standing 
water.  Rose  beds  are  generally  so 
small  that  it  is  better  to  go  to  the 
trouble  to  prepare  them  properly  in 
the  first  place.  The  best  way  to  make 
a  rose  bed  is  (after  temporarily  remov- 
ing the  surface  to  afterwards  replace  it 
again  on  the  top)  to  dig  out  the  sub- 
soil, removing  it  to  the  depth  of  eighteen 
inches  or  two  feet,  and  then  fill  up  with 
sods  and  a  little  manure.  Sod  cut  on 
good  loamy  soil  is  the  best  if  it  can  be 
had.  Care  should  be  taken  that  it  does 
not  contain  any  larva  of  the  May  beetle. 
This  can  be  avoided  by  cutting  the  sod 
before   the   frost   is  fully  out   in   the 


spring.  Although  on  heavy  soils  this 
cutting  while  the  soil  is  wet  (as  it  must 
be  at  that  early  season),  tends  some- 
what to  make  the  ground  hard,  I 
have  found  that  filling  with  green  sod 
and  planting  at  once  produces  just  as 
good  results,  as  if  the  sod  is  already 
rotted,  if  there  is  sufficient  friable  soil 
on  top  to  plant  the  young  plants  in. 

As  to  insect  enemies,  I  may  say  that 
I  have  never  used  anything  but  whale 
oil  soap-suds  and  tobacco  water  applied 
with  a  syringe.  These  are,  either  of 
them,  sure  death  to  the  thrip,  and  very 
aggravating  if  not  quite  death  to  the 
green  fly.  The  thrip  must  receive  its 
quietus  at  once  when  it  makes  its 
appearance,  or  else  t\ie  plant  is  weak- 
ened and  stunted  and  falls  an  easy  prey 
to  everything  else  that  comes  along. 
This  season  I  have  just  syringed  my 
bushes  twice  and  now  everybody  asks. 
How  do  you  keep  your  bushes  so  clear 
of  insects  ?  I  reply  that  I  don't  do 
much  but  do  it  at  the  right  time. 

The  rose  thrip  comes  out  of  the  bark 
of  the  rose  early  in  spring,  and  when 
they  make  a  move  (which  they  do  all 
at  once),  the  rose  shoots  will  look,  when 
they  are  coming  through  the  bark,  as 
if  covered  with  small  white  thorns.* 
At  thi^  time  and  for  a  week  or  two 
following  is  the  time  to  thoroughly 
syringe  the  bushes.  Most  of  the  other 
rose  pests  deposit  their  eggs  on  the 
leaves  about  this  time  and  soon  after 
this,  and  my  theory  is  that  operating 
thoroughly  at  this  time  I  not  only 
destroy  the  thrip,  but  that  the  distaste- 
ful odor  of  the  remedies  used,  prevent 
other  insects  from  depositing  their  eggs 
in  such  numbers  as  they  otherwise 
would. 

Another  reason  for  beginning  early 
is  that  no  one  (even  if  it  would  destroy 
the  insects  as  well)  wants  to  be  firing 
soap-suds  and  tobacco  water  into  his 
roses  when  in  full  bloom.    I  would  just 

♦  NOTB.— This  will  be  quite  new  to  our  Entomologists. 


180 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


say  here  at  the  close,  to  any  who  would 
like  to  have  roses  and  who  are  deterred 
from  growing  them  on  account  of  these 
insect  bug-bears,  that  if  you  have 
already  fought  the  Colorado  Beetle  with 
any  measure  of  success,  and  if  you  will 
promise  to  take  the  same  interest  in 
your  roses  that  you  have  already  done 
in  your  potatoes  you  need  have  no  fear 
of  the  result.  F.  Mitchell. 

Innerkip,  July  8th. 


BID  WELL   STKAWBERRY. 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  a  Bidwell  straw- 
berry in  my  garden  measuring  six  and 
one-half  inches  in  circumference.  Is 
that  not  very  good  for  a  Bidwell  ? 

Yours  truly,'     Dr.  A.  Harkness. 

Lancaster,  June  28,  1886. 

THE  GREGG  RASPBERRY  AT  PETER- 
BOROUGH. 

Dear  Sir, — deferring  to  your  note 
in  the  July  Horticulturist  in  reference 
to  the  Gregg  black  cap,  I  may  say  that 
after  I  have  gathered  what  little  fruit 
my  Gregg's  will  bear  this  year,  I  shall 
dig  them  out.  Though  well  sheltered 
and  on  well  drained  land  they  have 
winter-killed  every  season  for  four 
years,  so  as  scarcely  to  yield  anything. 
It  is  not  more  than  a  second  quality 
berry  anyway.       Yours  truly, 

G.  M.  Roger. 

SOME  HARDY  SHRUBS. 

Dear  Sir, — The  dewberry  is  now 
doing  finely  and  so  is  the  Fay's  Prolific 
Currant  plant  that  I  got  last  year  ; 
1885  being  my  first  year  a  subscriber  to 
the  Canadian  Horticulturist.  I  like 
the  Horticulturist  very  well  and  es- 
pecially the  Annual  Report  of  F.  G.  A. 
of  O.  I  have  some  plants  that  I  think 
will  prove  hardy  in  most  parts  of 
Western  Ontario.  Daphne  Cneorum 
comes  out  in  spring  completely  covered 
with  its  sweet  scented  flowers  and  gives 


a  few  in  right  along  until  the  fall  when 
it  is  again  covered  with  flowers.  The 
Variegated  Weigela  also  does  well  and 
holds  its  colour  good.  The  Double 
White  Deutzia  requires  a  slight  pro- 
tection, but  it  well  repays  a  little 
extra  care.  The  Yucca  plant  stands 
the  cold  very  good  and  the  Hydrangea 
paniculata  grandiflora  is  quite  hardy 
and  a  very  rapid  grower,  but  the  Rose 
is  my  favorite.  I  have  not  a  great 
many  varieties  yet ;  about  twenty  dif- 
ferent varieties  and  some  good  seedlings. 

J.  M.  W. 
Fernhill,  Middlesex  Co. 


THE  PEWAUKEE  APPLE. 

It  is,  as  I  am  informed,  claimed  for 
this  variety  of  apple  that  it  is  a  seedling 
of  the  Russian  apple  Duchess  of  Olden- 
burg, having  its  characteristics  as  to 
hardihood,  being  dubbed  an  iron- clad, 
and  its  bearing  qualities,  with  the  addi- 
tional recommendation  that  it  is  a  win- 
ter fruit. 

Now,  with  regard  to  its  two  first 
qualities,  I  will  not  dispute,  but  to  the 
latter  I  object  upon  a  scientific  rea- 
son, and  that,  too,  most  decidedly,  as 
inconsistent  with  the  laws  of  nature 
which  are  the  laws  of  order  and  never 
deviate. 

It  is  well-known  by  botanists  that 
the  Duchess  of  Oldenburg  is  a  develop- 
ment of  the  wild  crab,  a  variety  indi- 
genous to  central  Russia  and  ripens  its 
fruit  towards  the  close  of  the  season  in 
that  country  and  would  therefore  be  in 
our  climate  nothing  else  than  a  late 
summer  variety,  and  its  succeeding 
progeny  precisely  the  same  ;  this  also 
being  the  case  with  all  varieties  from 
that  country,  and,  as  a  rule,  all  are  sum- 
mer fruit  and  cannot  possibly  be  other- 
wise. To  produce  a  winter  variety 
from  any  variety  of  Russian  apple 
would  require  a  special  suspension  of 
the  laws  of  nature  and  this  does  not 
often  occur  in  this  degenerate  age. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


181 


Our  winter  apples  have  emanated 
from  an  entirely  distinct  variety  of 
Pyrus  Mains  or  crab  apple,  indigen- 
ous to  Asia  Minor,  the  season  in  that 
country  being  longer  would  naturally 
make  in  our  climate  a  winter  fruit 
and  their  successive  progeny  the  same. 
The  principal  reason  why  winter  apple 
trees  are  as  yet  tender  in  tbis  country 
even  after  centuries  of  acclimatization 
they  yet  hold  fast  to  the  original  condi- 
tions under  which  they  emanated. 

Our  fall  ap})les  have  no  doubt  their 
origin  from  the  natural  wild  crab  of 
western  Europe,  another  distinct  var- 
iety, and  subject  to  the  same  natural 
influences  and  geographical  conditions 
as  the  preceding,  and  are  better  fitted 
for  our  climate  than  the  winter.  I  can 
easily  understand  that  a  late  fall  apple 
may  emanate  from  the  fertilization  of 
any  of  the  Russian  apples  with  winter 
varieties  as  producing  a  medium  or  late 
fall  fruit,  but  not  a  distinct  winter 
fruit. 

I  will  not  go  the  length  in  stating 
that  the  party  who  put  the  Pewaukee 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Duchess  of 
Oldenburg  as  a  winter  fruit  did  this 
knowingly,  but  he  is  undoubtedly  mis- 
taken. I  am  yours  truly, 

Simon  Roy. 


ORCHIDS. 
Sir, — I  am  glad  you  are  giving  some 
attention  to  that  beautiful  class  of  the 
Orchid  family,  the  Cypripediiim.  I 
think  if  florists  gave  as  much  attention 
to  these  as  to  some  less  beautiful  foreign 
plants,  they  could  be  made  to  overcome 
any  difficulty  of  culture  that  may  at  pre- 
sent exist,  not  that  they  could  be  made 
more  beautiful  for  they  are  all  that  could 
be  desired  in  that  direction,  its  season  of 
bloom  might  be  extended,  and  if  it  were 
j)08sible  for  you  to  have  a  coloured  plate 
prepared  of  these  lovely  flowers  for  the 
front  of  the  Horticulturist  it  would  do 
much   to  awaken  an  interest  in  that 


direction.  I  give  my  experience  with 
some  of  these  plants  which  is  encourag- 
ing to  myself  at  least,  and  I  hope  it 
may  be  so  to  others.  I  see  a  reference 
to  these  plants  under  the  caption  of 
Moccasin  Flower  in  the  June  number, 
page  133.  in  which  they  are  said  to  be 
difficult  of  culture.  I  took  one  from 
its  native  bed  in  a  tamarac  and  cedar 
swamp,  Oakland  Township,  Brant  Co., 
with  a  piece  of  sod  adhering  to  it  con- 
taining ferns  and  other  plants,  this  was 
Cypripedium  spectabile,  the  large  white 
and  purple  lady  slipper.  I  planted  it 
in  a  shady  spot  in  the  garden  in  rich 
soil ;  I  stuck  a  few  cedar  boughs  around 
it  and  watered  it  the  first  season,  allow- 
ing the  ferns  to  grow  around  it  as  be- 
fore and  kept  the  ground  around  well 
hoed.  I  kept  a  look  out  for  them  to 
make  their  appearance  next  spring  when 
I  discovered  a  small  plant  two  weeks 
earlier  come  out  of  the  clump  whose 
roots  had  been  heretofore  unno- 
ticed in  the  sod,  this  proved  to  be 
Cypripedium  parviflorum,  the  fragrant 
yellow  slipper  plant.  I  at  once  made 
another  search  in  said  swamp  and  found 
them  in  full  bloom,  this  was  about  the 
end  of  May  whilst  the  Cypripedium 
spectable  had  only  sent  up  long  shoots, 
it  blooms  June  22nd.  I  also  found 
Cypripedium  acaule,  the  pink  or  stem- 
less  lady  slipper,  this  on  higher  land, 
more  shady,  black  leaf  mould,  I  planted 
them  the  same  as  before  and  they  in- 
creased in  size  and  beauty,  and  drew 
fourth  exclamations  of  praise  from  those 
who  saw  them  for  three  yeai-s,  except 
the  pink  one,  which  disappeared  and 
never  came  up  in  the  spring.  Last  fall 
I  took  up  a  plant  of  each  and  packed 
them  with  my  Dahlias  and  other 
plants  and  brought  them  to  the  State 
of  Delaware,  and  after  being  in  the 
case  for  over  two  weeks  I  set  them  out 
hurriedly,  intending  to  have  them 
moved  to  a  more  suitable  location, 
but     they     remained     and     bloomed 


182 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST, 


nicely  nearly  a  month  earlier  in  the 
open  ground  in  dry  sand  without  water 
or  shade,  they  were  shorter  in  the 
stems  and  the  flowers  got  a  little  burnt 
with  the  sun.  I  am  trying  another  of 
the  pink  ones,  Cypripedium  acaule, 
which  I  found  here  in  the  woods.  I 
lost  the  cardinal  flower,  which  I  grew 
about  the  same  length  of  time,  in  mov- 
ing. I  intend  giving  them  a  suitable 
location  this  fall  but  they  seem  to  stand 
as  much  hardship  as  mo^t  plants  taken 
up  when  in  bloom,  but  their  great 
beauty  amply  repays  for  any  little 
trouble.  I  have  planted  a  number  of 
the  diSerent  honeysuckles  found  here, 
and  the  magnolias  that  have  been  in 
bloom  for  more  than  a  month. 

Samuel  Hunter. 
Hartly,  Delaware,  U.S.,  June 22,  1886. 

GOLDEN  QUEEN  RASPBERRY. 

Mr.  Lovett  writes  as  follows  con- 
cerning this  new  raspberry  : — 

Dear  Sir, — Wish  you  could  come 
and  see  Golden  Queen  Raspberry,  now 
ripening.  It  goes  way  ahead  of  all 
things  raspberry  that  I  have  seen. 
Larger  than  Shafier's  Colossal ;  as  pro- 
ductive, and  almost,  or  quite,  as  strong 
a  grower.  As  beautiful  as  a  May 
morning,  and  the  flavor  simply  grand. 
Think  it  will  keep  in  good  shape  for 
nearly  a  week  yet. 

Yours  truly, 

Jno.  T.  Lovett. 

This  raspberry  was  found  in  a  twelve 
acre  block  of  Cuthbert  in  1882.  Mr. 
Lovett  says  that  in  flavor  it  rivals  the 
high  quality  of  Brinckle's  Orange ;  that 
the  color  is  a  bright,  creamy  yellow  ; 
in  size  equal  to  the  Cuthbert,  and  like- 
wise in  vigor  of  plant  and  productive- 
ness, and  that  in  hardiness  it  has  no 
superior.  It  ripens  at  the  same  time 
as  the  Cuthbert. 


THE  PLUM  CURCULIO. 

BY   B.   GOTT. 

The  following  item  will  serve  to  show 
the  character  of  much  of  the  teaching 
given  by  superficial  experimenters  : — 

''There  is  no  use  in  trying  to  poison 
the  curculio  by  spraying  plum  trees^ 
with  water  containing  Paris  green  or 
London  purple.  The  little  pest,  which 
makes  its  crescent-shaped  incisions  in 
the  plum,  does  not  do  it  by  eating  in, 
but  only  stings  the  fruit.  As  it  never 
eats  in  its  perfect  form,  no  poison  can 
afiect  it.  But  if  sheets  are  spread  under 
the  trees  and  the  latter  jarred,  the  cur- 
culio will  drop  ofi"  and  can  be  easily 
caught  and  destroyed." 

It  may  be  true  that  there  can  be  but 
very  little  urged  against  the  practice  of 
jarriiig  the  trees  to  capture  the  plum 
curculio,  save  that  people,  as  a  general 
thing,  will  not  do  it  so  as  to  be  success- 
ful. In  the  first  place  they  do  not 
understand  the  time  to  jar,  and  so  much 
of  the  mischief  is  done  before  they  are 
aware  that  anything  is  the  matter  with 
their  plums.  Again,  they  will  not 
practice  jarring  sufficiently  frequent  to 
save  their  plums.  They  may  perhaps 
try  this  jarring  once  or  twice  sometime 
during  the  early  stages  of  the  fruit,  and 
when  the  last  plum  has  fallen  off"  they 
are  taken  with  a  sudden  fit  of  wonder 
at  the  mysterious  providence  that  has 
not  left  them  a  tasting  sample,  notwith- 
standing their  great  eflfort  to  save  them. 
Jarring,  to  be  really  serviceable,  must 
be  commenced  as  early  as  the  truit  is 
set,  and  be  closely  followed  up  every 
day,  or  even  twice  a  day,  for  at  least 
three  or  four  weeks,  or  as  long  as 
another  curculio  can  be  captured.  This 
involves  work,  but  nothing  less  than 
this  is  the  price  of  plums. 

To  say  that  there  is  no  use  in  spray- 
ing the  trees  with  Paris  green  is  not, 
according  to  my  experience  this  sum- 
mer, strictly  true.  I  concluded  to  try 
it  to  find  out  how  it  would  work.    The 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


183 


curculios,  just  after  the  blossoms  were 
nicely  off,  were  busily  working  in  great 
numbers,  and  with  a  doggish  persever- 
ance. We  got  our  spraying  pump,  and 
in  a  pail  of  water  placed  about  a  small 
tablespoonful  of  Paris  green,  and  by 
rapid  motion  with  a  stick  mixed  the 
powder  completely  into  the  water,  and 
proceeded  to  force  the  mixture  on  to 
the  leaves  and  the  fruit  in  liberal  quan- 
tities, until  the  trees  were  pretty  well 
besprinkled  and  bedewed  in  every  part. 
The  result  was  the  insects  were  at  once 
deterred  in  their  work  of  biting  the 
plums  and  laying  their  eggs  in  them. 
It  seemed  to  stop  them  almost  imme- 
diately. The  philosophy  of  this  may 
be  apparent  from  the  following  con- 
siderations : — First,  it  is  clear  that  the 
curculios  do  eat  or  bite  the  plums,  and 
so  may  get  some  of  the  poisons  applied 
into  their  systems  while  at  work  pro- 
viding positions  for  egg-laying  under 
the  lip  formed  by  their  mandibles  or 
pinchei-s.  But  secondly,  it  may  be 
possible,  and  quite  probable,  that  that 
indescribable  something  which  we  call 
instinct  in  insects,  and  which  sufficiently 
guides  them  to  the  selection  of  those 
positions  wliich  will  be  safe  and  sup- 
porting to  their  young,  and  which  also 
leads  them  to  avoid  those  positions  or 
influences  which  might  be  dangerous  or 
deathly  to  their  young,  operated  upon 
them  at  that  moment  and  caused  them 
either  to  leave  the  place  at  once  or  to 
stop  their  work  of  egg-laying  in  that 
position  for  tlie  present.  To  make  the 
thing  comparatively  sure  we  again  ap- 
plied another  dose  in  about  two  weeks 
from  the  first,  and  the  result  is,  we  think 
we  have  the  crop  safe,  and  the  gi'eat 
majority  of  the  plums  are  now  growing 
nicely  and  appearing  very  promising. 
The  danger  of  poisoning  from  the  use 
of  plums  so  treated  is  entirely  obviated 
by  the  frequent  rains  between  the  sea. 
son  of  treatment  and  the  time  of  using. 
Arkona,  Ont. 


REPORTS  ON  PLANTS  RECEIVED. 

Dear  Sir, — You  will  think  perhaps 
that  it  is  for  want  of  interest  in  the 
Fruit  Growers'  Association  that  I  have 
not  acknowledged  receipt  of  premiums, 
&c.,  but  such  is  not  the  case,  I  value 
too  highly  your  publication  not  to 
appreciate  it,  and  I  am  too  fond  of  fruit 
growing  and  horticulture  not  to  appre- 
ciate your  endeavours  to  place  in  the 
members'  hands  the  newest  and  most 
reliable  species  of  fruit  and  the  choicest 
of  shrubs  and  flowers.  But  to  my  re- 
port. 

The  Fay's  Prolific  I  received  last 
season  made  a  magnificent  growth  and 
this  year  has  a  good  sample  of  fruit  and 
I  am  greatly  pleased  with  it,  and  think 
it  is  the  finest  red  currant  I  have  ever 
fruited.  The  Lucretia  Dewberry  has 
not  yet  shown  life,  but  the  one  which 
I  got  from  an  agent  has  thrown  a  few 
sprouts  and  I  think  it  is  all  right,  as 
also  the  Leib  cherry  and  Schuyler  Gage 
plum  which  have  both  shown  good 
signs  of  vigor. 

I  have  two  shrubs  in  my  front  garden 
which  I  purchased  years  ago  and  had 
them  flower  successfully  in  Elora  and 
on  my  removal  to  this  place  about  five 
years  ago  I  brought  them  with  me  and 
one,  the  Deutzia  Crenata,  had  one 
spike  of  flowers  last  season  and  although 
it  has  more  on  this  season  it  does  not 
seem  to  be  vigorous.  The  other,  Wigela 
rosea,  has  never  bloomed  yet  although 
it  appears  healthy,  of  course  they  suffer 
more  or  less  from  frost,  and  the  climate 
of  this  country  is  not  suitable,  and  as 
I  have  never  seen  it  reported  on  from 
this  section  I  would  like  information  on 
the  subject  as  it  is  a  desirable  shrub.  I 
wish  to  ask  also  if  the  Hydrangea  pani- 
culata  grandiflora  is  hardy  enough  for 
this  locality,  if  so,  give  particulars  as  to 
time  to  set  out,  tkc,  and  oblige. 

Now  that  I  have  made  a  start  I  will 
try  and  liave  a  talk  with  you  more  fre- 
quently to  help  promote  the  interests 


184 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


of  the  Horticulturist  and  the  society  of 
which  I  feel  proud  of  being  a  member. 
Wishing  you  every  success. 

I  am  yours  truly, 

J.  Gordon. 
Flesherton,  Co.  Grey,  June  8,  1886. 

Note. — We  believe  that  Hydrangea 
paniculata  grandiflora  is  hardy  enough 
to  endure  your  climate.  Plant  it  in 
the  spring. 

Although  I  have  been  a  member  of 
the  F.  G.  A.  for  some  six  or  seven 
years,  I  have  not  yet  sent  my  experi- 
ence of  i)lants  received  ;  partly  because 
•owing  to  removals  I  have  lost  track  of 
some  of  the  plants.  The  Wealthy 
apple  and  Moore's  grape,  I  believe, 
have  done  well.  The  Worden  and 
Prentiss  vines  are  both  dead,  owing,  I 
think,  partly  to  insufficient  protection, 
and  partly  because  the  place  I  am  living 
on  was  new,  unbroken  ground,  and  the 
soil  was  not  in  fit  condition.  The  Pay's 
Prolific  currant,  received  last  year,  was 
broken  when  I  got  it ;  it  rallied  for  a 
time,  but  is  now  dead.  The  Yellow 
Transparent  apple,  received  this  year, 
is  doing  well.  I  put  out  a  few  more 
Fay's  Prolific  last  year,  at  the  same 
time,  and  side  by  side  with  the  premium 
one.  They  are  all  doing  well,  and  some 
•of  them  bearing.  I  am  very  pleased 
with  the  size  of  the  currants  ;  they  are 
very  large,  and  fine  bunches.  I  also 
set  out  a  few  Raby  Castle ;  these  are 
also  doing  well,  but  the  fruit  is  not  so 
large  as  Fay's.  At  the  same  time,  I 
planted  a  few  Houghton  Seedling  goose- 
berries ;  tljey  are  growing  well,  and 
bearing  good  sized  fruit.  Two  of  the 
Large  Golden  Prolific,  the  new  wild 
gooseberry  which  has  been  puffed  so, 
and  for  which  I  paid  one  dollar  a  bush, 
■are  nowhere  as  yet ;  they  are  alive,  but  I 
keep  very  stunted,  and  bore  a  few  poor 
miserable  berries,  which  nearly  all 
<iropped  ofi";  one  Houghton  is  worth 


half-a-dozen  of  them.  I  planted  six  or 
seven  Catalpa  speciosa  two  years  ago  ; 
they  are  doing  pretty  well,  but  the 
first  winter  the  young  wood  was  killed 
to  the  snow,  and  last  winter  some  of 
them  were,  but  not  all.  Your  corres- 
pondent, "E,.  L.",  on  page  76,  April 
number,  complains  of  the  present  sys- 
tem of  conducting  the  Horticulturist, 
the  columns  being  open  to  all  to  give 
their  experience  in  the  various  branches 
of  horticulture.  I  must  say  I  cannot 
agree  with  him.  I  think  this  feature 
is  one  of  the  most  valuable  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Association.  I  believe 
I  can  gather  more  useful  information 
regarding  what  to  i)lant,  from  corres- 
pondents living  in  Simcoe  county  or 
Muskoka,  than  you,  sir,  could  give  me 
from  St.  Catharines.  With  best  wishes 
for  the  future  success  of  the  Association, 
Yours  truly, 

J.  J.  K 
Penetanguishene,  Simcoe  Co. 

PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  FRT^IT  AND 
VEGETABLE  GROWERS  ASSOCIA- 
TION OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

The  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Growers 
Association  of  the  United  States  met 
at  the  Neil  House,  Columbus,  Ohio, 
June  17,  1886.  The  meeting  was  one 
of  unusual  interest.  The  various  papers 
read  all  embodied  deep  thought  and  re- 
search. The  most  interesting  discus- 
sions were  on  the  value  and  use  of 
fruits,  and  regarding  the  best  methods 
of  preparing  fruit  for  market  and  pre- 
serving it  for  family  use.  The  opinion 
seemed  prevalent  that  evaporated  fruit 
was  bound  to  obtain  and  hold  the 
highest  position  in  public  favor.  Not 
only  is  evaporated  fruit  superior  in 
appearance,  in  flavor,  in  healthfulness 
and  in  keeping  properties,  but  it  com- 
mands a  much  higher  i)rice ;  ordinary 
dried  apples  are  worth  from  two  to  two 
and  a  half  cents  per  pound,  evaporated 
apples  from  eight  to  ten  cents.     Com- 


THE   CANADIAN    HOBTI0ULTDRI8T. 


185 


mon  dried  peaches  are  worth  from  three 
to  five  cents,  evaporated  from  eighteen 
to  twenty-two  cents.  Ezra  Arnold,  the 
Illinois  fruit  grower,  presented  drawings 
and  specifications  of  a  cheap  evaporator 
made  and  used  by  himself  with  which 
he  has  had  better  success  than  with 
the  more  expensive  dry  houses  and 
evaporators.  He  evaporated  apples  in 
two  hours,  strawberries  in  three  hours, 
peaches  in  two  hours,  cherries  in  two 
houi-s,  corn  in  two  houi-s,  and  all  kinds 
of  fruits  proportionately  quick.  The 
evaporator  is  a  marvel  of  simplicity  and 
excellence,  and  can  be  made  by  any  one 
at  a  very  trifling  cost.  By  its  use  mil- 
l  lions  of  dollars  can  be  saved  the  pro- 
ducer and  consumer  each  year.  There 
are  thousands  of  families  that  dry  large 
quantities  of  fruit  annually  in  the  old 
fashioned  slow  way,  and  sell  it  at  the 
old  fashioned  low  price,  when  they  could 
with  but  little  expense  make  an  eva- 
poi'ator  and  evapoi*ate  five  times  as 
much  fruit  and  sell  it  for  five  times  as 
much  per  pound.  There  are  thousands 
of  families  in  the  cities  that  can  at 
times,  when  the  market  is  glutted,  buy 
fruit  for  less  than  the  cost  of  production, 
and  with  an  evaporator  can  prepare  in 
a  few  days  sufficient  fruit  for  a  year's 
consumption,  and  at  one- tenth  the  usual 
expenditure.  Mr.  Arnold  said  he  did 
not  intend  to  make  or  sell  evaporators, 
and  would  consign  to  the  Association 
liis  right  and  title  to  hLs  evaporators, 
provided  the  Association  would  procure 
cuts  to  illustrate  the  different  parts 
and  distribute  gratuitously  among  the 
farmers,  fruit  raisers  and  consumers  of 
the  United  Sttites  complete  illustrated 
•lirections  for  making  and  using  this 
evaporator.  On  motion  Mr.  Arnold's 
1  (reposition  was  accepted,  and  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  of  the 
Fruit  and  Vegetable  Growers  Associa- 
tion be  authorized  to  inform  the  people 
through  the  leading  newspapers  in  each 


State,  that  illustrated  directions  for 
making  and  using  Arnold's  fruit  eva- 
porator can  be  obtained  by  addressing 
our  Secretary,  W.  Orlando  Smith,  P.O. 
Box  104,  Alliance,  Ohio;  enclosing 
stamps  for  return  postage,  and  that  the 
Secretary  draw  on  the  Treasurer  for  the 
necessary  amount  to  defray  expense  of 
wood  cuts,  printing,  etc.  On  motion  a 
vote  of  thanks  was  tendered  Mr.  Arnold 
for  his  valuable  gift  to  the  Association. 
— W.  Orlando  Smith,  Secretary. 

Since  receiving  the  foregoing  we  learn 
from  the  Country  Gevtleman  that  the 
whole  affair  is  a  swindle.  This  is  what 
the  Country  Gentleman  saj  s  : — 

A  Curious  Plan  of  Swindling. — Some 
little  time  ago  we  received,  in  common  we 
suppose  with  most  of  our  contemporaries, 
the  following  note,  under  the  letter  head 
of  the  ' '  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Growers' 
Association  of  the  United  States,"  bearing 
a  long  list  of  officers  and  directors  : 

Alliance,  Ohio,  Juue  19,  1886. 
Mr.  Editor, — I  enclose  a  notice  of  the  proceedings 
of  the  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Growers'  Association  of  the 
United  States  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  June  17,  188G. 
Please  publish  it,  and  make  such  comments  as  you 
may  deem  proper  to  impress  the  importance  of  this 
subject  on  the  minds  of  the  x>eople.  Truly  yours, 
W.  Orlando  Smith,  Secretary. 

Knowing  of  no  such  association,  and 
observing  the  suspicious  character  of  the 
so-called  proceedings,  we  gave  the  subject 
no  further  attention.  But  one  of  the 
editors  of  the  Evening  Times  of  tliis  city 
had  the  curiosity  to  apply  for  further  in- 
formation, and  we  give  below  his  state- 
ment of  the  result  in  slightly  condensed 
form  : 

Enclosed  was  a  fac  simile  newspaper 
proof,  purporting  to  be  a  report  of  a 
meeting  of  the  above  named  association 
at  the  above  time  and  place.  The  whole 
"  proceedings  "  consisted  of  evaporated 
apples.  *'  Ezra  Arnold,  the  Illinois  fruit- 
grower," presented  a  drawing  and  specifi- 
cations ''  of  a  cheap  evaporator  made  and 
used  by  himself,  with  which  he  has  had 
better  success  than  with  the  most  expen- 
sive dry-house  and  evaporators,"  &c.,  &c.. 
He  generously  *'  assigned  his  right  and 
title  "  in  the  evaporator  to  the  association, 


8€{ 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICTJLTUEIST. 


"  provided  that  they  would  distribute 
gratuitously  among  the  farmers  and  fruit- 
raisers  of  the  United  States,  complete 
illustrated  directions  for  making  the  evap- 
orator. ' '  The  ' '  valuable  gift.' '  was  accept- 
ed with  thanks,  and  it  was  resolved  that 
the  public  be  informed  through  the  news- 
papers, that  for  enclosed  stamps  the  above 
W.  Orlando  would  send  the  before-men- 
tioned plans  and  specifications,  f ree-gratis- 
for-nothing.  We  wrote  to  W.  Orlando 
and  enclosed  a  stamp.  In  return,  we  re- 
ceived a  small  printed  circular  containing 
"  specifications  and  diagrams  of  the  Arnold 
evaporator."  which  the  circular  said  "  will 
enable  you  to  intelligently  make  and  use 
it  :  and  the  probable  cost  will  be  from  $12 
to  $15  for  a  machine  of  40  pounds  capa- 
city." The  specifications,  on  the  principle 
of  similia  similibus  curantur,  would  work 
miracles  in  the  Utica  asylum.  But  fortu- 
nately there  was  a  way  out  indicated  by 
the  "■  nigger  in  de  meal."  This  was  an- 
other circular  by  W.  Orlando,  saying  : 

'*  Since  our  meeting  and  i)ublicatiou  of  the  specifi- 
cations and  diagram  of  the  Arnold  evaporator,  there  has 
been  laid  before  our  committee  an  evaporator  made  at 
Newark,  O.,  made  by  the  Common  Sense  Evaporator 
Co.,  which  we  find  iij)ou  tliorough  examination,  far 
superior  to  the  Arnold,  because  it  will  evaporate 
quicker,  do  it  better,  and  only  costs  $7  delivered  to 
your  nearest  R.  R.  station,  all  expenses  paid,  which  is 
only  about  half  the  cost  to  make  the  Arnold." 

Thank  you  Mr  Orlando,  we  think  we 
will  not  invest  to-day^^  We  will  stick  to 
the  old-fashioned  dried  apples  until  De- 
cember, when  if  we  happen  to  be  at  the 
Southern  Hotel  in  St.  Louis,  at  ten  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  we  will  look  in  and  see  if 
there  are  any  greenhorns  there  who  have 
tried  the  "  Common  Sense,"  Meanwhile 
we  commend  Mr.  W.  Orlando  to  the  at- 
tention of  the  Post-Office  Department. 

PEARS  AND  BLOSSOMS  AT  THE  SAME 
TIME. 

Mr.  F.  Kean's  garden  contains  a  nat- 
ural curiosity,  in  the  shape  of  a  pear 
tree  on  which  can  be  seen  at  the  present 
time,  on  one  side  peai-s  fully  formed 
larger  than  eggs,  and  on  the  otlier  side 
blossoms  still  in  full  bloom.  It  is  not  a 
graft,  either. — Orillia  Packet. 


are  we  aware  that  the  fact  that  it  is  or 
is  not  a  graft  has  anything  to  do  with 
the  performance. — Ed.  Can.  Hort.] 


[This  is  not  a  very  uncommon  proceed- 
ing on  the  part  of  some  pear  trees,  nor 


THE  CODLIN  MOTH  AND  BARK 
LOUSK. 

CoDLiN  Moth  [Garpocaijsa  poinonel- 
la,  Linn.) — This  insect,  though  so  well 
known  as  a  larva — the  ''  apple  worm  " 
is  not  familiar  even  to  our  wisest  fruit 
growers  in  its  mature  or  moth  state. 

In  May,  about  two  weeks  after  the 
blossoms  appear,  the  female  moth  com- 
mences to  lay  eggs  in  the  calyx  of  the 
blossoms.  These  soon  hatch,  when  the 
minute  larva  eats  into  the  apple  and 
feeds  upon  the  pulp  about  the  core, 
filling  the  space  with  its  fecal  filth. 

Some  good  observers  argue  that  a 
single  larva  feeds  in  several  apples. 
While  it  is  hard  to  prove  that  this  may 
not  be  true,  I  am  sure  that  it  is  not 
always  the  case,  and  from  my  observa- 
tions and  experiments  I  have  been  led 
to  believe  that  it  was  exceptional  if 
ever  true.  One  wormy  apple  placed 
with  several  others  in  a  box  has  always 
remained  the  only  one  injured. 

This  spring  moths  continued  to  come 
from  cellar  or  apple  house  till  July.  I 
have  taken  such  moths  July  4th  on  the 
screen  of  my  cellar  window.  The 
whitish  larvae  attain  their  full  growth 
in  about  four  weeks.  This  period  will 
be  lengthened  by  cold  and  shortened  by 
heat.  When  mature  the  larva  leaves 
the  apple,  which  may  have  fallen  to 
the  ground,  and  seeks  a  secluded  place 
in  which  to  spin  its  cocoon  and  pupate. 
The  pupa  or  chrysalis  is  much  like 
those  of  other  moths.  The  pupai 
of  the  June  and  July  larvte  are  found 
in  the  cocoons  soon  after  the  latter  are 
formed,  while  those  of  the  autumn 
larva3  do  not  pupate  till  spring,  but 
pass  the  winter  as  larva3  in  the  cocoons. 
The  eggs  of  tHe  second  brood  are  J  aid 
in  July,  AugiBBtand  September.     "Ehe: 


THB   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


187 


larvae  feed  in  autumn  and  often  till 
mid-winter,  while  as  just  stated  they 
do  not  pupate  till  spring. 

REMEDIES. 

As  this  is  by  far  the  most  injurious 
pest  of  the  apple,  it  should  be  widely 
known  that  we  have  a  satisfactory 
remedy. 

The  old  method  of  bandaging  failed 
signally,  as  it  required  careful  attention 
right  in  the  busy  season,  at  intervals 
of  from  ten  to  fifteen  days.  This  was 
neglected  and  so  the  method  was  a 
failure.  A  better  method  was  that  of 
pasturing  hogs  in  the  orchard,  which 
would  eat  the  wormy  apples,  as  soon  as 
they  fell,  and  thus  save  the  fruit,  and 
kill  the  insects.  This  remedy  was  im- 
perfect, as  many  larvae  left  the  apples 
before  they  fell  from  the  tree,  and  so  of 
course  escaped.  To  render  this  prac- 
tice effectual,  the  orchardist  must  fell 
the  wormy  apples  to  the  ground,  before 
the  worms  leave  them.  As  the  mound 
of  filth  at  the  calyx  end — which  as  the 
apple  grows  will  hang  down — shows 
which  apples  are  wormy,  it  is  not  very 
dificult,  with  a  forked  stick,  to  remove 
all  wormy  fruit.  This  not  only  makes 
the  hog  remedy  quite  perfect,  but  also 
thins  the  fruit,  which  insures  much 
finer  apples. 

Another  so-called  remedy  which  finds 
space  in  the  papers  each  year,  is  to 
attract  these  moths  to  liquids,  either 
sour  or  sweet,  which  are  placed  in  ves- 
sels suspended  in  the  fruit  trees.  It  is 
said  that  sour  milk  and  sweetened 
water  will  lure  scores  of  these  moths 
and  drown  them.  This  remedy,  like 
that  of  attracting  these  moths  by  fires 
in  which  they  will  be  burned,  is  entire- 
ly worthless.  /  have  tried  both  repeat- 
'"■^ly,  and  tolth  not  a  shadow  0/  success. 

SPRAYING    WITH    THE    AKSKNITES. 

By  far  the  best  remedy  for  this  cod- 
liu  moth,  is  to  use  either  London  Pur- 
ple or  Paris  Green.  The  remedy  is  not 
only  very  efficient,  but  is  also  easy  of 


application,  and  not  expensive.  I  have 
now  tried  this  thoroughly  for  six  years, 
and  in  each  and  every  case  have  been 
more  than  pleased  with  its  excellence. 
Enterprising  fruit  growers  of  New 
York,  Michigan,  and  other  States  have 
also  tried  it  and  are  as  loud  in  its 
praise  as  I  am.  Indeed,  I  know  of  no 
one  who  has  tried  it  in  vain. 

I  have  found  London  Purple  just  as 
effective  as  Paris  Green,  and  as  it  is 
cheaper,  and  rather  easier  to  mix  in 
the  water,  is  to  be  preferred.  White 
arsenic  will  serve  as  well,  but  from  its 
color  it  is  apt  to  be  mistaken  for  some 
other  substance,  and  may  thus  in  the 
hands  of  the  careless  do  great  harm, 
and  perhaps  even  destroy  human  life. 

I  mix  the  powder  one  pound  to  fifty 
gallons  of  water.  It  is  best  to  wet  the 
powder  thoroughly  and  make  a  paste 
before  putting  it  into  the  vessel  of 
water,  that  it  may  all  mix,  and  not 
form  lumps.  For  a  few  trees  we  may 
use  a  pail,  and  Whiteman's  Fountain 
Pump,  always  keeping  the  liquid  well 
stirred.  One  common  pail  of  the  liquid 
will  suflice  for  the  largest  tree.  A  tea- 
spoonful  of  the  poiaori,  is  enough  for  a 
pailful  of  water.  For  a  large  orchard, 
common  barrels  should  be  used,  and 
drawn  in  waggon.  I  prefer  to  have 
the  barrels  stand  on  end,  with  a  close 
movable  float,  with  two  holes  through 
it,  one  for  the  pipe  or  hose  from  the 
pump  and  the  other  for  a  stirrer.  If 
very  large  orchards  are  to  be  treated  a 
good  force  pump  should  be  fastened  to 
the  barrel.  In  western  New  York  the 
han<lle  of  the  pump  is  attached  to  the 
waggon  wheel,  so  that  no  hand  power  is 
required  other  than  to  drive  the  team 
and  manage  the  pipe  which  carries  the 
spray.  The  spi-ay  may  be  caused  by  a 
fine  perforated  nozzle  or  a  cyclone  noz- 
zle. The  finer  it  is  the  less  lifpiid  will 
be  required.  Tlie  important  thing  is  to 
scatter  the  sprat/  on  all  the  fruit,  and 
get  just  iis  little  on  as  possible.     The 


188 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTIOULTURISf. 


larva  is  killed  by  eating  the  poison,  and 
we  find  that  the  faintest  trace  suffices 
for  the  purpose.  Again,  the  poison 
should  be  applied  early,  by  the  time 
the  fruit  is  the  size  of  a  small  pea.  I 
have  found  one  such  application  to 
work  wonders.  There  is  no  doubt  but 
that  the  first  application,  followed 
by  one  or  two  others  at  intervals  of 
two  or  three  weeks,  would  be  more 
thorough,  yet  I  have  found  one  applica- 
tion, made  early,  so  effective,  that  I 
have  wondered  whether  it  is  best  or 
necessary  to  make  more  than  one  appli- 
cation. I  do  think,  however,  that  it 
must  be  early.  In  May  and  June  the 
calyx  of  the  apple  is  up,  and  so  the 
poison  is  retained  sufficiently  long  to 
kill  most  all  of  the  insects. 

One  more  count  in  favor  of  this  treat- 
ment, is  the  further  good  we  receive  by 
killing  the  several  phytophagous  larvae 
that  attack  the  foliage  of  the  apple  at 
this  early  period  when  defoliation  is  so 
harmful.  Thus  the  terrible  canker- 
worm,  the  several  destructive  leaf  rol- 
lers which  even  eat  out  the  very  buds, 
and  that  old  pest,  the  tent  caterpillar, 
are  all  made  to  bite  the  sod.  Very 
likely,  too,  the  plum  gouger  which  so 
deforms  the  apple  in  Wisconsin  may 
also  find  in  this  remedy  its  death  war- 
rant. 

The  dinger  from  this  practice  I  have 
proved  to  be  nothing  at  all.  The  micro- 
scope and  chemical  analysis  have  both 
shown  that  all  the  poison  has  been  re- 
moved long  before  we  wish  to  eat  the 
fruit.  The  wind  no  less  than  the  rain 
helps  to  effect  this  removal,  as  I  have 
shown  by  putting  the  poison  on  plants 
sheltered  from  all  rains.  Of  course  we 
should  not  turn  stock  into  an  orchard 
till  a  heavy  rain  has  washed  the  poison 
fVom  all  herbage  under  the  trees. 

I  am  entirely  positive  that  a  know- 
ledge and  practice  of  this  remedy 
throughout  our  country  will  save  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  dollars  to  our 


fruit  growers.  It  will  serve  to  give  us 
the  fair,  perfect  apples  known  to  our 
fathers,  but  which  have  become  lament- 
ably scarce  in  our  modern  orchards. 

THE  APPLE  TREE  BARK  OR  SCALE  LOUSE. 

In  many  parts  of  our  State  the"  Apple 
Scale  or  bark  louse  is  very  common  and 
destructive.  This  is  often  called  the 
Oyster  Shell  Bark  Louse  and  is  known 
in  science  as  Mytilaspis  pomoruin, 
BoucM. 

Under  the  scales,  from  late  summer 
till  the  following  June,  will  be  found 
scores  of  small  white  eggs,  which  re- 
semble white  powder,  unless  magnified. 
Early  in  June  these  eggs  hatch,  and 
the  minute  yellowish  lice  will  be  seen 
scattered  about  the  trunk  and  brandies 
of  the  tree.  Soon  they  insert  their 
beaks  into  the  bark,  sometimes  into  the 
skin  of  the  fruit,  and  commence  to  suck 
the  sap  or  juice.  They  now  grow 
rapidly,  and  secrete  a  waxy,  fibrous 
substance,  which  forms  the  growing 
scale,  which  will  be  fully  developed  by 
August,  when  the  many  white  eggs 
will  again  be  laid  under  the  protecting 
scale,  where,  unless  eaten  by  some  para- 
site or  mite,  etc.,  will  remain  in  safety 
till  the  coming  June. 

It  seems  strange  that  these  small, 
almost  microscopic,  insects  can  do  so 
much  injury,  as  they  often  entirely 
destroy  large,  vigorous  trees.  Yet  when 
we  consider  their  numbers  —  almost 
millions,  which  almost  cover  the  bark 
of  the  tree,  it  does  not  seem  so  strange. 
The  scales  of  the  male  lice  are  rarely 
seen.  They  are  found  on  both  sides 
of  the  leaves,  and  are  more  symmetri- 
cal than  the  female  scales.  The  males 
have  two  wings. 

REMEDIES. 

Parasites,  Mites,  and  Lady  Beetles 
all  prey  upon  these  fell  destroyers,  but 
though  efficient  aids,  they  are  not  al- 
ways enough  to  exterminate  the  lice, 
and  then  the  trees  fall  victims  to  these 


TflE  CANADIAN   HOETICFLTURlBT. 


18^ 


ruthless  suckers.  I  have  seen  trees  in 
all  parts  of  our  State  thus  enfeebled  or 
destroyed. 

The  old  remedy,  soft  soap,  or  a  strong 
solution  of  the  same,  will  surely  van- 
quish this  enemy  if  it  is  applied  in 
early  June,  and  again  three  weeks  later. 
I  have  proved  the  efficacy  of  this  treat- 
ment over  and  over  again.  The  trees 
at  once  put  on  new  vigor,  and  in  a 
short  time  only  dead  lice  could  be  found. 
To  apply  this  specific  I  know  of  no  bet- 
ter way  than  to  use  a  cloth  and  scrub 
by  hand.  To  be  sure  we  can,  if  dainty, 
use  a  brush  like  a  shoe  brush,  but  I 
like  to  go  at  it  with  a  good  cloth,  when, 
with  sleeves  rolled  up,  I  make  pretty 
sure  that  no  louse  escapes. 

For  the  past  few  years  I  have  changed 
the  substance  by  adding  crude  carbolic 
acid,  which  T  think  improves  it,  especi- 
ally if  but  one  application  is  to  be 
made  ;  and  we  know  that  at  this  busy 
season  the  second  application  is  apt  to 
be  neglected. 

I  heat  to  the  boiling  point  one  quart 
of  soft  soap  to  two  gallons  of  water, 
and  while  still  hot  thoroughly  stir  in 
one  pint  of  crude  carbolic  acid.  This 
may  be  applied  as  before.  This  carbolic 
acid  mixture  retains  its  virtue,  I  think, 
longer  than  does  the  soap  alone,  and  so 
is  especially  desirable  when  but  one  ap- 
plication is  to  be  made,  as  described 
above. 

Like  the  ai-senites,  so  this  carbolic 
acid  and  soap  mixture  is  of  triple  value. 
Not  only  does  it  kill  the  dreaded  lice 
but  it  also  keeps  off  the  borers,  which 
are  also  serious  pests  in  the  orchards. 
I  have  demonstrated  beyond  question 
that  these  enemies  are  surely  kept  away 
by  the  same  treatment,  applied  at  the 
same  time  for  which  we  use  it  to  ward 
off  the  scale  lice.  No  wonder,  then, 
that  our  trees  put  on  such  new  life  and 
vigor  after  this  annual  scrubbing. 

In  each  of  these  remedies,  then,  not 
simply  two  but  sevei-al  birds  are  killed 


by  the  self  same  stone.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  many  of  our  fruit  growers 
will  throw  it,  and  thus  secure  fairer 
fruit. — A.  J.  Cook  :  Bulletin  of  the 
Entomological  Department,  Agricultural 
College,  Michigan,  U.S.A. 


NOTES  ON  LATTER-DAY  STRAW- 
BERRIES. 

Prince  of  Berries  does  not  ripen 
evenly,  and,  though  of  good  quality, 
will  not  be  the  berry  for  the  million. 
Parry,  its  child,  is  earlier,  larger,  ripens 
more  evenly,  and  is  more  prolific, 
though  not  so  good  in  quality.  Parker 
Earle,  though  the  foliage  is  variegated, 
bears  large  berries  and  many  of  them. 
It  is  firm  and  of  good  quality.  Lida 
offered  this  Spring  at  the  modest  price 
of  $1  each  plant,  is  a  rich,  dark  crimson 
in  color,  of  fine  shape,  ovate-conical, 
generally  pointed  at  the  tip.  It  is  of 
fair  quality.  It  is  a  berry  of  some 
promise,  if  we  may  judge  from  spring- 
set  plants.  Jewell,  what  shall  we  say 
of  this  1  In  size  of  berry,  in  evenness 
of  ripening,  in  keeping  up  the  size  dur- 
ing the  season,  in  shape,  in  productive- 
ness, in  vigor  of  plant  it  is  all  that  could 
be  desired.  Could  we  add  to  its  quality 
and  a  trifle  to  its  firmness,  it  would  be 
perfect.  May  King  disappoints  us  as 
to  earliness.  But  the  plants  are  vigor- 
ous and  productive,  the  berry  of  good 
quality,  shapely  and  firm.  It  resembles 
the  Crescent,  but  is  larger.  The  Hen- 
derson is  at  the  Rural  Grounds,  a  dis- 
appointment. The  plants  are  variable, 
some  being  quite  strong,  others  feeble. 
They  are  not,  at  all  events  productive 
as  grown  with  us.  The  berries  mature 
as  if  protesting  against  ill-treatment, 
being  variable  in  size  and  shape.  But 
the  quality  is  superb — in  fact  it  is  the 
best  berry  for  one  of  its  si»?  that  we 
know  of.  Were  we  to  grow  seedlings 
with  the  view  of  |)roducing  a  perfect 
berry,  we  should  strike  for  the  quality 


19a 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTUEIST. 


of  the  Henderson  combined  with   the 
other  merits  of  the  Jewell. 

Bonanza  is  uniq  ue.  Of  all  harlequin- 
shaped  berries,  this  takes  the  prize. 
The  plants  are  marvels  of  vigor,  the 
berries  often  of  remarkable  size,  but  no 
two  alike,  except  as  to  a  swan-like  neck, 
a  characteristic  of  all.  The  berries  are 
furrowed,  coxcomed,  winged,  upside- 
down,  wrinkled,  round,  square,  paralle- 
logramatic,  rhomboidal,  and  every  other 
shape  we  have  ever  seen  in  a  strawberry, 
except  a  regular  heart  shape.  The 
plants  are  quite  fruitful,  the  berries  of 
good  quality  but  generally  hollow  and 
mushy  in  the  middle.  Iron-clad  is  this 
year  the  earliest  berry  we  have.  The 
plants  are  thrifty  and  healthy.  The 
berries  are  of  medium  size,  about  the 
shape  of  Crescent,  firm  and  of  good 
quality.  We  know  of  no  better  berry 
that  is  as  early.  Amateur  is  a  variety 
with  pronounced  virtues  and  pronounc- 
ed failings.  The  quality  is  better  than 
that  of  Jewell.  It  is  almost  as  produc- 
tive, but  the  berries  average  smaller 
and  softer.  The  plants  are  as  vigorous 
as  need  be,  but  the  leaves  so  o'ertop 
the  berries,  borne  on  slender  peduncles, 
that  the  berries  ripen,  as  it  were,  in  a 
dense  shade.  The  foliage  of  Connecti- 
cut Queen  burns — the  berries  shrivel. 
Vineland  Seedling  is  of  little  promise. 
Wonderful  is  of  fair  quality,  medium- 
early,  bright  red,  quite  firm,  variable  in 
shape  and  size.  Plants  vigorous,  but 
not  remarkably  productive.  Queen  of 
the  Peninsula  bears  rather  small  ber- 
ries, and  is  not  worthy  of  introductioii. 
Dimondale,  also,  had  better  be  confined 
to  the  originator's  grounds.  Gardener's 
Colossal  seems  worthy  of  future  trial. 
The  berries  are  of  fine  shape,  firm  and 
good.  Bubach  No,  5  is  promising. 
The  berries  average  very  large,  bright 
red  in  color,  variable  in  shape,  firm  and 
of  fair  quality.  Iroquois  we  nuist  not 
speak  of  yet.  Bomba  resembles  Lida, 
but  is  not  so  prolific.     Later  in  the  sea- 


son we  shall  again  refer  to  the  above 
berries,  and  to  many  others  being  tried 
this  season  for  the  first.  Illustrations 
will  accompany  the  best  of  them. — Ru- 
ral New-Yorker. 


BONES  DISSOLVED  WITH  ASHES. 

In  dissolving  bones  with  ashes,  there 
are  several  things  to  be  considered 
to  prove  successful.  The  ashes  must 
be  good ;  those  of  oak  and  hickory  I 
find  the  best.  Some  say  that  wood 
grown  on  low  land  will  not  make  soap, 
consequently  will  not  dissolve  bones. 
As  I  have  always  burned  wood  from 
ofi"  ridge  land,  I  cannot  answer  for 
this.  The  ashes  must  be  kept  moist, 
just  so  they  will  not  drain.  They 
should  be  kept  from  freezing.  If 
suffered  to  freeze,  the  process  ceases. 
The  smaller  the  bones,  the  quicker  they 
will  dissolve. 

This  is  the  way  I  have  managed  my 
bones  for  the  last  two  years.  As  fast 
as  ashes  can  be  had,  they  are  put  in 
barrels,  the  bottom  is  covered  with 
about  six  inches  deep  in  ashes,  then  a 
layer  of  bones,  then  a  layer  of  ashes, 
then  a  layer  of  bones,  and  so  on,  until 
nearly  full,  and  then  finished  with  a 
layer  of  ashes.  I  use  two-thirds  ashes 
to  one  of  bone.  The  ashes  are  kept  wet 
all  the  time  with  soap-suds  or  chamber 
lye.  When  one  vessel  is  filled,  I  then 
put  in  another  until  I  have  all  the  bones 
used.  If  I  still  have  ashes,  they  are 
barrelled  away  until  near  spring,  then 
they  are  put  in  a  hopper  as  if  used  in 
making  soap.  When  I  wish  to  use  the 
bones,  and  I  find  them  not  sufficiently 
dissolved,  I  put  ashes  and  bones  in  a 
large  kettle ;  the  ashes  in  the  hopper 
are  leached  and  the  lye  put  on  the 
bones  and  ashes,  and  the  whole  mass 
boiled  until  the  bones  are  entirely  con- 
sumed. The  mass  is  now  in  a  doughy 
state  ;  this  is  mixed  with  loam  enough  to 
make  it  dry  as  wanted.  It  is  now  ready 
for  use. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


191 


When  lye  is  not  to  be  had,  this  mass 
is  boiled  with  water,  but  it  is  not  so 
good  and  takes  longer  to  dissolve  the 
bones. 

I  have  heard  it  said  that  caustic  lime 
would  dissolve  bones  as  well  as  wood- 
ashes,  but  I  have  not  tried  it,  and  can- 
not speak  from  experience. — Farm  and 
Garden. 


THE  ROBINSON  PLUM. 
The  Kobinson  plum  is  one  of  the 
most  promising  of  the  new  varieties. 
It  was  first  introduced  to  public  notice 
six  years  ago,  when  Dr.  J.  H.  Robinson, 
in  a  paper  read  before  the  Putnam 
County  Horticultural  Society,  described 
the  variety,  highly  praising  its  merits. 
It  was  named  after  Dr.  Robinson  by 
this  society.  .  .  J.  W.  Ragan,  in  his 
report  to  Indiana  Horticultural  Society, 
1881,  says  :  "The  Robinson  bore  one- 
third  crop  of  good  smooth  plums,  12 
trees  yielding  more  than  25  bushels. 
Fruit  slightly  oblong,  nearly  round, 
with  an  indistinct  suture;  color,  a 
pretty  marbled  red  on  a  yellowish 
ground ;  flesh,  when  fairly  ripe,  very 
fine,  almost  sweet ;  juicy  ;  when  cooked 
it  is  one  of  the  best  (having  almost  no 
trace  of  that  bitter  astringency  of  some 
of  the  Chickasaw  varieties),  and  very 
rich.  This  is  from  experience.  A  fine 
canning  plum  ;  seed  very  small.  .  .  On 
the  19th  of  August,  1884,  we  went  to 
Putnam  county  to  see  this  plum  in 
bearing,  and  there,  on  a  Mr.  Johnson's 
place,  saw  two  hundred  trees,  which  he 
planted  two  years  ago,  now  six  to  eight 
feet  high,  and  loaded  with  the  finest 
fruit.  Mr.  Coleman,  of  same  place, 
planted  eleven  small  trees  four  years 
ago,  now  about  two  inches  in  diameter, 
»'ight  feet  high,  and  the  limbs  weighted 
to  the  ground  and  breaking  with  their 
load  of  fruit.  Never  saw  such  loads  of 
fruit  on  small  trees  before ;  average 
moi-e  than  one  bushel  to  the  tree.  One 
tree  which  Mr.  Coleman  failed  to  prop 


and  tie  up  was  completely  ruined 
(broken  to  pieces).  On  single  limbs 
one  foot  in  length  twenty-eight  plums 
were  counted,  and  where  there  were 
spurs  the  number  was  largely  increased. 
The  tree  is  a  good  grower  and  is  per- 
fectly hardy." — Prairie  Farmer. 


^ 


A  SMALL  OUT-DOOR  FERNERY. 

There  are  but  very  few  small  gardens 
in  the  cities  or  in  the  rural  districts 
where  an  opportunity  does  not  exist  for 
the  making  of  a  pretty  hardy  fernery. 
The  north  end  of  the  dwelling  house  or 
barn  may  be  turned  to  good  account. 
If  the  surroundings  prevent  the  use  of 
such  locations,  a  space  behind  the 
bushes,  between  them  and  the  boundary 
fence  will  be  found  useful.  Send  a 
tiny,  winding  walk  by  one  of  the  larger 
bushes  into  one  of  these  neglected  spots, 
and  let  the  walk  emerge  at  another 
convenient  point.  In  selecting  the 
position  protection  must  be  afforded 
from  cold,  blustering  wind,  and  shade 
suflUcient  to  break  the  direct  burning 
rays  of  the  sun.  The  free  growing  and 
larger  species  of  Ferns  will  grow  in  any 
fresh  turfy  soil,  with  an  admixture  of 
sandstone  grit  and  small  stones.  All 
silly  or  elaborate  attempts  at  rockery 
making  are  unnecessary  ;  all  that  is  re- 
quired is  a  rich  sandy  loam  well  mixed 
with  the  materials  mentioned  above. 
When  they  commence  to  grow  after 
planting,  daily  sprinklings  with  tepid 
water  are  beneficial,  adding,  as  they  do, 
considerably  to  the  freshness,  health  and 
beauty  of  the  young  fronds. —  Vick's 
Magazine. 

EXPERIMENTAL  FRUIT  GROWING. 

The  Abbotsford  Fruit  Growers*  As- 
sociation has  lately  made  a  distribution 
of  13  trees  to  each  of  its  membei-s  to 
test  their  value  on  different  soils.  There 
were  315  apple  trees  of  52  varieties, 
including  several  long  keeping  Russian 


192 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


apples,  and  12  German  late  winter 
apples.  Some  were  received  from  the 
Iowa  State  Agriculture  College,  others 
from  Germany  ;  also  varieties  imported 
by  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture,  and  odd  varieties  not 
obtained  before. 

Of  pears,  63  trees  of  nine  varieties, 
half  of  which  were  of  the  celebrated 
Bessemianka  pear.  Plums,  18  trees  of 
three  varieties.  Cherries,  116  trees  of 
18  varieties,  mostly  dwarf  forms  of  the 
Griotte  or  purple-fleshed  Morello  type. 
Some  of  these  trees  or  bushes,  not  over 
three  feet  high,  bore  last  year,  and  their 
blossom  promises  another  crop  soon. 

This  is  not  the  first  work  of  the  kind 
done  by  the  Abbotsford  Association. 
Promising  fruits  are  obtained  and  placed 
in  the  hands  of  the  members  as  soon  as 
possible.  There  are  now  growing  at 
Abbotsford  97  varieties  of  the  newer 
Russian  and  German  apples ;  59  varie- 
ties of  Russian,  Polish  and  German 
pears.  A  few  Russian  and  many  Ger- 
man plums,  and  promising  North- West 
native  plums,  and  39  varieties  of  Ger- 
man and  Russian  cherries. 

Such  work  must  tell  in  time. 


RASPBERRIES. 

I  have  for  several  years  been  testing 
as  to  the  hardiness  and  productiveness 
of  raspberries.  I  would  place  them  in 
the  following  order :  Tyler,  Doolittle, 
Ohio,  and  Gregg.  The  Tyler  is  very 
hardy  and  productive.  The  Ohio  fol- 
lows in  good  time,  somewhat  later,  and 
it  is  a  large  yielder.  The  Gregg,  the 
latest  of  all,  and  liable  to  be  winter- 
killed, is  only  profitable  on  good  upland 
and  in  protected  situations.  Of  the  red, 
the  Philadelphia  and  Turner  are  perfctly 
hardy  and  yield  a  crop  every  year. 
The  Cuthbert  froze  back  to  within  two 
feet  of  the  ground.  It  is  a  fine  berry, 
but  not  as  hardy  as  I  would  like.     The 


Marlboro'  wintered  better.  Shaffer's  for 
six  years  has  proved  very  hardy  and 
productive.  I  have  not  lost  a  bush 
from  any  cause.  Insects  and  blight, 
that  affect  black  raspberries,  do  not 
trouble  it.  This  is  enough  like  a  black- 
cap to  be  classed  as  such  and  to  take 
their  place,  as  it  is  gradually  doing 
with  those  who  know  its  worth.  Were 
I  to  confine  myself  to  one  berry  it  would 
be  this.  There  are  no  suckers  which 
with  many  varieties  of  the  reds,  are  as 
troublesome  as  weeds. — Rural  New- 
Yorker. 


PROLON^GING  THE  SEASON  OF  THE 
WINTER  NELIS. 

AN   IMPORTANT  SUGGESTION. 

In  '82  I  put  cions  of  Winter  Nelis 
into  four  pear  trees  that  had  been  in 
bearing  about  10  years.  Three  were 
Flemish  Beauties,  the  fourth  a  Blood- 
good.  Last  October  I  gathered  about 
three  pecks  of  fine  Winter  Nelis  pears 
from  the  Bloodgood,  and  about  a  baiTel 
from  the  Flemish  Beauties.  There  was 
no  perceptible  difference  in  size  or  fair- 
ness, but  those  gathered  from  the  Blood- 
good  were  green,  while  the  others  were 
yellow-brown.  The  two  sorts  were  kept 
separate.  The  Flemish  Beauty  Winter 
Nelis  all  ripened  before  the  end  of 
December.  The  Bloodgood  Winter 
Nelis  kept  through  January.  In  other 
words,  the  season  of  this  delicious  pear 
was  prolonged  a  full  month.  In  the 
grafting  about  one-third  of  each  tree 
was  changed.  I  had  previously  noticed 
that  in  a  list  of  25  varieties,  the  Flemish 
Beauty  was  the  first  to  stop  growtli  and 
drop  its  leaves,  while  the  Bloodgood 
continues  growing  and  holds  its  leaves 
very  late.  My  experience,  unless  ex- 
ceptional, points  to  an  easy  way  of  pro- 
longing the  seasons  of  choice  late  pears, 
and  possibly  of  earlier  ones. — A.  D. 
Morse,  in  Rural  New-Yorker. 


PRINTED  AT  THR  STEAM   PRESS   BSTABLISHMKNT   Or  THE   COPP,    CLARK   COMPANY  (LIMITED),   TORONTO. 


Specimens  of    Cacti 


Ecliiiiocactiis  liorizoi^tl^aloiiius. 


n^an^illaria  decipiei^s. 


%    gum      ^^'"^-M 

r1 

mmmrnw^' 

y  1 

ti-aV 

EpipiiyiiuDi  iruqcaiuiQ. 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


SEPTEMBER,  1886. 


[No.  9. 


SOME  INTERESTII^G   SPECIES  OF  CACTUS, 


In  a  former  number  we  called  atten- 
tion to  the  Cactus  tribe  as  presenting 
some  very  remarkable  forms  of  plant 
growth,  such  as  were  full  of  interest  to 
every  lover  of  nature,  and  at  the  same 
time  yielding  flowers,  in  many  instances 
exceedingly  beautiful  in  form  and  color- 
ing, and  often  of  most  delightful  per- 
fume. 

In  this  number  our  readers  will  be 
pleased  to  see  a  few  more  examples 
drawn  from  nature  and  engraved  by 
Mr.  Blanc,  of  Philadelphia,  who  has 
given  much  attention  to  the  study  and 
cultivation  of  this  unique  family. 

Mamillaria  decipiens — He  has  found 
to  be  veiy  easy  of  cultivation,  enduring 
rough  usage,  and  yielding  in  abundance 
its  very  large  yellow  flowers,  which  last 
for  several  days. 

Echinocactua  horizonthalonius — Is  a 
beautiful  species  found  growing  in 
strong  soil  at  the  summit  of  hills.  The 
flowers  are  funnel  shaped,  of  a  purplish 
pink  color,  the  sepals  being  tipped  with 
a  darker  shade  of  purple,  producing  a 
very  pretty  effect.  The  stamens  are 
very  numerous,  and  the  contrast  be- 
\veen  the  yellow  anthers  and  the  white 
iilaments  which  support  them  gives  a 
very  pleasing  appearance  to  the  flowers. 


^ 


This  variety  is  also  very  easy  to  grow 
and  is  one  of  the  finest  of  this  genus. 

Epij)hyllum  truncatum — Is  probably 
more  frequently  met  with  as  a  window 
plant  than  any  other  variety  of  Cactus. 
The  plants  of  this  genus  are  of  a  free^ 
quick  growth,  hence  they  sooli  attain  td 
a  considerable  size ;  being  profuse  flower- 
ing, and  the  flowers  marked  by  many 
rich  and  bright  shades  of  color,  they  are 
attractive  objects  for  a  considei-able 
length  of  time. 

Mr.  Blanc  gives  the  following  direct- 
tions  for  their  cultivation.  '•  The  best 
'•  system  is  to  employ  a  small  proportion 
"  of  manure,  say  one  fourth  of  the  bulk 
"  of  the  soil,  and  to  give  what  further 
"  assistance  may  be  needed  either  in  a 
"  liquid  state  or  as  a  top  dressing.  The 
"  Pereskia,  upon  which  Epiphyillums 
"  are  usually  grafted,  is  a  strong  root- 
"  ing,  and  quick  growing  plant,  absorb- 
"  ing  moisture  and  nutriment  from  the 
"  soil  very  rapidly ;  therefore  when  it 
"  is  beaiing  a  large  head  of  Epiphyllum 
"  the  assistance  afforded  should  be  of  a 
^*  most  liberal  character,  and  it  is  only 
"  by  such  means  that  the  finest  and 
"  most  abundant  flowers  can  be  pro- 
"  duced.  After  flowering,  the  soil  may 
"  be  allowed   to  become  partially  dry 


194 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


for  a  few  weeks,  only  giving  a  little 
water  to  prevent  the  branches  from 
becoming  flaccid.  As  growth  is  re- 
sumed the  water  supply  may  be  in- 
creased, and  with  occasional  syringings 
progress  will  be  rapid  in  a  suitable 
temperature.  As  much  depends  upon 
a  thorough  maturation  of  the  growth, 
the  plants  must  at  all  times  have  a 
position  fully  exposed  to  the  sun,  as 
they  never  need  shading,  and  with  pro- 
per attention  to  ventilation  to  avoid 
rendering  the  growth  weak,  good  re- 
results  may  be  confidently  expected." 


THE  ANNUAL  MEETING. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association  of  Ontario  will 
be  held  in  the  Council  Chamber  in  the 
city  of  Toronto  on  Tuesday  evening, 
the  14th  of  September,  1886,  at  eight 
o'clock  p.m.  The  President  will  de- 
liver his  annual  address,  and  the  officers 
for  the  ensuing  year  will  be  elected. 
The  Directors  will  meet  as  above,  at 
7  p.m.  sharp,  as  business  of  importance 
is  to  be  transacted.  Full  attendance 
requested. 

QUESTION  DRAWER. 

EUONYMUS. 

Dear  Sir, — I  herewith  send  you 
some  leaves  of  a  shrub  which  I  have 
growing  in  my  garden  w  ith  the  request 
that  you  give  the  name  through  the 
columns  of  the  Horticulturist. 

The  shrub  in  question  was  a  present 
from  Mr.  Wm.  McArthur,  of  Dungan- 
non,  Ont.,  about  a  year  ago,  and  was 
potted  when  received. 

During  last  fall  and  winter  it  made 
no  growth  whatever,  and  in  the  spring 
I  transferred  it  to  the  garden,  and  it 
has  grown  amazingly  this  summer. 

Mr.  McArthur  believes  the  shrub  to 
be  a  species  of  "  Japonica."  It  does  not, 
however,    resemble   in   the    least   any 


specimens  of  "  Japonica  "   which  have 
yet  come  under  my  notice. 

Please  state  whether  the  shrub  is 
sufficiently  hardy  to  remain  in  the 
garden  throughout  winter. 

Robert  Harrison. 
Ashfield,  Co.  Huron,  July  22,  1886. 


Reply. — They  are  leaves  of  an  ever- 
green shrub,  not  hardy  in  our  climate, 
introduced  from  Japan.  It  is  known 
as  "  Euonymus  Japonicus  variegatus," 
the  variegated  Japanese  Euonymus.  It 
will  not  be  likely  to  survive  the  winter 
if  left  in  the  garden. 


THE  DEVONSHIRE  CUERANT. 

Dear  Sir, — I  send  you  to-day  a 
specimen  of  a  new  Hybrid  Currant, 
which  I  name  "  The  Devonshire,"  it 
having  originated  in  Devonshire,  Eng- 
land. 

It  is  a  cross  between  the  Black  and 
the  Red  Currant.  In  England,  where 
the  Black  Currant  was  more  or  less 
subject  to  mildew,  this  did  not  mildew. 
It  is  claimed  for  it : 

1.  To  have  the  black  currant  flavor 
and  "  medicinal  qualities." 

2.  To  have  the  same  freedom  from 
"  currant-worms." 

3.  To  be  much  sweeter  and  milder. 
A  fair  test  of  "  No.  3,"  would  be  to 

taste  it  along  with  the  Black. 

I  am  bringing  forward  two  or  three 
hundred  cuttings,  and  hope  the  ''Devon- 
shire" may  be  considered  an  acquisition 
by  those  who  fancy  the  "  Black  Currant 
taste"  in  fruit.  I  am  yours, 

W.  W.  Smith. 


Note. — We  received  the  currants  by 
post.  The  foliage  resembles  that  of  the 
Black  Currant  in  its  odor.  The 
bunches  of  fruit  are  short,  no  longer 
than  those  of  the  ordinary  black  cur- 
rants. The  berries  are  hardly  as  large 
as  the  average  of  Black  Naples,  and  of 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


195 


a  peculiar  dull  reddish-brown  color. 
We  suspect  that  the  fruit  could  not 
have  been  quite  ripe,  for  in  flavor  they 
were  more  acid  and  less  mild  than  Lee's 
Black  gathered  for  comparison. 

CRANBERRY  CULTURE. 
Can  you  give  me  the  system  of  Cran- 
berry culture  and  the  conditions  neces- 
sary to  success?  Can  they  be  raised 
from  the  seed,  or  would  it  be  better  to 
set  out  the  plants  1  Do  you  know  any 
place  where  cultivated  plants  can  be 
obtained  at  a  reasonable  figure  ] 
Yours  trulj'', 

S.  Cornell. 
Thedford,  August  4th,  1886. 

Reply. — The  paper  on  Cranberries, 
by  Vice-President  Allan,  which  will  be 
found  in  this  number,  will  answer  your 
inquiries  as  to  cultivation.  It  would 
probably  be  a  slow  process  to  raise  them 
from  seed,  cuttings  are  usually  em- 
ployed. We  do  not  know  who  has 
them  for  sale. 

PRUNING  GRAPE  VINES. 

Dear  Sir, — I  read  with  much  plea- 
sure your  very  minute  and  interesting 
instructions  relative  to  the  growing  of 
grape  vines  by  amateurs  in  the  April 
Number  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist, 
and  am,  I  trust,  profiting  by  them. 

I  would  like  you  to  give  me  your 
advice  on  this  matter.  Some  of  my 
v'ines  are  making  excellent  growth — 
an  improvement  on  my  previous  ex- 
perience— and,  besides  making  long 
shoots,  are  throwing  out  vigorous 
laterals.  Now,  I  wish  you  to  tell  me 
how  I  am  to  treat  these.  Let  them 
grow,  or  cut  them  off?  If  this  latter, 
how  will  the  bearing  bud  for  the  fol- 
lowing year  be  affected  ? 

Kindly  say  in  your  next  Number, 
and  oblige,  Yours  truly, 

I  J.  L.  Thompson. 

Toronto,  29th  July,  1886. 


Reply. — You  might  pinch  off  the 
ends  of  the  laterals  with  advantage. 
This  will  tend  to  strengthen  the  buds 
at  the  base.  All  severe  summer  prun- 
insf  is  to  be  avoided. 


DANDELIONS  IN  THE  LAWN. 

Sir, — Can  you  inform  me  through 
your  journal  how  I  can  improve  ray 
lawn,  it  has  become  full  of  dandelion. 
Your  attention  will  oblige  much. 
Yours  respectfully, 

S.  Begg. 
Innerkip,  Ont.,  4th  August,  1886. 

Reply. — The  only  way  known  to  us 
to  get  rid  of  them  is  that  of  cutting 
them  so  far  below  the  crown  that  the 
roots  will  not  sprout  again,  and  ra- 
moving  the  portion  thus  cut  off.  We 
remember  to  have  seen  some  laborers 
doing  this  on  the  lawn  of  an  eminent 
horticulturist  in  Rochester,  N.Y.,  some 
years  ago,  and  feel  sure  that  if  there 
had  been  any  better  method  known  to 
him,  he  would  have  employed  that 
method. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

HARDINESS  OF  WEIGELA  ROSEA. 

In  the  February  Number  of  your 
valuable  journal  you  ask  for  more  in- 
formation regarding  the  hardiness  of 
the  "  Weigelas."  I  have  a  "  Weigela  " 
which  has  for  eight  years  occupied  a 
north-western  exposure  (perhaps  as  cold 
a  situation  as  is  to  be  found  in  the 
County  of  Huron),  and  it  thrives  ad- 
mirably without  any  protection  what- 
ever, has  never  been  damaged  by  frost, 
and  is  each  year  the  admiration  of  all 
who  see  it,  on  account  of  the  density 
and  beauty  of  both  foliage  and  bloom. 
It  is  the  "  Rosea  "  variety. 
Yours  respectfully, 

Robert  Harrison. 

Ashfield,  Co.  Huron,  July  22,  1886. 


196 


THE  CANADIAN    H0ETICULTUKI8T. 


THE  PEWAUKEE  APPLE— SOME 
OOREEOTIONS. 

I  always  look  over  the  pages  of  the 
Horticulturist  with  much  interest.  In 
looking  over  the  August  Number  just 
at  hand,  I  have  stopped  to  read  and  re- 
read the  funny  note  of  Mr.  Simon  Hoy, 
under  the  heading  "  Pewaukee  Apple." 
At  first  I  thought  it  a  burlesque  on  the 
writings  of  sidewalk  horticulturists,  but 
on  second  reading  he  seems  really  in 
earnest.  Permit  me  to  correct  some  of 
his  statements. 

1.  What  we  know  as  the  Siberian 
crab  is  not  indigenous  to  Kussia  in 
Europe. 

2.  The  indigenous  crab  of  Central 
Europe  is  a  forest  tree  of  considerable 
size,  and  on  the  timber  borders  where 
it  spreads  out  apple  tree  fashion,  it 
produces  great  crops  of  true  winter 
apples  of  much  better  quality  for  cul- 
inary use  than  our  native  wild  crab. 

3.  There  is  no  evidence  that  the 
Borovinca  tribe  of  the  aj^ple  to  which 
the  Duchess  belongs  sprang  from  the 
native  crab  of  Russia  or  of  Siberia,  but 
there  is  much  evidence  favoring  the 
idea  that  it  was  introduced  from  the 
north-west  Provinces  of  China. 

4.  If  Mr.  Roy  will  visit  Saratov  on 
the  Volga  this  fall,  he  may  see  orchards 
containing  from  ten  to  twenty  thousand 
trees,  nearly  all  of  which  produce  real 
Simon  pure  winter  apples,  which  are 
sent  in  immense  quantities  to  Moscow 
on  the  north-west,  and  to  Perm  and 
other  points  on  the  north-east. 

5.  The  summer  heat  over  a  large 
portion  of  the  black  soil  section  of  Cen- 
tral Russia  is  high  enough,  and  the 
season  long  enough,  to  ripen  dent  corn, 
melons  and  tomatoes. 

6.  Our  common  winter  apples,  which 
have  proven  tender  over  a  large  part  of 
the  west  and  north,  did  not  originate 
from  an  Asiatic  crab,  but  from  the  in- 
digenous wild  crab  of  west  Europe. 


7.  Mr.  G.  P.  Peffer,  the  originator 
of  the  Pewaukee  apple,  is  one  of  the 
most  careful  and  truthful  of  our  western 
horticulturists,  and  his  statements  as  to 
the  origin  of  the  Pewaukee,  Clark's 
orange,  etc.,  may  be  safely  taken  with- 
out discount.  J.  L.  B. 


NEW  EOSES. 

Of  the  new  roses  which  have  been 
sent  out  the  past  two  or  three  seasons 
there  are  a  few  which  created  such  a 
furore  on  their  appearance,  or  were 
heralded  by  such  a  special  flourish  of 
trumpets,  that  their  names  are  now 
household  words  among  all  who  take 
an  interest  in  roses,  even  including 
those  who  cannot  count  these  famous 
plants  among  their  possessions,  or  where 
the  famed  beauty  of  their  blooms  has 
never  yet  been  seen. 

As  I  have  now  bloomed  (with  one 
or  two  exceptions)  all  mentioned  below, 
(comprising  all  the  most  noted  of  newly 
introduced  roses),  and  have  also  seen 
most  of  them  in  bloom  in  other  places, 
and  under  other  conditions,  and  have 
thus  gained  a  little  practical  experience 
on  the  matter  of  w^iich  I  speak,  I 
thought  perhaps  it  would  not  be  out  of 
place  to  say  a  few  words  to  rose-lovers 
on  this  head  through  the  columns  of 
the  Horticulturist. 

I  know  that  descriptions  of  all  these 
roses  can  be  found  in  the  leading  rose- 
growers'  catalogues,  but  the  descrip- 
tions are  necessarily  so  brief  that  there 
is  no  room  for  faults,  and  there  appears 
often  to  be  such  a  cheerful  and  com- 
mendable desire  to  look  on  the  best 
side  of  things  that  we  sometimes  fail 
to  get  a  correct  estimate  from  this 
source  alone. 

White  Baroness,  introduced  to  the 
rose-world  three  or  four  years  ago  by 
Paul  is  a  rose  with  the  same  stiff  grow- 
ing habit  as  Baroness  Rothschild.  It 
is  a  slow,  poor  grower,  and  like  most 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


197 


roses  of  this  type,  is  scentless.  It  is 
almost  white,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
symetrically  formed  and  most  beauti- 
ful roses  that  has  ever  been  sent  out. 

Merveille  de  Lyon,  sent  out  about 
the  same  time  by  a  French  grower,  is 
another  rose  of  the  same  type — scent- 
less, or  nearly  so,  and  a  poor  grower 
also.  The  blooms  are  larger  than 
White  Baroness,  and  of  a  somewhat 
flatter  form,  and  of  a  deeper  shade  of 
color.     It  is  a  very  beautiful  rose. 

Queen  of  Queens,  sent  out  about  the 
same  time  by  Paul,  will,  I  think,  prove 
to  be  a  very  valuable  rose.  It  is  a 
good  free  grower,  with  large,  finely- 
shaped  blush-colored  blooms.  The  only 
fault  it  has  is  that  it  is  without  per- 
fume, or  nearly  so.  I  predict  that  this 
rose  will  yet  be  considered  a  standard 
variety.  This  and  the  other  varieties 
mentioned  above  are  classed  as  Hybrid 
Perpetuals. 

Sunset  (a  Tea  rose  sent  out  by  Peter 
Henderson),  the  next  in  order,  was 
sent  out  a  year  or  two  later.  With 
me  it  has  proved  to  be  a  poor  grower, 
and  very  variable  and  uncertain  in  size 
and  color.  It  occasionally  glows  in 
rich  tints  almost  equal  to  the  colored 
plates  which  were  sent  out  of  it,  but 
more  often  it  is  a  very  washed-out,  weak, 
nondescript  sort  of  a  color  in  no  way 
suggestive  of  its  high  sounding  name, 
in  no  way  resembling  the  glorious  sky 
or  cloud  painting  of  a  real  sunset.  I 
cannot  claim  to  have  been  successful  in 
the  cultivation  of  this  rose.  I  am  not 
quite  sure  yet  whether  the  fault  is  with 
myself  or  with  the  rose. 

William  Francis  Bennett,  sent  out 
about  a  year  ago,  a  Hybrid  Tea,  and 
raised,  I  think,  by  Bennett,  came  out 
with  a  greater  flourish  of  trumpets  than 
any  other  of  these  new  roses,  and  has  so 
far  (among  amateurs  at  least)  given  the 
least  satisfaction.  Most  persons  after 
purchasing  a  new  rose  at  a  high  price 
expect  at  its  blooming  to  find  it  some- 


what larger,  more  perfectly  formed, 
and  more  double,  perhaps,  than  any  rose 
that  they  have  before  seen.  Although 
this  rose  is  of  good  size  it  is  very 
loosely  formed,  and  has  so  few  petals 
as  scarcely  to  be  called  semi-double 
even.  Its  good  points  are  that  it  is  of 
a  good  red  color,  is  very  fragrant,  and 
in  the  bud  and  half-opened  state  is  very 
handsome.  I  do  not  think  it  will  do 
so  well  outdoors  as  La  France  and 
some  other  Hybrid  Teas. 

American  Beauty,  a  Hybrid  Per- 
petual, came  out  next  in  order.  Al- 
though not  a  rose  of  the  very  highest 
style  of  finish,  it  possesses  a  number  of 
good  points.  It  is  of  a  very  deep  rose 
color,  or  carmine  (not  crimson,  as  some 
of  the  florists'  catalogues  have  it),  of 
good  size,  very  fragrant,  a  very  free 
blooming  rose,  and  the  plant  is  a  vigor- 
ous grower.  With  all  these  good 
things  in  its  favor,  it  will  no  doubt  yet 
take  its  place  in  the  list  of  good  stan- 
dard varieties. 

The  last  introduced  Hybrid  Per- 
petual Rose  of  particular  note  is  Her 
Majesty.  This  is  claimed  by  the  intro- 
ducer to  be  the  largest  rose  yet  raised. 
It  has  not  yet  bloomed  with  me,  and 
all  I  can  say  of  it  from  personal  obser- 
vation is  that  it  is  the  stoutest  growing 
rose  that  I  have  even  yet  seen.  It  is 
somewhat  of  the  type  of  Baroness 
Rothschild,  but  with  thicker  and  larger 
shoots,  and  stouter  thorns,  and  more 
glaucous  foliage  than  that  variety. 
Those  who  have  seen  it  in  bloom  in- 
form me  that  the  flower  is  as  large  as 
Paul  Neyron,  and  of  a  more  delicate 
and  better  shade  of  color.  If  so  it  will 
prove  a  gi'eat  acquisition. 

These  are  the  most  noted  of  the  new 
roses  of  the  past  few  seasons  with  the 
exception  of  the  Marshall  P.  Wilder, 
which  came  out  a  few  years  ago  and  is 
now  pretty  well  known.  It  is  enough 
to  say  of  it,  that  although  considerably 
like  Alfred  Colomb,  it  has  proved  itself 


198 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


to  be  a  thoroughly  good  rose  and  well 
worthy  of  a  place  in  any  collection. 
Frederick  Mitchell. 

Innerkip,  Aug.  7,  1886. 


•  THE  THRIP  OR  BEETLE  HOPPER. 

Dear  Editor, — In  my  communica- 
tion on  roses,  published  in  the  August 
number  of  our  magazine,  you  note  that 
my  remarks  on  the  Thrip  and  its  place 
of  advent  in  the  spring  is  not  in  accord 
with  accepted  Entomological  teaching. 
In  making  the  statement  I  did,  that 
the  Thrip  came  out  of  the  bark  of  the 
rose,  I  did  not  do  so  in  any  way  in  a 
spirit  of  controversy  or  criticism,  or 
\  with  the  idea  that  I  was  starting  any 
new  theory,  but  merely  stated  what  I 
believed,  and  still  cannot  help  but  be- 
lieve, to  be  a  fact.  All  that  I  can  say 
is  that  the  rose-shoots  for  some  days  in 
the  spring  are  as  I  described  them  to 
be;  the  Thrip  standing  out  on  some 
very  thickly  at  right  angles  to  the  bark 
and  in  all  stages  of  forwardness.  This 
any  one  can,  if  they  take  the  trouble, 
verify  for  themselves  at  the  proper  sea- 
son. I  have  also  taken  up  roses  that 
have  passed  the  summer  in  the  open 
air,  and  potted  them  in  entirely  fresh 
earth,  and  placed  them  under  glass 
when  the  Thrip  has  made  its  appear- 
ance in  the  winter  in  just  the  same 
manner  as  it  does  on  the  outdoor  plants 
in  the  spring.  In  all  statements  that 
I  have  ever  made  in  the  Horticulturist 
I  have  tried  to  be  very  guarded  and 
state  nothing  but  what  I  knew  to  be 
facts.  I  trust  that  it  will  prove  that 
I  have  not  made  a  lapse  in  this  case. 
In  reply  to  a  question  from  me,  Mr. 
Webster,  of  Hamilton,  one  of  our  lead- 
ing rose-growers  and  an  enthusiast  in 
rose  culture,  writes  as  follows: — "As 
regards  winter  quarters  of  the  Rose 
Thrip,  it  is  in  the  larvse  form  and  in 
the  bark  of  the  rose.  They  can  be 
seen  working  out  with  the  naked  eye, 


but  much  easier  with  a  glass.  I  know 
this  to  be  a  fact  as  I  have  seen  it,  and 
I  have  no  doubt  but  that  many  others 
have  done  so  too." 

I  have  also  written  an  eminent  Ento- 
mologist on  the  matter  and  when  he 
replies  I  will,  if  he  permits  me,  send 
you  his  opinion. 

F.  Mitchell. 

Innerkip,  Aug.  7th,  1886. 


FRESH  STRAWBERRY  NOTES. 

BY  T.   C,    ROBINSON,    OWEN  SOUND. 

Parry — This  has  proved  moderately 
productive  of  exceedingly  handsome 
large  fruit.  With  hill  cultivation 
doubtless  the  fruit  would  be  very  large, 
but  all  the  young  plants  were  not  re- 
moved and  the  weeds  got  in,  so  that  I 
cannot  say  much  more  about  this  fa- 
mous variety  except  that  it  seems  to 
require  clean  cultivation  with  runners 
cut.  The  quality  is  inferior  to  that  of 
Jersey  Queen  and  of  Prince  of  Berries, 

Woodruff — Is  abundantly  productive, 
even  in  weedy  matted  rows,  of  large 
rich -looking  fruit;  of  good  quality. 
But  the  berries  are  a  little  soft  for 
market,  and  the  shape  is  irregular. 

Dollar — Is  a  large  and  very  hand- 
some berry,  of  excellent  quality,  and 
firmer,  I  think,  than  any  other  straw- 
berry I  have  seen,  but  it  does  not  bear 
well  with  me. 

Sucker  State — Grown  in  matted  rows, 
gives  a  great  abundance  of  good-sized, 
uniform,  and  otherwise  handsome  fruit, 
of  good  quality.  I  think  this  variety 
well  worthy  of  a  better  name  and  fur- 
ther attention. 

Daisy  (Miller) — This  is  a  miserable 
weed  on  my  grounds.  The  berries  are 
few,  small  and  sour. 

May  King — I  had  hoped  a  great  deal 
from  this  variety.  It  joroved  about  as 
early  as  its  parent  the  Cresent,  the  ber- 
ries rather  firmer,  of  good  size,  very 
smooth  and  handsome,  and  the  quality 


THE    CANADIAN    H0RTICULTUEI8T. 


199 


really  delicious  for  a  market  sort.  It 
is  abundantly  productive  too, — but  the 
berries  mildewed.  Only  one  sort  on  my 
grounds  suffered  similarly ;  this  was  the 
Early  Canada,  which  mildewed  abomin- 
ably to  the  great  detriment  of  its  crop. 
One  patch  thereof  was  near  the  May 
King,  and  may  have  caused  the  disease 
in  the  latter.  I  certainly  hope  the  May 
King,  in  another  season  and  in  a  better 
situation  than  the  hot  slope  where 
I  have  it,  will  be  all  right,  for  it  is 
otherwise  so  fine  ;  but  the  facts  must  go 
as  they  are. 

Parker  Earle — Is  another  splendid 
sort  with  just  one  "  bvt "  among  its 
characteristics.  The  foliage  is  varie- 
gated, and  last  year  this  variegation 
assumed  such  a  straw-colored  tint  as  to 
present  the  aspect  of  disease.  But  it 
was  supposed  this  might  be  the  result 
of  so  extreme  a  change  of  climate,  (it 
is  a  seedling  from  Texas).  This  hypo- 
thesis appears  plausible,  for  this  year 
the  plants,  though  still  yellowish  here 
and  there,  do  not  appear  to  suffer  ma- 
terially in  fruiting.  In  the  matted 
row  they  have  yielded  an  abundance  of 
large  good-flavored  berries,  which  are, 
without  exception,  the  most  attractive 
I  have  ever  seen.  The  color  is  of  the 
richest  rose  ;  the  shape  very  regular ; 
conical ;  slightly  elongated  ;  the  surface 
smooth  like  satin,  that  glistens  as  if 
varnished.  If  this  variety  becomes 
fully  acclimatized  it  must  create  a  stir, 
as,  in  addition  to  its  good  qualities  just 
stated  it  is  a  remarkably  vigorous 
grower. 

Cornelia — Is  not  vigorous  enough  on 
my  light  sandy  loam.  The  fruit  is  fine 
but  the  plants  want  clay  loam  and 
plenty  of  manure,  with  clean  cultiva- 
tion. I  cannot  recommend  it  for  gen- 
eral culture. 

Mrs.  Garfield — A  good  grower,  and 
productive  of  large  scarlet  fruit  of 
modemtely  firm  texture  and  fair  quality. 


It  might  be  in  great  request  for  market 
plantings  if  we  had  not  the  more  pro- 
ductive Crescent. 

Atlantic — On  rich  clay  loam,  with 
clean  culture,  this  variety  is  very  pro- 
ductive of  good-flavored  long  berries 
which  are  firm,  very  handsome,  large 
to  very  large  in  size,  and  very  late. 
On  light  poor  land  the  plants  make 
royal  attemps  to  bear  well,  but  they  do 
not  seem  able  to  stand  the  strain  of  pro- 
ducing berries  of  such  excellence  with- 
out the  strong  land  and  clean  culture 
which  I  have  indicated.  Still  I  consi- 
der it  valuable. 

Lacon — "  Here's  your  Lemonade  in 
chunks  !"  In  dry  weather  and  on  poor 
land  this  sort  runs  more  to  acid  than 
any  other  kind  I  know  of.  Not  the 
slow  watery  sour  of  a  just-red  Crescent 
that  would  make  you  lean  against  the 
fence  and  wish  for  a  low  place  to  climb, 
but  a  rich  fierce  acid  that  pitches  you 
over  the  fence  and  chases  you  to  the 
house  for  the  sugar  bowl.  In  vigor  of 
growth  and  great  productiveness  the 
Lacon,  perhaps,  cannot  be  beaten,  and 
the  berry  though  not  very  smooth,  is  fine 
and  large.  As  a  market  sort,  in  seasons 
varying  from  moderately  moist  to  im- 
modercitely  wet,  it  will  be  found,  I 
believe  of  great  value,  as  it  is  then 
sweet  and  rich.  But  persons  who  want 
a  sweet  berry  always,  may  take  warn- 
ing from  a  little  exaggeration,  and  plant 
something  else. 

Prince  of  Berries — Is  not  productive 
with  me.  Evidently  it  must  have  rich 
soil  and  good  culture.  But  it  is  the 
sweetest  and  most  delicious  strawben'y 
I  have  ever  tasted.  The  berries  are 
large,  smooth,  firm  and  handsome. 

Fairy — Many  people  would  like  this 
better  than  the  preceding,  because 
though  not  quite  so  sweet  it  is  of  rich 
flavour.  The  berries  are  of  a  creamy 
white  in  the  shade  ;  but  in  the  sunshine 
they  turn  pink.     The  plants  are  both 


200 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


vigorous  and  productive.  The  older 
varieties  I  purpose  describing  in  a  later 
issue. 


SLUG  SHOT. 
The  Horticulturist  for  August  has 
just  been  received,  and  after  perusal  I 
find  a  great  many  inquiries  carefully 
answered.  One,  however,  in  regard  to 
Slug  Shot  does  not  seem  clear.  I 
would  therefore  beg  to  request  you  to 
publish,  for  the  benefit  of  the  fruit  and 
rose  growing  public,  the  fact  that  from 
repeated  experiments  on  the  trial 
grounds  of  J.  A.  Simmers,  situated  on 
Yonge  street.  Slug  Shot  has  done  very 
serviceable  work  on  all  kinds  of  fruit 
and  rose  plants,  and  has  proved  itself 
to  be  just  the  thing  for  the  general 
public.  It  is  cheap,  therefore  within 
the  reach  of  all  growers,  and  not  only 
does  it  act  as  an  insect  exterminator, 
but  also  as  a  fertilizer,  as  it  leaves  the 
plants  in  a  healtliy  condition,  which  is 
frequently  not  the  case  witli  other  more 
expensive  insecticides.  You  will  agree 
with  me  that  the  public  must  first  hear 
of  successful  experiments  before  being 
convinced,  and  a  visit  to  the  grounds 
of  J.  A.  S.  will  prove  what  I  assert. 
Yours  very  truly, 
Anton  Simmers, 

Firm  of  J.  A.  Simmers. 

CANADIAN  FRUITS  AT  THE  EXHIBI- 
TION. 

Sir, — The  Canadian  fruit,  preserved 
in  about  1,000  glass  jars,  continues  to 
be  one  of  the  chief  attractions  of  the 
Exhibition,  notwithstanding  many  of 
the  specimens  have  lost  their  natural 
colors. 

This  Exhibition  cannot  fail  to  be  of 
gi*eat  benefit  to  Canadian  fruit  growers, 
as  well  as  all  other  classes,  and  no 
efibrts  should  be  spared  to  supplement 
this  collection  with  fresh  fruits  at  the 
earliest  possible  date. 

All  reports  agree  that  the  apple  crop 


this  season  in  Great  Britain  and  on 
the  Continent  will  be  under  the  aver- 
age, excepting  in  Spain  and  Hungary, 
where  large  crops  are  reported. 

Efibrts  are  being  made  to  extend  the 
markets  for  Canadian  apples  directly 
to  all  the  principal  cities  of  Great 
Britain  and  on  the  Continent  where  it 
seems  practicable. 

I  hope  to  be  able  to  report  very 
shortly  upon  the  prospect  of  success  in 
this  direction,  as  well  as  in  the  matter 
of  cold  chambers  for  fruit  shipments  in 
Canadian  steamers. 

Yours  very  truly, 

C.  R.  H.  Starr, 
Canadian  Fruit  Department. 
London,  S.W.,  July  28,  1886. 


NOTES  ON  STRAWBERRIES. 

First  to  ripen  was  Early  Canada, 
where  it  will  succeed  it  is  the  best  very 
early  sort,  it  blooms  so  early  and  its 
blossoms  are  so  much  exposed  that  it 
is  quite  often  injured  by  early  spring 
frosts  except  in  favorable  seasons, 
hence  it  is  not  safe  to  plant  it  very 
extensively  for  market.  In  many 
localities  it  does  not  succeed  well. 

Crescent  Seedling  is  next  to  ripen. 
All  things  considered,  this  is  the  most 
profitable  market  berry  I  have  grown, 
although  the  fruit  is  not  of  first  quality 
it  is  so  early  and  productive.  The  fruit 
colors  on  all  sides  at  once,  so  that  all 
ripe  berries  can  easily  be  gathered,  and 
it  carries  its  size  well  to  the  end  of  the 
season.  • 

Daniel  Boone  is  well  worthy  of  a 
more  extended  trial,  fruit  is  of  large 
even  size,  bright  red,  good  quality  and 
productive. 

Wilson  appears  to  require  better 
treatment  than  it  did  years  ago,  to 
make  it  profitable.  It  appears  to  be 
deteriorating,  although  when  given 
extra  good  cultivation  on  rich  soil,  it  is 
still  one  of  the  best  market  sorts.  It 
yields  such  a  large  crop  of  fruit  that 


THE   CANADIAN   H0ETICULTURI8T. 


201 


will  stand  shipping  better  than  any  of 
the  the  newer  sorts,  except,  perhaps, 
Atlantic. 

Mancliester  is  a  very  fine  sort,  it  is 
so  large,  regular  in  form,  good  quality 
and  very  productive.  It  gives  us  such 
fine  fruit  late  in  the  season  when  earlier 
varieties  begin  to  run  small.  It  has 
one  fault,  the  foliage  blights  so  badly 
that  it  is  sometimes  very  seriously  in- 
jured. I  have  not  noticed  that  ten- 
dency to  blight  in  new  plantations,  but 
the  second  season,  after  planting,  the 
crop  is  often  a  failure  in  many  locali- 
ties. 

Capt.  Jack  is  still  one  of  the  best  late 
market  berries  I  have,  when  grown  on 
clay  loam  ;  does  not  do  so  well  on  sand 
loam. 

Atlantic,  fruit  of  large  size,  dark-red, 
good  quality,  very  productive  and  more 
firm  than  any  other  berry  I  have  seen. 
The  foliage  is  not  as  healthy  as  I  would 
like ;  it  blights  somewhat  on  sand 
loam,  does  better  on  clay  loam,  and  is 
worthy  of  a  more  extended  trial. 

Prince  of  Berries  still  takes  the  lead 
for  quality,  but  does  not  produce 
enough  fruit  to  ever  become  a  market 
sort.  Every  grower  should  have  a  few 
of  them  to  know  what  first  quality  is, 
in  the  strawberry.  I  have  fruited 
quite  a  number  of  newer  sorts  this 
season. 

Jewell  appears  to  be  altogether  the 
most  promising.  It  is  a  very  strong 
plant,  foliage,  thus  far,  very  healthy, 
fruit  very  large,  of  very  bright  scarlet 
color  and  wonderfully  productive  ;  al- 
though the  quality  is  not  the  best,  I 
believe  it  will  become  a  standard  market 
sort. 

May  King,  a  seedling  of  Crescent, 
with  perfect  blossom,  fruit  about  same 
form  of  Crescent ;  a  little  larger,  some- 
what lighter  in  color,  with  a  white 
bloom,  which  does  not  add  to  its  ap- 
pearance, quite  productive  ;  *  a  good 
amateur  sort. 


Parry  has  not  done  much  with  me  ; 
the  plant  appears  to  be  tender,  does 
not  stand  our  winters  as  well  as  most 
sorts ;  unproductive. 

Woodruff,  a  variety  from  Michigan 
that  has  very  healthy  foliage  and  pro- 
duces a  large  crop  of  very  firm,  bright 
red  fruit  of  large  size,  well  worthy  of  a 
more  extended  trial.  It  is  said  to  be 
taking  the  place  of  Wilson,  in  Michi- 
gan. 

Wonderful,  from  Connecticut.  If  it 
is  not  the  old  Windsor  Chief,  it  is  so 
near  like  it  that  I  cannot  detect  any 
difference  either  in  plant,  blossom  or 
fruit. 

Jumho  and  Cumberland  Triumph  are 
also  alike  good  for  the  amateur.  Many 
of  the  new  varieties  have  not  ripened 
enough  fruit  this  season  so  that  I  can- 
not form  any  opinion  as  to  their  merits. 
Among  the  most  promising  are  Ontario, 
Bubach,  Belmont,  Lida  and  Garretson. 

W.  W.  HiLBORN. 

Arkona,  Ont. 


ANOTHER  NEW  GOOSEBERRY. 

We  have  received  by  express  from 
Mr.  J.  H.  Williams,  Goderich,  Ont.,  a 
sample  of  the  fruit  of  a  gooseberry 
which  he  says  is  a  chance  seedling 
raised  by  him,  has  been  fruited  for  the 
last  six  years,  and  seems  to  be  quite 
free  from  mildew.  He  states  that  "  it 
"  is  not  a  very  rapid  grower,  but  stands 
"  very  erect  with  strong  short-jointed 
"  wood,  and  has  less  thorns  than  any 
"  that  I  have  seen.  When  ripe  the 
"  berries  are  a  beautiful  amber  color.  I 
"  have  the  Downing,  Smith  and  Hough- 
"  ton,  but  think  more  of  this  seedling 
"  than  of  either  of  them.  I  would  like 
"  to  have  your  opinion  of  them." 

The  fruit  received  was  not  quite  as 
large  as  the  Downing,  but  larger  than 
the  Houghton,  of  a  light  green  color, 
with  a  yellow  tinge,  and  round  in  form. 
The  flavour  was  much  like  that  of  the 
Downing.     It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to 


202 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


form  an  opinion  upon  the  merits  of  a 
fruit  from  seeing  a  sample  in  this  way. 
It  may  have  merits  that  do  not  strike  one 
on  so  short  an  acquaintance.  What  we 
want  now  is  a  goosebery  that  is  larger 
than  the  Downing,  richer  in  quality, 
and  free  from  mildew  in  general  cul- 
tivation. 


THE  "OTTAWA"  GOOSEBERRY. 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  P.  E.  Bucke, 
of  Ottawa,  for  the  opportunity  of  seeing 
and  tasting  this  new  seedling  goose- 
berry, raised  by  him.  The  branches 
were  well  laden  with  fruit,  though  some 
of  the  berries  had  dropped  off  during 
their  transit  by  mail.  The  fruit  is  of  a 
light  green  color,  oval  in  form,  not 
varying  much  in  size,  which  is  not  much 
more  than  that  of  the  Smith's  Improved. 
The  fruit  was  nearly  ripe,  sweet  and 
pleasant. 

Mr.  Bucke  has  given  the  history  of 
its  origin  in  the  report  of  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association  of  Ontario  for 
1885  as  follows  : — 

"  To  show  what  may  be  done  by  any 
individual  having  a  little  patience,  I 
will  relate  a  little  of  my  own  ex- 
perience. Some  years  ago  I  planted  a 
Whitesmith  and  a  Houghton  so  close 
together  that  the  branches  interlocked. 
I  gathered  some  of  the  finest  berries 
from  the  Honghton,  and  having  rubbed 
them  in  dry  sand  to  separate  the  seed, 
sowed  them  in  a  bottomless  box  in  the 
garden.  I  was  rewarded  next  spring  by 
a  nice  little  crop  of  seedlings.  I  pulled 
up  any  that  did  not  come  up  to  my  idea 
of  leaf  or  growth,  reserving  about  one 
dozen  plants ;  when  these  came  into 
bearing  T  destroyed  all  but  one  ;  this  is 
a  fine  bearer,  and  has  a  large  berry. 
Last  year  I  set  out  a  number  of  layers 
from  the  parent,  and  think  I  have  a 
good  thing  in  gooseberries.  The  fruit 
is  larger  than  Downing's  or  Smith's,  of 
an  oval  shape  and  quite  smooth ;  it  has 


never  ripened  yet;  having  only  one 
bush  the  berries  have  been  all  pulled 
for  canning.  I  call  it  the  "  Ottawa," 
and  if  on  further  trial  it  sustains  its 
reputation,  I  will  send  it  round  to  my 
friends  for  trial." 


TESTIMONIAL  TO  THE  ORIGINATOR 
OF  THE  CONCORD  GRAPE. 

By  the  kindness  of  the  venerable 
President  of  the  American  Pomological 
Society,  the  Hon.  M.  P.  Wilder,  we 
have  received  a  copy  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Ploughman,  of  the  17th  July, 
giving  a  full  account  of  a  gathering  of 
the  leading  horticulturists  of  Boston 
and  vicinity,  held  on  the  26th  of  June 
last,  for  the  purpose  of  expressing  their 
appreciation  of  the  labors  of  Mr.  E.  W. 
Bull,  of  Concord,  Mass.,  in  the  cause 
of  grape  culture,  and  especially  as  the 
originator  of  the  now  widely  cultivated 
Concord  grape. 

President  Wilder  presided  on  this 
delightful  occasion,  and  inaugurated  the 
proceedings  with  the  following  intro- 
ductory address : — 

''  Gentlemen, — I  have  the  honor  of 
occupying  this  chair  by  the  courtesy  of 
my  friend  Mr.  Hovey,  by  whose  invi- 
tation we  are  here  assembled. 

"  I  am  most  happy  to  be  here,  and  \ 
the  more  so  because  we  are  here  to  do  | 
justice  to  an  old  friend  and  associate 
who  has  done  much  to  promote  the 
happiness  of  our  people  by  the  culti- 
vation of  the  vine,  and  which  we  desire 
to  recognize  on  this  occasion  by  some 
substantial  token,  too  long  delayed,  of 
our  appreciation  of  his  meritorious  ser- 
vices in  the  production  of  the  renowned 
Concoid  grape. 

"  To  say  that  the  Concord  grape 
surpasses  hundreds  of  other  varieties 
which  have  been  originated  since  it 
made  its  appearance,  would  perhaps  be 
considered  extravagant ;  but  it  may  be 
said  that  no  other  grape  during  its  thirty 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


2oa 


years  of  existence  has  been  so  exten- 
sively cultivated  and  generally  approved 
of  in  New  England  and  many  other 
States.  When  we  reflect  on  the  bless- 
ings which  this  grape  has  conferred  on 
our  country,  supplying  by  its  abund- 
ance the  poor  as  well  as  rich,  how  it 
has  cooled  the  fevered  lip  and  parched 
tongue,  and  added  to  the  comforts  and 
luxuries  of  our  tables,  we  surely  should 
remember  with  gratitude  the  hand  that 
gave  it  to  us.  I  therefore  rejoice  that 
Mr.  Hovey  in  his  wisdom  has  brought 
us  together  to  recognize  this  fact,  that 
we  may  thus  publicly  testify  to  its  pro- 
ducer our  sense  of  gratitude  for  this 
benefaction  to  our  countiy. 

"  And  now,  my  dear  old  friend,  per- 
mit me  in  my  own  behalf  and  in  behalf 
of  these  other  friends,  to  assure  you  of 
the  deep  interest  we  feel  in  your  future 
welfare.  May  the  remainder  of  your 
days  be  crowned  with  health  and  hap- 
piness, and  when  you  shall  have  done 
pruning  and  training  of  the  gi'ape  on  i 
earth,  may  you  and  we  meet  again  in 
the  Vineyard  of  the  Lord,  and  gather 
fruit  from  that  Vine  of  which  if  a  man 
partake  he  shall  never  die. 

•' '  Where  life  fills  the  wine  cup  and  love  makes  it  clear, 
Where  Gilead's  balm  in  its  freshness  shall  flow 
O'er  the  wounds  which  the  pruning  knife  gave  us 
below.' " 

Mr.  C,  M.  Hovey  reviewed  the  his- 
tory of  grape  culture  in  this  country, 
showing  that  up  to  the  time  of  the  in- 
troduction of  the  Concord  grape,  there 
was  no  variety  in  cultivation  that  could 
be  relied  upon  to  ripen  its  finiit  in  our 
iioi-thern  latitudes;  and  concluded  his 
remarks  by  presenting  to  Mr.  Bull  the 
testimonial  that  had  been  provided. 

To  this  Mr.  Bull  responded  in  fitting 
terms,  and  gave  the  following  account 
of  the  origin  of  the  Concord  grape : — 

"You  ask  me  how  I  got  the  Con- 
cord 1 

"  At  the  foot  of  a  wooded  hill  with 
a  south  aspect,  a  wooded  soil  and  shel- 


ter from  all  winds  coming  from  the 
north  of  east  and  of  west,  the  hill  coming 
down  to  the  road  at  Hawthorne's 
"  Wayside "  on  the  west  and  to  the 
same  road  about  1500  feet  east  of  the 
"Wayside,"  forming  an  amphitheatre 
of  which  the  road  formed  the  chord — 
all  the  conditions  favorable  to  the  grape 
being  present,  I  expected  to  grow  grapes 
to  perfection  without  difficulty,  but  this 
hope  was  doomed  to  disappointment ; 
the  late  and  early  frosts  incident  to  the 
valley  of  the  Concord  made  it  impossi- 
ble to  ripen  any  grape  then  in  cultiva- 
tion. 

"  The  thought  occurred  to  me*that  it 
might  be  possible  to  improve  the  native 
grape  by  reproduction  from  seed,  and  I 
looked  about  for  the  best  grape  which 
met  the  necessary  conditions  of  hardi- 
ness, vigorous  growth,  size  of  berry  and 
bunch,  early  ripening,  and,  with  these . 
conditions,  as  good  flavor  as  the  wild 
grape  afibrds.  At  the  foot  of  the  hill 
before  mentioned,  a  woodland  path, 
leading  to  the  river,  debouched  into  the 
open  space,  and  there  I  found  an  acci- 
dental seedling,  which  in  1843  bore  its 
fii'st  crop.  It  was  very  full  of  fruit, 
handsome  and  sweet,  and  the  whole 
crop — dead  ripe — had  fallen  to  the 
ground  before  August  went  out.  Here 
was  my  opportunity.  I  planted  these 
grapes  at  once  and  got  many  vines, 
most  of  them  hareh  and  wild,  but  one 
of  them  bore  a  single  bunch  wliich  I 
found  ripe  on  the  10th  of  September, 
1849,  six  years  from  the  sowing  of  the 
seed.  This  was  the  Concord.  When 
I  found  that  I  had  attained  such  a 
gratifying  success  at  a  leap,  so  to  speak, 
I  resolved  to  continue  my  efforts  in  the 
hope  of  establishing  the  vineyard  in 
Massachusetts,  which  had  been  found 
impossible  up  to  that  time.  In  this  I 
have  succeeded,  and  in  establishing  a 
strain  of  seedlings  giving  new  grapes 
to  the  country  almost  yearly.  The 
marvellous  success  of  the  Concord,  its. 


204 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


adaptability  to  all  soils  and  climates 
where  grapes  can  be  grown,  its  patient 
endurance  of  neglect,  its  wonderful  fer- 
tility in  ordinary  soils,  and  its  habit  of 
giving  to  the  country  seedlings  of  value, 
justifies  and  explains  the  general  accept- 
ance, and  foreshadows  the  time  when 
we  shall  have,  of  our  own  stock,  grapes 
equal  to  those  of  Europe." 


SLUG  SHOT. 
In  reply  to    an    enquiry  as   to    the 
character  and  efficiency  of  Slug  Shot 
we  publish  the  following  bulletin  : — 

N.  Y.  Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 
Geneva,  N.  Y.,  Mar.  18,  1886. 

Nearly  two  years  ago  a  sample  of 
Hammond's  Slug  Shot,  an  insecticide 
of  some  repute,  was  sent  to  the  Station 
for  examination  as  to  its  poisonous 
properties,  the  claim  having  been  made 
that  it  was  perfectly  harmless  to  all 
animals  except  insects  and  consequently 
<jould  be  used  with  impunity  on  all 
fruits  and  vegetables. 

This  insecticide  is  in  the  form  of  a 
fi.ne  powder  having  a  pinkish  color  and 
an  odor  resembling  coal  tar.  The  color 
and  the  odor,  together  with  the  strong 
reactions  given  in  tests  for  lime  and 
arsenic  gave  the  impression  that  the 
substance  was  a  mixture  of  gas-lime 
and  London  purple,  and  a  statement  to 
this  effect  was  made  at  the  time.  This 
was  not  intended  to  be  a  positive 
statement  of  its  composition,  and  was 
made  simply  because  it  afforded  a 
plan  sable  explanation  of  its  appearance 
and  odor,  and  also  suggested  a  cheap 
source  for  the  arsenic  which  it  con- 
tained. It  was  not  considered  neces- 
sary to  proceed  further  with  the  exami- 
nation after  dangerous  quantities  of 
arsenic  had  been  discovered. 

This  explanation  is  rendered  neces- 
sary by  the  fact  that  the  appearance  of 
the  above  statement  as  to  the  probable 
composition  of  the  Slug  Shot  in   the 


late  report  of  the  Station  was  followed 
by  an  affidavit  from  the  manufacturer 
to  the  effect  that  at  no  time  had  either 
London  purple  or  gas-lime  entered  into 
its  composition. 

A  recent  circular  issued  by  the 
maker  reaffirms  the  statement  that 
''  Slug  Shot  "  is  a  combination  *  * 
not  harmful  to  either  man,  beast  or 
fowl,  but  probably  the  most  effective 
and  economical  article  in  use  for  the 
destruction  of  the  various  insects  that 
prey  upon  cultivated  vegetation."  The 
printed  directions  upon  each  package 
also  state  that  "  It  contains  poison 
thoroughly  diffused  through  natural 
and  chemical  fertilizers  and  is  perfectly 
safe  in  its  use  no  matter  how  bounti- 
fully applied."  This  same  impression, 
as  to  the  harmless  properties  of  this 
insecticide,  is  conveyed  by  the  affidavit 
mentioned  above.  This  claim,  on  ac- 
count of  the  strong  reaction  for  arsenic 
which  had  been  found,  was  considered 
misleading  and  liable  to  result  in  seri- 
ous accidents  if  not  corrected,  and  a 
further  examination  was  undertaken 
for  the  purpose  of  determining  the 
quantity  and  if  possible  the  source  of 
the  arsenic. 

A  few  tests  showed  that  the  main 
portion  of  the  substance  was  gypsum, 
and  determinations  of  water,  sulphuric 
acid,  and  lime  were  made  which  fully 
confirmed  this. 

A  microscopical  examination  showed 
a  reddish  coloring  matter,  and  numer- 
ous green  particles  insoluble  in  water 
suggested  Paris  green  as  the  probable 
source  of  the  poison.  To  confirm  this 
opinion  a  test  for  copper  was  made 
which  showed  its  presence  in  consider- 
able quantity.  In  order  to  obtain  a 
clue  to  the  quantity  of  Paris  green 
which  the  copper  represented,  the 
color  imparted  to  a  solution  of  am- 
monia by  a  given  weight  of  Slug  Shot 
was  compared  to  that  produced  in  the 
same   strength  of  ammonia  by  Paris 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


205: 


green.  This  comparison  showed  that 
one  part  of  Paris  green  was  equivalent 
to  about  one  hundred  parts  of  Shig 
Shot.  A  determination  of  arsenious 
acid  in  the  same  sample  (No.  1 )  which 
was  received  two  years  ago,  gave  0.54 
per  cent. 

On  Feb.  4,  1886,  when  the  investi- 
gation had  reached  this  point,  two 
more  samples  of  Slug  Shot  (Nos.  2  and 
3)  were  received  from  the  manufacturer. 
Externally  the  packages  were  the  same, 
except  that  No.  3  was  put  up  to  be 
sold  by  Joseph  Breck  &  Sons,  Boston, 
Mass.  The  general  appearance  of  the 
substance  in  both  these  packages  was 
quite  similar  to  No.  1,  although  the 
color  was  slightly  darker  and  the  odor 
somewhat  diflferent;  a  more  careful 
examination,  however,  showed  that 
they  were  different  in  composition. 
No.  1  was  quite  free  from  organic  mat- 
ter, while  both  Nos.  2  and  3  contained 
a  considerable  quantity  of  fine  organic 
powder  which  it  would  be  dijQ&cult  to 
lully  identify,  but  when  it  is  digested 
in  water  for  some  time  and  gently 
warmed,  the  odor  is  very  suggestive  of 
tobacco.  This  was  the  same  in  both 
No.  2  and  No.  3.  The  organic  matter 
which  these  samples  contained  so  modi- 
fied the  color  produced  by  ammonia 
that  no  definite  idea  of  the  amount  of 
Paris  green  used  could  be  obtained  by 
direct  comparison  as  with  No.  I  ;  the 
color  was,  however,  much  deeper, 
showing  that  they  contained  more  than 
that. 

A  determination  of  arsenious  acid  in 
No.  2  gave  1.02  per  cent.,  and  in  No. 
3,  0.76  per  cent.  Paris  green  as  ob- 
tained in  the  market  is  not  a  very  con- 
stant composition,  but  the  above  figures 
indicate  that  No.  1  contained  about 
one  per  cent..  No.  2  two  per  cent.,  and 
No.  3  one  and  one-half  per  cent. 
These  quantities  are  larger  than  neces- 
Sdiy  for  an  efficient  insecticide.  Ex- 
periments at  the   Station  have  shown 


that  one  part  of  Paris  green  to  100  or 
150  parts  of  land  plaster  is  ample  for 
the  destruction  of  the  potato  beetle. 

The  quantity  of  arsenic  found  in 
these  samples  is  certainly  sufficient  to 
demand  especial  care  in  its  use  at  all 
times  and  to  warrant  the  recommenda- 
tion of  its  discontinuance  upon  cabbage 
and  all  other  vegetables  and  fruit 
where  it  is  possible  for  a  portion  of  the 
poison  to  be  retained  until  it  reaches 
the  table.  When  it  is  considered  that 
one  grain  of  arsenious  acid  is  a  danger- 
ous dose,  and  that  a  tablespoon  full  of 
any  of  the  above  samples  would  contain 
more  than  this  quantity,  the  necessity 
for  caution  in  its  use  will  be  evident  to. 
all. 

E.  Lewis  Sturtevant, 

Director. 


SMALL  FRUIT  NOTES. 

The  season  has  been  quite  favorable 
for  the  strawberry.  The  Horticultural 
Exhibition  was  the  best  for  50  years. 
Among  strawberries  the  Belmont  car- 
ried off  the  Silver  Cup,  although  it  had 
powerful  competiters  in  the  Sharpless 
and  Jewell.  The  Prince  (of  Berries) 
took  the  first  prize  for  a  new  variety, 
and  the  Parry  the  second,  but  there 
was  a  silver  medal  also  given  to  the 
Gold,  which  is  larger,  higher-flavored 
and  handsome.  It  was  raised  by  P.  M. 
Augur  &  Sons.  Among  the  new  varie- 
ties was  the  Dorchester,  which,  although 
exhibited  in  a  general  collection,  at- 
tracted special  notice  for  its  size  and 
beauty,  and  as  a  very  late,  handsome 
kind,  the  Omega  received  a  fii'st-class 
certificate  of  merit.  Jewell  fully  justi- 
fies the  high  commendation  it  has 
received,  and  Sharpless  is  more  popular 
than  any  other  kind.  Ellwanger  & 
Barry  conferred  a  great  blessing  on  the 
world  when  they  introduced  it. 

In  regard  to  raspberries,  the  Carman 
is  the  earliest  cap  variety  I  possess.  It 
is   sweet   and    veri/  goody    a   valuable. 


206 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


acquisition.  The  Ohio  comes  in  next, 
and  is  hardy  and  productive.  The 
Marlboro  is  early  and  prolific,  ripening 
its  crop  gradually,  and  when  fully  ripe, 
of  good  quality,  good  size,  and  firm 
enough  for  traveling  to  distant  market ; 
but  to  obtain  these  advantages  the 
suckers  must  be  constantly  kept  down. 
It  is  the  most  vigorous  and  robust  of 
all  raspberries.  My  favorite  is  the 
Souchetti,  which  I  introduced  30  years 
^go.  This  and  the  Franconia  lead  in 
the  prize  taking.  Cuthbert  is  good,  but 
no  improvement  over  the  Franconia. 
The  Crystal  of  Caywood,  a  new  white, 
is  vigorous  and  prolific,  handsome  and 
firm,  promises  well  for  market. — Mar- 
shall P.  Wilder,  in  Rural  New 
Yorker, 


STRAWBERRY  NOTES. 

The  first  strawberries  this  season 
-were  Alpha,  on  June  1st.  This  has 
now,  for  several  years,  shown  itself  to  be 
the  earliest  really  valuable  strawberry 
Avith  me.  Early  Canada  may  some- 
times be  a  day  earlier ;  but  Alpha  is 
larger,  more  productive  and  of  finer 
flavor;  while  the  hardiness  and  vigor  of 
the  latter  are  all  that  need  be  desired. 
Metcalf  and  Crystal  City  may,  per- 
chance, be  a  day  or  even  two  earlier;  but 
their  lack  of  size,  and  extreme  unpro- 
ductiveness have  ruled  them  out,  and  I 
abandoned   them   several   years   since. 

Alpha,  Maggie,  Bright  Ida  and 
Arnold's  Pride,  which  ripen  success- 
ively in  the  order  named,  are  seedlings 
(in  the  second  generation)  of  the  late 
Charles  Arnold  of  Ontario,  from  a  cross 
of  Wilson  upon  the  foreign  variety,  Dr. 
Nicaise;  and  are  again,  this  season,  as 
for  several  years  past,  surprising  me 
with  their  fine  size,  fair  quality  and 
great  productiveness.  Jewell,  Parry  and 
Cornelia  are  fruiting  heavily ;  but  I 
doubt  if  either  of  these — even  the 
Jewell — can  be  said  to  excel  the  former 
in  vigor  or  productiveness. 


Howell,  a  new  variety  of  the  history 
of  which  I  am  ignorant,  ripened  along 
with  Crescent,  on  the  second  day  after 
Alpha,  and  were  soon  followed  by 
Philadelphia,  Nicanor,  Duchess,  Dun- 
can, Maggie,  Bid  well  and  many  others 
about  in  the  above  order. 

The  Alpha,  last  season,  ripened  its 
first  fruit  on  June  13th ;  or  about  two 
weeks  later  than  this  year.  Parry 
showed  its  first  ripe  fruit  this  season 
on  June  11th.  The  plant  shows  a 
moderate  degree  of  vigor,  and  is  more 
than  maintaining  its  last  season's  repu- 
tation for  productiveness,  as  well  as  for 
the  size,  beauty  and  high  quality  of 
the  fruit. — T.  T.  Lyon,  in  Rural  New- 
Yorker. 


THE  "CONN"  GOOSEBERRY. 

We  have  received  from  Mr.  P.  E. 
Bucke,  of  Ottawa,  a  branch  of  this 
Gooseberry,  to  which  a  goodly  sup})ly 
of  fruit  was  no  doubt  attached  when  it 
started  on  its  journey,  but  which  had 
nearly  all  become  detached  when  it 
came  to  hand.  The  berries  vary  very 
much  in  size  and  form.  Some  of  them 
are  of  an  elongated  form,  nearly  oval ; 
others  are  round.  The  longest  was  a 
trifle  over  an  inch  in  length,  and  mea- 
sured two  and  a  quarter  inches  in  cir- 
cumference at  the  largest  part.  The 
color  was  a  bright  green,  but  as  the 
fruit  was  not  perfectly  ripe  it  may  be 
that  the  color  becomes  lighter  at  ma- 
turity. Of  the  flavour  it  is  impossible 
to  speak,  owing  to  the  unripe  state  of 
the  fruit. 

The  following  account  of  this  berry, 
given  by  Mr.  Bucke,  is  taken  from  the 
report  of  the  Fruit  Growei*s'  Associa- 
tion for  1885,  page  53  : — 

"  Last,  but  not  least,  comes  a  beny 
which  I  found  in  the  possession  of 
John  Conn,  Esq.,  J. P.,  of  Kemptville, 
Ontario.  This  is  decidedly  the  best 
gooseberry  of  which  I  have  any  per- 
sonal knowledge.     On  strict  enquiry  of 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


207 


Mr.  Conn,  he  could  give  me  no  infor- 
mation as  to  its  origin ;  he  thought  it 
a  Whitesmith.  Having  doubted  this  I 
obtained  some  berries  from  him  last 
summer  and  compared  them  with  the 
Whitesmiths  grown  by  a  member  of 
our  Association  in  Ottawa,  but  there 
was  scarcely  any  resemblance.  It  has 
the  appearance  of  being  some  English 
variety,  from  its  size,  but  bears  much 
heavier  crops  than  either  Downing, 
or  Smith's,  and  is  nearly  twice  the 
size.  Wood  stocky  and  upright  in 
gi'owth.  I  immediately  secured  some 
thirty  layers  and  set  them  out  last 
autumn.  These  will  not  give  any  fruit 
of  much  consequence  for  two  years,  as 
layers  should  be  set  out  for  one  or  two 
yeai-s  in  nursery  rows  before  they 
make  good  stock.  Should  this  beiTy 
prove  as  free  from  mildew  elsewhere 
as  it  has  with  Mr.  Conn,  it  will  cer- 
tainly prove  a  most  valuable  acquisi- 
tion to  our  fruit  list.  Failing  any  name 
for  it,  I  have  with  Mr.  Conn's  consent 
called  it  the  '  Conn,'  and  trust  that 
name  will  be  adopted  until  its  true 
jmrentage  is  discovered.  Mr.  Conn  in- 
forms me  that  all  the  American  varie- 
ties he  has  grown  (Houghton,  Downing 
and  Smith's)  have  mildewed  more  or 
less,  but  this  one  never." 


ANOTHER  NEW  GOOSEBERRY. 

Mr.  J.  M.  Ogle,  of  Washington 
Territory,  has  a  new  variety  of  goose- 
berry, which  he  has  named  the  Puy- 
allup  Mammoth  Gooseberry,  and  which 
bids  fair  to  become  a  popular  candidate 
for  public  favor.  It  is  said  to  be 
hardier  and  less  liable  to  mold  than 
any  other  known.  Mr.  Ogle  says  that 
he  has  this  new  gooseberry  growing  be- 
side the  English  varieties.  Crown  Bob, 
Whitesmith  and  Champion,  and  that 
while  the  Puyallup  Mammoth  was 
wholly  free  from  the  diseases  of  the 
three  English  varieties,  the  Crown  Bob 


and  Whitesmith  had  prematurely 
dropped  most  of  their  fruit  and  the 
Champion  had  not  escaped. 

We  do  not  admire  the  name  which 
Mr.  Ogle  has  given  to  the  gooseberry, 
and  hope  he  will  read  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  American  Pomological  So- 
ciety and  at  least  drop  the  word 
"  mammoth." 

THE  KOELREUTERIA  PANICULATA. 

The  Koelreuteria  has  the  merit  of 
blooming  when  few  other  trees  are  in 
flower.  In  late  July  the  large  yellow 
panicles  open  at  the  extremities  of  all 
the  branches,  giving  the  tree  an  ap- 
pearance quite  unlike  that  of  any 
other.  The  foliage,  too,  is  good,  and  I 
have  never  seen  it  preyed  upon  by  any 
insects.  One  drawback  to  the  tree  is 
the  dead  flower  stems  which  remain  on 
the  tree  for  a  year  after  the  fruit — 
which  is  quite  ornamental — has  fallen. 
— Philadelphia  Press. 

Note.  —  A  tree  in  a  neighbour's 
grounds  is  now  in  full  bloom  (August 
12th)  and  is  a  very  showy  object. 


REFORM  IN  NAMES  OF  FRUIT. 

The  President  of  the  American  Po- 
mological Society  thus  expresses  the 
object  which  he  seeks  to  attain  in 
simplifying  the  names  of  fruits  : — We 
want  to  repress  all  royal  titles,  such  as 
emperor,  king,  or  prince  ;  all  political 
titles  such  as  president  or  governor  ; 
all  military  titles,  such  as  general, 
colonel  or  captain ;  all  indelicate  names, 
like  Hog-Pen,  Sheepnose  and  Big  Bob ; 
all  ostentatious  names,  such  as  Excel- 
sior, Ne  Plus  Ultra  or  Stump  the 
World,  and  all  long  names,  like  Doy- 
enne Oris  d'Hiver  Nouveau  or  Twenty- 
fifth  Anniversary  of  Leopold  the  Fii-st. 
In  the  future  we  desii-e  to  use  but  one 


k 


208 


THE   CANADIAN    H0ETICULTURI8T. 


word  for  the  name  of  a  fruit,  as  with 
the  Baldwin  Apple,  the  Bartlett  Pear, 
the  Concord  Grape,  and  other  renowned 
fruits  which  will  be  perpetually  known 
by  appropriate  and  easily  remembered 
names. 

THE  HICKORY  AND  BLACK  WALNUT. 

Talk  about  timber  devastation !  If 
our  readers  want  to  see  what  it  looks 
like,  let  them  follow  us  to  any  of  the 
mountain  ranges  of  the  great  Alleghany 
mountain  system,  wherever  these  ranges 
are  within  reasonable  distance  from  the 
railroads,  notably  to  the  Blue  Eidge, 
which  divides  the  Great  valley  from 
Eastern  Virginia.  Here  whole  forests 
of  white  oak  are  cut  down,  merely  for 
the  sake  of  the  bark,  which  is  to  be  sold 
to  the  tanneries ;  and  the  noble  hickory 
and  the  majestic  black  walnut  are  fall- 
ing under  the  stroke  of  the  axe.  The 
oak  timber  is  sometimes  worked  up  in- 
to railroad  ties,  more  generally,  how- 
ever, left  on  the  ground  unused.  Hick- 
ory and  Black  walnut  logs  are  shipped 
to  northern  manufacturing  towns. 

So  the  timber  gradually  grows  less ; 
the  mountain  slopes  and  even  the  very 
ridges  are  getting  denuded  of  their 
original  growth  ;  and  after  a  while  the 
ornament  of  these  forests,  the  hickory 
and  the  walnut,  once  so  numerous,  will 
be  no  more.  They  are  getting  scarce 
already  in  the  reigons  intersected  by 
railroads. 

The  present  price  of  black  walnut 
lumber,  even  without  the  sure  prospect 
of  rapid  and  material  advance,  is  such 
as  to  insure  very  large  profits  in  the 
cultivation  of  this  tree  for  its  timber. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  the  hickory. 
Whether  the  fruit  may  be  of  much 
account  or  not,  the  timber  alone  will 
pay  large  dividends. 

Why  the  American  farmer,  especially 
in  the  South  and  West,  with  large 
tracts  of  cheap  land,  does  not  take  hold 
of  so  good  a  chance,  we  are  unable  to 


understand,  unless  it  is  because  he  does 
not  look  beyond  the  immediate  future, 
and  rather  take  six  per  cent,  interest 
one  year  from  date  than  six  hundred 
in  ten  years. 

The  establishment  of  a  black  walnut 
forest  is  an  extremely  simple  thing. 
The  nuts  are  easily  obtainable  almost 
anywhere  in  any  quantities,  and  may 
be  planted  like  corn.  Seedlings  are  for 
sale  by  nurserymen  at  very  reasonable 
figures,  and  may  be  planted  like  any 
ordinary  orchard,  only  rather  close,  say 
eight  feet  a  part  each  way.  In  either 
method  you  can  accomplish  your  object, 
without  great  trouble  or  expense. 
Much  cultivation  is  not  needed.  The 
trees  will  soon  take  care  of  themselves, 
and  grow  into  money  right  along,  big 
money,  too.  Why  not  do  it,  you  who- 
can  1 — Orchard  and  Garden. 


BUHACH. 


We  take  the  following  extract  on: 
the  manufacture  and  use  of  this  insecti- 
cide from  the  N'ew  York  Examiner^ 
merely  premising  that  the  plant  from 
which  it  is  made  is  a  variety  of  Pyreth- 
rum,  the  P.  cinerariaefolium, : — 

Buhach  powder  is  made  by  pulveriz- 
ing the  flower-heads  of  the  plants.  The 
flowers,  which  look  much  like  daisies, 
are  gathered  before  they  are  quite  open, 
and  should  be  dried  under  cover,  as  the 
heat  of  the  sun  seems  to  injure  them. 
So  does  the  heat  of  stoves,  or  other 
artificial  heat.  After  drying,  if  only  a. 
small  quantity  is  to  be  pulverized,  the 
flower  heads  can  be  put  into  a  mortar, 
and  covered  with  a  piece  of  leather, 
through  which  the  pestle  can  pass. 
After  pulverizing,  the  powder  should  be 
sifted  through  a  fine  sieve,  and  then,  if 
not  wanted  for  immediate  use,  put  up 
in  an  air-tight  glass  fruit  jar. 

Buhach  is  usually  used  in  the  evening 
or  in  the  early  morning,  because  the 
dew  on  the  leaves  will  make  the  powder 


THE   CANADIAN    HOBriCULTDBIST. 


209 


stick  to  the  little  insects  and  kill  tliem. 
The  powder  should  not  be  used  on  rainy 
(lays,  for  it  will  wash  off  from  the  leaves, 
and  do  no  good.  The  insufflator,  a  little 
invention  for  hohling  in  the  hand  and 
throwing  the  powder,  is  tlie  best  ar- 
rangement for  applying  buhach.  The 
powder  never  injures  the  leaves  of 
plants.  It  can  be  applied  mixed  with 
water.  Professor  Riley  says  that  in  a 
mixture  where  only  1-200  of  a  pound 
was  used  to  the  gallon  of  water  the  sol- 
ution proved  fatal  to  caterpillars.  The 
water  mixture  is  the  most  economical 
way  of  using  buhach  on  plants,  al- 
though, in  order  to  prevent  the  too 
rapid  evaporation  of  the  mixture,  add 
I  some  glycerine,  about  half  a  gallon  of 
crude  glycerine  being  added  to  forty 
gallons  of  water.  This  mixture  kills 
both  the  red  spider  and  the  scale  insect, 
pests  that  in  former  yeai*s  have  been 
fought  against  with  lye,  and  remained 
uuconqiiered  even  when  the  lye  was 
•strong  enough  to  crack  the  bark  and 
injure  the  trees. 

The  use  of  buhach  in  liquid  solution 
in  this  country  dates  from  18S0,  when 
the  United  States  Entomological  Com- 
mision  difjcovered  that  it  could  be  so 
used,  and  the  Government  Entomolo- 
gist, in  his  report  for  1881-82,  says  that 
"  the  finer  the  spray  in  which  the  fluid 
is  applied  the  more  economical  is  its  use, 
and  the  greater  the  chance  of  reaching 
;very  insect  on  the  plant." 

Professor  Cook,  of  Lansing,  Mich., 
has  killed  cabbage-worms  with  a  mix- 
ture of  one  pound  of  buhach  with  200 
gallons  of  water,  and  he  also  states  that 
lie  has  applied  buhach  mixed  with  flour 
and  also  with  water,  and  h;us  found  both 
methods  efficient  in  destroying  the  larvai 
and  images  of  the  Colorado  potato-beetle. 

Professor  Hilgard,  of  the  University 
of  California,  says  that  ho  has  been  sur- 

Kiised  at  the  eflect  produced  on  the 
airy  tent-caterpillar  by  water  that  con- 
iined  a  mixture  of  one  i)Ound  of  i)ow- 


der  to  fifty  gallons  of  water.  Although 
the  tent  caterpillars  paid  no  attention 
to  the  [jowder  when  blown  upon  them 
from  the  bellows,  when  they  received  a 
sprinkle  of  the  diluted  extract,  they 
died  very  soon.  Professor  Hilgard  has 
recommended  the  use  of  the  extract  in 
greenhouses  and  conservatories,  on  ac- 
count of  its  harmlessness  to  plants. 

Professor  Riley  states  that  there  is 
nothing  known  to  him  that  so  quickly 
kills  the  cotton-worm  as  buhach. 

Professor  Eisen,  in  an  address  before 
the  California  State  Viticultural  Con- 
vention, held  in  San  Francisco  nearly 
three  years  ago,  recommended  the  nse 
of  the  buhach  solution  for  spraying 
grape-vines,  about  forty  gallons  of  sol- 
ution being  used  for  an  acre  of  vines. 
One  pound  of  buhach  mixed  with  thirty 
of  sulphur,  and  allowed  to  stand  six 
hours  before  using,  he  recommended  as 
a  sure  remedy  for  vine-hoppers. 


QUALITY  VERSUS  QUANTITY. 

In  a  few  remarks  last  month  I  sug- 
gested the  securing  of  quality  of  fruit, 
as  one  good  step  towards  the  realization 
of  better  prices  for  our  horticultural 
products.  Our  markets  are  most  al- 
ways su})plied  with  an  excess  of  inferior 
articles,  the  prices  for  which,  even 
though  in  excess  of  their  actual  value, 
act  as  a  bar  to  sjiles  of  articles  in  the 
same  line  of  a  better  grade. 

This,  I  think,  will  apply  to  any 
article  of  trade  in  any  branch  of  in- 
dustry, and  fruits  are  no  exception. 

The  manufacturer  of  a  strictly  first- 
class  article  of  dairy  butter  has  enough 
of  the  inferior  grades  of  the  genuine 
article  to  compote  with,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  diabolic  counterfeits  in  the  shape 
of  oleomargarine,  butterine,  etc.  The 
merchant  who  endeavors  to  handle  only 
first-chiss  goods,  has  "Jews "  and 
"  cheap  John "  dealei-s  in  inferior 
grades  of  goods  to  contend  with,  and 


210 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICDLTURIBT. 


cheapness  with  the  masses  is  synony- 
mous with  low  prices.  With  our  fruits 
the  lowest  in  price  is  often  the  dearest 
to  purchase.  Is  it  not  so  in  other 
things  1 

A  case  or  two  in  point  by  way  of 
illustration.  The  Ives  grape  is  one  of 
the  first  to  appear  in  our  markets, 
coming  with  or  followed  closely  by  the 
Champion.  The  reason  of  this  is,  it 
colors  early  and  looks  well  weeks  be- 
fore it  is  fit  to  eat.  Some  growers  at 
Hammonton  and  Vineland  send  for- 
ward their  whole  crop  of  Ives  before 
commencing  their  Concords,  and  I  am 
sorry  to  say  the  vendors  often  sell 
them  for  Concords,  though  the  latter 
are  the  earliest.  Ih  an  interview  with 
a  German  grape-grower  at  Yineland 
last  winter,  he  put  it  in  this  way  : 
"Those  peepleswho  sell  Ives  so  early 
spile  the  whole  bizness,  the  Ives  be  so 
sour  peeples  who  buys  'em  got  no  more 
appetite  for  grapes,  and  the  whole  mar- 
ket be  spiled." 

That  is  just  what's  the  matter  ;  they 
break  the  market  with  their  sour,  un- 
ripe and  inferior  stuff,  that  purchasers 
are  afraid  to  buy,  and  regard  a  really 
good  article  with  suspicion. 

Last  fall  the  grape  market  was,  as 
usual,  pretty  well  demoralized,  and  as 
a  consequence,  I  felt  a  little  concern  as 
to  the  resulting  income  from  my  small 
crop. 

I  kept  holding  off  as  well  as  I  could, 
hoping  the  receipts  would  diminish  and 
prices  stiffen  a  little,  but  no  improve- 
ment seemed  apparent,  so  one  day  I 
filled  a  sample  basket  and  went  to  New 
York,  to  see  for  myself.  Calling  on  a 
commission  merchant,  I  enquired  what 
first-class  No.  1  Niagaras  were  bring- 
ing] Twelve  cents  was  the  highest 
mark  and  from  that  down !  I  re- 
marked that  I  was  sorry  to  hear  that 
as  my  crop  was  smaller  than  usual,  and 
I  hoped  to  do  better  than  that.  Ni- 
agaras, he  said,  had  not  been  first  rats. 


not    sweet,    and    it    was    hard    to    get 
twelve  cents. 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  1  suppose  I  will 
have  to  take  what  I  can  get,  even  if  I 
am  not  satisfied.  I  have  brought  a 
sample  basket  of  my  fruit,  that  you 
may  see  how  it  compares  with  that  in 
the  market." 

On  removing  the  cover,  the  merchant 
exclaimed,  •'  Oh  "i  I  was  not  talking 
about  such  stock  as  that,  I  meant  the 
best  State  stock.  I  have  not  seen  any- 
thing as  fine  as  those  this  season.  Such 
fruit  as  that  ought  to  bring  fifteen 
cents  readily."  I  felt  relieved.  1  told 
him  the  sample  was  a  fair  one,  and  he 
could  turn  it  out  and  find  the  bottom 
as  good  as  the  middle  or  top.  I  left 
the  sample  for  him  to  show  his  custo- 
mers what  they  might  expect,  and  re- 
turned. 

In  a  day  or  two  I  received  a  note 
from  him  stating  that  his  customers, 
while  admitting  the  fruit  to  be  very 
fine,  that  fifteen  cents  was  as  much  as 
they  were  willing  to  give  on  account  of 
the  abundance  of  Aimer ia  grapes  in 
the  maiket  and  the  low  prices  they 
brought.  While  he  would  like  to 
handle  the  fruit,  he  did  not.  wish  to 
create  undue  expectations. 

When  I  got  to  gathering  the  crop  I 
took  a  small  load  in  to  the  city,  and 
left  them  with  the  merchant,  merely 
saying,  "  do  the  best  you  can." 

I  due  time,  the  returns  came,  sixteen 
cents  per  pound. 

Why?  Simply  because  the  quality 
was  No.  1,  and  they  wore  honestly  put 
up.  Another  party  did  as  well  or  bet- 
ter.     Does  it  pay  1 

A  merchant  sent  me  an  order  for 
some  Concords,  saying  he  would  give 
me  five  cents  per  pound  for  them.  I 
filled  his  order  and  in  a  few  days  I  re- 
ceived a  note  from  him  to  this  effect, 
"  The  Concords  were  fine  large  clusters, 
will  allow  you  six  cents  for  them  ;  they 
arc  worth  it,  send  me  some  more." 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


211 


Witli  Concords  abundant  at  four 
cents,  quality  alone  must  have  the 
credit  of  this  advance.     Does  it  pay  1 

I  frequently  hear  people  talk  of  the 
profits  of  growing  Concords  at  two  and 
one-half  cents  per  pound,  and  their 
satisfaction  at  such  prices,  but  when  T 
reach  that  condition  of  mind  I  shall  be 
more  of  a  lunatic  than  I  am  now.  I 
would  rather  go  out  to  work  at  a  dollar 
a  day,  turn  tramp,  or  go  to  the  alms- 
house by  a  more  direct  route. 

With  the  present  condition  of  our 
markets  and  the  business,  I  am  con- 
vinced, from  iny  own  expei-ience,  that 
the  most  important  factor  in  securing 
profits,  or  even  satisfactory  prices,  for 
our  agricultural  and  horticultural  pro- 
ducts is  in  improving  the  quality,  even 
if  the  quantity  is  diminished.  Better 
fruit  and  less  of  it. 

I  think  it  was  Webster  who  said, 
there  was  "  plenty  of  room  at  the  top." 

Will  it  not  pay  more  of  our  fruit- 
growers to  try  and  get  there  1 — E.  Wil- 
liams, in  Michifjan  Horticulturist. 


VARIETIES  OF  RASPBERRIES  TO 
EAT, 

I  feel  some  embarrassment  in  writ- 
ing upon  what  is  so  clearly  a  matter  of 
taste,  knowing  that  that  subtle  sense 
vanes  so  much  in  individuals  that  it 
would  be  audacious  for  any  one  to  set 
up  his  own  as  a  standard. 

I  may  be  under  an  illusion  but  am 
impressed  that  1  used  when  a  boy,  rov- 
ing over  fields  and  woods,  to  occasion- 
ally strike  a  stool  of  black  rasj)berries, 
growing  in  just  enough  shade,  with 
roots  feeding  in  just  the  right  kind  of 
compost,  that  produced  berries  of  the 
most  delicate  and  exquisite  flavor  of  any 
I  ever  ate.  In  fact,  as  I  have  since 
tested  new  varieties  of  raspberries,  the 
memory  of  the  flavor  of  those  I  used  to 
eat,  strung  on  a  timothy  stalk,  would 
obtrude  and  become  a  stjindard  of  com- 
parison. 


The  Mammoth  Cluster  was  a  favor- 
ite of  mine  for  eating,  not  so  much, 
perhaps,  because  of  its  high  flavor  as 
for  its  freedom  from  seeds.  A  berry 
with  pulp  crowded  full  of  seeds  is  not 
very  pleasant  eating  of  however  high 
flavor. 

Seneca  is  another  high -flavored 
black-cap,  but,  for  some  reason,  has 
failed  to  push  its  way  into  popular 
favor,  perhaps  because  it  had  no  one 
particularly  interested  in  pushing  it. 

Of  the  black-caps  now  grown  exten- 
sively for  market  or  evaporating,  none, 
I  think,  are  of  very  high  quality. 
Gregg  is  one  of  the  poorest;  Ohio  is  a 
little  better  but  not  of  high  quality, 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  Tyler.  I 
think  Ho})kins  may  prove  better  than 
any  of  the  three.  A  new  variety,  not 
yet  much  disseminated,  "  Reyes,"  is 
the  sweetest  black-cap  I  ever  tasted. 

Passing  on  to  the  reds,  among  the 
best  in  flavor  are  Knevett's  Giant  and 
Herstine,  and  I  think  they  are  well 
worthy  the  attention  of  the  amateur, 
although  not  perfectly  hardy.  Among 
hardy  sorts,  Clarke,  Turner  and  Cuth- 
bert  are  of  good  quality.  I  think 
Marlboro  will  rank  pretty  high  in 
quality.  Excelling  all  in  delicate 
flavor,  yellow  berry,  Brinckle's  Orange, 
will  repay  considerable  eflbrt  for  its 
production. 

For  the  table,  well  mixed  with 
sugar,  I  know  of  non(5  that  please  me 
more  than  Shaffer,  although  of  inferior 
flavor,  eaten  out  of  hand. — P.  C.  Rey- 
nolds, ill  Michigan  Horticulturist. 


CANADA'S  FRUIT  EXPORT. 

The  trade  tables  sliow  a  steady 
growth  in  Canada's  exports  of  fruits 
during  recent  years.  The  declared 
value  is  now  over  half  a  million  dol- 
lars, and.  although  this  is  but  a  small 
sum,  it  doubtless  has  a  marked  eflfect 
on  the  home  prices. — Montreal  Witness. 


212 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


CRANBERRIES. 

BY   A.    MC  D.  ALLAN,   GODBRICH. 

Up  and  down  throughout  the  Prov- 
ince there  are  hundreds  of  acres  of 
swampy  lands  that  at  present  are  of 
little  or  no  practical  value  to  the  owners, 
and  yet  possibly  a  large  area  of  this 
swampy  land  could  be  utilized  for  the 
purpose  of  cultivating  cranberries. 
This  subject  stands  prominently  among 
our  neglected  industries  in  this  Prov- 
ince, probably  from  the  fact  that  so 
little  is  known  about  the  various  points 
of  cultivation  and  care  necessary  in 
order  to  secure  a  crop  at  once  profitable 
and  regular.  Consumers  heretofore 
have  been  satisfied  with  the  supply 
reaped  yearly  from  wild  beds  in  far 
northerly  sections,  or  imported  from  the 
neighbouring  republic.  But  now  that 
the  demand  is  rapidly  increasing,  and 
will  certainly  continue  to  increase, 
those  who  have  pieces  of  waste  land 
suitable  for  cranberry  culture  may 
feel  interested  in  a  few  particulars  on 
the  subject. 

There  appears  to  be  several  Varieties 
of  this  fruit  in  European  countries,  and 
in  some  of  these  countries  the  cran- 
berry stands  among  the  most  reliable 
and  valuable  crops  for  home  market 
and  export.  But  although  it  is  largely 
grown  throughout  Europe,  our  Ameri- 
can cranberry  being  lai-ger  and  of  a 
much  better  quality,  finds  a  ready  mar- 
ket across  the  ocean  at  much  higher 
prices  than  the  native .  berry.  By  the 
British  market  reports,  I  find  that  the 
demand  in  that  country  for  the  Ameri- 
can cranberry  has  rapidly  increased 
during  the  past  few  years,  and  prices 
are  steadily  on  the  rise,  the  supply  be- 
ing short  of  the  demand. 

The  first  requisite  is  to  secure  a  piece 
of  land  that  can  be  flooded  during  the 
winter  season,  but  it  must  be  so  situated 
that  the  water  can  easily  be  drawn  ofi* 
in  spring  when  wanted.  The  plot 
should  be  sufficiently   underdrained  or 


ditched  to  avoid  holding  water  stagnant 
near  the  surface,  as  this  would  induce 
disease  and  the  breeding  of  insect 
enemies. 

In  preparing  the  soil  care  should  be 
taken  at  the  outset  to  have  it  free  from 
grass  and  weeds,  although  I  have  seen 
plots  along  the  sea  coast  in  Maine  where, 
in  the  course  of  three  or  four  years,  the 
vines  made  so  close  a  matting  that  grass 
was  choked.  But  like  other  crops,  so 
in  this  it  will  pay  to  begin  with  clean 
cultivation.  The  plot  should  be  nearly 
level,  so  that  when  flooding  there  will 
be  an  even  cover  over  the  whole  surface. 
Lands  with  peat  or  muck  bottoms  are 
usually  considered  best.  If  a  regular 
sod  is  formed,  especially  of  the  coare-e 
strong-rooted  swamp  grass,  it  should  be 
removed  at  a  season  of  the  year  when 
the  water  is  low,  and  in  place  of  this 
sod  a  complete  cover  of  fine  sand  about 
two  inches  in  depth  should  be  spread 
over  the  entire  plot.  Clay  bottom  soils 
should  be  avoided.  Peat  or  decayed 
vegetable  soil,  with  a  mixture  of  sand 
will  do,  although,  if  at  all  possible  it  is 
preferable  to  have  a  complete  top  cover 
of  pure  sand.  The  winter  is  a  good 
time  to  apply  the  sand,  as  there  is 
usually  more  time  for  such  work  at  that 
season,  and  besides,  the  expense  is  gen- 
erally less  for  hauling  then.  If  there  is 
danger  of  grass  or  weetl  roots  in  the 
soil,  the  sand  should  be  laitl  four  inches 
deep  over  the  surface,  otherwise  half 
that  quantity  will  be  sufiicient. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  obtain  rooted 
plants  for  setting  out,  as  the  cranberry 
grows  freely  from  cuttings.  Some 
growers  make  small  cuttings,  broadcast 
them  over  the  plot  and  roll  or  j)ress 
them  over  the  soil,  while  others  advo- 
cate planting  in  rows.  If  the  soil  is 
clean,  broadcasting  tlie  cuttings  is  })rob- 
ably  best,  as  the  vines  cover  the  surface 
sooner  and  thus  prevent  the  growth  of 
grass  and  weeds.  When  they  are 
planted  in  rows  there  is   usually   too 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


213 


much  space  left  for  cultivation  the  first 
two  years,  and  this  space  allows  the 
scorching  sun  to  beat  so  directly  upon 
the  young  vines  that  they  are  often 
weakened.  Under  favourable  circum- 
stances, if  plants  are  placed  two  or  even 
three  feet  apart  they  will  completely 
cover  the  ground  in  about  two  years. 
The  spring  is  the  best  time  to  set  the 
plants  or  cuttings. 

Usually  the  j)lot  should  be  flooded 
about  the  first  of  December,  and  the 
water  drawn  off  gradually  the  following 
spring  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of 
May.  After  the  ])lants  or  cuttings  are 
set  the  water  should  be  kept  near  the 
surface  and  gradually  drawn  off  as  they 
strike  and  grow. 

If  a  stream  runs  through  the  marsh 
so  much  the  better,  as  in  dry  weather 
in  midsummer,  when  there  is  any 
appearance  of  insect  enemies,  the  flood- 
gates can  be  closed  and  the  plot  thor- 
oughly saturated  for  a  cou})le  of  days  so 
as  to  destroy  these  enemies,  while  at 
the  same  time  supplying  needed  mois- 
ture to  the  plants. 

Sulphate  of  iron  is  an  excellent  top 
dressing  for  ci'anberries  but  it  must  be 
used  sparingly.  If  dissolved  in  water 
a  liberal  sprinkling  will  be  sufticient. 

There  are  several  vari(!ties  grown, 
but  I  think  the  favourites  are  the 
OheiTy  and  the  Bugle,  although  the 
foinier  is  rej)orted  as  being  tender  in 
])arts  of  the  State  of  Maine.  As  a  rule, 
a  full  crop  need  not  be  expected  until 
the  foui-th  year,  although  a  small  crop 
is  often  reaped  the  second  year  from 
))lanting. 

TIk;  yield  \;;ri 'S  Ironi  (me  to  two 
hundred  bushels  per  acre.  Ljirge  grow- 
ers reap  the  crop  witli  rakes  s[)ecially 
adapted  for  the  purpose,  but  hand- 
) ticking  is  preferable,  as  the  berries  are 
not  injured,  and  hence  keep  much  better 
in  transit  and  bring  a  higher  figure  in 
the  market. 

As  soon  ;is    the  crop  is  picked  and 


barrelled,  it  should  be  sent  to  market  if 
the  grower  wants  to  make  the  best 
value  out  of  his  crop  year  after  year,  as 
by  keeping,  the  shrinkage  will  more 
than  counterbalance  any  possible  advan- 
tage in  awaiting  a  rise  in  the  market. 


HOW  TO   MANAGE   THE   CUTWORM. 

Professor  C.  V.  Riley  believes  that 
the  onion  crop  can  be  grown  success- 
fully, even  in  a  marked  cutworm  season, 
by  adopting  the  followiiii;-  nioasures  : — 
As  a  preventive  treat  tlie  land  early  in 
spring  with  a  mixture  of  lime  and  ashes, 
preferably  wood  ashes.  This  mixture 
should  be  lightly  spread  over  the  land 
after  ])loughing  and  harrowed  in.  If, 
after  the  seed  is  sown  and  the  plants 
begin  to  come  up,  the  worms  appear  and 
threaten  damage,  employ  the  poisoned 
ball  system,  which,  in  brief,  consists  in 
placing  along  the  rows,  at  a  distance  of 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  a])art,  small 
bunches  of  fresh  cut  i^r.iss  or  other 
green  })lant;  cab]);ii;('  loaves  uiiswci-  ,i 
good  purpose.  These  bunches  of  gi-ass 
or  green  plant  should  be  })reviously 
sprinkled  with  Paris  green  or  London 
j)urple.  Shoidd  the  worms  still  apf»ear 
in  great  numbers  by  migrations  from 
surrounding  fields,  sprinkle  the  ground 
at  night,  while  the  worms  are  at  vork, 
with  a  dilute  einulsiou  of  kerosene.  A 
Goshen  growci  lia  tr^i  /i  i)ure  kerosene 
for  killing  tlu'  wonn,^,  simply  blaokon- 
ing,  not  killiiii;-,  tlic  onion  lijis.  Tlio 
free  use  of  pure  korosene  may  injure 
the  i>lants,  honce  an  emulsion  is  recom- 
mended as  safiu-  and  cheaper.  Tli<' 
kerosene  is  emulsified  with  soap  or  milk 
in  order  that  it  may  readily  dilute  with 
watei-.  Thero  is  little  doubt  but  that 
by  spraying  .••!■  tlif  lidds  at  ni^lit 
with  this  mixiiiii-  tlw  woi-ms  can  l>r 
destroyed  by    wIioIcsmJ.'.      h   s1i.mij,|  l.c 

used    "x.^f    (1 M;;hiy   at  i-hc;  points  iu 

the  the    worms   are    first 

notic.u  Hi    >\.UK,  and  from  which  they 


2i4 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


spread    to   surrounding    points. — Mon- 
treal Witness. 

MOORE'S  EARLY  GRAPE. 
Prof.  Budd  said  :  "I  consider  it  very 
promising  in  Iowa  now  ;  it  seems  to 
be  hardier  than  Concord,  it  has  a  bet- 
ter leaf.  Moore's  Early  has  the  best 
foliage.  It  is  earlier  even  than  the 
Worden  I  think."  Mr,  Lyman :  I 
have  fruited  it  now  two  years,  and  it 
has  proven  quite  satisfactory  ;  wood  and 
foliage  good  ;  an  abundant  bearer  ;  fruit 
large  ;  ripens  early  ;  shall  plant  largely 
of  it."  Mr.  Plumb,  Wisconsin:  "I 
fully  indorse  what  Prof.  Budd  has  said 
of  Moore's  Early.  I  think  very  highly 
of  it,  and  consider  it  the  best  and  most 
promising  grape  we  have  out  there.  It 
ripens  nearly  a  week  ahead  of  the  Wor- 
den." Mr.  Rogers  :  "  Moore's  stands 
well  in  New  Jersey."  Mr.  Scott  :  "  I 
have  to  report  some  rot  on  my  grounds." 
Mr.  Munson  said  :  "  It  does  not  rot  in 
Texas  ;  it  is  very  early,  black,  firm, 
medium  to  large,  quality  good  to  very 
good  ;  makes  a  red  wine."  Mr.  Harri- 
son, Ohio,  reported  no  rot.  Mr.  Green  : 
"  I  can  also  speak  ver}'-  highly  of  it ; 
ripens  before  the  Worden."  Mr.  Man- 
ning :  "  I  was  at  Mr.  Moore's  place  the 
other  day  and  saw  more  than  40  tons 
of  grapes  in  his  vineyard.  He  has  660 
vines  which  must  have  nearly  three 
tons  of  fruit  on  them.  The  vines  are 
allowed  to  run  wild,  no  pruning  having 
been  attempted.  Moore's  ripens  three 
weeks  before  the  Concord." — Rural 
New-Yorker. 


REMEDIES  FOR  CABBAGE  WORM. 
T  have  not  failed  for  forty- two  years 
in  freeing  my  cabbages  of  worms.  I 
was  at  the  house  of  a  lady  in  Kentucky 
who  had  the  finest  cabbages  I  had  seen 
that  year.  I  asked  her  how  she  man- 
aged to  keep  them  free  of  worms.  She 
told  me  by  sprinkling  them  with  flour, 
shorts,  or  shij^stufF.     As  soon  as  I  got 


home,  I  had  mine  well  plowed,  and  the 
next  morning  I  put  a  large  tables[)oon- 
ful  of  coarse  flour,  or  middlings,  on 
each  head,  while  the  dew  was  on  ;  the 
dew  made  it  wet.  and  the  worms  began 
to  crawl  and  roll  over  on  the  wet  flour. 
The  more  they  struggled,  the  more 
paste  they  gathered  ;  they  would  soon 
fall  on  the  fresh  plowed  earth,  which, 
being  wet,  would  stick  to  them,  and 
clog  their  feet  and  legs,  so  that  they 
could  not  get  into  the  ground.  Those 
that  could  not  get  ofl*,  died  on  the  heads. 
The  paste  prevents  all  eggs  from  hatch- 
ing. 

This  has  been  one  of  the  most  diffi- 
cult seasons  I  recollect  to  keep  the 
worms  from  destroying  cabbages.  Two 
plowings,  and  twice  going  over  and 
applying  the  flour,  saved  mine,  while 
most  of  the  neighbors  lost  theirs.  It 
may  be  necessary  to  apply  it  oftener,  if 
hard  rains  come  and  wash  out  the  flour. 
Bye  or  buckwheat,  unbolted,  is  as  good 
as  fine  flour  ;  the  paste  is  what  does 
the  work. — W.  G.,  Lexington,  Ky., 
in  Country  Gentleman. 


SMALL  FRUITS  ON  THE  FARM. 

To  stock  a  small  garden  with  the 
best  varieties  requires  only  a  few  dollars 
outlay,  and  the  skill  necessaiy  to  keep 
them  in  good  condition  is  within  the 
reach  of  any  one  who  is  interested  in 
the  matter.  We  generally  see  a  few 
scrubby  and  neglected  currant  bushes 
in  the  grass  along  the  garden  fence,  but 
not  in  one  garden  in  a  dozen  do  we  see 
much  more  in  the  line  of  small  fruits. 
That  men  are  fond  of  these  fruits  is 
proved  by  the  avidity  with  which  they 
dis})0se  of  them  when  [)laced  before 
them  in  the  shape  of  pie,  shortcake,  or 
eaten  with  sug^r  or  cream.  They  seem 
to  forget,  or  overlook  the  fact,  that  the 
season  of  enjoying  these  luxuries  need 
not  be  confined  to  summer.  Canned 
fruits  are  nearly  as  good  during  the 
winter,   if  properlj    put   up,   as   when 


THE   OAKADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


215 


fresh,  and  the  expense  and  trouble  of 
putting  them  up  is  not  great.  More 
money  is  usually  spent  for  prunes  and 
other  dried  fruit  during  the  winter  in 
families  where  fruit  is  not  put  up,  than 
it  would  cost  to  purchase  jars  and  sugar 
to  i)repare  a  supply  at  home.  The 
women  will  take  care  of  the  fruit  if 
.  they  only  have  it  to  take  care  of,  and 
will  be  glad  to  have  the  chance  to  do 
so.  Should  more  fruit  be  produced 
than  the  family  can  consume,  it  will 
meet  with  a  ready  sale  at  the  nearest 
\  illage,  and  usually  bring  the  grower 
l)etter  returns  than  if  sent  to  the  over- 
stocked markets  of  a  large  city.  Sell 
none  but  the  surplus. — Arnerican  Ayri- 
iltuf'ist. 


ADAM'S  NEEDLE— (TMcm  Jilamentosa). 
Among  tall  growing  perennial  flowers 
the  yucca  Jilamentosa  is  consjjicuous. 
In  rich  soils  the  stocks  stand  six 
or  seven  feet  high,  carrying  hundreds 
of  cream-colored,  drooping,  lily-shaped 
flowers.  They  are  especially  beautiful 
in  moonlight,  when  they  appear  snow 
white  and  no  imperfections  can  be  seen. 
A  group  of  them  standing  before  a 
background  of  dark  foliage  is  most 
effective. — Philadelphia  Press. 


FLOWERING  DOGWOOD. 
This  small  native  tree  (Cornus  flor- 
i^la),  grows  from  twelve  to  thirty  feet 
high,  and  the  flowers  appearing  in 
spring  before  the  leaves  have  expanded, 
it  becomes  a  conspicuous  object  in  the 
margins  of  woods  where  it  grows,  the 
showy  white  flowers  beini?  often  three 
or  three  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter. 
What  appears  to  be  the  petals  are  really 
the  corolla-like  involucres,  the  flowei-s 
themselves  being  in  a  sUiall  head  within. 
They  last  long  for  spring  blooming, 
often  more  than  two  weeks,  and  later 
in  the  sea.son  the  berries  are  an  orna- 
'  I  lent.  The  foliage  turns  to  a  deep  red 
ill  autumn.     The  flowering  dogwood  is 


valuable,  as  immediately  following  in 
bloom  that  of  the  magnolias,  and  is 
eminently  worthy  of  a  phice  in  orna- 
mental grounds. — Country  Gentleman. 

BOOKS,  &c.,  RECEIVED. 

Prooeedings  of  the  thirty-third  annual 
meeting  of  the  Kentucky  Horticultural 
Society.  A  neat  pamphlet  of  some 
eighty  pages,  full  of  horticultural  in- 
formation of  special  value  to  residents 
of  that  State,  yet  containing  many  sug- 
gestions very  worthy  of  the  attention 
of  those  who  cultivate  fruit  in  Ontario. 
One  of  the  papers,  entitled  "Some 
things  needful  in  Kentucky  horticul- 
ture," especially  that  part  of  it  which 
treats  of  '*  a  higher  order  of  culture 
among  those  who  make  it  a  business," 
contains  suggestions  that  might  well 
be  put  in  practice  by  cultivators  in  any 
latitude. 

Report  of  the  North  Carolina  State 
Horticultural  Society,  1885.  S.  Otter 
Wilson,  Secretary,  Vineyard,  Wake 
Co.,  N.C. 

Transactions  of  the  Massachusetts 
Horticultural  Society  for  the  year  1885, 
Part  II.  The  report  of  the  committee 
on  gardens  is  especially  interesting. 

The  Canadian  Bee  Journal  is  pub- 
lished weekly  by  Jones,  Macphei-son  <fe 
Co.,  Boeton,  Ont.,  at  one  dollar  a  year. 
It  is  now  in  its  second  volume,  which 
has  been  increased  from  sixteen  to 
twenty  pages.  Those  who  are  interested 
in  bee-keeping  in  Ontario  will  find  this 
weekly  a  very  helpful  visitor. 

MiNNEWASKA    BLACKBERRY. — This  HOW 

blackberry,  not  yet  disseminated,  I  be- 
lieve, has  again  emerged  from  the  winter 
alive  to  the  tips,  hero  in  the  Hudson  River 
Valley.  This  feature  of  hardiness  has 
long  been  the  pressing  need  of  blackberry 
growers  at  the  North.  If  with  the  except- 
ional productiveness,  good  size  and  cpiality 
so  far  evinced  by  the  Minnewjiska  it  shall 
continue  to  combine  iron-clatl  vigor,  it  will 
be  a  valuable  acquisition. — H.  H.  in 
Rural  New-  Yorker. 


216 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


THE  SCENT  OF  A  FLOWER. 
Jane  C.  Simpson,  in  the  Quiver. 
The  scent  of  a  flower  is  a  wonderful  thing ! 
It  plays  round  the  heart  like  the  zephyrs  of  spring ; 
So  subtle,  so  soft,  so  resistless  its  power. 
No  monarchy  rules  like  the  scent  of  a  flower. 

Some  odors  so  blend  with  past  happier  years 
They  move  us  like  melodies  breathing  thro'  tears ; 
For  they  bring  back  the  faces  and  forms  that  arc  cold, 
And  walks  in  the  woods  'mid  sunsets  of  gold. 

******* 
'•  Consider  the  lilies."    Lord  grant  us  to  be 
By  the  lield  and  tlie  gardeu  brought  nearer  to  Thee ; 
To  read  m  sweet  blossoms  Thy  goodness  and  power, 
And  an  infinite  love  in  the  scent  of  a  flower. 

Experience  with  Huckleberries  in 
Connecticut. — About  three  years  ago  I 
transplanted  eiglit  huckleberry  plants, 
which  had  attracted  attention  on  account 
of  their  size  of  fruit,  and  they  were  given 
a  home  corresponding  as  near  as  possible 
with  the  old.  They  began  to  die,  however, 
one  after  another,  until  the  last  one  per- 
ished last  fall.  In  my  opinion  there  is  but 
one  way  to  conquer  this  fruit,  which  is  by 
raising  seedlings  from  those  that  have 
taken  most  kindly  to  cultivation. — S.  T. 
Bradley,  in  Orchard  and  Garden. 

Low  Rrspberry  Bushks. — Mr.   W.  R. 

Sprague  gives  the  readers  of  the  Ohio 
Farmer  some  good  advice  as  to  the  proper 
length  of  berry  canes  :  "I  have  too  often 
neglected,"  he  says,  *' to  stop  the  growth 
of  raspberry  canes  at  the  proper  height. 
The  canes  almost  always  require  cutting 
off  when  other  work  is  pressing.  This  year 
I  have  cut  the  growth  when  from  a  foot  to 
two  feet.  It  was  necessary  to  go  over  the 
plantation  of  two  .and  a  half  acres  twice, 
from  the  fact  that  a  portion  of  the  new 
growth  is  backward.  I  have  found  that 
with  mo  a  low  bush  will  give  more  satis- 
factory results  than  a  high  bush. 

Another  New  Strawberry. — I  believe 
the  coming  berry  has  come,  and  far  ex- 
ceeds the  ex|)ectation  of  the  most  sanguine, 
and  those  berries  that  have  held  the  first 
place  so  long  will  gracefully  step  down  and 
out,  to  make  way  for  so  worthy  a  success- 
or.     The  Jessie — named  for  one  of  Mr. 


Loudon's  daughters — is  of  a  deep,  rich 
color,  attractive  in  form,  a  Jumbo  in  size, 
(we  picked  specimens  which  measured  9^ 
inches  in  circumference).  In  flavour  it  is 
a  delicious  pine  apple  ;  it  is  firm  without 
being  hard,  thus  rendering  it  a  desireable 
berry  for  shipment  or  for  the  table. 
Specimens  before  me  compare  with  our 
Cresents  as  our  Cresents  compare  with  the 
wild  berries.  We  have  had  many  new 
varieties  of  berries,  which  promised  well, 
but  did  not  prove  satisfactory  when  tried 
away  from  localities  where  they  were 
originated,  but  the  Jessie  promises  to 
thrive  and  flourish  everywhere,  Mr  Lou- 
don having  given  it  thorough  tests  in  a 
great  variety  of  soils. — Y.  H.  C.  in  St. 
Paul  Farmer. 

Management  op  Early  Fruits. — Early 
apples  and  pears  will  now  be  ripening  and 
should  be  gathered  for  home  use  or  for 
market.  In  the  eastern  States,  in  local- 
ities near  a  market,  early  apples  pay  bet- 
ter than  late  varieties,  as  the  grower  has 
Mot  to  compete  with  the  Western  fruit 
growers.  These  are  only  profitable  when 
they  can  be  sent  to  a  near  market,  while 
the  late  fruit  can  be  transported  a  long 
distance  without  injury.  Early  apples, 
of  showy  kinds,  should  be  carefully  se- 
lected, and  sent  to  market  in  neat  packages ; 
half  barrels,  lined  with  white  paper,  are 
the  most  attractive  package,  though,  on 
account  of  their  cheapness,  bushel  and  half 
bushel  crates  are  used  by  many.  The 
fruit  should  be  matured — i.  e. ,  full-grown 
when  gathered,  but  should  not  have  had 
time  to  mellow.  When  an  apple  or  pear 
is  mature,  it  readily  parts  from  the  tree  ; 
when  lifted  to  a  horizontal  position  the 
stem  of  tlie  fruit  will  break  away  from  the 
twig  to  wliich  it  is  attached,  leaving  a  clean, 
well  defined  scar.  With  fruit,  maturity  is 
a  distinct  stage,  and  ripeness,  or  mellow- 
ness another.  Early  fruit  generally,  if 
picked  when  mature,  will  be  ripe  and 
mellow  by  the  time  it  reaches  the  con- 
sumer. Fruit  picked  thus,  and  ripened 
off  of  the  tree,  is  vastly  better  in  flavour, 
juiciness  and  texture  than  if  allowed  to 
remain  on  the  tree  until  ''dead  ripe" — 
American  Agriculturist. 


PRINTBD  AT  THR  8TKA.M  PRESS  KSTABLISHMBNT  OF  THE  COPP,   CIJIEK  COMPANY  (UMITKD),  TOHONTO. 


The     Ontai^io     Strawberf\y 


He  GreATi 

Ontario.' 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


OCTOBER,  1886. 


[No.   10. 


THE   ONTARIO   STRAWBERKY. 


This  new  variety  was  given  last 
spring  by  the  Fruit  Growers'  Associa- 
tion to  those  of  its  members  who  chose 
to  receive  it  for  trial.  It  is  too  soon 
as  yet  for  them  to  report  upon  its  be- 
havior in  their  several  localities,  with 
the  various  treatment  and  in  the  variety 
of  soils  and  circumstances  under  which 
it  will  be  tested,  but  believing  that  it 
would  be  interesting  to  all  growers  of 
the  strawberry  to  learn  how  it  had  suc- 
ceeded in  Mr.  Little's  hands  during  the 
past  season,  we  now  give  the  substance 
of  his  reply  to  our  inquiries. 

Of  its  origin  nothing  positive  is 
known.  Mr.  Johnston,  of  Shortsville, 
N.Y.,  bought  the  stock,  a  few  plants, 
some  five  years  ago,  named  and  dis- 
seminated it.  As  a  cropper  it  has 
proved  to  be  a  larger  bearer  with  Mr. 
Little  "  than  a  number  of  the  new  and 
greatly  admired  sorts  in  the  specimen 

►  beds."  This,  it  must  be  confessed,  is 
somewhat  vague.  It  would  have  been 
more  definite  had  its  productiveness 
been  compared  with  some  of  our  well 
known  sorts,  such  as  Wilson,  Sharpless, 

I  or  Crescent.  The  blossoms  are  perfect, 
by  which  is  meant  that  the  stamens 
and  anthers  are  well  developed  so  that 
there  is  an  abundance  of  pollen  pro- 
_ ' „.._ _ _._.„ 


duced  to  fertilize  the  seed  vessels  and 
so  cause  the  fruit  to  set,  without  being 
obliged  to  plant  some  other  variety 
yielding  pollen  sufficient  to  ensure  fer- 
tilization. 

The  berries  are  larger  than  those  of 
the  Manchester,  taking  the  season 
throughout,  while  some  of  the  berries 
are  larger  than  any  of  those  borne  by 
any  other  variety  in  Mr.  Little's 
grounds,  and  Mr.  Little  has  a  very 
large  number  of  varieties.  In  form 
they  are  "  slightly  elongated  and  rib- 
bed, but  never  mis-shapen,  somewhat 
resembling  Cumberland  Triumph."  In 
color  they  are  "  not  so  bright  as  Man- 
chester, but  better  than  Cumberland 
Triumph,"  and  in  texture  they  are 
"  firmer  than  Manchester." 

The  quality  of  the  fruit  is  designated 
as  "  very  good,  sprightly,  the  very  best 
for  family  use."  Here  again  it  is  to  be 
regretted  that  we  have  not  some  com- 
parison with  other  varieties  with  the 
qualities  of  which  we  are  familiar,  yet 
the  expression  "very  best  for  family 
use "  would  seem  to  indicate  high 
quality. 

The  plant,  Mr.  Little  says,  is  "one 
of  the  very  best  here,  it  is  entirely  free 
from  burning  in  the  sun,  and  from  all 


218 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


diseases,  standing  up  strong  and  stocky, 
as  if  well  able  to  do  its  great  work  of 
producing  the  very  largest  berries." 

The  Fruit  Growers'  Association  ex- 
pects that  every  one  who  received  plants 
of  the  Ontario  last  spring  will  report 
through  the  Canadian  Horticulturist, 
after  they  have  fruited  it,  how  far  they 
find  it  to  accord  with  the  results  given 
by  Mr.  Little. 


NOTICE. 

All  communications  and  correspon- 
dence in  connection  with  this  journal 
are  henceforth  to  be  addressed 

L.    WOOLVERTON,    M.A., 
Editor  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist, 
GRIMSBY,  ONT. 

THE  HARDINESS  OF  BLACKBERRIES. 

We  learn  from  replies  given  to  the 
Minnesota  Farmer  by  fruit  growers  in 
Minnesota,  Dakota  and  Wisconsin,  that 
none  of  the  Blackberries  known  to  cul- 
tivators are  hardy  in  that  region,  that 
unless  they  are  protected  in  winter  they 
are  never  profitable,  not  even  those 
esteemed  the  most  hardy  with  us,  such 
as  Snyder,  Taylor  or  Stone's  Hardy  can 
be  relied  upon  without  protection.  One 
gentleman  who  had  tried  to  grow  black- 
berries without  protection  says  that  he 
raised  two  crops  of  Kittatinny  in  ten 
years,  and  one  of  Snyder  in  three  years. 
Most  of  those  who  had  succeeded  in 
raising  crops  of  fruit  recommended  re- 
moving the  earth  from  one  side  of  the 
stalks,  bending  them  over  and  covering 
with  earth  sufficient  to  hold  the  stalks 
in  place,  and  doing  this  late  in  the  sea- 
son so  as  not  not  to  injure  the  buds  by 
too  much  moisture  before  the  ground 
freezes.  They  also  advise  mulching  the 
surface  with  manure.  When  protected 
in  this  way  the  Wilson  and  Lawton 
yield  large  crops. 


QUESTION  DRAWER. 

THE  GREEN  GRAPE    VINE    SPHINX 
AND  ITS  PARASITE. 

Dear  Sir, — With  this  I  mail  a  cater- 
pillar I  found  on  a  grape  vine  this  even- 
ing covered  with  what  appeared  to  be 
eggs.  Never  having  met  with  one  be- 
fore, I  send  it  that  you  may  give  us 
information  concerning  it,  and  as  to 
what  those  eggs  (?)  are,  how  they  came 
there,  and  for  what  purpose,  and  what 
will  they  produce,  friend  or  foe  to  grape 
vine.  I  hope  this  will  be  in  time  for 
the  October  Number. 

Yours  truly,  G.  HalteN. 

OakviUe,  7th  Sept.,  1886. 

Reply. — The  caterpillar  is  known  as 
the  Green  Grape  Vine  Sphinx,  Darapsa 
Migron.  You  will  find  a  full  descrip- 
tion of  it  in  "Insects  Injurious  to 
Fruits,"  by  Wm.  Saunders,  President 
of  the  Entomological  Society  of  Ontario, 
a  book  that  ought  to  be  in  the  library 
of  every  fruit  grower.  It  is  a  very  com- 
mon insect,  and  the  most  destructive 
grape-leaf  eater  we  have.  The  little 
white  oval  substance  covering  the  body 
of  the  caterpillar,  which  look  like  eggs, 
are  the  cocoons  of  a  small  two- winged 
parasite,  a  species  of  Ichneumon.  This 
Ichneumon  punctures  the  skin  of  the 
caterpillar,  and  lays  its  eggs  in  these 
punctures.  From  these  eggs  the  larva, 
or  worms,  are  hatched.  These  feed  on 
the  caterpillar,  and,  when  full  grown, 
eat  through  the  skin  and  spin  them- 
selves up  within  these  little  white 
cocoons,  from  which,  in  a  few  days,  the 
little  Ichneumon  flies  emerge,  soon 
ready  to  lay  eggs  in  other  like  cater- 
pillars.    The  catterpillar  that  has  thus 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


219 


been  made  a  feeding-gi-ound  for  these 
parasites  soon  after  becomes  shrivelled 
and  dies. 


PROPAGATING  GRAPE  VINES. 

I  have  been  trying  to  propagate 
grape  vines  from  cuttings  by  instruc- 
tions given  in  the  October  Number  of 
the  Horticulturist  for  1884,  but  they 
did  not  root.  Is  there  any  other  method 
by  which  I  might  get  them  to  roof? 
The  cuttings  were  taken  off  in  the  fall, 
kept  in  the  cellar  till  spring  and  then 
set  out.  Yours  truly, 

W.  J.  Porter. 

Kemptville,  Sept.  6,  1886. 

Reply. — ^Yes,  there  is  another  me- 
thod, namely,  by  layering.  Bend  down 
in  the  spring  a  shoot  of  the  previous 
summer's  growth,  and  cover  with  earth 
sufficiently  deep  to  keep  the  part  that 
is  covered  always  moist.  Leave  the  end 
of  the  shoot  to  project  out  of  the  ground. 
When  the  leaves  drop  in  the  fall  you 
find  that  the  layer  has  sent  out  roots. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE  WINDSOR  BEAN. 
I  have  grown  the  Windsor  Broad 
Bean  on  several  occasions  on  my 
grounds,  but  with  only  partial  success, 
barely  the  value  in  return  paid  for  the 
seed.  At  first  I  attributed  the  cause  to 
our  hot  summers,  by  producing  abortive 
blossoms,  which  were  abundant  enough. 
On  another  occasion,  with  the  usual  re- 
sult, I  attributed  the  failure  to  the 
black  aphis,  which  appeared  on  the  tips 
of  the  stalk.  Again,  I  tried  pinching 
back  and  poisoning  the  aphis,  but  with 
only  similar  results.  However,  this 
past  season  I  was  more  observant,  and 
found  but  very  few  insects,  save  the 
aphis,  approach  the  blossoms,  our  native 
wild  bees  preferring  the  blossoms  of 


the  clovers  instead.  The  humming 
bird  T  often  observed  attacking  the 
blossoms,  and  to  it  I  attribute  the  few 
pods  we  find  on  the  stems.  This  bean 
is  botanically  distinct  from  the  China 
variety,  which  is  a  self-fertilizer.  The 
Windsor  variety  is  not,  and  depends 
upon  the  aid  of  insects.  Our  humble- 
bee  cannot  reach  the  nectaries  of  the 
blossoms ;  its  probocis  is  not  long 
enough.  The  same  with  our  common 
honey  bee,  hence  avoiding  the  blos- 
soms. The  European  humble-bee  is 
much  larger,  and  better  fitted  for  this 
purpose.  The  blossoms  of  other  legu- 
minous plants  require  insect  aid  in 
fertilization,  as  in  the  case  of  the  red 
clover  in  New  Zealand,  which  does  not 
produce  seed  there.  Acting  upon  the 
advice  of  scientists,  the  European 
humble-bee  has  been  imported  there, 
but  the  results  which  followed  I  have 
not  been  able  to  ascertain. 

Yours  truly, 
Berlin.  SiMON   RoY. 


NEW  STRAWBERRIES. 

BT  JOHN  LITTLB,  GRANTON,  ONT. 

Mr.  Editor, — With  your  permission 
I  will  tell  you  and  the  readers  of  the 
Horticulturist  about  some  of  my  new 
friends,  the  last  arrivals  of  the  straw- 
berry family. 

They  are  not  like  some  of  the  human 
family — you  can  say  what  you  like 
about  them  and  they  will  not  tear  your 
character  to  pieces,  and  if  you  will  give 
them  their  needed  supply  it  is  wonder- 
ful the  manifold  return,  though  a  silent 
one,  they  will  give  you  for  the  atten- 
tion given  them. 

I  will  be  brief  at  this  time,  just 
mentioning  their  names  in  the  order  of 
their  merit,  as  they  have  done  here 
this  season.  The  first  are  Ontario, 
Jewel,  Gola,  Deeve,  Acorn,  this  last 
not  fruited;  these  are  Mr.  P.  M. 
Augur's  seedlings.  Next,  a  seedling 
from  Ohio — shown  at  the  June  meeting 


220 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTI0UJ.TURI8T. 


at  Columbus — named  Mrs.  Cleveland. 
Summit,  a  new  seedling  of  Matthew- 
Crawford's  ;  I  have  fruited  it  for  three 
years;  sixteen  berries  this  season 
weighed  one  pound;  no  plants  for  sale. 
From  T.  T.  Lyon  Nos.  3,  5,  9,  worthy 
of  testing  in  Canada ;  Howell,  as  early 
as  the  Crescent  and  as  large  as  Manches- 
ter; Emerald  and  Bancroft,  the  former 
early  and  the  latter  the  latest  of  the 
late.  These  are  only  a  few  out  of  a 
number  I  give  my  full  attention  to  with 
my  raspberries. 


BEES  IN  THE  ORCHARD. 

Mr.  Editor, — I  notice  a  question 
asked  in  the  Canadian  Horticulturist 
headed,  "  Bees  as  Helpers  in  the  Or- 
chard." Now,  sir,  I  have  been  keeping 
bees  for  twenty-four  years — never  been 
without  them  during  that  time.  I  also 
am  a  fruit-grower  on  a  small  scale.  I 
have  my  bee  yard  located  among  my 
fruit  trees.  My  pear  trees  are  in  my 
bee  yard.  I  am  never  troubled  with 
blight,  and  I  grow  the  finest  samples  of 
pears  I  ever  saw  grown  in  the  county 
of  Lambton.  I  grow  several  sorts, 
such  as  Clapp's  Favourite,  Flemish 
Beauty,  Bartlett,  Sheldon,  White 
Doyenne  and  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey. 
I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  showing 
fruit  at  the  agricultural  fairs,  and  when 
I  gather  fruit  to  show  I  always  find  the 
finest  samples  in  my  bee  yard. 

There  are  a  great  many  persons  in- 
terested in  keeping  bees  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Arkona,  and  I  have  heard  the 
remark  made  by  apple  buyers  that  they 
can  buy  handsomer  samples  of  apples 
here  than  in  any  other  part  of  Ontario. 

The  Value  of  the  Honey  Bee  in 
Agriculture. — Honey  and  wax  have 
ever  been  two  most  useful  articles  in 
domestic  economy,  and  from  the  earliest 
times  the  honey  bee  has  been  the  com- 
panion of  man.  What  an  addition  to  a 
farmer's  house  is  a  beehive  nestling 
among  the  fruit  trees,  with  its  hundreds 


of  busy  inhabitants,  some  settling  about 
the  door  or  flying  lightly  above  the 
roof,  others  darting  off  in  quest  of  new 
supplies  of  food,  and  still  others  return- 
ing on  labouring  wings  laden  down  with 
their  baskets  filled  with  crude  pollen. 
What  a  scene  of  industry  and  system 
is  bee  life  !  The  grand  use  in  nature  of 
the  bee  is  the  securing  to  the  farmer  or 
fruit-raiser  a  good  crop  and  the  per- 
manence of  the  best  varities  of  fruit. 
Gardeners  have  always  known  that  bees 
fertilize  squash,  melons,  cucumbers  and 
flowers  conveying  the  pollen  from  one 
plant  to  another,  thus  insuring,  not 
only  the  complete  fertilization  of  the 
seed  by  the  pollen,  and  so  improving 
the  fruit,  but  actually  causing  the  pro- 
duction of  more  squashes,  melons  and 
cucumbers  by  causing  certain  flowers  to 
set  that  otherwise  would  have  dropped 
to  the  ground  sterile  and  useless.  This 
has  been  proved  by  fertilizing  the 
flowers  by  hand,  a  very  large,  indeed 
an  unnaturally  abundant  crop  being 
thus  obtained. 

It  has  been  noticed  by  a  few,  though 
the  many  have  not  appreciated  the  fact, 
that  fruit  trees  are  more  productive 
when  a  swarm  of  bees  is  placed  among 
them ;  for  when  the  bees  have  been  re- 
moved by  disease,  or  other  means,  the 
fruit  crop  has  diminished.  It  is  no 
longer  a  doubt  that  bees  aid  in  the 
fertilization  of  flowers,  thus  preventing 
the  occurrence  of  sterile  flowers,  and 
by  more  thoroughly  fertilizing  flowers 
already  perfect  render  the  production  of 
sound  and  well  developed  fruit  more 
sure. 

Many  botanists  think  if  it  were  not 
for  bees  and  other  insects,  such  as  cer- 
tain two-winged  flies,  moths,  wasps, 
etc.,  many  plants  would  not  fruit  at 
at  all.  What  is  the  use  in  nature  of 
honey?  The  best  observer  will  tell 
you  that  it  is  secreted  by  the  plant  for 
the  very  purpose  of  attracting  bees  to 
the  flowers,  otherwise  it  is  of  no  use  to 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


'221 


the  flower  or  fruifc.  Of  more  import- 
ance, however,  is  the  improved  manage- 
ment of  our  fruit  trees.  Here  the  in- 
terest of  the  horticulturist  and  the  bee- 
keeper combine  and  run  parallel.  A 
judicious  pruning  of  our  fruit  trees  will 
cause  them  to  blossom  nioi-e  freely  and 
yield  honey  more  plentifully. 

From  these  facts  we  learn  the  value 
of  the  honey  bee  to  agriculture.  Blot 
them  out  and  we  must  go  almost 
entirely  without  fruit  and  vegetables, 
besides  being  a  source  of  profit  for 
their  honey  and  wax.  The  bee  actually 
brings  to  our  doors  loads  of  fruit  and 
vegetables  and  other  products  of  the 
farm. 

My  pear  trees  and  grape  vines  were 
so  laden  with  fruit  last  year  as  to  lead 
me  to  make  the  remark  that  we  would 
not  have  many  next  year.  But  I  find 
I  was  under  a  mistake.  They  are  so 
laden  with  fruit  that  I  will  be  obliged 
to  prop  my  pear  trees  to  keep  them 
from  breaking  down,  and  a  handsomer 
sample  of  fruit  you  never  saw.  I  am 
certain  if  fruit  growers  would  intro- 
duce a  few  hives  of  bees  among  their 
fruit  trees  their  fruit  would  be  much 
improved. 

Yours  truly, 
Arkona,  Ont.  George  Ott. 


REPORT  OF  FRUIT  CROP  IN  BERLIN. 

In  small  fruits,  such  as  strawberries, 
currants,  and  raspberries,  the  supply 
from  local  sources  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  has  been  fully  equal  to 
the  demand,  and  fair  remunerative 
prices  have  been  realized.  The  almost 
total  annihilation  of  the  common  sour 
cherry  has  given  an  impetus  to  this 
class  of  fruit  as  a  substitute  for  pre- 
serving purposes. 

In  plums,  the  crop  will  be  good,  of 
such  varieties  as  have  passed  through 
the  fiery  ordeal  of  epidemic,  and  I  think 
that  those  varieties  which  have  escaped 
will  be  planted  again,  having  learned  a 


lesson  of  wisdom  from  experience,  viz., 
that  purer  and  healthier  varieties  must 
be  depended  on. 

Early  apples  of  the  Russian  type  are 
very  al9undant ;  and,  although  of  only 
recent  introduction,  will  in  course  of 
time  become  popular,  especially  in  towns 
and  cities  near  by  ;  but  being  summer 
fruits,  they  will  not  bear  distant  trans- 
portation. 

Our  common  fall  apples  are  compara- 
tively a  failure,  and  very  little  cider 
will  be  made.  The  cold  wave  which 
passed  over  during  the  time  of  blossom- 
ing, and  which  was  succeeded  by  three 
nights  of  only  slight  frost,  did  material 
damage. 

Winter  apples,  of  the  more  valuable 
class,  will  be  scarce  ;  the  only  excep- 
tions I  notice  are  the  Baldwins  and  the 
Golden  Russets,  which  carry  their  full 
quota.  Northern  Spies  are  sparse,  and 
Rhode  Island  Greenings  are  compara- 
tively few.  In  pears,  the  crop  will  be  fully 
up  to  the  average.  Summer  varieties, 
such  as  the  Doyenne  d'  Ete  and  Rost- 
tiezer,  bear  heavily  ;  and  later  varie- 
ties, such  as  Ananas  d*  Ete,  Bartlett, 
Belle  Lucrative,  Clapp's  Favorite,  and 
Louise  Bonne,  caiTy  their  full  bearable 
crop. 

The  geographical  position  of  this 
(Waterloo)  county  not  being  favorable 
for  the  general  culture  of  grapes  and 
peaches,  I  have  nothing  to  report  on 
them.  Yours  truly, 

Simon  Roy. 

Berlin,  17th  April,  1886. 

P.S. — I  may  state,  in  connection 
with  the  pear,  that  I  have  seen  no 
blight  on  the  trees  this  season. —  S.  R. 


RUSSIAN  APPLES. 

We  Canadians  are  not  likely  to  take 
much  stock  in  either  Russian  politics 
or  in  Russian  civilization,  as  we  imagine 
they  are  "not  up  with  the  times,"  but 
we  must  certainly  accord  to  Russia  the 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


credit  of  having  ultimated  a  race  of 
apples  precisely  suitable  to  our  climate 
— being  of  a  similar  character — and  we 
are  always  liberal  to  give  credit  to 
whom  credit  is  due.  Russian  apples 
are  of  comparatively  recent  introduction 
(thanks  to  the  United  States  Bureau  of 
Agriculture). 

I  have  now  in  my  collection  six 
varieties,  viz.: — Red  Astrakhan,*  Alex- 
ander, Duchess  of  Oldenburg,  Tetofski, 
Grand  Sultan  and  White  Transparent, 
all  of .  which  are  very  satisfactory — 
hardy,  healthy,  prolific  and  abundant 
biennial  beaiers. 

The  Alexander  takes  well  in  the 
market  from  its  large  size  and  fine  ap- 
pearance. The  Tetofski,  although  of 
recent  introduction,  takes  well,  and  is 
highly  prized  for  its  fine  flavor  for 
culinary  purposes,  especially  in  making 
jelly,  at  least  the  ladies,  who  are  the 
best  judges  in  these  matters,  say  so, 
thinking  they  are  superior  to  the  ordin- 
ary Czar  for  that  purpose.  The  Duchess 
of  Oldenburg  is  not  behind,  and,  al- 
though rather  acid,  is  nevei-theless 
highly  appreciated.  Sugar  is  cheap 
(thanks  to  our  Government).  Mallic 
acid  and  sacharine  form  a  fine  healthy 
combination — all  acid  fruits  being  bet- 
ter fitted  for  preserves  than  sweet  ones. 
The  White  Transparent,  which  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association  has  very  judi- 
ciously disseminated,  will  certainly  be 
an  acquisition,  and  will  be  a  strong 
rival  to  some  of  the  others  of  the  same 
genera.  The  Grand  Sultan  I  cannot 
say  much  of,  having  only  a  few  speci- 
mens on  the  tree.        Yours  truly, 

Simon  Roy. 

Berhn,  Aug.  17,  1886. 


*  The  Red  Astrakhan,  although  called  a  Russian 
variety,  was  introduced  into  Britain  in  1818  from 
Sweden,  and  may  have  no  scientific  or  botanical 
connection  with  the  Central  Russian  variety  Pyrus 
Malus,  The  habit  of  the  tree  and  the  distinct  char- 
acter of  the  fruit  being  different  would  naturally 
Slace  the  origin  of  that  apple  to  that  locality,  as  no 
oubt  all  our  other  summer  apples  have  their  origin 
from  the  same  place. 


RASPBERRY  NOTES. 

BY  T.   C.   ROBINSON,   OWEN  SOUND. 

First  to  ripen  this  year  came  the 
Hansell.  I  consider  it  very  valuable 
for  market  purposes.  Like  Highland 
Hardy  it  is  not  a  vigorous  grower,  and 
in  taste  as  well  as  appearance  it  resem- 
bles the  common  wild  raspberry.  Hence 
I  do  not  expect  it  to  be  popular  in  the 
garden  of  the  amateur.  But  the  berry 
is  of  good  size  with  me,  as  thick  as 
Cuthbert,  but  not  so  long.  The  color 
is  most  beautiful.  It  tastes  almost  as 
good  as  Turner,  and  is  very  firm.  The 
plant  gives  a  good  crop  with  fair  manur- 
ing and  cultivation,  seems  uncommonly 
hardy,  and  it  is  the  earliest  raspberry 
I  have  tested.  I  know  of  no  other 
variety  that  comes  up  to  this  grade  of 
excellence  for  early  market,  and  have 
rooted  out  Highland  Hardy  in  its  favor. 

Turner  comes  in  less  than  a  week 
after  Hansell,  and  is  preferable  for 
home  use  for  its  sweetness,  extra  hardi- 
ness, and  ability  to  thrive  under  neg- 
lect. But  I  doubt  if  it  bears  any  more 
than  Hansell,  and  the  berries  are  far 
softer,  unfitting  it  for  a  distant  market. 
The  canes  are  generally  smooth,  and 
very  large  and  strong. 

Superb  is  rejected  here  for  poor  color, 
poor  quality  and  tendency  to  crumble. 

Crimson  Beauty  is  a  nasty  weed 
which  I  can  scarcely  speak  of  with 
patience.  Soft,  small,  sour  and  unpro- 
ductive. Few  fence  corner  wild  rasps 
but  excel  it. 

Cuthbert  stands  easily  as  the  king  of 
the  raspberry  family  on  my  grounds. 
Large,  tine  colored,  firm,  delicious  and 
productive,  it  will  be  hard  to  beat.  If 
it  were  only  as  hardy  as  Turner,  I 
would  expect  nothing  better  in  the 
next  decade,  but  it  is  hardy  enough  to 
stand  the  most  of  our  Owen  Sound 
winters.  It  is  quite  late  in  season  of 
ripening. 

Marlboro'  has  borne  a  little  fruit  on 
one  year  plants.     It  does  not  seem  aa 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


223 


early  as  Hansell,  and  the  berries  do 
not  taste  as  good  as  Cuthbert.  But 
they  are  large  and  firm,  and  most  peo- 
ple would  smack  lips  over  them.  The 
plant  seems  hardy  also,  but  I  am  eager 
to  hear  from  some  Canadian  who  has 
tested  it  further. 

Shafer's  Colossal  (call  it  ''Shaffer'') 
has  persistently  worked  its  way  to  the 
position  of  a  standard  variety,  and  I 
predict  it  will  stay  there.  I  know  I 
have  no  room  for  "  Philadelphia,"  or 
any  of  the  Philadelphia  class,  while  I 
have  Shaffer,  for  the  berries  are  large, 
look  as  well,  taste  better,  and  the  bush 
grows  and  bears  I  believe  some  fifty 
per  cent.  more.  I  think  a  plantation 
of  Shaffer  will,  with  ordinary  treatment, 
yield  double  the  crop  of  even  the  pro- 
ductive Cuthbert,  and  the  plants  seem 
of  the  very  hardiest. 

Franconia  does  not  succeed  well  on 
my  sandy  loam,  but  I  have  seen  it 
growing  on  the  grounds  of  our  worthy 
Reeve,  Jno.  Chisholm,  Esq.,  yielding 
as  large  a  crop  as  the  best  Philadelphia 
or  Shaffer  would  with  ordinary  treat- 
ment. Mr.  Chisholm  gives  his  Fran- 
conia no  winter  protection,  but  his 
garden  is  well  protected  by  houses, 
trees  and  high  board  fences.  His  soil 
is  clay,  and  he  keeps  it  full  of  manure. 

Caroline  still  impresses  me  as  of 
great  value  for  family  use,  on  account 
of  its  great  productiveness,  beauty  and 
hardiness.  The  berries  are  of  the  color 
of  Brinkle's  Orange,  and  of  good  size, 
and  I  think  it  comes  next  to  Shaffer  in 
productiveness.  Unfortunately  the 
plants  are  not  so  healthy,  suffering 
rather  more  from  ''curl  leaf"  than  any 
other  variety  I  have  seen. 

Hancocas  appears  to  me  just  like 
Hansell,  only  not  so  good,  smaller  and 
softer. 

Goklen  Queen  has  borne  me  some 
very  fine  fruit,  enough  to  judge  of  the 
appearance  and  taste  of  the  berry.  It 
seems  to  me  about  the  shape,  size,  and 


color  of  Brinkle's  Orange,  but  the 
quality  is  not  so  good,  tasting  very  like 
its  parent  Cuthbert.  It  seems  fully  as 
firm  as  Cuthbert,  and  the  foliage  is 
very  like  that  noble  variety  also,  but 
the  cane  is  greener  in  color.  It  seems 
a  grand  grower,  and  is  altogether  very 
promising. 

Black  Caps  I  must  leave  for  a  future 
communication. 


AN  ACRE  OF  MUSHROOMS. 
On  a  vacant  plot  of  building  land  in 
the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the 
Harrow  road,  and  within  four  miles  of 
Charing  Cross,  is  produced,  annually, 
what  is  probably  the  most  valuable 
crop  grown  in  the  open  air  and  without 
the  aid  of  glass,  on  any  one  acre  of 
English  soil.  The  space  occupied  is, 
indeed,  rather  more  than  an  acre,  the 
rent  being  just  XI 2  a  year,  but  the 
space  devoted  to  mushrooms  and  man- 
ure is  under  an  acre,  and  the  uninitiated 
will  be  astonished  to  learn  that  from 
this  small  plot  has  been  gathered  in  the 
last  12  months  about  12,000  pounds' 
weight  of  mushrooms,  all  of  which  have 
been  sold  at  Co  vent  Garden  at  a  price 
varying  according  to  the  season,  but 
averaging  10^^.  a  pound  for  the  whole 
year.  Now,  the  value  of  12,000  pounds 
at  20  cents  per  pound  is  just  $2,400. 
We  have,  therefore,  the  amazing  cir- 
cumstance that  an  acre  of  our  metro- 
politan area  has  produced  a  richer 
garden  crop  than  the  coziest  corner  of 
Kent,  or  the  most  favored  nook  on 
Lord  Sudeley's  jam  farm  in  Gloucester- 
shire. For  instance,  a  crop  of  30  cwt 
per  acre  of  hops  is  so  great  as  to  be  of 
rare  occurence.  The  average  price  ob- 
tained for  hops  is  now  about  $15  per 
cwt.  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  the 
sum  obtained  for  the  produce  of  our 
London  acre  of  mushrooms  is  more  than 
five  times  as  great  as  what  would  be 
obtained,  in  a  particularly  good  year, 
for  a  firet-rate  crop  of  hops.     The  fol- 


224 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


lowing  are  exceptional  prices  that  have 
been  realized  per  statute  acre  for  other 
fruits  and  vegetables  in  recent  years  : — 

"Very  early  potatoes    |500 

Onions  960 

Early  lettuces 500 

Plums    500 

Gooseberries    500 

Strawberries    750 

Black  currants     840 

Filberts 1,000 

It  will  be  observed  that  onions  and 
filberts  head  the  list,  but  the  produce 
of  an  acre  of  mushrooms  is  worth  more 
than  double  that  of  either  onions  or 
filberts. — Pall  Mall  Gazette. 


THE  SMOKE  TKEE. 

Bless  this  dear  old  plant !  If  we 
were  constrained  to  part  with  all  our 
shrubs  but  one,  we  should  hold  on  to 
the  Smoke  tree.  It  is  easy  as  one 
looks  at  it  from  a  little  distance  to  fancy 
it  a  cloud  tinted  with  the  faintest  rose 
and  the  faintest  green  blended  together, 
or  a  mass  of  smoke  such  as  may  issue 
from  a  combination  of  colored  fire- 
works. There  is  no  shrub  like  it  while 
in  bloom.  The  delicate,  downy  inflor- 
escence is  not  due  to  tlie  flowers,  which 
are  quite  inconspicuous,  but  to  the 
feathery  pedicels  that  elongate  and  so 
diff'use  themselves  as  to  conceal  the 
leaves,  while  because  of  their  delicacy 
we  see  only  softly-blending  colors  that 
might  well  indeed  be  smoke  or  a  cloud. 

We  have  seen  specimens  of  this  little 
tree  20  feet  in  diameter — a  mass  of 
light,  mossy  green  and  purple  or  rose. 
Later,  all  this  becomes  gray,  and  its 
beauty  is  gone,  though  the  later  growth 
of  leaves  takes  its  place  in  a  measure. 
One  likes  old-fashioned  things  that 
bring  to  mind  the  old  homestead  or  the 
familiar  country  gardens  of  early  days, 
and  the  Smoke  tree,  though  among  the 
choicest  collections  of  plants  of  more  re- 
cent times,  seems  like  an  old  and  tried 
friend  among  aristocratic  strangers. 

It  has  been  said  that  this  little  tree. 


so  distinct  from  all  others,  so  oddly 
beautiful  to  those  who  see  it  for  the 
first  time,  rejoices  in  a  dry,  warm  soil. 
It  is  true.  But  it  also  thrives  in 
heavy,  moist  soils.  We  have  it  in  both 
positions,  and  it  seems  to  prefer  the 
latter.  Its  botanical  name  is  Rhus 
cotinus,  and  is  known  familiarly  as  the 
Purple  Fringe,  Wig  tree,  and  Venetian 
sumach,  as  well  as  the  Smoke  tree. — 
Rural  New-Yorker. 


FARMERS'  ORCHARDS. 

Read  before  the  Farmers'  Institute,  by  T.  Beall, 
Esq.,  Lindsay. 

While  this  south  riding  of  Victoria 
is  not  supposed  by  its  inhabitants  to  be 
generally  favorable  to  the  production 
of  fruit,  it  is  known  that  samples  are 
often  shown  at  our  county  exhibitions, 
and  at  the  Mariposa  fall  shows,  which 
would  take  first  prizes  at  our  provincial 
exhibitions.  This  is  especially  true  of 
apples. 

The  prize  lists  of  our  county  exhibi- 
tions show  that  these  exhibits  are  not 
confined  to  any  one  locality,  but  are 
produced  throughout  the  whole  riding, 
from  the  southern,  western  and  northern 
parts  of  Mariposa,  the  sou  thern,  northern 
and  central  portions  of  Ops,  and  in 
Verulam,  along  the  southern  shores  of 
Sturgeon  lake.  It  must  not,  however, 
be  understood  that  apples  can  be  pro- 
fitably grown  on  every  farm,  although 
there  are  but  few  farms  whereon  suffi- 
cient soil  may  not  be  found  to  produce 
at  least  enough  fruit  for  the  family  use. 

The  causes  for  the  prevailing  opinion 
that  apples  cannot  be  profitably  grown 
here,  notwithstanding  the  beautiful 
samples  that  are  every  year  exhibited 
at  our  fairs,  are  not  difficult  to  find,  and 
indeed  may  all  be  summed  up  by  one 
expression — lack  of  knowledge — as  may 
be  witnessed  in  too  many  orchards 
throughout  the  country,  and  proven  by 
almost  every  act  of  the  would  be  grower, 
from  the  time  the  trees  are  being  con- 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIrtT. 


225 


tracted  for  with  the  tree  pedler  until 
the  last  tree  is  dead. 

In  order  that  this  statement  may  be 
better  understood,  I  will  endeavor  to 
show  what  kind  of  knowledge  is  neces- 
sary to  secure  success.  But  first  let  me 
impress  upon  your  minds  this  one 
fundamental  fact,  which  becomes  ap- 
parent to  any  one  who  has  eyes  to  see 
and  ears  to  hear.  That  the  climate  in 
this  riding  is  eminently  suitable  to  the 
health,  growth  and  development  of  all 
the  hardy  varieties  of  apples.  Let  this 
fact  be  accepted,  then  the  causes  of 
failure  will  be  much  easier  understood. 

To  the  person  about  to  plant  an 
orchard,  the  first  question  for  decision 
should  be  :  Is  the  fruit  I  purpose 
growing  intended  for  the  use  only  of 
my  own  family;  or  am  I  going  into 
the  business  of  fruit  growing  as  a  com- 
mercial enterprise,  i.e.,  growing  fruit 
for  market^  Let  this  question  be  well 
considered,  and  it  will  be  seen  that 
farmers'  orchards  generally  are  either 
too  large  or  too  small.  Too  large  for 
the  use  of  their  family,  and  too  small 
to  deserve  the  necessary  attention  for 
profitable  marketing.  When  a  little 
more  fruit  is  grown  than  the  family 
requires,  the  balance  is  often  wasted. 
Being  too  small  to  pay  for  marketing 
at  the  proper  time,  cattle,  sheep  and 
pigs  are  allowed  to  help  themselves, 
and  if  a  i)ortion  of  the  overphis  be 
taken  to  market,  the  fruit  is  often  in 
such  bad  condition  that  less — some- 
times one-half  less — than  the  proper 
marketing  value  is  all  that  can  be 
realized  for  it.  I  have  seen  two  lots  of 
apples  of  the  same  variety  offered  for 
sale  on  the  same  day  in  this  town,  one 
of  which  was  sold  at  once  at  80  cents 
i)er  bushel ;  the  other  was  with  diffi- 
culty sold  at  50  cents  per  bag.  The 
lot  which  brought  80  cents  per  bushel 
had  been  carefully  hand  picked,  placed 
in  baskets  and  taken  to  market  in  a 
good   spring   waggon.     The   other   lot 


had  been  shaken  from  the  trees,  thrown 
into  bags  like  so  many  potatoes,  and 
then  taken  to  town  in  a  lumber  waggon. 
Those  at  80  cents  paid  a  handsome  pro- 
fit, while  the  lot  at  50  cents  per  bag- 
were — not  quite  so  profitable ;  the 
grower  of  which  said  he  could  not  afford 
the  time  to  handle  these  apples,  as  he- 
was,  at  that  time,  too  busy  with  fann 
work.  That  man's  orchard  was  too 
large.  The  farmer  who  plants  more 
fruit  trees  than  is  necessary  for  an 
abundant  supply  for  his  family,  unless 
he  be  well  versed  in  practical  pomology, 
and  is  prepared  to  give  the  necessary- 
time  and  attention  to  his  orchard,  will 
certainly  find  it,  in  most  cases,  an 
unprofitable  speculation.  Profitable 
orcharding  is  the  result  of  judicious 
selection  of  varieties,  intelligent  culti- 
vation and  treatment,  and  timely  and 
ample  provision  made  for  handling  and 
marketing  the  fruit. 

A  few  years  ago,  at  a  summer  meet- 
ing of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Association 
of  Ontario,  during  a  season  when  sum- 
mer apples  had  been  a  poor  crop  gener- 
ally, and  therefore  had  brought  large 
prices,  one  gentleman  stated  that  he 
had  only  about  a  half  crop,  yet  he  had 
sent  several  hundred  barrels  to  Mon- 
treal, which  brought  him  about  $5.00 
per  barrel.  That  man's  orchard  is  not 
too  large,  although  it  contains  about 
300  acres.  Another  man  stated  that 
he,  too,  had  sent  a  few  barrels  of  the 
same  variety  to  Montreal  a  week  or 
two  later,  and  had  received  less  than 
$2.00  per  barrel.  That  man's  orchard, 
although  but  a  few  acres  in  extent,  was 
probably  too  large  for  him.  The  next 
question  will  naturally  be  :  What 
varieties  are  you  to  plant  1  Now,  don't 
go  to  nurserymen's  catalogues  for  an 
answer  to  that  question.  Neither 
should  you  allow  the  ubiquitous  tree- 
pedler  to  have  one  word  to  say  on  the 
subject,  because  as  a  rule  these  gentry 
know  less  about  the  matter  than  you 


226 


THE   CANADIAN    H0BTICULTUEI8T. 


do  yourselves.  But,  go  to  your  nearest 
neighbors  who  have  orchards,  consult 
with  them,  and  you  will  soon  ascertain 
what  varieties  will  suit  your  locality 
best,  and  just  here  let  me  add  in  large 
type  :  Don't  get  too  many  varieties. 
If  you  have  decided  to  plant  your 
orchard  for  your  family's  use  only,  two 
or  three  trees  each  of  such  varieties  as 
may  furnish  you  with  a  constant  supply 
of  fruit  of  the  best  quality  from  the  be- 
ginning of  August  until  the  end  of  the 
following  May,  is  all  that  is  required  ; 
but,  if  for  market  purposes,  then  three 
or  four  varieties  is  all  you  should  at- 
tempt to  grow,  let  }  our  orchard  be  ever 
so  large ;  and  these  varieties  should  be 
selected,  not  for  the  quality  of  the  fruit, 
but  for  its  market  value  when  ready 
for  sale.  Many  of  the  poorest  apples 
in  quality  are  the  most  profitable  to  the 
grower. 

Having  determined  on  the  varieties 
you  intend  planting,  the  next  question 
in  order  will  be  :  How  to  procure  the 
trees.  Well,  the  best  way  to  get  your 
trees  is  to  send  your  order  to  some  re- 
liable nurseryman,  and  tell  him  to  send 
the  choicest  trees  he  has  of  the  varieties 
named ;  and  depend  upon  it,  you  will 
get  in  this  way  the  best  possible  value 
for  your  money. 

Next ;  as  to  planting  :  Have  the 
ground  into  which  the  trees  are  to  be 
planted,  in  the  highest  state  of  cul- 
tivation. See  that  the  planting  is 
properly  done.  The  soil  neither  too 
wet  or  too  dry,  but  mellow  and  friable. 
Make  the  holes  large  enough  so  that 
every  root  may  be  fully  extended,  and 
deep  enough,  so  that  the  tree  may  stand 
a  little  deeper  in  the  soil  than  it  stood 
in  the  nursery.  Work  the  mellow 
soil  around  and  between  the  roots  with 
your  fingers.  When  the  hole  is  filled 
up  level,  tramp  the  earth  down  until  it 
is  firm ;  then  cover  the  trodden  earth 
with  rich,  loose  soil  to  the  depth  of  two 
or  three  inches. 


Cultivation  and  after  treatment : — 
Corn  is  perhaps  the  best  crop  to  grow 
in  an  orchard  the  first  year,  as  it  im- 
poverishes the  soil  but  little,  and  its 
tall  growth  shelters  the  stems  of  the 
young  trees  from  the  hot  sun  j  ust  when 
shelter  is  most  needed.  Root  crops  of 
any  kind  may  be  grown  for  the  succeed- 
ing five  or  six  years.  Allow  no  weeds 
or  grass  to  grow  during  this  time  under 
or  around  the  trees  ;  then  no  fear  of 
girdling  by  mice  need  be  entertained. 
All  pruning  during  this  time  may  be 
done  with  the  finger  and  thumb ;  a 
small  knife  may  occasionly  be  required. 
The  operator  should  know  the  habits 
and  peculiarities  of  growth  of  each 
variety  he  is  working,  and  allow  no 
shoot  to  grow  where  a  limb  may  not 
be  in  future  years.  Have  the  trunks 
and  limbs  as  far  up  as  possible  ;  wash 
once  or  twice  each  summer  with  an  al- 
kaline wash,  and  thereby  greatly  assist 
in  increasing  the  health  and  vigor  of 
the  trees.  This  treatment  also  tends 
greatly  towards  keeping  insect  enemies 
in  check.  When  the  trees  commence 
to  bear  and  the  effects  of  the  Codlin 
moth  feared,  the  tops  of  the  trees 
should  be  sprayed  with  water  in  which 
Paris  green  has  been  mixed.  This 
must  be  done  when  the  blossoms  are 
mature  and  just  ready  to  fall,  to  be 
effectual.  It  will  not  do  to  say  I  am 
too  busy  with  my  seeding  and  will  at- 
tend to  the  orchard  in  a  day  or  two. 
To-day  is  the  time  ;  to-morrow  may  be 
too  late.  When  the  orchard  is  in  good 
bearing  condition  all  cropping  should 
cease  and  grass  may  be  grown  which 
may  be  eaten  by  pigs  or  sheep  or  it 
may  be  mowed  occasionally  but  never 
removed  without  supplying  its  equiva- 
lent in  manure,  in  addition  to  a  heavy 
top  dressing  of  good  manure  every  year 
The  land  when  first  reclaimed  from  the 
forest  contains  a  bountiful  accumula- 
tion of  all  that  is  necessary  for  the  pro- 
duction of  our  various  crops,  but  every 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


237 


crop  taken  from  the  land  makes  the  soil 
poorer  to  that  extent.  The  honest  man 
will  therefore  return  to  the  soil  every 
year  an  equivalent  for  the  crop  removed. 

GOOSEBERRIES. 

The  Rural  New-Yorker  reports  as 
follows  : — 

Triumph  was  received  from  George 
Achelis,  of  Westchester,  Chester  Co., 
Pa.  It  is  a  large  beriy,  certainly ;  but 
it  so  mildews  this  season  that  a  longer 
trial  is  necessary  to  make  a  report  in 
other  particulars. 

Cayuga  and  Ircdustry,  the  former 
from  H.  S.  Anderson,  Union  Springs, 
N.  Y.,  the  latter  from  Ellwanger  & 
Barry,  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  have  not  as 
yet  fruited. 

Orange  is  from  H.  M.  Engle  of 
Marietta,  Pa.  "It  is,"  he  writes, 
"  probably  a  seedling  of  the  Houghton." 
This  berry  is  with  us  of  real  value.  It 
is  one  of  the  earliest  to  ripen,  if  not  the 
earliest.  It  is  of  medium  size,  sweet 
and  tender.  The  color  is  a  dull  yellow. 
Plant  thrifty. 

Imported  Variety  from  H.  Sumner, 
Polo,  111.  He  imported  it  10  years  ago 
from  England.  The  berries  average  of 
fair  size.  Some  mildew  and  some  do 
not.     A  longer  trial  is  needed. 

Dougal  No  10,  mildews  badly. 

Dougal  No.  3,  berries  from  medium 
to  large — scarcely  any  mildew.  Green 
when  ripe.  Ripens  with  Porter. 
Quality  medium. 

Dougah  No.  2.  Frmit  of  medium 
size  and  high  quality,  hairy.  Color 
light  green  shaded  with  purple. 

The  Editor  of  the  Canadian  ITor- 
ticulturist  fruited  the  Industry  this  year 
and  was  much  pleased  with  the  size  and 
quality  of  the  fruit ;  when  cooked  the 
fruit  was  inviting  to  the  eye,  much 
more  so  than  that  of  the  green  varieties, 
and  of  a  rich  and  agreeable  flavour.  It 
has  not  yet  suffered  from  mildew. 


FOOD-HABITS  OF  BIRDS. 

It  is  well  known  that  certain  birds 
are  directly  destructive  to  farm  crops, 
causing  a  loss  of  many  thousands  of 
dollars  each  year,  and  that  others  are 
highly  beneficial,  preying  upon  mice 
and  insects  which  are  injurious  to  vege- 
tation ;  but  the  extent  and  significance 
of  these  effects  and  their  bearing  on 
practical  agriculture  is  little  under- 
stood. Moreover,  great  difference  of 
opinion  exists,  particularly  among  farm- 
ers, as  to  whether  certain  well-known 
species  are  on  the  whole  beneficial  or 
injurious ;  and  many  kinds  which  are 
really  of  great  practical  value  are  killed 
whenever  opportunity  offers.  For  ex- 
ample, hawks  and  owls  are  almost  uni- 
versally regarded  as  detrimental,  while 
as  a  matter  of  fact  most  of  them  never 
touch  poultry,  but  feed  largely,  and 
some  almost  exclusively,  on  mice  and 
grasshoppers. 

The  wholesale  slaughter  of  small 
birds  has  been  known  to  be  followed  by 
serious  increase  of  noxious  insects  ;  and 
invasions  of  insects  which  threatened 
to  devastate  large  tracts  of  country  have 
been  cut  nearly  short  by  the  timely  ser- 
vices of  some  of  our  native  birds. 

In  view  of  the  above  facts,  and  many 
others  which  might  be  cited,  it  is  clear 
that  a  comprehensive,  systematic  in- 
vestigation of  the  inter-relation  of  birds 
and  agriculture  should  prove  of  value  to 
farmers  and  horticulturists.  Such  an 
investigation  has  been  undertaken  by 
the  newly-established  Division  of 
Economic  Ornithology  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture,  and  the  assistance 
and  co-operation  of  persons  interested  is 
earnestly  solicited. 

The  food  of  all  birds  consists  either 
of  animal  matter  or  vegetable  matter  or 
both,  and  its  consumption  must  be  ser- 
viceable or  pi*ejudicial  to  the  interests 
of  mankind.  Therefoi-e,  according  to 
the  food  they  eat,  all  birds  may  be 
classed  under  one  or  two  headings — 


228 


THE  CANADIAN   HOKTICULTURIST. 


beneficial  and  injurious.  Many  species 
are  both  beneficial  and  injurious,  and  it 
is  impossible  to  assign  them  to  either 
category  until  the  percentages  of  their 
food- elements  have  been  positively  de- 
termined and  the  sum  of  the  good  bal- 
anced against  the  sum  of  the  evil. 

In  a  very  large  proportion  of  our 
small  birds  the  food  varies  considerably 
with  the  season,  sometimes  changing 
from  vegetable  to  animal,  or  from  in- 
jurious to  beneficial.  Furthermore, 
many  birds  feed  their  young  upon  sub- 
stances which  the  adults  rarely  or  never 
eat ;  and  the  young  on  leaving  the  nest 
sometimes  greedily  devour  things  which 
are  discarded  as  they  grow  older.  Hence 
it  becomes  necessary  to  ascertain  the 
food  of  each  species  at  diflferent  times  of 
the  year  and  at  different  ages. 

Information  is  desired  on  all  ques- 
tions relating  to  this  inquiry,  and 
special  attention  is  invited  to  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

1.  Has  the  common  crow  been  observed 
to  catch  young  chickens  or  to  steal  eggs  ? 

2.  Has  it  been  observed  to  eat  corn  or 
other  cereals  in  the  field  ?  If  so,  how 
long  after  planting,  and  how  extensive 
was  the  injury  done  1 

3.  Has  the  crow  been  observed  to  feed 
upon  injurious  insects  ?  If  so,  what  kinds 
of  insects  were  thus  destroyed,  and  to  what 
extent  ? 

4.  Has  the  crow  blackbird  or  grakle 
been  observed  to  carry  off"  the  young  of 
the  robin  or  of  other  small  birds,  or  to 
destroy  their  eggs  ? 

5.  When  breeding  near  the  house,  has 
it  been  observed  to  drive  off  small  birds 
(such  as  robins,  bluebirds,  &c.)  which  had 
previously  made  their  abode  on  the 
premises? 

6.  Has  it  been  observed  to  eat  corn  or 
other  cereals  in  the  field?  If  so,  how  long 
after  planting,  and  how  extensive  was  the 
injury  done? 

7.  Has  the  crow  blackbird  been  observed 
to  feed  upon  in j  urioiis  insects  ?  If  so,  what 
kinds  of  insects  were  thus  destroyed,  and 
to  what  extent? 

8.  What  birds  have  been  observed  to 


feed  upon  or  otherwise  injure  buds  or 
foliage,  and  what  plants  or  trees  have  been 
so  injured  ? 

9.  What  birds  have  been  observed  to 
feed  extensively  upon  fruit  ?  What  kind 
or  kinds  of  fruit  have  been  most  injured 
by  each  species,  and  how  extensive  have 
been  the  losses  thus  sustained  ? 

10.  The  bobolink  (rice-bird  or  May-bird 
of  the  Southern  States)  congregates  in 
vast  flocks  during  its  migrations  and  com- 
mits extensive  depredations  in  certain 
parts  of  the  South.  The  division  will  be 
glad  to  receive  detailed  accounts  of  these 
depredations  from  persons  living  in  the 
affected  districts,  to  whom  a  special  cir- 
cular will  be  sent  on  application. 

11.  What  birds  are  considered  to  be  in- 
jurious to  grain  crops,  and  what  kinds  are 
regarded  as  beneficial  ?  On  what  facts  are 
these  opinions  based  ? 

12 .  What  birds  have  been  observed  to 
feed  upon  injurious  insects,  and  upon 
what  kind  or  kinds  does  each  bird  feed  ? 

13.  Do  blackbirds  (other  than  the  crow 
blackbirds  already  mentioned)  commit 
serious  depredations  in  your  vicinity?  If 
so,  which  of  the  several  species  of  black- 
birds are  concerned,  and  what  crops  are 
affected? 

14.  Has  any  kind  of  bird  been  observed 
to  feed  upon  the  honey-bee?  If  so,  what 
species,  and  how  extensive  has  been  the 
injury  done  ? 

When  possible,  the  exact  date  should 
be  given  of  all  occurrences  reported. 

Persons  willing  to  aid  in  the  collec- 
tion of  birds'  stomachs  will  be  fur- 
nished with  the  necessary  blanks  and 
instructions. 

Special  circulars  on  the  English  spar- 
row, and  on  the  economic  relations  of 
mammals,  will  be  furnished  on  applica- 
tion.— C.  Hart  Merriam,  in  Country 
Gentleman. 


A  NEW  ORNAMENTAL  TREE. 
The  Japan  Lilac,  Syringa  Japonica, 
has  been  raised  from  seed  at  the  Har- 
vard Arboretum,  at  Cambridge,  Massa- 
chusetts. The  seeds  were  planted  in 
the  spring  of  1877,  and  some  of  the 
trees  raised  from  them  bloomed  for  the 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTI0ULTURI8T. 


229 


first  time  last  summer.  These  trees 
have  already  attained  a  height  of  fif- 
teen feet  or  sixteen  feet,  with  a  straight, 
clean  stem  covered  with  thin,  smooth, 
light-colored  red  bark,  similar  to  that 
of  a  thrifty  young  cherry  tree.  The 
leaves  are  five  or  six  inches  in  length, 
accuminate,  wedge-shaped  at  the  base, 
coriaceous.  The  flowers  are  small  and 
white,  and  are  borne  in  immense  pan- 
icles, eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  in 
length  and  three-fourths  as  broad.  These 
panicles  are  borne  in  profusion,  and  the 
flowers  open  during  the  first  week  in 
July  and  remain  in  bloom  a  long  time. 
The  tree  is  considered  perfectly  hardy 
here,  and  grows  rapidly.  What  height 
it  will  attain  is  not  certainly  known. 
It  promises  to  be  a  splendid  ornamental 
tree  for  this  country.  The  time  of  its 
blooming  is  later  than  that  of  most 
other  trees  and  shrubs,  and  this  feature 
gives  it  additional  value. —  Vick^s  Maga- 
zine. 


THE  DUCHESS  OF  OLDENBURG 
APPLE. 

Were  we  writing  for  the  orchardist, 
as  distinct  from  the  people,  there  would 
be  little  need  of  referring  to  this  excel- 
lent Apple  here,  as  its  merits  are 
widely  known  to  the  regular  fruit 
gi'owers.  But  a  kind  that  is  so  univer- 
sally esteemed  by  orchardists  every- 
where, and  especially  in  the  North  and 
West,  should  be  better  known  by  the 
average  amateur. 

A  leading  merit  of  this  fine  Apple  is 
its  great  hardiness  -  sufficiently  ac- 
counted for  by  the  fact  that  it  is  a 
Ivussian  variety.  Added  to  this,  the 
;rf'e   is   a   strong    grower,    forming   a 

undish  spreading  head,  and  it  is  an 
xcellent  bearer.  What  would  strike 
most  people  as  a  good  characteristic  of 
the  tree,  is,  that  it  requires  but  little 
pruning;  at  any  time — much  less  than 
I  lie  average  of  orchard  trees. 

The   fruit  is  from  medium  to   large 


size,  of  a  handsome,  regular  form,  and 
is  streaked,  the  ground  color  being  yel- 
low, with  red  streaks.  The  flesh,  while 
not  of  the  highest  quality,  is  sufficiently 
pleasing  to  the  taste  to  insure  a  ready 
sale  for  the  fruit  in  market.  It  is  a 
fine  cooking  apple.  The  flesh  is  a  hand- 
some yellowish  white,  juicy,  slightly 
sub-acid.  There  is  a  faint  blue  bloom 
diffiised  over  the  fruit. 

The  subject  of  our  article  is  an  early 
autumn  fruit,  being  at  its  best  in  Sep- 
tember. Possessing,  as  it  does,  such  a 
number  of  good  points,  it  should  find  a 
place  in  the  lists  of  all  who  set  out 
apples  in  the  northern  belts  of  this  fruit. 
In  moderate  proportion,  it  would  rarely 
if  ever  disappoint  the  grower. — Popular 
Gardening. 


GERANIUMS  FOR  WINTER  BLOOM- 
ING. 

We  notice  every  year  advice  to  ama- 
teur florists  to  use  only  young  plants  of 
geraniums  for  winter  blooming.  We 
have  tried  both  young  and  old  plants, 
and  are  in  favor  of  old  plants  every 
time.  A  young  plant — meaning  by 
that  a  plant  started  in  the  spring — will 
not  have  many  branches  for  the  first 
year,  consequently  it  will  not  have 
much  blossoming  surface.  It  may 
bloom  well,  but  if  many  flowers  are 
wanted  you  must  depend  on  old,  well- 
branched  plants  for  them.  Some  plants 
will  not  bloom  well  after  a  certain  age 
is  passed,  but  the  geranium  will  bloom 
for  years,  and  as  long  as  plants  keep  in 
a  healthy  condition  I  would  not  throw 
them  aside  for  young  ones,  unless  they 
become  too  large  for  the  space  allowed 
them.  We  have  plants  six  and  seven 
years  old,  and  they  give  us  a  profusion 
of  flowers  every  winter.  One  such  plant 
is  worth  a  dozen  small  ones. 

In  spring  we  })ut  them  out  on  the 
veranda  and  cut  them  back  well ;  indeed, 
we  cut  ofl*  at  least  two  thirds  of  their 
branches,  trimming  them  into  as  sym- 


230 


THE   CANADIAN   H0RTI0ULTUBI8T. 


metrical  a  shape  as  possible.  In  a 
short  time  half  a  dozen  new  branches 
will  start  for  every  one  cut  off,  and  by 
fall  we  have  compact,  bushy  plants, 
well  furnished  with  blossoming  points. 
We  keep  all  buds  picked  off  during  the 
summer  and  do  not  encourage  a  vigor- 
ous growth.  The  aim  is  to  keep  them 
as  nearly  dormant  as  possible,  and  in 
order  to  accomplish  this  we  give  only 
enough  water  to  keep  the  soil  moist. 
A  slow,  healthy  growth  will  result.  In 
fall,  before  taking  them  into  the  house, 
we  repot  them,  using  a  compost  made 
of  garden  mould,  well-rotted  manure  and 
sand.  The  light-colored  varieties  seem 
to  be  the  freest  bloomers  in  winter. — 
American  Agriculturist. 


PEOPLE  WHO  LIVE  IX  TREES. 

In  thinly  populated  districts  of  South- 
ern and  Central  Africa,  where  lions, 
leopards  and  hyenas  abound,  the  natives 
live  in  huts  like  gigantic  bee-hives, 
firmly  fixed  among  the  large  branches 
of  the  Baobab  tree.  On  the  approach 
of  night  they  ascend  to  their  huts  by 
means  of  rude  ladders,  while  the  lions 
roar  about  their  camp-fires  until  the 
approach  of  day  drives  them  to  their 
lairs. 

As  many  as  thirty  families  have  been 
found  to  occupy  a  single  tree.  In  many 
instances  natives  who  till  the  ground 
at  any  great  distance  from  their  tribe 
build  these  huts  for  nightly  accommo- 
dation. In  travelling  through  the 
country  one  frequently  sees  these  trees 
alive  with  baboons  and  other  kinds  of 
the  monkey  tribe,  busy  in  collecting  the 
fruit  and  indulging  in  ceaseless  gam- 
bols and  chatter ;  for  this  reason  it  is 
commonly  called  the  monkey-bread  tree. 
When  the  tree  is  not  occupied  as  a 
habitation,  the  hollow  trunk  serves 
the  natives  as  a  sepulchre  for  executed 
criminals — the  law  of  the  people  deny- 
ing them  the  right  of  burial — inside  of 
which  the  bodies  dry  up,  and  to  a  great 


extent  resemble  mummies.  To  a  Euro- 
pean this  tree  is  a  marvel.  Comingacross 
one  inhabited  by  monkeys,  it  is  ex- 
tremely dangerous  to  shoot  any  unless 
one  is  with  a  party,  for  if  any  are 
wounded  the  whole  colony  take  up  the 
battle,  and  more  than  once  I  found  that 
a  retreat  in  short  order  was  necessary. 
— Capt.  Pinto,  in  American  Agricul- 
turist. 


THE    HUCKLEBERRY. 

When  Bartholomew  Gosnold,  in  1602, 
discovered  wild  grapes  growing  in  great 
abundance  in  the  swamps  and  low 
grounds  on  a  little  islet  near  the  New 
England  coast,  he  gave  to  it  the  name 
of  Martin's  Vineyard,  no  doubt  believ- 
ing that  he  had  found  the  home  of  the 
wild  grapes  of  the  New  World.  But 
that  little  islet,  now  known  as  "No- 
man's  Land,"  nor  the  larger  island, 
which  bears  the  name  of  Martha's  Vine- 
yard, are  considered  favorable  locations 
for  vineyards,  although  the  wild  grapes 
do  grow  all  along  the  New  England 
coast,  and  in  swamps  and  low  grounds 
throughout  these  United  States.  While 
it  is  true  that  the  wild  grapes  of  North 
America  are  found  more  abundantly 
in  swamj)s  and  low  grounds  than  on 
high  and  dry  soils,  still  no  vineyardist 
would  think  of  planting  a  vineyard  in 
a  swamp,  because  long  experience  has 
shown  that  high,  dry  and  well-drained 
soils  are  far  preferrable  for  such  pur- 
poses than  those  that  are  low  and  wet. 

There  is  another  very  valuable  native 
fruit,  about  which  the  same  erroneous 
ideas  exist  that  were  for  a  long  time 
held  in  regard  to  the  indigenous  grapes ; 
it  is  our  swamp  high-bush  huckleberry, 
or  blueberry  (  Vaccinium  corymbosumj. 
It  is  found  growing  wild  in  the  same 
localities  and  under  the  same  conditions 
as  the  wild  grape,  not  only  in  swamps, 
but  also  on  high  and  dry  soils.  Because 
the  plants  are  more  abundant  in  swamps 
than  on  hills  and  in  dry  soils  does  not 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTUEI8T. 


231 


prove  that  under  cultivation  low,  wet 
soils  would  be  the  best.  From  my  own 
experience  with  this  species  of  the 
huckleberry,  I  would  not  choose  low, 
wet  soils  in  which  to  plant  it  for  fruit, 
but  in  a  sandy,  or,  at  least,  well -drained 
one.  The  plants  thrive  best  in  peat  and 
the  almost  pure  vegetable  deposits  of 
the  swamps ;  also  in  the  light,  sandy 
soils,  and  even  high  up  in  the  hills  of 
New  Jei-sey  and  adjoining  States,  in 
light,  sandy  soils,  in  which  the  running 
blackberries  and  five-finger  plant  have 
to  struggle  to  obtain  nutriment  from 
the  sterile  soil.  A  plant  that  will  grow 
and  thrive — bearing  a  heavy  crop  of 
fruit  in  moderately  favorable  seasons — 
in  such  soils  will  certainly  thrive  under 
good  cultivation,  provided  the  soil  is 
not  a  heavy,  unctuous  clay.  I  have  had 
no  experience  in  cultivating  the  huckle- 
berry on  clay  soils;  but  in  sand,  or 
sandy  loam,  they  may  be  grown  almost 
as  readily  as  currants  or  gooseberries. 

The  plants  can  be  had  in  abundance 
from  the  open  fields  and  swamps,  and 
usually  they  can  be  lifted  with  good 
roots,  and  then  by  cutting  away  the  older 
stems — leaving  the  younger  and  more 
thrifty — there  is  no  difficulty  whatever 
in  making  them  live.  The  past  spring 
I  had  occasion  to  move  some  plants  of 
the  high-bush  huckleberry  that  were  set 
out  eighteen  years  ago.  They  were  dug 
up,  and  with  saw  and  hand-axe  the 
stools  were  divided  up  and  replanted, 
and  all  have  lived  and  are  now  growing 
finely  and  even  bearing  fruit.  I  have 
dug  up  wild  plants  for  my  own  use  and 
for  several  of  my  correspondents  and 
friends  almost  every  season  for  the  past 
twenty  years  or  longer,  and  have  not 
as  yet  discovered  that  the  huckleberries 
of  any  of  the  species  are  at  all  difficult 
to  make  grow  or  thrive  under  cultiva- 
tion. They  may  all  be  propagated  by 
layers  or  seed  ;  but  the  latter  is  a  slow 
process,  as  the  plants  make  little  pro- 
gress for  the  first  few  years,  and  we  may 


save  a  decade  or  two  by  taking  up  the 
wild  plants. 

As  there  are  several  distinct  natural 
varieties  of  the  high-bush  species,  as 
well  as  of  other  species,  it  is  well  to 
mark  the  plants  to  be  taken  up  when 
in  leaf  or  fruit.  The  genuine  or  true 
Vaccinium  corymboaum  bears  quite 
large,  round  berries,  covered  with  a 
blue  bloom ;  but  there  is  a  variety  with 
oval  fruit,  jet  black,  without  bloom, 
and  another  with  globular  berries  also- 
destitute  of  bloom.  Of  the  dwarf,  early 
blueberry  (  V.  Pennsylvaidcum),  com- 
mon to  high,  dry  and  rather  sterile 
soils,  there  are  also  several  distinct 
natural  varieties,  one  of  which  is  an 
albino,  the  fruit  being  pure  white  and 
fully  as  transparent  as  the  white  grape 
currant. 

In  cultivating  any  of  the  huckle- 
berries on  sandy  soils  it  is  advantageous 
to  keep  them  well  mulched,  thereby  in- 
suring an  abundance  of  moisture  at  the 
roots,  as  well  as  preventing  any  baking 
and  overheating  of  the  surface  soil. 
Under  proper  care  and  in  rich  soils  the 
plants  will  grow  far  more  rapidly  and 
yield  larger  crops  of  fruit  than  when 
left  to  grow  uncared  for,  as  in  their 
native  habitats. — A.  S.  Fuller,  in 
American  Agriculturist. 


HOW  TO  APPLY  PARIS  GREEN. 

Not  long  ago  I  saw  on  Long  Island 
what  was  to  me  a  new  way  of  applying 
Paris  geeen.  A  farmer  was  riding  a 
two-horse  machine  through  his  potato 
field,  dropping  the  poison  on  four  rows 
at  a  time  and  as  fast  as  his  team  could 
walk.  This  work  is  usually  performed 
by  hand  at  great  disadvantage.  The 
poison  is  mixed  with  water  and  applied 
to  a  single  row,  of  course — slow  and 
heavy  work.  The  poison  is  no  doubt 
as  effective  when  diluted  with  water  as 
when  mixed  with  dry  powder.  But 
the  latter  is  most  covenient,  and  I  pre- 
for  cheap  flour  to  plaster  because  it  is 


232 


THK   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


lighter.  Each  hill  needs  but  a  small 
quantity,  and,  of  course,  the  mixing 
should  be  thoroughly  done.  In  default 
of  the  horse  machine  the  quickest 
method  T  know  of  is  this  :  Get  coarse 
cloth  that  will  allow  the  mixture  to  sift 
through  easily  and  make  some  bags  of 
convenient  size.  Have  a  deposit  of  the 
mixture  at  each  end  of  the  rows  and  in 
the  middle  if  they  are  long.  Take  a  bag 
in  each  hand  and  shake  it  over  the  rows 
as  fast  as  you  can  conveniently  walk  and 
the  work  will  be  done  in  half  the  usual 
time. — Philadelphia  Weekly  Press. 

A  NEW  ENEMY  TO  THE  APPLE 
TREE. 

We  have  received  several  specimens 
of  a  minute  beetle  from  U.  L,  Mowrey, 
Providence  Co.,  R.  I.,  which  he  found 
boring  into  and  through  branches  of  his 
apple  trees,  It  appears  to  be  a  hitherto 
unknown  enemy  of  the  apple,  at  least, 
we  find  no  mention  of  its  habits  or  food 
in  entomological  works.  Its  scientific 
name  is  Xylehorus  obesus,  and  it  was 
first  described  by  the  late  Dr.  John  L, 
LeConte,  in  the  *'  Transactions  of  the 
American  Entomological  Society,"  for 
1868.  Dr.  Le  Conte  reported  that  this 
species  had  been  found  in  Virginia, 
Massachusetts  and  Canada.  The  beetles 
are  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  long, 
and  rather  stout,  cylindrical,  blackish- 
brown,  aud  clothed  with  long,  soft, 
erect,  pale  colored  hairs.  Its  antennae 
are  of  a  reddish  brown,  and  the  head, 
convex,  coarsely,  but  not  densely  punc- 
tured. It  is  closely  allied  to  the  Pear 
Scolytus  {Scolytus  pyri  of  Peck),  des- 
cribed in  Harris'  "  Insects  Injurious  to 
Vegetation,"  but  diflfers  from  it  by  its 
stouter  form,  and  by  the  absence  of  the 
small,  acute  tubercles  on  the  sloping  tip 
of  the  elytra  or  wing- covers.  This  in- 
sect is  likely  to  become  a  dangerous 
enemy  of  the  apple  and  nearly  related 
trees,  and  it  would  be  well  for 
orchardists  throughout  the  country  to 


be  on  the  lookout  for  this  pest,  and  all 
infested  branches  and  twigs  should  be 
carefully  cut  off  and  burned,  in  order 
to  destroy  both  larvae  and  the  mature 
insects. — American  Agriculturist. 


A  DOZEN  LILIES. 

For  a  dozen  good  hardy  varieties 
and  species  I  would  name  the  follow- 
ing, but  will  add  that  there  are  others 
equally  desirable : — 

Lilium  auratum  (Gold-striped  or 
banded. — Flowers  are  very  large,  some- 
times twelve  inches  broad  ;  petals  spot- 
ted with  chocolate  purple,  and  a  broad 
gold-colored  stripe  down  the  centre  of 
each  petal.  There  are  several  varieties 
with  a  red  stripe  in  place  of  the  gold  or 
yellow. 

L.  lanci/olium  album. — Pure  white, 
not  so  large  as  the  former,  but  showy. 

L.  lancijolium  roseum. — Form  and 
size  of  the  last,  but  of  a  pale  rose  color 
spotted  with  purple. 

L.  longi/eorum. — Flowers  trumpet- 
shaped,  six  to  eight  inches  long,  pure 
white  and  very  fragrant.  Variety 
Harrisi  has  recently  become  very  popu- 
lar for  forcing  in  winter. 

L.  browni. — A  variety  of  species  in- 
termediate between  longijeorum  and 
auratum,  with  somewhat  trumpet- 
shaped  flowers,  white  within  and  choc- 
olate color  without. 

L.  chalcedonicum. — Brilliant  scarlet. 
The  petals  are  so  much  reflexed  that  the 
flowers  appear  like  a  round  scarlet 
ball. 

L.  Leichtlinii. — A  beautiful  Japan- 
ese lily,  growing  two  or  three  feet  high, 
with  long  slender  alternate  leaves.  The 
flowers  are  of  a  bright  golden  yellow, 
spotted  with  small  oblong  blotches  of 
maroon  brown. 

L.  candidum. — The  common  white 
lilv  of  the  gardens  :  and,  although  one 
of  the  oldest  in  cultivation,  it  is  worthy 
of  a  place  in  every  collection. 


THE   CANADIAN    HOBTI0ULTDRI8T. 


233 


L.  tigrinum  Jl.  pi. — Very  similar  to 
the  common  tiger  lily,  but  the  flowers 
are  double  and  more  enduring  than  the 
single  form. 

L.  superhum. — The  common  wild  lily 
of  our  Northern  States,  but  deserves  a 
place  in  every  garden  on  account  of  its 
stately  growth  and  showy  flowers. 

L.  Philadelphicum. — Another  native 
species,  seldom  cultivated  in  this  country, 
but  highly  valued  abroad  Flowers  bell- 
shaped  and  of  a  reddish  orange.  A  low 
growing  species,  seldom  more  than  two 
feet  high. 

L.  nigrum. — A  black  lily  of  Kamt- 
schatka.  This  is  no  doubt  closely  allied 
to  our  Superb  lily,  but  the  flowers  are 
of  a  very  dark  purple  color. — A.  S. 
Fuller,  in  Orchard  and  Garden. 


THE  FLORIST'S  TULIP. 
The  tulip  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most 
precious  of  flowers  in  the  estimation  of 
the  florist,  because  of  the  extraordinary 
transformations  through  which  it  passes, 
as  well  as  on  account  of  its  possession  of 
other  qualities  of  a  not  less  fascinating 
character.  One  singular  peculiarity  of 
the  Tulip  is  the  extraordinary  change 
which  takes  place  when  the  seedling 
breeder  "  breaks,"  or,  in  other  words, 
assumes  its  proper  and  permanent  char- 
acter. That  a  flower  which,  on  its  first 
blooming,  from  the  seed,  and  probably 
for  a  series  of  years  afterward,  should 
(to  take  the  case  of  a  fine  Bybloemen) 
present  but  one  dull  slate  color  with  a 
circle  of  white  at  the  base ;  that  this 
flower,  so  unattractive  in  its  appearance, 
should  all  at  once,  without  any  apparent 
cause,  completely  alter  its  nature ;  that 
the  dull  slate  color  should  disappear 
entirely,  giving  place  to  a  delicate 
feathering  of  rich  pui-ple  or  violet,  while 
the  pure  white,  which  was  confined  to 
a  narrow  circle  at  the  base,  should  spread 
all  over  and  become  the  ground  color  of 
the  petal ;  and  that  the  latter  and  true 
character  should  be  maintained  during 


the  whole  of  the  after  existence  of  the 
plant,  is  surely  so  remarkable  a  fact  in 
vegetable  physiology  as  to  deserve  at  the 
hands  of  the  scientific  and  practical 
botanist  the  closest  investigation. 

Many  persons,  though  well  acquaint- 
ed with  flowers,  are  unaware  of  the 
changes  through  which  the  seedling 
Tulip  passes.  It  is  four  or  five  years 
before  it  flowers,  then  it  takes  on  the 
self-colored  or  breeder  form  ;  but  in  the 
breeder  state  it  is  easy  to  class  it  with 
the  Bizarres,  Roses  or  Byblcemens,  ac- 
cording as  it  may  belong  to  either  of 
these  three  divisions.  Then,  at  the  ex- 
piration of  sometin\es  one  or  two  years 
up  to  six  or  seven  yeai*s,  it  breaks  into 
its  true  character,  and  becomes  what  is 
termed  "rectified."  "Why  the  Tulip 
should  be  an  exception  to  the  universal 
law  observed  in  seedling  flowers,  and 
have  an  almost  exceptionally  inter- 
mediate state,  passeth  knowledge.  The 
practical  florist  asks  of  the  botanist  the 
why  and  wherefore  of  this,  and  no  reply 
is  forthcoming. 

It  is  said  that  in  the  whole  range 
and  history  of  plants  there  is  no  ana- 
logy to  this  phenomenon. —  Vick't  Magoc- 
zine. 

RELATION  OF  STOCK  TO  SCION. 

My  attention  to  this  matter  of  what 
may  be  called  "graft  crossing,"  was 
awakened  a  great  many  years  ago,  when 
I  was  a  boy,  about  the  year  1 838.  I 
was  then  extremely  fond  of  the  Sops-of- 
Wine  Apple,  known  also  as  Bell's  Early. 
My  grandfather  had  a  large  orchard, 
but  no  Sops-of- Wines,  and  at  my  urgent 
request  he  grafted  scions  of  that  variety 
into  branches  on  half  a  dozen  trees  for 
my  benefit.  I  watched  these  scions 
anxiously  for  fruit,  and  in  three  or  four 
years  they  all  bore.  But  I  was  greatly 
disappointed  to  find  that  this  fruit, 
though  externally  appearing  to  be  Sops- 
of-Wine,  was  hard,  green-fleshed,  and 
miserable  to  eat.     There  was  but  one 


234 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


exception,  and  that  was  upon  a  Pound 
Sweet  tree  the  others  being  upon  Rus- 
sets. This  Pound  Sweet  graft  bore  very 
large,  handsome  and  excellent  Sops-of- 
Wines,  but  the  rest  were  worthless. 

Some  thirteen  years  ago,  I  was  speak- 
ing of  this  to  the  late  Albert  Noyes,  of 
Bangor,  Maine,  who  said  he  had  had 
many  similar  experiences,  especially  in 
getting  extra  sized  fruit  for  exhibition 
by  grafting  upon  Alexander,  all  varie- 
ties seeming  to  grow  larger  and  hand- 
somer when  so  worked.  But  this  size 
was  got  at  the  expense  of  quality. 

A  more  curious  matter  still  is,  that 
by  grafting  "  in  and  in  "  upon  the  same 
tree  the  change  produced  can  be  much 
intensified.  By  ''in  and  in  "  grafting, 
I  mean  grafting  a  scion  upon  the  limb 
of  a  tree,  then  next  year  taking  a  scion 
from  the  graft  and  grafting  it  into  the 
same  tree ;  next  year  take  a  scion  from 
the  second  graft  and  insert  it  in  the 
same  tree.  This  may  be  repeated 
again  and  again,  the  result  being  that 
you  will  have  all  grades  between  the 
original  fruit  of  the  graft  and  the  origi- 
nal fruit  of  the  stock.  To  be  quite 
successful  there  must  be  difference 
enough  between  the  stock  and  first  scion 
to  start  a  change.  But  by  "  in-and-in  " 
grafting  the  effect  is  often  so  marked 
from  one  year's  graft  to  the  next,  and 
so  on,  as  to  make  a  positive  demonstra- 
tion of  the  actuality  of  this  which  I  call 
"  graft  crossing." 

R.  Dibble,  of  Brantford,  Conn.,  was 
the  man  who,  in  June,  1873,  first  called 
my  attention  to  this  method  of  inten- 
sification of  the  graft  cross  by  grafting 
in  and  in.  He  wrote  :  "  About  forty 
years  ago,  my  father  had  a  large  and 
thrifty  apple  tree  that  bore  exceedingly 
sour  fruit.  I  helped  him  graft  a  part 
of  it  from  a  very  sweet  apple  standing 
near.  The  second  year  we  grafted 
another  part  from  the  scions  set  the 
previous  year.  The  third  year  we 
grafted   the  rest   of  the  tree  from  the 


second  setting.  These  grafts  produced 
three  different  kinds  of  fruit,  all  differ- 
ing from  each  of  the  original  stocks. 
The  first  strongly  resembled  the  sweet 
apple,  but  were  only  moderately  sweet. 
The  second  were  slightly  striped,  like 
the  sour  apple,  and  neither  sweet  nor 
sour,  while  the  third  were  clearly 
striped,  and  a  moderately  sour  apple." 
Mr.  Dibble,  adds,  "  No  man  can  graft 
a  Rhode  Island  Greening  on  a  sweet 
apple  stock  and  another  from  the  same 
on  a  sour  stock,  and  have  the  same 
fruit  in  appearence  and  taste  as  the 
original  from  each  tree.  To  say  the 
least,  I  have  never  been  able  to  do  it. 
I  have  a  number  of  them,  but  no  two 
are  alike." — T.  H.  Hoskins,  in  Vicks's 
Magazine. 


THE  EEIE  BLACKBERRY. 

In  the  multiplication  of  varieties,  the 
blackberry  has  not  kept  pace  with  the 
raspberry  and  strawberry ;  yet  the  last 
five  or  six  years  have  witnessed  the 
addition  of  some  very  valuable  new 
sorts  to  a  list  which  was,  and  is  still,  by 
no  means  very  large.  Among  these 
kinds  two  deserve  special  mention :  the 
Early  Harvest,  particularly  for  its  ex- 
treme earliness,  which  gives  it  sole  con- 
trol of  the  markets  far  in  advance  of 
all  other  sorts,  and  Wilson  Junior  for 
its  size  and  productiveness.  Inter- 
mediate between  these  two,  in  regard 
to  its  season  of  ripening,  stands  the 
"  Erie,"  named  thus  by  Hon.  Marshall 
P.  Wilder  in  consideration  of  its  place 
of  origination,  which  is  near  Lake  Erie, 
in  northern  Ohio. 

We  have  good  reason  to  believe  that 
the  Erie  is  the  "coming  blackberry," 
and  will  give  to  the  fruit  grower  what 
has  been  looked  for  so  long  in  vain—  a 
variety  with  the  iron-clad  cane  of  the 
Snyder  and  the  large  fruit  of  the  Law- 
ton  or  Kittatinny.  At  Monmouth  it 
has  passed  the  last  two  winters  without 
protection  entirely  unharmed,  while  all 


THE  CANADIAN   HOETK3ULTURI8T. 


235 


other  varieties,  with  the  exception  ot 
Taylor's  Prolific  and  Snyder,  were  more 
or  less  injured.  In  northern  Ohio  it 
has  stood  the  test  of  25  degrees  below 
zero,  coming  out  sound  and  full  of  life 
force  to  the  very  tip. 

In  vigour  of  growth  the  canes  excel 
even  the  Snyder  and  Kittatinny.  In 
size  it  equals  the  Lawton.  The  colour 
of  its  fruit  is  jet  black  and  the  quality 
excellent.  But  a  very  peculiar  and 
valuable  feature  of  the  berry  is  its  round 
form,  which  makes  it  seem  still  larger 
than  it  really  is,  and  lends  to  a  dish  of 
the  fruit  a  most  attractive  and  appetiz- 
ing appearance.  There  is  little  doubt 
that  it  must  become  a  favourite  in  the 
markets. 

The  Erie  has  not  yet  been  introduced 
to  the  general  public,  but  will  probably 
be  ofl'ered  for  sale  the  coming  fall. — 
Orchard  and  Garden. 


A  NEW  MOLE-TRAP. 

Whoever  has  a  garden  surrounded 
as  mine,  by  old  sod  pastures,  wherein 
the  unfortunate  proprietor  has  attempted 
for  many  a  year  to  grow  the  bulbous 
plants  over  which  the  heart  yearns  with 
exceeding  great  desire — as  dear  to  the 
heart  as  pleasant  to  the  eye — will  under- 
stand the  feelings  with  which  I  saw, 
year  after  year,  my  first  tulips,  hya- 
cinths and  crocuses  destroyed  ruthlessly' 
by  moles. 

Only  by  planting  in  deep,  bottomless 
boxes  or  crockery  were  they  at  all  safe. 
But  these,  after  a  time,  would  rot  and 
crack  with  continued  rains  and  freez- 
ing, and  again  was  I  left  without  pro- 
tection. 

Not  only  did  my  bulbs  suffer,  but  my 
finest  roses  and  lilies  were  ploughed 
under  and  rendered  sick  and  useless, 
sometimes  before  I  could  discover  the 
invasion.  My  newly-planted  sweet 
corn,  when  just  above  the  ground,  would 
be  left  to  stand  green  enough  for  a  day 
or  two,  but  grainless  underneath,  until 


soul  and  spirit  were  vexed  and  wroth 
over  continuous  planting.  I  bought  a 
large,  old-fashioned,  wooden  mole-trap 
of  a  farmer,  home-made  and  clumsy, 
which  did  me  no  service,  since  I  could 
not  get  the  thing  to  work  properly,  and 
in  the  meantime  the  work  of  destruc- 
tion still  went  on.  I  used  to  sit  out 
hours  sometimes,  under  an  umbrella, 
watching  for  those  blind  rascals  at  work, 
and  when  I  caught  one  his  brains  paid 
the  penalty.  I  had  tried  field  corn 
soaked  in  poison  and  put  in  the  drain, 
but  it  was  untouched.  Then  I  wrote 
to  a  dealer,  making  arrangements  for 
one  of  his  famous  mole-traps,  when,  lo, 
in  desperation  in  the  meantime,  I  again 
placed  grains  of  corn  soaked  in  a  strong 
solution  of  arsenic  in  the  runways,  and 
succeeded.  It  seems  that  the  mole  has 
a  sweet  tooth  in  his  head  and  prefers 
sweet  corn  to  the  more  common  field 
grains  I  had  at  first  used. 

I  submit  the  preceding  for  the  benefit 
of  any  who  may,  like  myself,  have  a 
common  cause  of  complaint.  It  has 
proved,  since  I  first  tried  it,  again  and 
again  successful  in  destroying  them. 
The  corn  should  be  soaked  over  night 
in  the  poison,  then  placed  in  the  run- 
ways.— H.  K.,  in  Vick^s  Magazine. 


CURRANTS  FOR  HEALTH. 
I  shall  not  lay  stress  on  the  old,  well- 
known  uses  to  which  this  fruit  is  put, 
but  I  do  think  its  value  is  but  half  ap- 
preciated. People  rush  around  in  July 
in  search  of  health  ;  let  me  recommend 
the  currant  cure.  If  any  one  is  languid, 
depressed  in  spirits,  inclined  to  head- 
aches, and  generally  "  out  of  sorts,"  let 
him  finish  his  breakfast  daily  for  a 
month  with  a  dish  of  freshly-picked  cur- 
rants. He  will  soon  almost  doubt  his 
own  identity,  and  may  even  think  that 
he  is  becoming  a  good  man.  He  will 
be  more  gallant  to  his  wife,  kinder  to 
his  children,  friendlier  to  his  neighbors, 
and  more  open-handed   to  every  good 


236 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


cause.  "Work  will  soon  seem  play,  and 
play  fun.  In  brief,  the  truth  of  the 
ancient  pun  will  be  verified,  that  ''  the 
power  to  live  a  good  life  depends  largely 
upon  the  liver."  Out  upon  the  nonsense 
of  taking  medicine  and  nostrums  during 
the  currant  season  !  Let  it  be  taught 
at  the  theological  seminaries  that  the 
currant  is  "  a  means  of  grace."  It  is  a 
corrective,  and  that  is  what  average  hu- 
manity most  needs. — E.  P.  Koe,  in 
Harper's  Magazine. 

WHAT  ARE  LENTILS? 
The  stores  and  markets  of  large  cities 
offer  a  number  of  articles  of  food  to 
meet  the  wants  of  their  European  cus- 
tomers, which  are  hardly  known  to, 
much  less  eaten  by  Americans  in  gen- 
eral. Among  these  articles  is  the  Len- 
til, concerning  which  we  have  occasional 
inquiries.  Lentils  are  the  seeds  of  a 
plant  of  the  Pea  Family,  the  native 
country  of  which  is  not  known  with 
certainty.  It  was  probably  one  of  the 
first  plants  brought  under  cultivation, 
and  is  not  now  known  in  a  truly  wild 
state.  The  plant  is  mentioned  in  the 
books  under  the  botanical  names  of 
Ervum  Lens,  and  Lens  esculenta,  the 
latter  being  the  name  adopted  by  the 
best  authorities.  The  plant  is  a  slender 
annual,  seldom  over  a  foot  and  a  half 
high  ;  it  has  compound  leaves,  which 
are  terminated  by  a  tendril.  The  small, 
blue  flowers  grow  two  or  three  together 
at  the  end  of  a  long  stalk,  and  are 
succeeded  by  pods,  containing  from  one 
to  three  seeds.  The  seeds  are  circular, 
with  two  convex  surfaces ;  the  optical 
glass  having  this  form  is  called  a  len^^ 
from  the  ancient  Latin  name  for  the 
Lentil.  In  color,  the  seeds  usually  are 
gray  or  drab,  but  this  sometimes  varies 
to  brown,  and  there  is  a  black  variety. 
Lentils  are  raised  in  all  warm  countries, 
where  they  form  an  important  article 
of  food.  In  cultivation,  a  poor  soil  is 
preferred,  as  upon   rich  lands  but   few 


seeds  and  a  heavy  crop  of  foliage  are 
produced.  The  various  works  upon 
foods  rank  Lentils  among  the  most 
highly  nutritious  alimentary  substances. 
Many  years  ago,  there  was  introduced 
a  food  for  invalids,  with  the  high-sound- 
ing name  of  "  Revalenta  Arabica."  It 
was  found  to  be  Lentil  Meal,  flavored 
with  cocoa  and  other  substances,  and 
for  a  time  was  exceedingly  popular. 
The  common  method  of  preparing  them 
for  food  is  to  cook  the  seeds  in  soup  or 
broth,  until  soft.  In  India,  lentils  are 
often  added  to  rice,  making  a  most 
nutritious  diet.  The  lentils  offered  in 
our  stores  are  imported,  but  there  is  no 
difficulty  in  raising  them  here,  should 
there  be  a  sufficient  demand  to  warrant 
it. — Dr.  George  TnuRBERm  American 
Agricultv/rist. 

SOME  OF  THE  NEWER  PELAR- 
GONIUMS. 

Easily  grown,  beautiful  and  fragrant, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  pelargoniums  are 
favorites  with  the  majority  of  flower 
lovers. 

Annie  Atkins  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  of  the  newer  varieties  ;  it  is 
very  robust  in  habit,  with  fine,  healthy, 
branching  foliage,  flower  and  trusses 
are  very  large,  pearly-white  tinged  with 
pink.  A  desirable  variety,  for  in-door 
culture  especially. 

Evangeline  is  another  fine  white 
variety,  especially  desirable  for  bedding; 
it  is  rather  dwarfish  in  habit ;  the 
flowers  are  very  large  and  pure  white. 

Harriet  Thorpe  is  one  of  the  best  of 
modern  introductions ;  its  color  and 
shading  are  so  delicate  that  it  seems 
almost  so  much  out  of  place  among  its 
stronger-looking  mates  as  would  a  La 
France  rose  among  a  lot  of  hollyhocks. 
Yet  the  variety  is  by  no  means  tender. 
In  color  it  is  of  the  most  delicate  blush 
shaded  with  whitish  pink  ;  the  edges  of 
each  are  lined  with  a  narrow  edge  of 
deep  pink  ;  the  trusses  are  large  and 


THE    CANADIAN    H0RTICULTUEI8T. 


237 


well  shaped.  It  is  sti-ongly  branched 
and  very  comjmct  in  growth.  The 
foliage  is  very  fine  and  healthy. 

Progression  must  not  be  omitted  from 
the  list  of  the  fine  varieties,  for  it  is  as 
near  an  approach  to  a  yellow  pelargonium 
as  has  yet  been  introduced.  It  is  of  a 
soft  chrome-yellow  shade,  flower  and 
trusses  of  good  size  and  shape. 

Excelsior  is  a  noble  variety,  and  one 
which  we  can  highly  recoramencK  It 
bears  remarkably  large  flowers  of  pure 
scarlet,  almost  perfect  in  form ;  the 
habit  of  the  flower  is  branching  and 
compact. 

The  varieties  named,  while  by  no 
means  all  of  the  newer  kinds,  may  at 
least  be  considered  equal  to  any,  and 
will  repay  trial.  They  are  all  double 
and  of  fine,  healthy  foliage.  We  can 
strongly  commend  them  to  our  readers, 
and  trust  that  many  window  gardens 
this  winter  will  contain  at  least  some 
of  the  kinds  we  have  named, — Ameri- 
can Garden. 


SQUANTUM  SUGAR  CORN. 
I  should  like  to  speak  a  good  word  for 
the  Squantum  Sugar  Corn.  Among  the 
many  novelties  thatare  continually  being 
introduced  so  many  are  worthless  that 
often  a  good  thing  is  catalogued  for  sev- 
eral years  perhaps  before  its  merits  are 
generally  known  to  the  public.  How 
much  of  a  novelty  the  Squantum  Corn 
is  I  cannot  say,  but  it  is  not  planted  to 
any  great  extent  in  this  section  that  I 
know  of,  and  I  notice  that  it  is  not  gen- 
erally catalogued  by  seedsmen,  or,  if  it 
is,  it  does  not  appear  under  this  name. 
I  have  planted  this  corn  now  for  several 
years,  and  no  other  is  acceptable  on  my 
table  while  it  is  in  l)earing.  If  it  has 
any  faults  I  have  never  discovered  them. 
It  is  what  I  suppose  would  be  called  a 
second  early,  coming  in  after  the  Early 
Minnesota.  The  ears  are  about  the  same 
in  size  as  tlie  latter — perhaps  a  trifle 
larger — well  filled  with  eight  to  twelve 


straight  rows  of  pearly- white  grains.  It 
is  exceedingly  productive,  bearing  three 
and  often  four  ears,  on  a  stalk,  and  re- 
markably sweet;  in  fact,  the  flavor  is 
wherein  it  principally  excels.  Whatmore 
a  person  wants  I  cannot  see,  and  I  know 
of  nothing  more  delicious  than  a  dish  of 
this  corn  fresh  from  the  garden.  Some 
may  prefer  the  larger  ears  of  the  Ever- 
green, Egyptian  and  Mammoth,  but 
they  are  more  fond  of  distending  their 
jaws  than  I  am.  As  long  as  corn  is 
sold  by  the  hundred,  however,  I  suppose 
the  larger  eared,  late  varieties  will  gain 
the  preference  in  the  market,  although, 
for  my  part,  if  I  had  to  buy  my  corn,  I 
would  rather  have  the  smaller  ears  of 
the  Squantum,  even  at  the  same  price 
per  hundred.  I  have  sent  some  of  this 
corn  to  the  grocers  on  several  occasions 
each  season,  and  it  is  the  same  old  story 
every  time — the  customer  sends  back 
word  that  he  wants  some  more  of  that 
kind  of  corn,  and  one  even  went  so  far 
as  to  say  that  he  would  have  no  other. 
It  seems  to  me  that  if  our  farmers 
would  pay  more  attention  to  quality 
sometimes  and  less  to  quantity  it  would 
pay  them,  at  least  in  certain  markets. — 
Wm.  Hewitt,  in  Rural  New-Yorker. 


THE  SPRINGFIELD  BLACKCAP. 

This  new  black  raspberry  is  as  yet 
but  little  known  outside  of  Springfield, 
Mass. ,  where  it  originated.  The  old  bush 
was  found,  neglected,  on  J.  W.  Adams' 
place  some  years  ago,  and  was  rooted 
up  and  given  away  as  of  but  little  value. 
The  variety  was  propagated,  however, 
and  later  attention  was  called  to  it  so 
strongly  that  others  secured  plants  and 
have  since  propagated  it  as  fast  as  poa- 
sible.  It  is  thornless,  and  by  some  has 
been  considered  identical  with  the  old 
Davidson  Thornless,  but  the  character- 
istics of  the  variety  belie  this  opinion. 
It  is  an  exceedingly  vigorous  grower, 
hardy,  a  prolific  bearer,  and,  being 
practically  thornless,  is  easily  picked 


238 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


clean.  The  fruit  is  of  good  quality,  but 
its  great  point  is  its  early  ripening. 
The  Springfield  Blackcap  was  ripe,  on 
the  farm  of  W.  L.  Chandler,  on  June 
21,  and  three  days  later  was  in  the 
market.  Coming  just  at  the  close  of 
the  strawberry  season,  the  fruit  com- 
mands good  prices  and  a  quick  sale, 
while  ten  days  or  two  weeks  later  the  red 
raspberries  come  in,  and  the  market  for 
blacks  decrease.  The  Springfield  is 
being  quite  largely  grown  by  the  few 
nurserymen  who  have  been  able  to 
secure  it,  and  promises  to  be  a  decided 
acquisition. — Farm  and  Home. 


THE  CLEMATIS  IN  FRUIT. 
Several  species  of  Clematis,  after 
being  ornamental  in  flower,  again  be- 
come so  in  fruit.  After  the  flower 
falls,  it  is  succeeded  by  a  cluster  of 
what  ,are  commonly  called  seeds,  but 
they  are  little  seed  vessels,  each  con- 
taining a  single  seed.  Each  seed  vessel 
is  terminated  by  a  sort  of  tail,  an  inch 
or  more  long,  which,  in  some  species, 
is  plumed  with  long,  whitish  hairs,  as 
seen  in  the  Travelers'  Joy  (Clematis 
vitalba),  of  England.  Our  native  Tra- 
velers' Joy  (C.  Virginiana)  excels  this 
both  in  the  size  of  its  clusters  of  flowers 
and  fruit,  and  in  that  of  the  individual 
fruits,  as  well  as  in  their  plnmed  char- 
acter. This  native  species  is  very  abun- 
dant, and  climbs  quite  high.  In  sum- 
mer, its  clusters  of  white  flowers  are 
hung  upon  the  shrubs  of  thickets,  and 
are  suspended  from  the  branches  of 
trees.  In  autumn,  the  flowers  are  re- 
placed by  clusters  of  fruits,  which  are 
so  downy  as  to  be  even  more  conspicu- 
ous than  they.  When  in  fruit,  this 
Clematis  is  often  called  "  Old  Man's 
Beard."  The  heavy-smelling  Clematis 
(C.  graveolens ),  from  Thibet,  is  a  ram- 
pant grower,  and  its  solitary  flowers, 
of  a  greenish-yellow  color,  are  not  at  all 
showy.  The  ornamental  character  of 
this  plant  commences  after  the  flowers 


have  disappeared.  We  have  a  vine  of 
this  which  covers  the,  end  of  a  shed  ; 
during  the  past  autumn  it  has  borne 
such  an  abundance  of  large,  plumed 
fruit-clusters,  as  to  quite  hide,  not  only 
the  shed,  but  the  foliage  of  the  vine. 
This  species  is  well  worth  growing  for 
its  beauty  in  autumn.  We  have,  at 
times,  advocated  the  planting  of  shrubs 
that  have  bright  berries,  for  the  sake 
of  their  autumnal  effect ;  we  may  add 
to  the  shrubs  several  of  the  showy- 
fruited  species  of  Clematis. — Dr.  Geo. 
Thurber,  in  ATnerican  Agriculturist. 


EARHART  EVERBEARING  RASP- 
BERRY. 

The  so-called  everbearing  raspberries 
have  so  uniformly  proved  shy  bearers, 
and  some  neverbearers,  that  people  have 
almost  come  to  the  conclusion  that  such 
a  thing  as  an  everbearing  berry  does 
not  exist.  Nor  do  we  think  that  the 
Earhart  is  truly  an  everbearer;  but 
that  it  produces  one  very  full  crop,  and 
at  least  two  others  of  almost  equal 
abundance,  there  is  no  reasonable  doubt. 

Its  first  crop,  which  is  claimed  to  be 
as  abundant  as  that  of  any  berry  grown, 
is  on  the  old  wood,  or  that  grown  the 
previous  year.  It  ripens  about  one 
week  earlier  than  Mammoth  Cluster,  is 
of  good  size  and  of  a  bright  shiny  black 
— very  handsome.  Its  later  fruit  is 
borne  on  wood  of  the  current  season's 
growth,  and  it  really  ripens  two  good 
after  crops — one  in  August  and  the 
other  in  September,  although  it  has 
more  or  less  ripe  fruit  at  all  times  after 
the  middle  of  August.  The  leaves  are 
extremely  wrinkled  or  corrugated,  and 
of  such  distinct  shades  of  green  as  to  be 
very  ornamental. 

This  berry  is  an  accidental  seedling,    ^ 
found  growing  wild  about  16  years  ago    1 
by  Mr.  Earhart,  in  an  open  grove  on 
his  farm  in  the  eastern  part  of  Mason 
County,  111.     When  found,  in  August    J 
or  September,  it  was  full  of  ripe  berries.    * 


THE   CANADIAN    HOETIOULTURI8T. 


239 


Mr.  E.  broke  off  the  canes  and  carried 
them  to  the  house ;  but  when  subse- 
quent search  was  made  for  the  vine,  it 
could  not  be  found,  and  for  two  years 
it  was  forgotten.  When  it  was  again 
found  in  the  Fall,  loaded  with  fruit,  it 
was  transplanted  the  succeeding  Spring 
to  the  garden,  where,  it  is  claimed,  the 
original  bush  is  still  growing. — Rural 
New-  Yorker. 


STRIPED  BUGS. 
We  have  never  known  this  pest  so 
troublesome  on  squashes  and  other  vines 
as  they  have  been  this  season,  and  we  have 
never  before  exterminated  them  with  so 
little  difficulty.  We  inspected  our  vines 
one  morning  and  found  them  literally 
covered  with  bugs.  On  our  approach 
they  arose  in  swarms.  We  at  once 
applied  Paris  green  in  solution,  very 
weak ;  the  next  morning  the  only  evi- 
dence of  bugs  was  the  dead  that  lay 
thickly  around,  and  not  a  live  one  have 
we  seen  since. — Ladies^  Floral  Cabinet. 

[We  are  surprised  that  our  con- 
temporary should  speak  of  Paris  green 
in  solution  ;  in  our  experience  it  is  not 
dissolved.  Then  very  weak  is  exceed- 
ingly indefinite,  conveying  but  a  dim 
idea  of  the  proportion  of  Paris  green 
used,  say,  in  a  gallon  of  water.  To  be 
of  value  to  others  we  need  to  to  have  cor- 
rect and  definite  statements.] 

MYOSOTIDIUM  NOBILE. 
This  striking  herbaceous  plant,  intro- 
duced from  the  Chatham  Islands,  New 
Zealand,  about  thirty  years  ago,  is 
worthy  of  extended  cultivation.  Several 
strong  plants  of  it  were  shown  by  E.  G. 
Loder,  Esq.,  Floore,  Weedon,  at  the 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  So- 
ciety this  year,  creating  much  interest. 
To  many  persons  it  appeared  to  be  quite 
a  new  plant,  although  so  long  intro- 
duced. The  flowers  are  of  a  light  blue 
color,  with  a  broad  margin  of  white, 


and  show  a  tendency  common  to  most 
members  of  the  order,  namely,  to  ex- 
pand with  a  purplish  tinge,  and  then 
gradually  fade  to  blue,  pink  or  white,  as 
the  case  may  be.  The  purple  tint  in 
this  instance  is  confined  to  the  five  spots 
at  the  base,  and  alternating  with  the 
five  lobes  of  the  corolla.  The  great 
petioles  are  of  much  consistency  and 
substance,  the  upper  surface  of  the  huge 
cordate  glabrous  leaves  is  light  green, 
and  the  under  surface  is  coated  with  a 
softish  pubescence — characters  found  in 
some  species  of  myosotis. — Gardeners^ 
Chronicle. 

MILDEW. 

We  hear  many  complaints  of  mildew 
this  season,  and  as  we  think  we  have 
an  infallible  remedy,  will  give  it  as  it 
may  be  beneficial  to  others.  It  is  an 
old  idea  improved  upon,  or  at  least  we 
think  so,  as  we  have  had  better  success 
when  the  last  ingredient  has  been 
added. 

Take  one  pound  sulphur,  one  pound 
slacked  lime,  three  fourths  of  an  ounce 
of  carbolic  acid,  in  two  gallons  of  water 
and  boil  down  to  one  gallon.  Cork 
well,  and  set  away  for  use.  Use  a  2J- 
inch  pot  full  of  the  mixture  to  five  gal- 
lons of  water,  and  spray  foliage  well. 
Keep  the  ventilators  down  two  or  three 
hours  after  applications,  as  the  fumes 
will  be  retained  better  .  We  use  this 
preparation  twice  a  week,  not  only  as 
cure  but  as  a  preventive. — H.  M. 
Wheeler,  in  American  Florist. 

PRUNUS  TRIBOLA. 
This  beautiful  shrub  cannot  be  planted 
too  freely.  It  is  quite  hardy,  a  vigorous 
grower,  and  blooms  abundantly.  It  is 
one  of  the  earliest  shrubs  to  flower,  and 
brings  spring  to  us  in  her  freshest  gar- 
ments. The  flowers  closely  resemble 
those  of  the  Flowering  Almond.  With 
a  Spruce  or  Arbor  Vitte  or  some  other 
evergreen  for  a  background,  it  appears 


240 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


to  the  best  advantage,  but  it  is  a  good 
shrub  in  almost  any  position,  and  either 
grouped  with  others  or  standing  alone. 
It  is  an  erect,  handsome  grower. — 
Vick^s  Magazine  for  September. 


BOOKS,  &c.,  RECEIVED. 

Transactions  and  reports  of  the  Fruit 
Growers'  and  International  Show  So- 
ciety of  Nova  Scotia.  Our  brethren  in 
Nova  Scotia  are  earnest  workers  and 
intelligent  students  of  economic  pom- 
ology, as  this  very  interesting  report 
fully  testifies.  The  paper  on  the  ra- 
tionale of  manuring  and  pruning  an 
apple  orchard,  by  Henry  Youle  Hind, 
M.A.,  is  one  of  the  most  suggestive 
articles  that  has  appeared  in  a  long 
time,  and  deserves  the  careful  con- 
sideration of  every  orchardist.  Mr. 
Kimball  thinks  that  plum  growing  in 
Nova  Scotia  is  more  remunerative  than 
orange  growing  in  Florida. 

Adelaide  Jubilee,  International  Ex- 
hibition, South  Australia,  1887,  giving 
the  classification,  system  of  awards, 
regulations  for  exhibitors,  &c.  This 
exhibition  is  held  in  commemoration  of 
the  Semi-centennial  of  South  Australia's 
colonial  existence. 

Report  on  Agricultural  Colleges  and 
Experimental  Farm  Stations,  with  sug- 
gestions relating  to  experimental  agri- 
culture in  Canada,  by  Prof.  William 
Saunders,  F.R.S.C.  A  most  exhaustive 
report  of  some  eighty  pages,  containing 
a  brief  account  of  the  agricultural  col- 
leges and  experimental  stations  of  the 
United  States,  of  agricultural  education 
and  experimental  work  in  Canada,  of 
agricultural  colleges,  experimental  sta- 
tions and  schools  of  horticulture  and 
forestry  in  England,  France,  Germany, 
Belgium  and  other  countries.  It  is  to 
be  hoped  that  the  suggestions  made  by 
Prof.  Saunders  will  receive  the  atten- 
tion which  their  importance  demands, 
and  not  be  allowed  to  lie  unheeded. 


Fertilizers ;  where  the  materials  come 
from,  where  to  get  them  in  the  cheapest 
form,  and  how  to  compound  them,  by 
J.  J.  H.  Gregory,  A.M.  This  is  one 
of  the  best  essays  on  the  subject  of 
manure  that  has  appeared  for  some  time. 
It  treats  of  potash,  wood  ashes,  coal 
ashes,  bones,  superphosphate,  &c. ,  mak- 
ing our  own  fertilizers,  where  to  obtain 
fertilizing  material  at  lowest  cost,  &c., 
&c.  Every  farmer  and  horticulturist 
would  be  greatly  benefited  by  a  care- 
ful study  of  this  pamplet  of  some  115 
pages.  We  presume  that  copies  can  be 
had  by  addressing  Mr.  Gregory  at 
Marblehead,  Massachusetts,  U.  S.  A. 
We  do  not  know  the  price. 

The  Library  Magazine,  monthly  part, 
September,  1886,  published  by  John 
B.  Alden,  :593  Pearl  street,  New  York, 
is  filled  with  selections  from  reviews' 
and  magazines  of  the  ablest  papers  on 
topics  of  interest. 

Report  of  the  Montreal  Horticultural 
Society  and  Fruit  Growers'  Association 
of  the  Province  of  Quebec,  E.  J.  Max- 
well, Secretary.  The  paper  on  Hardy 
Fruits  in  Wurtemburg,  by  Chas.  Gibb, 
Abbotsford,  P.Q.,  and  the  Resume  of 
Out-Door  of  Grape  Culture  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  by  Wm.  Mead 
Pattison,  Clarenceville,  P.Q.,  are  ex- 
ceedingly interesting.  The  paper  by 
Mr.  Auguste  Dufruis,  of  L'Islet,  on 
Plum  Culture,  together  with  that  by 
Chas.  Gibb  on  Plums  for  Cold  Climates, 
give  information  of  much  value  to  resi- 
dents in  the  colder  parts  of  Ontario. 

Report  of  the  Entomologist,  James 
Fletcher,  F.R.S.C,  1885,  is  full  of 
valuable  instruction  with  regard  to  our 
noxious  insects.  But  a  broad-bladed 
knife  is  too  tedious  an  instrument 
wherewith  to  combat  the  onion  maggot 
where  they  are  grown  by  the  acre,  and 
we  trust  that  Mr.  Fletcher  will  yet  be 
able  to  discover  some  more  expeditious 
method  of  combating  this  foe. 


PRINTKD  AT  THK  STEAM   PRESS   RSTABLISHMF.NT   OF  THE   COPP,    CLARK   COMPANY  (LIMITED),   TORONTO. 


Ua.rge  2^s  CUTHBERT  2k\]^  rrioreproauctive, 
[Rivals  in  qu^.lityBRINCKLE'S0KANGEi\qaofiroq-cla3 
l7a.r3ir]e5S,ofgre2de5i  bed^uty  2^q'3  siroj^gestgrowtl^ 


mmm 


ARMSTRONG  ScCO.LirM.BOSTON. 


THE 


Itttflft 


VOL.  IX.] 


NOVEMBER,  1886. 


[No.   11. 


^£tD  JfmttB. 


THE  GOLDEN  QUEEN. 

We  are  so  often  deceived  in  estimat- 
ing the  value  of  new  fruits  that  we 
hesitate  to  say  much  about  them  until 
we  have  tested  them  well  on  our  own 
grounds,  or  else  have  seen  them  grown 
on  those  of  our  neighbors. 

The  Marlboro',  for  instance,  which 
was  so  highly  puffed  some  time  ago,  is 
now  set  down  by  many  as  not  bearing 
out  its  good  reputation,  especially  after 
the  first  two  or  three  seasons ;  and  a 
similiar  tale  might  be  told  of  many 
other  new  varieties. 

But  all  the  evidence,  thus  far,  seems 
to  indicate  that  the  Golden  Queen  rasp- 
berry is  to  be  a  very  strong  claimant 
for  popular  favour.  Already  some 
notices  of  it  have  appeared  in  this 
journal,  so  that  many  of  our  readers 
are  already  partially  familiar  with  its 
claims  upon  their  notice. 

The  Golden  Queen  originated  on  the 
farm  of  Mr.  E.  Stokes,  of  Camden,  N.  J. 
He  found  it  growing  in  a  twelve-acre 
block  of  Cuthberts,  and  thinks  it  either 
a  sport  or  a  seedling  of  that  variety. 
It  resembles  the  Cuthbert  in  so  many 
ways,  that  its  relationship  seems  well 
attested.     It  is  like  the  latter  in  size  of 


berry,  in  vigor  of  canes,  and  in  produc- 
tiveness ;  but  differs  in  color,  being  a 
beautiful  yellow.  Mr.  Stokes  says  that 
in  color  and  flavour  it  resembles  the 
famous  Brinckles  Orange. 

This  latter  been  for  a  long  time  at 
the  head  of  the  list  of  light  colored 
raspberries,  being  everything  that 
could  be  desired  in  point  of  flavour ;  but 
in  these  days,  when  raspberries  sell  at 
such  low  prices,  this  variety  does  not 
produce  enough  quarts  to  the  acre  to 
satisfy  us. 

The  Catharine  is  the  best  bearer  yet 
tested  of  this  class,  and  it  was  this 
season  laden  down  on  our  grounds  with 
the  most  attractive  looking  fruit.  But 
alas  !  one  berry  was  enough  to  satisfy 
even  the  children.  It  lacks  altogether 
in  point  of  flavour,  being  most  insipid. 
Besides  this  it  has  another  fault,  for  it 
is  too  soft  to  ship  any  distance. 

In  this  latter  respect  also  the  Golden 
Queen  is  claimed  to  be  quite  equal  to 
its  parent  the  Cuthbert,  which  is  such 
an  admirable  shipping  berry.  Mr, 
Theo.  F.  Baker,  President  of  the  N.  J. 
Horticultural  Society  says  :  —  "  The 
fruit  is  very  firm  and  carries  well,  from 
my  experience  with  a  pint  which  I 
kept  three  days,  after  carrying  over 
seventy-five  miles,  in  good  condition." 


242 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


It  is  also  claimed  for  this  variety 
that  it  carries  the  palm  for  hardiness 
also.  Mr.  J.  T.  Lovett  of  Little  Silver. 
N.  Y.  who  is  introducing  this  berry 
says :  "  I  have  never  known  it  to  be 
injured  in  the  slightest  by  cold."  Now 
with  us  in  Canada  every  thing  hinges 
upon  this  last  point,  and  we  are  not 
willing  to  take  the  experience  of  New 
Jersey  fruit  growers  as  a  guide  to  us 
in  this  respect.  It  is  claimed  to  be 
hardier  than  the  Cuthbert,  and  it  will 
need  to  be,  to  satisfy  us,  for  the  Cuth- 
bert is  found  to  be  too  tender  in  many 
places. 

To  be  able  to  speak  confidently  we 
must  test  it  for  ourselves,  and  we  hope 
many  of  our  readers  will  give  it  a  trial, 
and  report  whether  it  really  has  any 
faults;  for  so  far  it  has  been  claimed  to 
be  faultless. 

The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association  of  Ontario  was 
held  at  St.  Lawrence  Hall,  Toronto,  on 
Tuesday  evening,  11th  September. 
President  Saunders  read  his  annual 
address,  which  was  received  with  the 
closest  attention  by  all  present.  It 
was  a  matter  of  deep  regret  to  every 
one  that  it  should  contain  a  final  state- 
ment that  it  would  be  impossible  for 
him  to  serve  another  year  owing  to  the 
pressure  of  other  engagements. 

Still  we  are  happy  in  being  able  to 
say  that  he  has  allowed  himself  to  be 
elected  as  a  director,  representing  Agri- 
cultural Division  No.  1 1  ;  and  the  As- 
sociation will  therefore  still  continue 
to  receive  the  benefit  of  his  wise  counsel 
and  varied  stores  of  scientific  know- 
ledge. 


The  President  for  the  new  year  is 
Mr.  Alex.  McD.  Allan,  of  Goderich, 
Ont.,  a  gentleman  who  has  been  long 
and  favorably  known  in  connection 
with  our  Association,  and  who  has 
honorably  filled  the  position  of  vice- 
president  during  the  past  year. 

Mr.  Wm.  Saunders  says  of  him  : — 
"  He  has  an  excellent  knowledge  of 
Canadian  fruits,  and  has  been  one  of 
the  most  extensive  shippers  of  Cana- 
dian apples  and  plums  for  many  years 
past.  He  has  long  been  looked  upon 
in  our  meetings  for  discussion  as  one  of 
our  most  reliable  authorities  on  fruits. 
He  has  served  as  chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  New  Fruits  for  several  years, 
and  as  such  has  presented  the  Associa- 
tion with  several  excellent  reports," 

The  Vice-President  is  Mr.  W.  E. 
Wellington,  of  Toronto,  who  has  been 
been  for  some  years  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Association.  His  intimate 
acquaintance  with  the  details  of  his 
own  business  is  of  much  service  at  our 
meetings;  and  his  eminent  success 
proves  that  he  is  possessed  of  the  very 
highest  qualifications  for  his  position 
as  a  member  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee. 

The  Board  of  Directors  for  the 
new  year  consists  of  the  following 
persons,  the  figures  showing  which  agri- 
cultural division  they  represent : — 1, 
John  Croil,  Aultsville;  2,  A.  A. 
"Wright,  Renfrew;  3,  R.  J.  Dunlop, 
Kingston  ;  4,  P.  C.  Dempsey,  Trenton ; 
5,  Thos.  Beall,  Lindsay;  6,  Col.  J. 
Magill,  Oshawa ;  7,  Murray  Pettit, 
Winona  ;  8,  A.  M.  Smith,  St.  Catha- 
rines ;  9,  Fred.  Mitchell,  Innerkip ; 
10,  J.  A.  Morton,  Wingham  ;  11,  Wm. 
Saunders,  London;  12,  W.  W.  Hil- 
born,  Arkona ;  1 3,  Charles  Hickling, 
Barrie. 

These  gentlemen,  being  elected  by 
vote  of  the  Association  and  not  by  any 
ring  or  clique,  it  is  evident  that  any 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


243 


man  from  any  of  these  divisions,  who 
is  interested  in  the  gi-owth  of  fruits  or 
flowers,  and  shows  that  he  has  practical 
knowledge  of  the  same,  has  before  him 
the  possibility  of  ofiice  in  the  Associa- 
tion, and  of  influence  in  the  conduct  of 
its  meetings. 

/'The  Secretary  appreciates  the 
honor  and  confidence  reposed  in  him  in 
his  a[)pointment  to  such  an  important 
and  responsible  a  post  as  that  which 
includes,  not  only  the  secretary- trea- 
surership  of  the  Association,  but  also 
the  editorship  of  the  Canadian  Horti- 
culturist. _^ — — '     ' 

This  latter  department  of  the  work 
he  takes  up  with  some  hesitation,  be- 
cause he  has  to  succeed  a  gentleman  of 
such  acknowledged  ability  and  wide 
culture,  and  one  who  has  so  ably  con- 
ducted this  journal  during  the  nine 
years  of  its  publication. 

We  have  no  doubt  that  we  express 
the  feelings  of  every  reader  of  this 
magazine,  when  we  say  that  Dr.  D,  W. 
Beadle's  retirement  from  the  editor- 
ship is  a  matter  of  the  greatest  regret 
and  disappointment.  We  are  happy 
to  say,  however,  that  he  has  most 
kindly  promised  us  the  favor  of  his 
valuable  assistance  at  any  time,  an 
ofier  of  which  we  shall  not  be  slow  to 
avail  ourselves. 

Members  of  the  F.  G.  Association, 
and  readers  generally,  please  show  us 
your  favor  both  by  contributing  items 
of  interest,  and  by  securing  long  lists 
of  new  subscribers.  Enlargements  and 
many  improvements  depend  upon  a 
large  circulation.  This  magazine  is  not 
published  in  the  interest,  or  for  the 
pecuniary  advantage,  of  any  individual. 
The  revenue  above  the  legitimate  ex- 
penses is  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
the  whole  membership.  We  only 
await  the  necessary  means  in  order  to 
carry  out  the  many  plans  in  contem- 
plation for  increasing  the  attractiveness, 


as    well   as   the   usefulness,   of    "  The 
Canadian  Horticulturist." 


PRIZE  FRUIT. 

The  Prize  Fruit  at  the  Toronto 
Fair  certainly  made  a  fine  display  in 
every  department,  excepting  that  of 
peaches,  in  which  it  was  necessarily  a 
lamentable  failure.  Even  the  favoured 
Niagara  district,  from  which  almost 
the  only  specimens  came,  had  very  little 
to  show,  and  with  that  little  easily  car- 
ried off*  the  prizes. 

Some  very  fine  specimens  of  the  Lord 
Palmerston  peach  was  shown  from  To- 
ronto, but  they  were  grown  under  glass 
at  Sir  D.  McPhei-son's,  North  Toronto. 
One  of  them  weighed  nearly  ten  ounces, 
and  the  total  weight  of  eight  was  four 
pounds  and  two  ounces.  This  peach 
is  mentioned  in  Meehan's  Gardener's 
Monthly,  December,  1873,  as  being 
then  a  new  seedling  raised  by  Lord 
Rivers,  which  was  remarkably  well 
adapted  for  house  culture.  Mention  is 
there  made  of  one  grown  in  a  twelve- 
inch  pot  in  a  greenhouse  in  England 
that  measured  twelve  and  a  quarter 
inches  in  circumference. 

Tfie  show  of  Grapes  was  capital,  and 
it  may  be  interesting  to  some  of  our 
readers  to  know  to  what  varieties  the 
first  prizes  were  awarded  by  the  judges. 
For  twelve  varieties  (open  air)  the  fol- 
lowing is  the  list,  viz. : — Rogers  3,  4,  1 9, 
43,  44,  Sweet  Water,  August  Giant, 
lona,  Allen's  Hybrid,  Prentiss,  Dela- 
ware and  Hartford  Prolific.  They  were 
grown  by  S.  Burner,  Hamilton.  The 
same  gentleman  also  took  the  first  prize 
on  the  six  varieties  with  Rogers'  3,  30, 
43,  44,  Prentiss  and  Allen's  Hybrid. 

Mr.  A.  M.  Smith  showed  some  mag- 
nificent samples  of  the  famous  Niagara, 
which  attracted  much  notice. 

The  displaij  of  Plums  waa  very  fine, 
especially  of  the  Pond's  Seedling,  an 
excellent  English  plum  and  one  of  the 


244 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


most  showy  varieties  known.  The 
prize  for  the  best  six  varieties,  green  or 
yellow,  was  taken  by  the  following  list, 
viz.: — Yellow  Egg,  Washington,  Gen. 
eral  Hand,  Goes'  Golden  Drop,  Imperial 
Gage,  McLaughlin ;  Mr.  J.  K.  Gordon, 
Whitby,  being  the  exhibitor.  For  best 
six,  red  or  blue,  Mr.  Alex.  Glass,  St. 
Catharines,  carried  off  the  first  prize 
with  Pond's  Seedling,  Victoria,  Duanes' 
Purple,  Glass,  Columbia  and  Bradshaw. 

The  first  prize  five  varieties  of 
Pears  were  Sheldon,  Beurre  Diel,  Flem- 
ish Beauty,  Bartlett  and  Duchess ;  and 
the  ten  varieties  included  the  following 
in  addition,  viz. : — Winter  Nelis,  Louise, 
Beurre  Clairgeau,  Beurre  D'Anjou  and 
Clapp's  Favourite.  The  prize  winner 
was  Wm.  Anderson,  of  Hamilton. 

In  Apples  the  following  were  the 
first  prize  ten  varieties,  and  they  were 
exhibited  by  Mr.  S.  Peck,  of  Albury : — 
Alexander,  Duchess,  Wealthy,  Bald- 
win, Ribston,  N.  Spy,  A.  Gold.  Kusset, 
King,  S.  Pomme  Grise,  Ben  Davis. 

The  Fruit  Exhibit  at  Hamilton 
Fair  was  certainly  very  excellent.  The 
Hamiltonians  claim  that  it  surpassed 
that  in  Toronto.  We  will  draw  no 
comparisons,  only  remarking  that  it 
ought  to  do  so,  for  it  has  one  of  the 
finest  fruit  districts  in  the  world  quite 
near  at  hand. 

In  the  heautijul  display  of  Grapes 
we  noticed  that  Mr.  S.  Burner  took  the 
first  prize  for  ten  varieties,  on  the  same 
kinds  as  he  did  in  Toronto,  while  that 
for  the  six  varieties  was  taken  by  Mr. 
W.  H.  Spira,  of  Stoney  Creek,  with 
(white)  Lady  Washington  and  Niagara, 
(red)  Brighton  and  Delaware,  (black) 
Worden  and  Concord.  Some  of  Mr. 
Spira's  Niagara's  were  certainly  very 
fine.  There  was  one  bunch  among 
them  the  weight  of  which  was  estimated 
at  one  pound. 

The  first  prize  six  varieties  0/  Plums 
were    Jefferson,    Gen.    Hand,    Pond's 


Seedling,  Duanes'  Purple,  Lombard 
and  Prince  Englebert.  For  a  dessert 
plum  the  Imperial  Gage  took  the  first 
prize,  and  for  cooking  the  Fellenburgh 
or  Italian  Prune. 

The  show  of  Peaches  was,  of  course, 
very  small,  indeed  only  eighteen  plates 
were  shown,  by  three  exhibitors.  The 
first  prize  for  the  best  collection  was 
taken  by  Mr.  Gage  Miller,  of  Yirgil. 

The  show  of  Pears  was  most  excellent. 
Such  immense  specimens  of  Bartlett, 
Souvenir  de  Congres  and  Beurre  Clair- 
geau are  not  often  seen.  Mr.  Stipe, 
one  of  the  directors,  said  a  large  part  of 
this  fruit  exhibit  would  be  forwarded  to 
the  Colonial  Exhibition  in  England, 
and  it  certainly  will  reflect  credit  upon 
Canada. 

The  South  Renfrew  Fair,  like 
others  throughout  the  country  this 
year,  seems  to  have  been  an  unusual 
success.  It  is  interesting  to  notice 
that  even  as  far  north  as  Renfrew,  the 
Fruit  Department  was  a  leading  feature. 

The  display  of  Apples  was  larger  than 
ever,  and  consisted  of  such  varieties 
as  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh,  Wealthy, 
Magog  Red  Streak,  Tetofsky,  Fameuse, 
Alexander,  Peach,  Yellow  Transparent 
and  the  Siberian  Crabs. 

The  show  of  Grapes  was,  of  course, 
small,  and  consisted  of  Concord,  Cham- 
pion, Agawam  and  Brighton.  We  are 
pleased  to  notice  that  a  good  many 
prizes  were  won  by  our  Director  for 
Division  No.  2,  Mr.  A.  A.  Wright. 


AMONG  OUR  NEIGHBORS. 

We  notice  in  the  Ohio  Farmer  that 
the  Seventh  Annual  Meeting  of  the 
American  Horticultural  Society  was 
held  early  in  September,  in  the  city  of 
Cleveland.  Mr.  Parker  Earle,  a  fa- 
mous Illinois  fruit  grower,  is  the  Pre- 
sident, and  Mr.  W.  H.  Ragan,  of  In- 
diana, the  Secretary. 

The  small  attendance  of  about  forty 


p 


THE   CANADIAN    HOBnOULTURIST. 


245 


was  attributed  by  the  President  to  the 
refusal  of  the  railways  to  grant  any 
concessions  on  fares,  and  also  to  the 
fact  that  many  fruit  growers  were  at 
this  time  attending  State  and  other 
fairs. 

We  give  one  or  two  extracts  from 
the  proceedings. 

Grape  Culture. — A  paper  was  read 
from  Geo.  Husmann,  of  Napa,  Cal., 
■  upon  grape  culture  in  that  State.  He 
says  the  wines  of  California  are  now 
competing  with  the  best  wines  of  the 
world,  and  its  brandies  compare  with 
the  best  French  cogniac,  and  its  raisins 
with  London  layers.  He  believed  grape 
growing  would  be  profitable  in  that 
State  as  long  as  good  grape  lands  could 
be  had  at  ^50  to  $100  per  acre,  and 
brought  into  bearing  at  $100  more  per 
acre.  It  would  then  produce  five  tons 
per  acre,  worth  $20  a  ton,  and  expense 
of  cultivation  need  not  exceed  $12  to 
$20.  He  believed  production  would 
be  doubled  in  ten  years,  and  the  wine 
yield  this  year  would  reach  20,000,000 
gallons. 

This  paper  was  followed  by  remarks 
on  the  condition  of  grape  culture  in 
various  States.  Mr.  Cushman,  of  Ohio, 
spoke  highly  of  the  Concord.  F.  C. 
Miller  thought  the  Worden  superior  to 
Concord  of  which  it  was  a  seedling. 
Mr.  Hubbard,  of  New  York,  com- 
mended it,  and  it  was  favorably  report- 
ed upon  by  eastern  growers  generally. 
He  had  visited  Mr.  Worden  in  Oswego, 
N.Y.,  seen  the  original  vine  that  had 
borne  110  pounds  each  year  for  three 
years  past.  All  reports  said  that  it 
clung  to  the  stem.  It  was  larger, 
handsomer  and  more  attractive  than 
Concord,  and  ripened  a  week  to  ten 
days  earlier.  Purchasers  would  pro- 
nounce it  a  filst-class  Concord.  The 
grape  crop  this  year  was  very  fine,  and 
there  was  no  rot. 

Mr.  Hollister,  of  Missouri,  said  the 
cro])  was  short  in  that  State,  the  fruit 


rotting  badly.  He  condemned  the 
picking  and  selling  of  early  grapes,  be- 
fore ripe.  Purchasers  would  buy  one 
basket  and  wanted  no  more  of  the  sour 
things.     It  injured  the  business. 

Mr.  Albaugh,  of  Montgomery  Co.,0., 
stated  that  Mr.  Cramer,  of  his  county, 
had  sown  oats  between  the  rows  of 
vines  and  it  entirely  prevented  the  rot. 
This  had  been  tested  several  years. 
The  oats  was  plowed  under  when  full 
grown. 

Mr.  Miller,  of  Ohio,  used  sulphate  of 
iron,  one  year,  as  a  disinfectant,  when 
grapes  were  rotting  badly,  and  to  his 
surprise  it  prevented  rot.  He  used  one 
to  three  pounds  around  each  vine,  and 
applied  early  in  July,  or  in  June. 
Others  near  him  had  tested  it  with  like 
result. 

Mr.  Kizo  Te  Mari,  of  Japan,  was 
present  and  was  called  upon.  He  re- 
presented his  government  at  the  New 
Orleans  exposition,  and  has  ever  since 
been  travelling  in  this  country  in  the 
interests  of  Japan  horticulture.  He 
spoke  English  with  difficulty,  but  all 
could  understand  him.  He  said  Japan 
was  adopting  American  methods,  and 
had  introduced  many  American  grapes. 
They  never  had  any  wine  in  Japan 
until  the  country  was  opened  to  the 
traffic  of  the  world.  The  Chinese  grew 
grapes  and  made  wine,  but  Japan  did 
not.  Now  she  was  pushing  aliead  in 
this  as  well  as  other  things.  They 
were  great  vegetable  eaters,  and  he 
would  read  a  paper  on  growing  vege- 
tables during  the  meeting.  Mr.  Kizo 
Te  Mari  was  vigorously  applauded. 

President  Earle's  Address. — In 
the  evening  Mayor  Gardner  welcomed 
the  society  to  Cleveland,  in  a  brief  and 
approi)riate  address,  which  was  re- 
sponded to  by  President  Earle  in  a 
graceful  manner.  He  then  followed 
with  his  annual  address,  which  was  an 
able  and  comprehensive  review  of  the 
rise  and  progress  of  horticulture  in  this 


246 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


country  and  its  present  condition.  He 
traced  the  marvellous  growth  of  horti- 
culture in  Ohio,  from  the  days  of 
Johnny  Appleseed  down  to  the  present, 
and  paid  a  high  tribute  to  that  ro- 
mantic pioneer  of  fruit  culture.  The 
nursery-men  of  Ohio  should  erect  a 
monument  to  his  memory.  "It  was 
not  many  years  ago,"  he  said,  *'  when 
all  the  peaches  used  in  that  wonderful 
fruit  market  of  Chicago  were  grown  in 
one  orchard.  Now  the  orchards  of 
many  States  are  required  to  furnish 
the  hundieds  of  carloads  that  daily 
pour  into  Chicago."  President  Earle 
suggested  the  need  of  a  pomological 
bureau  under  governmental  charge  and 
of  experimental  stations.  Central  Rus- 
sia has  been  building  up  a  race  of  fruit 
almost  under  the  arctic  circle  that  has 
for  hundreds  of  years  withstood  the 
hard  winters  and  arid  summers.  An 
investigation  of  these  fruits  with  a  view 
to  their  introduction  in  the  interior  of 
the  United  States  should  be  made. 
The  complaint  of  over-production  in 
fruit  growing  is  not  so  much  due  to 
over-production  as  imperfect  distribu- 
tion. Apples  in  New  York  and  Michi- 
gan last  fall  seemed  too  plentiful,  but 
many  a  family  out  of  range  of  the  apple 
districts  went  unsupplied. 

He  spoke  at  some  length  on  the  rapid 
destruction  of  our  forests,  and  the  bad 
results  that  have  followed  in  producing 
extremes  of  climate,  of  drouth  and 
flood,  frost  and  heat.  Ohio,  in  1853, 
had  45  per  cent,  of  her  surface  covered 
with  timber;  in  1884,  but  17  percent. 
No  wonder  the  Ohio  valley  was  visited 
annually  by  destructive  floods,  and  that 
the  climate  had  changed  for  the  worse. 
It  seemed  that  the  State  was  making 
rapid  strides  toward  the  Agricultural 
condition  of  Arabia,  and  Ohio  stands 
for  America.  "  I  quail  before  the  inex- 
orable penalties  which  nature  has  in 
store  for  all  States  and  peoples  who 
will   ruthlessly  destroy  so   glorious  a 


heritage  of  forest  as  the  American 
people  once  possessed.  Without  forests 
no  successful  agriculture  is  possible 
and  no  high  civilization  can  be  main- 
tained." 

The  address  was  spoken  of  in  the 
highest  terms  by  several  members,  and 
a  committee  appointed  to  take  action 
in  regard  to  it.  It  should  be  given  the 
widest  possible  distribution. 

Fine  Duchess  Pears. — At  the  re- 
cent exhibition  of  fruits  in  this  city, 
during  the  meeting  of  the  American 
Horticultural  Society,  N.  Ohmer  ex- 
hibited one  of  the  finest  plates  of 
Duchess  pears  we  have  ever  seen.  The 
largest  weighed  nearly  1 J  pounds,  and 
five  others  were  but  little  lighter.  The 
large  pear  he  presented  to  Miss  Ragan, 
daughter  of  the  secretary,  for  which  he 
has  our  thanks.  Mr.  Ohmer  marketed 
nearly  1,300  bushels  of  pears  this  year. 

Best  Time  to  Gather  Apples. — 
At  the  recent  meeting  of  the  Mont- 
gomery County  Farmers'  Club,  Mr. 
Way  mire  said  he  had  the  best  fruit  he 
ever  raised.  Apples  have  been  falling, 
and  he  has  been  picking  to  keep  them 
from  falling.  In  August  he  picked 
green  samples  of  many  varieties,  except 
Maiden's  Blush  and  Fall  Pippin ;  laid 
them  away  in  the  dark,  and  from  the 
fact  that  they  have  ripened  and  mel- 
lowed up  finely  he  is  beginning  to  be- 
lieve in  early  picking,  and  let  the  apples 
ripen  themselves. 

Mr.  Turner  wanted  to  know  the  best 
time  to  pick  apples — came  to  the  meet- 
ing to  make  this  inquiry.  His  apples 
were  falling  freely.  One  or  two  varie- 
ties will  fall  from  the  trees  if  he  waits 
till  October. 

Mr.  Ohmer  replied  that  thirty  years' 
experience  in  growing  fruits  taught 
him  that  if  you  want  apples  to  keep,  it 
is  best  to  pick  them  when  they  begin 
to  fall,  even  if  that  be  as  early  as  the 
first  of  August,  unless  the  fruit  is 
wormy.     The  fact  that  apples  are  fall- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTUBI&T. 


247 


ing  is  evidence  that  they  have  ceased 
to  grow.  Two  years  ago  apples  picked 
in  September  kept  until  March.  As  a 
rule  never  put  apples  in  the  cellar 
when  first  picked,  but  leave  them  in 
the  orchard  in  barrels  or  in  heaps  cov- 
ered over  with  straw,  but  not  enough 
to  heat  them ;  leave  them  there  until 
November,  then  barrel  and  put  in  the 
cellar,  or  the  barn  floor  or  anywhere 
else.  This  year  he  has  been  blessed 
with  a  good  crop  of  fruits  of  all  kinds  ; 
pears  in  the  greatest  abundance,  especi- 
ally Duchess,  Bartletts  and  Lawrence, 
and  has  sold  1,244  bushels  of  Bartletts 
alone,  at  good  prices ;  never  saw  such 
crops  of  fruit.  Apples  are  falling  off 
more  than  ever  before,  and  earlier,  but 
are  much  more  wormy  than  usual. 

[We  have  made  it  a  rule  for  years  to 
begin  gathering  our  winter  apples  as 
early  as  the  20th  Sept.,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  most  of  our  neighbors  do 
not  begin  until  about  two  weeks  later. 
All  we  need  to  wait  for  is  to  get  the 
full  color,  which  is  so  great  an  attrac- 
tion of  our  Canadian  apples  for  export. 
We  usually  pick  our  Greenings  first, 
because  they  ripen  so  early,  and  our 
Spies  last,  for  the  bright  sunny  days  of 
October  give  them  such  a  beautiful 
rich,  purplish-red  color. — Ed.  Horticul- 
turist.] 

The  Belleflower  Apple.  —  Mr. 
Waymire  referred  to  having  saved  his 
Belleflower  apple  trees,  although  at 
one  time  he  had  gone  to  the  orchard  to 
cut  them  down.  The  trees  looked  so 
well,  and  the  idea  that  it  would  take 
ten  or  fifteen  years  before  others  would 
grow  to  bearing  if  planted  in  their 
places,  caused  him  to  hesitate  before 
destroying  them.  So  he  dug  around 
the  roots  and  applied  manure  to  about 
four  of  them,  and  these  four  bore  fruit 
the  next  season,  while  apples  fell  off 
the  trees  not  so  treated. 

John  Bradford  said  that  the  Belle- 
flowers  were  more   profit  to  him  than 


any  other  kind  of  apple,  if  properly 
fertilized.  Had  eight  trees  that  yield- 
ed 35  to  40  barrels  of  Belleflowers  each 
year  for  three  years,  and  sold  readily 
at  advanced  prices  ;  and  this  year  have 
a  good  crop,  as  can  be  seen  by  speci- 
mens which  he  exhibited. 

Mr.  Waymire  said  that  Belleflowers 
required  more  nourishment  than  other 
trees.  The  tops  droop  and  shade  the 
trees  so  that  nothing  will  grow  under 
them,  and  they  must  be  fed.  His  bear 
so  heavily  as  to  require  propping  up. 
Other  farmers  have  tried  his  plan,  and 
their  orchards  are  doing  well. 

[We  in  Canada  have  pretty  well  dis- 
carded the  Belleflower  as  being  a  very 
uncertain  cropper,  and  because  it  bears 
so  much  second-class  fruit.  It  also  re- 
quires the  most  careful  handling. — Ed. 
Horticulturist.  \ 

Spraying  Fruit  Trees. — In  answer 
to  the  question — how  often  is  it  neces- 
sary to  spray,  and  what  to  spray  with  ] 
Mr.  Ohmer  said  :  We  spray  with  pois- 
oned water  made  with  London  purple, 
arsenic  or  Paris  green ;  one  pound  of 
purple  to  140  or  150  gallons  of  water, 
thoroughly  stirred.  'Tis  best  to  make 
a  paste  of  the  purple,  then  mix  it  in  a 
barrel  and  spray  it  on  the  fruit  just  as 
the  trees  are  going  out  of  bloom,  tho- 
roughly wetting  the  trees,  and  give 
them  another  dose  after  that-  The 
codling  moth  is  the  insect  that  does 
the  most  harm  to  your  apples.  It 
comes  out  of  cellars  just  as  the  trees 
are  going  into  bloom,  dei)osits  the  egg 
from  which  the  little  worm  begins  to 
work  around  seeking  a  soft  place  in 
the  apple.  The  spray  that  you  have 
applied  settles  in  the  blossom  end  of 
the  apple,  the  worm  eats  it  and  dies, 
and  if  your  work  has  been  well  done 
the  first  crop  of  the  pests  have  been 
destroyed,  and  there  are  no  more  to  in- 
jure the  apple.  The  curculio  is  dif- 
ferent, depositing  in  a  lip  on  the  side 
I   of  the  fruit  where  it  does  its  work  ;  its 


248 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


business  is  to  lay  eggs  and  die.  The 
poison  can  be  made  too  strong,  and  had 
better  be  too  weak  than  of  strength  to 
kill  the  plants.  A  pound  of  Paris 
green  should  be  dissolved  in  200  gal- 
lons of  water. — Ohio  Farmer. 


Question  gratDtr. 


This  department  is  intended  as  an  open  one  to  every 
reader  of  the  '■'Horticulturist"  to  send  in  either 
questions  or  answers.  Often  a  reader  will  be  able  to 
answer  a  question  which  has  been  left  unanswered, 
or  only  partially  answered  by  us.  For  convenience 
of  reference  the  questions  will  henceforth  be  num- 
bered, and  any  one  replying  or  referring  to  any 
question  will  please  msntion  the  number  of  it. 


1.  Huckleberries.  —  Can  they  he 
profitably  cultivated  ?  If  so,  where  can 
a  supply  of  hushes  be  obtained,  and 
which  varieties  would  you  recommend  ? 

D.  C.  L. 

See  article  by  A.  S.  Fuller,  on  p. 
230  of  this  vol.  Mr.  T.  C.  Robertson, 
Owen  Sound,  says :  "I  do  not  know 
where  they  can  be  had.  My  conviction, 
from  experience  of  reliable  parties  pub- 
lished in  the  Rural  New  Yorker,  and 
elsewhere,  is  that  they  will  not  grow 
in  ordinary  garden  soil  so  as  to  be  pro- 
ductive." It  is  said  that  Prof.  Bailey, 
of  the  Michigan  Agricultural  College, 
has  devoted  an  acre  to  the  experiment 
of  improving  the  wild  species  of  huckle- 
berries, and  we  may  hope  for  some 
useful  information  from  him  in  course 
of  time. 

Mr.  John  Little,  Gran  ton,  writes 
that  Mr.  J.  T.  Lovett,  Little  Silver, 
N.  J.,  offers  two  varieties,  the  Bell  and 
the  Cherry,  at  50  cents  per  hundred. 

2.  Grafting  Grapes. —  What  is  the 
best  time  and  mode  1  D.  C.  L. 

Propagators  differ  as  to  the  best  time 
for  cleft  grafting  the  grape  vine,  but 
probably  it  may  be  done  with  best 
success  in  spring,  just  before  the  buds 
begin  to  swell.  Any  one  familiar  with 
the  ordinary  method   of  top  grafting 


the  apple  tree,  will  have  little  trouble. 
The  vine  is  cut  off  three  or  four  inches 
below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  split 
with  a  grafting  chisel,  and  held  open 
with  a  wedge  until  the  scion  is  fitted 
to  its  place.  The  scion  need  not  be 
over  six  inches  long,  and  should  have  a 
wedge  shaped  end,  smoothly  cut,  to  fit 
the  cleft  in  such  a  manner  that  when  it 
is  allowed  to  close,  the  bark  of  the  old 
and  new  wood  will  be  in  close  union. 
Use  no  grafting  wax  ;  but,  if  necessary, 
tie  the  cleft  with  a  string,  and  then 
heap  the  earth  carefully  about  the  graft, 
leaving  but  one  bud  of  the  scion  above 
the  surface  (see  cut). 


CLEFT   GRAFT   OF   GRAPE. 

Or,  if  the  stump  is  old  and  knotty, 
you  may  splice  graft  a  smaller  branch. 
Do  this  at  a  distance  of  two  or  three 


GRAFTED   CANE   OF   GRAPE. 

feet  from  the  stump,  and  then  lay  the 
grafted  branch  down  carefully,  fasten  it 
in  place  with  a  peg,  and  cover  the  graft 


THE    CANADIAN    H0RTICULTURI5T. 


249 


with  earth,  pressing  it  down  firmly. 
Leave  one  bud  above  ground,  and  when 
you  see  signs  of  growth,  rub  off  all 
others  between  the  branch  and  the 
main  stump  (see  cut). 

Perhaps  some  of  our  experienced  gar- 
denei*s  or  vineyardists  will  give  their 
methods. 

3.  Pruning  Peach  Trees. — When  is 
the  best  time  to  cut  back  the  new  growth  ? 

D.  C.  L. 
Our  plan  is  to  prune  out  the  dead 
wood,  and  cut  back  the  leading  shoots 
of  the  new  wood  in  March  or  April. 

4.  Breaking  Down  of  Currant 
Bushes. — How  can  I  prevent  the  break- 
ing of  the  stalks  of  my  cherry  currant 
bushes,  by  strong  winds,  without  stak- 
ing ?—D.  C.  L.,  St.  Thomas. 

Clip  back  one-half  of  the  new  growth 
every  spring,  and  you  will  have  no 
trouble.  Examine  and  see  if  the  broken 
stalks  are  infested  with  the  currant 
borer.  If  so,  cut  them  away  and  burn 
them. 

5.  Cutting  back  Grape  Vines. — 
In  the  April  number  of  tJie  "  Horticul- 
turist "  you  recommend  cutting  back  one 
year  old  vines  this  fall  to  within  two 
buds  of  the  ground.  If  I  do  this,  the 
stump  will  be  too  short  to  reach  the  first 
wire  of  the  trellis,  eighteen  inches  from 
the  ground  ?  H.  E. 

You  need  not  necessarily  save  the 
two  lowest  buds  ;  you  can  save  two 
buds  at  whatever  height  you  wish,  and 
then  nib  off  all  the  others,  and  so  se- 
cure the  growth  of  only  two  upright 
shoots,  to  serve  afterwards  as  laterals. 
Some  vineyardists  use  four  or  five  wires, 
especially  for  this  renewal  system  of 
training,  and  put  the  bottom  one  within 
eight  or  ten  inches  of  the  ground,  for 
the  support  of  the  two  main  laterals. 

6.  Best  Apples  for  Napanee. — 
Please  name  the  best  apples  for  this 
section  to  cover  the  whole  season  ;  also 


the  best  and  most  productive  winter 
apple  of  good  quality  that  would  thrive 
here.  Woidd  the  Walbridge  do?  I  do 
not  7vant  to  wait  for  the  Northern  Spy. 
The  thermometer  registered  36°  below 
zero  here  last  winter.  H.  E. 

We  recommend  (summer)  Yellow 
Transparent,  (autumn)  Duchess  of  Old- 
enburg, and  (winter)  Alexander,  Weal- 
thy, and  American  Golden  Russet.  The 
Walbridge  is  only  partially  tested  as 
yet,  but  it  is  said  to  be  an  iron-clad, 
and  to  be  productive,  of  good  quality, 
and  an  excellent  keeper,  but  not  suffi- 
ciently showy  for  market. 

7.  Fruit  Dryer. —  Will  you  or  some 
one  of  your  readers  tell  me  how  to  make 
a  fruit  dryer  to  be  used  on  a  cook  stove  ? 

H.  E. 

8.  Grape  Cuttings. — Will  cuttings 
from  one  year  old  grape  vines  make 
healthy  vines  ?  H.  E. 

Yes,  if  wood  is  well  ripened,  thougli 
perhaps  not  so  vigorous  as  larger  wood. 
A.  M.  Smith. 


JfruitB. 


DO  BEES  HARM  THE  GRAPES  ? 

An  interesting  experiment  has  been 
made  at  the  new  station  at  Aurora,  111., 
in  solution  of  the  question  whether  bees 
injure  fruits  or  not.  The  following 
account  of  it  is  from  the  Farm  and 
Home  : 

Two  colonies  of  hybrids  and  one  of 
Italians  were  placed  in  a  bee-proof 
house  with  fruit  of  all  kinds  and  in  all 
stages  of  growth  arranged,  so  that  the 
sun  could  strike  it.  The  bees  were 
given  no  food  or  drink,  and  a  high  and 
dry  temperature  was  maintained.  The 
bees  inspected  the  fruit  and  took  advan- 
tage of  every  opening  at  the  stem  or 
crack  in  the  epidermis  or  puncture 
made  by  insects  which  lay  their  eggs  in 


ii60 


THE  CANADIAN    H0BTICULTURI8T. 


the  skin  of  the  fruit.  When  the  skin 
was  broken  or  removed  they  would  lap 
and  suck  the  juices  exposed,  but  would 
not  attack  the  skin,  even  of  the  ten- 
derest  grapes.  If  the  grapes  were 
cracked  the  bees  would  suck  the  juices 
from  the  exposed  segments  until  they 
came  to  the  film  separating  the  broken 
and  exposed  segments  from  those  un- 
broken, beyond  which  they  appeared 
unable  to  penetrate.  After  a  30  days' 
test,  another  colony  of  Italians  and  20 
more  difierent  varieties  of  grapes  in  all 
stages  of  ripeness  were  introduced,  the 
conditions  natural  to  a  severe  drouth 
were  produced,  and  the  test  continued 
for  25  days  longer.  The  bees  showed 
no  more  capacity  or  disposition  to  offer 
violence  to  one  variety  of  grapes  than 
another.  No  more  attention  was  given 
the  thin-skinned  varieties  than  the 
thick-skinned.  As  long  as  the  skin  re- 
mained whole,  they  did  not  harm  the 
grapes.  When  the  skins  were  broken 
by  violence,  the  juices  exposed  were 
appropriated. 


SEEDLING  PEAR. 

Mr.  W.  C.Reid,of  Enterprise,  County 
of  Addington,  has  sent  me  a  couple  of 
pears  grown  at  Newcastle,  as  a  sample 
of  a  seedling,  with  the  request  that  I 
would  report  on  it  through  the  Horti- 
culturist. 

They  were  small  pears,  about  three 
inches  in  length  and  six  in  circumfer- 
once  at  the  largest  place,  pyriform,  yel- 
lowish-green, stem  about  two  inches 
long,  slightly  curved.  The  flesh  was 
fine  grained,  gritty  at  the  core,  juicy 
and  sweet,  without  any  marked  flavor. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

1).  W.  Beadle. 


time  not  one  of  these  trees  had  borne 
any  fruit,  except  the  four  year  planted 
ones  a  few  straggling  pears.  In  the 
fall  of  the  year  this  man  wheeled  from 
his  foundry  two  or  three  birrow  loads 
of  iron  filinofs,  and  dug  into  the  soil 
about  each  tree  a  pailful  of  the  filings. 
The  following  year  the  four  year,  the 
three  year  and  the  two  year  trees  all 
bare  fruit,  and  have  continued  to  bear 
every  year  since.  The  proprietor  of 
those  trees  makes  no  pretentions  as  a 
horticulturist,  but  he  succeeds  in  grow- 
ing larger  crops  and  taking  the  prizes 
away  from  many  of  us  that  do.  I 
examined  his  trees  a  week  or  two  ago, 
and  found  them  looking  unusually 
thrifty  and  bearing  heavily.  Had  the 
iron  filings  anything  to  do  with  it  1 
Kespectfully, 

T.  H.  Race. 
Mitchell,  Perth  Co.,  Sept.  20th,  1886. 

[The  use  of  iron  filings  about  pear 
trees  is  not  new.  In  our  Reports  you 
will  find  some  discussions  on  the  sub- 
ject. I  think  the  evidence  on  the 
whole  is  in  favor  of  their  use  as  im- 
proving the  health  and  vigor  of  the 
trees.  —  Wm.  Saunders.]  See  also 
Reply  by  Prof.  Panton  on  p.  257  of 
this  volume. 


IRON  FILINGS  FOR  PEAR  TREES. 

Sir, — There  is  in  this  town  a  man 

who    six   years   ago  had   several  pear 

trees.      Some    four,    some    three,    and 

others  two  years  planted.     Up  to  that 


THE  SHIAWASSEE  BEAUTY. 

Not  nearly  enough  attention  has  been 
given  in  the  East  to  that  fine  Michigan 
seedling  of  the  Fameuse  which  bears 
this  name.  It  has  borne  with  me  for 
two  seasons,  and  the  terribly  severe 
test  winter  of  1884-85  has  shown  that 
it  is,  if  anything,  hardier  than  its  parent. 
Its  great  merit  is  that  it  is  a  non- 
spotting  Fameuse.  In  many  seasons 
from  one-third  to  one-half  of  the  crop  of 
Fameuse  is  rendered  unmarketable  by 
the  black  fungus  sjjots  which  disguise, 
dwarf  and  deform  its  fruit.  From  this 
grave  defect  the  Shiawassee  Beauty  is 
free. 


THE   CANADIAN    H0ETICULTDRI8T. 


251 


Though  plainly  of  the  Fameuse  type, 
the  Shiawasse  Beauty  is  not  exactly  like 
it  in  form,  color  or  markings,  nor  is  the 
young  wood  exactly  similar.  Compared 
with  Fameuse,  Shiawassee  is  larger, 
flatter  and  more  angular.  The  striping 
of  the  fruit  of  some  Fameuse  trees, 
which  has  given  that  type  in  Canada 
the  distintive  name  of  Fameuse  Barree 
(Striped  Fameuse),  is  never  seen  in  the 
Shiawassee.  Its  resemblance  in  color- 
ing and  dotting  is,  however, 
very  close  to  the  Fameuse 
Rouge,  the  more  common  type. 
Stem  and  cavity,  calyx  and 
basin  are  similar  in  the  two. 
The  young  wood  of  the  Shia- 
wassee is  darker,  with  smaller 
and  more  numerous  white  dots; 
the  leaves  are  undistinguisha- 
ble.  Shiawassee  is  called  the 
better  keeper.  The  main  dis- 
tinctions between  them  are  the 
larger  size,  flattening  and  an- 
gularity, non-spotting  and  non- 
striping  of  the  Shiawassee.  In 
quality  the  two  are  very  close, 
the  Shiawassee  in  no  respect  inferior. 
On  account  of  its  non-spotting,  it  should 
ertainly  replace  its  parent  in  all  com- 
mercial orchards  at  least.  In  the  colder 
sections  it  slould  be  top-grafted  on  an 
ironclad — preferably  on  Tetofsky. — Dr. 
HosKiNS,  in  the  Examiner. 


making  the  cellar  which  has  given 
the  doctor  the  most  perfect  results.  An 
engraving  of  the  same  is  also  shown. 
It  should  be  added  that  the  objects  had 
in  view  were  to  keep  the  fruit  dry  and 
cool,  yet  free  from  frost. 

Two  rooms,  each  large  enough  to  con- 
tain all  the  fruits  of  the  farm,  are  needed 
— an  outer  and  an  inner.  A  cellar 
should  be  dug  in  the  south  side  of  a 
hill  large  enough  for  the  inner  room. 


DR.  NICHOL'S  FRUIT  CELLAR. 


Dr.  Nichols  of  the  Journal  of 
Chemistry  has  been  conducting  some 
careful  experiments  in  preserving  fresh 
fruits  over  winter  in  cellars  of  different 
construction.  It  is  so  clear  to  anyone 
that  fruit  stored  through  the  winter, 
to  come  out  fresh  and  sound  in  the 
spring,  will  command  a  price  several 
fold  greater  than  the  same  would  bring 
in  the  fall  that  the  matter  becomes  a 
very  important  one  to  the  fruit  grower. 
Following  is  a  condensed  statement  for 


DR.    NICnOLS  S   HILL-SIDE   :^RUIT   CELLAR. 


The  outer  room  should  be  exposed  to 
the  air  wholly  in  front,  and  on  the  sides 
far  enough  to  accommodate  two  win- 
dows, as  shown  in  the  engraving. 

Build  of  brick  or  stone,  carrying  the 
walls  to  the  height  of  eight  feet.  If 
stone  is  used, — it  may  be  rough  and  be 
put  up  by  any  farmer, — it  must  be 
pointed  with  mortar  A  tliick  wall, 
with  a  door,  should  seperate  the  two 
rooms.  In  the  engraving  the  walls  are 
shown  by  dotted  lines. 

The  roof  should  come  near  the  ground 
in  the  rear ;  be  carefully  constructed 
and  supported  by  timbers ;  be  lined 
with  tarred  paper,  strongly  secured  and 
painted  with  tar  or  pitch.  There  should 
be  a  ceiling — rough  boards  will  do — 
and  a  space  one  and  a  half  or  two  feet 
deep  between  it  and  the  roof,  to  be 
filled  with  dry  straw,  hay  or  sawdust. 


252 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


The  fruit  should  be  kept  in  the  outer 
room  until  freezing  weather,  and  then 
be  removed  to  the  well  protected  inner 
one. 

The  outer  room  should  be  ventilated 
through  its  windows;  the  inner,  by 
opening  both  doors — but  only  in  cold, 
dry  weather,  as  warm  air  introduced 
would  condense  and  give  out  moisture. 
There  must  be  special  care  about  ad- 
mitting warm  air  in  the  spring. — 
From  Popular  Gardening  {with  cut). 


EXPORTING  APPLES. 

The  demand  for  American  apples  in 
Great  Britain  has  increased  of  late  years 
to  such  an  extent  that  for  the  season 
beginning  August,  1885,  and  ending 
May,  1886,  the  total  shipments  to  the 
three  principal  ports,  Liverpool,  London 
and  Glasgow,  aggregated  862,000  bar- 
rels. The  magnitude  of  the  business 
has  attracted  the  attention  of  many 
who  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  the 
requirements  for  its  proper  transaction, 
and  numerous  inquiries  have  been  ad- 
dressed to  us  for  this  information. 
These  facts  induce  us  to  believe  that 
instructions  as  to  the  proper  coui'se  to 
pursued  will  be  welcome  to  a  large  num- 
ber of  people  throughout  the  apple- 
growing  districts. 

Marking. — The  shipping  mark  must 
be  put  on  the  head  of  the  barrel,  and  it 
is  a  matter  of  small  importance  what 
that  mark  is.  A  plain  stencil  is  far  the 
best — the  plainer  the  better,  but  ship- 
pers who  send  often  must  remember  not 
to  use  their  brand  except  for  the  best 
parcels.  If  they  wish  to  send  fruit  that 
is  not  up  to  their  standard  it  is  better 
to  vary  their  mark,  as  a  reputation  for 
good  packing  is  easily  established  by  any 
shipper,  but  may  be  destroyed  entirely 
if  the  same  brand  is  used  on  a  barrel 
of  inferior  fruit.  Some  brands  of  fruit 
hardly  need  to  be  shown  at  the  sales,  so 
well  has  their  reputation  become  estab- 
lished. 


All  exported  apples  are  sold  at  auc- 
tion as  soon  as  landed.  The  total  ex- 
pense of  shipping,  without  commission, 
is  about  $1.00  per  barrel.  The  only 
commission  charged  is  5  per  cent. 

Some  shippers  send  all  kinds  and 
think  that  is  the  best  plan  ;  the  trip 
across  is  now  made  in  such  a  short  time 
that  apples  keep  very  well  if  they  are 
sound  when  shipped  and  not  over-ripe. 
— Circular  of  S.  G.  Houghton  d'  Go., 
Liverpool. 

KEEPING  BARTLETT  PEARS. 

A  writer  in  the  Rural  New-Yorker 
says  : — "  I  save  my  Bartlett  pears  so 
that  they  make  fine  eating  two  months 
(1  Ed.  Horticulturist)  after  those  of  my 
neighbors  have  gone.  T  take  a  stout  box 
and  line  it  with  paper,  almost  any  kind 
will  answer.  The  bottom  is  covered 
an  inch  deep  with  wheat  bran.  The 
pears  are  carefully  picked,  wrapped 
separately  in  thin  paper  and  packed 
deeply  in  the  bran  until  the  bottom  is 
covered.  Then  this  layer  is  covered 
with  bran  to  the  depth  of  an  inch,  and 
another  layer  of  pears  is  placed  in 
the  same  way.  This  is  continued  until 
the  box  is  full,  when  the  cover  is  tacked 
on,  and  the  box  set  away  in  a  cool,  dry 
place.  The  fruit  will  retain  its  fine 
flavour  and  color." 

Of  course  nearly  every  fruit  grower 
knows  that  the  best  time  to  market  his 
Bartletts  is  either  very  early  or  very 
late  in  the  season.  The  only  trouble 
is  how  to  keep  them  in  good  condition 
without  the  expensive  convenience  of  a 
fruit  house. 

Noticing  the  miserably  bad  specimens 
of  this  fruit  exposed  for  sale  in  Toronto 
this  year  towards  the  end  of  the  Bart- 
lett season,  we  tried  a  somewhat  similar 
experiment  to  the  one  described  above. 
We  carefully  packed  away  all  the  finest 
samples  we  had  left  in  peach  baskets 
between  layers  of  dry  sawdust.     After 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


253 


two  or  three  weeks  we  began  using  and 
shipping  them,  and  found  they  were  in 
great  demand.  Plump,  rich,  and  juicy, 
without  any  ugly  dark  blemishes,  they 
sold  in  the  market  like  "  hot  cakes  ;" 
and  the  children,  who  are  first  class 
judges  of  good  fruit,  were  always  begg- 
ing for  "  sawdust  pears." 

We  doubt  very  much  whether  Bart- 
letts  could  be  kept  two  months  in  this 
way.  We  found  them  ripening  within 
a  fortnight,  but  their  excellent  con- 
dition alone  was  a  sufficient  reward. 


SMALL  FRUITS  AROUND  ARKONA. 

Once  again  it  becomes  my  pleasing 
duty  to  be  able  to  report  a  very  favor- 
able season,  and  an  abundant  and  en- 
couraging crop  of  handsome  and  well- 
formed  samples  in  most  of  the  lines  of 
our  varied  annual  fruit. 

THE    STRAWBERRY    CROP, 

though  injured  very  considerably  by 
the  early  frosts  of  the  season,  was  yet 
a  rather  pleasing  crop,  though  by  no 
means  an  abundant  one,  and  in  some 
soils  was  almost  destroyed  altogether. 
Yet,  under  favorable  conditions  and 
locations,  on  well-drained,  high,  and 
warm  soils,  and  under  good  culture, 
the  yield  of  tolerably  good  fruit  was 
very  pleasing.  But,  compared  with  last 
year,  it  was  indeed  very  poor.  It  is 
but  little  or  no  use  to  attempt  this 
delicious  crop  on  low,  heavy,  undrained 
lands,  for,  if  frost  should  come  over  us 
before  ripening,  which  is  very  apt  to  be 
the  case  more  and  more  lately,  it  is 
quite  sure  to  catch  them,  and  at  once, 
in  a  night,  to  destroy  or  hazzard  the 
prospect  of  fruit  in  such  tempting 
places.  If  success  be  desirable  in  any 
line  of  fruit  growing,  it  will  be  found 
better  to  carefully  select  the  location 
known  to  be  most  favorable  to  the 
wants  and  absolute  necessities  of  the 
fruit  so  as  to  be  sure  to  get  it  in  all  its 
perfection  and  beauty.     It  is,  doubtless. 


better  to  plant  strawberry  plants  for 
success  on  high,  dry,  warm,  loamy, 
well  drained  soils,  and  keep  them  under 
the  very  best  care  and  culture.  At  one 
time  during  the  season  of  marketing  a 
short  glut  occurred  in  this  fruit,  and 
the  saleable  price  ran  down  to  a  point 
scarcely  keeping  up  with  the  cost  of 
production,  but  things  like  this  must 
always  be  in  a  great  and  growing 
country.  The  sorts  in  cultivation  are 
the  Wilson's  Albany,  Crescent  Seed- 
ling, Daniel  Boone,  Manchester,  and 
the  Jewell,  the  beautiful  new  berry  of 
Mr.  Augur's.  The  last  three  of  those 
are  something  astonishing,  and  fully 
enough  to  produce  a  smile  on  the  most 
austere.  Immediately  upon  the  straw- 
berries being  done,  and  almost  before, 

THE    RASPBERRY    CROP 

was  ready  to  handle,  July  3rd.  The 
tone  of  the  market  on  the  whole  was 
very  good  considering  the  general  de- 
pression in  most  lines  of  business,  and 
prices  on  the  whole  were  good.  It  is 
felt,  however,  that  as  more  and  more 
people  go  into  the  growing  of  raspber- 
ries for  the  market  the  prices  must 
inevitably  go  down,  unless  room  can  be 
provided  for  the  increasing  crop  in  can- 
ning or  fruit  drying  factories.  The 
Turner  and  the  Cuthbert  among  the 
reds,  and  the  Mammoth  Cluster  among 
the  blacks  are  still  very  popular  and 
many  of  them  are  being  annually  plant- 
ed. Among  the  newer  blacks  the  Sou- 
hegan  and  the  Taylor  have  proved 
themselves  of  most  decided  merit,  quite 
early,  fine  size,  beautiful  color  and 
flavor,  and  very  productive,  and  carry 
well  to  market.  Brinckle's  Orange  is 
the  finest  and  most  valuable  yellow 
sort.  These  fine  raspberries  will  pay 
and  give  abundant  satisfaction  for  any 
amount  of  care  and  labor  that  may  be 
given  them.  The  best  soil  for  the 
growth  of  red  raspberries  is  a  rich, 
warn],   well-drained,   sandy  loam  soil, 


254 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


deeply  worked ;  and  for  the  black  rasp- 
berry a  fine,  well  cultivated,  dry,  clay 
loam  soil.  It  is  quite  a  question  how 
to  prevent  the  crop  from  suffering  so 
much  from  drouth,  but  some  locations 
are  better  adapted  to  its  successful 
growth  than  are  others.  These  must 
be  selected.  Before  the  raspberry  was 
fairly  done 

THE    BLACKBERRY    CROP 

was  in  upon  us  in  all  its  beautiful 
grandeur.  I  think  I  have  never  seen 
any  berry  crop  so  abundant  and  per- 
fectly beautiful  as  was  this  crop  this 
season.  The  conditions  for  the  success- 
ful production  of  the  crop  were  fulfilled, 
and  the  result  was  a  charming  crop  all 
over  the  county.  Even  wild  roots, 
where  there  were  any,  were  heavily 
loaded  with  fine  fruit.  Any  good  strong 
soil  is  suitable  for  the  growth  of  this 
fruit,  but  it  is  very  impatient  of  drouth. 
The  sorts  most  grown  are  Snyder  and 
Kittattinny,  and  these  are  very  good 
indeed. 

THE  CHERRY  CROP. 

This  popular  fruit,  though  a  great 
favorite  with  our  people,  is  not  in  its 
production  anything  approaching  a  suc- 
cess in  the  county.  Neither  our  con- 
dition of  climate  nor  of  soils  seems  at 
all  favorable  to  its  healthfulness  and 
growth  to  maturity.  The  young  trees 
apparently  do  well  enough  in  the  first 
periods  of  their  growth  and  seem  to 
thrive  admirably  for  a  time,  but  just  as 
they  are  expected  to  come  into  fruitful- 
ness  they  begin  to  decay,  and  finally 
wither  away,  either  through  the  attacks 
of  fungoid  parasites  or  the  severity  of 
the  winters.  This  has  of  late  been  the 
case  with  all  the  better  and  more 
valuable  European  varieties  we  have 
yet  tried.  The  Old  Virginia  red  cherry, 
being  the  only  one  that  will  produce 
plentiful  crops  of  fruit,  is  planted  very 
largely  almost  on  every  farm.  This 
sort  this  year  was  very  fruitful  in  most 


localities,  and  the  crop  consequently 
was  unusually  large.  The  fruit  was 
very  fine  in  its  beauty  and  perfection, 
and  was  placed  upon  the  market  so  as 
almost  to  glut  it,  and  at  very  low  prices 
by  the  i>ailful. 

THE  GOOSEBERRY  CROP. 

The  crop  of  this  growingly  popular 
fruit  was  this  season  very  fine  indeed, 
and  remarkably  large.  I  think  T  never 
saw  so  many  gooseberries  before  put 
into  our  local  markets,  and,  of  course, 
the  prices  ran  very  low.  The  soils  of 
our  county  are  well  adapted  to  their 
most  perfect  growth  and  development, 
and  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  we 
can  have  our  gooseberries  shows  as  in 
England  the  old. 

THE   CURRANT    CROP. 

Like  the  preceding,  this  crop  of 
popular  fruit  for  the  heated  summer 
time  was  very  large.  We  can  grow 
them  in  highest  perfection,  and  that  in 
many  colors  and  varieties.  The  best 
black  are  Black  Naples  and  Lee's  Pro- 
lific. The  best  whites  are  the  White . 
Grape  and  the  White  Dutch,  and  the 
best  reds  are  Bed  Dutch,  Fay's  Prolific 
or  Cherry,  and  Raby  Castle.  These  fine 
sorts  all  do  well,  and  this  year  were  very 
fine,  clear  and  perfect. 

THE    GRAPE    CROP. 

The  cold  and  severe  frosts  of  early 
spring  tended  very  much  to  the  injury 
of  this  valuable  and  delicious  crop  in 
this  county.  In  many  places  the  leaves 
were  severely  cut  and  the  joining-point 
branches  blasted.  Otherwise  the  indi- 
cations are  becoming  apparent  that 
many  favored  locations  of  our  county 
may  eventually  become  very  highly 
noted  for  the  growth  and  high  perfec- 
tion of  their  grapes.  In  vineyards 
planted  in  favorable  localities,  on  high, 
warm,  well-drained  soils,  the  crop  of 
handsome^  well-formed  and  perfect  fruit, 
is  something  to  astonish   one  not   ac- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


255 


quainted  with  it,  and  is  now  advancing 
to  a  high  state  of  excellence  and  matu- 
rity. The  best  locations  for  vineplant- 
ing  are,  undoubtedly,  hi<i[h,  well-drained, 
rolling  soils,  gently  sloping  to  the  south. 
If  these  soils  are  a  rich  wash,  or  are 
made  rich,  and  good  and  warm,  they 
will  be  every  way  suitable  for  the  best 
developmentof  the  plant,  and  the  highest 
perfection  of  the  fruit,  but  it  must  be 
free  from  all  encumbering  shade,  and 
well  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  our  fruit 
this  season  on  such  soil  is  perfectly 
clean  and  handsome,  quite  free  from 
mildew  and  all  other  defects,  and  in 
great  quantities  and  variety.  We  have 
the  Amber,  lirighton,  and  Delaware  in 
highest  perfections,  the  Golden  Pock- 
lington,  Jessica,  Lady,  Moore's  Early, 
Worden,  besides  Concords,  Champions, 
and  Wilder,  or  Koger's  No.  4,  Hart- 
ford, Prolific,  (fee,  in  great  profusion. 
All  these  fine  grapes  appear  to  do 
equally  well  on  properly  selected  loca- 
tions. Were  it  not  for  the  timely  cut- 
ting in  the  spring,  and  consequently 
reduction  of  the  crop,  the  market  pros- 
pects would  have  been  very  dull  indeed, 
and  even  now  the  prospects  are  that 
the  prices  may  run  down  very  low  on 
account  of  the  general  stagnation  in 
business  and  the  consequent  scarcity  of 
money. 

THE    MULBERRY. 

Already  some  of  the  kind  known  as 
Russian  Mulberry  have  begun  to  show 
fruit  in  considerable  quantities.  Al 
though  not  very  large  in  size  it  is  very 
fine  and  relishable  in  quality,  and  may 
eventually  become  quite  general  and 
Rerviceable  to  our  people,  who  are  very 
fond  of  an  early  fruit  for  pies  and  tarts, 

&C. 

THE    CRANBERRY, 

although  indigenous  to  the  county  in 
the  low  grounds,  esi)ecially  around  Lake 
Bur  well,  is  not  yet  very  largely  pro- 
duced amongst  us,  and  solely  for  the 


want  of  proper  attention.  So  far  as  I 
know  there  is  not  a  successful  cran- 
berry marah  in  the  county,  and  con- 
sequently not  much  of  the  fruit  is 
shipped,  but,  on  the  contrary,  those  in 
use  are  imported  from  American  and 
other  growei-s.  The  nut  crop  is  not 
good  this  season. — B.  Gott  in  Globe. 


^t^ttnhks. 


OUR  GARDEN. 

BT  JOHM   CROIL,    AULT8VILLE,    ONT. 

Another  season  gone,  in  so  far  as 
garden  opeiations  are  concerned,  sug- 
gests the  enquiry,  how  has  it  difiisred 
from  former  ones  1  "  Have  we  spent 
our  money  for  that  which  is  not  bread, 
or  our  labor  for  that  which  satisfieth 
not,"  or  has  honest  toil  been  rewarded 
by  fair  returns  1  The  weather  on  the 
whole  has  been  favorable,  with  few 
scorching  days,  and  a  large  proportion 
of  cool,  pleasant  ones,  the  former  and 
the  latter  rain  given  us  in  due  season, 
we  look  back  on  it  as  a  most  enjoyable 
season.  Every  thing  grew  luxuriantly, 
the  weeds  especially ;  good  gardener 
he  who  could  at  any  time  of  the  season 
boast  of  having  them  kept  in  subjec- 
tion, but  if  the  weeds  grew  fast  so  did 
the  crops.  Being  very  much  of  the 
bird  at  home  tribe,  the  reader  will 
pardon  our  egotism,  when  we  speak 
only  of  our  ain  kail  yard  (our  editor 
must  borrow  friend  Beadle's  Scotch 
Dictionary),  we  take  it  for  granted, 
other  things  being  equal,  our  garden  is 
a  sample  of  many  around. 

We  generally  go  sparingly  into 
novelties,  having  from  experience 
learned  that  it  generally  requii-es  tens 
of  these  to  reap  units  of  improvements, 
but  having  purchased  from  Messrs.  A. 
C.  Nellis  &  Co.  an  assortment  of  vege- 
table and  flower  seeds,  we  felt  bound 
to  try  them.     These  seeds  were   sent 


256 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


US  at  exceedingly  low  prices,  were  all 
good,  and  many  of  them  valuable.  I 
will  only  speak  of  kinds  new  or  nearly 
so. 

Celery.  — We  tried  Nellis'  Self- 
Blanching,  but  could  not  see  it  to  be 
better  than  Henderson's  White  Plumer. 
Both  of  them  are  early  and  excellent, 
easily  grown  and  very  ornamental  for 
the  table,  but  as  they  keep  good  only 
till  about  Christmas  they  do  not  super- 
sede the  later  varieties. 

Cabbage.  —  Nellis'  Mohawk,  early 
market,  is  all  that  the  catalogue  claims, 
being  early,  with  large  solid  heads, 
the  best  early  cabbage  we  have  tried. 
For  fall,  and  even  winter  use,  we  have 
found  none  better  than  Henderson's 
Early  Sumaier;  although  ripening 
early,  it  keeps  long  without  bursting, 
heads  very  evenly,  and  in  weight 
equals  most  of  the  late  varieties. 

Cauliflower.  —  Nellis'  New  Sea 
Foam,  said  to  be  ahead  of  all  other 
kinds,  did  not  go  ahead  at  all  with  us, 
but  I  must  confess  neither  did  other 
kinds  tried,  so  we  must  not  condemn 
the  Sea  Foam. 

Corn. — Black  Sweet  Mexican,  al- 
though highly  recommended,  and  said 
to  be  the  most  sugary  corn  of  all,  is  of 
too  swarthy  a  complexion  to  grace  the 
table ;  the  color  is  decidedly  against  it, 
and  it  is  too  late  in  ripening  in  cold 
sections;  the  taste,  too,  we  think  in- 
ferior to  Crosby's  Early  sugar  corn  and 
Moore's  Early — great  favorites  with  us. 

Lettuce. — The  Deacon,  very  good  ; 
but  we  still  claim  to  have  a  better,  and 
the  best  of  them  all,  in  our  own  old 
variety  described  in  our  last  year's  re- 
port. 

Beet. — New  Eclipse  ;  we  don't  find 
any  better  than  the  old  Egyptian  beet. 

Onions. — New  Golden  Queen  grew 
to  an  immense  size,  but  was  liardly 
matured  before  heavy  frost  set  it.  The 
large  Red  Weathei-sfield  and  Danver's 


Yellow  seem  to  be  second  to  none  yet. 
We  have  always  had  a  large  proportion 
of  thick  necks.  Mr.  Beadle,  in  his 
excellent  book  on  gardening,  attributes 
this  to  wet  seasons.  With  us  it  has 
been  a  general  thing.  This  summer  I 
visited  the  grounds  of  a  friend,  a  mar- 
ket gardener  near  Montreal.  He  had 
upwards  of  an  acre  as  fine  a  crop  as 
the  ground  would  carry.  They  were 
nearly  free  from  thick  necks,  except 
one  ridge  on  one  side  of  the  field,  and 
they  were  all  thick  necks.  They  were 
all  sowed  at  the  same  time,  with  the 
same  seed,  manured  and  cultivated 
alike,  on  soil  seemingly  the  same. 
Query,  how  came  the  difference  1  He 
could  assign  no  cause. 

Peas  —  Rural  New  Yorker.  —  The 
earliest  variety  we  have  tried,  large, 
well-filled  pods,  fine  flavor ;  think  it 
would  be  a  profitable  field  pea  ;  height 
two  feet.  For  general  use  we  still 
claim  preference  for  Bliss'  American 
wonder,  a  perfect  dwarf,  very  prolific, 
early,  and  in  flavor  among  the  best. 

Tomatoes.  Fulton's  Market  ripened 
first,  but  with  us  it  was  roughly 
shaped,  and  rotted  badly;  otherwise 
it  was  in  every  respect  good.  New 
Cardinal,  about  a  week  later,  comes  up 
well  to  the  catalogue  description,  ripens 
early,  smooth,  a  good  keeper  and  ship- 
per. The  Mayflower  we  consider  as 
good  as  either  of  the  above. 

(Concluded  in  next  number.) 


THE  WINDSOR  BEAN. 

Sir, — In  your  issue  for  October  Mr. 
Simon  Boy  says  he  is  only  partially 
successful  in  growing  it.  I  have  grown 
it  for  a  good  many  years — fifteen  or 
sixteen — nine  times  out  of  ten  with 
success ;  but  my  theory  is  that  it  can- 
not stand  the  hot  sun,  so  1  plant  it 
within  two  feet  of  a  high,  close  board 
fence,  and  on  the  north  side  of  it — the 
fence  runs  east  and  west, — so  that  dur- 


J 


THE   CANADIAN    H0BTI0ULTDBI8T. 


257 


ing  the  extreme  heat  of  the  day  it 
stands  in  the  shade.  I  have  planted 
it  for  years  on  the  same  piece  of  land,  a 
heavy  clay  loam,  well  manured. 

Yours  truly,  Wm.  KoUGH. 


(Srienttfo. 


PLANT  LOUSE  ON  SPRUCE. 

Sir, — By  referring  to  page  1 25  (June 
Number)  of  the  current  volume  it  will 
be  seen  that  I  received  from  Mr.  John 
Sailles  some  spruce  twigs  which  seemed 
to  be  effected  by  some  parasite.  Being 
desirous  of  ascertaining  the  true  nature 
of  the  trouble,  I  sent  the  specimens  to 
Prof.  Comstock,  of  Cornell  University, 
who  replied  that  the  twigs  had  been  in- 
fested with  some  insect  that  had  then 
passed  into  the  pupa  state,  and  that 
when  the  imago  appeared  he  would  re- 
port thereon.  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Sailles 
and  obtained  some  fresh  twigs,  which 
were  also  sent  to  Prof.  Comstock,  who 
has  favored  me  with  the  following  reply. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

D.  W.  Beadle. 

St.  Catharines,  Oct.  11,  1886. 

My  Dear  Mr.  Beadle, — Your  let- 
ter of  the  9th  inst.  was  received  during 
my  absence  from  Ithaca.  This  morning 
is  the  first  chance  I  have  had  to  study 
the  plant  louse  on  spruce.  I  think  it 
is  Adelges  ahieticoleiis.  But  there  is  no 
good  description  of  this  species.  See 
Packard's  Guide,  tig.  520  (p.  523),  and 
Bulletin  No.  7  of  the  United  States 
Entomological  Commission,  p.  234. 

As  to  remedies,  try  solution  of  soap, 
quarter  pound  to  one  gallon  of  water. 
It  would  be  well  to  try  the  kerosene 
emulsions  recommended  by  Riley  in 
his  re])orts.  But  be  careful  in  the  ap- 
plication of  these,  lest  the  kerosene 
injure  the  trees. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

J.  H.  Comstock. 

Ithaca,  N.  ¥.,  22nd  Sept.,  1886. 
2 


THE  RUSSIAN  MULBERRY. 

Dear  Sir, — I  herewith  enclose  you 
two  leaves  of  the  Jlussian  Mulberry, 
which  are  taken  from  trees  growing  on 
my  grounds.  This  variety  is  dioecious. 
The  leaves  are  cordate,  one,  you  will 
observe,  is  only  serrated,  which  is  the 
female,  or  pistillate,  tree  beaiing  fruit ; 
the  lobed,  or  oak-leaved,  is  from  the 
male  or  staujinate  tree,  blossoming  pro- 
fusely, but  not  fruit-bearing. 

Seedlings,  therefore,  planted  singly 
cannot  be  relied  on. 

Of  course,  the  practised  eye  of  the 
botanist  will  soon  detect  this. 

I  am,  yours  truly, 

Simon  Roy. 
Berlin,  22nd  Sept.,  1886. 


IRON  FILINCxS  ABOUT  PEAR  TREES. 

Sir, — Regarding  the  use  of  iron 
filings  in  promoting  the  fruitfulness  of 
pear  trees,  I  would  hesitate  to  give  all 
the  credit  to  their  use  in  the  case  re- 
ferred to.  The  presence  of  iron  is 
necessary  to  the  production  of  chloro- 
phyll, one  of  the  most  important  com- 
pounds in  the  leaf. 

This  is  the  chief  agent  at  work  in  the 
decomposition  of  carbonic  acid,  an  im- 
portant source  of  food  for  plants,  by 
su))plying  carbon  which  enters  largely 
into  their  structure.  The  green  color 
of  leaves  is  owing  to  the  presence  of 
chlorophyll.  Plants  that  grow  in  soil 
containing  no  iron  do  not  become  green, 
and  the  production  of  this  constituent 
ceases,  and  the  plants  perish. 

The  analyses  of  the  ash  of  plants 
shows  iron,  but  the  quantity  is  small 
compared  with  other  ingredients,  such 
as  potash,  etc.,  and  thus  though  very 
impoi*tant,  still  the  quantity  requii-ed 
is  not  much  and  usually  found  in  soils. 
However  if  the  soil  where  the  trees  re- 
ferred to  was  deficient  in  iron,  no  doubt 
a  ready  response  would  be  given  in  a 
more    vigorous   and    productive    tree ; 


258 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the 
great  improvement  was  due  to  some- 
thing else  than  iron  filings.  The  sub- 
ject is  worth  investigation,  and  if  re- 
peated experiments  show  a  decided  gain 
in  productiveness  in  trees,  then  there 
will  be  no  denying  the  facts. 
Yours  respectfully, 

P.  HoYES  Panton, 

Prof.  Nat.  History  and  Oeology. 
Agricultural  College,  Guelph, 
13th  Oct.,  1886. 


Jfl0tD«r0. 


TEN  HOUSE  PLANTS  FOR  THE 
WINTER. 

The  chief  requisites  of  success  in  the 
winter  care  of  house  plants  are  sun- 
shine, moisture,  uniform  temperature 
and  cleanliness.  It  is  not  wise  for  the 
cultivator  to  be  too  ambitious;  one  can- 
not produce  all  the  effect  of  a  varied 
conservatory  in  one  window,  and  any 
attempt  to  do  so  will  result  in  disastrous 
failure.  When  I  say  moisture  is  an  in- 
dispensable requisite  to  success,  I  do 
not  mean  that  the  soil  should  be  water- 
logged, nor  should  the  pot  stand  in  a 
saucer  of  water,  unless  it  is  an  aquatic 
plant.  I  mean  that  the  atmosphere 
should  be  moist,  and  here  we  encounter 
the  greatest  of  all  difficulties  in  the 
culture  of  house  plants.  Both  stove 
and  furnace  produce  a  dry  heat,  and 
this  is  more  or  less  trying  to  all  plants. 
Where  possible,  it  is  well  to  stand  a 
pan  of  water  over  the  stove  or  furnace  ; 
the  evaporation  is  very  serviceable.  If 
this  cannot  be  done,  the  only  plan  is  to 
water  frequently,  but  discreetly.  Gas 
is  also  very  trying  to  plants ;  even 
where  there  are  no  perceptible  fumes 
the  light  frequently  causes  the  flowers 
and  buds  to  droj)  off.  When  we  are 
arranging  for  the  comfort  of  our  floral 
pets  it  is  well  to  recollect  that  we  our- 
selves require  sunlight  as  much  as  they, 


and  it  is  hardly  wise  to  entirely  block 
up  the  only  sunny  window  in  a  room 
during  the  dark  winter  days.  A  stand 
or  window -box  is  always  preferable  to 
the  numerous  shelves  we  so  often  see 
shutting  out  every  ray  of  sunlight.  For 
these  reasons  plants  noticeable  for  fine 
foliage  rather  than  for  flowers  may  be 
specially  recommended,  since  they  re- 
quire less  sunshine. 

We  must  give  first  place  for  beauty 
and  ease  of  culture  to  Ardisia  crenulata, 
a  plant  little  known  among  amateur 
growers,  though  becoming  popular  as 
its  virtues  are  becoming  known.  It  is 
a  sturdy-growing,  shrub-like  plant,  with 
shining,  ovate,  dark-green  leaves.  In 
August  or  September  it  bears  small, 
inconspicuous,  greenish-white  flowers. 
These  are  followed  by  bunches  of  berries, 
which,  as  they  mature,  turn  bright  red, 
resembling,  in  size  and  appearance,  the 
Mountain  Ash.  These  berries  last  the 
entire  season,  keeping  their  beauty,  in 
fact,  until  a  succeeding  crop  is  ripe,  so 
the  plant  is  never  without  them.  The 
effect  is  really  beautiful,  so  bright  and 
Christmasy.  The  plant  does  well  in 
an  ordinary  living-room,  with  regular 
watering,  but  it  must  not  be  water- 
logged or  stand  in  water.  The  leaves 
may  be  sponged  once  a  week,  and  it 
will  keep  its  brightness  in  a  northern 
window  where  there  is  little  or  no  sun. 
This  plant  is  a  charming  decoration  for 
the  dinner  table ;  in  fact,  it  is  infinitely 
desirable  in  every  way. 

The  Climbing  Asparagus  (Asparagus 
tenuissimus)  is  not  yet  very  familiar,  but 
it  is  a  charming  thing  and  may  be  highly 
commended  as  a  window  climber.  No- 
thing short  of  a  hard  frost  or  the  absence 
of  water  for  two  or  three  weeks  will  dis- 
courage it.  It  climbs  and  twines  like 
smilax ;  but  the  foliage  is  fine  and 
feathery,  like  common  asparagus,  only 
more  so.  It  does  well  in  a  room  heated 
by  a  stove,  does  not  harbour  insects, 
and,  in  short,  is  a    botanical  paragon. 


THE    CANADIAN    BORTICULTURIST. 


259 


Another  more  familiar  climber  is  the 
old-fashioned  German  Ivy,  so  called  by 
the  rule  of  contrary,  I  suppose,  for  it  is 
not  an  ivy,  and  does  not  hail  from  Ger- 
many. However,  it  is  a  rapid  grower 
of  very  pretty  habit,  and  is  usually  of 
more  easy  culture  than  ivy  proper. 

All  lovers  of  house  plants  are  familiar 
with  the  large-leaved  Begonia  Rex.  Its 
robust  habit  and  handsome  vari-colored, 
metallic  leaves  justly  make  it  a  favorite. 
Like  the  palm,  it  is  an  excellent  thing 
for  city  houses  where  there  is  little 
sunshine.  Of  course,  if  grown  in  a 
gloomy  locality  it  will  only  flower 
weakly,  and  will  not  be  as  richly  col- 
ored as  when  in  good  sunlight,  but  it 
will  do  better  than  most  plants  and  is 
attractive  under  any  circumstances. 

Another  member  of  its  family.  Beg- 
onia rubra,  is  equally  desirable,  being 
the  most  attractive  of  the  plain-leaved 
varieties.  The  long  leaves  are  a  bright, 
shining  green  :  the  large  flowers,  pro- 
fusely produced,  are  a  brilliant  red.  It 
is  a  very  free  grower,  easily  propagated 
and  if  sponged  or  syringed  in  addition 
to  the  ordinary  watering,  is  very  cleanly 
in  its  habits. 

Most  growei-s  of  house  plants  are 
familiar  with  the  ordinary  abutilons, 
sometimes  called  bell-flower,  but  very 
few  grow  the  trailing  variety,  A  Me- 
sopotamicum.  It  is  a  charming-  little 
thing,  throwing  out  long,  trailing 
branches.  The  leaves  are  smaller  and 
more  pointed  than  those  of  the  ordinary 
variety,  beautifully  variegated  with 
gold ;  the  little  bell-shaped,  dark-red 
flower  has  a  besom-like  clapper  of  black 
stamens.  It  is  as  easy  to  grow  as  others 
of  its  class,  but  it  requires  a  good  sun 
to  bring  out  the  variegation  of  the 
leaves. 

For  those  desirous  of  profusely  flower- 
ing house  plants  nothing  is  better  than 
the  Chinese  primrose.  It  can  be  kept 
continually  in  bloom  from  November 
till    May,    and    the    blossoms   form   a 


wliole  gamut  of  color,  from  pure  white 
to  deepest  crimson.  They  are  of  easy 
culture,  requiring  little  attention  save 
in  watering.  They  must  not  grow 
actually  dry,  though  here,  as  every- 
where else,  the  cultivator  must  be 
warned  against  over-saturating  the  pots. 
A  great  advantage  of  the  primrose  is 
that  it  is  very  rarely  infested  by  green- 
fly, or  similiar  pests.  Under  the  same 
circumstances  as  the  Chinese  primrose, 
we  may  grow  its  modest  little  yellow- 
flowered  English  cousin,  though  a  living 
room  is  rather  too  warm  for  it.  The 
frail  English  flower,  however,  is  always 
rather  spindling  under  our  alien  skies. 

( Jy clamens  are  good  house  plants, 
and  may  be  readily  grown,  flowering 
profusely.  It  is  well  to  notice  in  pur- 
chasing however,  that  one  should  get 
plants  of  good  constitution  ;  many 
growers  seem  to  have  a  very  sickly 
strain,  with  worn  out  vitality.  In  the 
very  beginning  of  September  plants 
should  be  repotted,  shaking  all  the  old 
earth  ofl*,  and  giving  new  soil  ;  the 
crown  of  the  bulb  should  be  left  un- 
covered. 

For  those  having  rooms  rather  cool 
than  otherwise,  violets  are  charming, 
but  it  is  useless  to  attempt  them  in  a 
very  warm  place.  They  will  flower  pro- 
fusely during  the  winter  at  a  tempera- 
ture of  from  45°  to  50°,  and  their 
beauty  and  fragrance  make  them  most 
desirable.  Of  single  varieties  the  Czar 
is  very  fine  ;  it  is  large,  dark  purple, 
and  very  fragrant.  The  Neapolittin  is 
the  best  double  variety.  With  all 
house  plants  frequent  sponging  or  syr- 
inging of  the  leaves  may  be  advised  as 
a  preventive  of  red  spider  and  similar 
pests.  But  it  is  well  to  reiterate  that 
in  every  case  one  must  water  with 
brains ;  no  amount  of  printed  instruc- 
tions is  equal  to  a  little  personal  dis- 
cretion in  this  case.  Discretion,  en- 
thusiasm, and  energy  are  the  three 
graces  of  horticulture,  and  they  cannot 


260 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


fail  to  bring  success  either  to  profes- 
sional or  amateur. — E.  L.  Toplin,  in 
Rural  New-  Yorker. 


PRIMULA  OBCONICA. 

This  pretty  perpetual-blooming  prim- 
rose is  a  native  of  the  Tchang  Valley, 
China,  and  was  collected  by  Charles 
Maries  for  Messrs.  Yeitch,  of  London, 
some  four  or  five  years  ago.  It  has 
many  good  points  which  make  it  at 
once  a  friend  of  the  florist,  and,  when 
more  generally  known,  it  will  undoubt- 
edly be  grown  extensively.  The  heads 
of  bloom  can  be  cut  with  a  long  stem 
bearing  sixteen  to  twenty  flowers,  each 
about  an  inch  in  diameter,  which  will 
last  two  weeks  or  more  after  being  cut, 
and  travel  well.  The  color  of  the 
flowers  is  pure  white,  sometimes  chang- 
ing to  lilac,  and  where  several  plants 
are  grown  you  might  imagine  there 
were  two  or  three  varieties.  I  have 
seen  plants  at  the  Cambridge  (Mass.) 
botanic  garden  with  over  lOU  spikes  of 
bloom  at  one  time.  Mr.  Manda  propa- 
gates it  by  division  of  the  roots  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  double  primrose. 
It  thrives  well  in  a  cool  green-house 
under  clear  glass  in  winter.  The  flow- 
ers should  be  kept  picked  off*  from  June 
to  September,  as  the  plant  will  bloom 
and  thrive  better  the  following  win- 
ter.— American  Florist. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Primula  Cash- 
meriana  is  among  the  premiums  for 
1887.— Ed. 


HOW  TO  POT  A  PLANT. 

Who  does  not  know  howl  may  be 
asked.  We  venture  to  say  that  a  mat- 
ter weighing  as  lightly  as  this  often 
does  with  growers  is  very  often  the  one 
point  between  future  success  and  failure 
in  plant  culture. 

The  engraving  almost  shows  how 
without  further  explanation.  A  cbief 
point  is  drainage.    This,  so  far  as  under- 


drainage  is  concerned,  is  clearly  set 
forth  in  the  cut.  There  is  first  some- 
thing like  an  inch  of  broken  pot-shreds. 


coarse  soil 
■""moss 

PoTSHERDS 


POTTING — THE    PLACING   OF   THE   MATERIALS. 

carefully  laid,  for  shedding  water. 
Then — and  a  very  important  part — 
comes  a  strata  of  moss  or  sphagnum  to 
keep  the  earth  above  from  settling  into 
the  drainage  below.  A  clogged  drain 
is  of  no  use.  Above  this  comes  the 
soil,  seeing  that  coarse  parts,  such  as 
roll  down  the  sides  of  the  heap,  go  to 
the  bottom  as  shown  in  the  cut. 

Besides  such  underdrainage,  there  is 
clear  gain  in  a  similar  direction,  by 
having  the  sides  of  the  pots  clean  and 
porous,  the  dealers  in  painted  pots  to 
the  contrary  notwithstanding.  For 
plants  to  do  their  best  there  needs  to 
be  not  only  porousness,  for  the  escape 
of  water,  for  the  admission  of  air  to 
the  roots.  A  painted  or  dirty  pot  or  a 
a  wooden  box  or  cask  in  a  large  mea- 
sure obstructs  the  admission  of  air  from 
the  sides. 

The  larger  the  pot  the  more  needful 
is  underdrainage,  and  the  less  needful 
is  side  porousness.  Hence  pots  smaller 
than  three  inches  across  scarcely  need 
the   former,    while    receptacles   larger 


THK   CANADIAN    HOBTICULTDKIBT. 


261 


than  one  foot  across  can  pretty  well 
dispense  with  side  porousness.  Tight 
boxes,  therefore,  answer  better  for  large 
plants  than  for  small  ones. 

The  Potting  Stick,  is  of  use  in  doing 
a  good  job  of  potting,  for  firming  the 
soil  about  the  roots.  It  may  be  whit- 
tled from  a  lath,  and  should  be  about 
six  inches  long. — From  Popular  Gar- 
dening (with  cut). 

GRANDMOTHER'S  HOLLYHOCKS. 

Hollyhocks  by  the  garden  wall, 
Quaint  old-fashioned  flowers  ; 
White  and  crimson,  yellow  and  pink, 
Grandmother  loves  you  best,  I  think. 
Of  any  in  her  bowers. 

Stately  and  tall,  yet  graceful,  too. 

Swaying  with  the  breezes  ; 
Grandmother  loves  and  cares  for  you 
Out  in  the  pearly  morning  dew, 

And  plucks  you  when  she  pleases. 

Roses  and  peonoies  royal  red. 

Glowing  in  summer  weather. 
Have  drooped  and  died  near  by  your  side. 
While  you  are  standing  in  your  pride. 

Clustering  close  together. 

Grandmother's  flowers,  old  and  true — 

Hollyhocks  by  the  wall- 
Sweeter  to  her  than  pansies  blue. 
Dearer  to  her  than  orchids  new. 

She  loves  you  best  of  all. 
Farm  and  Home. 


THE  WINDOW  GARDEN. 

BEGIN   EARLY. 

Success  in  window  gardening,  as  in 
other  kinds  of  gardening,  depends  in  a 
great  measure  upon  beginning  at  the 
pro[)er  time,  and  with  the  proper  ma- 
terials. If  one  waits  until  cold  weather, 
and  then  purchases  [)lants  at  a  green- 
house, he  makes  a  bad  beginning.  The 
plants  had  already  been  in  a  much 
higher  temperature  than  that  of  the 
window,  and  the  change  to  a  cooler 
place,  and  to  a  much  drier  atmosphere, 
gives  them  a  check,  from  which  they 
do  not  recover  in  a  long  time,  and 
some  remain  in  an  unliealthy  condition 
all  winter.     Some  depend  \x\ion  plants 


taken  up  from  the  borders  and  potted, 
to  furnish  the  window.  These  are  apt 
to  delay  taking  them  up  until  the  cool 
nights  have  checked  their  growth,  and 
when  they  are  taken  to  a  warm  room 
the  change  is  too  sudden,  and  the  plants 
rarely  do  well.  If  they  are  to  be  taken 
up  from  the  open  ground  and  potted, 
it  should  be  done  so  early  that  they 
may  recover  from  the  shock  of  removal, 
and  become  established  in  the  pots  be- 
fore cool  weather  makes  it  necessary  to 
take  them  into  the  house. — American 
Agriculturist. 


GRAPES  AS  FOOD  AND  MEDICINE. 

The  quantity  of  grapes,  says  Dr. 
Irving  0.  Cross,  of  Washington,  D.C., 
that  one  may  eat  with  impunity  is 
something  astonishing.  Persons  at 
European  Grape  Cure  Institutes  con- 
sume from  3  to  6  Kilos  (6  to  12  lbs.) 
daily.  Grapes  constitute  a  perfect  nu- 
triment, which  includes  in  remarkable 
proportions  the  nitrogenous  Albume- 
noid  and  Respiratory  principals  indis- 
pensable to  a  good  alimentation.  Ac- 
cording to  the  analysis  of  a  French 
chemist,  a  striking  analogy  exists  be- 
tween the  juice  of  the  grape  and  human 
milk.  This  chemist  finds  in  100  parts 
of  each  substance  as  follows  : 

Milk.    Grape. 
Albumenoid  and  nitrogenous  matter  ..14       17 

Sugar,  Gum,  etc 11    0      16    0 

Mineral  Substance,  Water,  etc. 

Some  of  the  affections  which  the 
grape  may  be  used  for,  as  a  respirative 
medicinal  agent  of  great  value  are  those 
arising  from  troubles  in  the  digestive 
functions,  diseases  of  the  liver  and 
spleen,  female  derangements,  catarrh  of 
the  air  passages,  and  that  state  of  general 
exhaustion  that  keeps  up  all  troubles  of 
the  respiratory  aparatus.  The  doctor 
also  says  :     "  Over  worked  j)ersons  may 


262 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


derive  from  the  vegetable  milk  of  the 
luscious,  but  inoffensive  •'  grape,'  a 
rational  means  to  re-establish  the  phy- 
siological conditions  of  clear  thoughts 
and  correct  expressions. 

Modes  of  Preserving  Grapes  in 
THEIR  Original  State. — 1.  Takesound, 
ripe  grapes,  in  baskets  or  boxes  from 
three  to  six  inches  deep,  set  in  a  cool 
place  to  sweat,  for  one  or  two  days, 
then  line  the  baskets  with  paper  and 
place  in  layer  of  grapes  (removing  all 
unsound  ones),  then  a  layer  of  paper, 
and  so  on  until  basket  is  filled,  then 
cover  closely  with  paper  and  keep  in  a 
dry  place  with  temperature  as  near 
thirty-five  or  forty  degrees  Fah.  as  pos- 
sible. Grapes  thus  put  up  will  keep 
sound  and  fresh  from  two  to  six  months. 
Even  temperature  is  desirable. 

2,  Take  grapes,  set  by  to  sweat  as  in 
No.  1,  then  take  sand  and  wash  until 
water  runs  off  clear,  dry  thoroughly  in 
sun  or  oven,  line  box  or  basket  with 
paper,  then  put  one-half  inch  of  sand, 
then  a  layer  of  grapes  (each  bunch 
wrapped  in  manilla  paper),  then  layer 
sand,  and  so  proceed  until  filled.  Broken 
or  unsound  fruit  never  to  be  used.  This 
process  has  kept  the  grape  fresh  to  the 
following  June. 

Unfermented  Wine.  —  1.  Take 
sound,  ripe  grapes  from  the  stems, 
cover  with  water,  heat  slowly  until 
thoroughly  cooked,  drain  through  flan- 
nel, do  not  squeeze  or  crush  the  grapes. 
Use  one  pound  of  white  sugar  to  gallon 
of  juice,  heat  again  until  hot,  but  not 
boiling.  Seal  up  same  as  fruit,  keep 
in  a  dark  place.  When  wanted  for 
use,  add  two-thirds  water,  and  sweeten 
to  suit  the  taste. 

2.  Take  six  pounds  grapes,  mash 
well,  add  half  gallon  water,  let  stand 
in  an  earthen  jar  for  three  days,  then 
run  off  the  liquid  which  is  at  the  bot- 
tom, being  careful  not  to  disturb  the 
skins  and  seeds  that  have  risen  to  the 
surface, — or,  strain  through  fine  sieve 


or  cheese  cloth.  Add  one  pound  sugar 
to  each  quart  of  juice,  bring  to  the 
boil,  and  while  at  that  temperature, 
can  in  self-sealing  jars.  Age  improves 
flavor  without  fermentation. 

Grape  Jelly.  —  Take  under  ripe 
grapes,  mash,  boil  three  minutes,  strain 
through  flannel  bag.  To  every  pound 
of  juice  add  one  pound  sugar,  let  come 
to  boil,  skim,  boil  one  minute,  and  run 
into  moulds. 

Grape  Kelish  :  to  he  used  with  fowl. 
—  Take  ten  pounds  under  ripe  grapes 
(if  well  ripened  add  one  box  gelatine), 
boil  five  minutes,  strain,  add  one  pound 
sugar  to  one  pound  fruit  juice,  also  one 
teaspoon  each  cinnamon,  cloves,  and 
allspice,  boil  five  minutes,  strain  into 
moulds. 

Grape  Catsup  or  Sauce. — Take  one 
quart  grape  juice,  one  teacup  sugar,  one 
small  teaspoon  salt,  one  large  heaping 
tablespoon  ground  cinnamon,  one  table- 
spoon even  full  ground  allspice,  one 
large  teaspoonful  ground  cloves ;  boil 
slowly  for  twenty  minutes,  and  seal,  if 
for  future  use.  Will  keep  for  a  long 
time  open.  Can  be  thinned  with  vine- 
gar to  suit  taste  when  used.  —  Very 
much  liked. 

Canned  Grapes. — Take  ripe  grapes, 
separate  seeds  from  pulp,  boil  pulp 
three  minutes,  strain  through  leno  or 
cheese  cloth  to  take  out  seeds,  add  skins 
after  boiling  them  twenty  minutes,  add 
one-quarter  to  one-half  pound  sugar 
(to  suit  taste)  to  one  pound  fiuit,  let 
dissolve,  then  boil  one  minute — not 
longer,  as  boiling  too  long  destroys  the 
aroma. 

Caution. — In  preserving  the  juice, 
or  canning  grapes,  avoid  boiling  beyond 
the  specified  time,  as  further  boiling 
carries  off*  the  flavor  and  aroma  of  the 
juice ;  also  changes  and  destroys  the 
chemical  and  food  properties  of  the 
sugar  used. 

[The  above  paper  was  prepared  by 
E.    D.   Smith,   and   published    by    the 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


263 


Niagara   District  Grape  Growers'  As- 
sociation.— Ed.] 


^tBrdlaneouB, 


AUTUMN. 

BY  GRANDMA  QOWAN,   MONTREAL. 

(  Written  for  the  Canadian   Horticulturist. ) 

Autumn  has  come  with  her  fairy  waml, 
And   touch'd    the    trees,    the   fields   and 
liowers  ; 

Peace  reigns  supreme  all  o'er  the  land, 
And  glorious  foliage  fills  our  Ijowers. 

Trees  standing  still  to  greet  the  sun, 
With  weight  of  fruit  are  bended  low, 

Whisp'ring  their  summer's  work  is  done  ; 
And  dew-kiss'd  grapes  luxuriant  glow. 

Plenty  has  come,  in  golden  showers, 
Down  from  a  loving  hand  divine 

To  these  ungrateful  hearts  of  ours, 
80  prone  to  murmur  and  repine. 

Here  in  this  sylvan  solitude, 

All  radiant  with  autumnal  dyes, 

I  praise  the  "  Giver  of  All  Good," 

With   tremulous  voice   and  tear-dimm'd 
eyes. 

Forfend  !  when  angel  reapers  come 
To  garner  in  the  golden  sheaves. 

That  I,  now  in  my  setting  sun, 

Have  naught  to  give  but  withered  leaves. 

The  weeds  we  have  with  us  always. 
This  statement  is  indeed  near  the  truth, 
tliere  being  some  marked  exceptions  in 
the  cases  of  a  veiy  few  very  clean  cul- 
tivators of  the  land.  Professor  Lazen- 
by,  of  the  Ohio  Experimental  Station, 
Columbus,  Ohio,  has  gone  to  great 
pains  to  show  why  weeds  are  so  per- 
sistent in  their  presence ;  this  by  count- 
ing and  closely  estimating  on  the  seeds 
of  some  of  the  more  common  ones.  As 
to  results,  he  found  on  one  plant  of  the 
everywhere  abundant  Shepherd's  Purse 
(Capsella  Bursa  pastor  Is )  77,500  seeds; 
on  a  rank  Burdock  (Lappa  major) 
400,328  seeds;  on  a  large  Wild  Parsnij), 
19,000,  and  many  other  kinds  were 
nearly  as  numerous  as  those  of  the  ones 
named. — Pop.  Gardening. 


Not  in  Bloom. — He  (at  the  horti- 
cultural show) — "This  is  a  Tobacco 
Plant,  my  dear"  Slie — "Indeed!  how 
very  interesting  !  But  I  don't  see  any 
cigars  on  it." — Harper's  Bazaar. 

To  Protect  Shade  Trees  from 
Stock. — Take  a  stiff  board  six  or  eight 
feet  long  and  set  it  up  against  tlie  tree; 
then,  beginning  at  the  top,  wind  barbed 
wire  very  loosely  around  both  tree  and 
edging,  fastening  to  the  latter  at  inter- 
vals of  two  or  three  inches,  and  fasten 
sevei-al  short  pieces  of  edging  inside  the 
upper  and  lower  coils  to  keep  the  wire 
from  wearing  the  bark. — Farm  arul 
Home. 

I  HAVE  found  that  air-slacked  lime 
sowed  over  the  foliage  of  Kittatinny 
blackberries  just  before  blossoming  has 
(or  something  has)  completely  cured 
them  of  the  rust  that  threatened  to  de- 
stroy the  plantation.  Have  any  of 
your  readers  had  like  experience? — 
W.  P.  Gorsa,  in  Farm  and  Home. 

Lady — "Have  you  given  the  gold- 
fish fresh  water,  as  I  told  you,  Maria?" 
Maria — "  No,  ma'am  ;  and  why  should 
I  ?  Sure,  they  haven't  drunk  what  they 
have  yet !" 

Apples  for  London. — C.  S.  Nixon, 
Montreal,  Forwarding  Agent  for  Simon 
Jacobs  (fc  Co.,  writes  : — "  Have  just 
been  advised  by  our  Halifax  correspon- 
dent that  the  steamers  left  that  port  on 
Saturday,  9th  Oct.,  with  about  eleven 
thousand  barrels  Nova  Scotian  apples 
for  London." 

A  Fine  Quince  Tree. — Mr.  D.  Ker- 
man.  President  of  the  Grimsby  Fruit 
Growers'  Association,  has  a  beautifnl 
quince  tree  in  liis  garden.  Just  now 
(Oct.  1)  it  is  loaded  with  immense 
orange  quinces,  probably  enough  to  fill 
a  barrel.  It  grows  in  such  a  uniform 
sha])e  that  it  is  an  ornament  to  his 
grounds,  and  not  like  the  neglected 
scrubs  we  so  often  see.  Mr.  Kerman 
cultivates  it  well,  and  digs  in  a  dress- 


2(54 


THE    CANADIAN    H0BTICULTURI8T. 


ing  of  manure  every  spring.  This  much 
in  favor  of  high  cultivation  for  the 
quince. — Ed. 

Many-flowered  Sunflower. — We 
have  in  our  garden  a  sunflower  on  which 
we  counted,  about  Oct.  1,  ninety-six 
fine  flowers  ! — Ed. 


RECENT  PUBLICATIONS. 

Siinmer^s  Descriptive  Catalogue  of 
Flowering  Bulbs. — This  pamphlet  is 
neatly  got  up  and  well  illustrated.  It 
contains  a  description  of  the  more  pro- 
minent dutch  flowering  bulbs,  kept  for 
sale  by  J.  A.  Simmers,  1 47  King  Street 
East,  Toronto. 

The  Canadian  Live  Stock  Journal, 
published  at  Hamilton,  Ont.,  by  the 
Stock  Journal  Publishing  Co.,  is  a  neatly 
got  up  monthly  magazine  of  36  pages, 
devoted  to  the  interest  of  farmers  who 
make  a  business  of  growing  live  stock. 
It  is  ably  conducted  and  deserves  to 
succeed.  Exhibition  number  just  re- 
ceived. 

Descriptive  Catalogue  of  Fruits,  1886, 
Ellwanger  &  Barrey,  Rochester.  This 
catalogue  deserves  notice,  aside  entirely 
from  its  business  value,  as  containing 
reliable  descriptions  of  all  the  more 
prominent  fruits,  large  and  small,  ex- 
cepting strawberries.  It  is  embellished 
with  a  handsome  colored  plate  of  the 
Industry  Gooseberry. 

The  Farmer's  Advocate,  edited  by 
Mr.  Wm.  Weld,  London,  Ont.,  is  most 
ably  conducted  in  the  interests  of 
Canadian  farmers.  We  are  glad  to 
notice  in  the  October  number  some 
account  of  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Fruit  Growers'  Association  at  T(.)ronto 
and  a  most  cordial  mention  of  this  jour- 
nal. We  do  not  know  of  any  monthly 
magazine  that  is  so  popular  among 
Canadian  farmers  as  the  Farmer's  Ad- 
vocate 


NOTICES. 

SUBSCRIBE  NOW. 
Now  IS  THE  TIME  to  Send  your  sub- 
scription to  The  Canadian  Horticul- 
turist. New  subscribers  sending  in 
one  dollar  for  1887  now  may  have 
November  and  December  numbers  for 

1886  free  !     Choose  your  premium  for 

1887  and  name  it  when  you  send  in 
your  subscription,  then  there  can  be 
no  mistake. 

The  premiums  are :  ( 1 )  Tree  of 
Vladimer  Cherry,  ("2)  Dahlia,  (3)  Two 
Plants  Hilborn  Raspberry,  (i)  A  One- 
year  old  Niagara  Grape  Vine,  (5)  A 
New  Single-flowered  Geranium,  (6) 
Three  Packages  of  Flower  Seeds — Pri- 
mula Cashmeriana. 

All  subscribers  will  receive  in  addi- 
tion to  the  premium  the  Report  of  the 
Meeting  of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Associa- 
tion of  Ontario,  which  is  full  of  the 
most  valuable  information  to  Canadian 
Fruit  Growers. 

Agents  wanted  in  every  town.  Write 
for  terms.     Sample  copies  free. 

Members  of  local  associations  in 
clubs  of  not  less  than  ten  at  special 
rates. 

Address, 

L.    WOOLVERON, 

Grimsby,  Ont. 

N.  B.— The  premiums  for  1887  will 
be  distributed  in  April  or  May  next. 

THE  MICHIGAN  HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 

A  letter  frojn  C.  Garfield,  secretary, 
says  : — "  The  annual  meeting  of  our 
society  will  occur  at  Grand  Rapids, 
beginning  Tuesday  morning,  November 
30,  and  continuing  through  Wednes- 
day and  Thursday,  December  I  and  2. 
President  Willits,  of  the  State  Agri- 
cultural College,  will  deliver  an  ad- 
dress on  the  second  evening,  and  other 
prominent  gentlemen  from  abroad  will 
assist  in  the  exercises." 


PRINTBD   AT  THK  STKAM   PRESS   KSTABMSHMKNT   OF  THE   COPP,    CLARK   COMPANY  (lIMITKD),   TORONTO. 


The  e3.rliesl:l^<rge  Vez^r.  Tl?e  Izxrgest  e^^rly  Pe'b.r 
-:|f    The  most  be2.utiful  of  ^Tl  Pez^rs .   -^1^ 


THE 


VOL.  IX.] 


DECEMBER,  1886. 


[No.   12. 


^£tD  Jjruttfi. 


THE  LAWSON  PEAR 

The  Lawson  Pear  is  another  of  those 
new  fruits  which  have  not  yet  been 
tested  in  Canada ;  but,  if  it  has  all 
the  excellences  claimed    for  it   by  its 

propagators,  it  will  be  the  leading  mar- 
ket pear  of  its  season. 

The  great  objection  to  all  our  early 
pears  that  ripen  before  the  Clapp's 
Favorite  and  the  Bartlett  is  their  small 
size. 

The  Roatiezer  is  perhaps  the  best  in 
quality  for  dessert  of  all  our  tested 
early  summer  pears.  In  flavor,  it  is 
equalled  only  by  the  famous  Seckel, 
which  was  at  one  time  so  popular  as  an 
autumn  dessert  pear.  When  the  Ros- 
tiezer  is  well  known  among  consumers 
it  is  eagerly  sought  for ;  but  when 
placed  in  a  new  market  it  is  very  un- 
salable, on  account  of  its  small  size  and 
poor  color. 

.  The  Oslands  Summer  is  a  very  good 
old  pear,  ripening  early  in  August 
and  a  little  before  the  Rostiezer.  It  is 
larger  than  the  latter,  and  takes  on  a 
better  color,  being  of  a  clear  yellow 
with  a  warm  cheek,  but  not  quite  equal 
to  it  in  flavor.     In  our  grounds  it  has 


been  quite  subject  to  blight  and  not 
very  productive;  while  the  Rostiezer, 
on  the  other  hand,  seems  be  to  be  com- 
paratively free  from  blight,  and  is  an 
abundant  bearer. 

The  Margaret  is  a  new  summer  pear, 
of  medium  size,  and  very  highly  com- 
mended as  the  finest  of  its  season, 
which  is  about  the  last  of  August.  We 
are  testing  it,  and  hope  to  report  later 
concerning  it. 

The  Tyson,  an  old  and  well  estab- 
lished pear,  is  j  ust  now  receiving  many 
enconiums  among  our  exchanges,  but 
we  do  not  value  it  very  highly.  It  cer- 
tainly is  a  fine  grower.  We  have  some 
trees  twenty-five  years  planted,  which 
are  about  thirty  feet  high  and  bear 
heavy  crops  annually,  but  the  fruit 
though  a  good  size,  has  a  poor  color, 
and  it  comes  too  near  the  Bartlett  sea- 
son to  command  a  high  price. 

We  have  thus  briefly  spoken  of  the 
best  of  our  early  summer  pears  to  show 
that  there  is  room  for  one  of  good  size, 
good  quality  and  beautiful  color. 

Now  all  these  excellences  are  claimed 
for  the  Lawson.  The  color  is  said  to  be 
a  most  beautiful  crimson  on  a  bright 
yellow  ground,  and  the  time  of  ripening 
about  the  1st  of  August.  It  is  also 
claimed  to  be  an  annual  bearer. 


266 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


It  derives  its  name  from  Mr.  John 
Lawson,  of  Ulster  County,  N.Y.,  who 
formerly  owned  the  farm  on  which  the 
original  tree  still  stands.  The  tree  is 
thought  to  be  about  100  years  of  age, 
and  has  never  been  known  to  blight. 

The  pear  is  certainly  desirable,  pro- 
vided it  bears  out  all  these  character- 
istics and  is  sufficiently  hardy  for  our 
Canadian  climate. 


THE  EARHAET  EVER-BEARING 
RASPBERRY. 

The  Rural  New-Yorker  of  23rd  Oct. 
gives  this  raspberry  a  good  puff.  It 
claims  for  it  the  following 'points  of  ex- 
cellence, (1)  hardiness,  ('2)  thrift,  (3) 
productiveness,  (4)  better  quality  than 
the  Gregg. 

But  the  great  point,  in  which  it  is 
claimed  to  excel  them  all,  is  its  wonder- 
ful second  crops  on  wood  of  the  current 
year's  growth.  The  main  crop  ripens 
about  the  last  of  June,  and  the  second 
crop  commences  to  ripen  about  August 
1 5th  and  continues  for  about  six  weeks. 
On  one  cane  over  500  berries  were 
counted  on  the  16th  September  last,  and 
altogethar  it  is  made  out  to  be  a  won- 
derful acquisition  to  the  garden,  giving 
a  continuance  of  fruit  for  the  table  all 
summer  long. 

Now  we  always  read  statements  in 
the  Rural  with  the  greatest  confidence, 
because  it  gives  its  opinions,  as  we  also 
aim  to  do,  without  fear  or  favor.  But 
we  should  require  the  experience  of 
more  than  one  season  to  establish  our 
confidence  in  the  wonderful  everbear- 
ing qualities  of  the  Earhart. 

Whv,  only  a  few  days  ago  we  read 


of  a  gardener  in  Wingham,  Ont.,  pick- 
ing a  fine  lot  of  second  crop  raspberries 
in  his  garden  about  the  16  th  October; 
they  were  literally  loaded  with  fruit  and 
not  Earharts  either.  The  fact  is,  this 
is  an  unusual  season  for  second  crops. 
A  neighbor  of  ours,  Mr.  Snyder,  has 
plenty  of  second  crop  strawberries  now 
(Nov.  12)  on  his  plants;  and  another 
Mr.  Sardis  Smith,  has  an  apple  tree 
with  a  second  crop  of  apples,  of  fair 
size  and  ripe. 

This  peculiar  phenomenon  extends 
to  England  also,  for  we  read  in  the 
London  Standard  11th  Oct.  "the  ex- 
traordinary mildness  of  the  weather  in 
Dorset  has  produced  some  curious 
phenomena.  Strawberries  in  full  bloom 
are  very  common  in  the  south,  and  at 
Dorchester  may  be  seen  apple  trees  in 
abundant  blossom." 

Back  Volumes  of  "The  Canadian  Horticul- 
turist."— Many  of  our  readers  will  be 
pleased  to  learn  that  we  can  still  supply 
back  volumes.  We  have  Vols.  I.,  II., 
III.,  IV.,  VI.,  VII.  and  VIII.  on  hand. 
They  contain  vast  stores  of  useful  in- 
formation for  Canadian  fruit  growers. 
Any  of  these  volumes  complete,  with 
the  accompanying  Report,  will  be  sent, 
post  paid,  to  any  address  on  receipt  of 
75  cts.,  or,  without  Report,  for  60  cts. 

Correspondents  will  please  make  all 
articles  as  brief  and  pointed  as  pos- 
sible. Nobody  has  time,  in  this  busy 
Nineteenth  Century,  to  read  very  long 
articles;  besides,  when  they  are  very 
long   they   are   sure   to  be  dry.     Let 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTI0ULTUKI8T. 


267 


"  Little  and  Often  "  be  the  motto  of  our 
contributors,  and  let  us  have  a  bright, 
cheery  journal,  full  of  practical  hints 
just  adapted  to  our  country,  and  a 
welcome  visitor  to  every  home. 

Thanks. — We  thank  our  many  friends 
for  the  kind  complimentary  words  con- 
cerning the  November  Number  of  The 
Canadian  Horticulturist.  We  hope 
the  appreciation  will  show  itself  in  a 
practical  way,  by  doubling  our  subscrip- 
tion list. 

A  New  Contributor. — We  are  fortunate 
in  having  the  promise  of  a  series  of 
articles  on  flowering  bulbs,  with  illus- 
trations, from  Mr.  Hermann  Simmers, 
of  the  firm  of  Messrs.  J.  A.  Simmers  & 
Co.,  Toronto.  The  first  appears  in  this 
number,  with  cut  of  Easter  Lily. 

All  Subscriptions,  new  and  old,  are  now 
due.  Please  renew  at  once,  that  we 
may  know  how  many  colored  plates  we 
shall  need  for  our  January  Number. 
The  address  labels  will  indicate  whether 
paid  or  unpaid,  and  be  satisfactory 
receipts,  we  hope,  for  the  money^ 

Annual  Premium. — We  receive  a  good 
many  subscriptions  without  any  accom- 
panying choice  of  a  premium  for  the 
spring  of  1887.  The  choice  must  be 
made  now  that  we  may  provide  a  suf- 
ficient number  of  trees,  plants  and  vines 
for  all  subscribers. 

A  Seedling  Plum.— Mr.  W.  H.  Wylie, 
of  Carlton  Place,  Ont.,  writes  that  he 
has  a  seedling  red  plum  which  has  been 
cultivated  by  the  family  for  fifty  yeans. 
It  is  excellent  in  quality,  a  great  bearer, 
and  curculio  proof.  He  will  exhibit  it 
at  some  future  meeting  of  the  F.  G.  A. 
of  Ontario. 


Display  of  Fruits  and  Flowers  at  Meetings  of 
Fruit  Growers. — At  the  last  meeting  at 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  premiums  were  offered 
for  displays  of  fruits  and  flowers,  and  in 
consequence  the  hall  was  made  most  at- 
tractive. Local  florists  covered  the 
stage  with  plants  in  bloom  and  decorated 
the  room  with  floral  ornaments.  Among 
these  was  a  floral  parasol,  lined  with 
red  flowers  and  covered  with  white  ones 
nicely  fringed,  and  resting  on  a  base  of 
ferns.  May  we  not  learn  a  lesson  from 
this  for  increasing  the  attractions  of 
our  meetings  1 

Ladies  at  the  Evening  Sessions. — We 
notice  that  at  the  Winter  Meeting  of 
the  Main  State  Pomological  Society, 
several  ladies  were  present  in  the  even- 
ing, and  some  read  essays  on  floral 
subjects,  to  which  an  evening  Session 
was  purposely  devoted. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Michigan 
Pomological  Society  meeting  on  the 
30th  ult.,  it  was  the  design  to  have  two 
or  three  evening  lectures  by  eminent 
horticulturists  to  interest  the  general 
public,  and  thus  to  widen  the  influence 
of  the  Society- 
Bagging  Grapes. — President  Earle  said 
at  the  close  of  a  discussion  on  grapes  at 
Cleveland,  that  he  had  found  bagging 
grapes  a  means  of  protection  from  rot. 
The  cost  was  not  a  half  cent  a  pound. 
Deep  Planting  of  Grapes. — Mr.  J.  J. 
Harrison  spoke  on  this  subject  at  the 
Ohio  Horticultural  Society  as  follows ; 
"  Three  or  four  years  ago  we  lost  thou- 
sands of  grape  vines.  Those  vineyards 
where  the  Concord  was  planted  deeply 
survived,  while  those  that  were  planted 
shallow  died.     With  us  it  is  considered 


268 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


essential  to  plant  deeply."  We,  on  the 
other  hand,  think  there  is  quite  as  great 
need  of  caution  not  to  plant  too  deeply, 
especially  in  heavy  soil.  What  is  the 
experience  of  other  vineyardists  in 
Canada  1 

Wanted. — January,  February  and  May 
numbers  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist 
for  1886.  Nine  numbers  of  the  year 
1885  will  be  given  in  exchange  for  these 
three ;  or  three  numbers  of  1 885  for 
any  one  of  them.  Each  number  for 
1885  contains  a  colored  plate. 

A  valuable  paper  has  come  to  hand  from 
Mr.  P.  E.  Bucke,  of  Ottawa,  on  "  Suit- 
able Trees  for  the  Lawn,"  which  will 
appear  in  the  January  number. 

Able  Contributors. — Among  other  gentle- 
men, who  will  contribute  to  these  pages 
during  the  year  1887,  we  have  pleasure 
in  mentioning  the  names  of  the  follow- 
ing, viz.  :— D.  W.  Beadle,  W.  E.  Wel- 
lington, A.  M.  Smith,  W.  W.  Hilborn, 
John  Little,  Hermann  Simmers,  ?.  E. 
Bucke,  A.  A.  Wright  and  F.  Mitchell. 
With  such  a  staff  of  able  contributors 
an  era  of  unprecedented  prosperity  is 
before  this  journal,  and  of  enlarged  use- 
fulness for  the  Fruit  Growers'  Associa- 
tion of  Ontario. 


^Vit&iioxi  ^ratoer. 


This  department  is  intended  as  an  open  one  to  every 
reader  of  the  ^^Horticulturist"  to  send  in  either 
questions  or  answers.  Often  a  reader  will  be  able  to 
answer  a  question  which  has  been  left  unanswered, 
or  only  partially  answered  by  us.  For  convenience 
•of  reference  the  questions  will  henceforth  be  num- 
bered, and  any  one  replying  or  referring  to  any 
question  will  please  mention  the  number  of  it. 


9.  The  Influence  of  Stock  on  Graft. — With 
us  Grimes'  Golden  is  below  medium 
size.  At  our  County  Exhibition  in 
October  among  the  dozens  of  Grimes' 
Golden  shown,  was  one  dozen  twice  as 


large  as  some  of  the  others.  I  asked 
the  exhibitor,  "  How  do  you  grow  them 
so  large  V  "  By  top  grafting  on  the 
Holley,"  was  the  reply.  The  Holley  is 
a  Nova  Scotia  seedling,  a  very  large 
apple.  What  do  you  think  of  this  ? 
C.  E.  Brown,  Yarmouth,  N.  S. 

Neither  the  scientific  study  of  the 
growth  of  the  tree,  nor  the  experience 
of  our  most  reliable  pomologists,  favors 
the  idea  that  the  stock  has  any  power 
to  change  the  identity  of  the  fruit  grown 
upon  the  scion.  It  may  have  some  in- 
fluence upon  habits  of  growth  in  certain 
ways.  Thus  grafting  a  standard  pear 
upon  the  slow  growing  quince  dwarfs  its 
growth,  and  by  hindering  the  free  re- 
turn of  the  sap  causes  it  to  be  the  more 
directed  to  the  development  of  the 
fruit ;  so  that  in  certain  cases,  as  with 
the  Duchess,  the  fruit  is  larger  and 
finer  thus  dwarfed.  A  tender  tree 
may  also  be  made  hardy  by  grafting  it 
upon  a  hardy  stock  ;  thus  the  peach 
will  sometimes  succeed  upon  the  plum 
stock  where  it  would  otherwise  fail. 
But  it  is  not  at  all  probable  that  the 
Grimes  Golden  would  grow  larger  upon 
the  Holley  stock,  simply  because  the 
Holley  stock  bore  a  large-sized  fruit. 
See,  however,  article  by  Dr.  Hoskins, 
p.  233. 

Mr.  A.  M.  Smith  says  :  "  The  influ- 
ence of  stock  on  scion  is  an  old  ques- 
tion, and  one  on  which  there  is  a  dif- 
ference of  opiniou.  I  think  the  quality 
of  the  fruit  depends  more  on  the  vigor 
of  the  stock  and  the  cultivation  it  re- 
ceives and  the  soil  than  it  does  on  any 
special  variety  on  which  it  may  be 
grafted."     See  Report  N.  S.  A.,  p.  34. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


269 


10.  The  Most  Able  Pomologist. — Do  you 
know  of  any  one  who  is  familiar 
enough  vrith  varieties  of  apples  groum 
under  different  conditions  to  he  able  to 
identify  them  ?  C.  E.  Brown. 

There  is  no  man  living  equal  in 
this  respect  to  the  late  lamented  Chas. 
Downing.  Probably  Mr.  P.  C.  Barry, 
of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  is  the  most  able 
pomologist  of  the  present  time. 

11.  Greenhouse  and  heating. — For  a  green- 
house how  far  the  depth  in  ground, 
what  width  generally,  what  glass  and 
size  is  best  to  use,  and  what  is  the  latest 
heater  ?      r.  N.  Jamesoii,  Whitby,  Ont. 

REPLY  BY  DR.  BEADLE. 

I  must  confess  to  being  not  a  little 
puzzled  over  this  questions  which  yon 
have  sent  to  me  for  answer.  The  pro- 
per answer  hinges  greatly  upon  the  use 
which  Mr.  Jameson  wishes  to  make  of 
the  structure,  but  of  which  he  has  not 
given  the  slightest  hint.  I  will  take  ic 
for  granted  however  that  he  wishes  to 
propagate  plants,  and  reply  accordingly. 

If  the  soil  will  admit  of  it  he  may 
have  the  walls  all  in  the  ground,  rising 
above  the  surface  just  enouge  to  admit 
of  a  few  inches  projection  of  the  roof 
so  as  to  throw  off  the  water.  Such  a 
house  can  be  heated  much  more  econom- 
ically than  where  the  walls  are  above 
the  surface.  In  many  soils  it  is  im- 
possible to  go  so  deep  because  of  water 
in  the  ground. 

The  interior  width  is  most  convenient 
when  made  at  ten  feet,  allowing  two 
feet  for  the  walk  and  four  feet  for  each 
of  the  tables. 

I  have  used  Chance's  thick  sheet 
glass,  eight  by  ten  inches  and  found  it 


perfectly  satisfactory  ;  but  if  hail  storms 
are  frequent  at  Whitby,  it  would  be 
better  to  use  an  extra  thick  quality. 

The  latest  heater  is  steam.  I  have 
not  tried  steam  and  cannot  therefore 
give  an  opinion  upon  the  merits  of 
steam  heating  from  personal  experience. 
My  greenhouses  are  heated  with  hot 
water,  but  I  have  only  a  small  range 
of  glass  as  compared  with  many  florists, 
especially  in  the  United  States.  Our 
horticultural  periodicals  have  published 
a  good  deal  of  late  on  the  question  of 
steam  versus  hot  water  heating.  From 
my  reading  on  the  subject  I  am  inclin- 
ed to  the  opinion  that  for  heating  a 
large  establishment,  especially  in  a  cli- 
mate subject  to  very  great  and  sudden 
changes  of  temperature,  steam  will 
prove  to  be  the  safest,  because  a  sudden 
and  extreme  lowering  of  the  thermom- 
eter can  be  more  speedily  counteracted 
in  every  one  of  the  houses  and  in  every 
part  of  each  house  by  steam  than  by 
hot  water. 

This  matter  of  heating  is  largely  a 
question  of  the  extent  of  surface  to  be 
heated.  A  properly  built  flue  will  be 
the  most  economical  method  of  heating 
a  small  area,  where  hard  firing  will  not 
at  any  time  be  needed.  The  danger  of 
setting  the  structure  on  fire,  of  cracking 
the  flue  so  as  to  allow  gases  to  escape 
from  the  burning  fuel  into  the  house, 
and  of  having  one  end  of  the  house  too 
hot  and  the  other  too  cold,  is  always 
present  when  a  flue  is  relied  upon  to 
heat  any  considerable  amount  of  glass 

12.  Grapes  and  Small  Fruits  tor  Orillia. — 
In  your  December  Number  please  give 
me  the  names  oj  four  or  five  grapes,  a 


270 


THE   OA.NADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


strawberry,  and  at  least  three  raspberries 
that  would  succeed  at  Orillia. 

John  S.  Warren. 

Among  the  black  grapes  try  Cham- 
pion, Moore's  Early  and  Worden  ;  the 
first  is  poor  in  quality  but  very  hardy, 
For  red  try  Brighton  or  Lindley,  and 
for  white,  Niagara  or  Empire  State. 

Perhaps  the  best  strawberry  for  gen- 
eral purposes  to  plant  at  Orillia  would 
be  the  Crescent  Seedling. 

In  raspberries  try  the  Turner  for  red, 
the  Hilborn  or  Ohio  for  black.  Th6 
yellow  raspberries  are  not  so  hardy. 
(See  article  on  Golden  Queen  on  p.  241.) 

13.  Rust  on  the  Strawberry  Leaves. — Are 
you  familiar  with  the  rust  on  the 
strawberry  ;  and  is  it  that  which  affects 
enclosed  leaves.  1  C.  E.  Brown. 

We  have  so  little  rust  on  the  straw- 
berry at  Grimsby  that  we  referred  to 
Mr.  Hilborn  for  his  experience.  He 
writes  :  "  I  have  had  strawberry  leaves 
affected  with  rust  the  same  as  samples 
you  sent  every  season  since  I  began 
their  culture,  but  have  met  with  no 
serious  results.  The  Manchester  is 
perhaps  more  affected  than  any  other 
sort ;  sometimes  the  crop  of  fruit  will 
be  somewhat  less  on  plants  that  have 
been  planted  two  or  more  years,  but 
have  not  found  any  injury  to  the  first 
crop  gi'own  on  any  of  my  plantations. 
More  than  one-half,  of  a  hundred  varie- 
ties I  have  grown,  have  shown  more  or 
less  of  that  rust.  Among  those  most 
affected  are  Manchester,  Wilson, 
Windsor  Chief,  Atlantic,  Arnold's 
Pride,  Bright  Ida,  Lacon,  Cornelia, 
Daniel  Boone,  Prince  of  Berries,  Mrs. 
Garfield,  and  many  others." 


14.  Pruning  Currants  and  Gooseberry  bushes 
for  fruit. — When  should  this  be  done,  and 
what  is  the  best  method.  j.  p.  w. 

Currant  and  gooseberry  bushes  may 
be  pruned  in  either  fall  or  spring.  If 
in  the  fall  it  should  be  done  before 
severe  weather  comes  on,  and  if  in 
spring,  very  early  before  the  buds  begin 
to  swell. 

In  pruning  the  currant  our  practice 
is  to  cut  back  a  portion  of  the  new 
growth,  say  one  half  This  causes  the 
stems  to  grow  stocky,  and  to  throw  out 
a  good  many  side  branches  for  fruit 
bearing.  Besides  this,  the  old  wood, 
needs  thinning  out.  Half  a  dozen 
stems  to  each  bush  are  enough  to  leave. 

With  the  gooseberry  pretty  liberal 
pruning  is  also  necessary ;  not  perhaps 
shortening  in  as  with  the  currant,  but 
thinning  out  freely  both  old  and  new 
wood ;  remembering  always  that  the 
fruit  is  borne  upon  the  latter. 

15.  Making  cuttings  of  Currant  and  Goose- 
berry bushes. —  When  should  this  be  done  ? 
Will  cuttings  of  Jive  inches  long  grow  as 
readily  as  those  fifteen  inches  long  ? 
Should  they  be  planted  in  the  spring  or 
fall  ?  J.  P.  W. 

The  best  time,  both  for  making  and 
planting  the  cuttings  would  perhaps  be 
in  October ;  but  even  in  that  case  they 
would  be  better  mulched  with  some 
coarse  strawy  manure  when  winter  sets 
in.  If  made  early  in  December  they 
should  be  packed  away  in  sand  or  saw- 
dust until  spring,  and  then  planted 
early.  Cuttings  of  about  one  foot  in 
length  are  surest  to  grow,  if  planted 
deeply,  leaving  only  two  or  three  buds 
above   gi'ound;   but  we   have   seldom 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


271 


failed  in  our  own  experience,  with  cut- 
tings five  or  six  inches  in  length.  We 
usually  cut  them  at  the  time  of  our 
spring  pruning  in  March  and  bury  them 
in  sand  for  a  few  weeks.  Very  few  fail 
to  grow,  and  any  novice  should  succeed. 

16.  Grape  cuttings. — Should  grape  cut- 
tings from  fall  pruning  be  planted  now, 
and  packed  in  sand  until  spring  ? 

J.  P.  W. 
It  will  be  safer  to  pack  them  in  sand 
in  the  celler,  or  bury  them  in  dry  sandy 
loam   out   doors,   and   plant    them    in 
spring. 

17.  Manure  for  Currant  and  Gooseberry 
bushes. —  Would  sulphate  of  iron  or  hone 
dust  mixed  with  ashes  he  the  most  econ- 
omic manure  for  currants  and  goose- 
berry bushes  in  bearing,  inoney  value 
being  equal. 

J.  P.  W.,  Homings  Mills,  Ont. 

18.  Ardisia  Crenulata. — In  the  November 
Number  you  rejer  to  A.  Crenulata  as  a 
desirable  house  plant.  Local  florists  do 
not  know  it,  will  you  kindly  inform  me 
where  it  can  be  got. 

C.  H.  Dunning,  Toronto,  Ont, 
We  think  it  cannot  be  purchased 
nearer  than  New  York  City  at  present. 
We  asked  Mr.  Jas.  Vick  about  it  and 
he  says  "  We  do  not  grow  it,  and  do 
not  think  is  can  be  purchased  in  Roch- 
ester." Mr.  E.  S.  Carman  of  Jiural 
New-  Yorker,  writes  "  You  can  get  the 
Ardisia  of  Peter  Henderson  (k  Co.,  New 
York,  or  of  John  Saul,  Washington." 

REPLIES    TO    PREVIOUS    QUESTIONS. 

1.  Huckleberries. — Mr.  Lovett,  Little 
Silver,  N.  J.,  writes :  "  Please  cor- 
rect the  error  on  page  248.  I  have 
the   Bell  and  Cherry  Cranberries,  but 


no  Huckleberries.  My  many  attempts 
to  grow  this  fruit  have  in  all  cases  re- 
sulted, the  same  as  with  your  corres- 
pondent from  Owen  Sound,  in  failure." 

Mr.  W.  A.  Dempsey,  son  of  Mr.  P. 
C.  Dempsey,  of  Trenton,  Ont.,  says  : 
"  Wild  Huckleberry  plants  can  be  got 
in  quantity  here  at  cost  of  labour  dig- 
ging them,  say  50c.  per  100  or  |4  per 
1,000,  There  are  a  great  many  pails 
picked  off  my  place  each  season.  I 
like  what  is  called  the  Bill-berry  better, 
only  that  it  mildews.  The  bushes  are 
much  larger  ;  I  have  seen  them  about 
8  feet  high." 

7.  Fruit  Dryer. — In  order  to  answer 
this  question,  we  wi-ote  to  the  Ameri- 


V.    3.    COOK    STOVE    DBIKR. 


can  Manufacturing  Co.,   Waynesboro, 
Penn.,  asking  for   a   cut  of  their  U 


272 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


S.  Cook  Stove  Drier.  Through  the 
kindness  of  this  firm  we  present  our 
readers  with  the  accompanying  il- 
lustration, which  may  be  interest- 
ing to  many  Canadian  readers.  The 
weight  is  only  about  twenty-five  J 
pounds,  so  that  it  may  be  easily 
handled  by  the  servant  or  mistress. 
The  trays  are  of  galvanised  wire 
cloth,  and  therefore  will  not  rust  or 
discolor  the  fruit.     The  price  is  $7. 


J[lotD£r0. 


THE  BELL  FLOWERS. 

"  With  drooping  bells  of  purest  blue, 
Thou  didst  attract  my  childish  view." 

There  are   only  three  species  of 
the  Campanula  family  common  in 
our  Canadian  woods,  viz.,  the  Hare- 
bell, or  Blue  Bell  of  Scotland  (C.   rotundifolia), 
found  on  rocky,  shaded  banks;  the  Tall  Bellflower 
(C.  Americana),  the  stem  of  which  grows  from 
three  to  six  feet  high,  with  blue  flowers  also ;  and 
the  Marsh  or  Rough-Leaved  Bellflower  (C.  apa- 
rinoides  ,  with    lavender  flowers,   which  is  of  a 
climbing  habit. 

But  there  are  besides  these,  in  various  parts  of 
the  world,  nearly  300  known  species.  Many  of 
these  are  cultivated  in  flower  gardens,  and  may 
be  seen  described  in  the  catalogues  of  our  leading 
florists  and  nurserymen.  Some  are  annuals,  some 
are  perennials,  like  the  Harebell  above  men- 
tioned, and  some  are  biennials  and  die  after  the 
second  year,  as  the  Canterbury  Bell  (C.  Media) 
and  the  Peach-Leaved  Harebell  (C.  persicifolia). 

To  this  last  class  belongs  also  the  Climbing 
Bellflower  (C  rapunculoides),  which  is  so  well 
shown  by  the  cut  kindly  loaned  us  by  the  Popular 
Gardening  Co. 

The  name  Campanula  is  a  diminutive  of  the  Ita- 
lian campana,  a  bell,  from  the  shape  of  its  corolla. 


CLIMBING  BELL-FLOWER. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTI0ULTUEI8T. 


273 


WINTER  FLOWERING  BULBS. 

BY   HERMANN  SIMMERS,  TORONTO. 

THE    EASTER    LILY. 

Among  the  varieties  most  suited  for 
indoor  culture,  we  may  class  the  Easter 
Lily  (Lilium  longiflorum,  Harrisii). 
This  variety,  on  account  of  its  easy 
culture,  has  of  late  years  been  given  a 
prominent  place  by  all  amateurs ;  but 
there  may  be  some  readers  of  the  Hor- 
Hculturist  who  are  not  aware  of  its  re- 
markably easy  culture,  and  who  would 
give  it  a  trial  if  they  only  had  some 
thoroughly  explicit  directions.  We  will 
endeavour  to  give  some  directions  based 
upon  a  thorough  practical  experience  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  Easter  Lily. 

Take  a  sufficient  quantity  of  good 
rich  loam  to  fill  an  ordinary  pint  pot 


THE  EASTER   LILY. 

about  three-quarters  full,  add  the  re- 
maining quarter,  of  ordinary  sand,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  earth  from  souring; 


then  place  the  bulb  in  the  centre  of  the 
pot,  care  being  taken  not  to  press  the 
earth  under  the  bulb  at  all,  so  that  the 
roots  of  the  bulb  will  have  easy  growth. 
Press  the  earth  firmly  around  the  bulb, 
after  which  water  thoroughly  ;  then 
place  the  pot  in  a  totally  dark  portion 
of  a  moderately  warm  cellar,  tempera- 
ture not  to  be  lower  than  40°,  or  in  a 
box,  which  would  require  to  be  covered. 
Watering  the  pot  would  be  necessary 
about  once  a  week,  or,  if  the  mould  is 
moderately  damp,  it  could  be  left  for 
about  ten  days. 

After  treating  the  balb  in  this  form 
for  about  eight  weeks,  itcould  bebrought 
to  the  light,  care  being  used  not  to  bring 
it  to  the  light  suddenly,  or  else  the  stem 
will  be  forced  too  quickly,  and  not  be 
able  to  hold  the  large  truss  of  white 
flowers  which  would  appear  in  about 
five  weeks  after  the  above  treatment. 

We  might  add  that  it  is  necessary  to 
water  it  at  regular  intervals,  at  the 
same  time  that  the  other  plants  in  the 
house,  or  conservatory,  are  watered ; 
but  not  too  much  at  a  time,  as  the 
bulb  is  liable  to  rot  with  too  much 
watering. 

If,  at  times,  the  bulb  does  not  show 
as  quick  a  growth  as  is  desirable,  an 
application  of  some  prepared  plant  food 
may  be  given  it,  when  the  diflference 
will  at  once  be  noted. 

The  directions,  as  given  above,  may 
appear  somewhat  lengthy  to  the  readers 
of  the  Horticulturist,  but  the  actual 
cultivation  of  the  Easter  Lily  will  not 
be  found  greater  trouble  than  that  of 
other  plants  in  genei-al. 

Toronto,  8th  Nov.,  1886. 


2  74 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


THE  HOLLYHOCK. 

BY  M.  W.   M.,  OWEN  SOUND,  ONT. 

Upon  a  dry  and  withered  stalk 

There  sat,  in  bright  array, 
The  last  of  all  the  Hollyhocks, 

To  bloom  alone  and  die. 

To  bloom  alone,  when  none  were  left 

Of  all  the  floral  band  ; 
And  not  a  voice  of  summer  bird 

Was  heard  throughout  the  land. 

And  so,  methought,  we  sometimes  see 
One  far  from  friends  removed. 

While  yet  they  might  have  lent  their  aid. 
And  in  affliction  soothed. 

And,  like  the  flowers,  we  all  shall  fade. 

In  winter's  tomb  be  laid. 
Yet  we  in  Christ  shall  rise  again, 

In  youthful  bloom  re-made. 
Written  for  Canadian  Horticulturist. 


Jfruit0. 


TIMELY  HINTS. 

Manure  the  Orchard. — Now  is  the  time, 
when  other  work  is  closing  up,  to  show 
kindness  to  the  fruit  trees.  The  trees 
have  just  exerted  themselves  in  behalf 
of  their  owner,  and  now  deserve  their 
reward.  Indeed,  unless  a*  top  dressing 
of  compost,  or  of  wood  ashes,  is  given 
them  every  year  or  so,  they  will  be  re- 
venged by  producing  small,  spotted,  un- 
salable fruit. 

Cleaning  up  all  rubbish  about  the  trees 
is  also  work  for  this  season.  Bits  of 
corn  stalks,  straw,  or  brush  about  young 
trees,  will  encourage  the  depredations 
of  the  mice  throughout  the  winter. 
These  should  be  carefully  cleared  away, 
and  a  mound  of  fine  earth  packed  closely 
about  the  trunk.  Nothing  will  more 
eflfectually  save  the  trees  from  the  de- 


predations of  mice  than  this.  Thousands 
of  trees  are  annually  destroyed  in 
Canada  every  winter,  in  time  of  deep 
snow,  through  neglect  of  this  simple 
precaution. 

The  old  fashioned  rail  fence  is  an  abomi- 
nation about  an  orchard  or  garden.  It 
accumulates  tremendous  banks  of  snow, 
and  every  tree  within  twenty  feet  of 
such  a  fence  is  a  temptation  to  this 
despicable  foe,  the  field  mouse.  The 
wire  fence,  properly  built,  is  the  best 
for  an  orchard.  Once  we  agreed  with 
a  suggestion  in  the  American  Agricul- 
turist that  the  wire  should  be  fastened 
on  rows  of  trees  planted  in  line  to  take 
the  place  of  posts ;  but  experience  has 
taught  us  that  this  does  not  pay.  As 
the  tree  grows,  the  wire  is  bent  out 
about  the  staple,  and  breaks  frequently, 
thus  proving  a  constant  nuisance.  Good 
cedar  posts  are  best  of  all  supports  for 
a  wire  fence.  They  may  be  set  fifteen 
feet  apart,  if  well  braced  here  and  there. 

Keeping  Winter  Apples. — We  frequently 
see  it  stated  that  apples  will  keep  their 
fresh  crisp  state  far  better  if  pitted  like 
potatoes,  than  if  kept  in  the  cellar.  It 
is  said  that  in  Kentucky  whole  barrels 
of  apples  are  frequently  stored  in  pits 
in  this  way.  A  trench  is  dug  one  foot 
deep,  a  layer  of  straw  put  in  the  bot- 
tom, and  the  barrels  laid  in  end  to  end  ; 
then  a  thick  covering  of  alternate  layers 
of  straw  and  earth  is  made,  sufficient  to 
keep  out  the  frost,  and  to  shed  the  rain. 

Apples  so  kept  are  said  to  come  out 
wonderfully  fresh  and  crisp,  and  to 
keep  much  longer  than  by  the  usual 
method.  Perhaps  some  of  our  readers 
would  like  to  experiment,  and  find  out 


THB   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


275 


whether  the  plan  would  succeed  in  our 
more  rigorous  climate. 

Grape  Cuttings. — Most  propagators  ad- 
vise making  grape  cuttings  in  the  au. 
tumn,  and  burying  them  until  the 
spring,  so  that  the  cut  surface  may  heal ; 
or  early  in  December,  and  packing  them 
away  in  sand  in  the  root  cellar.  No 
doubt  this  is  the  best  time,  but  we 
usually  have  complete  success  with  cut- 
tings from  wood  pruned  in  March.  We 
bury  them  as  soon  as  the  frost  is  out, 
and  leave  them  two  or  three  weeks. 
Scarcely  any  fail  to  grow. 

Cuttings  need  to  be  about  six  inches 
long,  and  include  two  buds  :  those  with 
one  bud  seldom  succeed,  except  in  a 
green  house,  or  hot  bed. 


RASPBERRIES  FOR  MARKET. 

BY  W.  W.  niLBORN,  ARKONA, 

To  grow  the  Blackcap  raspberry  for 
market  I  plant  them  in  rows  eight  feet 
apart  and  three  feet  apart  in  the  row. 

If  the  soil  is  as  rich  as  it  should  be 
for  Blackcaps,  this  will  not  be  too  great 
a  distance. 

When  they  get  to  be  full  grown 
plants  there  will  only  be  space  enough 
left  between  the  rows  to  gather  the 
fruit  and  work  around  the  plants. 

When  the  new  growth  of  the  first 
year  reaches  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  in 
height,  pinch  it  back ;  the  second  year 
after  planting,  allow  it  to  grow  about 
two  feet  high  before  pinching  back- 
There  is  more  danger  of  letting  them 
get  too  high  before  pinching  back,  than 
tliere  is  in  heading  back  too  soon. 

By  keeping  the  plants  down  low  the 
wind  does  not  break  them  down  so  much 


and  they  will  produce  a  larger  crop  of 
fruit. 

Give  them  good  cultivation  early  in 
in  the  season,  stirring  the  soil  often, 
and  do  not  wait  until  the  weeds  spring 
up  and  force  you  to  cultivate  them. 
By  moving  the  soil  often,  you  promote 
growth,  and  weeds  have  no  chance  to 
get  a  start. 

Cut  out  all  old  wood  as  soon  as  the 
crop  of  fruit  has  been  gathered.  Cul- 
tivate and  plough  the  land,  throwing 
the  soil  toward  the  plants. 

By  stopping  cultivation  early,  the 
new  wood  or  canes  will  ripen  up  well 
before  winter  comes  on,  thus  enabling 
them  to  stand  lower  temperature  with- 
out injury. 

They  will  require  nothing  more  un- 
til spring,  when  the  bushes  will  need 
pruning  back. 

They  should  be  well  cultivated  as 
early  in  spring  as  the  soil  will  per- 
mit, and  the  cultivator  kept  going 
through  them  often,  (once  a  week  is 
none  too  often)  until  the  fruit  begins 
to  color.  Where  mulch  of  either  coarse 
manure  or  straw  can  be  procured  it 
should  be  placed  around  the  bushes, 
on  the  land  that  cannot  be  reached  by 
the  cultivator,  immediately  after  culti- 
vating out  the  first  time  in  spring.  This 
will  help  to  keep  down  weeds  and  re- 
tain moisture. 

VARIETIES    TO    PLANT. 

In  recommending  varieties  to  plant 
for  market,  I  will  only  speak  of  those 
that  have  been  well  tested  in  many 
parts  of  the  country,  and  say  nothing 
about  the  new  varieties,  some  of  which 
are  very  promising. 


276 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


Tyler  and  Souhegan  are  the  best  for 
an  early  crop,  Mammoth  Cluster  for 
medium,  and  Gregg  for  late.  The  Gregg 
is  a  very  large  and  productive  berry, 
but  it  is  not  quite  hardy  in  some 
localities. 

Shaffer's  is  the  best  cap  variety,  all 
things  taken  into  consideration,  with 
which  I  am  acquainted  for  canning  pur- 
poses. It  is  a  purple  berry,  and  if  left 
to  get  a  little  over-ripe  it  turns  brown, 
which  will  materially  lessen  its  sale  in 
any  market  where  it  is  not  known. 

RED  OR  SUCKERING  VARIETIES. 

These  should  be  grown  in  about  the 
same  way  as  the  cap  varieties,  but  the 
rows  should  be  only  six  feet  apart. 
Do  not,  on  any  account,  neglect  to  cul- 
tivate them  as  early  in  the  spring  as 
the  soil  will  permit.  Suckers  form 
almost  without  number  on  their  roots 
in  the  fall,  and  come  almost  to  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil  (sometimes  even  show- 
ing above),  and  they  begin  to  grow 
very  early  in  the  spring,  and  almost 
before  you  know  it  the  gi-ound  will  be 
covered  with  young  plants,  which  take 
the  substance  away  from  the  bearing 
ones.  They  should  be  cut  off  as  weeds ; 
and,  if  not  allowed  to  grow  in  the  fore 
part  of  the  season,  they  will  give  very 
little  trouble  later. 

Hansell  is  the  earliest.  It  is  not 
large,  and  it  resembles  the  wild  rasp- 
berries in  its  habits  of  growth,  and  it  is 
not  the  best  in  quality.  Yet,  with  all  its 
faults,  I  believe  it  is  the  best  early  mar- 
ket red  raspberry  we  have.  It  requires 
rich  soil.  Turner  is  not  quite  as  early, 
but  good  in  quality ;  it  is  larger  and  the 


hardiest  of  them  all.     It  is  not  firm 
enough  to  ship  to  a  distant  market. 

Cuthbert  is  the  largest,  latest  and 
best  market  berry  where  it  does  not 
kill  too  much  back  with  the  winter. 


OUR  GARDEN  AND  ORCHARD. 

BY   JOHN   CROtL,  AULTSVILLE. 

(Concluded.) 
GRAPES. 

With  an  assortment  of  fifteen  kinds 
we  have  the  same  tale  to  tell.  A  large 
crop,  beautiful  bunches,  but  only  about 
one-quarter  of  them  reaching  maturity. 
No  vine  is  worth  planting  in  our  cold 
North  that  does  not  ripen  its  fruit  by 
the  middle  of  September.  The  Cham- 
pion, of  course,  always  does — bette?'  it 
than  none, — the  Hartford  and  Dela- 
ware generally.  Moore's  Early  and 
Worden  ripened  well  with  us  this  year, 
and  are  a  decided  improvement  on  any 
we  have  had.  All  Rogers'  Hybrids  we 
have  tried  are  too  late  in  ripening — 
beautiful,  many  of  them.  Salem,  Wilder, 
Agawam,  Brighton  and  Massasoit, 
heavily  laden  and  beautiful.  All  the 
more  tantilizing  to  have  them  all  de- 
stroyed by  frost  when  just  on  the  eve 
of  ripening. 

STRAWBERRIES. 

We  had  seven  kinds  on  three  quarters 
of  an  acre.  In  future  we  will  confine 
ourselves  to  the  Wilson,  Crescent  and 
Early  Canada.  The  latter  for  its  only 
recommendation  has  earliness.  It  is  a 
poor  berry,  and  is  liable  to  be  destroyed 
by  frost  when  in  blossom.  Our  plants 
wintered  well,  and  promised  a  good  re- 
turn j  but  we  are  far  from  boasting  of 
the  same,  I'll  venture  to  boast,  how- 
ever, of  my  friend  Mr.  Beall's  crop — 
too  modest  he  to  boast  of  his  own.    He 


THE    CANADIAN    H0RTICULTUEI8T. 


277 


had  1,600  quarts  on  one-eighth  of  an 
acre — ^jiist  what  I  had  on  three-quarters 
of  an  acre,  i.e.,  mine  six  times  told. 

BLACK  SPOT  ON  THE  APPLE. 

For  many  years  this  disease  has  been 
going  on  from  bad  to  worse,  till  now 
our  orchard  hardly  deserves  the  name. 

Mr.  E.  P.  Powell,  of  Clinton,  the 
writer  of  a  sensible  letter  on  apples 
which  appeared  in  the  New  York 
Independent  of  23rd  Sept.,  says  : — 

"  If  anything  can  be  more  gratifying 
*'  than  to  "see  a  row  of  these  lovely 
*•'  apj)les  in  October  it  must  be  outside 
"of  the  apple  orchard.  The  fruit  is 
''superb  in  quality  as  well  as  beauti- 
"ful." 

So  said  I  ten  yeai-s  ago,  but  a  dif- 
ferent tale  we  have  to  tell  to-day.  Our 
once  noble  Fameuse  seems  to  be  played 
out.  Spotted  is  no  name  for  mine. 
Shrivelled  up  and  black  nearly  all  over, 
it  is  a  cumberer  of  the  ground  and  en- 
tirely worthless.  In  1877  I  gathered 
from  two  trees  seventeen  barrels  of 
apples  as  beautiful  as  Mr.  Powell  de- 
scribes, and  sold  them  for  $51.  My 
200  trees  will  come  short  of  yielding 
me  such  an  amount  this  year.  The  St. 
Lawrence  and  Mcintosh  Red  are  not 
much  better.  The  Tolman  Sweet,  which 
till  this  year  escaped,  is  badly  spotted. 
I  am  sorry  to  say  even  the  Wealthy  is 
spotted,  although  not  to  the  same  ex- 
tent as  the  above  kinds.  The  American 
Golden  Russet  is  about  the  only  healthy 
tree  I  have.  They  are  entirely  free 
from  the  spot,  and  bore  heavily. 

My  own  orchard  and  a  few  adjoining 
are  more  affected  by  the  disea.se  than 
any  I  know  of,  but  the  following  re- 


ports, which  I  received  in  answer  to 
enquiries  concerning  the  progress  of  the 
disease  from  parties  in  different  sections, 
show  the  disease  to  be  general : 

Toronto. — Messrs.  Stone  <fe  Welling- 
ton say  :  The  s})ot  on  the  Fameuse  is 
worse  this  year  than  usual,  and  the  fruit 
is  much  smaller.  Our  Wealthy  apples 
at  the  nursery  are  not  spotted  at  all. 

Lindsay. — Thomas  Beall  :  My  Fa- 
meuse is  much  worse  than  ever  before. 
I  may  possibly  be  able  to  see  one-half 
of  them,  but  I  think  I  could  not  find 
one  per  cent,  clear.  The  St.  Lawrence 
are  equally  unsalable,  caused  by  crack- 
ing. The  Wealthy  injured,  but  not  to 
the  same  extent.  Alexander  both  spot- 
ted and  cracked. 

Iroquois. — Dr.  Harkness  :  The  Fa- 
meuse are  badly  spotted  ;  quite  free  in 
1885.  Have  only  a  few  Tolman  ;  they 
are  not  spotted  enough  to  injure  them 
seriously.  My  Wealthy  are  not  bear- 
"^g  y^t, ;  a  neighbor  had  a  few  almost 
free  from  spots,  a  beautiful  apple. 

Montreal. — James  Morgan,  jun. :  Fa- 
meuse apples  are  badly  spotted  in  this 
section,  especially  on  old  trees.  Weal- 
thy, I  think,  are  all  right.  Any  that 
I  have  seen  are  clean  and  large,  and  I 
think  will  supersede  the  Fameuse  in 
time. 

Village  des  Culnaies,  Co.  V Islet,  P. 
of  Q. — Auguste  Dupuis  :  Our  Fameuse 
are  less  spotted  this  year  than  last. 
Some  native  varieties  are  greatly  spot- 
ted. Farmers  whom  I  met  at  the  hor- 
ticultural county  fairs  complained  bit_ 
terly  of  the  great  damage  to  their  apples. 
They  say  that  the  spots  are  caused  by 
the    dampness   of  the   temperature  in 


278 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


July,  and  the  mists  which  cover  the 
sand.  We  are  near  the  St.  Lawrence, 
which  is  twenty-four  miles  wide  here ; 
mists  occur  often  when  the  breeze  comes 
from  the  east. 

Windsor,  JV.  S. — I  expected  a  report 
from  Professor  Hind,  but  it  has  not 
yet  come  to  hand.  From  a  friend, 
however,  who  visited  him  this  sunmier, 
I  learn  that  the  disease  is  bad  in  that 
locality.  He  (the  professor)  says  its 
iron  the  trees  want,  and  claims  to  have 
found  a  cure  by  its  application,  of  which 
we  will  report  when  we  hear  from  him. 
Meantime,  we  are  safe  in  trying  the 
experiment. 

WINTER   PROTECTION   OF    GRAPES. 

In  reading  the  RuraVs  report  of  the 
meeting  of  the  A.  H.  Society  we  notice 
that  Mr.  Geo.  Campbell,  a  veteran 
grape  culturist,  spoke  thus  on  this  sub- 
ject:  "I  advise  winter  protection  for 
all  vines.  In  mild  winters  they  are 
improved,  and  in  severe  ones  they  are 
saved  by  it.  I  have  long  been  con- 
vinced that  winter  protection  is  often 
the  turning  point  between  the  brightest 
success  and  a  complete  failure.  Nothing 
pays  better.  Injury  from  cold  leaves 
the  vine  more  susceptible  to  mildew 
and  disease.  In  a  general  way,  I 
advise  growing  the  best  kinds.  These 
with  the  additional  care  can  be  readily 
grown,  and  they  bring  good  prices, 
while  others  are  a  drug  in  the  market." 

Mr.  Green  said  :  "  All  have  room 
for  a  grape-vine,  No  man  with  a  house 
is  without  room  for  a  grape-vine.  There 
is  no  cheaper  food  for  farmers,  or  their 
help,  than  grapes."  Mr.  Ohmer  ; 
**  Grapes  should   be  grown   by   every- 


body. (Applause.)  I  find  great  ad- 
vantage in  winter  covering.  I  have  1 7 
varieties,  and  lay  them  all  down  in 
winter."  Mr.  Campbell  :  ''  Grapes 
upon  walls  often  escape  the  effects  of 
cold  and  disease  when  others  do  not." 
Mr.  Ford  also  believed  in  wall  training 
and  winter  protection.  "  I  grow  grapes 
on  three  sides  of  every  building  1  have. 
I  never  saw  rot  or  mildew  on  vines 
near  a  building.  I  intend  to  plant 
along  a  high  board  fence  and  build  a 
shed  to  extend  partly  over  the  vines." 
Mr.  Vandemann  said  :  "  The  north 
side  of  a  building  is  the  place  to  put 
any  tender  thing  ;  it  will  succeed  there 
when  it  will  not  on  the  south  side, 
where  the  evaporating  influences  are 
greater.  In  nature  we  find  that  all 
tender  plants  grow  on  the  northern  hill 
slopes,  none  on  the  southern  slopes." 
Several  members  spoke  of  the  advan- 
tages in  training  grapes  on  walls  and 
buildings,  also  on  trees.  Mr.  Pierce  : 
"  Grapes  will  not  grow  in  Ohio  on  the 
north  side  of  houses." 

[We  may  add  that  some  of  the  finest 
vineyards  in  the  Niagara  District  of 
Ontario  have  a  northern  exposure,  with 
the  Niagara  Escarpment  on  the  south 
side  of  them. — Ed.] 


PRUNING  GRAPE  VINES. 
The  Floral  Instructor  says  :  ''  The 
best  time  to  prune  grape  vines  is  as 
soon  after  the  leaves  have  fallen  as  pos- 
sible. If  left  until  spring  it  is  apt  to 
be  too  late  before  it  is  attended  to,  and 
there  is  always  some  loss  of  vigor  in 
vines  encumbered  during  several  months 
with  a  large  mass  of  useless  wood." 


THE    CANADIAN    H0RTICULTUBI8T. 


279 


[There  are  no  doubt  some  advantages 
in  pruning  grape  vines  on  fine  days  in 
the  fall  or  early  winter  before  severe 
cold  has  come.  March  in  Canada  is  a 
very  unpleasant  month  for  the  work ; 
and  if  cut  in  April  there  is  much  loss 
.of  strength  in  "bleeding."  But  we 
much  question  the  loss  of  vigor  from 
the  cause  mentioned  by  our  exchange. — 
Ed.] 

THE  GOLDEN  QUEEN. 

Mr.  W.  W.  Hilborn,  of  Arkona,  O., 
writes  as  follows  concerning  the  Golden 
Queen  Raspberry,  and  we  are  glad  that 
some  one  in  Canada  is  giving  ^it  a  fair 
trial,  so  that  we  know  for  a  certainty 
whether  it  is  adapted  to  our  climate. 
Mr.  Hilborn  says  : — 

"The  Golden  Queen  has  not  been 
gi'own  in  Canada  long  enough  to  know 
how  it  will  stand  our  winters.  I  planted 
two  hundred  of  them  last  spring.  They 
grew  well,  and  bore  quite  a  quantity  of 
very  fine  fi-uit,  about  the  size  of  the 
Cuthbert,  and  the  nearest  approach  to 
Brinckle's  Orange  in  quality  of  any 
yellow  raspberry  I  have  seen. 

"  They  resemble  Cuthbert  in  habit  of 
growth,  leaf  and  cane,  except  that  they 
are  lighter  in  color.  Should  they  prove 
to  be  hardy  they  will,  no  doubt,  be  the 
best  yellow  raspberry  we  have." 


NONSENSE. 

(A  humorous  letter  from  Mr.  D.  W.  Beadle.) 

Mr.  Editor, — Do  you  not  think  it 
desirable  that  our  horticultural  papers 
should  place  their  funny  paragraphs  in 
a  column  having  an  indicative  heading, 
such  as  "  FACETiiE,"  or  something  of  the 
kind,  and  not  scatter  them  promiscu- 


ously through  the  paper  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  unwary  reader  might 
mistake  the  paragraph  for  downright 
earnest  1  It  is  certainly  allowable  in 
an  agricultural  or  even  horticultural 
periodical  to  print  nonsense  occasion- 
ally, for  you  know 

' '  A  Httle  nonsense  now  and  then 
Is  relished  by  the  wisest  men," 

yet,  unless  properly  headed,  it  may 
sometimes  become  misleading.  For  in- 
stance, I  read  the  other  day,  in  a  very 
popular  gardening  paper,  that  we  should 
"  instead  of  selling  old  cast-iron  at  half- 
a-cent  per  pound,  put  small  pieces  near 
the  roots  of  grapes,  currants,  goose- 
berries, and  fruit  trees  ;  it  is  very  bene- 
ficial." As  a  bit  of  facetiousness,  this 
is  all  very  well,  but  as  a  piece  of  prac- 
tical utility  it  is  sheer  nonsense.  It  is 
hardly  possible  to  find  a  soil  in  which 
there  is  not  already  a  super-abundance 
of  iron,  so  far  as  that  mineral  is  re- 
quired by  vegetation  ;  and  the  planting 
of  small  pieces  of  cast  iron  near  the 
roots  of  trees  is  a  veritable  "  carrying 
of  coals  to  Newcastle." 

Again,  in  the  same  paper,  we  find 
the  inquiry,  "  What  can  be  done  to 
prevent  the  ravages  of  the  currant 
borer?"  answered  as  follows  :  "Scatter 
salt,  say  a  teaspoonful,  close  around 
each  bush  two  or  three  times  through 
the  season."  This  surely  must  be  in- 
tended for  a  huge  joke.  It  is  a  forcible 
reminder  of  the  advice  so  often  given 
to  the  small  boy  who  is  trying  to  catch 
a  bird,  namely,  to  "put  salt  on  his 
tail."  Yet  this  answer  is  printed  in 
such  a  manner  that  the  unsuspecting 
reader  might  be  entirely  misled  by  the 


280 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


arrant  nonsense  ;  and  surely  this  is  not 
justifiable. 

It  is  not  often  that  persons  who  are 
troubled  with  currant  borers  are  familiar 
with  the  habits  of  the  little  pest,  and, 
supposing  this  advice  to  have  been  given 
seriously  by  some  one  who  knows,  they 
may  waste  their  time  and  patience  sow- 
ing salt  on  the  ground,  close  around 
each  bush,  two  or  three  times  through 
the  season.  It  is  very  doubtful  if  it 
were  sown  directly  on  the  backs,  or  ap- 
plied to  the  tails,  of  the  borers  that 
it  would  cause  them  the  least  incon- 
venience, but  sown  on  the  ground,  as 
close  to  each  bush  as  possible,  it  most 
certainly  would  never  come  in  contact 
with  or  even  very  near  them,  and  could 
not  by  any  possibility  affect  them  in 
the  least. 

Once  more.  In  the  same  number  we 
are  told,  in  answer  to  an  inquiry,  that 
the  Schumaker  Peach  "  is  a  free-stone 
and  ripens  about  with  Crawford's 
Early."  Probably  this  is  not  intended 
as  a  joke,  but  is  merely  a  specimen  of 
the  knowledge  of  the  person  who  penned 
the  answer.  Now,  the  Schumaker  Peach 
is  not  a  free-stone,  but  is  one  of  the 
semi-clinging  stones,  such  as  the  Alex- 
ander, Amsden,  Early  Canada,  and  all 
that  class,  and  ripens  nearly  a  month 
before  the  Crawford's  Early. 

Nor  is  this  all.  The  paper  answers 
another  enquirer  and  tells  him  that 
seeds  of  Walnut,  Ash,  Catalpa  and  Box 
Alder,  i.e.,  Negundo  Aceroides,  "must 
be  planted  in  the  fall  or  else  mixed  with 
earth  and  put  out  to  freeze  through  the 
winter,  and  planted  in  early' spring." 
This  is  just  another  bit  of  nonsense, 


quite  misleading  if  taken  in  earnest. 
There  is  no  more  need  of  freezing  any 
of  these  seeds  than  there  is  of  roastinsr 
them.  In  the  case  of  the  Walnut,  it  is 
important  that  the  seeds  or  nuts  be  not 
allowed  to  dry,  hence  they  should  be 
mixed  with  moist  earth  and  kept  moist 
until  planted,  but  they  will  grow  just 
as  well  if  kept  in  that  condition  in  the 
cellar  as  if  they  are  "  put  out  to  freeze." 
The  Ash,  Catalpa  and  Box  Alder  seeds 
ujay  be  kept  in  a  paper  in  your  drawer 
all  winter  and  sown  in  the  spring  with 
just  as  much  certainty  of  growing  as  if 
they  were  mixed  with  earth  and  put 
out  to  freeze. 

Having  grown  all  these  from  the 
seed  and  found  them  to  germinate 
freely  when  treated  in  this  manner,  it 
seems  unkind  to  advise  a  novice  to  take 
so  much  unnecessary  trouble. 

St.  Catharines,  Nov.,  1886. 


A  NOVA  SCOTIA  LETTER. 
The  last  few  mails  have  brought  us 
several  kind  letters  from  Nova  Scotia 
showing  how  wide  spread  is  the  in- 
terest taken  in  our  Canadian  Horticul- 
turist. Among  these  letters  is  one  from 
a  very  old  friend  of  our  Association 
Mr.  Charles  E.  Brown,  of  Yarmouth, 
from  which  we  make  one  or  two  ex- 
tracts.    Speaking  of  the 

SHIAWASSEE  BEAUTY 

he  says  : — "  It  is  surprising  what  a  num- 
ber of  valuable  varieties  of  apples  are 
accredited  to  the  Fameuse  as  a  parent. 
Of  sixty-four  kinds  sent  me  from  Michi- 
gan, the  Shiawassee  Beauty,  a  seedling 
of  the  Fameuse,  appeared  to  me  the 
most  beautiful.     The  color  is  a  lovely 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


281 


shade  of  carmine,  unlike  any  other 
apple  I  ever  saw.  The  tree  is  said  to 
be  hardy,  and  the  fruit  to  keep  longer 
than  the  Fameuse,  and  to  be  free  fi'om 
from  spots  and  blemishes." 

It  is  a  most  startling  fact  to  apple 
growers  to  find  how  universally  preva- 
lent is  that  scourge  of  the  orchard,  the 

FUNGUS  SPOT  ON  THE  APPLE. 

We  find  from  Mr.  Brown's  letter 
that  not  even  the  salubrious  sea  breezes 
can  ward  oflf  this  plague.  He  says  : — 
"  The  crop  of  apples  in  this  Province 
is  very  large  this  season,  and  in  most 
kinds  of  high  quality,  with  good  color 
and  size.  Of  late  years,  certain  kinds, 
the  Yellow  Bellefleur  for  instance, 
formerly  always  exempt  from  spots, 
have  become  so  much  disfigured  that 
they  are  worthless  for  export ;  the  Fam- 
euse is  another  of  these  and  going  out 
of  use  in  the  best  fruit  counties.  At 
an  exhibition  in  Digby  County  last 
week,  I  saw  one  collection  of  some 
twenty-five  kinds,  nearly  all  of  which 
were  more  or  less  spotted,  the  apples 
were  also  small  in  size  for  the  kinds. 
In  this  case  I  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  trees  were  old,  unpruned  and 
neglected,  and  that  the  fungus  disease 
was  communicated  to  all  kinds  alike 
because  unthrifty.  It  would  be  a  wise 
man  however  who  could  give  an  ex- 
haustive statement  of  the  cause  of,  and 
remedy  for,  these  fungus  spots.  I  have 
the  Early  Harvest  and  the  Fameuse  in 
good  soil  and  well  pruned,  the  former 
utterly  worthless,  the  latter  will  give 
me  a  small  proportion  of  its  crop  in  fair, 
clear  fruit,  but  the  great  part  will  be 
spotted.     Full  exposure  to  sun  and  air 


is  essential  to  clear  fruit,  and  perhaps 
severe  pruning  would  be  in  many  cases 
the  sole  remedy  needed  " 

Let  us  hope  that  the  late  discoveries 
in  science  concerning  these  low  forms 
of  plant  life,  may  give  some  basis  upon 
which  our  scientific  students  of  horticul- 
ture may  solve  these  mysteries  and  pro- 
vide us  with  a  remedy.  (See  editorial 
under  '^Scientific.'")  This  spot  is 
spreading  in  Ontario  from  one  kind  to 
another.  Beginning  with  the  Fall  Pip- 
pin and  the  Fameuse  it  has  extended 
to  the  Rambo,  Greening,  Spitzenberg, 
Early  Harvest,  and  even  the  Northern 
Spy.  It  utterly  unfits  an  apple  for  fo- 
reign shipment,  indeed  a  spotted  apple 
can  hardly  be  sold  at  home. 

HONOURABLE  APPOINTMENT  OF 
MR.  WILLIAM  SAUNDERS, 

FORMER  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  JRUIT  GROWERS' 
ASSOCIATION   OF   ONTARIO. 

Our  readei*s  will  all  be  pleased  to 
read  the  following  letter  to  the  London 
Free  Press  from  an  Ottawa  correspon- 
dent : — 

"Prof.  Wm.  Saunders,  of  London, 
Ont.,  has  just  been  appointed  Director 
of  the  Experimental  Farm  Stations  of 
the  Dominion,  and  will  assume  the 
duties  of  his  important  ofiSce  at  once. 
His  jurisdiction  will  extend  over  the 
stations  in  all  parts  of  the  Provinces, 
under  the  direction  of  Hon.  Mr.  Carling, 
Minister  of  Agriculture.  He  was  en- 
gaged last  fall  in  visiting  institutions 
of  a  similar  character  in  the  United 
States,  and  prepai'ed  an  exhaustive  re- 
port on  his  observations.  That  report 
was  laid  before  Parliament  at  its  last 
session,  and   not  only  there,  but  from 


282 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


the  press  of  America  and  Great  Britain, 
received  the  highest  commendations  for 
its  comprehensiveness  and  general  ex- 
cellence. Since  that  Mr.  Saunders  has 
visited  England  in  charge  of  the  Cana- 
dian fruit  display  at  the  Colonial  and 
Indian  Exhibition,  and  since  his  return 
has  undertaken  several  experiments,  at 
the  instance  of  the  Minister  of  Agri- 
culture, in  the  shipment  of  early  varie- 
ties of  apples  and  other  fruits  and 
vegetables  in  refrigerators.  In  these 
undertakings  his  efforts  were  crowned 
with  the  success  which  generally  fol- 
lows intelligence  and  well  directed 
efforts.  Mr.  Saunders,  in  fact,  is  a 
gentleman  singularly  well  qualified  for 
the  position  to  which  Mr.  Carling  has 
appointed  him.  He  was  for  years 
President  of  the  Ontario  Fruit  Growers' 
Association — a  position  which  he  held 
by  reason  of  his  superior  knowledge  of 
all  that  appertains  to  the  cultivation  of 
fruit.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  chemists  of  the  Dominion,  and 
was  at  one  time  one  of  the  chief  oflScers 
of  the  American  Society  for  the  Pro- 
motion of  Science.  He  has  been  for 
years  the  leading  entomologist  of  the 
Dominion,  and  to  that  branch  of  natural 
science  has  made  many  valuable  literary 
contributions.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Board  in  charge  of  the  Pro- 
vincial Agricultural  College  at  Guelph — 
a  position  which  shows  in  some  degree 
the  extent  to  which  his  knowledge  of 
scientific  agriculture  is  recognized  by 
the  Ontario  Government.  He  has,  to 
an  extent  more  generally  perhaps  than 
any  other  man  in  the  Dominion,  con- 
ducted delicate  experiments  of  an  agri- 


cultural character,  and  in  assuming  the 
directorship  of  the  new  farm  stations 
will  be  following  in  the  groove  to  which 
his  efforts  and  education  have  for  years 
tended.  He  also  combines  with  rare 
executive  ability  the  faculty  of  intelli- 
gently communicating  his  ideas  to 
others.  Just  such  a  man  was  wanted. 
Mr.  Saunders  is  at  present  visiting  the 
Maritime  Provinces  for  the  purpose  of 
reporting  on  a  site  for  the  Central  Ex- 
perimental Farm  Station  for  the  three 
Lower  Provinces.  It  is  also  probable 
that  he  will  visit  Manitoba,  the  North - 
West  and  British  Columbia  at  an  early 
date,  or  in  the  spring,  for  the  purpose 
of  selecting  sites  for  the  stations  in 
those  Provinces.  In  the  meantime 
work  is  going  on  briskly  on  the  Central 
Farm  here,  and  the  introductory  opera- 
tions have  begun  in  earnest.  Mr. 
Saunders'  home  will  in  future  be  in 
Ottawa,  although  he  may  not  leave 
London  for  some  months  to  come. 


FRUITS  IN  MANITOBA. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  in  the 
Manitoba  Crop  Bulletin  of  15th  Octo- 
ber, sent  us  by  Mr.  Acton  Burrows, 
what  a  number  of  fruits  grow  wild  in 
that  country. 

There  are  very  few  cultivated  fruits 
except  raspberries,  currants,  goose- 
berries and  strawberries ;  these  succeed 
well,  especially  the  currants  and  goose- 
berries: but  the  varieties  of  plums, 
crab  apples  and  cherries,  which  we  grow 
in  Ontario,  are  for  the  most  part  a 
failure  in  Manitoba. 

It  is  especially  worthy  of  observation, 
however,  that  there  are  wild  varieties 


THE   CANADIAN    H0BTICDLTUBI8T. 


283 


of  many  fruits  indigenous  to  the  soil, 
and  suited  to  the  climate;  and  that 
these  grow  there  in  considerable  abund- 
ance. Wild  plums  are  reported  from 
84  townships,  wild  cherries  from  104, 
wild  grapes  from  11,  blueberries  from 
40,  cranberries  from  136,  and  June 
berries  from  3. 

Now  here  is  a  field  for  the  enter- 
prising and  scientific  horticulturists  in 
the  North- West.  Here  is  a  chance  for 
them  to  take  those  hardy  bushes  and 
vines,  placed  there  for  them  by  a  kind 
Providence,  and  by  high  cultivation, 
and  by  hybridizing,  to  succeed  in  pro- 
ducing varieties  of  great  excellence  that 
will  at  the  same  time  endure  the 
climate. 

We  have  even  more  confidence  in 
this  course  for  our  cousins  in  the  North- 
West  than  in  Russian  importations. 

A  NEW  FRUIT  PICKER. 

A  good  many  tools  have  been  in- 
vented to  lessen  the  arduous  labor  of 
climbing  up  and  down  trees  in  gather- 
ing fruit.  However,  for  the  general 
work  of  gathering  our  heavy  crops  of 
apples  and  pears,  we  do  not  think  any 
instrument  can  equal  that  old-fashioned 
one  invented,  about  six  thousand  years 
ago,  for  gathering  the  fruit  in  the  Gar- 
den of  Eden.  A  man,  with  'his  two 
hands  is  about  the  best  and  most  reli- 
able of  all  instruments  yet  invented. 

But  there  are  cases  in  which  one  of 
these  tools  may  be  used  to  great  advan- 
tage and  save  much|labor.  For  instance, 
in  gathering  choice  specimens  of  fruit 
for  exhibition,  such  a  tool  is  almost  in- 
dispensable. And,  where  the  fiiiit  is 
somewhat  scattered  upon  the  tree,  the 


use  of  an  apple  picker  would  save  much 
climbing,  and  moving  of  a  heavy  ladder. 

Again,  in  case  of  early  apples  and 
peaches,  which  must  be  picked  as  they 
ripen  or  get  their  color,  where  a  great 
amount  of  climbing  is  made  necessary 
and  consequent  injury  to  the  tree,  to- 
gether with  the  knocking  off  of  much 
green  fruit,  some  such  tool  would  save 
many  times  its  cost  in  a  single  season 
to  the  professional  fruit  grower. 

Most  of  the  fruit  pickers,  that  have 
been  invented  have  a  linen  bag,  with  a 
mouth  of  wire  so  arranged  as  to  catch 
the  apple  by  the  stem,  or  having  a  cover 
to  open  and  close  by  means  of  a  small 
iron  rod  running  down  the  handle. 
Such  kinds  are  veiy  convenient  for 
gathering  single  specimens ;  but,  as  one 
hand  is  required  to  pull  the  iron  rod,  it 
is  evident  that  to  gather  much  fruit  in 
the  bag  at  one  time  would  be  very  tire- 
some.    Another  objection  to  the  bag, 

A  A  /^  ]fi\  ^^  ^"^  opinion,  is 
ir\  M  r\fl1  the  danger  of  bruis- 


IfMlll'JilW 


ing  the  fruit  against 
the  limbs  in  work- 
ing the  picker. 

The  cut  shows  a 
new  fruit  picker, 
just  invented  by 
Mr.  Walter  Bur- 
gess, Parkdale,  Ont. 
Having  tried  it  in 
poiNBKR  FRDiT  picKBR.    Qyr    qwu   orchard, 

we  note  the  following  advantages  which 
it  has : — 

(1)  It  is  so  aiTunged  that  it  wilt 
catcli  the  apple  or  pear  on  any  side  by 
the  stem,  and  bring  it  off  with  the 
slightest  twist  of  the  pole. 


iiyiT 


T 


284 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


(2)  The  receptacle  being  made  of  tin 
and  not  of  cloth,  there  is  no  danger 
of  the  most  delicate  specimens  being 
bruised  against  the  limbs. 

(3)  The  picker  being  used  in  an  up- 
right position  with  both  hands,  about  a 
dozen  apples  can  be  picked  at  a  time 
without  difficulty. 

Of  course,  it  is  tiresome  to  use  any- 
such  tool  for  steady  and  long  continued 
work,  but  we  think  the  Burgess  Fruit 
Picker  has  merits  which  render  it 
worthy  of  this  notice. 


CANADIAN  FRUIT  AT  SOUTH 
KENSINGTON. 

One  of  the  most  comprehensive  dis- 
plays of  Canadian  fruit  ever  made  in 
Europe  is  now  on  view  in  the  conser- 
vatory of  the  Colonial  and  Indian  Ex- 
hibition. Contributions  are  made  by 
every  province  of  Canada,  from  Nova 
Scotia  and  New  Brunswick  to  Quebec 
and  Ontario,  and  even  by  Manitoba 
and  British  Columbia,  the  greater  part 
of  the  exhibits  having  been  collected, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Canadian 
Government,  by  Prof.  Wm.  Saunders, 
of  the  Western  University,  London, 
Ontario.  From  Ontario  and  Quebec 
excellent  specimens  are  shown  of  the 
varieties  of  apples  mostly  shipped  to 
British  markets,  and  the  body,  texture 
and  flavor  of  these  must  command  gen- 
eral admiration.  The  pears  are  specially 
noteworthy  for  size  and  color ;  while  an 
excellent  display  of  vegetables,  and  even 
Canadian  out-door  grapes,  is  made.  The 
Nova  Scotian  display  comprises  some 
fifty  varieties.  The  British  Columbia 
and  Manitoba  varieties  are  also  in- 
teresting, as  coming  from  parts  of  the 


Dominion  but  little  known  in  England 
for  their  fruit  growing  capabilities.  It 
is,  moreover,  important  to  note  that  the 
shipment  of  many  of  the  early  soft 
varieties  of  fruits  now  shown  was  made 
from  Canada  in  refrigerators,  and  the 
perfect  condition  in  which  they  arrived 
is  considered  to  fully  establish  the  value 
of  this  means  of  transit. — Farmers^ 
Gazette,  England. 


(Smntiftc, 


MICROBES,  FERMENTS  AND  MOULDS. 

This  is  the  title  of  a  new  book  just 
published  by  Kegan,  Paul,  Trench  &  Co., 
London,  Eng.  It  is  written  by  E.  L. 
Truessart,  a  Frenchman,  and  is  designed 
to  bring  this  interesting  department  of 
microscopic  study,  which  has  been  so 
successfully  pursued  by  M.  Pasteur, 
within  the  reach  of  the  general  public. 

The  book  is  an  interesting  one  to 
fruit  growers,  because  by  means  of  the 
principles  there  revealed,  no  doubt  many 
of  the  puzzling  questions  concerning 
blight,  yellows,  mildew,  rust,  &c.,  will 
be  solved. 

The  word  microbe  simply  means  a 
small  living  being,  without  defining 
whether  it  is  a  plant  or  an  animal ;  and 
indeed  scientists  cannot  agree  in  which 
kingdom  to  place  it.  Anyway,  it  is 
parasitic,  deriving  its  nourishment  from 
other  plants  or  animals,  and  is  either  the 
cause  or  the  accompaniment  of  very 
serious  diseases.  The  word  bacteria  has 
been  employed  synonymously  with  mi- 
crobe, but  it  properly  refers  to  only  one 
variety  of  these  organisms. 

It  almost  makes  one  shudder  to  be 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


told  what  multitudes  of  these  infinitesi- 
mal creatures  there  are  about  us  ;  and 
it  is  some  comfort  to  know  that  they 
are  too  small  for  our  natural  vision,  and 
that  we  need  the  most  powerful  lenses 
in  order  to  see  them  properly. 

Neither  is  it  pleasant  to  be  told  that 
many  of  our  diseases  are  due  to  the 
presence  of  these  microbes  in  the  blood, 
as  intermittent  and  typhoid  fevers, 
smallpox,  measles,  leprosy,  erysipelas, 
(fee. ;  or  that  there  are  kinds  which  in- 
fest the  human  teeth,  causing  decay, 
and  the  scalp  of  the  head,  causing  bald- 
ness, and  the  saliva,  causing  madness. 
Other  kinds,  again,  are  useful,  as,  for 
instance,  those  causing  fermentation  in 
wine  or  in  yeast. 

But  it  is  the  chapter  on  Parasitic 
fungi  that  most  interests  the  fruit 
grower.  There  we  are  told  that  the 
grape  vine  is  attacked  by  at  least  one 
hundred  different  kinds  of  these  minute 
organisms. 

Among  them  is  the  Oidium  or  White 
disease  imported  into  England  and 
France  from  America,  and  which  has 
nearly  destroyed  the  vineyards  of 
Madeira. 

Another  is  the  mildew^  only  too  well 
known  among  us,  and  to  which  the 
technical  name  Peronospora  Viticola 
has  been  given.  This  also  was  imported 
into  Europe  from  America.  There  are, 
it  seems,  both  summer  and  winter  spores 
of  the  mildew,  which  are  the  means  of 
its  dissemination.  The  white  filaments, 
or  hyphae,  bear  numerous  summer 
spores  which  are  diffused  through  the 
air  ;  while  the  withered  leaf  which  falls 
in  the  autumn  contains  the  winter  ones. 


These  latter  are  oospores,  or  Qgg  spores, 
and  will  germinate  the  following  spring. 

Therefore  it  is  evidently  wise  to  des- 
troy the  leaves  in  the  autumn,  and  with 
them  these  oospores ;  and  in  the  sum- 
mer the  vines  should  be  early  dusted 
with  sulphur,  from  which  sulphurous 
acid  is  gradually  set  free  to  the  total  des- 
truction of  the  summer  spores. 

Sulphate  of  iron  mixed  with  lime, 
and  dusted  on  is  also  effective  in  burn- 
ing up  this  minute  form  of  vegetable 
life.  It  should  be  mixed  in  the  pro- 
portion of  four  parts  sulphate  of  iron 
to  twenty  parts  of  lime. 


^ebitto. 


We  will  gladly  give  our  candid  opinion  of  any  hooks, 
magazines  or  catalogues  received,  especially  if  they 
are  likely  to  interest  or  benefit  Canadian  fruit 
growers,  but  will  not  insert  cut  and  dried  reading 
notices  in  favrjr  of  any  publication  whatever. 


REPORTS  OF  OTHER   SOCIETIES. 

Montreal  Horticultural  Society,  E.  J.  Max- 
well.  Secretary,  Montreal  P.O. — The 
Eleventh  Annual  Report  of  this  society 
has  just  come  to  hand.  It  includes  the 
report  of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Associa- 
tion of  Quebec  for  the  year  1885,  and 
is  of  great  value.  It  is  about  double  the 
sizeof  their  report  for  1884,  and  contains 
ably  written  papers  upon  such  subjects 
as  "Grape  C/ulture  in  Quebec,"  ''Win- 
dow Gardening,"  "  Ornamental  Trees," 
Garden  Roses," "Apple  Culture,"  "How 
to  Grow  and  Flower  Chrysanthemums," 
&LC.  It  also  contains  reports  of  local 
societies. 

About  fifty  copies  have  been  kindly 
sent  to  this  oflBce  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Fruit  Growei-s'  Association  of  Ontario. 


286 


THE   CANAOIAN    H0RTICULTUKI8T. 


Transactions  of  the  Maine  State  Pomological 
Society,  B.  L.  Boardman,  Secretary. — 
This  report  contains  a  series  of  essays 
contributed  by  able  horticulturists  and 
florists  on  quite  a  variety  of  subjects, 
including  the  following  : — "  Making 
Coleus  Beds,"  ''Small  Fruits  in  Maine," 
"  Trapping  the  Codlin  Moth,"  "Picking 
and  Shipping  Apples."  The  report  of 
discussions  at  the  meetings  forms  but  a 
small  part  of  the  book. 

Transactions  of  the  Massachusetts  Horticul- 
tural Society  for  the  year  1886,  Part  I., 
.  Robert  Manning  Secretary. — This  con- 
tains essays  and  addresses  of  a  very  high 
order  of  merit.  Among  other  subjects 
we  notice :  '*  A  Trip  to  the  Tropics," 
*'  Promising  Fruits,"  "  Forestry,"  '*  Glad- 
ioli," "Plants  for  Out-door  Culture," 
"Vegetable  Growing,"  "Orchid  Cul- 
ture," "Homestead  Landscapes,"  "Em- 
bellishment of  Cemeteries,"  and  "Ripen- 
ing and  Preservation  of  Fruit." 

MAGAZINES    AND    PAMPHLETS. 

L'Agriculteur  Canadien  is  a  new  monthly 
illustrated  journal,  published  by  H.  A. 
Chaput,  1,623  Rue  Notre  Dame,  Mont- 
real, at  $1  per  annum.  It  is  written 
in  French,  and  is  devoted  to  the  interests 
of  farmers  and  fruit  growers. 

The  Southern  Cultivator  and  Dixie  Farmer, 
published  at  Atlanta,  Georgia,  comes 
out  in  an  improved  dress  and  contains 
an  immense  amount  of  reading  matter 
just  suited  to  Southern  farmers  and 
fruit  growers,  and  well  worth  the  $1.50 
subscription  price. 

The  Sugar  Beet  is  published  at  Philadel- 
phia, and  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of 
that  vegetable  and  the  process  of  manu- 
facturing beet  root  sugar. 


Home  Life  is  a  new  illustrated  monthly 
magazine,  published  in  New  York  City. 
The  first  number  is  certainly  got  up  in 
excellent  taste  and  finely  illustrated. 

Popular  Gardening,  advertised  in  this 
Number,  is  certainly  a  very  interesting 
journal  for  gardeners.  It  now  incorpor- 
ates in  itself  The  Floral  World  (Chi- 
cago), Purdy's  Fruit  Recorder  (Roches- 
ter), The  Garden  Review  (Windsor, 
N.  Y.) 

CATALOGUES. 

Winona  Nursery,  Smith  &  Vanduzer, 
Winona,  Ont.,  Price  List  of  fruit  trees, 
grape  vines  and  small  fruits. 

Lovett's  Guide  to  Fruit  Culture,  Spring, 
1886,  is  got  up  tastefully  and  finely 
illustrated.  It  is  a  pamphlet  that  is 
interesting  and  valuable  aside  from  its 
business  relationship. 

Lovett's  Illustrated  Catalogue  of  Trees  and 
Plants,  Autumn,  1886,  issued  by  J.  T. 
Lovett,  Little  Silver,  N.  J. 


^BZB  oi  Jfruite 

Feeding  Apples  to  Cows. — Owing  to  the 
tendency  of  cows  to  over-eat  when  they 
can  get  food  which  they  like,  and  to 
which  they  are  unaccustomed,  the 
Live  Stock  Journal  thinks  that  prob- 
ably there  is  nothing  more  danger- 
ous for  them  to  help  themselves  to  than 
apples,  yet  they  readily  become  accus- 
tomed to  them,  so  that  they  can  be  as 
safely  trusted  in  an  orchard  as  a  sheep  or 
horse.  They  should  be  fed  moderately 
at  first,  and  the  quantity  be  gradually 
increased  till,  at  length,  they  learn  to 
measure  the  quantity  their  stomachs 
can  manage. 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


287 


Give  the  horses  half  a  peck  of  ripe  apples 
every  day;  they  will  do  them  more 
good  than  a  bucketful  of  medicine. — 
Rural  N.  Yorker. 

Apples  for  the  Sick. — Dr.  Whitman,  of 
Beaufort,  S.  C,  says: — "I  find  good, 
ripe,  fresh  apples  one  of  the  very  best 
articles  of  diet  where  the  patient  wants 
a  little  something  to  eat,  and  only  a 
little.  I  presume  there  is  more  fault 
in  the  manner  of  giving  them  than  in 
the  article  itself,  where  faulty  digestion 
results.  If  the  attendant  will  pare  the 
apple,  and  then  scrape  it  with  a  spoon 
or  common  case  knife,  and  give  the  soft 
pulp  of  a  fresh  apple,  it  will  hurt  no 
one.  To  the  contrary,  the  stomach  will 
frequently  retain  it,  and  the  patient 
enjoy  it,  when  nothing  else  can  be  taken. 
I  have  used  the  pulp  of  ripe  apples  for 
a  relish  in  fevei*s,  when  nothing  else 
would  seem  to  satisfy  the  patient's 
craving,  and  would  not  like  to  have  to 
discard  it,  on  the  score  of  indigestibility.  [ 
Great  chunks  of  half  ripe  apples  are 
good  for  no  one,  but  the  scraped  pulp 
of  a  good  apple  will  harm  no  one." 

Tin  canned  goods,  when  opened,  should 
be  immediately  transferred  to  glass  or 
earthenware  receptacles.  Recent  in- 
vestigations show  that  cases  of  poison- 
ing from  eating  canned  goods  have  arisen 
from  the  acid  of  the  canned  food  attack- 
ing the  solder  of  the  tins,  and  sometimes 
from  decomposition  accelerated  by  an 
electiical  action  between  the  solder  and 
the  iron  of  the  tin.  Never  leave  canned 
fiuits,  meats,  or  fish  in  opened  tin  cans. 
— The  Independent,  Grimsby. 

Apples  vs.  Roots. — Nothing  else  will  so 
help  the  flowing  milk  of  the  cows  just 


now  as  a  pailful  of  ripe  apples  chopped 
into  slices  and  sprinkled  with  the  meal. 
It  pays  as  well  to.  grow  apples  for  the 
stock — if  not  better — as  to  grow  roots 
in  the  field.— /?.  N.  Y. 

As  whole  acres  of  Pei-sian  roses  are  re- 
quired to  make  one  priceless  ounce  of 
the  pure  attar,  so  the  soul's  balm  is  the 
slow  product  of  a  long  course  of  right 
living  and  thinking,  every  separate 
thought  and  act  contributing  its  own 
minute  but  precious  particles  of  sweet- 
ness to  the  rich  result. — Rural  New- 
Yorker, 

A  Warning. — Mr.  Benjamin  Bower,  a 
resident  of  Pleasantville,  N.  J.,  sprinkled 
Paris-green  on  his  grape-vines.  The 
wind  blew  some  of  it  in  the  face  of 
Miss  Allie  Bower,  his  twenty- year-old 
daughter.  She  inhaled  it  unconsciously, 
and  soon  after  became  violently  ill.  A 
physician,  who  was  summoned  imme- 
diately, could  do  nothing  for  her,  and 
she  died  in  a  few  days. 

Apple  Trees  live  to  a  good  old  age  and 
bear  fruit  to  the  last.  One  in  Mercer 
County,  Kentucky,  said  to  be  ninety 
years  of  age,  has  borne  fruit  every  year 
for  sixty  yeara.  Five  feet  from  the 
ground  it  measures  round  the  trunk 
ten  feet  nine  inches.  We  have  several 
in  our  orchard  at  Grimsby  approaching 
one  hundred  years  of  age,  and  still  in 
bearing.  They  were  fine  young  trees, 
already  planted  out  as  an  oi-chard,  when 
Mr.  Dennis  Woolverton  came  here  in 
1798.— Ed. 


288 


THE   CANADIAN    H0BTI0DLTURI8T. 


^oticzB. 


THE   WINTER    MEETING. 

The  winter  meeting  of  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association  of  Ontario  will 
be  held  at  Chatham  on  the  Second 
Wednesday  and  Thursday  of  February, 
1887. 

A  good  time  and  an  enthusiastic 
meeting  is  expected. 

Members  should  lay  aside  fine  speci- 
mens of  fruit  to  bring  along,  and  con- 
tributions of  plants  and  floral  decora- 
tions are  always  in  order. 

Further  particulars  will  be  given  in 
January  Number. 

''THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST  "  FOR 

1887. 
We  hope  to  make  the  volume  for 
1887  more  fully  illustrated  than  any 
previous  one.  The  beautiful  colored 
plates  will  be  continued,  and  a  large 
number  of  cuts  used  to  illustrate  the 
subjects  treated  of.  No  horticultural 
paper  in  the  world  can  be  so  useful 
to  Canadian  fruit  growers,  because  it 
contains  information  just  adapted  to 
Canada. 

THE    PREMIUMS    FOR    1887. 

We  ofier  every  Canadian  subscriber 
for  1887  a  choice  between  :  ( 1 )  Niagara 
Grapevine,  (2)  Tree  Vladimir  Cherry, 
(3)  Two  Plants  Hilborn  Raspberry,  (4) 
A  New  Single  Flowered  Geranium,  (5) 
Dahlia,  (6)  Three  Packages  of  Flower 
Seeds — Primula  Cashmeriana,  and  two 
other  kinds.  Please  name  your  choice 
when  you  send  your  subscrii)tion.  They 
will  be  distributed  in  April  or  May 
next. 


THE    REPORT. 

The  Keport  of  the  Meetings  held  by 
the  Fruit  Growers'  Association  of  Ont. 
during  the  present  year  is  full  of  inter- 
esting subjects  for  fruit  growers  and 
gardeners.  The  discussions  being  taken 
down  verbatim  by  a  short-hand  reporter 
doubles  their  value  over  the  old  way  of 
reporting  these  meetings.  This  valuable 
Keport  will  be  sent  free  to  every  sub- 
scriber to  the  Canadian  Horticulturist 
for  1887. 

SPECIAL    CLUB    RATES  TO  LOCAL  ASSOCIA- 
TIONS. 

Members  of  local  associations  in  clubs 
of  not  less  than  ten  can  have  the  Cana- 
dian Horticulturist  at  a  reduced  rate, 
and  at  the  same  time  become  members 
of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Association  of 
Ontario.  We  want  to  cultivate  sym- 
pathy between  it  and  the  local  societies. 
We  shall  be  glad  to  incorporate  in  the 
Annual  Report  any  interesting  reports 
or  papers  from  local  associations,  and  to 
publish  items  of  interest  from  them  in 
our  Horticulturist. 

Will  secretaries  of  local  associations 
please  send  us  notices  of  their  meetings^ 
so  that,  when  possible,  we  may  be  in 
attendance. 

AGENTS. 

We  would  like  some  friend  in  every 
town  to  show  samples  of  The  Canadian 
Horticulturist,  and  take  names  of  sub- 
scribers. We  will  send  free  samples 
for  this  purpose  to  any  one  who  will 
write  for  them,  and  pay  a  commission 
on  new  subscriptions  obtained  by  any 
one  acting  as  Agent.  Address  all 
communications, 

L.  WooLVERTON,  Griuisbi/,  Ont. 


INDEX 


Page 

Abele 177 

Abutilon  Mesopotamicum 259 

Acclimating  Plants 85 

Adam's  Needle 215 

AmericaB  Beauty  Rose   197 

Amateur  Strawberry   24 

Amber  Queen  Grape    129 

Among  Our  Neighbors    244 

Anis  Apple     159 

Annual  Meeting 194,  242,  288^ 

Annual  Report 28$^ 

Aphis 175,  257 

Apple,  Anis   159 

Apple,  Belleflower    247 

Apple,  Ben  Davis   53 

Apple,  Duchess  of  Oldenberg     229 

Apple,  I.ongfield   166 

Apple,  Peewaukee    180 

Apple,  Shiawassee  Beauty 162 

Apple  Tree,  A  New  Enemy   232 

Apple  Trees,  Age  of    287 

Apples,  Black  Spot  on 276,  281 

Apples,  Age  of 287 

Apples  for  Napanee 249 

Apples,  Feeding  to  Cows    .    287 

Apples,  Feeding  to  Horses 287 

Apples,  Gathering    247 

Apples,  Keeping  274 

Apples,  Russian      221 

Arbor  Vitae  Pyramidalis    1 24 

Ardisia  Crenulata 258,  271 

Ash-leaved  Maple 6 

Atlantic  Strawberry   199,  201 

Autumn  Foliage    ...  167 

Autumn 263 

Back  Volumes 266 

Bagging  Grapes     139,  267 

Bark  Lice 77,  124,  126,  128,  135,  186 

Baroness  Rothschild  Rose 165 

Bartlett  Pears,  Keeping 252 

Bean,  Windsor    100,  219,  256 

Beans,  Best 219 

Beautiful  Snow 24 

Beebe's  Golden  Prolific 17 

Beets,  Best 19,  256 

Bees  in  the  Orchard    170,  220 

Bees  and  Grapes   249 

Begonia  Rex 259 

Begonia  Rubra 259 

BeU  Flowers 272 


Pa 

Belleflower  Apple 247 

Belmont  Strawberry 69,  97,  201 

Ben  Davis  Apple 53 

Bignonia  Radicans    3,  84,  132 

Bidwell  Strawberry 180 

Birds,  Food  Habits  of 227 

Blackberries,  Hardiness  of 218 

Blackberry,  Erie 234 

Blackberry,  Minnewaska    215 

Blackberry  Notes 142 

Black  Knot 174 

Blackcap,  Springfield 237 

Black  Walnut    208 

Bleeding  of  Apple  Trees 1 58 

Bogus  Proceedings    184 

Bones  and  Ashes 190 

Boussock  Pear  . .  157 

Brandy  wine  Raspberry    63 

Brighton  Grape 90 

Bug,  Striped 239 

Buhach 208 

Bulbs  for  Succession     168 

Bulbs,  Winter  Flowering    273 

Burnet  Grape 71,  102 

Butach's  No.  5 68 

Cabbage  Worm    89,  132,  173,  214 

Cactus    145,  193 

Cactus  Fruit 123 

Calla  Lily,  Spotted 24 

Canadian  Horticulturist  Premiums    2  •>8 

Canadian  Fruit  at  South  Kensington     . 

200,  284 

Canada's  Fruit  Export     211 

Canker  Worm 50,  54,  116,  134 

Canned  Goods,  Tin 287 

Catalpa   55,  118,  135 

Carrots,  Best 19 

Capt.  Jack  Strawberry    201 

Caroline  Raspberry  17,  222 

Cauliflower 19,  256 

Celery,  White  Plume 9(> 

Cherries    41 

Cherries  for  the  North- West 2(> 

Cherries  at  Yarmouth   155 

Chionanthus 55 

Chinese  Primrose 259 

Clearing  Up   274 

Clarke  Raspberry 63 

Clematis 55,  59,  23S 

Climbing  Asparagus 258 


^00 


INDEX. 


Page 

Climbing  Honeysuckle 48 

Climbing  Eose,  Fragrant 131,  178 

CodlinMoth 5,  94,  186 

Contributors,  Able 267,  268 

Concord  Grape,  Originator 202 

Corn,  Squantum  Sugar    237 

Corn,  Sweet 20,  256 

Correspondents,  A  Word  for 127,  266 

Crab  Apples 68 

Cranberry  Culture 195,  212 

•Crescent  Seedling  Strawberry 200 

Crimson  Beauty 222 

Crown  Bob  69 

Cucumbers 20 

Curculio,  Paris  Green  for 102 

Curculio    . .    182 

Currants 84 

Currants,  Pruning 113,  249,  270 

Currants,  Manure  for 271 

Currants  for  Health 235 

Currant  Growing  at  the  North 11 

Currant  Leaves 174 

Currant  Borer 62,  128,   134,  154 

Currant,  Devonshire 194 

Currant- Leaved  Maple 101 

Cuthbert 17,  63,  222 

Cuttings,  Grape 249,  271,  275 

Cuttings,  Currant  and  Gooseberry 270 

Cyclamens 259 

Dahlia  Cuttings 122 

Daisy  Strawberry 198 

Daniel  Boone 200 

Dandelions 195 

Deacon  Lettuce   22 

Deutzia,  Double  White 180 

Deutzia,  Crenate 154 

Devonshire  Currant 194 

Dewberry,  Lucretia :    54 

Dog  Wood,  Flowering 215  j 

Dollar  Strawberry    198  | 

Dougall's  Seedling  Gooseberries    198  j 

Downing  Gooseberry    70 

Dry  Earth  Storage   154 

Dryer,  Fruit** 249 

Duchess  of  Oldenburg 229 

Duchess  Pear 246 

Duchess  Grape Ill 

Early  Apples  for  the  North 129 

Earhart  Everbearing 69,  238,  266 

Early  Canada. 200 

Early  Fruits 216 

Earle's,  President,  Address 246 

Easter  Lily 273 

Empire  State  Grape 112 

Encouraging  Words 53 

Erie  Blackberry 69 

Eronymous 194 

Experience,  Give 60 


Export,  Canada's  Fruit. 


Page 
211,  252 


Fair,  Bracebridge 12 

Fair,  Hamilton 244 

Fair,  South  Simcoe 13 

Fair,  South  Renfrew 244 

Fair,  Toronto 172,  243 

Fairy  Strawberry 199 

Farmers'  Orchards 224 

Fay's  Currant 91 

Fence  Posts,  Trees  for 75 

Fernery,  Out-Door 191 

Flower,  Scent  of  a 216 

Flower  Seeds,  Report  on 32 

Foliage,  Colored 167 

Food  Habits  of  Birds 227 

Franconia  Raspberry 222 

Freesia 142 

Fruits  at  Axe  Lake 116 

Fruits  Around  Arkona 253 

Fruits  Around  Berlin 150,  221 

Fruits  in  Eastern  Ontario 33 

Fruits  in  Grey  66 

Fruits  About  Goderich    178 

Fruits  in  Lambton 39,  64 

Fruits  in  Manitoba 282 

Fruits  in  Muskoka 99 

Fruits  in  North  Simcoe 130 

Fruits  in  Simcoe 102 

Fruits  in  Ontario  County 88 

Fruits  in  Owen  Sound 110 

Fruits  at  South  Kensington 284 

Fruit  Farm,  Extensive    46 

Fruits,  Early 216 

Fruit  Dryer 249,  271 

Fruit  Cellar     251 

Fruit  Picker 283 

Fruit,  Prize    243 

Fruit  Growing,  Experimental    191 

Fruit  Nomenclature 207 

Fruit  Trees,  Spraying  ...    247 

Garden,  Summer  in  the 19 

Garden  Our 255,  276 

Garden,  Window 261 

Gathering  Apples 246 

Geraniums  for  Winter  Blooming 229 

Geraniums,  Wintering 22 

Gesnerias 92 

Glass  Plum      175 

Gladiolus,  The 27,  70,  159 

Gloxinias 92 

Glutted  Market 163 

Gold 205 

Golden  Queen 166,  182,  241,  222,  279 

Golden  Gem 112 

Gooseberries 38,  62,  67,  69,  70,  84,  93, 

96,  117,  227 

Gooseberry,  Conn  206 

Gooseberry,  Dougall's  Seeding 148 


INDEX. 


291 


Page 

Gooseberry,  Industry 41 

Gooseberry,  New 201,  207 

Gooseberry,  Ottawa 202 

Gooseberry  Vines,  Pruning 113,  270 

Grapes 90,  93,  124,  128 

Grapes,  Bagging 139,  267 

Grapes  as  Food  and  Medicine    261 

Grape,  Burnet 71 

Grapes,  Failure  of 33 

Grapes,  Keeping   96 

Grape,  Moore's  Karly 47 

Grapes,  Most  Desirable   9,  11 

Grapes,  New 201,  207 

Grape,  Niagara   74 

Grapes,  Red 13 

Grapes,  Mildew  on  148 

Grape,  Martha 82 

Grape,  xVloore's  Diamond    96 

Grapes  in  Algoma 86 

Grapes  at  Brussels    38 

Grapes  at  CoUingwood 32 

Grapes,  White,  at  Clarence ville,  P.  Q. .  Ill 

Grapes  in  Eastern  Ontario 33 

Grapes  around  Georgian  Bay 75 

Grapes  in  Lambton 35 

Grapes  in  Muskoka    9 

Grapes  in  Perth  County 148 

Grapes  in  Orillia   270 

Grapes  near  Sarnia 94 

Grapes,  Report  on    17 

Grape  Vines,  Barren    172 

Grape  Vines,  Covering    81 

Grape  Vine  Culture 245 

Grape  Vine  Cuttings    249 

Grape  Vines,  Cutting  back ...  249 

Grape  Vines,  Grafting 248,  249 

Grape  Vines,  Deep  Planting  of 267 

Grape  Vine,  Largest 142 

Grape  Vines,  Pruning  and  Training  ...  78, 

195,  278 

Grape  Vines,  Propagating 219 

Grape  Vine  Sphinx 218 

Grape  Vine,  Winter  Protection 278 

Grape  Vine,  Worms  on  Root  of    50 

Grandmother's  Hollyhocks 261 

Green  Fly 148,  171 

Greenhouses,  Heating  of 100,  269 

Gregg 16,  63,  180 

Hansen 17,  63,  222 

Her  Majesty  Rose    197 

Hickory 208 

Hilbom  Raspberry   6 

Highland  Hardy   63 

Hollyhocks     274 

Hops,  Cultivation  of 109 

Hopkins  Raspberry 16 

Horticultural  Disappointments 37 

Horticultural  Society,  Michigan  . .  136,  264 

Houghton's  Seedling 70 


Paok 

Hubbardton  Pippin 76 

Huckleberry,  Ihe 216,  230,  248,  271 

Hydrangea  paniculata 129,  155 

Industry 41,  69 

Insecticides    176 

Iron  Filings 250,  258 

Japan  Quince 75,  115,  118 

Japan  Quince,  Canadian  Seedling 122 

Japan  Anemone 168 

Jessica  90 

Jewel 166,  201 

Jumbo 201 

Keeping  Fruit 96,  252,  274 

Keeping  Grapes 262 

Keeping  Apples 274 

Koelreuteria  Paniculata 207 

Ladies  at  Meetings 267 

Lady  Washington . .  112 

Lawson  Pear 265 

Lawn  Trees,  Some  Interesting ; . .  83 

Lawn  Grasses 165 

Lacon  Strawberry 199 

Lentils 236 

Lettuce 20,  22,  256 

Lilies,  A  Dozen 232 

London  Purple 124 

Longfield 166 

Lucretia  Dewberry 54 

Mabel  Morrison 165 

Manitoba  Fruits 282 

Manchester 201 

Mammoth  Cluster 16 

Marlboro' 17,  63,  222 

Martha 82 

Maple,  Cut- Leaved 101 

Manure,  Salted  Fish  as 126 

Market,  Glutted 163 

Mason's  Seedling Ill 

May  King 198,  201 

Members  F.  G,  A.,  Privileges  of 123 

Merveille  de  Lyon 197 

Mealy  Bug 99,  167 

Melon  Bug 129,  135 

Microbes,  Ferments  and  Moulds  284 

Mildew,  Remedy  for 148,  239 

Minnewaska  Blackberry 215 

Moccasin  Flower 133 

Mole  Trap,  A  New 235 

Montmorency  Cherry v. .  . .  121 

Monkey's  Puzzle 157 

Moore's  Early 47,  90,  214 

Moore's  Diamond 95 

Mrs.  Garfield 199 

Mulberry,  Russian 257 

Mulch,  Stones  for 76,  127 


292 


INDEX. 


Page 

Mushrooms,  An  Acre  of 223 

My  Ain  Countree 96 

My  Flowers 120 

My  Neighbor's  Garden 144 

Myosotis  Nobile 239 

Name,  Change  of 83 

Names  of  Fruit,  Reforms  in 207 

New  Berries 68,  189,  219 

New  Plants 162 

Nonsense 279 

Nonpariel  Apple 122 

No  Offence 82 

Notices    , 264 

Nurseryman's  Meeting 123 

Nuts 7 

Nova  Scotia  Letter 280 

Officers  F.  G.  A.  of  Ontario  : 242 

Onions,  Best 20,  256 

Onions,  How  to  Grow 98 

Ontario  Strawberry 217 

Orchards,  Farmers' 224 

Orchard,  Our 276 

Orchids 133,  181 

Orange  Quince 38 

Orange  Seedling 55 

Ornamental  Tree,  A  New 228 

Osmoderma,  The  Rough 122 

Out-Door  Fruit 4 

Paris  Green 89,  94,  108,  132 

155,  156,  160,  231 

Pansies .   113,   134 

Palmerston  Peach 243 

Parry  Strawberry 198,  201 

Parker  Earle  Strawberry 199 

Peach  Trees,  Pruning 249 

Peach,  Richmond 23 

Peas,  Best 20,  256 

Peewaukee  Apple 180,  196 

Pears  and  Blight 31,  38,  127,  152 

Pears 41,  186 

Pear,  Duchess 246 

Pear,  Seedling 250 

Perle  de  Jardins 49 

People  Who  Live  in  Trees 230 

Pelargoniums,  Some  New 236 

Pinks,  New  Race  of 96 

Plants,  How  to  Pot 260 

Plums 125 

Plums,  Shippers'  Pride 73 

Plums,  Robinson 191 

Plums,  Hardy 119,   150 

Plums,  Insects  on  125 

Plums,  Glass  176 

Plum  Trees,  Spraying 54 

Plum  Curculio 182 

Poppy,  Double 105 

Potato  Culture 106 


Paqb 

Potato  Rot 136 

Preserving  Fruit,  Liquid  for 82 

Preserve  Fruit,  How  to 107,  262 

Prentiss   90,  112 

Purity    112 

Primula  Obconica 260 

Primula  Sinensis   259 

Prince  of  Berries 199,  201 

Prize  Fruit 243 

Pocklington 112 

Pomologist,  Most  Able    269 

Philadelphia 63 

Picker,  Fruit 283 

Quality  vs.  Quantity    209 

Queen  of  Queens 197 

Quince,  The 1 

Quince,  The  Orange 38,  263 

Rail  Fences    274 

Rancocas     223 

Raspberries 16,  191,  164,  222 

Raspberry  Growing  at  Owen  Sound. ...  30 

Raspberry,  Golden  Queen 166,  241 

Raspberry,  Gregg 180 

Raspberry,  Earhart 238 

Raspberry,  Saunders 117,  119 

Raspberries  in  Durham    103 

Raspberries  for  Market    63,  275 

Raspberries,  Varieties  to  Eat     211 

Raspberry,  Low    216 

Reine  Marie  Henriette     24 

Reports  on  Trees,  Plants,  &c. . .  42,  56,  74 

101,  102,  103,  113,  127,  149,  183,  184,  264 

Review  ...    .  44,  72,  94,  143,  240,  215,  285 

Rhubarb 20 

Richmond  Peach 23 

Reports  of  Other  Societies     285,  286 

Robinson  Plum 191 

Root  Killing  of  Fruit  Trees    70 

Rose,  Baroness  Rothschild 165 

Rose,  Beetle 171 

Rose,  Experience  with    15 

Rose,  Insect  Enemies 169 

Rose,  Leaf  Hopper  170 

Rose,  Louis  Van  Houtte . .    .  172 

Rose,  Perpetual     124 

Rose,  Perle  de  Jardins     49 

Rose,  Show    123 

Rose,  Reine  Marie  Henriette 24 

Rose,  Slug 169 

Rose,  Twelve  Varieties   178 

Roses,  New    196 

Russian  Apples 221 

Russian  Mulberry     257 

Rust  on  Strawberry  Leaves    270 

Saunders,  Wm.,  Appointment  of 281 

Saunders' Hybrid  Raspberry    117,  119 

Salome  Apple   119,  148 


INDEX. 


293 


Scale  Insects 

Scent  on  a  Flower     

Scion  and  Stock,  Relations  between 


234, 


162,  250, 


Shakespeare  and  Berries . 
Shiawassee  Beauty  Apple 

Shippers  Pride  Plum    

Shrubs,  Hardy 

Shrubs,  Pretty  Native 

Shaffer 17, 

Silver  Poplar 

Slug  .Shot  as  an  Insecticide     .   173,  200, 

Small  Fruits 34,  137,  175,  205, 

Smith's  Improved 

Smoke  Tree    

Snow  Drop   

Spots  on  the  Apple 116,  276, 

Spruce  Trees     125, 

Springfield  Blackcap    ... 

Spraying  Fruit  Trees 
Strawberry  Notes    . . 


87,  128,  189, 


198, 
206, 


Strawberry  Growing     

Strawberry  Amateur    

Strawberries,  Experiments  with    

Strawberries  for  the  Family     ...      

Strawberry,  New     216, 

Strawberry,  Belmont  

Strawberry,  Bidwell     

Strawberry,  Henderson 

Strawberry,  Jewel 

Strawberry,  Ontario 

Summer  in  the  Garden 

Summer  Meeting  122, 

Sucker  State 

Sunflower 

Sunset  Rose  

Superb 

Squantum  Sugar  Corn 


116 
216 

268 
110 
280 

73 
180 

82 
222 
177 
204 
214 

69 
224 

47 
281 
257 
237 
247 
200 
276 

93 

24 

41 
104 
219 

97 
180 
127 
168 
217 

19 
147 
198 
264 
197 
222 
237 


Pagk 

Squash  Beetle    89 

Styrax  Japonica    94 

Striped  Bugs 130 

Squash,  Mammoth   141 

Thanks    267 

Thinning  Fruit 161 

Timely  Hints 274 

Tomatoes,  Best 20,  256 

Tomatoes,  Early  172 

Tomato,  King  Humbert 164 

Too  Much  Advice 11 

Trees  for  Fence  Posts 75 

Trees  and  Shrubs  for  Lawn    124 

Trumpet  Flower 3,  84,  132 

Tulip,  A  Florist's 2.33 

Turnip,  The    20,  198 

Turner 17,  63,  222 

Tyler   16 

Water  Lilies 133 

Warning,  A   287 

Weeds,  Seeds  of    263 

Weigela 102,  115,  133,   157,   195 

Weigela,  Variegated- Leaved 20,   180 

White  Baroness     196 

White  Fringe     4 

Whitesmith 69 

Window  Garden  261 

Windsor  Bean 100,  219,  256 

Winter  Meeting 6,  26,  288 

Winter  Nelis ...    192 

Wine,  Unf ermented 262 

William  Francis  Bennett 197 

Wilson    200 

Wonderful 201 

Woodruff  .Strawberry 198,  201 

Yucca  Filamentosa 215 


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