THE CANADIAN HORTICULTDRIST. 



171 



winter. We should be pleased to re- 

 ceive any information on this j^oint 

 from others who have had experience 

 in the laying down of grape vines and 

 protecting them in winter. 



CAJSr VINEGAR BE MADE FROM 



RHUBARB ? 

 Dear Sir, — Do you know of any 

 process by which the juice of the rhu- 

 barb can be converted into vinegar ] 

 By replying through the Horticulturist 

 or otherwise, you will much oblige. 

 Yours very truly, 



A. H. WiSMER. 

 Box 55, Port Elgin, Ont. 



DISEASED PEAR TREES. 



Dear Sir, — I am somewhat alarmed 

 on account of so many of my pear 

 trees turning yellow ; some appear dy- 

 ing and I think will die. Some trees 

 have partly yellow leaves and partly 

 green ; some limbs quite dead, and on 

 three or four large trees that have borne 

 for years the leaves and pears ai'c about 

 dead, and the whole trunk of two trees 

 is dead from top to bottom. I could 

 pull the limbs oft" quite easy ; they 

 broke short off which revealed the rot- 

 ten trunk. This is rather alarming if 

 at all general. If I am alone the suf- 

 ferer, not so bad ; better for one to 

 suffer than many. But what is the 

 cause ? My soil is made out of decayed 

 cedars ; if they decay a sort of bog 

 turf would burn in dry weather ; have 

 seen it burn under ground for weeks ; 

 not since well cultivated. I find every 

 one or more high cedars that damages 

 the garden every time they are got out, 

 and it is desirable to get them out, as 

 trees seem to die where the roots touch 

 them after first turning yellow. Though 

 these have boi-ne fruit of all descrip- 

 tions, including apricots and nectarines ; 

 the latter but twice to ripen — they rot 

 on the trees. If you can throw any 



light on this apparent blight by con- 

 troversy, or of your own knowledge, it 

 would do much good. 



Yours truly, 



C. Jarvis. 



BLACK ANTS. 

 To THE Editor of the C.\NADrAX Horticulturist. 



Sir, — We are badly pestered by the 

 black ants about the house this summer. 

 Can you kindly advise me how to get 

 rid of them. I sometimes see them 

 running over the trunks and limbs of 

 the apple trees, but I am not certain 

 that they do any harm. I once noticed 

 a large black ant in the very heart of 

 an apple blossom, but I cannot say 

 it was doing more harm than a bee 

 would have done. In Italy they en- 

 courage the presence of the large black 

 ants in their orchards ; they are said 

 to destroy the eggs and larvae of insects 

 deposited in the crevices of the bark. 

 The ant hills are great eye-sores in gar- 

 dens or lawns, but they may be got rid 

 of by covering the top of the hill with 

 hardwood ashes. 



I remain, Sir, sincerely yours, 



Charles Julyax. 

 Sarawak, Co. Grey, 17th June, 1884. 



STRAWBERRY SUN-SCALD. 



We have received the following in- 

 quiries concerning this affliction : — 



Dear Sir, — I am studying the fungoid 

 diseases of the strawberry, and would be 

 much obliged to you for answering the 

 following questions : 



1st. Does the " rust," " blight," or so- 

 called " sun-scald " cause any serious dam- 

 age to the strawberry crop of your section ? 

 If 30, what is the estimated per cent, of 

 loss for the years 1882 and 1883 ? 



2nd. Do you recognize more than one 

 form of " rust r' If so, describe briefly 

 the appeai'ance, season of attack and 

 damage done by each. 



3rd. Do you ever find the roots and 

 crowns, especially in old fields, covered 

 by a white mould ? 



