THE CANADIAN HOKTICDLTUKIST. 



177 



basket when other peaches were selling 

 at S3 a 'oasket." 



Allen Rliodes, of Ulster county, says : 

 *' I have about fifty varieties of peaches. 

 Stevens' Rareripe I have grown for 

 eleven years. It resembles Old Mixon 

 Free nearer than any other peach, a 

 little dai'ker blush. The true report of 

 my success with ninety -five trees is this, 

 143 ba.skets containing fourteen quarts 

 each, were sold by G. Furuian tt Co., 

 "West Washington Market, for 8721. 

 The tree is a very vigorous grower, 

 beaiing at two years old, ripens with 

 the last of Late Crawford and continues 

 some weeks." 



DESTRUCTION BY LATE FJIOSTS. 



Late frost is a constant menace to 

 the cultivator. He has transplanted 

 his tender plants from the hot-Vjeds ; his 

 peach trees have their buds just ready 

 to opon ; his grape-vines are pushing 

 their tender shoots, and in one hour the 

 prospects of a season may be ruined 

 "While late frosts do not bring destruc- 

 tion every year, they come so frequently 

 that it would seem to be worth while to 

 take all possiV)le precautions to prevent 

 injury by them. When the night is 

 clo u dy frost is not feared . The curtain of 

 clouds prevents the heat pnssing oflT into 

 space. In a small garden it is not 

 ditficult to protect the tomatoes and 

 other tender plants. Newspapers are 

 always at hand, and are quite as efiective 

 as blankets. The farmer will say that 

 it is impossible to pi'octect his plants 

 by the acre. We are not so sure of 

 that. In some of the French vineyards 

 viuHS are protected by the acre, but 

 they are planted and the trellises are 

 built with a view to this. If the means 

 are projjerly considered and tlie appli- 

 ances kejit in readiness, it would not be 

 impossible to {protect melons and toma- 

 toes by the aci-e. For the orchai-d and 

 vinevard smoke is the most available 



protection. It has long been used with 

 success in the \aneyards of Germany 

 and should be tested in this country. 

 When a frost is apprehended let ma- 

 tei'ials be provided, and a watch set, 

 whose duty should be to call sufiicient 

 help to promptly start the smoke. A 

 ready method of raising a smoke is to 

 throw damp straw upon a fire. Prob- 

 ably experiments will show that tar, 

 petroleum, or some other such material 

 will aflbrd a more efficient method of 



making a smoke than straw. Dr. 



Thurber, m American Agriculturist. 



CATALPA SPECIOSA. 

 It is the intention of the Directors 

 of the Fruit Growers' Association of 

 Ontario, to give to any of its members 

 an opportunity to plant a small tree of 

 this hardy variety of the Catalpa who 

 may wish to give it a trial, by placing 

 it among the articles to be sent out in 

 the spring of 188."). We, therefore, 

 commend to their attention the follow- 

 ing article from the Frairie Fanner. 



Much has already been said relative 

 to the Catalpa Speciosa, but as it is no 

 longer an experimental tree for forest 

 planting, its mei'its can not be too well 

 known. Its valuable lasting qualities 

 are not only being recognized by our 

 farmers for fence posts, but many of 

 onr railroad corporations have been con- 

 vinced of its great value as a railroad 

 tie, and are planting it largely foi- that 

 purpose. 



The fact that most of the information 

 we have was gathered and disseminated 

 by the late E. E. Barney, an extensive 

 railroad car builder of Dayton, Ohio, 

 assisted by Robert Douglass, Jolm C. 

 Teas, and the late lamented Dr. John 

 A. Warder are strong proofs of its great 

 value. 



Mucli of the information irathered 



