no 



TJie Canadian Horticnltiirisf. 



The Russian Appieot 



24. Sir, — Will you kindly gi\'e me your 

 unbiased opinion as to the advisability of 

 planting the Russian Apricot in preference 

 to the English. I have been advised that 

 the " Russian " is the most desirable in all 

 ways, but not knowing it, I take the liberty 

 of applying to you for advice. — R. Wilkin- 

 son, Niagara-on-the-Lake. 



Any opinion we give in these pages 

 is " unbiased " by any connection 

 with a nursery, as the writer is a 

 fruit grower, and not a nurseryman. 

 Regarding the Russian Apricot, we 

 may say that it is one of those novel- 

 ties from which much is expected, 

 but httle is yet known, especially as 

 to its adaptation to our Canadian 

 climate. 



No doubt the English Apricots 

 are superior in quality to the Russian, 

 but so far we have had no success 

 with them, as they are tender, and 

 scarcely a single specimen escapes 

 the curculio. The Russian is, no 

 doubt, much hardier ; but in buying 

 we would advise careful examination 

 to see that it is either grown on its 

 own roots or is budded upon the 

 plum, because if budded upon the 

 peach stock the tree would be as 

 tender as the peach. Another im- 

 portant point is the variety. First 

 propagated from the seeds, many of 

 the seedlings were worthless, but 

 recently some of the finest of these 

 have been named and propagated. 

 The value of these is as yet imper- 

 fectly known. We have a couple of 

 dozen trees, two years planted, and 

 we hope to be able to report upon 

 the quality of the fruit this Summer. 

 At the meeting of the Western New 

 York Horticultural Society, the fruit 

 was not highly commended ; but, as 

 at our own meeting at Hamilton, 



very few had any personal experience 

 to offer. 



We refer our correspondent to an 

 article upon the Russian Apricot in 

 this number, from the pen of Mr. 

 D. W. Beadle, Esq. 



Sowing Palms. 



(SEE QUESTION II.) 



I have never found that any par- 

 ticular position is necessary for any 

 of the palms usually grown from 

 seed, which, however, must be as 

 fresh as possible. I use six-inch 

 pots, filled one-third full of potsherds 

 for drainage. The soil is a mixture 

 of equal parts peat and loam finely 

 sifted, and a little sand. The seeds 

 can be sown so that they nearly 

 touch each other, and covered with a 

 half inch or so of soil, depending 

 on the size of the seed. The surface 

 is pressed smooth and firm, and the 

 pots plunged up to the rim in a warm 

 house, with bottom heat. Keep the 

 soil moist, but not over wet. Such 

 kinds as the Cocas, Latania Ber- 

 bonica, Areca Lutescens, etc., re- 

 quire several months before the plants 

 show themselves. Leave the young 

 plants until they are thoroughly 

 rooted and the tops well up before 

 potting them off"; the last named and 

 the Kentias should show the second 

 leaf before potting. I like the long, 

 narrow rose pots, because of the long, 

 stiff roots that the seedlings have. 

 Until thoroughly established, the 

 young plants are given the same 

 treatment as the seedlings required. 

 — E. E. SuMMEY, La Salle, N.Y. 



Duchess of Oldenburg. 



25. Will the Duchess of Oldenburg apple 

 flourish on the north shore of Lake Superior, 



