The Canadian Ilorticultunst. 



^11 



iishes about the infested vines in the 

 autumn; and, to destro)- the hirvaj, 

 spra\in^f the young foHage with Taris 

 green and water. 



Root Ppuningf. 



62. What is the correct time and moile of 

 root pruning. I have two plum trees, a Lom- 

 bard and Brailshaw, that make much wood 

 but little or no fruit. O.ne man says cut yt)ur 

 trench at a distance of eighteen inches, another 

 thirty-six inches. Again, there is a question as 

 to season. The diameter of trunk i> near si.\ 

 inches. Can you recommend me a first-class 

 work suitable for Canadian Horticulture. I 

 am in want of one for reference. — Wm. R. 

 HuGHts, Toronto. 



Root-pruning is a practice which 

 we would like to have come under 

 discuiision at a meeting of our Asso- 

 ciation. In our opinion it is an 

 exploded notion that any particular 

 good can come fiom such a barbarous 

 custom. How can any one give 

 directions for cutting off just the 

 proper proportion of roots, when 

 those roots are buried from sight, 

 and the length depends upon so 

 many conditions, such as prosperity 

 of the soil, manner of cultivation, 

 etc., etc. Such an operation would 

 be something like pruning the branch- 

 es of a tree in the dark, or like cut- 

 ting off all limbs extending beyond a 

 certain distance from the trunk. Of 

 course root pruning will check the 

 growth of a tree, and possibly as a 

 result throw a too vigorous tree into 

 bearing, but the same object can be 

 gained by other means, such as less 

 cultivation, summer pruning, etc., 

 and with less permanent injury to the 

 trees. 



There is no Canadian work that 

 we know of on Horticulture except 

 " Beadle's Canadian Fruit, Flower 

 and Kitchen Garden." Among Am- 

 erican authorities we have " Down- 

 ing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of .Vm- 

 erica " ; " Thomas' Fruit Culturist " ; 

 and " Barry's Fruit Garden." 



Sample Goosebeppies. 



63 Sir, — I send you a few gooseberries for 

 examination as I rather fancy their shape. I 



think the bush is a seedling, as it came up close 

 to a post in the garden. — G. Wii.gress, Co- 

 bourg. 



In shape this berry is obovate, but 

 in size it is scarcely as large as 

 Smith's Improved, and probably no 



better. 



64. By post I send some gooseberries. I 

 gtew the bush which bore them, from seed. It 

 ii grown on a heavy clay soil. The bush is 

 about three years old, and very healthy and the 

 leaves very green and firm. I should like to 

 have your (jpinion on it. No mildew has 

 appeared on it and no grub, but the latter may 

 arise from the fact that it is not very near any 

 other gooseberries or currants. — Alfred lius- 

 KiN, Toronto. 



These samples are larger than the 

 last, and w'ould average larger than 

 Smith's Improved. We can say 

 little about them, however, without 

 seeing more of them. Our friends 

 should send us a branch of the bush 

 with the berries attached, for sample, 

 where convenient. 



The Junebeppy. 



65. Could you kindly inform me, 1st., What 

 varieties of the Amalanchier family are useful as 

 small fruits; 2nd., Are they in cultivation; 3rd., 

 Where can they be had to purchase; 4th., How 

 are they propagated ; 5th., What is their value 

 for home use or market as compared with 

 huckleberries and are they a profitable fruit to 

 grow? — P. E. BuCKE, Ottawa. 



We have had no experience in the 

 cultivation of the Juneberry, and 

 therefore can give no personal ex- 

 perience. A writer in Vick's Mn<^a- 

 ziiif says : — 



" In the cold north, where the 

 variety of iron-clad tree fruits is \et 

 limited, any addition is acceptable. 

 Arborescent forms of the Amelan- 

 chier are quite numerous in northern 

 Xew England. I have received 

 tour very distinct kinds from Aroos- 

 took county, Maine, and here in Ver- 

 mont the wild trees vary much in the 

 size as well as abundance of their 

 blossoms and their fruit. But west 

 of the Mississippi there are found 

 dwarf, large- fruited species which 

 bloom and bear at two or three vcars 

 from seed, and make compact bushes 



