266 



The Canadian Horticulturist. 



tion of the trees themselves, as if 

 they were, as indeed they should be, 

 esteemed the most important vegeta- 

 tion occupying the ground. Nor do 

 we mean ploughing deep furrows 

 between the rows of trees and leav- 

 ing the rows themselves in sod, to 

 extract the strength and moisture 

 from the soil, but a working up of the 

 whole field, and the clearing away of 

 all the grass and weeds from about 

 the trees. What would be thought 

 of any farmer who would treat a corn 

 crop as he often does his apple trees, 

 and leave the sod along the rows or 

 about each hill ; and yet that kind of 

 cultivation is counted all right by 

 many persons in the apple orchard. 

 Great care must be taken, however, 

 to plough shallow furrows, or great 

 damage will be done to the roots of 

 the trees. Cultivation exposes the 

 elements of fertility, which are already 

 in the soil, to the action of the air; by 

 which they are rendered soluble, so 

 that they can be taken up by the 

 roots for the benefit of the tree. 

 Cultivation also, if kept up during 

 the heat of the summer, serves to 

 keep the ground in a moist condition, 

 and thus bring about a large growth 

 of the fruit. With regard to the use 

 of manure and ashes, we are con- 

 vinced that herein lies the secret of 

 the successful orchard and fruit 

 garden. Potash enters largely into 

 the composition of the wood as well 

 as of the fruit of our orchard trees, 

 audit is astonishing what an effect is 

 brought about by its use. The writer 

 has been in the habit of applying 

 about a thousand bushels each year to 

 his orchard, applying about a bushel 

 every second or third year to those 

 of bearing age. This, in addition to 

 thorough tillage, has brought about 

 wonderful results in the vigor and 

 fruitfulness of the trees. It is difficult 

 to get a sufficient quantity of barn- 

 yard manure to spare much of it for 

 the orchard ; but where it can be 

 obtained it should be applied, as well 

 as the ashes. 



Aloe and Agave. 



74. I HAVE a nice little specimen among my 

 house plants of what is commonly known as 

 Devil's Tongue, as well as one of the 

 variegated Indian Aloe. Please inform me in 

 your next issue what is the technical name of 

 the former, and if it is of the same species as 

 the Aloe, also what is the proper cultivation of 

 both ; also the proper soil for Ice and Dew 

 Plants and others of a succulent nature which 

 are not of the Cactus tribe. I am very much 

 interested in the great improvement of your 

 journal.— R. H. Light, Kingston, /uly 10' h. 



Kcply h\ .Y. Robertson, Supt. Govt., Grounds, Ottan-a. 



Aloe variegata is the botanical 

 name of the variegated aloe. I am glad 

 you bring this matter up, because 

 much confusion exists amongst ama- 

 teurs over the Aloe and Agave, clas- 

 sing them together. Now they are 

 two distinct orders; the Aloe belongs 

 to the Lily order whilst the Agave be- 

 longs to the Amaryllis tribe. The 

 Aloe flowers every year, producing 

 long spikes of tube-shaped flowers, 

 and every part of it ma}^ be said to 

 be a purgative. The variety Soco- 

 trina is the variety from which the 

 medicine called Bitter Aloes is taken. 

 They are natives of the Island of 

 Socotra. \\'hen grown as house 

 plants they should be potted in light 

 sand}' soil, as it will bring out the 

 flowers, in better color ; but when 

 larger specimens are wanted a 

 stronger soil may be given. They 

 are plants of easy cultivation, but, 

 like all classes of succulent plants, 

 must have perfect drainage. They 

 will not stand sour soil. They are 

 propagated easily by the mmierous 

 offsets they throw out. 



The Agave is called the Century 

 Plant because it was said to only 

 flower once in a hundred years, but 

 it will flower in twelve or fifteen 

 years, and then it exhausts itself and 

 dies. It is a native of South 

 America. 



By Dew Plant, I think you refer 

 to McsymhryaiithemiDU Crystalliiiuiii, 

 but there are several hundred varie- 

 ties of them. It is also called Ice 

 Plant, as leaf and stems are covered 



