110 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



less than Bidwell, on account of its 

 success on sandy land, while the former 

 flourishes on moister soils. 



But now for the James Yick. Last 

 fall I took a notion to turn a good old 

 stable into a poor apology for a green- 

 house. Out came a four foot wide 

 strip for glass along the whole south 

 side, a* id a second siding of plank 

 comprising and compressing a warm 

 lining of tramped pea straw around the 

 rest of the building, with a small box 

 stove inside, and complementof common 

 stove pipes, furnished me, at a total 

 cost of about $15 with a climate that 

 plants could live in. Much and hearty 

 was my mward chuckling at the thought 

 of the midtitudes of Vicks, Souhegans 

 and Hansells that should issue in spring 

 from this sorry looking green house, in 

 which I now write. But the worst 

 west winds howled in derision through 

 my pea straw, and the occasional frosts 

 they managed to insinuate, combined 

 with my inexperienced treatment as to 

 watering, reduced my precious Vicks 

 from over fifty to a bare dozen, and at 

 this writing — April 10th — not a run- 

 ner has started on them, or on the 

 Manchester, Big Bob, Bay's Prolific 

 and Shirts, that kept them company. 

 How I wished that sawdust had been 

 put in the place of the straw. But if 

 my spring plantings must come from 

 open ground, and if my results in this 

 line are mostly in the way of experience, 

 I have one bit of experience that I think 

 will prove uncommonly useful. Of all 

 these kinds the Vick is making the 

 greatest promise of fruit. Those mean 

 little plants that just managed to live 

 through January are loaded down with 

 blossoms, and the abundant supply of 

 pollen is shewn by tlie fine and perfect 

 shape of the berries already formed. 

 Manchester near by is growing more 

 and larger leaves, but is evidently 

 later, as a blossom bud is only showing 

 here and there. But the Vick is fairly- 



revelling in blossoms. " What is the 

 fruit like?" That is just what I hope 

 to know about the time that this 

 number of the Horticulturist reaches its 

 readers. But while I must have my 

 little guess about the James Vick too, 

 I must only go so far as to prophecy 

 that its gieat superiority to the other 

 kinds thus far, must indicate at least a 

 great tendency to set fruit in open 

 ground ; the handsome shape of those 

 already formed would seem to speak 

 well for its appearance where circum- 

 stances are more favorable to develop- 

 ment. I am glad that the peculiarities 

 of foliage and fruit lead me to disci-edit 

 the rei)ort of its similarity to Captain 

 Jack, one of the meanest, sourest de- 

 ceptions that ever in the guise of straw- 

 berry net my teeth on edge, and my 

 temper over the edge. But just how 

 the berries will taste, how the sunshine 

 will glance on their blushing cheeks, 

 and how a single plant will pile them 

 around in stacks so that a bug cannot 

 reach the centre without climbing, all 

 such fascinating points I must leave to 

 the decision of open ground culture, or 

 accept on the word of the good men and 

 true who have been there already. Now 

 who next will tell what he knows, or 

 help us to a better guessing ? 



TOBACCO FOR THE CABBAGE 

 BEETLE. 



To THE Editor of the Canadian Horticulturist: 



I have much pleasure in adding 

 testimony to the use of tobacco stems 

 as indited by H. Primrose in your 

 March number of the Horticulturist. 

 I have used most successfully for years 

 the siftings from the tobacco stems on 

 cabbages and cauliflowers. In spring, 

 when planted out, they are attacked by 

 the Black Beetle, especially in bright 

 sunny days. Having procured in a 

 box a supply of the tobacco, I drop a 

 small quantity on each plant. Mr. 

 Beetle skedadles foi-thwith, the plants 



