28 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTHRIST 



February, rgi 



Combatting Insect Pests in California by Fumigating.— No. 1 



This shows a tont being mored from one tree to another. Theee are navel treee abo^it 

 fifteen feet high. .—Photo ccurteey E. H. Wartman. 



row results. Its place is being largely 

 taken by the Gibson or Parson's Beauty- 



BED OtJBRANTS 



The Cherry and Fay are the leading 

 varieties ; both are very productive. The 

 former does better on the lighter soil 

 than "the Fay. 



GOOSEBERRIES 



.American — Pearl and Downing. 



English — White Smith and Industry. 



The English varieties are subject to 

 mildew, but it can be controlled quite 

 well since the lime-sulphur wash came 

 into common use. 



color so gorgeously under the summer 

 sun at latitudes 50 and 51 that they will 

 always be quick sellers. 



British Columbia Methods 



Low-heading of apple trees is prac- 

 ticed generally in the interior valleys of 

 British Columbia, those in the dry belt, 

 at any rate. Clear warm days and sharp 

 night frosts, dropping from snow-clad 

 mountains, are the conditions frequently 

 experienced for a few weeks previous to 

 the trees starting growth — ideal condi- 

 tions for sunscalding. Low heads have 

 advantages besides protecting the trunks 

 from sunscald ; easy picking, pruning 

 and spraying being the greatest. It is 

 easier to make good low-headed trees 

 when one begins with one-year-old stock 

 which is planted by many growers in 

 that section. 



The fact that British Columbian ap- 

 ples run (sometimes outrun) those of 

 Washington and Oregon very hard in 

 the matter of bright coloring may be 

 accounted for by that province being so 

 situated geographically that they get 

 more hours of sunshine during the sum- 

 mer .season. Mcintosh Red and Jonathan 

 are the most largely planted kinds in 

 the interior. Northern Spy, though 

 probably never planted as much as it 

 deserves because of its late bearing 

 []abit, does splendidly. These varieties 



Pruning Peach Trees 



Will you please describe how to trim 

 back three or four year old peach trees in 

 the fall, and niso how to trim one-year-old 

 trees. In setting- out a new peach orchard 

 how far is the standard distance gfenerallv 

 allowed between the trees? — J. A. McK., 

 Ontario. 



The first few- years is a critical period 

 in the life of the young tree, and too 

 much care cannot be given 10 the prun- 

 ing and shaping of the peach tree. 

 When the tree is set it should be prun- 

 ed to whip and cut back to fifteen or 

 eiehteen inches from the ground. The 

 roots require very little pruning except 

 to cut oflF broken or ragged pieces. It 

 is a good plan during ,June in the first 

 year to go over the young trees and re- 

 move all except six or seven shoots com- 

 ing out from twelve to eighteen inches 

 above the ground. 



The following spring the real forming 

 of the head of the tree is done. Three 

 or four well-placed shoots on the whip 

 should be left. The.se should be evenly 

 placed about the whip and not too close 

 together and no two forming a crotch, 

 which may later give trouble. When 

 these have been selected and the others 

 removed the remaining ones should be 

 cut back nearly two-thirds. This is se- 

 vere pruning, but will pay in the end, 

 as the tree will make even stronger 

 growth on account of the severe prun- 

 ing. 



The second year's growth needs to be 

 almost as severely dealt with. .At this 

 time it is necessary to see that the head 

 is given proper balance so that me 

 tree will be compact and somewhat 

 spreading without being dense or too 

 straight up. There is usually danger in 



leaving too much wood of this year" 

 growth by at least one-third to one-halt. 

 Many growers find that too severe 

 pruning during the third and fourth 

 years tends to make the tree produce a 

 great quantity of wood with practically 

 no fruit during the fourth and fifth years, 

 when the trees should be bearing. The 

 tree's first crop should be produced dur- 

 ing the fourth year on the third year's 

 growth. For this reason the pruning 

 in the third and fourth years should not 

 be so severf. Therefore, while the prun- 

 ing in the first two years has been more 

 to shape and form the head of the tree, 

 in the third and fourth years it should 

 be more to thin out the wood in order 

 to let in light and air and very little 

 heading back is given except to stiffen 

 and give strength to the limbs. One can 

 do considerable thinning out in this re- 

 s[>ect without heading back much, and 

 no injurious results will follow. 



.At the end of the fifth year, when the 

 tree is reaching its most profitable 

 period, it will be necessary to again 

 head back to keep the tree in bounds 

 and the fruit near to the ground. The 

 tree should not be allowed to carry too 

 heavy a crop in the fourth year, but in 

 the fifth year it should carry a full crop. 

 The spring is the best time to do the 

 pruning, especially of bearing trees, a*; 

 often one can tell the amount of winter 

 injury to buds and wood, and prune ac- 

 cordingly. 



In pruning off limbs care should be 

 taken to cut close to a bud or a limb, 

 so that the wound may the better heal 

 over. Also one can do much in shap- 

 ing the head by watching the position 

 of the buds and pruning to a bud point- 

 ing in the direction that it is desired to 

 have the tree grow. 



The standard distance for planting in 

 the Niagara District is eighteen t-, 

 twentv feet each way. — T.G.B. 



A Tent Ready For Use.— No. 2 



The men are preparing to put the cyanide and 

 acid under the tent, where it is allowed to bttm 

 for one hour. 



