280 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



December, 1912. 



Lunbton County't Great Display at the Recent Ontario Horticaltural Exhibition 



This ©xhiMt comprized three hundred and fifty-two boxee of high grsMie, well colored fruit. It 

 showed a map of the county boxes of wra^pped fruit being used to outline the letters, 



border and lake. 



services Mr. Smith very kindly off ere J 

 to us. 



To test whether in.sects could carry the 

 disease at the blooming season, nearly 

 two hundred blossoms were pollenized in 

 the same careful manner that hybridists 

 use when trying to produce new varieties 

 of fruit. Pollen from four trees that I 

 knew had been diseased the previous 

 year was used on each tree. The two 

 hundred blossoms were distributed over 

 nine trees. Of the blossoms thus hybrid- 

 ized, eighty per cent, set fruit which re- 

 mained on at least as long as the so- 

 called June drop. A large proportion 

 then dropped off, but some remained and 

 reached maturity. None of these trees 

 have this season shown any signs of 

 di.sease. 



In addition to the hybridizing, the 

 blossoms on two other trees had nectar 

 from diseased blossoms added to them. 

 These trees also are still looking healthy. 



RtJBBING HEALTHY TREES 



On August 13th four trees four years 

 old were inoculated by rubbing several 

 branches on each with diseased branches 

 until the bark was ruptured. Again on 

 .September 9th, five more trees of equal 

 age were inoculated in the same manner. 

 On July 31st, leaves and fruit from dis- 

 ea.sed trees were gathered and crushed 

 and a little water added to them. The 

 juice thus formed was filtered carefully 

 and three holes were made with a brace 

 nnd small bit in each of four trees. The 

 filtered juice was then poured into each 

 of the.se and the hole covered over with 

 crnfting wax. This experiment was in- 

 tended as a supplement to the rubbing, 

 because, if in both cases the trees thus 

 treated were to contract the disease, it 

 would show that at least the sap con- 

 tained the source of contagion, whereas 



the rubbing alone would not friake this 

 so clear. No sign of disease has yet 

 been seen on any of these trees. 



PRXJNING IMPLEMENT6 



On May 3rd three trees were inoculat- 

 ed with a saw. In doing so branches 

 were cut from diseased trees and brought 

 to the healthy ones. Then a fresh cut 

 was made in each of these and immedi- 

 ately after on several branches on the 

 healthy trees. The cuts were made 

 chiefly on the under side to prevent dry- 

 ing out rapidly. At this date the buds 

 were swelling, but none of the blossoms 

 had burst. On July 4th, four more trees 

 were inoculated with the saw in a simi- 

 lar way. The trees are still healthy. 



Careful records have been kept of all 

 the trees treated in the above various 

 ways and the results will be watched 

 with much interest next season. I was 

 not surprised that no positive results 

 were obtained this year as I did not ex- 

 pect any from what I had learned of the 

 disease, from observations and reading. 

 Interesting results from some of these 

 experiments may be expected next year, 

 if the disease works in the same way 

 here as in some states across the line. 



WHEN DISEASE SPREADS 



The .second main subject of investiga- 

 tion was to determine when the diseases 

 were spread. Fortunately the above ex- 

 periments, intended primarily to show 

 how the disease is .spread, are equally 

 well .idaoted to show when this takes 

 place. For in.stance, if the trees on 

 which the blosoms were hybridized with 

 pollen from diseased trees develop the 

 disease in a year or two and the untreat- 

 ed trees all around remain healthy, we 

 can feel pretty certain not only that bees 

 can distribute the disease, but also that 



it spreads at least in blooming time. 

 .Again, if the trees pruned before the buds 

 burst with an inoculated saw do not de- 

 velop it we shall have some more data 

 of value. 



Our third subject of investigation was 

 to determine how long a period elapses 

 from the time a tree is inoculated until 

 it shows the symptoms of the disease 

 and what variation there is in the length 

 of this period. This, I believe, is a very 

 important matter, but fortunately once 

 more nearly all the above exf)erinients 

 will help to give us data on it. 



As these experiments begin to give 

 definite results they will prepare the way 

 for further investigations until finally we 

 have succeeded in getting together a 

 mass of reliable information that we hope 

 will be of much service in the control of 

 these dreaded diseases. 



A Use of Fertilizers Advocated 



Chu. J. Fax Ssntk London, Ont. 



In his article on commercial fertilizers, 

 that app)eared in the November issue of 

 The Canadian Horticulturist, Dr. J. B. 

 Dandeno states "he never yet met a man 

 who could give a fair definition of plant 

 food." Now, taking a commonsense 

 view of the matter, I will give my defini- 

 tion. It is this : Plant food is any sub- 

 stance that is placed and worked into the 

 soil that will cause it to produce a better 

 crop both as to quantity and quality. 

 Surely such an ingredient may be called 

 a plant food. 



If you can get enough stable manure 

 no better plant food can be used, but 

 many of our farmers fail to make 

 enough. The market gardeners around 

 our towns find it impossible to get all the 

 manure they want, so they must, if they 

 want to produce early vegetables, use a 

 certain amount of fertilizers. 



The Doctor says "half the amount 

 spent for fertilizers in Canada is wast- 

 ed." If this is so, it seems to me 

 strange that the sale of it is increasing 

 in Canada, and in many other countries, 

 where men know the value of money as 

 well as the value of fertilizers. The Doc- 

 tor also says "you can carry in your vest 

 pocket all the plant food that a load of 

 manure contains." Let the Doctor next 

 .spring applv a load of good rotted man- 

 ure on a plot of ground, then on another 

 plot work in the contents of his vest poc- 

 ket, and see which plot produces the best 

 crop of corn, potatoes, or any other root 

 crop. 



For about forty years I have u.sed 

 fertilizers, and now in the city of London 

 with only a half acre lot, I u.se every 

 year four loads of stable manure and 

 four hundred pounds of fertilizers, and 

 I claim, by the use of the latter, I am 

 enabled to produce very early vegetables. 

 I also use it among my flowers. 



