THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Farmers Institute Report. 



997. Sir,— Where and how may I obtain 

 a copy of the Farmers Institute Report of 

 Ontario. 



Herbekt, Ottawa. 



Write F. W. Hodson, Parliament 

 Buildings, Toronto. 



Black Currants Not Productive. 



Repfy to Question gyS. 



If Mr. Collins will try mulching his 

 black currants, instead of cultivation in 

 the early part of the season I think he 

 will have better results. As soon as the 

 fruit is picked the mulch may be remov- 

 ed, and cultivation resorted to for a short 

 time. I prefer to apply mulch in the 

 fall. 



Stanley Spillett, 



Roses and Red Spider, 



998. Sir, — Your letter replying to my 

 enquiry regardinjj the culture of pot roses 

 was duly received, and I thank you for the 

 the information contained therein. 



In February the plants commencjd to grow 

 nicely and one is now coming into bloom. I 

 find the leaves dropping, however, and there 

 appears to be some insect at work. I enclose 

 samples of the infested leaves. The insect is 

 very tiny, looking like a small white dot and 

 always appears to be under the leaf. I shower 

 the plants daily with clear water and occa- 

 sionally with soap-suds. In watering them, 

 I put a teaspoonful of ammonia to a quart of 

 water, about once a week. I am a great lover 

 of roses and desire to succeed with them, and 

 if you can tell me how to exterminate the in- 

 sect that is troubling them, I shall be greatly 

 obliged. 



(Mrs.) B. Kelly. 



Reply by Prof. H L. Hutt, O. A. C, 

 Guelph. 



The destructive little insect at work 

 upon your rose is the red spider, a pest 

 much more common upon house plants 

 than is generally supposed. To the cas- 

 ual observer his work may be apparent 

 in the yellow leaf and sickly appearance 

 of the plant, but it is only by close in- 

 spection that the tiny little spiders are 



seen, unless they become very plentiful, 

 when their small webs on the under side 

 of the leaves betray their presence. The 

 warm dry atmosphere of most dwelling 

 houses is just what the red spider de- 

 lights in, and is what is most trying upon 

 house plants. The atmosphere should 

 be kept as moist as possible by means of 

 water evaporating on the stove or fur- 

 nace. 



The best way to get rid and keep 

 plants free from red spider is to syringe 

 them daily with water, forcing it well up 

 under the leaves. Showering it on from 

 above will not be effective, as the spider 

 works mostly on the under side of the 

 leaf. If the syringing cannot be conve- 

 niently done, dip the plants frequently 

 until the spiders take their departure. 



Strawberry Rust or Leaf Blight. 



999. Sir, — When is the best tinfe to 

 spray and what should be used to prevent it ? 

 and how much liquid is needed per acre ? 



T. H. Alton, Woodhank. 



Spray with Bordeaux mixture after 

 first blossoms fall, repeat after picking 

 season, and again about two weeks later 

 — or, instead of second and third spray- 

 ings, burn foliage. The quantity of Bor- 

 deaux per acre would depend upon fine- 

 ness of spray ; probably from 6o to 8o 

 gallons. 



Raspberry Plants. 



lOOO. Sir, — Should raspberries be dug 

 up in the fall and trenched, or dug up in the 

 spring, when time to plant ? 



T. H. Alton, Woodhank. 



Either plan will do, but the first is pre- 

 ferable for yearling plants. Many wait 

 for the young red raspberry shoots that 

 come up in May, and plant them as they 

 would tomato plants, and with good 

 success. 



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