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We shall be glad to answer all questions relative to Horticulture, Floriculture, and Forestry, in 

 these columns, but cannot undertake to send answers to such questions by mail. 



Yappow. 



10I2. — Sir, — Please tell me the name of 

 the enclosed weed. It is just appearing on 

 my farm. Is it a dangerous pest ? 



A. Cameron", Tiverton. 



Reply by Dr. Fletcher, Central Ex- 

 perimental Far?n, Ottawa. 



The weed sent by Mr. Cameron is 

 the well-known yarrow (Achillea Mille- 

 folium). The weed grows in pastures 

 and way-sides in every part of Canada 

 from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It can 

 hardly be called a dangerous pest, be- 

 cause it is a plant used in the Old 

 Country to mix with pasture especially 

 for sheep runs. Our Canadian sheep, 

 however, do not seem to relish it, for it 

 is almost invariably left when there is 

 anything else left for them to eat. 



Dandelions and Ants in Lawn. 



1013. — Ist. Sir, — My lawn is near afield 

 where dandelions grow most abundantly. I 

 have so far succeeded by continued digging 

 in keeping it almost free from them. But I 

 find that it damages the lawn very much. Is 

 there any other way to fight them ? Would 

 a salt water, lime water, or lye water applied 

 carefully do less harm than digging ? I pre- 

 fer no lawn at all to a dandelion bed. 



2ad. How can I get ants out of my lawn ? 

 Hoping for an early reply to the above and 

 success to the Horticulturist. 



A. B. Carman, Iroquois. 



Reply by Dr. Fletcher, Ottaiva. 



In reply to the question one, to 

 the best way of clearing a lawn of dan- 

 delions, I know of no other way than 

 spudding the plants. This need not, 

 however, destroy the appearance of the 

 lawn very much if a proper instrument 

 is used, such as a gouge at the end of a 

 handle, which can be thrust down some 



depth into the soil, so as to cut off the 

 tap root of the dandelion, when the 

 plant can be withdrawn without disturb- 

 ing the grass very much. This year is 

 a most remarkable one for the abun- 

 dance of dandelions. How this phe- 

 nomenon can be explained I know not, 

 for the dandelion is an extremely vigor- 

 ous and resistant perennial. I have cut 

 up the root stock into half a dozen 

 pieces and planted these at various 

 depths, from i inch to 6 inches, and 

 vertically and horizontally, and have 

 found that all of the pieces grew, and 

 those which were placed horizontally in 

 the ground grew at both ends. How- 

 ever, notwithstanding this, many lawns 

 have been cleaned entirely by persistent 

 work in spudding out the plants, as sug- 

 gested above. 



Question No. 2. " How can I get 

 ants out of my lawn ? Probably the 

 best way of getting ants out of a lawn is 

 to pour a small quantity — about one 

 teaspoon ful — of bisulphide of carbon 

 into the centre of the nests and then 

 close the orifice by placing some earth 

 over it and pressing down with the foot ; 

 at the same time, a lawn which is badly 

 infested with ants generally requires fer- 

 tihzing and watering, so that if water is 

 available it is well to water the lawn as 

 frequently as possible, and at the same 

 time top-dress it with a small quantity 

 of some special fertilizer, so as to help 

 the plants and make them grow vigor- 

 ously. 



Hibiscus Subviolaeeus. 



1014. Sir, — Would you please describe 

 the following plants, with hints about their 



:87 



