lOO 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



gret having planted Kiefifers, for they will 

 form excellent trunks on which to top work 

 the best varieties. 



Hardy Apples 



GREEN, of Minnesota, recommends the 

 following varieties as being of the 

 first degree of hardiness : Duchess, Hiber- 

 nal, CharlamofT and Patten Greening; and 

 of the second degree, Wealthy, Longfield, 

 Tetofsky, Malinda, Okabena and Peerless. 



The crabs and hybrids most recommended 

 are Virginia, Martha, Whitney, Ealy 

 Strawberry, Minnesota, Sweet Russet. 

 Gideon No. 6, Briar Sweet, Florence and 

 Transcendent. 



In light dry soils in the cold sections it is 

 recommended that the trees be planted 12 

 inches deeper than they grew in the nursery. 

 This of course is with a view to escape frost, 

 but while it may be helpful in this way, it 

 has been shown that the size of the tree and 

 the extent of the root development decreases 

 in proportion to the depth of planting below 

 the normal. 



Don't Butcher Your Apple Trees 



IT is discouraging to preach common 

 sense in pruning apple trees, and to see 

 so little of it used by our fruit growers in 

 practice. The saw is being used unmerci- 

 fully on 'every side, as if the trees were so 

 many cordwood sticks, instead of living be- 

 ings ; and every year the lower limbs must 

 come off and the fruiting branches grow 

 higher and higher. Dougherty, of Indiana, 

 has twenty acres of apple trees, which are 

 an example of the wisdom of his system of 

 pruning, which contemplates in the first 

 place lower branch growth. All over his 

 orchard this peculiar growth is noticeable, 

 the branches often sweeping to and resting 

 upon the ground. He claims (i) that these 

 lower branches are the strongest and most 

 vigorous, being closest to the root supply; 

 (2) that the foliage in summer protects the 



ground from the burning rays of the sun, 

 and (3) that it greatly facilitates the gather- 

 ing of the fruit. 



We do not give this instance to induce 

 every one to prune his trees so low as 

 Dougherty has done. On certain soils not 

 needing cultivation, or where mulching takes 

 the place of tillage, it might answer ; still it 

 emphasizes the mistake of the opposite ex- 

 treme. 



Profitable Strawberry Growing 



A COMMON' mistake in planting straw- 

 berries consists in setting them too far 

 apart and trusting to the runners to fill up 

 the spaces. Far better plant too near and 

 have your beds well covered, or your rows 

 well matted, with bearing vines the first 

 year. The rows may be set five feet apart 

 if you choose, but 12 or 15 inches apart in- 

 the rows is surer of good results than any 

 greater distance. Early potatoes, peas (jr 

 beans may be grown between the rows the 

 first year, and be harvested by the time the 

 runners begin to occupy the space. 



Several growers have recently reported in 

 favor of Wm. Belt as being the best mid- 

 season variety. 



The Competitive Power Sprayers 



^'^ HE time is so near at hand when 

 spraying is to begin for the best suc- 

 cess in fruit growing, that it is none too 

 soon to consider whether we can improve 

 upon our hand machines, considering cost. 

 The two power sprayers most prominent at 

 present are the Niagara Gas Sprayer and 

 the Wallace Sprayer, both of which were 

 shown at the recent meeting of the New 

 York State fruit growers. The first is 

 operated by carbonic acid gas, which gives 

 the pressure without the use of any pump. 

 The gas is shipped in reservoirs, just as 

 soda fountain, fillers are, and cost from Y^ 

 to ]4, cent per gallon of liauid applied, with 

 cost of freight added. The second was 



