EDITORIAL. 



219 



twice as many orchards will be sprayed this 

 year as last. The great demand for informa- 

 tion on this subject is the reason for so much 

 space being devoted to it in this issue. 



The farm places in the vicinity of Renfrew 

 should show considerable improvement in ap- 

 pearance if their owners will adopt the sugges- 

 tions recently made by the Renfrew Mercury. 

 The Mercury urges the farmers of the coun- 

 try, and also residents of the town of Renfrew, 

 to plant trees on the road sides and residential 

 streets, to paint old buildings and barns, to .re- 

 move unsightly fences, and to place the names 

 of the farms in some prominent position near 

 the house. To assist in the work, the Mercury 

 oners to furnish trees at a greatly reduced cost, 

 also sign plates for the farmers who desire to 

 name their farms. This is enterprise in a good 

 cause. Were more of our local papers to show 

 the same public spirit much good might be done. 



In several States of the Union a strong agita- 

 tion has been in progress for some months back 

 looking for the enactment of legislation that 

 will tend to.ward a reduction in the number, if 

 not the extermination, of robins. The charge 

 against the red breasted gentleman and his 

 mate is that they are very destructive in the 

 cherry orchards. Their chances for life in one 

 or two of the States do not appear bright. 



To ascertain the feeling on this point of our 

 Canadian growers The Horticulturist wrote last 

 month to a number of representative men. Al- 

 most without exception they have replied 

 strongly in favor of Mr. Robin. While they 

 admit he sometimes does considerable damage 

 they also claim he does much more good. The 

 replies are interesting, and will be published in 

 the June Horticulturist. Lack of space pre- 

 veniea their appearance this month. 



It seems to me that The Horticulturist is im- 

 proving all the time. I get much help from it. 

 The Editor's answer to my inquiry regarding 

 the planting of trees in last month's issue was 

 most satisfactory. The illustrations such as 

 appeared in The Horticulturist in the April is- 

 sue, showing the methods of pruning raspber- 

 ries, speak louder than words. — (A. C. Abbott, 

 Hudson Heights, Que. 



In the April issue of the Horticulturist an 

 article appears entitled Apples Frosted and 

 Smoked. The matter for this article was sent 

 out by Mr. W. A. MacKinnon, chief of the fruit 

 uivision at Ottawa last January. It was in- 

 tended for an early issue of the Horticulturist, 

 "but being crowaed out was used by mistake in 

 the April issue. 



A Arm in Ireland has written the Fruit Divi- 

 sion, Ottawa, through the agent at Birmingham, 

 Eng., staling it is prepared to engage with 

 Canadian apple shippers for shipments during 

 the coming season. 



Of General Interest 



I cultivate about half an acre of raspber- 

 ries and prefer the Cuthbert variety. It is 

 hardy, stands the winter well, is very pro- 

 ductive, has a good flavor and sells well. — 

 (D. Bettschen, Violet Hill, Ont. 



I consider the Northern Spy, King and 

 Russett the best kind of apple trees to grow 

 in the Georgian Bay section. We are too 

 far north apparently for Baldwins. A good 

 many of mine have died after being planted 

 6 or 7 years, and I replaced them with Spys. 

 — (A. Shaw, Walkerton, Ont. 



Our raspberry plants have been badly 

 broken down by the weight of snow, but 

 otherwise plants seem to have come through 

 the winter in good condition. — (A. E. Sher- 

 rington, Walkerton, Ont. 



Observing Arbor Day. — It has been the 

 custom in the schools of this town for some 

 years to observe Arbor Day by cleaning up 

 the school grounds, planting trees wherever 

 such were required for shading purposes, 

 and filling up vacancies in the rows of trees 

 surrounding the grounds. Flower beds, 

 where possible, have been prepared and 

 planted. Our exercises this year will, I ex- 

 pect, partake of this nature. — (J. A. Brown, 

 Principal Model School, Whitby, Ont. 



Set strawberry plants as early in the 

 spring as the ground will permit. Person- 

 ally I prefer early May seeding. Its chief 

 advantage lies in the fact that at this time 

 the plant has not started to grow, and no 

 vitality is lost in the transfer. Plants left 

 in the ground until the end of May, have 

 started to grow, and transplanting checks 

 their growth for a while. They can, how- 

 ever, be successfully set any time before the 

 fruit is formed on them. — (Charles H. 

 Snow, Cummings -.ridge. Ont. 



