Frosted Raspberry Stalks. 



748. SiK, — Would it be a good plan to cut back the frozen raspberry stalks ; some 

 canes are black, some have crisp heart, but the leaves are green. If cut half down, would 

 they likely shoot out again and fruit later on ? A. J. Collins, Listowel. 



Certainly it would be a good plan to cut off all injured portions of the 

 raspberry plants, in order that the whole strength of the plant may be given to 

 the healthy buds below. The result might be vigorous growth from them, and 

 quite possibly a fair quantity of fruit. 



Pruning" Honey Locust Hedge. 



749. Sir, — Having a triple row of Honey Locust to form a hedge — now in its third 

 year — would like to know how and when to prune it. It is in front of a double tenement 

 house, running from front to sidewalk as a walk between the two occupants. As it is per- 

 haps too late to answer in the July number of the Canadian Horticulturist, would you 

 kindly answer by letter and oblige George S. Wason, Hawkesbury. 



Reply by Mr. John Craig, of Ottawa. 



It is somewhat difficult to give a correct method of treating a hedge about 

 which so little is known regarding the conditions surrounding it. In the first 

 place, it is, in my opinion, a mistake to plant double or triple rows of any 

 variety of tree with the view of thus forming a permanent and long-lived hedge- 

 It nearly always follows in such cases that the inside branches and those on the 

 middle row of trees are so crowded, as to make only a very weak growth, and 

 thus to be of little service in fulfilling the purposes for which they were planted, 

 which may be ornament or utility. In the case of the double rows, the inside 

 branches usually fail for the same reason, viz , on account of being deprived of 

 light, so that only half of each tree is able to perform its function normally, and 

 thus the growth is thrown largely to the outsides. In the case of this particular 

 hedge, and supposing it to be in a fair growing condition, I would suggest that 

 it be trimmed back in the autumn. If it has not already been trimmed, this 

 would be the best treatment, as cutting it back now to the desired height would 

 probably give it too great a check. The after-trimming would consist of pruning 

 it next spring when the season's growth is about half completed, and again about 

 three weeks later. In the Ottawa district the Honey Locust is not reliable as a 

 hedge plant, although its beautiful fern-like foliage renders it an attractive plant 

 for this purpose. Occasionally we find hardy individuals of this species, but as 

 a rule they vary so much, that it is impossible to get a hedgerow without a 

 number of gaps in it, caused by the killing out of a percentage of more or less 

 tender plants. It is, in good soil, a very rapid grower, and on this account it is 

 perhaps more expensive as a hedge plant than some other varieties of slower 

 growth, which need less pruning. 



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