i-ie 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



June, 1916. 



A. ^\'oo(ipe<•ker after tlio borei-.> apii with a 

 billful of wood-boring' larvae. They a'-e 

 great destroyers of codling moth and other 

 insect pests. 



Useful Birds 



Two useful birds that deserve to be 

 encouraged and protected are the 

 Woodpecker and the Chickadee. The 

 Woodpecl<er feeds on larvae and small 

 insects, which are found in crevices of 

 the bark ; securing them with its pro- 

 trusible tongue. This tongue is sharp, 

 hard at the end, has barbs directed 

 backward, and can be extended several 

 inches. The red-headed Woodpecker, 

 besides digging insects out of bark, 

 seizes them on the wing. In the ex- 

 amination of over seven hundred 

 stomachs of Woodpeckers, animal food, 

 mostly insects, was found to constitute 

 seventy-six per cent, of the diet, and 

 vegetable matter twenty-four per cent. 

 The animal food consists largely of 

 beetles and caterpillars, and includes 

 many harmful species. 



The Chickadee is another most active 

 insect destroyer. It is especially active 

 in the vicinity of any timber or wood 

 chopping. The birds will become very 

 familiar, and will readily make friends. 

 Not being equipped, as the Wood- 

 pecker is, with a long bill, they take 

 advantage of the cutting of cordwood, 

 etc., to secure the grubs found iinder 

 the bark or exposed in the cutting. As 

 a rule, however, they feed upon the in- 

 sects of the orchard, the bush or 

 .shrubbery. 



The Woodpscker and the Chickadee 

 are only two of many birds which are 

 of great service both in the city and 

 country. They should be protected in 

 order that they may continue their 

 valuable work. 



Lime! Sulphur and Paris Green 



Prof. W. .S Blair, Kenlville, N.S. 



ONE plot of Kings at Berwick, con- 

 taining three trees, in 1915 was 

 sprayed four times with lime 

 sulphur, sp. gr. 1.008, with V/^ pounds 

 of paris green per 100 gallons. These 

 trees were sprayed on the same dates 

 as other King plots. The hand pump 

 was used at a pressure of 140 pounds. 

 The amount of bloom was the same on 

 these as adjoining trees. 



As a result of this application not 

 only was the foliage badly injured and 

 the trees practically defoliated, but the 

 fruit clu.>5ters Avere so damaged that all 

 the fruit dropped soon after blossom- 

 ing and not a single fruit developed. 

 This experiment would show that paris 

 green cannot be used in the lime sul- 

 phur spray without causing very great 

 injury to foliage and possibly the loss 

 of an entire crop of fruit. 



What Co-operation Means 



Seth J. T. Bush, Morton, N.Y. 



Co-operation is a call to reason; it 

 represents a deliberate effort on the 

 part of the growers to secure for them- 

 selves a larger part of the consumer's 

 dollar, through the elimination of much 

 needless expense in the sale and distii- 

 bution of their products. 



It means better packing, the elimina- 

 tion of glutted markets, protection of 

 the grower's interests, prompt coll^jc- 

 tion of just damage claims, and better 

 prices for what you buv and what vou 

 sell. 



It means a discontinuance of the 

 custom of allowing the "dealer" and 

 speculator to place a mortgage of from 

 10 to 25 per cent, on the crops you pro- 

 duce. 



It means that the grower will do his 

 own gambling, and have a chance at the 

 ■ results. 



"ITigh-Cost-of-Living" prices don't 

 help the farmer, because he doesn't get 

 them ; his part of the consumer's dollar 

 is only THIRTY-FIVE CENTS. 



It is a fundamental principle of eco- 

 nomics that higher .prices stimulate 

 production, but it will not work unless 

 the increased price goes to the pro- 

 ducer, where it helongs. 



As the population of our cities has in- 

 creased a great deal faster than the 

 population of the country at large, the 

 difference in the price paid by the con- 

 sumer, and that received by the pro- 

 ducer, has increased in like proportion, 

 until a condition of commercial piracy 

 exists, which has no justification what- 

 ever, and must be fought by every 

 means available. 



The producer must receive his legiti- 

 mate proportion of the value of his 

 product. Co-operation, direct selling, 

 and the elimination of all needless ex- 

 pen.se and commissions are all means to 

 this end. 



There are many things which the 

 grower needs — things which are vital 

 to his success, but individually he can 

 do little or nothing toward their attain- 

 ment. We need and must liave better 

 transportation facilities — a wider dis- 

 tribution of our products to every nook 

 and corner, where they will be appreci- 

 ated and consumed, and better and 

 saner legislation on all matters affect- 

 ing our business. 



The freight rates charged bj- the 

 transportation companies, on peaches 

 in particular, should be reduced. 



The Compost Heap 



Successful gardening operations 

 necessitate the possession of a good 

 compost heap. It is easily made and a 

 wonderful convenience and help. It 

 stimulates growth in flowers and pro- 

 duces bigger and more highly colored 

 blooms. For roses especially it is un- 

 equalled. A compost heap of manure 

 from cow barns is used by all big rose 

 growers. 



The foundation of a compost heap 

 is manure wiiich is best obt^iined from 

 a cow stable. In case this is not avail- 

 able, strawy manure from horse stables 

 or droppings from poultry houses will 

 serve. 



Pile the manure about a foot deep, 

 then alternate layers of sods, lawn 

 clippings, weeds and any other vege- 

 table material with manure. In dry 

 Aveathcr the heap should be watered 

 and should then be left until the ma- 

 terial begins to decay. Turn the heap 

 over occasionally and add some fertiliz- 

 ing material; also some additional clip- 

 pings, weeds, leaves and other similar 

 material. One advantage of a compost 

 heap is that it affords a means of eon- 

 verting almost every kind of garbage 

 into valuable fertilizer. 



A compost heap of this character 

 should stand a year to be really most 

 valuable as a fertilizer. If, however, 

 it has been kept damp and turned fre- 

 quently it can be used in the course of 

 two or three months. In a year's time 

 a compost heap should be mellow, fine 

 and black and sufficiently moist to 

 make a ball when squeezed in the hand. 

 It should not be wet nor should it 

 emit an offensive odor. Once started, 

 a compost heap may be maintained 

 j-ear after year by occasionally adding 

 the materials from which it was origin- 

 allv made. 



