December, 1916. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



29S 



water. Let it stand t\v€iity-four hours, 

 and use the clear liquid, avoiding the 

 sediment. Before applying lime water, 

 let the earth in the pots become dry, 

 then flood it with the lime water, and a 

 week later repeat the process. 



The red spider is an enemy of glox- 

 inia, and many other soft-fleshed plants, 

 when kept in a dry atmosphere. This 

 insect dislikes nothing so much as mois- 

 ture, and will never appear where 

 plants ar€ kept in moist air. - 



It is always better to prevent his 

 coming, but he will depart if water is 

 kept constantly evaporating among the 

 plants, or if the tinder side of the leaves 

 where this insect makes his home) be 

 sprayed frequently with water. The 

 red spider and water are mortal en- 

 niies — he hates water as badly as a 

 ^lnall boy or a tramp. 



Fine tobacco-dust is fatal to many 

 plant-lice, and to the naked larvae of 

 all. Ground tobacco in the earth is 

 used for maggots in outdoor gai-dens, 

 and is said to be worth more than its 

 cost as a fertilizer. Possibly it might 

 be used in this way indoors. 



An extract made by boiling the chop- 

 ped stems and leaves — one pound of 

 tobacco (the real thing) to one gallon 

 of water- — is recommended for all soft- 

 bodied insects. This extract does not 

 injure the foliage except by way of dis- 

 figuring delicate foliage with spots. 



For the white fly, my remedy for 

 some years, has been to carefully re- 



Pove plant and earth from the jar and 



I 



Narcissus Bicolor Victoria. 



times heated" if it can be found; but 

 I recently learned that a kerosene emul- 

 sion will clear them off successfully. 

 This is made by dissolving two ounces 

 hard soap in one gill of boiling soft 

 water, and one pint of kerosene. 



The scale louse is a very persistent 

 enemy of cactus, palms, oleanders, Bos- 

 ton ferns, and ivy. The first time I 

 found one of my plants — it was a spe- 

 cies of coleu — ^^infested with scale lice, 

 I tihougiht that it might be washed off 



by rain. So when I saw a rainstorm 

 coming I set the plant out of doors. 

 The rainstorm proved to be a smart 

 shower of hail, and eifectually removed 

 the scale-lice — ^also tiie leaves and 

 branches of the plant. I am not sure, 

 yet, that this is not the best remedy. 

 These insects can be removed by soap- 

 suds, applied with a shaving-brush. 

 Scraping them off individually with a 

 razor is advised. Fir-tree oil is also 

 recommended. 



A writer in an old copy of The May- 

 flower says: "If you intend to fight 

 scale, go at it in the spirit of the mar- 

 tyr going to the stake — ready to endure 

 anything. Kill, not only every scale^ 

 but his skulking father, mother, grand 

 parents, children, brothers and sisters, 

 cousins, nephews and nieces, friends 

 and neighbors as well. One general 

 massacre is worth a dozen half battles. 

 Wet the affected parts in soft, soapy 

 water to soften the sticky scales, then 

 go over every inch of leaf and stem, 

 and rub them off." 



For the mealy bug, hand-picking, and 

 afterwards washing the plant with any 

 good insecticide, is safest. 



There is a small species of root-louse^ 

 which gathers on the roots of some pot- 

 ted plants. The best and quickest way 

 to get rid of it is to lift the plant out 

 of the soil, shake off all earth, wash the 

 roots well, scald the pot, and replace in 

 entirely fresh earth. Soaking the earth 

 with kerosene emulsion or toibacco tea 

 helps. But whatever of these remedies- 

 one is using, the most valuable ingredi- 

 ent is patient persistence. 



Vines and Their Uses* 



W. T. M .coan. Dominion Horticulturist, Ottawa 



TO most persons born in the Old 

 Land the word vine means hut 

 one kind of plant, the grape, but 

 in America all kinds of c'limlbing plants 

 are included in the word vine. While 

 it may not be quite correct to call all 

 limbers vines, the latter word is more 

 leasing to the ear and, doubtless, that 

 I why it has been so generally adopted 



this country. 

 ■There is something in the vine-clad 

 lilding or wall, the festooned pergola, 

 ad the verandah, porch, or summer 

 Buse .'Shaded and draped with good 

 imbei-s that strongly appeals to one. 

 Jot only are they objects of beauty 

 ad grace, but they make a dwelling 

 jme-like, giving the idea of comfort 



well, 

 r There is nothing that so quickly and 

 cheaply improves the appearance of 

 unattractive or uninteresting or 



[_*Extract from a paper road before .the Ontario 

 orticultural Convention. 



pooirly planned dweiiing as a good 

 climber." The hard outlines are soft- 

 ened. The building becomes more 

 home-like, and some shade for the 

 \-erandah is quickly afforded. 



Perhaps the most popular vine in 

 Canada and in Ontario is the Virginian 

 CreepcT. It is native of this country, 

 is very hardy, and is easily obtained, 

 which are three of the main reasons for 

 its popularity. In addition, there is the 

 glossy graceful foliage in summer, and 

 the brilliant hues of autumn that make 

 it attractive. The ordinary form climbs 

 both by twining and, by means of the 

 tendrtils which work into crevices in 

 walls of buildings. Although it is 

 .suitable for verandahs, it is not satis- 

 factory for covering walls, as it is neces- 

 sary to secure it to the wall in some 

 way. The naturail means is not i^uffici- 

 ent, for although the tendrils are more 

 or less provided with discs, these do not 

 attach themselves securely enoug'h. 



The variety known as Englemanni, a 

 form growihg in the Central States, has- 

 become popular in recent years. The 

 tendrils of this variety are _ furnished 

 with discs, which enable it to cling- 

 much better than the ordinary Eastern 

 form. It is fairly satisfactory for walls, 

 but in our experience it does not cling 

 nearly as well as a certain variety grow- 

 ing wild in the vicinity of Ottawa, and, 

 doubtless, in other places in Ontario. 



When the Central Experimental 

 Farm was establi^ed in 1887, a vine 

 of this form was found near the site of 

 the Director's house, and from this 

 vine, and others found since, many 

 vines have been propagated both from 

 cuttings and seeds. All the seedlings 

 cling as well as the parent plant, thus 

 showing that it is a true variety. When 

 this form was discovered, the old de- 

 scriptions of the Virginian Creeper 

 made by botanists ^yere looked up, and 

 it was found that it answered the de- 



