40 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



have attained a height necessary to form a 

 plant of the height required, say two feet, the 

 top can be pinched out which causes the plant 

 to branch out and form a shapely plant. Plenty 

 of water and a little liquid manure while grow- 

 ing in summer will help the plants considerably. 

 Water can be gradually withheld in the autumn 

 when the leaves show signs of decay, when the 

 plants can be placed in a cool dry place, in a 

 temperature of about 45° ; very little, if any, 

 water being required during the winter. 

 In the spring the plants can be taken out, and 

 some old earth taken from among the roots, re- 

 potted into the same, or perhaps a larger sized 

 pot, as these plants require plenty of root room, 

 a twelve inch pot or a small tub being none too 

 large for a good healthy specimen ; after repot- 

 ting, water well once, introduce the plant into a 

 higher temperature, arid when established give 

 plenty of water as before recommended. The 

 plants will benefit if the young growth is pruned 

 back in the fall, when the plants are dormant, 

 to within a few buds of the older growth. 



Wm. Hunt, Hamilton. 



Glen's Arborine. 



Sir, — In the interests of fruit growers about 

 here, I want to know whether Glen's Arborine is 

 better than a mixture of soft soap and washing 

 soda to prevent the round headed borer entering 

 the trunk of trees ? Also will it prevent sun scald, 

 a trouble very common here? A great many 

 agents are about selling this article. 



W. J. Wilson, Castleton, Ont. 



Glen's " Arborine " has never come un- 

 der our notice. As I am not aware of its 

 composition, it is impossible to give an opinion 

 as to its relative efficacy compared with the 

 mixture of soft soap and washing soda you re- 

 fer to. If you can send me any particulars re- 

 specting this material, it might be possible to 

 give you information on this subject. I might 

 add that the substance sold under such and 

 similar trade names can scarcely be more effec- 

 tive than the mixtures made from the authorized 

 formulae, and are frequently if not always to be 

 found more expensive. 



Frank K. Shutt. 



Chemist, Experimental Farms, Ottawa. 



Nut Grass. 



Sir, — Please inform me the best way to get rid 

 of nut grass, and oblige 



A. E. Park, Cornwall. 



Nut Grass (Cyperus Esculentus.) 



In the common name of this plant we have a 

 misnomer which is somewhat misleading and 

 confusing. It would lead us to infer that this 

 plant was a grass whereas, as can be seen from 

 the botanical name, it really is a sedge. Its 

 genuine name Cyperus, has some reference to 

 Venus, the goddess of love. This form is not 

 identical with the " Nut Grass " of the Southern 



^"tt:- jfcss- /ii^w^^-cu*-ti»i>cv». 



Fig. 1733. 



States, Cyperus rotundus, which is widely dis- 

 tributed throughout Europe and has been intro- 

 duced to the various parts probably through bal- 

 last. Nut grass is usually found in low wet 

 areas, and upon underdraining these lands, for 

 the purpose of bringing them under cultivation, 

 great difficulty is frequently experienced in eradi- 

 cating it Propagation is effected chiefly by 

 means of underground stems, which bear num- 

 erous tubers about half-inch in length. I'hese 

 send up stems to the surface. 



