22 2 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



Some Pronounciations Corrected. — Mr. Nicholson, in his "Dictionary 

 of Gardening," points out many correct pronunciations of flowers and fruits, 

 some of which we will notice from time to time. For example, among flowers 

 he gives the following accents : — Anemo'ne, Ar'but-us, Az-aP-e-a, Carpi-nus, 

 Cle-mat-is, CoPeus, Croc'-us, Cy'clam en, Dah'lia, Fuch'sia (Fook'si-a), Geran'ium, 

 Glad'i-ol-us, PyrgthVum, Ros'a, etc. 



Thinning Pears. — The " Rural New Yorker " contains replies from 

 several prominent fruit growers to several questions under this head, from 

 which it would appear that while some of the very best orchardists practise 

 thinning their fruits to a limited extent, yet, generally speaking, it is quite 

 a neglected practice. Isaac Hicks, of New York State, declares that 

 with the Bartlett and Kieffer pears, thinning is absolutely necessary for the 

 production of fine fruit, and he says that some years he removes fro\n one-third 

 to one-half, and sometimes in the case of the Kieffer, three-quarters. He 

 does this work before the pears are one-third grown. Mr. George T. Powell, 

 also of New York State, says that last year he thinned the pears from fifteen 

 hundred young trees, all of which were overloaded. 



There is no doubt about the advantage to be derived from the judicious 

 thinning of fruits, the only question is the expense. Most fruit growers in 

 Ontario are taxed to the very utmost in the growing season, and with many it 

 is simply impossible at that time to spare' the time necessary to accomplish the 

 work. No doubt as the years go on, and we become better and better able to 

 afford the workmen necessary to cultivate our garden and fruit farms as they 

 should be cultivated, this practice of thinning our fruits, not only pears, but 

 apples, peaches and grapes, will receive more and more attention. 



Spraying tests have been instituted by the Central Experimental Farm at 

 Grimsby, Winona and St. Catharines, in response to a -request made by the 

 Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario at our last winter meeting. Prof. Craig 

 has spent about a week in these parts, inaugurating the experiments, and has 

 now left the work in charge of a committee in each place. Tests are being 

 made of the efficacy of the Bordeaux mixture for apple and pear scab, peach 

 curl, and plum rot ; and of Paris green, in combination with the same, for 

 curculio and codling moth. The fruit gathered from trees treated and not 

 treated, is to be graded, counted and measured, and the results faithfully com- 

 pared. The results will be reported upon by the committee and their report 

 published, in order that we may know definitely whether it will pay us all to go 

 to the expense of frequent spraying or not. 



Spraying pumps also were tested in the presence of a good many fruit 

 growers. Some of the pumps were too weak in parts to stand the pressure 

 required, but evidently the most important thing is a suitable nozzle. For near 

 work^ ^s in the vineyard an4 small trees, the Vermorel is, the best, producing a 



