THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



167 



of weak or declining sight were advised 

 to look at the emerald. In the old style 

 of building, the streets being narrow, 

 were both cooler, from the sun not being 

 able to penetrate them with direct rays, 

 and less subject to noxious exhalations 

 from the purifying effect of the search- 

 ing air to which the narrow streets were 

 subjected, so that while there was no 

 space for trees, there was also less 

 necessity. Wide streets, on the con- 

 trary, are hotter, and require the shade 

 of trees to cool them ; and, as is the case 

 in London, which has so far done without 

 trees in its streets, it was pointed out 

 that not only the compulsory width of 

 modern streets, but also the enormous 

 increase in metropolitan buildings render 

 every sanitary question one of impor- 

 tance ; and the chemical properties of 

 trees, as shown by experiment, give an 

 important standing, irrespective of 

 ornament or the pleasure they j)roduce. 

 Some of Dr. Phene's experiments on 

 this subject have extended over a period 

 of 30 years, and he it was who first tried 

 the planting of trees in the streets of 

 London. Since the reading of a former 

 paper by him at Manchester, where the 

 importance of the subject was pointed 

 out, a number of streets in wealthy 

 localities have been planted, and even 

 Trafalgar Square, in the heart of the 

 metropolis. — Michigan Farmer. 



WHITEWASHING TREES. 



Do not be afraid to whitewasli fruit 

 trees of all kinds. It looks neat, fresh 

 and nice ; and it not only destroys in- 

 sects and their eggs, but the white coat 

 on the body of the tree reflects the heat 

 and keeps the inner bark and sap vessels 

 from being scalded and blighted by the 

 rays of the sun. Eveiy fruit grower 

 knows by experience how injurious the 

 blaze of the sun is to the limbs and 

 trunk of a tree. 



A thick coat of whitewash will be 



much better protection than straw, 

 boards or other materials, under which 

 mice and bugs and worms can harbor. 

 These destructive pests can be completely 

 kept away by using sulphur in the 

 whitewash. The way to mix it is to 

 take for each peck of lime four pounds 

 of flour of sulphur. Mix the lime and 

 sulphur together in a barrel and pour 

 in a bucketful of hot water. Cover the 

 top of barrel while the lime is slacking, 

 so as to retain all the fumes of the sul- 

 phur. "When slacked add sufficient 

 water to make a thin whitewash. Put 

 this wash on the trees with a broom or 

 a brush, taking care to keep the sulphur 

 well stirred up, as it will be found to 

 float like a scum of oil on the surface 

 of the water. 



This lime and sulphur wash is good 

 for grape vines and posts and stakes in 

 the vineyard. When properly made 

 and put on a strong smell of sulphur 

 will be detected several leet from the 

 trees and vines during the whole sum- 

 mer. These fumes are caused by the 

 slow combustion or oxidation of the 

 sulphur when sulphurous acid gas is 

 formed, which is certain death to all 

 the low order of animal and vegetable 

 life. This oxidizing action of sulphur 

 is the reason why it is used to dust 

 grape berries and leaves to check the 

 spread of oidium, mildew, grape rot 

 and other fungoid diseases, because as 

 soon as the sulphurous oxide gas is 

 formed and pervades the surrounding 

 atmosphere, all these fungus giowths 

 are instantly killed. So, too, would be 

 all insect life, and on a large scale, so, 

 too, would be all animal life. 



The use of sulphur as herein recom- 

 mended, in combination with lime, in 

 a whitewash, has been found eflicient 

 and valuable by several who have tried 

 it ; it is hoped it will be more generally 

 adopted by all orchardists and grape 

 growers. — Farmers' Home Journal. 



