252 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



quality compared with Spy. It is also a 

 winter apple. With us at Maplehurst it has 

 borne remarkably well some seasons, g^'ving- 

 a crop oS. mag'nificent apples, and then 

 ag-ain the fruit has been irregular in size and 

 scant in quality. We have planted it next 

 in quantity to Spy for export purposes. 



Blenheim Orange is an early winter apple, 

 indeed some call it a fall variety, though in 

 northern sections it keeps fairly well. It is 

 a magnificent apple and no one can ^o 

 astray in planting it. It succeeds in places 

 where the Spy is too tender, and is a great 

 favorite as a market apple with some 

 growers. 



These three are all first-class commercial 

 apples, and deserve almost equal places as 

 money makers. 



Double Pear Bloom. 



1221. Sir, — I have mailed you to-day one clus- 

 ter of bloom taken from a young pear tree, three 

 years planted. I noticed last year that the bloom 

 on this tree was double, in comparison like a single 

 and a double flower. 



About two-thirds of the blooms on the tree were 

 double. The tree is in bloom just now. In look- 

 ing over my other pear trees comprising about 

 twenty varieties all in bloom, I could not find one 

 double bloom on any of them. As I have not 

 noticed double bloom on any fruit trees before, I 

 thought I would call your attention to it. I have 

 been wondering if a double bloom would develop 

 finer fruit than a single. 



Gait, Ont. Walter M. Turnbull. 



Double flowers are ornamental only, for 

 the more double they are, the less likely are 

 they to fruit. This is because the stamens 

 which bear the pollen are transformed into 

 petals. No doubt the peculiarity could be 

 propagated by grafting. 



Border Plants. 



1222. Sir, — Could you give us a list of plants 

 that once planted would come up everj- year. I 

 want to plant a border and some beds. Also could 

 you name some shrubs that would go with them. 



Toronto.^ H. G. 



Our correspondent will find, on page six- 

 ty-two, a good list of border plants given by 

 a professional gardener, Mr. Wm. Hunt, 

 of Hamilton. The herbaceous perennials 



there described, such as arabis, dielytra, 

 iris, perennial phlox, paionies, columbine, 

 coreopsis, rudbeckia and delphinium would 

 give great satisfaction, and make a beautiful 

 display, year after year. They are much 

 better than annuals for a border, because 

 once planted they will come up year after 

 year and give a certain permanent character 

 to the beds. 



As for a list of shrubs, our correspondent 

 can do no better than to read over the article 

 on deciduous shrubs, on page 197, written by 

 Mr. R. Cameron, chief gardener Victoria 

 Park, Niagara Falls, and select his list ac- 

 cordingly. 



Destroying Ants. 



1223. Sir,— Can you give me an elTectual rem- 

 edy for ants in lawn without injury to the grass. 

 Am much bothered with their nests, which are 

 not only unsightly, but interfere with the work 

 of the lawn mower. Kindly answer in Horticul- 

 turist and oblige, yours, truly, 



Erasmus. Ggo. Wood. 



The following method of destroying ants 

 is quoted from a bulletin of the Mass. Exper. 

 Station : " Make holes with a crowbar or 

 convenient stick from six inches to a foot 

 deep, and about fifteen inches apart, over 

 the hill or portion of the lawn infested by 

 the ants, and into each hole pour two or 

 three teaspoonfuls of bisulphide of carbon, 

 stamping the dirt into the hole as soon as 

 the liquid is poured into it. The bisulphide 

 of carbon at once vaporises and, permeating 

 the ground, destroys the ants but does not 

 injure the grass. One should remember 

 while using this snbstance that it is highly 

 inflammable, and not bring near it a flame 

 or even a lighted cigar. 



Oyster Shell Bark Louse. 



1224. Sir, — Enclosed is a cutting from an 

 apple tree which appears to have some bark dis- 

 ease. Will you kindly inform me if it is anything 

 requiring attention, and if so, kindly advise a 

 remedy and greatly oblige. 



Limehouse, Ont. Subscriber. 



These twigs are covered with Oyster 

 Shell Bark Lice. No samples are more fre- 



