148 THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



ripening of the fruit, and as the result, harvested over thirty bushels of 

 plums from forty-two trees. In the season of 1875 the plum crop was 

 an entire failure, but in 1876 there was a good yield, and he again had 

 recourse to the smoking with the satisfactory result of not being able 

 to find the mark of a Curculio on any of his plums, except in trees 

 which he had intentionally left without smoking. The fruit on these 

 trees, with the exception of one variety, was all stung by the Curculio, 

 and fell off. We wish the Doctor had told us what variety of plum 

 that was which the Curculio did not sting, for if not stung under such 

 cirumstances there is reason to believe that there is one variety which 

 is Curculio proof, and it might be worth while to plant that extensively 

 as a market plum. 



THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT COLORS UPON" LIFE. 



We all know that the light which comes to us from the sun is 

 compounded of all the colors of the rainbow^ that all these colors 

 blended together make the pure light — the light of day. 



Experiments have been made to ascertain what is the effect of each 

 of these colors upon both aninml and vegetable life. The theory was 

 started some time ago that plants would thrive best in blue light, and 

 that grapes especially, growing in our hot houses, were benefitted by 

 glazing the houses with blue glass, the health and vigor of the vines 

 being greatly improved,, and as a consequence their productiveness. 

 These experiments were undertaken in order to test this theory, and 

 see if the different rays of the spectrum had any beneficial effect upon 

 life, and in what degree. 



The Journal of Science, published in Toledo, Ohio,, an excellent 

 periodical of practical information, says that the result of these' 

 investigations seems to shew that animals live longest in the green and 

 red lights, that violet light favors development to a great degree, blue 

 light next, and then yellow light. Plants from which the red light 

 was withheld were no longer able to increase in weight, but took ta 

 consuming their own substance, and gradually died. The conclusion 

 seems to be that no one color is sufficient for the best welfare and 

 growth of plants, but that each ray of the spectrum plays its own 

 particular part in the economy of life, and that all the rays are 

 necessary to perfect health and full development. 



