160 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Floral Edition 



has to be carefully avoided for which 

 reason it is well to use peat or decayed 

 leaves for planting. A position sheltered 

 from cutting winds should be selected. 

 With these simple precautions the plants 

 should do well. 



Larkspur Ttiming Yellow 



"55ome of my larkspurs, tiger HUies and hya- 

 cinllis arc turning yellow on the tips of the 

 leaves, tills yellow eventually becoming a dark 

 hrown shade, which I presume is dead. I am 

 unable to find any reason lor this except that 1 

 have watered them early in the morning. The 

 hollyhocks also had the centre eaten out. Please 

 give reasons and suggest a remedy." — H. L. C. 

 Toronto. 



The larkspurs, lilies and hyacinths are 

 possibly attacked by one of the fungoid 

 diseases similar to potato disease, and 

 this would not be the result of morning 

 watering. A badly drained soil is favor- 

 able to any fungus, however, and it might 

 be well to do even a little extra cultiva- 

 tion as a partial remedy. The hyacinths 

 will probably be past blooming by this 

 time, and dying down, unless the variety 

 is candicans. Spray the other kinds with 

 an ordinary Bordeaux mixture if the 

 bloom is not too far advanced. A little 

 cool fertilizer will help to increase the 

 vigor of the plants. They will possibly 

 grow out of the pest. The hollyhock 

 trouble is likely to be earwigs. These 

 can be easily trapped with a little moss 

 or excelsior laid near the plants, or if 

 some of this material is placed in the 

 bottom of some small pots, it provides a 

 fine hiding place for these little pests 

 from whence they can be easily destroyed. 



Madonna Lilies 



Last fall I planted Madonna Lilies 12inches 

 apart. Would it be advisable to plant tall 

 annuals between the lilies after ttiey have 

 finished blooming in order to have continuous 

 bloom, or would it affect the future growth and 

 blooming qualities? — K. J. M., Picton, Ont. 



For the first season it may not be harm- 

 ful to fill up with annuals, but when these 

 are cleared away in the fall, a light dres- 

 sing of well-decayed manure should be 

 forked in. If the lilies thrive, they will 

 be gradually filling up the ground in a 

 year or two, and thus make it unwise to 

 inter-plant. A few gladioli bulbs would 

 probably serve the purpose best. The 

 roots do not run about so very far and if 

 necessary, they could be easily planted 

 This method of planting, however, calls 

 for all the cultivation possible without 

 disturbing the lily bulbs. 



Worms on Raspberries 



How shall I get rid of small white worms 

 which attack the fruit of raspberries. They are 

 about ,',4 inch long, and may have a black stripe, 

 but are mostly white. They live entirely on the 

 berries, seemingly to suck out the juice and leave 

 the seeds bare. They leave no web and do not 

 seem to affect the bushes at all. 



—Mrs. W. L., Preston, Ont. 



It is impossible in the space allowed to 

 enter into a description of the Ufe and 

 mischief wrought by this nasty- little 

 pest. The method to follow is to spray 



at the time of fruit setting with a bor- 

 deaux solution. This usually succeeds 

 in keeping off the pest and is in fact the 

 remedy generally used. Bordeaux mix- 

 ture can be purchased in convenient form 

 at the seed stores, the packages carrying 

 full instructions. 



Insecticide for Garden 



" Please name a simple insecticide for ordinary 

 garden spraying." — L. R. D., Hamilton. 



Soap and water, an old-fashioned 

 cleansing material is also quite applicable 

 to a large number of plants. There is 

 perhaps a favorite kind in the mind of 

 every user of this simple remedy, but 

 any good laundry soap is suitable. Dis- 

 solve in warm water at the rate of one to 

 two ounces to a gallon and apply with 

 either syringe or spray. The solution 

 sticks and chokes the little trouble 

 makers, being easily washed off with 

 clean water afterwards. On the principle 

 of prevention being more wise than try- 

 ing to cure, it is suggested that an occa- 

 sional washing of both garden, and house 

 plants with this simple solution would 

 secure more healthy growth and appear- 

 ance. 



For general spraying purposes nicotine 

 has for years formed the foundation of a 

 large number of commercial insecticides. 

 Any of the 40% forms are safe, though 

 they need to be used as directed. In 

 every case a little dissolved soap in the 

 solution adds to the effectiveness. The 

 usual strength is one teaspoonful of 

 nicotine to a gallon of water, and if to 

 this is added one or two ounces of any 

 good soap, there is a sure destroyer of 

 any of the ordinary garden aphides that 

 so quickly show themselves at this time 

 of the year. 



Raspberries 



M. B. Davis, C.E.F., Ottawa. 



AT this season of the year, continuous 

 cultivation of the raspberry planta- 

 tion should be practised, at least, 

 up until the time the ripe fruit is hanging 

 on the canes. 



Some attention will need to be paid to 

 insect control, also. Occasionally the 

 raspberry sawfly will cause considerable 

 damage to the foliage, and when noticed 

 can be controlled by the use of arsenical 

 sprays, such as arsenate of lead or 

 arsenate of lime, used at the rate of two 

 pounds of the powdered form to forty 

 gallons of water, and sprayed on the 

 bushes. A couple of thorough sprayings 

 will generally suffice to control this pest. 



Every year there are numerous requests 

 asking why tips of young canes are 

 wilting. Upon close examination it will 

 be seen that the cane has been girded at 

 one point where it has commenced to 

 wilt. This is the work of the raspberry 

 cane borer, and when this wilting is first 

 noticeable is the time to institute control. 

 Cut well below the wilted portion and 

 destroy the cut portion. If these are not 



removed the young larvae, hatching from 

 the eggs laid in the girdle, will work down 

 the cane and practically destroy it. 



As soon as the fruiting season is over, 

 remove the old canes by cutting them off 

 close to the ground, and destroy them. 

 This gives the new canes a better chance 

 and assists in insect and pest control. 



I Timely Remimders | 



Sweet Peas should never be grown in 

 the same ground two years in succession. 

 If a change is impossible, replace the 

 soil. 



A good fertilizer for gladioli is bone 

 meal Apply one pound to ten square 

 feet, though double the quantity may 

 be used advantageously Apply to the 

 surface of the ground and rake in. 



Fine sweet peas cannot be secured in 

 a shady garden. They thrive best with 

 plenty of air and sunlight. Many of 

 the orange and red varieties burn and 

 discolor easily under a hot sun. Hence 

 to secure pure colors for exhibiting it 

 is a good plan to throw a few yards of 

 cheese cloth over the vine when the sun 

 is striking them strongly. 



The cucumber beetle is usually ready 

 for business at least a week before the 

 vine crops appear, feeding this time on 

 other foliage, but deserting it as soon 

 as the vine crops come. Many garden- 

 ers take advantage of this and plant 

 early squashes as "traps," killing the 

 beetles by pouring on pure kerosene or 

 scalding water. 



The highest quality of raspberries is 

 secured by not picking the fruit too 

 early. Commercial growers must pick 

 them rather early to insure their safe 

 arrival at market. The amateur gar- 

 gener can afford to allow the fruit to 

 remain until well matured. 



To secure good leeks, they should be 

 planted in a trench so that the earth 

 may be drawn around them for blanch- 

 ing. Leeks grown in this way are con- 

 sidered by many to be far superior to 

 onions when boiled. 



There is less trouble from insect pests 

 with the dahlia than with many favorite 

 garden flowers. In town gardens ear- 

 wigs are sometimes troublesome, but 

 they are easy to tramp with a little 

 patience. A few small flower pots with 

 a little moss or excelsior in the bottom 

 placed near the plants or turned upside 

 down on the top of the stakes invariably 

 prove a tempting nest for these trouble- 

 some creatures. A visit once or twice a 

 day by the grower to clean out the 

 captives is usually sufficient. 



