163 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Floral Edition 







■♦•»*»Q 



QUESTION BOX 



W. E. GROVES 



Name of Pale Pink Rose 



What is the name of a pale pink rose, similar 

 to Dorothy Perkins but earlier? — Mrs. R. W. L., 

 Whcalley, Ont. 



Both Tausendschon and Lady Gay 

 are similar in color, and often come a 

 little earlier into bloom. We think that 

 the question refers to one of these varieties 



Growing Ginseng 



" Can Ginseng be grown successfully in Sask- 

 atchewan, or is the climate too cold? — Clavet, 

 Sask. 



W. T. Macoun, the Dominion Horti- 

 culturist, has a bulletin on this subject 

 which will give full information. A letter 

 to the Department of Horticulture, 

 Ottawa, will be sufficient to secure a 

 copy post free. 



Asters and Blight 



My asters are infected with blight in which 

 the leaves curl and get full of dimples. What 

 kind of insect would be infesting them? — biting 

 or sucking ? Is kerosene emulsion a good in- 

 secticide to use? — -Enquirer, Collingwood, Ont. 



The common plant bug is a sucking 

 insect that gives trouble to aster growers 

 continually. Kerosene emulsion is the 

 most effective remedy, though even this 

 does not always kill the mature insect. 

 Keep the area where the plants are grown 

 clean and well cultivated, encouraging as 

 vigorous a growth as possible. Spray 

 once or twice a week with the emulsion 

 using fairly strong, but with special care 

 to keep the solution well mixed whilst 

 spraying. 



Obconicas 



Are flowerj of Obconica firaliriata as large as 

 those of Obconica grandiflora? — F. B. D., 

 Branchton, Ont. 



Primula fimbriata is merely a kind with 

 the blooms slightly fringed. The blooms 

 are generally nearly as large as grandi- 

 flora gigantea. 



Unasoal Canterbury Bell 



A Canterbury bell has produced what is pre- 

 sumably a double flower, at least one bell or 

 flower is perfectly formed inside the other. Is 

 this unusual or is it a new variety? — ^J. R., 

 Toronto. 



The Canterbury bell bloom is probably 

 just an unusual flower, the reason for 

 which it is not easy to discover. It may 

 be well to watch and see if all the blooms 

 on the plant come the same or if later 

 flowers revert to type. If the whole 

 plant produces the same kind of flower, it 

 might be interesting to try and save it or 

 save seed. 



Hollyhocks 



What shall I do for my hollyhocks? I have 

 many beautiful varieties, but I had to cut them 

 down before flowering because of the unsightly 

 foliage. The undersides of the leaves are covered 

 ■vith tiny black specks, insects or blight, which 



turns the leaves rusty " — E. P. h., Belleville, 

 Ont. 



The hollyhocks are probably infested 

 with the rust to which these plants are 

 susceptible. Bad plants should be re- 

 moved, and a bordeaux spray given to 

 the others. It is well to spray occasion- 

 ally during the season and care should 

 also be taken to keep the ground clean 

 and well cultivated. Plants that are 

 growing strong are not so readily at- 

 tacked, as those that are weaker. 



Coal Ashes for Garden 



Would sifted coal ashes be harmful to ray 

 flower garden. The soil is heavy clay, and I 

 thought the ashes might lighten it up. I used 

 wood ashes last spring, but took care not to 

 put it near the plants. I wonder if I might use 

 coal ashes freely near the plants. — ^Mrs. S., 

 Norwich, Ont. 



The action of coal ashes on the soil is 

 purely mechanical, but it certainly does 

 break up the clay, and used in modera- 

 tion, is very helpful. To get the best 

 results, it should be used at a time when 

 the ground is in a decent condition for 

 digging, so that the ashes can be well 

 mixed with the soil. Wood ashes carry a 

 fair percentage of potash, and can be 

 safely used in addition to the coal ashes. 



Dark Pink Peonies 



Please give me list of very deep peonies in late 

 variety, also names of some inexpensive kinds 

 suitable for Horticultural Society. — Mrs. R. W. 

 L., Wheatley, Ont. 



Among the best late pink varieties are 

 Modeste Guerin, Livingstone, Marechal 

 Vaillant, and Claire Dubois. Some 

 standard kinds suitable for Horticultural 

 Society would be Duchess de Nemours, 

 La Rosiere, Festiva, Madame Calot, 

 Edulis _Superba, Felix Crousse, Victor 

 Hugo, and Augustin d'Hour. 



Salpiglossis 



Is it better to sow salpiglossis seed in flats and 

 transplant or sow directly in ground and leave 

 without transplanting? — K. B. D., Branchton, 

 Ont. 



It is best to treat salpiglossis in much 

 the same way as aster. If sown in flats 

 and transplanted, earlier blooming and 

 stronger plants result. 



Begonia Leaves Dropping 



We have a back-yard garden which when 

 everything comes up, will I am sure be a sight. 

 We have 71 varieties of flowers, annuals and 

 perennials, 25 Prize dahlias, 30 rose bushes, some 

 of which are now in bloom. I have a tall begonia 

 which seems healthy, but the leaves are drop- 

 ping one by one, and am enclosing leaf which 

 has just dropped showing the condition. Can 

 you tell me the reason? There does not seem to 

 be any blight. Could I slip off the stem, and 

 make two or three other plants. — Mrs. G. H. R., 

 Toronto. 



Our correspondent's letter is interesting 

 reading, and we wish her every success 

 in her garden efforts. The begonia con- 

 dition is apparently brought about by 

 a check of some kind. It is not stated if 

 the plant is in the house or planted in 

 the garden, 'if the former, we advise 



cutting back hard, and when the plant 

 begins to make new shoots, repot break- 

 ing away some of the old soil, potting 

 back into the same or a little larger pot. 

 The cutting back would do no harm if 

 the plant is in the garden. The cuttings 

 would be rooted readily in light soil, and 

 the young plants should speedily grow 

 away from the trouble mentioned. 



Celery Rotting 



Last year our celery was a failure. It seemsd 

 to be of good quality and in good condition 

 when packed in root cellar, in dry earth, but 

 shortly it commenced to decay at the heart and 

 we lost most of it. Our celery is grown in 

 trenches. Could you give us an idea of the 

 cause of our failure. Would you recommend 

 leaving it outside all winter." — Hospital, Petro- 

 lea, Ont. 



We have found that celery rotting at 

 the heart is caused by the tarnished plant 

 bug which punctures the stem and allows 

 the bacteria to enter. The best remedy 

 found so far is tobacco dust impregnated 

 with Nicotine to 1%. We generally use 

 this in combination with Bordeaux, 

 sulphur and lime, all being used in the 

 dust form. This dust has proved satis- 

 factory over a period of three years with 

 commercial celery growers, and may be 

 obtained from the Niagara Brand Spray 

 Company, Burlington, who make it up. 

 —Prof. A. H. MacLennan, O.A.C., 

 Guelph. 



It is possible to keep celery outside by 

 replanting close together in a pit covering 

 the top with boards. Ventilation must 

 be provided and soil kept away from the 

 tops of the plants. 



Jerusalem Cherries 



When should Jerusalem cherries set in garden 

 in spring, be taken up and how treated for best 

 results?—?. B. D., Branchton, Ont. 



Jerusalem cherries may be lifted m 

 September by which time the berries 

 should be well set. They should be taken 

 up and potted carefully and kept in a 

 shady sheltered place or in a cold frame 

 until established in the pots. Take in- 

 doors as soon as there is danger from frost 

 and if then kept in a light airy place they 

 will gradually ripen berries without 

 shrivelling. 



Rose Bushes 



Are rose bushes that have been grown in 

 greenhouses by florists any good for planting out 

 in the garden. — Mrs. R. W. L., Wheatley, Ont. 



These plants are used in numbers by 

 rose growers, and are usually found well- 

 worth growing. There is no reason why 

 they should not be planted freely, the 

 only difficulty being that it is impossible 

 to secure more than a few varieties. 



Grape Vine 



My Rogers grape vine (fruit is sort of brown 

 color), is not fertile and few grapes set. What 

 variety should be grown to fertilize it? — F.B.D., 

 Branchton, Ont. 



Any strong growing variety favored 

 by the enquirer would be suitable for this 

 purpose. 



