86 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTUBIBT. 



flowers, even from the very points of the 

 young shoots ; and be it observed this 

 is a convenient method of propagating 

 such shrubs because they are then easily 

 divided. I have found this by far the 

 most satisfactory mode here of growing 

 Deutzias, Altheas, Almonds, half-hardy 

 spiraeas, Treepeonias, Weigelas and Hy- 

 drangeas ; and I have no doubt that 

 under this treatment, the Viburnum 

 plicatum will give entire satisfaction. 

 Some will doubtless object to this 

 method as being laborious. I would 

 say in reply, I have found it to be by 

 far the most economical method of pro- 

 tectipn. Where plants have grown too 

 large for handling, I replace them by 

 smaller ones, and I with confidence re- 

 commend this practice to whom it may 

 concern. D. NicoL. 



Oataraqui, near Kingston. 



GRAPE VINE GROWING IN ALGOMA. 



My experience in grape vine grow- 

 ing here has been varied ; good expec- 

 tations and sad disappointments. I 

 have been trying them here for eight 

 years. Varieties, Concord 6 plants, 

 Creveling 4 plants, Delaware 2 plants. 

 At first the Creveling made the best 

 show, growing freely and making great 

 show for fruit, but not setting well, 

 still ripening some very good bunches 

 of fine berries ; but after fruiting two 

 years the leaves began to get black 

 spots on them, then the berries ; the 

 spots increased in size till the berries 

 stopped growing and shrivelled with- 

 out ripening. Next year it was so bad 

 as to stop the wood growth, and what 

 was made never matured. 



Last spring when the buds were near 

 bursting, I made a paint of sulphur, 

 clay, fresh cow- droppings and soft soap, 

 and brushed the canes all over with it. 

 I have seen something such used in 

 Scotland for vines under glass. The 

 gi*apes all but ripened, though it was 

 the shortest, coldest summer I have 



seen here. My Concords have never 

 quite ripened well, and appear the ten- 

 derest of the lot. Two years ago my 

 vines were looking extra well in May 

 and starting a fine growth, but we had 

 a very hard frost on the 29th May 

 which scorched them completely. I 

 allowed them to stand ten days to see i 

 what they would do, but only a very % 

 few buds offered to stai*t ; so I rubbed 

 off all the buds and forced them to 

 start again from the root, when all of 

 them did well, except the two strongest 

 Concords, which were killed right out. 

 With me the Delaware has been the 

 healthiest, hardiest, freest fruiting of 

 the lot, ripening every season so as to 

 be good to eat. I have just got the 

 following sorts for trial, which I am 

 planting in a very much better situa- 

 tion, completely sheltered from the 

 north and west and a good slope to 

 the south-east, namely : Lady, Moore's 

 Early, Cottage, Champion, Worden, 

 Janesville, Martha, Perkins, Rogers^ 

 Nos. 3, 4, 9, 15, and Brighton. My 

 first planting lies to the west, and is 

 exposed to the killing north-west winds^ 

 which are very severe. 



PLUMS. 



I planted about sixteen sorts of 

 plums. After doing well for three 

 years they all were winter-killed but 

 two Imperial Gages and one Duane's 

 Purple. Several of them started above 

 the working, but all have again been, 

 completely killed, except one Lombard 

 (I had three at first). The Lombard 

 and Duane's Purple flowered last year, 

 and one of the Imperial Gages had 

 some fruit. The curculio is abundant 

 here on the wild plums, which are 

 plentiful ; the black knot is also very 

 plentiful on the wild cherries. This 

 winter has bo far been mild ; last win- 

 ter we often had the mercury frozen ; 

 usually we have from three to five feet 

 of snow. Daniel Dunn. 



St. Joseph Island, Algoma. 



