THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



219 



been made a feeding-gi-ound for these 

 parasites soon after becomes shrivelled 

 and dies. 



PROPAGATING GRAPE VINES. 



I have been trying to propagate 

 grape vines from cuttings by instruc- 

 tions given in the October Number of 

 the Horticulturist for 1884, but they 

 did not root. Is there any other method 

 by which I might get them to roof? 

 The cuttings were taken off in the fall, 

 kept in the cellar till spring and then 

 set out. Yours truly, 



W. J. Porter. 



Kemptville, Sept. 6, 1886. 



Reply. — ^Yes, there is another me- 

 thod, namely, by layering. Bend down 

 in the spring a shoot of the previous 

 summer's growth, and cover with earth 

 sufficiently deep to keep the part that 

 is covered always moist. Leave the end 

 of the shoot to project out of the ground. 

 When the leaves drop in the fall you 

 find that the layer has sent out roots. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



THE WINDSOR BEAN. 

 I have grown the Windsor Broad 

 Bean on several occasions on my 

 grounds, but with only partial success, 

 barely the value in return paid for the 

 seed. At first I attributed the cause to 

 our hot summers, by producing abortive 

 blossoms, which were abundant enough. 

 On another occasion, with the usual re- 

 sult, I attributed the failure to the 

 black aphis, which appeared on the tips 

 of the stalk. Again, I tried pinching 

 back and poisoning the aphis, but with 

 only similar results. However, this 

 past season I was more observant, and 

 found but very few insects, save the 

 aphis, approach the blossoms, our native 

 wild bees preferring the blossoms of 



the clovers instead. The humming 

 bird T often observed attacking the 

 blossoms, and to it I attribute the few 

 pods we find on the stems. This bean 

 is botanically distinct from the China 

 variety, which is a self-fertilizer. The 

 Windsor variety is not, and depends 

 upon the aid of insects. Our humble- 

 bee cannot reach the nectaries of the 

 blossoms ; its probocis is not long 

 enough. The same with our common 

 honey bee, hence avoiding the blos- 

 soms. The European humble-bee is 

 much larger, and better fitted for this 

 purpose. The blossoms of other legu- 

 minous plants require insect aid in 

 fertilization, as in the case of the red 

 clover in New Zealand, which does not 

 produce seed there. Acting upon the 

 advice of scientists, the European 

 humble-bee has been imported there, 

 but the results which followed I have 

 not been able to ascertain. 



Yours truly, 

 Berlin. SiMON RoY. 



NEW STRAWBERRIES. 



BT JOHN LITTLB, GRANTON, ONT. 



Mr. Editor, — With your permission 

 I will tell you and the readers of the 

 Horticulturist about some of my new 

 friends, the last arrivals of the straw- 

 berry family. 



They are not like some of the human 

 family — you can say what you like 

 about them and they will not tear your 

 character to pieces, and if you will give 

 them their needed supply it is wonder- 

 ful the manifold return, though a silent 

 one, they will give you for the atten- 

 tion given them. 



I will be brief at this time, just 

 mentioning their names in the order of 

 their merit, as they have done here 

 this season. The first are Ontario, 

 Jewel, Gola, Deeve, Acorn, this last 

 not fruited; these are Mr. P. M. 

 Augur's seedlings. Next, a seedling 

 from Ohio — shown at the June meeting 



