THE CANADIAN H0RTICULTURI5T. 



249 



with earth, pressing it down firmly. 

 Leave one bud above ground, and when 

 you see signs of growth, rub off all 

 others between the branch and the 

 main stump (see cut). 



Perhaps some of our experienced gar- 

 denei*s or vineyardists will give their 

 methods. 



3. Pruning Peach Trees. — When is 

 the best time to cut back the new growth ? 



D. C. L. 

 Our plan is to prune out the dead 

 wood, and cut back the leading shoots 

 of the new wood in March or April. 



4. Breaking Down of Currant 

 Bushes. — How can I prevent the break- 

 ing of the stalks of my cherry currant 

 bushes, by strong winds, without stak- 

 ing ?—D. C. L., St. Thomas. 



Clip back one-half of the new growth 

 every spring, and you will have no 

 trouble. Examine and see if the broken 

 stalks are infested with the currant 

 borer. If so, cut them away and burn 

 them. 



5. Cutting back Grape Vines. — 

 In the April number of tJie " Horticul- 

 turist " you recommend cutting back one 

 year old vines this fall to within two 

 buds of the ground. If I do this, the 

 stump will be too short to reach the first 

 wire of the trellis, eighteen inches from 

 the ground ? H. E. 



You need not necessarily save the 

 two lowest buds ; you can save two 

 buds at whatever height you wish, and 

 then nib off all the others, and so se- 

 cure the growth of only two upright 

 shoots, to serve afterwards as laterals. 

 Some vineyardists use four or five wires, 

 especially for this renewal system of 

 training, and put the bottom one within 

 eight or ten inches of the ground, for 

 the support of the two main laterals. 



6. Best Apples for Napanee. — 

 Please name the best apples for this 

 section to cover the whole season ; also 



the best and most productive winter 

 apple of good quality that would thrive 

 here. Woidd the Walbridge do? I do 

 not 7vant to wait for the Northern Spy. 

 The thermometer registered 36° below 

 zero here last winter. H. E. 



We recommend (summer) Yellow 

 Transparent, (autumn) Duchess of Old- 

 enburg, and (winter) Alexander, Weal- 

 thy, and American Golden Russet. The 

 Walbridge is only partially tested as 

 yet, but it is said to be an iron-clad, 

 and to be productive, of good quality, 

 and an excellent keeper, but not suffi- 

 ciently showy for market. 



7. Fruit Dryer. — Will you or some 

 one of your readers tell me how to make 

 a fruit dryer to be used on a cook stove ? 



H. E. 



8. Grape Cuttings. — Will cuttings 

 from one year old grape vines make 

 healthy vines ? H. E. 



Yes, if wood is well ripened, thougli 

 perhaps not so vigorous as larger wood. 

 A. M. Smith. 



JfruitB. 



DO BEES HARM THE GRAPES ? 



An interesting experiment has been 

 made at the new station at Aurora, 111., 

 in solution of the question whether bees 

 injure fruits or not. The following 

 account of it is from the Farm and 

 Home : 



Two colonies of hybrids and one of 

 Italians were placed in a bee-proof 

 house with fruit of all kinds and in all 

 stages of growth arranged, so that the 

 sun could strike it. The bees were 

 given no food or drink, and a high and 

 dry temperature was maintained. The 

 bees inspected the fruit and took advan- 

 tage of every opening at the stem or 

 crack in the epidermis or puncture 

 made by insects which lay their eggs in 



