THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



his room is an aldine grate. A register 

 is in the chimney at the back of the 

 conservatory, but the heat is not quite 

 enough, so I have a small oil stove, 

 called the Economist, and a tin tea 

 kettle. After lighting the lamp and 

 filling the kettle the water will boil in 

 ten minutes. Moisture gathers on the 

 glass, and there is a pleasant heat. The 

 plants flourish. 1 have abutilons, 

 geraniums, carnations and ageratums in 

 bloom, and the chrysanthemums are 

 splendid. Ferns, too, and lycopopium 

 are doing nicely. You have only to be 

 watchful that the lamp does not smoke 

 and the water does not boil out of the 

 tea kettle, and your plant will flourish 

 as well as in a more aristocratic green- 

 house. 



Conditions for Winter Killing. 

 — A heavy peach crop in the Niagara 

 District is rather strange after such a 

 severe winter which killed the roots of 

 the trees themselves in many cases. 

 Sometimes the peach buds all succumb 

 at a temperature of io° or 12° below 

 zero, while the trees themselves are un- 

 hurt, but this last winter they have 

 endured 18° below zero without injury 

 to the blossom. Bailey thinks that the 

 ooaq spnqme less hardy in proportion as 

 they are more developed. This ex- 

 planation is generally concurred in, so 

 much so that of late ■■ it is becoming a 

 practise to whiten the buds with hme in 

 early spring to prevent their swelling 

 under the influence of the sun which 

 often shines with considerable power 

 even in winter. 



The winter killing of the trees them- 

 selves last February was no doubt due 

 to the severe cold which continued 

 steadily for about three weeks, without 

 any protection for the roots of snow or 

 other material. Evidently, the wise 



thing is to mulch our tender trees well 

 in the fall, or else sow a cover crop in 

 mid summer, to be plowed under the 

 following spring. This latter method is 

 doubly remunerative, for besides the 

 winter protection it is the surest method 

 of enriching the soil and promoting 

 wood growth. At Maplehurst we sowed 

 Crimson clover three years in succession 

 in the month of July, and ploughed it 

 under in May, with a light dressing of 

 wood ashes and bone meal. The por- 

 tion treated was planted to Spy, Bartlett 

 and Imperial Gage, trees which had a 

 record for being unproductive, this 

 season the finest apples and plums are 

 being produced on these very trees. 



Apples were last year exported to 

 Helsingfors, on the Gulf of Finland, by 

 the Imperial Produce Co , Toronto. 



Fine Prize Lists have been issued 

 by the Industrial Fair, Toronto, H. J. 

 Hill, Secretary ; the Western Fair, 

 London, Thos. A. Brown, Secretary; 

 the Prince Edward Agricultural Society, 

 Thos. Bog, Picton, Secretary. 



The Se'Vson of Fairs is close upon 

 us, and no wideawake fruit-grower 

 should fail to inspect the exhibits of 

 fruits whenever possible. Comparing 

 notes in this way is the surest method 

 of learning about the best and most 

 profitable varieties. This is the especial 

 duty of the intending planter, who has 

 not had much experience, and who 

 would make most serious blunders in 

 planting if he did not first inform him- 

 self upon the characteristics and quali- 

 ties of the kinds which he proposes to 

 set in his orchard. 



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