FEBR UA R Y NO TES. 



73 



directly on the plants, unless the weather is 

 more balmy and spring like than is usual in 

 February or early March. By opening an 

 outside window or door in an adjoining hall 

 or room on a fine and moderately warm, 

 sunny day for only a few minutes perhaps, 

 enough pure air will be admitted to 

 be of great benefit to the plants. This can 

 be done every day if the weather permits. 

 Or the top sash of the window may perhaps 

 be lowered an inch or two, to allow a cur- 

 rent of fresh air to pass over the plants with- 

 out striking directly on them. Never give 

 air from the bottom of the window, even on 

 sunny days, unless the temperature outside 

 in the shade is about 50°. Even then a 

 strong breeze directly on the plants may in- 

 jure the most tender ones unless great care 

 is exercised. 



Insect Pests. — These will be sure to in- 

 crease rapidly as the heat of the sun in- 

 creases. Tobacco smoke or tobacco water, 

 and constant syringing and sprinkling the 

 plants with cold water once or twice a week 

 on fine sunny days, are the best preventa- 

 tives and remedies for insect pests, more 

 especially the aphis or green fly, the most 

 common spring and summer pest to plant life. 



Protecting Window Plants. — Lifting 

 the plants down into a warm corner of the 

 room, away from the direct current of air 

 from under the door, will often save a col- 

 lection ot plants from freezing on extra cold 

 nights. A sheet or two of newspaper will 

 also give extra protection if placed around 

 and over them. Newspapers or sheets of 

 brown paper placed between the window 

 and the plant so that the edges of the papers 

 overlap each other as well as the edge of the 

 window, is a great security to window 

 plants, in addition to a thick, close window 

 blind. Late winter and early spring is when 

 window plants are in the greatest danger 

 from frost, as the warmer days induces care- 

 lessness in regard to fires, the result often 

 being the ruin of a fine collection of plants 



after a winter's previous close care and 

 attention. 



Black Spot on Roses. 



Sir,— I am greatly troubled with black spot on 

 my roses, H. P's. It appears soon alter the bloom 

 is over and defoliates the canes entirely before the 

 summer is past, thus injuring the new growth. 

 What remedy do you advise ? A. B. O. 



Bad drainage at the roots, or too much 

 animal manure applied to the soil, or too 

 much water will induce the disease known 

 as " black spot " or " rose leaf spot." If the 

 soil is of a clayey nature, try a good dress- 

 ing of wood ashes in the spring. Spread 

 the ashes over the soil so as to pretty well 

 cover it, then fork the ashes just under the 

 surface of the soil. Fungicides that will 

 check the black spot are often as dangerous 

 to the plant as the disease itself. The dis- 

 ease seldom does much injury where the 

 soil is well drained and proper fertilizers 

 used. About one-third bone meal may be 

 added to the ashes mentioned if a fer- 

 tilizer is needed. Picking off the diseased 

 leaves as soon as they appear is also a pre- 

 ventive of the disease spreading. 



Carnations. 



Sir, — Would Mr. Hunt be so kind as to tell me 

 why so many seedling carnations of the Mar- 

 guerite, Dwarf Vienna and other varieties fail to 

 produce flowers ? They grow large tufts of leaves 

 but no flowers. It is so common with me that he 

 must have observed it. The habit of growth of 

 these flowe: less plants is quite different from those 

 which bloom. A. B. O. 



I should advise trying a fresh strain 

 of seed of the Marguerite Carnation. These 

 carnations are very susceptible to hybridiza- 

 tion, and it often happens that many of the 

 plants partake more of the remontant or 

 perpetual flowering kinds, the latter taking 

 a much longer time than the Marguerites to 

 produce their flowers from seedling plants. 



Qeraniums. 



Sir, — Can the soil be too rich for geraniums? 

 My beds are made very rich. Whatever the cause 

 the result has been that the plants produce no 

 flowers, and the leaves drop off and all ate more 



