QUESTION AND ANSWER DEPARTMENT 



t 



Transplanting Peach Trees 



I wish to transplant about sixty young 



leach trees which have been in the ground 



for two or three years, but which have not 



ade much growth owing to being planted 



unsuitable land and to lack of cultiva- 



[tion and moisture. I desire to transfer them 



a gravelly soil and would like to know 



this is advisable and practicable and also 



ilhe best manner of going about it, so as not 



[io destroy too many roots. Are the trees 



[too old to move successfully? — W. G., 



kanagan Valley, B. C. 



While you cannot expect the same suc- 

 ;ess in transplanting trees that have 

 een established for two or three years 

 as with young trees from the nursery, 

 the operation can be done satisfactorily. 

 The loss of a few roots will do little or 

 no permanent damage. Prune back par- 

 tially both roots and top. Transplant in 

 early spring. A gravelly soil will grow 

 leaches, if sandy, deep and well drained. 



Best Spraying Machine 



There are so many spraying machines on 

 the market, I do not know which to pur- 

 chase. Kindly state which is best. — R. N., 

 Yarmouth Co., N. 8. 



We have no preference. Consult the 

 advertising columns of this issue. Only 

 reliable firms are permitted to advertise 

 in The Canadian Horticulturist. 



Judging at Royal Show 



Can you explain the judging of the colon- 

 ial fruit exhibits at the Royal Horticultural 

 Society's Exhibition, London, England? 

 If by points I should like to know the scale. 

 Are fruits sampled and points given for 

 flavor and firmness? — A. W. W., Yale- 

 Cariboo, B. C. 



This question is answered fairly fully 

 in a letter by Mr. T. B. Revett that ap- 

 pears on another page of this issue. The 

 secretary of the society has been asked 

 for further particulars. 



Trouble with Begonia 



I am sending a begonia leaf. Kindly tell 

 me what is wrong with it. The leaves appoar 

 to be healthy but when they reach the size 

 of the one sent, drop ofl. How can I treat 

 the plant to avoid this?— Mrs. A. E. C., 

 Huron Co., Ont. 



I am of opinion that the trouble is 

 caused by lack of drainage at the roots 

 of the plant or poor soil. Gas fumes 

 will also cause the leaves of this plant to 

 drop. Give the plant a season of partial 

 rest for a few weeks by giving it suffic- 

 ent water only to keep the soil moist, 

 and keep it in a temperature of about 

 fifty degrees. In about eight or ten 

 weeks the plant should be repotted. In 

 doing this remove a portion of the old 

 soil, repot the plant into soil, one part 



sand, one of leaf -or black mould and 

 about four parts of good potting soil, 

 with plenty of drainage at the roots, 

 using the same sized pot. Avoid over- 

 watering the plant. Begonias are not 

 good house plants, especially where the 

 atmosphere is very dry or gas fumes pre- 

 vail. — Wm. Hunt, Ontario Agricultural 

 College. 



Primulas, Begonias, Carnations 



What should be done with primulas, flow- 

 ering begonias and carnations after bloom- 

 ing in winter?— A. 8., Thunder Bay Dis- 

 trict, Ont. 



The Chinese primrose {Primula sinen- 

 sis) is scarcely worth keeping over the 

 second season. It is best to raise young 

 plants from seed. Seeds should be sown 

 in March or April in light, well drained 

 soil. The seedling plants should be kept 

 well shaded. Old plants of Primula ob- 

 conica can be kept over and divided for 

 "the next season's flowering. Even these 

 are better raised from seed every year. 



Flowering begonias that have flowered 

 all winter should be kept moderately dry 

 and in a cool temperature of about fifty 

 degrees until about the end of June, when 

 they can be stood out-of-doors in partial 

 shade, if temperature does not go below 

 fifty degrees. They should be repotted 

 about the end of August and brought 

 indoors before chilly or cold weather 

 commences. 



Carnation plants are scarcely worth 

 keeping over for the second season. 

 Young plants rooted from cuttings in 

 January or February, planted out in the 

 open garden in June and potted in Au- 

 gust before the severe frosts, give the 

 best results for the following winter sea- 

 son. Old plants can be kept by keeping 

 them in a cool place and planting them 

 out in the ground as recommended for 

 the young plants. The top growth of 

 carnations should be kept pinched out or 

 shortened until about the middle of July 

 for winter flowering. — Wm. Hunt, On- 

 tario Agricultural College. 



Celery on Sod Land 



Would it be advisable to plant celery on 

 an old sod that was plowed last fall? Would 

 there be danger from wireworms? — A. W. N., 

 Wentwerth Co., Ont. 



There would be little or no danger 

 from wire worms on celery. There may 

 be trouble, however, in working the sod 

 for celery, if it has not been properly 

 rotted, and in getting the plants to take 

 root. Mr. George Syme, Jr., of West 

 Toronto, one of the best celery growers 

 of the province, said that he has seen 



59 



some good crops of celery grown in the 

 way that you suggest but that the crop 

 is likely to be "patchy." 



Separating Tomato Seed 



What is the best way to separate the seed 

 from the pulp of tomatoes.?— A. C, York Co. 

 Ont. 



For small quantities, mix inner pulp 

 of the tomatoes with sand, rubbing them 

 together until most of the moisture is 

 absorbed. It is not necessary to separ 

 ate the seed from the sand. Sow both 

 when the time comes. For large quan- 

 tities, remove the skin and break up 

 the pulp. Wash with water. The sep- 

 aration may be performed immediately 

 but, if the pulp adheres to the seed, al- 

 low the mass to stand until fermentation 

 liberates the seeds. Most of the pulp 

 will then rise, leaving the seeds at the 

 bottom. To liberate the seeds more 

 quickly, place a stick of caustic potash 

 in each pail of water. In the course of 

 an hour or so, the seeds can be rubbed 

 out easily. 



Asparagus Beetles 



Give treatment for asparagus beetles. — 

 W. A. C, Wentworth Co., Ont. 



There are various ways of handling 

 these pests: i. If practicable, allow poul- 

 try to run over the beds. 2. During 

 cutting season leave scattered shoots to 

 grow as traps. Apply insecticides or 

 cut down and burn. 3. After cutting 

 season apply Paris green or arsenate ot 

 lead ; repeat whenever larvae appear. 

 Dusting with fresh, dry-slacked lime 

 when dew is on, is also practised. 4. If 

 plants are shaken during hottest weather 

 many larvae will die on the ground. 5. 

 Against twelve-spotted beetle, pick ofl^ 

 the young berries and burn. 



Low-Heading of Trees 



Editor, The Canadian Horticultur- 

 ist: — As a student of horticulture since 

 1846, I heartily agree with Mr. W. J. 

 Kerr, of Ottawa, whose letter appeared 

 in the February issue, that the low-head- 

 ing of fruit trees is best. His reasons are 

 clearly given, are ample and most prac- 

 ticable. 



I would buy buds one year old and thus 

 form the head to suit myself. When trees 

 • ire two years from the bud many limbs 

 have been cut off for budding other stock 

 so that one cannot head his trees as per- 

 fcrtly as he can if he plants early in the 

 fall or early in the spring one-year-old 

 iMids. -^Frances Wayland Glen, Brook- 

 lyn, N. Y. 



