122 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



June, 1909 



Dwarf Apple Trees 



W. T. Macoun, Central Eiperimental Fann, Ottawa 



There has been a revived interest in 

 dwarf apple trees in Canada and the 

 United States during recent years owing 

 principally, no doubt, to the fact that 

 spraying is now considered necessary to 

 the best success with apple trees, and 

 that dwarf trees can be sprayed much 

 more easily than standards. The success 

 with dwarf trees in America has not, 

 however, been so generally successful 

 as was hoped, although in some cases 

 good results have been obtained. The 

 difference in results is due to the differ- 

 ence in climate, soil, varieties, and so 

 forth, but also largely to methods of 

 pruning, dwarf trees requiring much 

 more care in pruning than standards. 



Dwarf trees under favorable conditions 

 come into bearing much earlier than 

 standards, fruit being sometimes ob- 

 tained the second year after planting of 

 varieties that usually take six or seven 

 years to come into bearing. As dwarf 

 trees are much smaller than standards 

 the crop is smaller on dwarf trees in pro- 

 portion. Dwarf trees may be set about 

 ten or twelve feet apart each way or 

 even less. Two of the commonest kinds 

 of dwarf stock for apples are the "Para- 

 dise" and the "Doucin," the former 

 dwarfing the tree more than the latter. 

 The "Doucin" stock will probably give 

 better results on the whole in this coun- 

 try than the "Paradise." 



The Cherry Orchard 



Wm. Platts, Jr., Pelham Comera, Ont. 



We prefer a clover sod for starting a 

 cherry orchard. After you have cut your 

 first crop of clover, plow the sod under 



Among the Blossoms 



Orchard of Wm. Platts, Jr., Pelham Corners, Ont. 



thoroughly, cultivating it until the mid- 

 dle of October, then mark the ground 

 out eighteen by twenty feet apart. We 

 plant in the fall so that the ground will 

 get thoroughly settled around the roots 



by spring, so that they get a good start 

 before dry weather sets in. 



We think that a good one year old 

 tree is the best to set out, because it 

 makes a better start and is more sure to 

 grow. 



We plant some vegetables or small 

 fruits that take lots of cultivation be- 

 tween thf rows so as to make a good 

 growth each year, until the trees com- 

 mence to bear well. 



We start pruning about the middle of 

 March, keeping the trees headed low, 

 and plow away from them just before 

 they come in bloom. From this on keep 

 the ground thoroughly cultivated, using 

 the disc-harrow and the cultivator, un- 

 til the crop is harvested. 



We generally have some good girls 

 and boys to pick them and pay them fif- 

 teen cents a quart basket, using small 

 step ladders, or standing on the ground, 

 for being headed low, there is not much 

 climbing to do. We sell the fruit to our 

 nearest canning factory, which is located 

 near Welland, Ont., two and one-half 

 miles from our orchard. After harvest- 

 ing the fruit we spread manure, and 

 then plow up to the trees for the coming 

 winter. 



Arsenate of Lead 



M. C. Smith, Burlington, Ont. 



Arsenate of lead has many advantages 

 over 'Paris green as a poison to control 

 codling moth or any leaf eating insect. 

 It mixes readily with water and stays 

 mixed with a minimum of agitation. It 

 is much lighter than Paris green ; con- 

 sequently, much more easily held in sus- 

 pension. There is nothing in it to clog 

 nozzles. It sticks on the foliage and can- 

 not be washed off by rains ; in fact, arse- 

 nate of lead will last on the foliage 

 throughout the entire season. It is the 

 safest form of poison that can be used. 

 It positively will not burn foliage of any 

 description, fruit or vegetable. 



It should be used in the proportion of 

 two pounds to a forty gallon barrel. At 

 this strength it will control codling 

 moth. If canker AVorm or potato bugs 

 were allowed to get very bad, an addi- 

 tional pound could be added with abso- 

 lutely no danger to the foliage. 



It is advisable when buying arsenate 

 of lead to get a brand that has a guaran- 

 teed analysis of arsenic oxide of at least 

 sixteen per cent., such as the "Niagara 

 Brand." This brand has been used very 

 largely in Ontario and the United States 

 and has given excellent results. It costs 

 from twelve to fifteen cents a pound, ac- 

 cording to the size of package. I would 

 not have any brand of arsenate of lead 

 at any price that had not been fully ex- 

 perimented with on foliage, nor would I 

 buy one that did not have a guaranteed 

 analysis of at least sixteen per cent, of 

 poison. 



Of late years, Paris green has varied 



so in strength that a grower is never 

 sure of results ; an overdose at any time 

 is dangerous to foliage. The first cost of 

 arsenate of lead would be slightly higher 

 than Paris green but the difference in 

 the results will more than make up the 

 difference in cost, and it is the best re- 

 sults that growers should look for. 

 Arsenate of lead can be applied by itself, 

 with lime and sulphur or with Bordeaux ' 

 mixture. 



The codling moth is the most 

 destructive pest that the orchards of 

 Ontario are subject to. It causes more 

 loss than any other, and it is the easiest 

 controlled. A thorough application of 

 arsenate of lead when the blossoms are 

 falling will almost entirely control it. 

 Thoroughness in spraying is the most es- 

 sential feature. Fill in the calyx end of 

 every blossom with poison. Do not try 

 to spare your spraying material. In sea- 

 sons like last year, when the codling 

 moth is very active, a later spraying in 

 about three weeks or a month is neces- 

 sary. What growers in Ontario need to 

 learn is thoroughness. This and arsenate 

 of lead used at the proper time will con- 

 trol codling moth. 



Forming Apple Trees 



Editor, The Canadian Horticultur- 

 ist : I read with special interest, the ar- 

 ticle on "Forming and Pruning Apple 

 Trees," in your issue of May, 1908, and 

 I advise the re-reading of that article 

 by lovers of tree culture. The writer of 

 it says truly, "The main stem is the tree, 

 keep that intact," and then contrasts it 

 with the tree that has its "centre cut 

 out" — causes lots of trouble — loss. Ten 

 years ago, about sixty trees of this "sec- 

 ond class" style, was sent me to set out. 

 The Duchess has borne some fruit every 

 year. Some branches split off, and many 

 more would have done so had I not fas- 

 tened the branches together with screws, 

 and wire and small bolts. 



On reading the article referred to, I 

 began to consider and examine the trees, 

 to find that they had been beheaded, and 

 I had worked along the same lines in 

 caring for them — so-called. It is time 

 that more care be given and more know- 

 ledge be brought to bear on this point. 

 — Peter Barrett, Truro, N.S. 



To spray effectively, be on time and be 

 thorough. 



If you want to save labor and expense 

 in caring for the new orchard, start the 

 trees with low heads. 



Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and 

 Prince Edward Island Horticulturists 

 are requested to contribute articles and 

 photographs for publication in the July 

 issue of The Canadian Horticulturist, 

 which will be devoted in a large meas- 

 ure to topics of interest to our friends 

 m the maritime provinces. 



