50 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



March, 1908 



not top-grafted yet, some time planted. 

 They give good crops and all stocks are 

 sound and healthy whether grafted or 

 not." 



These are interesting records. Before 

 grafting time, let us hear from others 

 who have had experience with top- 

 grafting Northern Spy. The longer the 

 experience the better, as sometimes 



grafts do well at first but afterwards 

 become top heavy. 



The information growers want is: 

 What stocks are the best? How long 

 does it take Northern Spy to come into 

 bearing when top-grafted on bearing 

 trees? How long does it take Spy to 

 come into bearing when grafted on 

 young trees' 



Pointers on Gro^v^ing Strawberries 



AT a recent meeting of the Toronto 

 branch of the Ontario Vegetable 

 Growers' Association, two valu- 

 able addresses were given on growing 

 strawberries. Many practical hints were 

 given, not only by the speakers, but also 

 by others who took part in the discus- 

 sion. Mr. J. C. Bell, of Cooksville, Ont., 

 spoke in part as follows: 



"Although strawberries will grow on 

 almost any kind of soil, they do best on 

 a rich, heavy sand, with a quicksand 

 bottom. This type of soil furnishes 

 plenty of moisture, not only for the 

 growth of the plants, but also for giving 

 size to the fruit. The land should be 

 prepared during the previous fall by 

 plowing in about sixty tons of manure 

 an acre. In the following spring, it 

 should be worked up and fertilized again 

 with about twenty-five loads of well-rot- 

 ted manure an acre. 



"The land is marked three and one- 

 half feet apart for the rows and two feet 

 for planting in the rows. By means of 

 a scufHer, a shallow drill is made along 

 the row markings. The whole area is 

 then rolled and the drills are once more 

 opened. Planting is done with a spade. 

 Well-grown plants are selected from 

 rows of stock plants. A small portion 

 of both tops and roots are trimmed off. 

 The plants are placed in small holes 

 made by the spade and planted firmly. 

 In about a week after planting, a Breed's 

 weeder is run over the patch, then about 

 500 pounds an acre of a bone and potash 

 fertilizer are applied and worked in. 

 Scuffling and hoeing are continued all 

 summer. It costs at least $150 an acre 

 to produce a crop of strawberries. 



"It is difficult to recommend varieties 

 that will do well in all localities. Those 

 that have done best with me are, prac- 

 tically in the order of ripening, Excelsior, 

 Michel's Early, Auguste Luther, Lovett, 

 Tennessee Prolific, Clyde, Wm. Belt and 

 Williams. For home use, three varieties 

 that will cover the season nicely are, 

 Auguste Luther, Wm. Belt and Brandy- 

 wine." 



Mr. Edward Eagle, of Weston, Ont., 

 supported most of the recommendations 

 of the foregoing speaker, and gave a few 

 additional hints. As Mr. Eagle's land 

 is low and flat, rather than high and 

 comparatively dry, such as Mr. Bell's, 

 he practises a somewhat different sys- 



tem of culture. He grows his straw- 

 berries on a black, sandy loam, which is 

 manured in the spring with thirty tons 

 an acre of well-rotted horse manure. 

 The land is plowed four or five inches 

 deep, harrowed and marked. Planting 

 is done as soon as the ground is ready. 

 The plants are placed one and one-half 

 to two feet apart in rows that are four 

 feet apart. For planting, a round- 

 mouth draining spade is used. The 

 spade is inserted in the ground and 

 moved backwards and forwards. Into 

 the opaning thus made, the roots of the 

 plants are spread and planted firmly by 

 pressure of the foot. Cultivation is 

 started at once, so as to produce a dust 

 mulch as early as possible. To produce 

 strong growth the first season, the blos- 

 som stalks are removed from the mother 

 plants. 



"On the old patch," said Mr. Eagle, 

 "picking is done in the morning so that 

 the fruit can be taken to the market as 

 early as possible. The berries are kept 

 shaded and as clean as possible and the 

 boxes are picked full. As soon as pick- 

 ing is concluded for the season, the patch 

 is plowed down and sown with oats. 

 These are cut and used for mulching the 

 new patch that is coming on." 



Spraying Apple Trees 



On the front cover of this issue of The 

 Canadian Horticulturist is illustrated 

 the spraying outfit used by the Norfolk 

 Fruit Growers' Association, Siracoe, Ont. 

 This organization has been in existence 

 only a short time and has done excellent 

 work in a cooperative way for the fruit 

 growers and farmers o^ that locality. 

 One of the requirements of membership 

 in the association is that thorough 

 spraying must be done in the orchards 

 of the members. To aid in having the 

 work done properly, the executive of 

 the association distributes the following 

 information ; the advice given is valu- 

 able for fruit growers everywhere: 



"Apply the first spraying when the 

 buds begin to swell. Use twenty pounds 

 of blue vitriol, sixty pounds of lime, and 

 200 gallons of water. Always estimate 

 ten pounds of water to the gallon. 



"The second spraying should be done 

 just before the buds break open and the 

 third spraying just as soon as the blos- 



soms fall, with twelve pounds of blue 

 vitriol, twelve ounces of Paris green, 

 twelve ounces of white arsenic, two and 

 one-half pounds of sal soda, fifty pounds 

 of lime, and 200 gallons of water. 



"Always prepare the arsenic by boil- 

 ing twelve ounces of arsenic with two 

 and one-half pounds of sal soda in two 

 gallons of water for forty-five minutes; 

 if you have a kettle large enough, you 

 can make up a stock solution. Keep 

 this kettle away from live stock as it is 

 poison. 



"To make 200 gallons for the second 

 spraying: Pat twelve pounds of vitriol 

 in a hopper with burlap bottom, which 

 place over the hole in your tank. 

 Pump or pour 150 gallons of water on 

 this vitriol, straining in the tank. 

 Then slack fifty pounds of good lime 

 (none air-slacked) in fifty gallons of 

 water and strain through a hopper with 

 a wire bottom into the 150 gallons al- 

 ready in the tank. Then, of your boiled 

 arsenic solution, add an amount equiva- 

 lent to twelve ounces of white arsenic 

 and two and one-half pounds of sal soda. 

 Then add twelve ounces of Paris green 

 by dissolving in a small pail of water. 

 Each time in adding lime, arsenic and 

 Paris green, agitate thoroughly. Now 

 you are ready for the orchard ; keep well 

 agitated and a good pressure. 



"Always clean out the lime box with 

 water every time after using. Pump 

 some clean water through your pump 

 nozzles, and so forth, every night when 

 in use and keep the tank well cleaned. 



i 



The Canadian Horticulturist would 

 like to receive for publication letters 

 from its readers on their experiences 

 in spraying for San Jose scale, oyster- 

 shell scale, codling moth, apple and 

 pear scab, and for other orchard pests. 

 Have one or two photographs taken. 



In strawberry culture, runners that 

 reach beyond a reasonable limit should 

 be cut off. The plants should be cul- 

 tivated at least once a week and after 

 each rain, and utter extermination of 

 weeds is necessary to success. If the 

 ground has been kept free from weeds 

 the previous year the weed killing will 

 be a much easier job. Rows must not be 

 ridged up too high when cultivated. 



"Oyster-shell scale can be exterm- 

 inated by spraying, in exactly the same 

 manner as when using the lime and 

 sulphur wash for San Jose scale. A 

 double spraying is necessary. It is 

 most important to give a re-touching 

 spray. The trees should be gone over 

 in the customary way and repeated a 

 few days later, so as to make sure of 

 bringing the mixture in contact with 

 every portion of twig and branch. — 

 H. A. Surface, M. Sc, Harrisburg, Penn. 



