OUR QUESTION AND ANSWER DEPARTMENT 



Readers of The Horticulturist arc invited to Submit Questions on any phase of Horticultural Work 



Removing Moss from Trees 



Kindly advise me in respect to the strength 

 I'f potash that it would be safe to apply to 



ijiple trees, twenty years old, to remove rough 

 bark and moss. How many pounds to ten 

 gallons of water, and how often would it be 



afe to use? — Joseph Burrell, Jr., Yarmouth, 

 X.S. 



It has been found from experiment 

 that a two per cent, solution of caustic 

 potash will remove moss and lichens 

 irom trees ^satisfactorily and will not 

 injure the trees when they are dormant. 

 Ivven a two and a half to three per cent, 

 solution may be used without injury to 

 the trees when dormant, but this 

 strength is not necessary, and, as 

 caustic potash is unpleasant to use even 

 in a two per cent, solution, we should 

 not advise using a stronger one. One 

 thorough application would accomplish 

 nmch, but two applications would be 

 letter and should be sufficient. 



Scale on Fern 



I am sending a part of stem taken from a 

 . rord fern which has been going back rapidly. 

 iPill you kindly tell me what the trouble is, and 

 "tlggest a remedy? — W. J. Bruce, Kincardine, 



' The piece of fern frond received was 

 jlfested with a species of scale. The 

 iasiest method of getting rid of these 

 pests on indoor plants is by mechanical 

 means, that is, rubbing off by means 

 (pf the fingers or an old tooth brush. 

 ifhey are easily dislodged. If a brush 

 is used, it is better to dip it in a weak 

 ^lution of whale oil soap, if available, 

 fir even common soap suds. When the 

 JMece of fern was received it^vas noticed 

 that the young scales were moving. It 

 iis at this stage that they are most 

 effectively treated by means of syring- 

 Sig, spraying or dipping, but this is not 

 necessary if each frond is gone over 

 separately with the brush. 



Strawberries as Fillers 



I am interested in a plan for not losing all 

 the benefit from ground for the first year while 

 faiting for strawberries to come to bearing, 

 if stich can bg done successfully and not be a 

 fctriment to the crop of I^erries. I want to 

 ^w them among young grapes and peaches 

 until the latter reach good bearing. What 

 Jlement of plant food is lakcn from the soil by 

 strawberries that should be returned each year, 

 »nd what is the best way to supply it? — J. E. 

 Lent, Fonthill, Ont. 



Strawberries can be grown cjuite suc- 

 lessfullv in a peach orchard or between 

 rows of grapes, if other conditions are 

 latisfactory. It is probable, however, 

 fliat they will not do so well in the vine- 



yard as in the peach orchard, owing to 

 the usual difference in character of soil. 

 Most varieties of strawberries do not 

 produce best results on clay land. 

 While the fertilizers that should be 

 applied to a strawberry patch should 

 contain the three essential elements, 

 nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, 

 the latter is required in larger quantities 

 proportionately. It can be supplied in 

 hardwood ashes or by the application of 

 muriate of potash. It would not be 

 well to continue growing strawberries 

 among grapes or peach trees when the 

 latter commence to bear. 



Wistarias Do Not Bloom 



Kindly tell me why wistarias often will not 

 bloom, even after being planted several years? 

 The vines are strong but no flowers appear. 

 Do the flowers come on the current year's growth 

 or on the growth of the preceding year? — C. E. 

 Van Dyke, Grimsby, Ont. 



It is quite a common^occurrence for 

 plants of wistaria to be shy in flowering 

 the first feiv years after being planted. 

 I planted a wistaria in 1883 which 

 flowered very little for eight or ten years. 

 The wistaria flowers on short spurs 

 formed the previotis season on wood of 

 older growth. It will also flower spar- 

 ingly on the long trailing canes or growth 

 of the preceding year. Pruning the 

 young canes of the last season's growth 

 back in March, leaving spurs a few 

 inches inVlength at^jbase, will help in 

 producing flowers. ^If the plants men- 

 tioned arc pruned as recommended, 

 they should flower in a year or two at 

 most.~-Wm. Hunt,O.A.C., Guelph, Ont. 



Azaleas did not Thrive 



Some of the members of the Seaforth Horticul- 

 tural Society clubbed together and got a dozen 

 azaleas. They appeared in good shape but 

 most of them shrivelled up and are dead. 

 Probably we did not treat them rightly. Kindly 

 give treatment, including how to treat them 

 during the summer. — \Vm. Hartry, Seaforth, 

 Ont. 



Judging by the general results I 

 should say that the roots of your azaleas 

 had become dry before they reached 

 you, and that the azaleas were already 

 dead or nearly dead when they were 

 received. If the azaleas had been 

 grown properly before you received them, 

 as they probably had been, the flower 

 buds were already formed so that all 

 that was necessary for you to do was 

 to keep the soil moist but not wet, to 

 keep the plants in a moderately warm 

 temperature, and to give them light. 



If they had bloomed as they should, 

 they should, after blooming, have been 

 kept growing by keeping the plants 

 watered and giving them as much light 

 as possible. In the spring the pots 

 should be buried in a partly shaded 

 place and the soil kept moist, but not 

 wet, by regular watering during the 

 summer. The plants naturally begin 

 to grow immediately after blooming, 

 and it is important to have as healthy 

 foliage as possible, for, unless there is 

 good foliage made, there will not likely 

 be many flower buds formed. — W. T. 

 Macoun, C.E.F., Ottawa. 



Bordeaux for Stored Apples 



Horticultural Editor, The Canadian 

 Hortici;lturist : I have been trying an 

 interesting experiment for checking rot 

 in apples that are being kept in storage. 

 I have dipped them in Bordeaux mixture, 

 and would like to know if this has been 

 tried by others. I am of the opinion 

 that apples can be kept longer, and are 

 less subject to rot when dipped in Bor- 

 deaux. 



I had been treating a young plum 

 orchard with Bordeaux to check plum 

 rot. Although bearing well, this orchard 

 had all its fruit, notted on the trees every 

 year until it was sprayed. It occurred 

 to me that if this mixture would kill 

 ihe fungu.s on the plum, it might also 

 do the same with the apple. According- 

 ly, I gathered a small box of windfalls 

 a year ago last fall, most of them Col- 

 '. erts, an;l treated them with Bordeaux 

 mixture. The majority of them remaind- 

 ed in excellent condition until the fol- 

 lowing spring. Last fall, I repeated 

 the experiment with several kinds, and so 

 far the results are good. 



As there is only a small quantity of 

 blue stone in the mixture, I do not think 

 lliat any danger would arise from eat- 

 ing the apples. For those who are 

 timid, however, I would suggest that 

 they peel the apples first. Then the 

 fruit will be as good as if newly pulled 

 from the tree. — Wm. Welsh, Kincardine, 

 Ont. 



Vegetable growers should use only the 

 best strains of the best varieties of seed 

 for planting. 



The soil for strawberries should be 

 rich and as free from weed seeds as pos- 

 sible. Wood ashes and bone dust are 

 about as good fertilizers as any. 



