88 



THE CANADIAN H O R T I (J U I. T U H I S T 



April, 1908 



Nova Scotia 



Eunice Watt>, WatervilU. 



Several institute meeting's were held in 

 King's County during- the month of Febru- 

 ary, in which apple culture has been a 

 prominent subject. The Nova Scotia Farm- 

 ers' Association held meetings at Cam- 

 bridge, Harmony, Welton's Corner, Gas- 

 pereau, Sheffield Mills, Upper Pereaux, Ber- 

 wick, Aylesford, South Berwick and Water- 

 ville. These meetings were addressed by ■ 

 Mr. W. H. Woodworth, an authority on 

 spraying, and Mr. L'. D. Robinson, a suc- 

 cessful fruit grower, with the aid of govern- 

 ment men sent from Truro. 



The chief meetings were held at Berwick, 

 on February 27, at the Seed Fair and Fruit 

 Exhibition. The apples shown excited 

 much admiration being splendid specimens, 

 highly colored. A new law v>'as introduced 

 which excluded all exhibits from prizes 

 which were not grown by the exhibitor. 

 Unprincipled persons were thus prevented 

 from buying fruits, or selecting them in 

 the warehouses, a practice which has dis- 

 couraged would-be competitors. 



During the judging of the fruits and 

 seeds, addresses were given to a crowded 

 audience. Mr. Woodworth advised growers 

 to use arsenate of soda, which is just as 

 effective, safer and cheaper than Paris 

 green. He makes his stocK sohition from 

 two pounds of white arsenic and eight 

 pounds of sal-soda boiled in two gallons 

 of water. He claimed that one gallon of 

 this mixture was equal to one pound of 

 Paris green. Mr. S. B. Chute gave his ex- 

 perience in spraying with arsenate of lead 

 which also he claimed is superior to Paris 

 green as it will not wash off, or burn the 

 foliage. 



Much indignation was expressed at the 



growing habit of spraying when trees are 

 in blossom. The bees are not only killed, 

 but the tender organisms of the flower are 

 injured by the Bordeaux mixture. 



Much interest was taken in the silver 

 and bronze Banksian medals which were 

 awarded to W. H. Woodworth, A. L. Morse, 

 and F. A. Parker by the English Royal 

 Horticultural Society at the Crystal Palace 

 for apples. 



Returns for Nova Scotia apples have lat- 

 terly been very disappointing owing to the 

 glut of oranges, grapes and other fruits in 

 the English markets. The apples in the 

 warehouses are turning brown, probably 

 owing to the mild damp winter. We are 

 having samples of most kinds of weather, 

 and unprotected strawbejrry beds will suffer 

 under the alternate frosts and thaws. 



Okanagan Valley 



R. D. Riggi, Vernon, B.C. 



Orchard cultivation is a very important 

 subject, differing greatly in various sec- 

 tions of the country. It has been the prac- 

 tice in the Okanagan Valley to cultivate 

 the orchard land continuously and during 

 the dry season to keep the surface soil in 

 a state of tilth, thus conserving the mois- 

 ture beneath. This result is best gained 

 by the use of the acme harrow. But con- 

 stant cultivation and cropping of fruit has 

 impoverished the soil to such an extent 

 that the fruit is not now so highly colored 

 as it should be. In some neglected and 

 poorly-kept orchards last season, where 

 weeds and grasses were allowed to grow, 

 the apples wer every highly colored and 

 of a superior quality. 



Some growers have already tried red 

 clover for providing a sod for the orchard 



and adding humus to the soil. The clover 

 is cut and left on the ground as a mulch, 

 it being unwise to take two crops, that is, 

 a crop of clover, and a crop of fruit, oflf . 

 the land in one season. The grower must-_ 

 use his judgment as to the length of time,- 

 the clover is left without being plowed^: 

 under, which time depends considerably,-' 

 on the amount of rainfall and of water avail- 

 able by irrigation. Where there is insuffi- 

 cient moisture, some other method mightij 

 be more suitable. " Many growers intendi 

 seeding down their orchards this springf| 

 but due consideration must be given toi 

 the available moisture and the conditions 

 of the soil if the best result is to be ob-jj 

 tained. 



New Brunswick 



J. C. Gilman, Fredericton. 



The past winter will test the hardy qual- 

 ities of strawberry plants, as the fields h: 

 been nearly bare, with frequent thaws, 

 most of the time. Some beds of ice, cov- 

 ering much of the surface, must seriously 

 injure the roots of all young plants. Fruit 

 buds seem to have wintered, so far, v 

 well, and if no unfavorable conditions 

 in later, we may hope for a goc^ show 

 bloom on fruit trees this spring. 



The egg clusters of the forest tent cater- 

 pillar are very numerous on woodland 

 growth, one branch of poplar, four feet 

 long, having by count over 20 rings of 

 eggs, some of which were brought into 

 the kitchen of a farmhouse, and hatched 

 in 16 days, by placing the twigs in a jar 

 of water. With the prospect of such myr- 

 iads of leaf eating enemies, the woodlands 

 and orchards will be watched with much in- 

 terest and some anxiety till the feeding, 

 season of caterpillars is past. 



Hardy Herbaceous Plants for the Flower Borders 



AV/E have selected a varied collection of Herbaceous Plants with a view of making an Effective Ornamental 

 ' ' Border. Our plants are all hardy, bearing bright conspicuous flowers, and will yield a constant succession 

 of bloom for Decorative Purposes. Where any particular effect is desired either as to their height or their ar- 

 rangement in combination as to density, etc., it would be w^ell to mention these features when sending enquiries 

 which will always be cheerfully answered. 



Paeonies 

 Monkshood 



(Aconitum) 



Day Lilies 



(Funkia) 



Golden Glow 



(Rudbeckia) 



Leopard's Bane 



<Doronicuni) 



Red-Hot Pokers 



(Tritoma) 



Perennial Sunflowers 



(Helianthus) 



Adam's Needle 



(Yucca) 



Phlox, German and Japanese Iris, Dahlias, named and unnamed, etc., etc. 



An extensive collection, carefully prepared, of the hardiest and choicest 

 blooming field-grown Roses, some budded and some on their own roots 



Our assortment of Apples, Plums, Pears, Peaches, Cherries, &c., &c. is well-known throughout the Dominion 

 and Catalogues explaining varieties will be mailed free on application. 



HELDERLEIGH. 



NURSERIES 



E. D. SMITH 



.WINONA, 



ONTARIO 



Mention the Canadian Hortiuultnrist when writing;. 



